By Mike Frisch
Many people who fish, probably most anglers, dream of someday catching a true trophy-sized fish. Often, folks believe that big fish are the result of luck. I will admit that luck does play a part in fishing successes at times. However, there are things that we, as anglers, can do to tilt the odds of landing a trophy in our favor. Here is a look at a some of those things.
The first tip I would offer an angler trying to catch a big fish is to fish waters where big fish live. Simply put, some lakes, rivers, and reservoirs produce big fish frequently, or at least more regularly than most other waters. If you can fish one of those waters, your odds for landing a big fish go up just by choosing that particular water. Finding waters that produce big fish is pretty easy in today’s world where we can do a computer search to find out just about anything we want to know, including where big fish live!
Going to what I call “big fish water” is a good start. The next step becomes hitting that destination at the best time. Often, early summer after the fish are fully recovered from the spawn is a time when the big females in a fish population go on the feed to replenish weight lost during the spawn. This might be a good time to catch a big female, but she might weigh less than later in the year because her body weight is somewhat depleted by the rigors of the spawn. A better time to target a trophy might be during fall when fish of most species are feeding heavily and adding weight as they prepare for winter. In fact, for me personally, I have caught many of my biggest fish during late September and October. Here is where the internet can be your friend again as various websites logging big fish catches often have the date when a trophy was caught included. If for example, many big fish from a lake came in September, that would probably be a good time to plan your fishing vacation to that lake.
Going where the big ones live and going there at the right times are important. Another thing to consider is bait choice, particularly the size of that bait. “Big baits catch big fish” is a mantra that often holds true. For that reason, when targeting a big walleye, for example, I often choose a big redtail chub or creek chub of at least 6 inches in length. When a big bass is being targeted I like a big jig, like a ¾- or even one-ounce Hack Attack jig, and tip it with a sizeable plastic trailer like a Rage Craw. Big minnows and big jigs might not garner as many bites but the odds for a big bite go up most days by using big baits.
Big baits and big fish often go hand in hand. If your goal this fishing season is a trophy fish, utilizing some of the suggestions just offered should increase your chances for success! Good luck in your hunt for a biggun’ and, as always, remember to include a youngster in your next outdoors adventure!
Mike Frisch hosts the popular Fishing the Midwest TV series on the Sportsman Channel and several other networks as well. Visit www.fishingthemidwest.com to see all things Fishing the Midwest.
