Sweet to Salt

[Circlehook]

Has anyone found any correlation between Largemouth bass and stripers?

I caught a few Slug Largemouths last summer bouncing 3/4 oz bucktails in 20ft of water.

Much of my inital striper approach was born from 15+ years of LM bass fishing. Just curious how similar tactics work for others.

[ivanputski]

I fish for LMB using wacky rigged senkos often... I set the hook the same way as when Im using live eels for stripers from the surf... when I feel the bump or the take, I drop the rod tip, take up a bit of slack, when the line goes tight, set. I have caught my biggest large mouths using saltwater lures...

[numbskull]

Wow! Nice fish.

[Raven]

the differences are these....

freshwater bass are all about nest protection....
|in the spring| and will stage themselves at different
depths, off different structure.. before and after spawn

but mainly use structure in the form of weed beds
trees and rocks as cover... to ambush from
~
Stripers seem to me to be more like small mouth bass
ie finicky, or are a little more selective,,, or particular

they utilize white water and rocks to ambush from
and have no nest protection agenda....to speak of

you can piss-em off on the topwater with the right action
just like Smallies...
they are in a Pond that has no boundries, that has tides,

just my thoughts ....don't JUMP all over them it's .01 cents worth

[Rob Rockcrawler]

One thing i noticed that both LMB and stripers enjoy are 4" pearl storm shads. Rip and drop along rock piles. They 4 and 6" storm shads to cull out the smaller bass.

[bart]

dude we gotta fish this spring. some good LMB ponds around here

[Circlehook]

Def Bart. You got my number still?

[beaver]

Raven is pretty spot on. Both smallies and stripers feed similarly, especially smaller school sized fish. I would have to say from my experience that smallies are very protective of the nests, pre-spawn. I know it is often frowned upon, but drop any lure near a bed in the spring and it will be picked up asap, as will any sunfish, perch, trout, or small bass that tries to steal the eggs.

I often use similar lures for schoolies and both lmb and smb, particularly small jigs or grubs, slug-gos, etc.

Nice fish Circlehook. Pretty dark bass. Fishing jigs in a weedy pond or dirty water?

[BassDawg]

sorry guys,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

but i'll have to differ a bit with yer sweet
to salt comparison. in my experience, the

BIGGER the LM the deeper and closer to structure i must get.
just like our bigger striper gurls,,,,,,,,,,,on the bottom and in an ambush spot.

secondly, DZ speaks of THE Preferred Lie.
it relates to my first point and has to do with how COWS,
and the dominant one also, will pick the best position to wait
for bait, current, tide depth, time of night~striper/day~lm.

i've had the same LMB be at the same sunken tree ~1 week apart~
taking the same offering and the first offering being the biggest bass
of the preferrred lie. if i let the area lie fallow, then return, the cycle repeats.
in a preferred spot, the bigger bass of the waters will be there consistently,
and that has proven to be true for both LM and Striped Bass.

lastly, something i've noticed that echoes the above comments
with regard to offerings presented to SMB, LMB, and SB.

i would liken smallies to schoolies/teeners/up to 20#'ers in that they can be enticed to bite on various and multiple offerings; however, it is the take and the fight that i find STRIKINGLY similar. smallies hit the flashy, top of the water column stuff more often~~ as does the smaller end of the Striper Spectrum and they seem to want to fight more from start to finish,,,,,,,ever had a tiny sweetwater bass go ballistic on ya just before ya grab its lip; kinda like sum rambunctious schoolies, know?

i would relate largies to cows/trophy/monster stripers in that the ones i've landed/lost have MOSTLY been taken from the bottom half of the water column, and the largest Larry's i've landed/lost have fallen for Yammimoto's (rubber worms), or salamander/frog imitators, or jigs. and like big stripers, LAHGE lmb tend to take two or three runs and then they are done. does anyone else see the similarity with eeeeeeeeeels/sluggos and Yammi's??

HUGE difference on the retrieve though. i work my Yammi's low and slow with a FL whip retrieve~~ more like a live eel presentation ~~than the sluggo "90mph+/- retrieve" ala Daignault and McKenna. there is also something else that i brought from fresh to salt that has worked nicely in limited applications,,,,,,,,,,,,,

i use the FL whip retrieve with Storm swim shads. low and slow with my tip almost touching the water and working parallel to the surface that imparts a rise and sinking motion while the offering swims thru the strike zone. i'll also use this technique with darters deep night and danny's after first light.

caught my first keeper that way, and have landed some decent stripers since then with the same type of retrieve. i'll be experimenting this summer with sum sluggos and riggies using the FL whip,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,it shore seems worth a shot anyways?

just don't tell steve, allright!!

[BassDawg]

Originally Posted by Circlehook

Has anyone found any correlation between Largemouth bass and stripers?

