Big offshore bass

[Wackyjig]

I can find and catch fish all day long offshore but they're usually in the 2-3 lb range and I never seem to find 4-5+lb fish when they move deep. Jacking 2-3 pounders all day is great when I'm just out there for fun but they don't go too far on tourney day. So how do you guys target bigger fish when you're fishing offshore? Anything in particular you look for or is it more of a, find a school and catch them to see what size they are and if they're smaller move on to the next school? I generally stay away from obvious spots on the map and community holes and focus on small ditches, stumps, cuts in the river channel etc that aren't fished as much thinking the bigs may hang out there but so far its been the same ol story.

[MikeT1973]

Following this one too. My experience had been the same as yours

[Jesse-C]

I wish i could find a fish offshore...��

[MikeT1973]

Based on the lack of replies no one else can find them either.

[Buggs247]

I have far better luck offshore in the cooler months than I have during the summer for quality fish. I keep telling myself they are suspended offshore during the hotter months but have not spent a lot of time trying to prove that theory...

[bass-o-maticjm]

I generally stay away from obvious spots on the map and community holes.

During tourneys, are the bigger bags coming from the areas you're purposely avoiding? Just curious.

Sometimes it takes uber patience and sitting on a known area for extended periods of time and waiting them out, while rotating different baits the whole time. Sitting in one spot for hours on end isn't for everyone (especially during the slow times), but if you can do it and it's a known big fish area, the guys that can do it around here do well.

Good luck!

[DrewFlu33]

This all has to come with the caveat that I'm definitely not all that good at it. That being said, the times I've had some success getting big ones off shore have either been on very specific spots like isolated rock piles on humps or points, or by just flipping and moving along an outside weed edge until I run into them. Oftentimes you'll be able to identify some feature after you've run into them and understand why they were there (maybe a piece of brush laying on the edge, a big rock, area of hard bottom, etc), but I've never had much luck finding those types of things beforehand. I did upgrade some electronics this year, so maybe I'll have more success eliminating water without having to actually fish it.

I see that your location is in the southeast so I'm sure your lakes are quite different than those I'm fishing in MN, but if you do happen to be fishing lakes with a lot of vegetation I think the most tolerable way to do it is to work the outside weed edges with your preferred flipping bait and a heavy weight or a heavy jig so that you can get it down quickly and keep covering water. That way you can keep moving and don't have to just sit all day hoping they move in or decide to feed. Finding an area with a really well-defined outside weed edge (think a wall of weeds when you go idle over it) is a good way to start so you're not just flipping around blindly. A good indicator of those is often a sharp break.

[PickensTJ]

I will offer thoughts from my strategy on tournament day. The points below are two things I practice most often. Just know that I will break from this pattern and sit on a spot longer if I know large bass live there.

First, I try to maintain pace. What I mean is that I jump from spot to spot like I would if I where fishing visible or shoreline structure. If I hit the sweet spot with five casts without a big bite, I move to the next spot. I have caught far more large fish on a spot within three casts than after a dozen. I would rather have a milk run that I circle through than settle-in. I have settled and eventually gotten a big bite BUT, I am a strong believer in the first cast rule. Just like with a big buck, your best chance is your first one.

Second, you cannot waste your time on fish that won't help. Again, every generality is wrong at some point. However, my experience is that if I am catching two-pounders off a spot, the likelihood of a six showing up late to the party is unlikely.

In both illustrations above, I will revisit spots more than once a day. Many is the time that where they didn't bite the first or second stop, they bite the third or sixth. And, sometimes spots where two pounders dominated will change to larger bites.

[jusmangrum]

I will add that if it's a community spot, it's a community spot for a reason. If it wasn't good guys would not be pulling up to fish it. A lot of the offshore thing and catching better fish is a timing thing. If the time is right you will get better ones to bite. Like the above poster said. Make a few cast and I will make a few with different baits and if it isn't happening move to the next one and come back later in the day. I will hit a lot of places multiple times a day.

