Breaking the ten pound barrier

[badfish03]

I regularly fish a small clear lake(64 acres) this lake gets light fishing pressure most of the time (no gas operated motors in the lake), the average depth is around 25 foot deep. Most of the banks and coves drop off quickly into water over 17 foot deep and there is basically a ring of vegetation that grows in 18" to about 12' of water all the way around the lake. In the summer this vegetation grows all the way to the surface. The bottom in the deep water is pretty featurless for the most part as the area was cleared by trackdozers when the lake was empounded in the 70's. There is only the main creek coming in and two small seasonal creeks that are dry 80% of the time. Maybe a half dozen coves and one large sloping point.

Forage in the lake is mainly bluegill and crawfish with some minnows being present. Water clarity is usually read a newspaper clear at +12 foot deep except when torrential rains muddy the lake. Lake clarity varies somewhat but is usually 12 foot or better.

I usually fish 4-6 inch ringworms t-rigged, 2-4 inch plastic crawdads on jigs and occasionally soft plastic jerkbaits weightless. Colors to match the light conditions ie lighter color baits the brighter it is changing to darker colors as the lighting conditions degrade or water gets deeper. I occasionally throw tailspins and slow roll spinnerbaits along the couple points that exist on the lake but have never had much success with them at least not at this time of the year. I also seldom throw cranks for the same reason, lack of success.

I throw alot of zara spook and similar walk the dog style lures during daylight hours changing to popper type baits the darker it gets. All lures are thrown on 6-12 lb line using medium to medium heavy 6-7 foot rods and mostly spinning tackle.

I have fished this lake for about 20 years and have caught several bass in the 7-9lb range but have not been able to tag the magical 10lber. I know they exsist because you can frequently see them in the shallow areas behind the weeds and others catch them on occasion. I would like to change that this year. I do not fish tournament style, I perfer to move to likely areas and double anchor on location. I then proceed to fancast the area especially if I know that several larger bass frequent the area I may spend several hours in the same general area scouring it with two to three baits.

Should I increase the size of the baits I use and go deeper and slower?

Am I missing a great technique or something here, why cant I break this barrier?

What baits and techniques would you recommend for this situation?

I'm open to suggestions here.

[pyledriver]

I'll take a shot...for my first official post!

Those big boys probably spend a lot of time in the thickest stuff and most likely have seen plenty of lures in their day. What has worked for me in the past is to fish lures that you can throw into the grass. Of course, depending on lure type you may want some pretty heavy gear! I've caught some bruiser bass on topwater frogs thrown right on top of the weeds. I've also had some success with dropping spoons through holes in the surface matting. If you put some sort of trailer on it, that'll help slow it's descent a little. This method is probably better if you're using braided line since you're guaranteed to pull in some vegetation with whatever you catch.

Another good technique is to drop a tube bait right down the facing edge of the vegetation. If you get the weight right you can sometimes twitch it in and out of openings. Since the water is clear you'll be able to experiment with that technique till you get it down.

Now don't laugh here-a little snorkeling time could pay off huge if the water is as clear as you say!! It's amazing the things you see when you're actually underwater..but I digress?

I guess I'd experiment with using light line and smaller ultra-realistic lures. If that doesn't catch any bruisers then I'd go the opposite way. Wacky lures in odd colors will sometimes work miracles! Pink works well in some of the ponds I've fished.

I started fishing some small ponds here in N. Texas a few years back that I knew had some whopper bass in 'em. At first it seemed like I just couldn't manage to catch very many fish, and what I did catch was small. Well, to make a long story short I experimented a lot till I figured things out. Those bass are more picky than most pond bass for sure! Well, last year I caught the elusive 10pounder on a topwater frog, another 8+ on a Zoom super fluke, and many other awesome fish (anything over 5lbs) on shallow crankbaits, tubes and worms.

Come to find out, these ponds are stocked with Florida bass, the ponds are managed by a BIOLOGIST, and there is apparently a 12lb bass in one pond with several others 10lb and over!!

BTW-stealth is of UTMOST importance on these ponds. I've paddled to spots and kept low in the boat just to hedge my bets...

Hope that helps! Sorry to be long-winded!

[rockhopper]

I regularly fish a small clear lake(64 acres) this lake

I have fished this lake for about 20 years and have caught several bass in the 7-9lb range but have not been able to tag the magical 10lber. I know they exsist because you can frequently see them in the shallow areas behind the weeds and others catch them on occasion. I would like to change that this year.

