Finding a bigger bite off shore

[Craigums]

I've been fishing offshore a bit more lately. Really been catching alot of numbers but the bigger bites continue to alude me. Alot of it probably has to do with the lakes I've been fishing (Big Marine and Big Carnelian), but is there anything you guys do different to try getting bigger fish?

 

 

[bassfshin24]

Cranks and jigs usually get my bigger bites. I also try to find rocks and if you find rocks I have 3 things I throw at them...crankbait, football head jig, and a carolina rig with a lake fork ringfry or a brush hog on it. I do still think the big girls are still in that transition phase from shallow to deep. I am still seeing a ton of people catching big fish up shallow. Also instead of fishing the outside of the weed line tie on a punch rig and throw it into the actual thick stuff and work it to the outside of the weedline. Sometimes those bigger fish like to be in the thick weeds close to the weedline and those are places a jigworm and dropshot just can't get to. 

Edited June 21, 2016 by bassfshin24

[Todd S.]

its those lakes IMO. Hard to beat a jig when it comes to big fish IMO. 

[RuddyDuck]

5 hours ago, bassfshin24 said:

 a carolina rig with a lake fork ringfry 

Funny, was using this last night! The bright green one. Only got one 2lber though in about 14-16ft. Right away, thought cool, gonna slaughter them on this!

Try big cranks DT10-16. Maybe a SK series 6 and 6XD. Big worms, 3/8-1/2oz weights and 7.5-10inchers. Jigs of course. Must be me or the lakes I fish, but I never catch anything on skirted football jigs. Just moss usually.

[rascal23]

Not all lakes put out big fish.  I've found generally clearer lakes put out a smaller average size.  Try above techniques on lakes with "green", fertile. water.  Offshore,   heavy lead (carolina or football heads) can clue you into where hard bottom or rocks are. Use your electronics, even if it isn't fancy, it will tell you.

[MuskieFever]

Big Marine is a tough lake for big fish (3.5 lbs and bigger). About 8 or so years ago I fished a tournament there in which 1st and second were 17 & 19 lbs. the last 3 years usually 12-13 lbs wins... 

When I first started fishing all I threw was a jig because I heard how effective they are. The last few years I have gotten away from that. I think it has really set me back trying to diversify so much. Jigs always work. Always. Between a jig, dropshot, and a crank, that's about all a guy needs. 

 

Jigs are so versatile it's hard to not have one tied on. You can pitch them in the slop, drag me out deep, fish them like a Texas rig, skip them under docks, pretty much anything!

Sorry, got a little off topic there... Anyway, my most productive big fish spot have hard bottom or hard bottom near by. The best way of thinking about a good spot I actually got from watching a Deitz seminar, "my best spots are where there should be weeds, but there aren't."

 

I found a spot like this last year in a tournament on a lake with about 12' clarity. Weeds usually grow to 18'-20'. I found a hump that topped at 10' that had zero weeds on top. It was surrounded by weeds starting in about 13' but the top of it had no weeds with some sand/gravel mix. A 4 pounder and a 3.75 pounder on back to back pitches with a dropshot. 

[bonebaby0]

Was out on Big Carnelian this morning - lots of fish caught on Drop Shot and Jigworm.  Quality fish were caught on a jig - had 3 over 4 Ibs and couple of 3's.  Bottom line ... fish big fish baits - certainly have caught good ones on drop shot and other finesse presentations but day in and day out my better fish come on a Jig.   

[Craigums]

On 6/26/2016 at 11:04 AM, bonebaby0 said:

Was out on Big Carnelian this morning - lots of fish caught on Drop Shot and Jigworm.  Quality fish were caught on a jig - had 3 over 4 Ibs and couple of 3's.  Bottom line ... fish big fish baits - certainly have caught good ones on drop shot and other finesse presentations but day in and day out my better fish come on a Jig.   

I was out there again, throwing a 3/4oz jig. Still nothing but dinks. That lake is infested with dinks, I was snagging them in 16 f.o.w.  

[th64]

Big Marine has almost all small fish-So why do you tourny guys love to go there? Because you love structure more than you like fish-ooh look at that inside turn-ooh a hard bottom hump on the west side of that point-So What?!?! then you catch a bunch of 2lb bass. I like the lake because it is quiet (usually) and is a great multi-species lake. Wanna see who is a great fisherman? Have a tournament on BM for the  most pounds with 5 species of fish-then a fisherman would win not a specialist-Thanks for letting me have a little rant, tight lines to all.

[rascal23]

Wednesday night GH tourny - top 2 teams weighed 15+. 3rd place was 13+. Big bass was 5.57.  BM may be coming around.

[th64]

KEPT fish from the TOP team averaged 2.5-I've caught crappies that big. 

Beautiful lake though.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

On 6/30/2016 at 0:08 PM, th64 said:

Big Marine has almost all small fish-So why do you tourny guys love to go there? Because you love structure more than you like fish-ooh look at that inside turn-ooh a hard bottom hump on the west side of that point-So What?!?! then you catch a bunch of 2lb bass. I like the lake because it is quiet (usually) and is a great multi-species lake. Wanna see who is a great fisherman? Have a tournament on BM for the  most pounds with 5 species of fish-then a fisherman would win not a specialist-Thanks for letting me have a little rant, tight lines to all.

You seem a little riled up for no apparent reason.

Bad math too. 15/5 does not equal 2.5.

Tournaments are held on lakes that can accommodate anglers, this means both launch size and acreage. Also, Its nice to fish a variety of lakes with different structure, water clarity, and fish size structure to keep things interesting.

Edited July 7, 2016 by TurnUpTheFishing

[bassfshin24]

I actually don't mind fishing Big Marine every once in awhile for a tourney. It makes catching a 3lber all that more exciting. 

[th64]

Yep thought the limit was 6 (good thing I never keep more than a couple on a rare occasion) so my comment was off by a few ounces.  Not riled up just having fun.