8lb bass uncatchable?
- Thread starter kenbo5733
- Start date
If it's a safe area to fish at night, a large streamer or popper ought to tempt him. Although it's possible this fish has lived in this pool for years (esp if the pool is very deep or above a dam)....... I wouldn't bet on it. Bass populations in small streams like this are mostly transient and the odds of a bass reaching this size in such a stream are remote. More likely, this fish migrated into this pool and will migrate out sometime after Sept of this year. Or, there may be some local folks who have been artificially feeding him and that's why he's there and has grown so large(?).
Whatever the case, I think you've got a good chance of catching him - will be a fun pursuit.
Whatever the case, I think you've got a good chance of catching him - will be a fun pursuit.
I agree with Mutz, try a mouse predawn or after dark. I think a hog of a mouse pattern is the ticket. I've been crushing the bucketmouths with the mouse pattern lately. The mouse is a nice big meal. To catch an 8 lb. bass you'll have to go big or go home.
SurfCowboyXX
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Fish at night on a New Moon. Throw a big crawdad, preferably a crawdad fly. Let it sit. Hold on.
jdaddy
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FiveWeight
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Become the fish. Mask, snorkel and spear gun. that'd make a nice trophy with a spear gun. But, I guess if you gotta do him on stick n line. The sunny/blue gill is probably the way to go. Good luck. Bring a scale and camera this I gotta see.
An 18" smallie is about 8 years old. Smallies are slower growing and longer lived than trout so the big ones can be tough to catch.
In my local creek I have taken one approach that works, but takes lots of time. The big smallies near me rest most of the time but take occasional lunges into the shallows to grab some minnows and smaller fish. When they are chasing minnows they are suckers for streamers or pencil poppers. Of course the problem is that you have to be there when it happens. This involves time scouting to get their feeding patterns and then making sure you are regularly around at feeding time. I don't know any shortcuts to consistently getting the larger stream bass, but being there when they attack the shallows does work.
Same for carp. I can only catch carp on flies when they are mudding or feeding. Therefore, first step is to figure out when and where they feed. No substitute for time on the water.
In my local creek I have taken one approach that works, but takes lots of time. The big smallies near me rest most of the time but take occasional lunges into the shallows to grab some minnows and smaller fish. When they are chasing minnows they are suckers for streamers or pencil poppers. Of course the problem is that you have to be there when it happens. This involves time scouting to get their feeding patterns and then making sure you are regularly around at feeding time. I don't know any shortcuts to consistently getting the larger stream bass, but being there when they attack the shallows does work.
Same for carp. I can only catch carp on flies when they are mudding or feeding. Therefore, first step is to figure out when and where they feed. No substitute for time on the water.
I guess if I were to suggest a bait, a softshell crayfish would be my pick. The biggest fish find it hard to resist a shedder. Now you have to catch a lot of crayfish or keep them in a tank to get the shedders. Once again, it takes work to fool the big ones.