[Wackyjig]

I have fished the community spots and they produced fish but they were the same size that I catch elsewhere.
I don't sit on 2 pounders in a tournament. If pull up and start catching 2's I usually up size to a magdraft, 10" worm, or big flutter spoon for a handful of casts then on to the next.
I do make a couple stops throughout the day if possible but the the Duckett pattern is by far the most popular pattern so there's a boat waiting to pull in right after you move and there's one waiting for him to move.
I usually don't have to rely so heavily on ledges for fish but we didn't have much grass last year and I'm afraid it's going to happen again this year.

[Buck456]

2lbers in Ohio would win 60% of the tournaments I fish. Lol. This is a good read though. I'm wanting to become a better off shore fishermen.

[jusmangrum]

Are you referring to chick or guntersville?

[Big Orange Basser]

I will offer thoughts from my strategy on tournament day. The points below are two things I practice most often. Just know that I will break from this pattern and sit on a spot longer if I know large bass live there.

First, I try to maintain pace. What I mean is that I jump from spot to spot like I would if I where fishing visible or shoreline structure. If I hit the sweet spot with five casts without a big bite, I move to the next spot. I have caught far more large fish on a spot within three casts than after a dozen. I would rather have a milk run that I circle through than settle-in. I have settled and eventually gotten a big bite BUT, I am a strong believer in the first cast rule. Just like with a big buck, your best chance is your first one.

Second, you cannot waste your time on fish that won't help. Again, every generality is wrong at some point. However, my experience is that if I am catching two-pounders off a spot, the likelihood of a six showing up late to the party is unlikely.

In both illustrations above, I will revisit spots more than once a day. Many is the time that where they didn't bite the first or second stop, they bite the third or sixth. And, sometimes spots where two pounders dominated will change to larger bites.

This exactly what I do.....I have a milk run I start in the morning. I work my way up the lake hitting each spot and then turn around and work my way back down the lake hitting the same spots. I have confidence that one will eventually “hit”. These spots are where I have a history of catching larger fish. It’s interesting.....they continue to produce from year to year. One spot, the first year I found it only had 2 pounders on it. The next year, and every year since, it produces BIG fish. I don’t understand what has made that “flip”.

It is absolutely my favorite type of fishing.....it’s all about confidence. Confidence in the lure, the location, and the time of day. This all comes with time on the water. I spend about all of my year around looking for new “spots”. I enjoy finding potential spots as much as catching the fish. I do fish community holes if it meets the above definition of holding big fish. I try to “fine tune” them to figure out the best location on each hole.

Once you start to gain confidence in this method of fishing, I think you’ll love it!!

[Wackyjig]

Are you referring to chick or guntersville?

Both but mostly chick

[jusmangrum]

Hahahaha. I knew when you were from the southeast and replied with the last post it was 1 of the 2. My advice is when you pull up to those Community holes scan to the South or north of where they are fishing. A lot of the times when those fish get pressured they will move 100 yards or 50 or more than a hundred yards from where that Community hole is. Once fishing pressure dies down they will move back on that particular spot. So just fish a little ways up or down the ledge from where the pressure is and there will be fish there.

[jusmangrum]

Also don't fish the really big stuff. Down size

[hycoducks]

I hate beating the banks and live offshore most of the year. You really need to soak your bait in areas that you know fish live offshore. The guys who fish deep and fast rarely catch them like the guys who commit. You risk wasting a lot of time but more times than not they will feed some time during the tournament. Get away from small stuff in the summer and throw baits that you may look at and say “they’ll never eat this.” When it’s cold, it’s the opposite....tiny tiny stuff. But it normally fishes the same—-slow.

[towboaterpete]

Real big bass are loners most of the time. They will mix in the schools off shore at times. Use a big bait

[Wackyjig]

Spent 12 hours on the water the other day prefishing for a tournament. 9 of which were offshore after my shallow pattern piddled out.
Fished 15 different spots working downriver and back up with schools from 5 or 6 to hundreds with varying structure at each. Caught fish at every stop. I've never seen so many small fish eat a 10" worm and a 7" swimbait.
Needless to say I was frustrated

[MikeT1973]

We fished Chick in Friday. 90% offshore stuff. Caught fish at most stops but nothing over 3 lbs. we could only catch on jigs and worms, no cranks or swimbaits which seemed odd. The fish just didn’t seem very aggressive. I will say that I believe most holes on Chick, I consider community holes. I don’t think there are many secrets. If it looks somewhat obvious on lakemaster, it gets pounded.