Big bait big fish?

[David Von Drasek]

I fish a private 35 acre reservoir in Or. around 100 days a year. 15 min. from the house, around 5:00 I ask my wife if she wants to make dinner or go fishing. Works for me. Average size of crappie is 12 inches believe it or not. Lots of 14 in fish. My biggest was just under 17 inches and I have heard of, but not seen, 20 inch fish. Bass, crappie and someone put catfish in there and thats it. Any fish I keep have bass and crappie in them. I'm not after #'s of fish just big ones. I caught my big one on a 6 in. senko. If I want to target large fish how might a neutral buoyancy rapala work. I use the sinking rapalas a lot and have good luck but if you would use the suspending type bait couldn't you keep it in the strike zone longer and fish it slower. Advice from the experts please. Thanks, David

[GABoy]

I fish a private 35 acre reservoir in Or. around 100 days a year. 15 min. from the house, around 5:00 I ask my wife if she wants to make dinner or go fishing. Works for me. Average size of crappie is 12 inches believe it or not. Lots of 14 in fish. My biggest was just under 17 inches and I have heard of, but not seen, 20 inch fish. Bass, crappie and someone put catfish in there and thats it. Any fish I keep have bass and crappie in them. I'm not after #'s of fish just big ones. I caught my big one on a 6 in. senko. If I want to target large fish how might a neutral buoyancy rapala work. I use the sinking rapalas a lot and have good luck but if you would use the suspending type bait couldn't you keep it in the strike zone longer and fish it slower. Advice from the experts please. Thanks, David

First of all, that is a FANTASTIC place to fish...I am happy for you!!!

Fish will strike a lure for the following reasons:

1. hunger
2. aggression
3. reaction

There might be one more that I am forgetting about, but that is what comes to mind right now. I think as they start to get closer to spawn it is less for hunger and more for aggression and reaction....

So, IMO, if this is considered the "colder months" it is more about hunger, so to keep it in the strike zone longer and fish it slower would matter more during those times.

Of course, not knowing the water temp in Or., etc. of that particular lake, this information may be a little off, because.....as it warms up I don't think it matters as much.

I hope this helps and doesn't confuse your efforts more.....I am in GA, so we are in an altogether different situation out here....

[Rookie1]

Keep this in mind when fishing fro big fish. I went to Bass Pro Shops here in Concord, NC and watched them feed the fish in the aquarium. They have several three pound crappie in there, too by the way along with a lot of big bass, stripers and some cats. Anyway, they put five hundred #25 shiners in the tank and many of the crappie ate the 3-4 " baitfish no problem. They also put 2 dozen golden trout about 7" long in the tank. The 3 biggest crappie ate one trout a piece and that's all they ate. Just goes to show you crappie can just about eat whatever they want. And yes, bigger bait means bigger fish. One good big fish technique is to troll bass sized crankbaits.

Rookie.