Have you ever noticed whether it be Club Tournaments, Divisional
Tournaments (B.A.S.S. Federation, Red Man, Anglers Choice, etc.) and even
the Pro Tournaments, usually you will see a hand full of the same anglers
consistently "In-The-Money" most of the time. Then while you're driving home
after fishing some of these tournaments without much success you ask
yourself "What are these anglers doing so different than I am."
There are many different reasons for these same anglers to
consistently "Cash-In" or "Place in the money" fishing Bass Tournaments, and
I hope that I can help you with some "In-Site" on what keeps some of these
anglers successful when it comes to tournament fishing.
Bass Tournament fishing is a very competitive sport in a multi-billion
dollar industry where more and more anglers every day are joining the ranks
of the Tournament competitors. With all these new competitors as well as the
already established ones, the competition seems to be getting tougher and
tougher thus making it harder to stay on top, or consistently in the money.
Now, there are several "Tricks-Of-The-Trade" or "Shortcuts" you can use to
give you the edge you need to eliminate a good portion of the field of
participants. These can seem to "Stack-The-Cards" in your favor when it
comes to Tournament Preparation.
The first one we will talk about is:
1. UNDERSTANDING BASS The better that a angler can understand his or
her opponent the better or more successful he or she will be against it. One
of the most important factors when bass fishing is understanding what a bass
does during different situations and how the scenses make a difference
(taste, feel, sight, smell, etc.). There is much to learn about bass
especially when you have to consider some of the following:
A. Water Clarity
B. Water Temperature
C. Water Oxygen Content
D. Vegetation
E. Seasons
F. Daily Conditions
G. Pressure Changes
H. Weather Fronts
I. Natural Forage
J. Colors
K. Water Depth
L. Structures
and there's more!....... The first rule of thumb ALWAYS to keep in
mind is that a Bass needs "3" elements tosurvive which are: 1. FOOD 2.
OXYGEN 3. COVER
By understanding these three elements and by using these 3 key
elements related to some of the situations or conditions listed above should
help you begin the preparation for the "Pre-Fishing" period of a Tournament
and the start of putting a "Game-Plan" together. Next:
2. FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE TOURNAMENT WATERS This can be done
properly by first obtaining a map of the waters that you will be fishing. By
understanding how to read a map related to bass fishing you can just about
"Pre-Fish" that body of water just by knowing the; Channels, Drops, Humps,
Shallows, Flats, Depth, Points, Structures, etc. and by understanding the
Seasons, Daily Conditions, Water Temperatures, etc. you should be able to
eliminate large amounts of water and key on the areas that would relate to
the bass based on many different factors listed above. Another way to get
familiarized with the water is to "Hire" Guides or Charters that fish these
waters frequently. Now, depending on expenses it would be recommended to
hire at least 2 different guides or charters on any given body of water. The
reason for this would be to take the "Best of the two" days to help find
areas, patterns, etc. Being a licensed guide as well as a bass angling
instructor, I need to let the truth be known that there are very poor and
very good guides on just about every body of water that holds larger scale
bass tournaments. Another way to help to learn the water is to
"Fly-The-Water." Go to the municipal or county airport in the area and find
a pilot to take you up and fly over the tournament waters. This doesn't cost
very much (normally), but you'd be amazed of what you can see from the air
that you can't see while sitting on the water.
3. COLOR & BAIT PATTERNS Probably one of the best ways to learn the
color and bait patterns of any given body of water would be to visit as many
"Bait & Tackle" retailers in the area as possible. Not so much to talk to
anyone, but to look and see what baits and colors are being sold the most
off the shelves. If you visit several of these retailers you should be able
to get a very good idea of what colors and baits to use pre-fishing based on
the averages of all these
different places combined.
4. WATCH THE LOCALS One of the best ways I've found some great "Honey
Holes" in the past is just by observing the locals. While you are on the
water and see a boat sitting in one spot for a while, just move off in a
distance and watch. Remember, some of these locals have fished these waters
all their life and are not sitting in areas just to eat lunch! And,
especially in the morning before you hit the water, try to find the local
diner where most of the locals go eat breakfast. Many times in the past I've
got some great information just by eating at the same place at the same
time, and by sitting as close as possible. Many anglers like to brag! Just
by sitting and minding my own, you can't help to over hear these locals
talking between themselves about the 10 pounder they caught off of Trumans
Point using a Spook, etc.
5. PUTTING A GAME PLAN TOGETHER Putting a game plan together for a
Tournament and especially "STICKING TO IT!" can make of break most of the
anglers in the field. The biggest problem of "Most Anglers" when tournament
fishing is not sticking to a game plan. Several years ago, I had the great
pleasure and company of Shaw Grisby Jr. and his Father (Pops) over at my
home for dinner. That evening, I asked Shaw's father (A truly great and
knowledgeable man) what he thought was the biggest problem of why most
anglers can't seem to stay consistent, to which he replied; "They always
leave the fish!" What he was saying was, that if you are in an area where
there are fish, WHY LEAVE? Give a spot time... The biggest part of
pre-fishing is locating fish right? So don't just give a spot a few minutes
then leave..... I've sat on certain spots for a couple of hours without as
much as a bite, then all of a sudden they turn on and I've caught limits
just by waiting them out. Also, when making your game plan,
select an area where you won't have to run miles and miles to
secondary spots. Try to keep at least 3 or 4 alternate spots within a few
minutes of each other.
As I mentioned before, being a Pro Bass Instructor, I've had several
students in the past who attended my 3-day Bass Fishing School that just
wanted to learn how to "Pre-Fish" for tournaments. By teaching them a better
understanding of the bass, why it does things, when it does things under the
different circumstances, how to put game plans together, showing them
different techniques and patterns, teaching them colors, what proper
equipment to use, how to locate bass, etc. these former students are some of
these "Constant Money Winners." I hope that this article will help you in
all your future tournaments and make you a more consistent angler. If you
may have any questions on any of the material I've covered, please don't
hesitate to contact me at my Email address at: rlbrown@capital.net or at any
of my websites at: www.capital.net/~rlbrown or
www.fishing-boating.com/basscoach
Until next time!...... Take Care & God Bless!....."The Bass Coach"
Roger Lee Brown