So far this year I've been to Coyote 32 times. I've thrown baits that are known for bigger fish at some point on every trip. All I have to show for it is a new PB of 7.75# (I'm not really complaining about this) taken on a rising 1st 1/4 moon in January at 8pm on a white/white spinnerbait with a big willow blade and 14 other fish from 6#s down to 2.5#s mostly on the same spinner. I've scared the $#!# out of more fish (and a few times myself) than I've probably caught in any previous year. I haven't gotten a single fish on the jig and have had 4 fish come unbutoned on the small MS Slammer with new Gammy hooks. All 4 came off on the first big head shake or jump. The last of these 4 was last night and I almost threw my rod in the water in frustation.x( I've only caught 3 fish during the day time and 2 of those were males on beds. I need HELP, and if I don't get good fishing help soon, I may have to seek psychological help. :o
Tight lines,
Wade

Well dude, Coyote has been kinda tough this year, so don't feel too bad. It sounds like your goal is to get a big one there, and if that's the case, it's a fairly simple forumula for success.

The first thing you said was at some point during every trip you threw big fish baits. That's good, but what if you threw the big fish baits the whole trip evey trip? That's what's going to get you a big one. A spinnerbait is a good bait, but it's not a big fish bait. I don't care how big of a spinnerbait you use, it's just not a big fish lure consistently.

Losing 4 fish on the 7" slammer with 1/0 round bend gammies is pretty nuts. It sounds like you have the right lure and hooks. What about the rod? If the rod is too wimpy you're not going to get them good on the hookset. The other thing is to keep on them hard after you hook them. I have not had very many fish at all jump on me in the dark, or even jump and do a headshake with the Slammer in general. With the big baits they are usually too stunned to do that kind of thing like they would with a jig. If you hook them, keep your rod down and wind with 25lb, they should come right in. Nico knows how to do this :)

The other thing I gotta say is that the fish you are spooking are probably not bass. I know you've been wading the south end and there are a ton of carp back in there. The carp will lay up really shallow and bolt off the bank really fast. Bass almost never ever act like that. I've seen a few bass swirl and swim off the bank, but that's pretty rare. If you want a big one, go to the deeper water. The big ones only move into the south end for a little while, and with all the pressure in there, I think they back out pretty quick. Good luck

You are my JEDI master.

You know what the thing is with catching big bass? You gotta do just the opposite of what we are all taught about fishing for bass from magazines and newspapers and watching the bassmaster. 99% of what is written is written to help you catch a lot of bass, not to help you catch a big bass. Most of the time catching big bass means using the same lure for long periods of time with no success and hitting the same spots over and over without getting bit on them. I'd lose every tournament I fished if I fished for big bass. I was on this trip for a long while of trying to catch big bass on all kinds of different lures and techniques and stuff. While I was on that deal I didn't catch very many big bass at all. When I went back to my money big bass baits this year in the winter I started to get on them again. Big bass just aren't going to hit consistently on certain baits like spinnerbaits, crankbaits, plastic worms, etc. When you focus in on jigs, swimbaits, and other big bass lures and only use those baits, that's when you start getting the big bites. You just gotta be willing not to get very many bites and to go home really frustrated a lot of days. When you throw the trout for 2 hours and then give it up and start pitching a spinnerbait, that's not going to get you big bass. When you throw the trout for 10 hours and get skunked and go out the next trip and throw for 10 hours, that's when you're gonna get one. All you gotta do is look at the guys who get the big ones and it's pretty boring in the tackle selection department. I'm getting more boring every day :)

How many types of baits do you have on when you hit the lake anyway Mark? Like one? And how many over 10 do you have? Like 50 or 60? har.

Take everything out of your boat (or take only one rod if you fish from the bank). Tie on a swimbait and go for it. I love it when I hear that they aren't eating the swimbaits. That's when I have my best days. Winter, fall, spring or summer. I don't care. I catch swimbait fish during all seasons. If you are dedicated to catching the biggest fish of your life, focus on a couple baits and stick to them.

Rob, ya know it. One bait...Stocker Trout. By the way, nice pic in WON. See, they even eat those things in No Cal.

SWMB8R

choice words swimbait. it seems like most fellas are just goin through the motions.

say swimb8r, do you throw the big stocker or small? the big one is heavy as heck.

I throw both. The majority of the time I throw the 9 incher but there is a time and place for the smaller bait. I throw the smaller bait on occasion if I know that the smaller trout were planted and in the summer. The 7 inch bait is an awesome bait in the summer. We burn them over and around the edges of the grass.

The Stocker Trout really isn't that heavy. Yes it is a little heavier than most on the market but if you have the right rod, you don't feel the weight.

SWMB8R

I loved the stocker that I had (7") but I threw it so much that it fianly tore in half (never landed a fish either, but so it goes when you are looking for the big ones). I was wondering if there is any place to get them on-line or in Nor-Cal. The plact that I bought mine is no longer carrying them. I want to get a couple this time in both 9" and 7"

I saw them at Mel Cottons in San Jose.

Rob,
My trips have been typically after work from 5 until 9 or 10PM. I use a flipping stick rated for 10-25# and 20# Big Game on a Curado CU200. 11 of my trips I have only thrown the Slammer. 6 more trips I alternated between a Jig w/ a PowerHawg or Madman Craw trailer and the Slammer. The head-shakes were underwater on 2 of the LDR's. The other 2 were sticking there heads up out of the water to the pectoral fins and giving a slooshing headshake. I've also tried throwing the Castaic Swimbait 8" trout on my tuna sticks. When we all came out there in December, I had my light Tuna stick (BWC 2200) if you remember. I found it to be to noodly and have tried my heavy trolling/Jig stick (Fenwick PS 670C) and it just is too heavy, I feel like I'd just winch in a 10#er.
Tight lines,
Wade

Wade, I wouldn't feel too bad, this lake is not the same as last year. I don't claim to be a big bass expert, but i've always done better from around mid morning to about 5 pm during the spring on the south bay lakes. I think that if you look at the "big fish posts" so far this year, all of the fish have been caught during day. Maybe something to think about...

scot