I must confess, I’m addicted to trying to catch the biggest fish in the pond — the “Giant.” In 2003, I went to California for a couple of Bassmaster events, and what I brought back was troubling to my bank account but effective on giant bass — big swimbaits. These are not the only baits to throw and are not always the best, but they should be a consideration. Most of the bass I’ve caught in North Carolina that weighed 10 pounds or better have come on spinnerbaits and jigs in the winter and spring. The fall is just a bad time for big bass; you’ll see some during the summer, but larger bass tend to make more mistakes when the water is cold.
I knew big swimbaits would work in California, and they do sometimes, but most of my big catches in North Carolina have been on large conventional tackle. I have caught few 10-pounders on swimbaits in North Carolina. Targeting big fish here is different than California or Texas. Our bass get big, but it’s rare to see a 10- pounder. We have lots of eights and nines, but it is truly hard to catch one over 10.
Falls, Jordan, and Harris lakes are good places for a shot at catching one over 10 pounds. Harris Lake is probably the best, because it has the most flats, weeds, and it has a history of big bass. I once caught three bass over 10 pounds in a single day at Harris, but I’ve caught only two other 10-pounders from that lake since then.
For every true 10-pounder caught in North Carolina, probably another 50 fish weighing eight pounds or better are landed. That demonstrates how rare 10-pound bass really are. I’ve had access to some truly great ponds the past few years and have literally caught dozens and dozens of 8- and 9-pounders, but very few 10s.
The first step to catching the giant is to fish where they live and fish it a lot. There are only small windows of opportunity when a fish of that size is susceptible to being caught. Small waters like a farm pond usually have one or two dominant fish that occasionally reach 10 pounds. Of all the public lakes in North Carolina, Falls, Jordan, and Harris offer the most potential for large bass. Although one may catch the occasional monster in a private farm pond, there are greater numbers of these large bass in larger lakes because of the greater quantity and quality of the shad and other baitfish.
The second step is to concentrate only on big fish. Big fish are different; they can eat bigger offerings. Don’t even worry about the number of bites you are getting. The day I caught the three 10-pounders at Harris, I only had four bites.
Big fish seek the best cover and best structure to feed, so that’s where you must fish. Concentrate on heavy cover near deep water or in a little deeper water than the smaller fish are using, unless they are spawning. If they are spawning, a big swimbait will often get a huge bass mad on the fist cast. Isolated cover is usually the best.
The third step is to feed them something big that meets the conditions for the day. My top five baits for a 10-pounder in North Carolina include a 1-ounce spinnerbait, a jig, a large lipless crankbait, a 12-inch Culprit worm, and a large swimbait.
Big bass are smarter and more leery of noise, so you’ve got to make longer casts and be quieter in the boat. Big bass also tend to be fooled more easily by a slow-moving lure — they didn’t get big by chasing down every little thing in the lake. They are truly sit-and-wait ambush predators.
When gearing up for big bass, leave your small stuff at home. You will need 15- to 25-pound line, heavy-action rods (medium-heavy rods for lipless crankbaits). Big fish have hard mouths, so it’s important to set the hook hard and use sharp, strong hooks, flipping tackle for worms and jigs, and XH swimbait rods for the swimbait.
With a big-fish mentality you are likely to get rewarded sooner or later with a 10- pounder, but surely you won’t mind an occasional 8-pounder for variety.
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