Don't use a buggy whip to hunt an elephant.
Don't mean to sound like an ignert Bob, but when I upgraded my equipment to
battle big fish, then big fish came in the boat much easier.

If you're fishing around heavy cover, what in the heck are you doing
throwing ten pound line?

Bigger line, rods, hooks, will go a long way to upping your percentages.

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
"John Kerr" wrote in message
...

Practice for Big Ones

Group: rec.outdoors.fishing.bass Date: Tue, May 17, 2005, 8:33am (CDT-2)
From: (Bob La Londe)
I was wondering about ways to practice landing bigger bass. Its not
always possible to go out and find big fish to practice on. Would it be
worth it from a tournament anglers perspective to take trip to some
place like El Salto to get the practice fighting and landing big fish so
that when they do hook into one in a tournament there hands would have
the skills to put the fish in the boat.
I know I have lost several bigger fish in the last year in tournaments.
Fish that would definitely made a difference in my final standings.
I posted this idea last night on my forums, and one suggestions was to
practice on carp. That isn't a bad idea, but carp definitely fight
differently than bass.
Bob La Londe
www.YumaBassMan.com
========
Bob, it's my opinion that in tournament fishing, the big worry is a
limit, then culling for size. Concentrating on bigger fish, and the
techniques involved with landing the bigger bass is a whole different
ballgame. But, having said that, it is great to perfect the big bass
techniques so that when the time comes in a tournament that you need a
couple big ones to get back n the hunt....2nd or 3rd day, you will be
ready to try it. There is alot more time involved in planning for a big
bass than in looking for a limit...what direction to take the fish,
knowing the structure you are fishing around, and a different tackle
size in some cases to name a few. My son is pretty well known as a big
bass slecialist, but in tournaments, he is strictly "numbers", and he
lets the big bass come as they may....too much time wsted looking for
them. He has on occasion gotten back in tourament after being way down
on day one by just going for broke, and chasing the bigg bass on the
second or third day.....nothing to lose so to speak. Also if he limits
out pretty quick, and the cullin is going slow, he might use the last
couple hours chasing the giants, that's where his expertise pays big
dividends once and awhile.

In short, put a limit in the boat, cull it up, then employ your big bass
skills at the end of the day to put you over the top on occassion. Just
my (not so humble) opinion .

JK

John you are 100% correct as usual, but I wasn't thinking of going big
bass
hunting, but more along the lines of making sure that I get them in the
boat
when I do hook one.

Bob La Londe
www.YumaBassMan.com