If You’re Gonna Fish For Big Fish…

Posted by Spencer Bauer on 7th Sep 2021

If You’re Gonna Fish For Big Fish…

Big fish are big fish. Doesn’t matter if we’re talking about crappies or tiger sharks, the largest of each species are the rarest in all populations. There are not many three pound bluegills, 80 pound flatheads, or 50 inch muskies in any bodies of water. The species may be different, but the concept doesn’t change.

To exclusively target the largest fish of any kind of species requires two things. Confidence and attention to detail. You have to believe the lure or bait you are using is right. You have to believe your tackle will handle the fish you seek. You need to believe you are in the best location. You need to look at the big picture, but still do the little things right.

This is not a numbers game. This is a time game. In order to invest the time, you have to have the confidence that it will pay off. You are going to go days without catching a fish of any size. You are trading quantity for quality. There will be times when it seems like everyone is catching fish but you. Stay true to what you believe in and stick with it.

Timing is Everything

There is no doubt certain times make the largest members of certain fish populations more vulnerable. Where I live in the midwest, there are very few destination waterways people travel to go fishing for giants. However, there are several bodies of water that have trophy fish present of a variety of species. The best strategy is to focus on them during those big fish times of year.

A great example are walleyes. You might catch a big walleye any time of year, but prespawn, from late winter into early spring, you will find them at their heaviest weight of the entire year and concentrated in predictable areas. Our population of large fish is still not very high, but that time of year gives you the best odds at a giant.

This pattern plays out for every other species found here, or anywhere. The better you understand your quarry, the better your chances are of catching a specimen that is truly special. Play the odds and with enough time, you will be rewarded.

Even by playing the odds, big fish are not common. This is one of the main things that make them so special. To catch the largest fish consistently, you must consistently be on the water. The more time you are out there, the better your opportunity.

Trust Your Gear

You have to have confidence in the equipment you’re using to have the best odds of landing that fish when it hits. It sounds obvious, but big fish fight hard. That means more pressure on your line, knots, hooks, etc. The biggest fish are good at finding the weak link. The trick is to eliminate them.

This does not necessarily mean you have to buy the most expensive of everything. We are blessed as fishermen and fisherwomen to have access to tons of high quality tackle at an affordable price. Buy quality equipment that has been proven to land the largest fish of the species you are chasing.

Even more importantly, use it, and learn the limits it has. Big fish often come around when you least expect them. Blood pressure spikes and chaos ensues. You can’t baby the fish because they will often pull you into structure. You can’t put too much heat on it because hooks will pull and knots will fail. You have to know your gear’s limits. The better you know what your tackle can handle, the more likely you are to land that monster. With that being said, lost fish are inevitable. Reflect on what you did wrong, work on making the corrections, and come back better because of it.

Collect Data

To maximize your odds, you need to be a student of your craft. Some things have to be earned. My fishing log is sacred and no amount of money on this planet will get me to separate from it. If you say you are serious about catching the largest fish of a certain species, and you do not keep a log from each trip, I would argue you aren’t doing everything you can. Make sure your actions reflect your goals.

Each species of fish has different tendencies based on a variety of factors. The better you understand these tendencies, the odds of hooking up increase. Every trip you go on can teach you something that could produce a trophy at a later time, whether you caught anything or not. Identify successful patterns and replicate them.

Once you have started collecting data and making better informed decisions, you have to stay out of a rut. Be willing to try different things. If you have been on a good bite for several trips, try a different lure, bait, or location, just to see if it produces even better. Good is the enemy of great. Trying new things and finding success can be one of the most rewarding feelings in fishing and make you an even better angler.

And When You Connect All the Dots

You’ve done your homework, put in the time, hooked the fish of your dreams, and fought it like a champ. You’re looking down at the fish you have dedicated countless hours and more money than you care to admit in order to catch. You have every right to keep that fish for the table or the wall and no one can, nor should, tell you otherwise. However, I will give you this to think about.

If you keep that fish, the next one will be harder to catch. The odds of getting a bigger one drop. How much? Very little, but it compounds over time and across more anglers. Every time someone keeps a trophy, the chances of replicating this get lower and lower. If you keep a trophy, just do it knowing you are reducing the likelihood for yourself and others to catch a true giant.

If you enjoy eating fish like I do, I suggest you release the large ones and keep the smaller ones. Many argue that this idea will prevent those smaller fish from growing to reach trophy potential. From a logical standpoint, this makes sense, however it is not accurate. Most small fish will never live long enough to reach the upper percentile of size in any given body of water. Disease, predation, and genetics get in the way of the majority of the population to reach giant proportions. The largest fish have overcome those odds, and represent the highest likelihood of reaching even larger sizes.

Many believe you will never catch them all. While it is true you will likely never catch all the individuals of a given population, humans can drastically reduce the population of trophy fish to the point it negatively impacts the quality of fishing. If we can overfish the ocean, which many places on our Earth have, we can definitely overfish a river or lake.

The decision is up to you, but ensure you are making an educated one. Good luck out there. I hope you catch a giant!

Patience is a virtue, at least that’s what they say. I’m not sure who “they” are. Apparently no one who’s tried to consistently catch daytime flatheads. If you can pull that feat off, you know patience is the last thing

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