Big Baits Catch Big Fish

Fish Only Big Baits For Big Fish

On a summer vacation to Michigan, my father decided to book a walleye and perch charter on a small lake.  An older Native American man took us out on a small boat for Perch and Walleye.  He was a man of few words, and I was a boy of many questions.  It was a good day of fishing, no depth finders, no bobbers, just knowledge of the lake.  After catching plenty of fish for a fish fry, we decided to go after some trophy Walleye.  Our guide looked at me and said, “big baits catch big fish," and these words stuck with me ever since.  He put a whole Perch on a live and dropped it down. Fifteen minutes later he hooks up with the biggest walleye I have ever seen, a real monster.  From that day on I have used larger baits when targeting trophy fish.

Swimbait Lineup @Kanta62

Most people do not realize how big of a bait other fish can eat. 

The only limiting factor to a largemouth bass or snook lunch is the size of the fishes mouth compared to the girth of the meat or fish.  I have seen a ten-pound bass eat a three-pound rainbow trout in the north Georgia mountains.  I understand why baits like the broken back trout work for huge bass.  

Bass Eating a Snook from Space Coast Daily

One of my favorite baits for monster snook are horse mullet. 

The biggest mullet I can find is my bait of choice for monster snook and tarpon.  Big fish are lazy and don't like to work hard for a meal.  Some fish will eat once or twice a day.  To catch these big fish, make sure you have a big bait in front of them at the right time.  Chumming with live bait will get the school fired up and into a feeding frenzy.  Live chumming is ideal for speckled seatrout and king mackerel.  When the school is fired up, and you're catching a lot of smaller fish, try putting on a much larger bait. Eight to ten-inch mullet for the trout, large pinfish or thread work well.  You will be surprised the size of the trout that was attracted by the activity.  The bait should be big enough so that the smaller fish will pass and larger gator trout will eat it.

A "Horse" Mullet for the Large Snook 

When fishing king tournaments we would always run Ione large bait.  Whether it be a Spanish mackerel or a small Bonita, we knew if something ate the larger bait it was going to be bigger fish.  Now don't get me wrong, big fish will eat small baits as well.  However, in my experience, if you are fishing for bigger fish and don't want the smaller bites, use a big bait.  No matter what, this is why you will hear me say “big baits catch big fish.”

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