Bass Fishing Tip of the Week 05/02/2010:  When to Use Large Baits or Small Baits

Should I be using big lures or small lures has got to be one of the most common questions that fishermen ask. The answer to the question is dependant on the particular situation that the bass angler faces. Here's some advice for when to choose one over the other. 

1- Cold front conditions- The likely selection for this scenario is small lures. The reason is that the largemouth bass are cold blooded and as temperatures fall so does their metabolism. The slowed metabolism will mean that the bass will be satisfied with smaller morsels and does not require the larger food sources as they do in summer months. Smaller trickworms, jigs and crankbaits can be the ticket to filling the livewell.

2- Hot summer conditions- The hotter the water the higher the metabolism of the bass and spells out "use larger baits". Early morning feeds and late evening are the best times of the day to present large worms, topwaters and spinnerbaits.

3- Schooling fish- The best bet here is to match the size of the baitfish the bass are feeding on. If the baitfish is small go for the smaller lures while if they are larger, larger lures are the ticket.

4- Bedding Fish- Males can be caught quite readily with small tube baits. The larger females often require larger and bulkier baits such as crawfish imitators and 10" worms.

5- No bites- If you have been fishing for awhile and struggling to get a bite try downsizing your baits. Perhaps the fish in the area are smaller or only feeding on smaller baits and they just won't hit the larger presentation.

6- Only small fish- If you are catching only 10-11" fish it's seriously time to try larger baits. Often the smaller fish will be aggressive towards small meals and get the bait before the larger fish even has an opportunity to see it. Try upsizing your lure for larger fish.

Selecting large or small lures is pretty simple, just follow the advice given and you'll know when to change up.

Until Next Week, Tight Lines!

The Largemouth Herald