FIRST CAST : JUSTIN ONSLOW
it ’ s all relative
“
Big fish ” means something different to everyone . To folks who love the thrill of wrangling massive tarpon in the Gulf , 200 pounds might constitute a truly special specimen . To a youngster just beginning his or her fishing journey , it might be a 6-inch bluegill or a 1-pound bass . To my wife , it ’ s any bass I catch and show her a photo of , regardless of size , in a display of loving support .
To professional bass anglers , “ big fish ” is often relative to the fishery . A 4-pound largemouth on one lake might be a prize , especially when it contributes to a quality tournament stringer . That same fish might not even make it to the weigh-in stage on some lakes . And if your home fishery is Lake Fork – site of the Bass Pro Tour ’ s Toro Stage Two Presented by Grundéns back in February – a big bass to you probably isn ’ t anything south of 5 or 6 pounds . Just ask Bradley Roy ( 11-11 ) or Alton Jones ( 11-2 ) or Zack Birge ( 10-14 ) or Dustin Connell ( 10-7 ) or Brandon Coulter ( 10-2 ), who all got to experience the thrill of adding double-digit behemoths to SCORETRACKER ® during that event .
And then there ’ s experience . To a seasoned bass angler with decades of catches to recall , a “ big fish ” is likely one that slots somewhere in the top 10 percent of his or her lifetime catches . If you ’ ve never caught a 5-pound largemouth or a 4-pound smallmouth , those fish might be trophies to you . If you ’ ve caught hundreds , your perception of “ big ” is probably a little different .
But here ’ s the thing : Regardless of what size a fish has to be for you to consider it “ big ,” we all still celebrate those fish as something worth celebrating . We ’ re all inherently enamored with catching the biggest fish we can catch . We ’ re always chasing special . We want to experience the next , better thing . And as bass fishing fans , we also tend to live vicariously through those who get to live that experience .
That ’ s why , as you turn the pages of this magazine , you ’ re going to notice a theme throughout . From the Tactical Bassin column ( wherein Tim Little gives insight on how to catch your personal-best bass this spring ) to “ Tales of Tanks ” ( Joe Sills ’ handywork in getting several pros to give firsthand accounts of their personal bests ) to Sean Ostruszka ’ s uncovering the secrets of downsizing baits to catch bigger bass ( page 62 ), we ’ re all about big bass and helping you catch them .
Hopefully the words and images in this issue inspire you to go out and pursue your own personalbest bass – whether that ’ s a 3-pounder or a 13-pounder – not as a feather in your cap but as a rung on a ladder . Because that ’ s the truly special thing about bass fishing : There ’ s always a bigger fish to be caught , a new goal to accomplish and another memory to be made .
Justin onslow , managing editor
6 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | APRIL-MAY 2022