I caught a few Slug Largemouths last summer bouncing 3/4 oz bucktails in 20ft of water.

Much of my inital striper approach was born from 15+ years of LM bass fishing. Just curious how similar tactics work for others.

i almost forgot,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,



NICE BEAST, Circlehook!
how much did she go, 6 to 8?

[The Dad Fisherman]

Funny, the Correlation I see is kind of opposites.

I use Dark Colors during the day for Largemouth and poppers after dark.....they produce real well for me.

I never seem to have any luck using pearl or white when fishing for LMB. Usually Black, Grape and pumpkin (Black being the Best) seem to be the best colors in rubbah.

[maddog2020]

Buddy of mine is always telling me to use jigs because they do catch the largest bass period. He was in the LMB tourney circuit for years and owns/runs a small bait shop. I am still stuck fishing spinnerbaits, rubber worms and floating Rapala style lures.

If there are freshwater bass in a body of water - I don't have much problem catching them. I always catch a few at the local reservior each time out and get bored after an hr or so.

Catching stripers in the ocean is much harder because there are so many variables. Tide & moon cycles are one. If you fish the beaches the sand shifts all the time with each storm. Fishing rocky areas are more predictable year to year since those huge rocks usually don't move much. <g> I have spend much more $$ chasing stripers in one year than I have my lifetime of freshwater bass ...... LOL.

Freshwater bass - I make due with small ziplock with lures in a pocket. Saltwater minimum is small Canyon bag jammed with lures.

TIME is my greatest factor at the moment. It takes me more time to drive to fishable waters for stripers where as I can hit half a dozen good spots freshwater in 1/4 the time.

That is nice LMB regardless dude. I like fishing for smallmouth better just because they fight much better IMHO and I love the aerial acrobating leaps!

[Circlehook]

This fish went just shy of 6lbs, but my small digital scale is off, could be more, could be less. I did have 3 fish over 5lbs that morning.

I pretty much just target the very largest of LMB these days. I get too bored catching micro bass, much too easy to keep my attention.

I like to fish muddy, deep ponds with lots of fallen trees. Seems to hold the largest fish.

[BassDawg]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

Funny, the Correlation I see is kind of opposites.

I use Dark Colors during the day for Largemouth and poppers after dark.....they produce real well for me.

I never seem to have any luck using pearl or white when fishing for LMB. Usually Black, Grape and pumpkin (Black being the Best) seem to be the best colors in rubbah.

hands down,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

my most productive Yammimoto is

watermelon with blk/red pepper flake,
red 3/0 laser eagle claw,
rigged TX weedless style!!

have yet to fish for Larry's at night.
have had most of my succes with sweet
at dusk and sunrise for the most part.

[bart]

Originally Posted by Circlehook

Def Bart. You got my number still?

i don't think so but ill PM you mine

[BassDawg]

Originally Posted by Circlehook

This fish went just shy of 6lbs, but my small digital scale is off, could be more, could be less. I did have 3 fish over 5lbs that morning.

I pretty much just target the very largest of LMB these days. I get too bored catching micro bass, much too easy to keep my attention.

I like to fish muddy, deep ponds with lots of fallen trees. Seems to hold the largest fish.

i no longer go after schoolies for the same reason, Circlehook.
too boring and will not keep my interest. also, if i'm gonna spend
time away from my family,,,,,,,,,,,,i want it to COUNT. same with LM.

[beaver]

Some of my biggest largemouths ever have come on topwater, surprisingly. I never fish the slug-gos or similar soft jerk baits fast or erratic, as a feel like other baits are better suited for a faster retrieve ie. spinnerbaits. I prefer lighter colors for all freshwater fishing with the execption of jigs and tubes, with chart, white, or yellow being the faves. I think it is cool how fishing styles can differ so greatly from guy to guy, yet everyone can see great results.

Here is a scanned pic of a nice LMB from my childhood. I was practicing my casting with my old man's 11ft/squidder combo he used in the ditch with a 4oz pencil when I noticed something swirling at my plug. After a few follows I grabbed a more appropriate setup and got this bass. Didn't weigh it but I guess it was around 7. Not bad for just planning on practicing my casting. It was late-afternoon, and pretty over cast. Must have been around age 10 or 12.

[beaver]

I use Dark Colors during the day for Largemouth and poppers after dark.....they produce real well for me.

I've never fished the fresh stuff after dark, but my father tells me stories of trolling jitterbugs at night, listening to the constant pop...pop...pop, then a huge smash of a big bass grabbing the lure. Must be exciting.

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally Posted by beaver

but my father tells me stories of trolling jitterbugs at night, listening to the constant pop...pop...pop, then a huge smash of a big bass grabbing the lure.

