By John Merwin

Photo by John Merwin

Last April, I asked readers here for some tips on big bass baits for a trip to a far-southern lake famous for big fish. Some of you guys were right on the money with your suggestions: big swimbaits, 10-inch worms, and so on. Those are the lures that took numerous 5- and 6-pounders and very good numbers of 7- to 9-pound fish.

I snapped this photo of lures hanging off rod tips when one of the guide’s boats came in for lunch. You’re seeing a pair of Yum’s new Money Minnows, which are 5-inch hollow, soft-plastic swimbaits rigged on 6/0 swimbait hooks that also carry a one-eighth-ounce weight on the bottom of the hook shank. Martine, one of the veteran guides with whom I fished, called that his number one big-bass producer. And that’s just how thing’s worked out at Lake El Salto in southern Mexico.

Also effective were Berkley PowerBait 10-inch worms, especially in black with a blue tail, Texas-rigged with a three-eighths-ounce worm weight or fished on a jig head as shown. I did just as well, though, with the 10-inch Strike King Anaconda worm, a lure also suggested by several readers. The green-pumpkin Zoom Lizard in the largest size was also a hot bait.

All of those lures will also translate into big bass when fishing just about anywhere. Big baits for big fish really is a time-honored equation....

Comments (5)

from 2Poppa wrote 2 years 47 weeks ago

Is it lunch time yet?
That looks like a boat load of fun!

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from Big O wrote 2 years 47 weeks ago

Do they have the "Black and Blue Lizzard" yet?
It's ALWAYS worked GREAT for me. Several over 5-7lbs. to date.

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from buckhunter wrote 2 years 47 weeks ago

I guess if Doug Hannon (May 2009 issue) and John Merwin say to use plastic baits to catch big bass. I'm buying plastic baits. Thank goodness I don't have to spend $7 for a crankbait anymore.

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from dwaynez wrote 2 years 47 weeks ago

Plastic baits are the way to go for the big bass, especially the swim baits that are coming out now, they are affordable, unlike the original baits that sometimes exceed $50 each

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from FloridaHunter1226 wrote 2 years 47 weeks ago

They definitely catch fish for me, although I can't brag about pulling such big fish in over and over again.

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from 2Poppa wrote 2 years 47 weeks ago

Is it lunch time yet?
That looks like a boat load of fun!

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Big O wrote 2 years 47 weeks ago

Do they have the "Black and Blue Lizzard" yet?
It's ALWAYS worked GREAT for me. Several over 5-7lbs. to date.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from buckhunter wrote 2 years 47 weeks ago

I guess if Doug Hannon (May 2009 issue) and John Merwin say to use plastic baits to catch big bass. I'm buying plastic baits. Thank goodness I don't have to spend $7 for a crankbait anymore.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from dwaynez wrote 2 years 47 weeks ago

Plastic baits are the way to go for the big bass, especially the swim baits that are coming out now, they are affordable, unlike the original baits that sometimes exceed $50 each

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from FloridaHunter1226 wrote 2 years 47 weeks ago

They definitely catch fish for me, although I can't brag about pulling such big fish in over and over again.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.