In my last column, I wrote about the first two tournament events I fished, one on the Potomac River and one at New Orleans. As you recall, a Texas boy was sure out of his element bass fishing in tidal waters. But when you're tournament fishing, the one thing you don't get to do is pick and choose when, where, and the time of year you get to fish your water.
To become a better tournament angler, you must fish in all water conditions and locations. The one thing above all else that will make you a better angler overall is fishing in tough conditions or fishing types of water you've never faced before. In my case, that was tidal waters. If you are pre-fishing or fishing for fun, go to the lake even if the wind is blowing or it's raining or cold, hot, or other reasons. Anybody can catch them when fishing under ideal conditions. How often is everything perfect in your tournament? I bet not often.
Even when you don't catch anything, use that as a positive, not a negative. On practice days, you can eliminate some of the water. If you have been fishing docks with no bites on practice day, then don't waste your time in your tournament hours on docks. Always remember, let the bass tell you where they are and what they want. Don't be stubborn and hardheaded and try to make them bite when you've already spent a fruitless day on docks. Move on to something else.
There are always plenty of patterns on any given day or lake. Just keep an open mind and stay versatile in your approach. Did you fish the bridges or dam area? Every lake has bridges and a dam. If the docks did not produce, then the shoreline between them shouldn't be overlooked. I can't tell you how many times the areas between the docks on Cedar Creek or Tawakoni have produced for me. Sure there's lots of bass most of the time under docks on any given lake, but you've got to keep an open mind. As we all know, there are so many variables in tournaments. It's not possible to try them all in one day. Try to learn something about your lake every time you go out. Don't keep going to the same water every time you go. I try to make it a point on every trip to, at least once during the day, go to some part of the lake that I've never been to. I can't tell you how many productive spots and patterns I've encountered doing this. Sometimes I've been forced to do this during an actual tournament. If I'm going to new water during computation, then the conditions will have changed dramatically. The lake level will have to rise or fall, and the wind or weather will have had to do a "180" on me.
Having to look for new water during the tournament will put you at a disadvantage. But sometimes, going for broke is what you might have to do. This doesn't usually work out very well for you, but sometimes you might have nothing to lose. Almost without exception, in tournaments where I've won or finished high, I knew where and how I would catch them before the event. Think back on your tournament history, and I'll bet you'll also find this true.
In your tournament, don't get caught up in what happened in the past. Keep an open mind on what's happening right then. You'll do better at the final weigh-in, and that's what we always try to do in the end.
Good luck, and God Bless.
