Is there a trick to finding big fish?

[Excessive Paranoia]

I got myself a mastercraft rod off of an alpha squid and have started trying to fish, but no matter where I've gone on the island, the biggest fish I've found are 1.2-1.3 and I'm really feeling like I'm wasting my rod on those. I've tried all the spots recommended by people on the forums and here, as well as the various strategies to get the big fish instead of the little ones (killing them, pachyrhino, etc), but I've still never seen anything bigger than 1.3 size so I'm getting a bunch of junk. Where am I going wrong here, any help would be appreciated.

[Nokim]

don't know if this helps but i go to some pools right outside the redwood forest on the south of map and i have seen some very very large salmon/fish in those. I go there to tame otters constantly as they die on me like once a week and i clear all the fish to spawn them. The fish there are 2.+ I still don't know what the numbers mean as i have not tried finishing, but i see them there in large numbers.(island map)

[Excessive Paranoia]

Originally posted by Nokim:

don't know if this helps but i go to some pools right outside the redwood forest on the south of map and i have seen some very very large salmon/fish in those. I go there to tame otters constantly as they die on me like once a week and i clear all the fish to spawn them. The fish there are 2.+ I still don't know what the numbers mean as i have not tried finishing, but i see them there in large numbers.(island map)

Are you talking about the swamp?

[Nokim]

around 70,28, right off the forest border theres these 3 pools with a cliff in front of them and swamp next to them and large lake connected to them, in front of them slightly into the forest theres a small pool with a bunch of fish too. one of the pools if full of really large salmon and colelicanths or whatever they are called. When i clear it, usually 2 otters spawn.