Written By - Luke Estel - 06/12/2007
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Every bass angler loves wrestling giant largemouths. Avid bass fishermen, like myself, constantly try to find new and better ways to catch more and bigger fish. For years fishermen in California have caught giant bass using monster lures. Pros in B.A.S.S and FLW caught on real quick that they could catch big bass all over the country using these same big baits. This technique has slowly drifted east into the mainstream and has had a huge impact in catching bigger fish. These lures include swim baits, giant frogs, lizards, and even giant tubes. They simply catch bigger fish. Not only are these baits super sized, but the equipment that they are thrown on looks like off shore fishing gear. A beefed up rod will defiantly be required when throwing these baits. Twelve pound test will not cut it either. I prefer a 7'6" Medium heavy All Star flipping stick. I throw these baits on 50lb. to 65lb. Shakespeare Ugly Braid. The bigger rod gives me leverage and the braided line gives me the strength I need to get those huge fish in. Like anything, pursuing big bass requires time and patience. Do not expect to go and catch ten five pound fish in a day just because you have an eight inch swim bait tied on. In California, Texas, and Florida that is very possible, but here in the heartland it may be a little far fetched. It is possible however to catch bigger fish more often than before. Big bass like to maximize their feeding opportunities. They become lazy, so a big bait moving slowly through the water looks like a juicy steak to them. It is much more energy efficient than chasing a school of shad all over the lake. Basically he gets his belly full without doing too much. There are a ton of big swim baits on the market. A good place to start is a web site called swimbaitnation.com. Some of these baits are not cheap. They can range from $5.00 all the way to $150.00. They come in all shapes and sizes. Some of these baits are so realistic that it is no wonder why people are buying them. There is even a waiting list on some of the most prized ones. Strike King Lure Company has recently got on board with the introduction of two hard plastic swim baits. The King Kong and the King Shad. These giant lures work great all year round. Cast these lures around weed lines, standing timber, or wherever big bass roam. A slow retrieve is recommended. Another big bait that I have fallen in love with is the 10" Strike King Iguana. This giant lizard has a huge profile and moves more water than a regular ten inch worm. I throw this giant lizard with a 5/0 hook. It works great around grassy points. I like using it Texas rigged but it can also be thrown on a Carolina rig. The bait simply catches bigger fish. Fishing these big baits will defiantly reduce the number of small fish being caught but the fish that are caught will more than likely be much bigger. Just the anticipation of a huge bass smashing one of these baits is good enough for me to throw it all day. Give these big baits a try and hold on.