Many lakes throughout the country have strong enough spotted bass populations that on any given day you can catch more than a hundred (!!!) bass.

If you prefer catching quantity rather than quality, then spotted bass on these waters will keep you happy. However if you prefer pursuing trophy fish you will have to try the reservoirs in California, Alabama and the Midwest noted for producing bigger spots.

Cody Meyer’s World Record Spotted Bass

Spotted Bass Baits

A lake in my area that produces trophy spotted bass is Bull Shoals along the Missouri-Arkansas border.
One of the better times to catch big spotted bass on this lake is during the early spring. Some quality spots can be taken on suspending jerkbaits then, but a better option for big spotted bass is swimming a white hair jig tipped with a white plastic twister tail grub.

If the lake is calm you can use a 1/8-ounce jig and cut the 6-inch grub down to 4 inches. On days with a slight breeze switch to a 1/4-ounce jig and then try a 5/16-ounce version on windy days. The bigger fish will usually be suspending along bluffs where a channel swing runs along the rock wall and an adjacent flat.

Bigger spotted bass usually spawn deeper so avoid fishing the bank when looking for trophy fish. The hair jig and plastic grub will still catch spawning fish but you can also slow roll a spinnerbait or drag a Carolina-rigged plastic lizard along the bottom to trick trophy spots.

After the spawn, spotted bass move out to the deep bluffs and suspend. The best big bass lure then is a 3/4-ounce flutter spoon that you let sink down to a certain depth and reel it through the suspending fish.
The best action for big spotted bass in the summer occurs at night. Try ledges and drop-offs where trophy spots move up near the bank but are still close to the dropoff. Good choices for heavyweight spotted bass at night include a jig and plastic chunk or craw, 8-inch plastic worm or a single spin spinnerbait with a black skirt and silver Colorado blade.

Plastic worms and tube baits produce bigger spotted bass in the fall. Try these soft plastics along ledges 25 to 35 feet deep.

During the winter you can catch bigger spots by presenting a 3/4- or 1-ounce jigging spoon 45 to 55 feet deep along main lake structure.