Why do I always catch small fish?

Question

I fish in lakes with nightcrawlers from the shore. I use small hooks with minimal bate. Any suggestions? This lake contains Catfish, bass, crappie and bluegill. All i catch is bluegill, no matter what. What are some good art. bates for catching lunkers?

Answer 1

There are two likely causes. First, you may be fishing in an area where all of the lunkers have been fished out and only the little ones are left. Secondly, you need to use a larger bait that won't appeal to the small fish. Some fishermen say "If you want large fish, use large bait." I once watched a man fishing in Florida for some of their hybred bass and he was using larger live bait than the fish I was catching. He caught fewer fish than I did but his were MUCH bigger than mine.

Catfish like stinky stuff so get some stink bait and load it onto a large hook. You could also use large pieces of liver. It has lots of blood which will attract catfish. Some folks swear by ivory soap. A trick that I use to keep the bait on the hook is to cut up a pair of your wife's old panty hose into pieces about 4 inches by 4 inches. Wrap the liver in a piece of the panty hose and run the hook through it. Otherwise, the catfish can get the liver off your hook without getting caught. This works for any bait that you use. For bass, you will just have to ask around at the local marinas to see what they can tell you about what the bass are hitting. Again, use large lures to get the large fish. For crappie and bluegill, you can't beat the old standbys like worms, bea moths, maggots, wasp larva, etc.

Answer 2

There are 2 possibilities.....

First off, it could be you're using the wrong bait for the job...... a good bait for Catfish is something REALLY smelly........ try some chopped up liver (got LOADS of blood in it).... but only if you've got the tackle to match the size of the fish.
For the Bass..... with them also try a bait that's too big for the bluegill to grab hold of. Try some of the spinners and other lures made by Panther-Martin, available from http://www.panthermartin.com

Secondly, it could just be your approach, if you're just plonking yourself next to the nearest piece of water and waiting for the fish to come to you.......... the truly great anglers who catch the larger fish use skills called "watercraft", which is basically using your observational skills to go after the fish, and making a plan of attack.... rather than just waiting for them to come your way.
Best book I've found to learn about this is:
"John Bailey's Complete Guide to Freshwater Fishing" from New Holland Publishing (ISBN 1-84330-567-4)

The final thing to do is have a chat with some of the other people fishing there... find out what they've been catching lately, and how (the local tackle/bait store is also a good place to get a few tips to put you onto some better fish.... though bare in mind some of them tend to bullsh*t a bit).

Answer 3

might want to check whens the last time they stalked the lake
well for catfish you can try DuMong's catfish bait its sold in southern California around some lakes and stores call and ask around we use it i think its the best there is also sprays and dips by DuMong's ,there's also dips by Berkley they work pretty good too
you can try some plastics basically it comes down to what you find what works say u always catch bass on worms one day and then the next day you don't .Berkley also has stuff comes in a jar you can roll it in a ball and put it on your hook my daughter loves to fish with that Berkley stuff. Catfish DO NOT LIKE SMELLY BAIT !!!!!!

Answer 4

Try casting farther from shore. Also, try some lures other than worms, Also, if you just want to use nightcrawlers, use a whole one and fish deeper to get away from the blue gills. For catfish make dough balls and fish deep. They are bottom feeders. Hope this helps.

Answer 5

Catfish - chicken liver is a one of our favorite's in Kansas. try gar eggs after spawning of gar. turkey liver is a tougher liver. try orange jello dust and mix it in your liver and let it set for a few hours that really works. look for weeds or deep holes in the lake. good time for bigger channel and flats are at evenings, night between 7:00 pm and 4:00 am. try 6:00 to 8:00 in the morning. turtle's become a factor during the day time hours.

Bass - not a hole lot try different jigs, cranks, topwater, etc. look for place's it is hard to get 2 the fish are there u just have to find them. trees, shrubs and the time of day or night is a factor 2. the bigger fish like channel and flats move into shallower waters to feed at night. hope this helps good luck..

Answer 6

bigger bait = bigger fish is true
but as always dont go too big
try frogs they work good
cut them a little so they bleed but not
enough to kill them
or try chicken skin or raw liver
fished on the bottom for cats
try some minnows on a jig
cast way out there so you get past the gills
as they tend to stay close to shore
remember if you fish with small bait then you
generally catch small fish
experiment and have fun
good luck

Answer 7

Try casting further from shore with minnows (large roaches [Shiners]), and use lures such as spinners or plastics (worms or frogs). Catfish = Balled up crawlers, corn, cut bait, and chicken livers. Look for covers timber, weed beds, pipes, bridges, rip-raps, etc... Good Luck!

Answer 8

Larger fish are in deep water.

Answer 9

try fishing with someone who knows what he or she is doin
then ask lts of questions and watch carefully as you fish

Answer 10

He pretty much said it all...