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What is a big bar?
The notion of a big fish will vary from one angler to another. For example, a 50 cm bass may be considered a large specimen in certain regions or environments, or by certain people.
In this article, a big sea bass is a fish that exceeds 60 cm, but we'll be talking more about sea bass that exceed 70 cm or even more, because these trophy fish do exist!
Their weight will depend on their environment, morphology and season. Sea bass gain weight throughout the season, but especially from autumn onwards, when they store protein to build up fat for the winter.
Also, estuary bass are often much larger in size than in the open sea.
Adapting your equipment
To find the big bass, first acquire the right equipment and leave nothing to chance.
A sea rod, often fast-acting, with a power of 8 or 9 will be ideal for casting certain flies and fighting/restricting these fish. It will be fitted with a reel with a watertight drag (for longer life) and a line adapted to the situations encountered (floating to very plunging). There are special sea bass lines, such as Rio Striper (for striped bass).
It's a good idea to use a well-built fluorocarbon tip, which will resist abrasion better and be less visible, but also to adapt its resistance to the type of fishing practised, the environment and the presence of obstacles (see below).
The flies should be mounted on hooks that are sharp and, above all, strong, so that they will not give you any trouble.
Finding the right spots
Like all big fish, spots are not trivial. Big sea bass like particular spots and will behave in a specific way.
It's possible to catch large sea bass in any environment, but the best chances are often in estuaries, which allow good growth, due to their richness, but also because of this particular habitat where large specimens find their place and easy food, particularly green crabs.
In prospecting fishing, there is a small element of luck and chance, but in the end, it is also possible to look for bigger fish by going to specific spots and fishing differently.
On sight, by visually searching for fish, it's possible to target the big bass and leave the smaller ones behind. But in this case, you'll need to find the spots where these big bass come to feed.
Streamer fishing: boat, beach, and other environments
Big bass live in all kinds of environments. They become big, however, because they have a fearsome distrust that must be overcome, and they know where to find their food source in particular positions.
Whether on the beach or on the coast, it's possible to catch big sea bass.
On the beach, sometimes under certain conditions, these fish maraud in search of prey, and it's possible to catch them on sight. It's quite rare, but possible.
It's often while streamer fishing that you'll come across them. It's not the habitat where the biggest fish get caught, but in autumn sea bass have a resurgence of activity once the summer is over, and will be more often active and therefore potentially catchable.
From a boat, it's by looking for well-marked spots that you'll come across big bass. Fly fishing may not be the ideal technique for catching these big bass, which often live in strong currents (rock head, drop-off, plateau), or at a certain depth. By adapting your equipment and often fishing more slowly and deeper, you'll increase your chances of catching fish over 60 cm.
Stalking fat people on sight: the best approach!
You'll have the best chance of catching big fish that deserve to be caught by sight. That's right, because it's by sight that we "attack" these fish and thus "select" them. Nonetheless, there's still a lot of searching and prospecting to be done to find these unusual fish!
They can be found in all estuaries, with some very large fish exceeding 80 cm and even reaching 90 cm to 1 meter! These big bass have to come in very little water to search for crabs, which follow the tidal movements of the water.
In this case, they put themselves in danger, but their natural distrust and ability to adapt mean that they rarely, if ever, get caught!
Sea bass over 70 cm systematically analyze their prey. They rarely pounce on just anything, even if fortunately for us they are sometimes more active feeders and we manage to outsmart them.
On the beach, but also in the oyster beds, large sea bass are present. Once again, you'll need a very good knowledge of each area to know where and when to find them.
Let's respect these big bass and get them back in the water!
These trophy fish don't deserve to be kept for our culinary pleasure! And they're not the best tasting fish either.
These are old fish that deserve our respect, and at sea often females that are important broodstock for the future of the species.
So it's a good idea to return them to the water in the best possible conditions. Take a photo for your own pleasure, but don't jeopardize their survival. It's better to keep fish between 45 and 55 cm, up to 60, than to keep these magnificent trophy fish!
