Big Bait? YES!

[Stan Wright]

I saw a TV show about you guys using big shiners there in Florida.... Sooooooo.....I think I'm a believer about that "Big Bait - Big Fish" idea now. I don't know about with lures, but it is working with live bait.
5 1/2 and 6 1/4 Pounds (assorted 3 and 4 pounders)
Bait size..... 6 1/2 inches live tilapia. "Bigger bait, Bigger fish" ?...........
Our state record for peacock bass is 9lb-4oz.
Sure glad I had the big fishing rod and heavy line.
Aloha,
Stan

[MangroveFisherman]

GJ! See, how i think of it is, why should a big ol fish go after a small tiny little fish? if it does catch it, then its not enough to sustain life, it will ahve to eat 4 times as much, depending on size of course, to be full. So a big fish will eat the larger fish.

[AlaskaFishingGuy]

I think the big bait big fish idea holds true because if you toss out a three inch shiner ANYTHING can take it. Because of that you will have a lot of times when your bait is taken by a smaller bass before the big fish sees it. A big bait though will not be possible for the multitude of smaller bass to hit... so it sits there until something big enough to eat it comes along.

I have caught some big fish on small baits, including a 9 pound bass on a wiggler while fishing for bluegil. I thought the hook would bend or tear off for sure, but amazingly it hooked into some soft tissue and after a long fight I was able to tire out the bass enough to bring it in.

That being said I think big baits for big bass holds true.