The over tens are fish that live by ambush' date=' and by opertunity feeding, they don't chase things very far, they like to hang in the thickest cover, so they can lunge half a body lenght to get to their unsuspecting meal, or they will mosey, """real""" slow over to an injured orl, slow ,, "very" slow moving meal, one that won't or can't out run them.

To catch these guys in the past, you had to drag a lure right in front of their nose, or fish very, very very slowly, taking two to three min. to move two or three feet.

WHen I first invented teh Boomerang, these fish were one of the targets for the rig. You can fish this (now called the wiggle rig) in the thickest cover, right where you see these guys, and leave it there, you don't have to retrive the lure,, you just control the action until you get the action the fish wants to hit. Many times you will see these fish where you don't have a foot of area to work a lure, with standard rigs, your screwed or you must make , many , many cast to that small spot. The wiggle rig lets you make just one cast, then the lure "stays" there moving any way you want it to, trying to get the fish to stike it.

There is another method of fishing for these guys in heavy cover that is called "Slapping" a video of this is on my site, and can only be done with the Wiggle rig (you have to see it to believe it) It brings them in when nothing else will, the video shows Bill Dance getting bit by a 9, 6

Of the many over tens I have caught with this rig, the lure was fished in one spot for over 3 min.,, sometimes over 10 min, this is even when I could not see a fish actually there. I have countless underwater photo's of huge bass moseying over to my lure,, they move so slow, it's hard to see them moving, until they get half a body lenght from the lure. I have had the circle the lure 360 degrees while keeping their head turned towards the lure, after the circle they inhaled the lure.

Any other rig can not keep active and still stay in one spot, most fishermen have already retrived their lure and cast somewhere else before a hog had time to get to their offering.

The more you practice with a wiggle rig the better you get with it, until any bass you see, will end up in your hand, and many you won't see will end up there.

I currently have the SpecTastic material availible on m site to make your own wiggle rigs, but Mojo will be bringing these rigs out, in a couple of weeks and they want me to stop selling the material, so if you want it cheap, now is the time[/quote']

[14_yr_old_bass_pro]

Try stuff that looks like the blue gill or smaller bass that live in the pond you're fishing. Mattlures makes an awesome bluegill bait in some super realistic colors. Any of the swimbaits in the 6-9" range in the baby bass colors should work also. You might get a bite only every 10,000 casts with the big baby bass imitators, but it'll be the kind of bite you want. If you can work up enough confidence to throw these monster baits you will not be disappointed.

[sloegoe]

Take a cataic full sized bluegill a put a 1/4 oz. splitshot 1.5ft from the bait, it should sink at a rate of 1-2ft/sec. If the pond is that clear cast as far away from(past) your target as possible and let it sink to the bottom. Work the rig in like a carolina rig from there. Sloegoe

[CrawChuck]

Fish at night! Buzzbait, jitterbug or slow dark crankbait have been good for me in the clear water at night. Daytime, a little chop on a cloudy day might help and a big real looking frog lure. PM me with your address and I'll send ya a couple to try. Do you have a strong heart for topwater explosions?

[michael merrill]

I would also fish at night...fancasting is a good way to thoroughly cover any given area...Huge musky sized jitterbug...long, long pauses.Or if ya wanna cheat one...a live shiner on a balloon rig.

[michael merrill]

I would also fish at night...fancasting is a good way to thoroughly cover any given area...Huge musky sized jitterbug...long, long pauses.Or if ya wanna cheat one...a live shiner on a balloon rig.

[bigbass14.3]

Ok ,

Here is my opion first unless you really are dead set on catching her on lure's I would suggest you find where the channel swings in close to the bank near a flat or spawning area and then fish a live shiner in the 5" to 7" size weightless this works real well when the fish hits count to ten then set ( use a float), Now for the lures I too fish a small body of water 9 24-30 acres it has produced the Va state record of 16.4 lbs. I have one from there 14.3 caught in june water temp 80 degrees average depth 10' deepest 15' but I also have ffive over 10lbs. and If you know where they are being you said you have seen them , then you can catch them go in the spring to where you see them and pitch a pegged bright colored worm or lizard ( I prefer a big tube) right to them yes this is bed fishing but if you have patience it will work trust me, if they swim off and come back then they will hit. Find the bed and leave the bait in it when she comes back gently bump her with the bait then put it back she will hit.

TRUST ME I HAVE DONE THIS ALOT AND IT WORKS

Jason