Your Dad is a Very Wise man

[Circlehook]

Black Jitterbugs are KILLER at night. I used to troll around Curlew and Widgeon ponds (Miles Standish State Forest) in a canoe at night. The big girls go topwater at night.

[Saltheart]

Many people used rebels for both saltwater and freshwater bass.

One time I was fishing at lake quinsig on the Shrewsbury side. My girlfriend would come fishing with me often but she seldom fished. one time i talked her into fishing. She could't cast a light lure so I tied on a rebel I used for stripers. I'd say it was 8 inches long. After a few casts a huge largemouth hit the rebel about 5 feet from shore. It thrashed around and broke water and that scared the hell out of her. She threw the rod on the ground and ran back towards the car. I grabbed the rod before it was pulled in but in the act fo recueing the rod the lure broke off. the fish , about a 9 pound largemouth , was thrashing away about 25 feet out impaled along its underside by the treble hooks on the rebel. It was drifting further and further away every second. I tried to snag it with my pole and lure but no luck.

I walked over to my girlfriend who was in tears , frightened to death by the fish strike just a few feet in front of her.

[Brian L]

Originally Posted by Circlehook

Black Jitterbugs are KILLER at night. I used to troll around Curlew and Widgeon ponds (Miles Standish State Forest) in a canoe at night. The big girls go topwater at night.

Ever fish those big 3 treble Musky jitterbugs at night? Hoo-boy! When something hits it, it's gonna be a nice one! I like the big sized Smithwick Devil's Horse at night, and buzzbaits work extremely well, too.

I spent a ridiculous amount time in FW as a kid and into my late 20's. More in the salt the last 10-12 years. There's a myriad of techniques, patterns, and concepts that will work on both. All fish are a little different, but fish are fish. If you're good at catching one kind, chances are you'll figure out the other kinds quick enough.

[Raven]

Originally Posted by Saltheart

I walked over to my girlfriend who was in tears , frightened to death by the fish strike just a few feet in front of her.

I can visualize that..... GREAT story...

Did she ever recover? or want to fish again?

[NIB]

This one was close to 8lbs.Released..Not bad for a Jersey Bass.
If I have to say there is one difference for me between striper's and LMB..I never kept not one of the thousands of LMB I have ever caught.I can remember keeping my first pickerel.None after that.My mom would tell me to bring fish home but I was a sportsman..

IMO, LMB are just like stripers.In so many ways.The way they relate to structure.The way they hold in current.The way they can be provoked into striking.Nocturnal feeding patterns..LMB fishing taught me to keep a open mind..They can ALWAYS be caught..
It was a easy transition from LMB to Striped Bass...

[NIB]

Oops..

[BassDawg]

Nice LM, NIB!

that mustah been in your
kinder/gentler daze,,,,,,,,

i definitely agree with the ez transition
from LMB to SB,,,,,,,,,but stripers are mo' saxxy!

[beaver]

Nice fish NIB. Does anyone eat freshwater bass? I've never eaten a fish from the fresh, and don't plan on it, but anyone have experience?

I think its interesting to look at the food both lmb/smb and stripers eat. Herring and shad are similar for both. Then you can associate panfish with scup, pollock, etc. Lobsters to crayfish. I'd like to bet that a big largemouth would easily suck down an eel. The way they feed is similar as well, ambush stlye, and also work as a team when schooling. Flare gills and suck down a meal.... there are many similarities and many of the ways we target stripers can be successful in the fresh.

[NIB]

Beav..Nice corrallations..
They most certainly eat eels.Which are in the fresh water..
A 10" black power worm was one of my favorite baits.It is responsible for many of my fish over 5 lbs.
My favorite local lake is what you would call stained..Dark and muddy..Lots of guys did not like it.I loved it,They ate the stuff that goes boom.Like the big worm Big colorado blade spinners, jigs and rattle traps ripped off the weed.It was lots of fun most of them baits triggered a reaction strike..One of my Favorites was the Buzzbait..You'd be surpised how well it worked in that muddy water..Like the pencil popper it was a great big fish tool..

[Got Stripers]

Herring, my largest largemouth was a 9.2 lber, came within 15 feet of the entrance to the herring run.

Plastic and jigs, loved them in my sweetwater tournament fishing and I've just upsized them a bit now.

[beaver]

Love the buzzbait NIB. Never had anything huge on one, but love the explosion when even a small bass hits. I've also done great with big 10" purple jelly worms in ponds with darker or murkier water.

Got Stripers, 9.2 is a cow for sure. I'd like to target herring runs more this year with big swim baits. When I was a kid I used to ride my bike up inside the local herring run in Weymouth, MA and pick at fish up to 5lbs for a few hours after school. I was amazed to see these big bass inside the herring run. Got plenty of weird looks too. People couldn't believe I was fishing in the herring run until I'd catch a bass right in front of them.