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Bass Tournament
"Shortcuts"
by "The Bass Coach"
(Roger Lee Brown)
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 to survive 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 and 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.
Take Care & God Bless!....."The
Bass Coach"
If you contact The Bass
Coach, let him know you saw his article on Zeiner's Angler Supply's
site.
(518) 597-4240 Email: rlbrown@capital.net
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