Quality vs. Quantity
by: Troy Coburn 7/12/2009
Come on summertime, I think it’s here! We have finally hit the 90 degree mark. Most people don’t like to fish in this hot weather, I can’t say that I blame them. But for me, this is on of the best times of the year to catch really big largemouth bass.
Timing is everything in early to mid July. The female bass are just finishing up with their post-partum depression. This coincides with the hot weather which really gets their metabolism fired up. Basically, they have to eat a bunch to recover from the rigors of spawning and to keep up with the warm water temps. Put a tempting morsel in front of some gargantuan sow and you’re in for a ride!
Two things I want to stay focused on this time of year when I’m fishing for grande bass; go big and go deep. Large swimbaits, deep diving crankbaits and large jigs in deep water. It’s not necessarily a recipe for numbers of fish. There are times when I may only catch two or three bass a day doing this but they will be quality fish. I tend to be more of a trophy hunter anyway. I’m more interested in 1 eight pound fish than 20 two pounders. If you too would rather focus on quality versus quantity, I have a few pointers for you.
Your first focal point should be lake structure. Creek channels, dropoffs, long tapering points that dump into the lake basin. Large, wary bass want two things as far as lake structure goes; food and security. The immediate access to deep water offers security and if you find the right bottom content or cover on the lake structure, you will find forage and big hungry bass. Mud or rocky bottoms offer dwelling places for crawfish and deep weed edges offer hiding places for young of the year perch, bass and cruising trout. Put the right bottom content and cover on top of the right lake structure and you have a recipe for success.
Your second focal point should be presentation. What are the fish feeding on? Matching the hatch can be very important for big fish. Trout, perch or crawfish are some examples of prevalent forage in local bass lakes. Large fish tend not to chase smaller forage like shad or minnows; they instead focus on easy, high calorie prey like crawfish or a filling meal like a 12 inch trout.
Once I find the right area to fish, I’m going to cover it rather quickly to determine the mood of the fish. I will start by throwing large swimbaits or deep diving crankbaits especially if it is early in the morning. If that fails to produce, I will slow my presentation to heavy jigs or Carolina rigged creature baits. Remember, we are looking for big fish here. I don’t want to throw small stuff. There is a time and place for small baits and this is not it. Also, heavy is another key here. Heavy baits do a several things for the angler; they get to the strike zone faster, stay there longer and they transmit information better. With a 1 oz tungsten weight on a C-rig, I can tell you not only if there are rocks on the bottom but even how big they are. I can tell the difference between a log on the bottom in 35 feet of water and a cinder block. Feeling the bottom content can make all of the difference.
Your final focal point should be patience. Big fish are not easy to come by. They are wary, experienced and are not easily fooled. Work areas thoroughly and look for the key areas that will concentrate large fish like transition areas where the bottom changes from mud to rock for example. Don’t give up too soon if you are not getting bit right away. Like I said before, it is not a numbers game. It is the next level of achievement in fishing, quality over quantity.
