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Merwin: Living Large for Bass
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February 09, 2009
Merwin: Living Large for Bass
By John Merwin
Photo by John Merwin
It was just about this time last year that I slipped down to Florida for some bass fishing on Lake Toho with Orlando-area guide Steve Boyd. We spent a couple of days working for big fish with live shiners. I don't fish live baits often, but this turned out to be a lot of fun.
First, the baits are big. Florida's native golden shiners get up to 10 or 12 inches long. The ones we fished were about 7 or 8 inches, the kind of big baits that seem to almost guarantee a big bite.
The shiners are fished about 3 feet under a bobber. Toss one into a likely spot and wait. After a while you might see the bobber twitch and the shiner start skittering around on the surface. Even before the strike you can tell a bass is stalking the offering.
Eventually, the bobber might just go down and stay down, or the shiner might disappear in a smashing surface strike. In either case, I'd tighten up on the fish and hammer the hook home before the shiner could be fully swallowed.
Most of the double-digit bass caught every year in Florida are caught on shiners. Not by us at that time, though. There were lots of 3-pounders, and our biggest was around 5 or 6. I called that luck of the draw and went home happy.
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Comments (10)
I have caught Smallmouth Bass on suckers fishing for 'ski. Biggest one at 14" and caught on a 8 or so inch sucker on a quick set rig.
I also do not fish live bait for bass that often. I see it as the easy way, in a sense. It can be fun every once and a while, though, and it is definitely a good way to get new fisherman into the sport.
Unfortunately, live fish for bait is illegal in my state, but I'll sometimes hook a live frog on for some wild fun.
By the way, that is a great pic!
I don't care what anyone says, watching an 8+lb. bass blast a golden shiner as it struggles along at the surface is absolutely one of the most thrilling experiences one can have in fresh water.
That said I rarely use shiners while in Florida for a few reasons. One is that I have caught a double digit bass on a shiner. Another is the fact that live bait can be a pain in the butt. Not to mention the fact that golden shiner are EXPENSIVE! Even if you decide to catch wild shiner it takes away from valuable fishing time.
I would now rather throw weightless 8" lizards and fish them close to the top or walk-the-dog with a spook when fishing the shallow lakes in central Florida.
BTW, I also have never caught a 10+lb. bass on artificial, so that is my next goal.
I have fished live bait for bass in the past and as stated above it is a blast to watch the explosive hit that occurs when the bass hammers that bait.
Normally I will use artificial lures when bass fishing, but from time to time I will hook up some shiners and see what I can catch.
I think the most attractive thing about this type of fishing is the way the fish hits the bait.
The largest bass I've ever caught was while reeling in a bluegill on my fly rod and having it strike. I've had it happen a number of times but to be lucky enough to get the hook into it is amazing.
Shiner fishing in Florida is sure hard to beat. I've had largemouth chase my bait out of the water and there is nothing like watching a bobber disappear. My best live bait story: Fishing Lake Okeechobee early fall, bobber disappears, laid the wood to what what a thought was a beastly bass, turned out being a 16lb tarpon. What a surprise. I posted the pic to prove it.
Being a bass fisherman in Florida, I know exactly what you are talking about with the visuals of the shiners. Much like yourself, when bass fishing I prefer to use artificial, but a friend of mine loves to fish with shiners. Not only do I find them as an "easier" way out, but I also find them rather expensive. However, when I go out with him we will often buy two dozen of those over sized minnows, and we set them up the same way as you were saying. I also agree that there is nothing like seeing that shiner jump out of the water, all the while you know something is stalking it.
I think fishing with shiners is a very effective way to get bass on pressured waters. Many times the larger bass in these lakes are all but uncatchable except with a shiner
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I have caught Smallmouth Bass on suckers fishing for 'ski. Biggest one at 14" and caught on a 8 or so inch sucker on a quick set rig.
By the way, that is a great pic!
Shiner fishing in Florida is sure hard to beat. I've had largemouth chase my bait out of the water and there is nothing like watching a bobber disappear. My best live bait story: Fishing Lake Okeechobee early fall, bobber disappears, laid the wood to what what a thought was a beastly bass, turned out being a 16lb tarpon. What a surprise. I posted the pic to prove it.
I also do not fish live bait for bass that often. I see it as the easy way, in a sense. It can be fun every once and a while, though, and it is definitely a good way to get new fisherman into the sport.
Unfortunately, live fish for bait is illegal in my state, but I'll sometimes hook a live frog on for some wild fun.
I don't care what anyone says, watching an 8+lb. bass blast a golden shiner as it struggles along at the surface is absolutely one of the most thrilling experiences one can have in fresh water.
That said I rarely use shiners while in Florida for a few reasons. One is that I have caught a double digit bass on a shiner. Another is the fact that live bait can be a pain in the butt. Not to mention the fact that golden shiner are EXPENSIVE! Even if you decide to catch wild shiner it takes away from valuable fishing time.
I would now rather throw weightless 8" lizards and fish them close to the top or walk-the-dog with a spook when fishing the shallow lakes in central Florida.
BTW, I also have never caught a 10+lb. bass on artificial, so that is my next goal.
I have fished live bait for bass in the past and as stated above it is a blast to watch the explosive hit that occurs when the bass hammers that bait.
Normally I will use artificial lures when bass fishing, but from time to time I will hook up some shiners and see what I can catch.
I think the most attractive thing about this type of fishing is the way the fish hits the bait.
The largest bass I've ever caught was while reeling in a bluegill on my fly rod and having it strike. I've had it happen a number of times but to be lucky enough to get the hook into it is amazing.
Being a bass fisherman in Florida, I know exactly what you are talking about with the visuals of the shiners. Much like yourself, when bass fishing I prefer to use artificial, but a friend of mine loves to fish with shiners. Not only do I find them as an "easier" way out, but I also find them rather expensive. However, when I go out with him we will often buy two dozen of those over sized minnows, and we set them up the same way as you were saying. I also agree that there is nothing like seeing that shiner jump out of the water, all the while you know something is stalking it.
I think fishing with shiners is a very effective way to get bass on pressured waters. Many times the larger bass in these lakes are all but uncatchable except with a shiner
Post a Comment