I love fishing for big largemouths, and it’s too bad these predators receive a negative reputation and second-class citizen status throughout the north. While not every lake is able to grow 20-inch fish, a good number of fisheries exist where big largemouth bass dreams can come true. When not smallmouth fishing, I hunt big largemouths. And if I could only fish them a specific time of year, I’d exclusively target them anytime ice-out in April through May, and all of July into August. In my playbook, location and lake types get prioritized over presentation. I like drainage lakes and systems, lake chains, shallow fertile eutrophic lakes, and out of the way backwoods lakes that are challenging to get boats into. Top strategies for trophy results must be alluring and appetizing to a big fish. Baits with profile, but a noticeable presence in the water are the theme of this season’s top lures. Think of these big fish baits – prop baits, swimbaits, chatterbaits, jigs, creature plastics – they all have imposing profiles, drawing power, water displacement, and triggering properties. That’s why majority of each season’s top fish are caught. Additionall