BassBlaster

Science: Big Baits – Big Bass?

Note to self: must buy more crappie minnows

Admit it. We’ve all read the articles about big bass and why you should use large baits to target them. Yet, as an example, the Texas state record largemouth bass of 18.18, which has stood for nearly 20 years, was caught on a dang crappie minnow. Further more, Texas Share-Lunker data shows that more giant bass are being caught regularly on common-sized baits than super-sized full meal deals by a wide margin. Plastics like 4″-6″ worms, lizards and centipedes, regular old 3/8-oz. jig and pigs and the like. What’s the deal? How can that be when all these giant bass in California are falling for 10-12″ trout baits? The articles all say go big or stay at home. Here’s the scoop…Optimal Foraging Theory (OFT).

Big Bass Aren’t Lazy, They’re Efficient

OFT does not mean ‘eat the biggest thing you can find’ and pass on the rest. Nor does it mean sit on your butt and wait for a big meal to swim into your mouth. It is balancing the energy output against the energy gained by consuming something.

A few of the core principles of OFT.

1-As the prey size increases relative to a given predator size, capture success decreases.

2-As prey size increases relative to a given predator size, handling time increases.

3-Finally, as prey size increases relative to predator size, profitability increases up to a point. After reaching an ideal point it decreases with further increase in prey size.

This is what a bass has to deal with in the environment in which it lives. Bigger isn’t always better, as much time can be wasted trying to chase down and eat a prey item that is larger than optimal. This is why a big bass angler in California can get away with throwing a 10″ trout lure while a big bass angler in Texas can’t do so as easily. It doesn’t preclude being able to throw giant things, it just states that you might not be as successful. And even California bass have their limit.

As you read more about Optimal Foraging Theory you’ll find that things in the big bass world make a whole lot more sense. And the science and research will support it. Another component of OFT states that as forage density increases, diet specialization starts occurring. Bass can afford to be more picky when more food is readily available to them. Ever seen bass so focused on tiny shad minnows that they’re almost impossible to catch on normal tackle and baits?

Habitat can make a big difference, too. There is a cool study that detailed crayfish foraging behavior with smallmouth bass. In this study, when crayfish were located on sand bottoms, smallmouth bass ate all the smallest craws first. The larger the crawdad, the longer it took for the bass to eventually eat it because it would exhaust the population of smaller sized craws that were the easiest to consume (less handling time). However, on gravel/cobble bottoms, small crayfish were avoided and mid-sized craws were preferentially chosen because it took too long to try and root out and consume smaller craws that could hide and escape predation more easily in the spaces between the rocks. Larger craws couldn’t hide as well and subsequently, smallmouth bass would target and eat them first.

So, what was your largest bass caught on, a normal bassin’ lure, a monster swimbait, or a tiny crappie-sized bait?

6 Comments

6 Comments

  1. Sid

    November 14, 2011 at 9:53 am

    I caught a 14 pound 2 ounce largemouth in the Florida Stickmarsh/Farm 13 in 1999 on a texas rigged 6 inch handpoured zipper worm. Same size plastic worm we use on the rivers in NE North Carolina and SE Virginia. Color was junebug/chartreuse tail poured by a friend who makes custom hand poured baits. I’ve caught a lot of 1 to 3 pound bass on the same size worm.

  2. Flip 'N' Pitch

    November 14, 2011 at 11:34 am

    Well, ahem, Cliff Claven throat clearing, you also have to consider that not everything a bass puts in its mouth is considered food or is done so in the name of foraging. Take Reaction Strikes for example, wherein they bite or mouth something to simply kill it or manipulate/move it. I believe it was David Fritts who brilliantly used the analogy of stepping on a sleeping dog to illustrate a reaction strike. Most of the time that dog is going to bite you because like bass they don’t really have/use arms and hands to swat/punch something away like we might when agitated/startled. I’m sure you’ve seen the awesome footage from the Elite Series where a male guarding a bed repeatedly picked up a tube by the very ends of the tentacles to remove it from his territory. The Elite could never set the hook because it was never in his mouth. So yes when bass are in “feed mode” the OFT models their behavior quite well but that shouldn’t exclude you from otherwise occasionally using big baits to draw a reaction strike when you drop one right on top of their nose! Provided you’re quick enough to set the hook in time 😉

  3. Chad Keogh

    November 14, 2011 at 9:41 pm

    6-7 smallie taken on a 4″ tube jig.

    7-0 largie taken on a buzzbait.

    However, you’re logic about the Texas bass catches may be skewed. Keep in mind that sometimes, however rarely, anglers lie about what they caught their fish on. Especially if they have a big bass secret weapon like a bluegill pattern California-style swimbait, or something like that.

    Also, some of the bass caught in the Share-Lunker program were likely taken by anglers just out for a day of fishing, and not specifically targetting monster bass like the swimbait junkies in California.

  4. Dwain

    November 15, 2011 at 12:44 am

    Another thing to look at is that most people only throw small baits, so the numbers are going to be skewed vastly in that direction. Also you cannot only look at record fish, If throwing big baits I catch 10 bass over 10 lbs in a lifetime, but the crappie minnow guy only catches the record bass that tops the record books, who’s the better big bass hunter?

  5. Alex Voog

    November 15, 2011 at 7:11 pm

    8 lb Largemouth caught from a Chicago Forest Preserve lake. 1/4 oz Arkie style jig with a little Zoom Swimmin’ Chunk. Put it in front of them and if it’s not so big it freaks them out they will eat it. Even then they may well TRY to eat it anyway!! Big baits tend to “eliminate” the small fish biting, but not always….and they also often eliminate ANY fish from biting. That said, if I ever make it to El Salto, 12 inch worms, 1 oz jigs, giant cranks, and 8 inch plus swimbaits will be all I throw.

    • admin (mostly Jay)

      November 30, 2011 at 11:25 am

      Not if you’re in a Major League Fishing tourney (lol).

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