land that fish if by chance it hits your bait? What is your overall fishing skill-set? These are not 2- to 3-pound schoolers busting topwater. When was the last time you landed a fish of any species short-lined in freshwater over 10 pounds? Or any fish in the freshwater at 10 pounds? Do you understand what controlling that fish is, or what it means?
Do you even have the gear to land that type fish? Do you have the mind-set to land that fish? Will you panic? Most do. And that’s the number one issue… panic.
Do you have the boat control techniques to even get a shot at that fish?
This is an art form. If you struggle landing a 4-pound fish, what makes you think you can land a 10- or 12-pound fish?
Here is a bit of information to use if you do happen to find one as you’re rolling by in the boat this spring.
1. Keep going… do not stop that boat. She’ll most likely feel she was not seen. If you change the water in any way or create shadows by reversing that troller, that flight instinct was likely just triggered. She’s either gone or soon will be.
2. Get well away and out of her line of sight and then slowly turn around to study what she’s doing. See if she’s comfortable with her surroundings. If so, you may just have a chance. Maybe a slim one, yet a chance nonetheless.
3. Get everything ready in the boat. Get the net in a spot with easy access, yet out of the way. Get those other rods away. Make sure you have a space to work in on the deck and can get to the back of the boat if need be.
4. Get the correct rod and the reel and hook, line and bait ready and set up. That line and knot better be fresh, too.
Do not play around with some light wire hook, or some small drop-shot or lighter rod. I use a serious quality 7’1 heavy action rod or a 7’5 medium-heavy action rod. I use 40- to 50-pound braid tied directly to a 4/0 heavy wire super line hook. I use a larger, high-speed reel — no little 50 size reels — it’s 150 size minimum for me. It’s about line capacity and spool diameter to get the line back on the spool quickly.
Baits? Something not too bulky. You want something that falls through cover and gets her attention. Something you can get a hook through so you can drive home that hook point well. The last thing you need is the bait balling up on the hook. You have to get that weight and hook through her thick jaws. I have seen it a few times where you think you hooked her only to have her come to the surface and spit it back at you.
wire hook and heavy braid are key to this success.
That toss with a big treble hook swimbait? Oh, so you want to snag her, Mr. Long? That’s exactly what’s happening. You’ll never get me to believe anything less.
Weedless baits are how to do it properly in my world. Something where you saw it disappear, hooked inside the mouth every time. You see it on TV during tournaments in the spring. They show it was hooked inside the mouth.
Once hooked, if you get that chance, it’s about getting the fish up and out of its area to allow yourself to be able to fight it. You’ll most likely lose the battle fighting her on her terms.
This is where not panicking, breathing correctly and having the gear needed to get the job done is essential. Believe it or not, the fight is over within 10 to 15 seconds in most cases when bass fishing. If not, you have given the advantage back to the fish.
If you have the right gear and control the narrative, you’ll be high-fiving your buddy instead of sinking to your knees with your head in your hands wondering what just happened as you see the big girl swim off.
As for techniques to work a fish, sorry, those are for you to try and figure out and work on to get those monsters to bite. It’s taken me a long time to learn these fish behaviors. And every season I’m learning a little more about it. It’s all about getting the pieces to the puzzle lined up in the right sequence.
If you follow these simple rules and guidelines, perhaps when and if that chance presents itself, you may just be successful in getting that trophy fish to the net this spring.
