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woodieb8

bass lure size

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I guess it depends on a lot of factors,where you fish,are you just targeting larger fish?Are you making them for resale,I make my bass baits for myself and a few customers I guide for on the cranberry flowages in wi,i make lures ranging from 2 inches all the way up to 8 inch plugs,I myself prefer the larger lures in the 5-9 inch range,I like to target the larger fish and It keeps the smaller bite away(usually),if its numbers you are after I would go for a smaller lure,if you are targeting that monster go for a larger lure,this is just my opinion and I know other people will disagree but this works for me in my area,john

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I have caught bass that were barely 12" long on an 8" Spro swimbait...on more than one occasion. I have seen small fish just bounce off some of my BIG soft plastic swimbaits...bless their little hearts. Guys, I am new to swimbaits. I just started fishing them this past spring and I have learned one major lesson. DON'T be scared of the size. If you can physicaly throw it they will try to eat it. The bigger it is, the less bites you will get though. Up to 8" is what usually keeps my line tight. For what its worth.

TJ

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you guys ever see a MS slammer...mark shaw...he's got a website...msslammer.com alot of eastcoast guys are getting bass on them I know the guys from seekonk ma in his pictures...he gos to a cookout every year that the guys from the baitshop have,, he's well liked..I've never met him..his baits work well:) posted because the big baits for bass

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I'm from WI also and I was wondering what size of swimbait I should be throwing. I am making a couple bluegill swimbaits in the 4-5in range and some laketrout(big green lake) in the 5-6in range. Do you other wisconsinites think these are good sizes to be throwing? And do you think that I will have a more musky/pike then bass problem? The lake is a very clear one and I don't want to use wire leaders. To answer the guy who started this thread, the biggest I have thrown and caught something on so far in the north here is a 7" worm which I have caught dink 10in bass on. I'm going to have a 10" worm mold on the way soon though:).

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I caught 1 1/2 lb bass on a 10" BBZ 1 swim bait in the spring. Big bass, and bass that want to get big, eat big baits.

If you waters don't have trout, it doesn't matter. Bass eat anything they can get their mouths around.

The general rule of thumb is 1/3 their body length, but, in the spawn, they will attack anything that gets near their beds. And out here in SoCal, where rainbow trout are planted during the colder months, big baits work. Guys out here throw 12" swim baits and get BIG fish.

And those swim baits are perfect for big strippers.

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I also hear 1/3 their length is the optimum forage size for a bass. But that's usually not what they're eating. It depends on what's available seasonally, daily, etc. A hungry 27" bass won't sit idly by and watch a school of 5" minnows or a 4" crawfish wander by just because 9" is her "optimum prey size". Most of the soft and hard swimbaits thrown by pro tournament fishermen outside of California are 5-6". And that's in areas where LM bass are typically 4-6 lbs, with 8-10 lb fish possible. So I think 5 or 6" swimbaits are probably the sweet spot. And in northern climes, it would probably be better to use one with a slimmer body style than a Strike King King Shad. Besides, when you get into larger swimbaits, you're talking 1 oz + and special rods and reels, so it becomes a "specialist presentation" pretty quickly.

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These smallmouth are just a sample of the countless numbers we catch while Musky fishing. The baits here are a Joe Bucher Slop Master and one of our own Musky Rockets 8"..... Woodie, your five inch model would probably rock for smallmouth.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g225/rjbass/IMG_1603.jpg

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g225/rjbass/MunuscongsmallmouthonamuskylureAug2.jpg

Rod

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spike a pike i wish thats the case. i have been curious as the incedental cayches here. i have no intent on infringinj on anyones ideas or styles lol i cant keep up to my own process. i am like everyone here. i do have a friend that is an indepent field tester for several large companys and his statements were bigger for the big bass in the south. texas, california and being a musky guy i had to ask.. being older i gotta stik to big wood soi can see what im painting lol.

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