The spring spawn tends to be the easiest time to target huge bass. When they move to deeper water, rely on sonar to locate lunkers. (Photo courtesy of Z-Man Fishing)
October 08, 2025
By Frank Sargeant
Thanks to the efforts of multiple states to produce giant largemouth bass and help anglers target those bunkers, there’s never been a better time to catch the trophy of a lifetime. Of course, what constitutes a trophy varies by location. In Florida and Texas, it takes a 10-pounder to raise eyebrows. In Georgia and the Carolinas, an 8-pound largemouth usually has that same effect, while anything above 6 pounds qualifies as a lunker in most other places. But the tactics that consistently produce those larger bass are identical—or at least quite similar—throughout the South.
STATE-SPONSORED INTEL The single most important thing for giant bass chasers is to identify the big-fish waters. While various regions may be known for producing bragging-size bass, only a few lakes actually have the right combination of habitat, available forage and solid fish genetics to consistently yield better-than-average numbers of really big bass. Of course, Mother Nature can be fickle and the factors in the equation tend to change, so trophy-bass lakes that were hot 5 years ago may not be that great today.
Fortunately, state biologists nowadays keep tabs on the larger bass considerably better than in years past, and some states are sharing their whereabouts with anglers. In Florida, the TrophyCatch program (license.gooutdoorsflorida.com ) reveals the hotspots and promotes catch-and-release. In Texas, the ShareLunker program (texassharelunker.com ) not only recognizes big-bass waters, but also hybridizes and restocks the offspring of their larger fish in multiple lakes.
Photo courtesy of Z-Man Fishing Biologists in most other Southern states also have a pretty good idea of where the big ones are. One of the keys is the “new reservoir” effect. About 6 to 8 years after a man-made lake has been created and flooded, or an established lake has been drawn down to improve fish habitat and food sources and then refilled, it frequently yields an explosive year-class or two of really huge bass. Search out such lakes in your home state and you’re bound to find a bonanza.
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LUNKERS ONLY Second in the pecking order of requirements to land trophy bass is the angler’s mindset. If you’re happy simply easing down shorelines while tossing a spinnerbait or a worm, you might catch a big fish now and then, especially during the spawn, but it’ll probably be mostly dinks the rest of the year.
On most public lakes in the South, the biggest bass, typically 7 to 12 years old, have seen hundreds of lures and many have even been caught and released multiple times. Finding and fooling the giants takes both single-mindedness and dedication.
Catching the larger fish is often a matter of finding them away from the obvious locations to present your lures to potential trophies that haven’t been pounded by the crowds. If you refrain from fishing the docks, weed beds and rocky points that everybody else fishes, you’re bound to encounter bass that are more willing to bite.
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ELECTRONIC SURVEILLANCE Using sonar to look for big fish offshore is a smart way to go. Many of the top big-bass anglers spend many hours scouting and scoping a lake before they make a cast. The widespread use of forward-facing sonar (FFS) has become a major factor in pinpointing and catching trophy largemouths, as skilled users can tell the approximate size of a bass from the image on the screen. FFS also enables anglers to note the reactions of the fish and adjust the presentation accordingly. If a certain lure or tactic doesn’t work, they often get the chance to make a quick switch and close the deal.
But even if you can’t afford to invest $3,500 or more on an FFS setup, you can always use basic down-imaging and side-scan to locate the channels, cuts, rocks, woody cover and other structure where many giant bass spend time before and after the spawn.
SEASONAL MOVEMENTS Next in line, as far as prerequisites for trophy bass, is to identify their seasonal moves and the reasons for them. The easiest, of course, is the spawn, which prompts the fish to move shallow.
With the exception of Florida, where some bass start spawning as early as January, you can count on largemouths to find and hang around flats and shallow cover from late March through early May. That’s when the dogwoods bloom in much of the South. In Florida, you’ll know it’s spawning time when you start to smell the orange blossoms, usually in February.
Elsewhere, however, you can expect big bass to be in pre-spawn mode in February and March, when deep creeks leading off main-river channels, particularly where the creek bed crosses gravel, chunk-rock flats or stump fields, often harbor at least a few hefty specimens.
In summer, most big fish relocate to main-lake channels and hang around schools of adult shad, their primary food. And in the fall, they return to the creeks and coves to feed on young-of-the-year shad, sometimes mixing with smaller bass for the easy banquet.
As winter weather sets in, the bigger largemouths frequently drop into deep holes where they can find milder water temps while remaining near shad schools. At this time, however, a bass’s metabolism slows down with the cold, so they’re tougher to catch than during the rest of the year.
Solid fishing skills and the right gear are important, but landing massive bass consistently also requires research and dedication. (Photo courtesy of Sean Rush) BIG BAITS FOR BIG BASS While it’s often said that elephants eat peanuts, they’re more likely to be attracted to a bale of hay. And in waters where gizzard shad are the primary forage, as is the case in many lakes and reservoirs across the South, a 5- to 8-inch shad imitation like the Bucca Shad or Fish Lab BBZ Gizzard Shad is a good bet for drawing strikes from largemouths at the upper end of the species’ size range. Berkley’s Powerbait Cull Shad , which adds scent to its great looks and action, is another excellent option.
Large, 6- to 8-inch flutter spoons often do the trick, as well as do extra-large crankbaits, like Strike King’s 10XD . Of course, a jumbo plastic worm, 10 inches or longer, has probably caught more lunker bass than any other lure.
Certainly, no matter which mondo bait you opt for, any trophy-bass hunter will tell you that there can be long stretches of time between bites. But, if you keep the faith, fish the right waters and continue to cast in likely spots, you’ll eventually be rewarded. It’s important to note that, when using FFS, suspending jerkbaits and fly-weight lures—typically a 1/8- to 1/4-ounce jig head paired with a 4-inch soft-plastic tail—you can dangle just above the fish can prove amazingly effective.
UPSIZE YOUR GEAR Your tackle could be the difference between scoring a trophy bass and going home with nothing but a story about the one that got away. So, unless you’re fishing open water while scoping with FFS, which requires finesse, you’ll want to use gear built to win tough bouts with big, brawny fish.
A 7-foot baitcasting rod with a medium-heavy action and a fast tip is a strong and versatile choice. Match it with at least a 200-size low-profile reel or a classic, 5000-size round reel, and fill the spool with 30-pound braid and 2 to 4 feet of 20-pound fluorocarbon leader tied to the business end. If you’ll be flipping a jig or a Texas-rigged soft plastic in heavy cover, consider a little longer rod and scaling up to 50- or 65-pound braid for extra muscle.
This article was featured in the September issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe .
