Pre-Fishing Question?

[Guest]

The past two years I have started fishing bass tournaments more seriously. Ie. putting out some cash and going up against some pretty good anglers. Here is my question/problem. It seems that I am developing a pattern of doing better in my pre-fishing than when it actually comes to tournament day. It's frustrating to think I will catch quality A or B and end up with measily C,D, or F. I am also taking conditions into account, obviously weather may dictate lowered expectations.

Any suggestions?

Oh yeah and one more important fact (actually I and my inflated ego think this is the issue I usually prefish by myself out of a borrowed boat or from my boat a 10ft coleman jon with a whopping 48lb's of pure electric power. When it comes to the tournament, all of them Team Tournaments this year, it is my partner who gets the front for most, if not all, of the day. I have had some say on the where, but the how of boat control has gone to the other person. Therefore they dictate the pace, direction, adjustments, and placement of where we fish. And when they say it's time to go, I've got to pack up and go. I hate to sound like a back seat driver and constantly nag at my partners, after all they are pretty good fisherman and they are letting me fish out of their beautiful machines. They seem to want to zig when I think zag' Faster when I think slower, slower when I think faster, go when I think stay and stay when I think go.

Once again, Any suggestions?

[Guest]

Basspastor

As far as your partners go, team tournaments are just that. Maybe it's time for you to find a new team member if you are not getting any say. I've fished behind some very good guys, and we've won alot of money. I have always had a say in where the boat goes or how fast, I'm just in the back. Sometimes being in the back can be better, if fishing deep you don't have to worry about boat control. I have always outfished my partners when we've been deep.

Deep is my favorite bass pattern. Here in the great white north, we don't have the lakes that go on forever. So by the time of the tournament, everybody has beat up all the shallow spots. Fishing deep bass is something that not many guys do in this region, I know one guy that will only go shallow if there isn't any deep bass. He has won the first two North West Bass tournaments this year. You're deep bass also will tend to be larger, most bass lakes have northerns or muskies in them and the smaller bass can't hang out deep with that type of predator. Deep bass also school, giving you the opportunity to catch numerous bass off one spot.

Now, where to go and what to look for. Look for the deep weed line off points, pockets, or submerged islands near a shoreline break. Cabbage is good, but coontail is better. My favorite technique is to use a jig worm combo. Pitch the jigworm out and into the edge of the weedline, let it hit bottom. Slowly jig it back towards the edge. I also like to throw a crankbait around while my partner pitches the jigworm. Try tossing a crankbait while your partner is fishing shallow, if your running the outside edge of a reedline. I don't know how many times I've smacked bass on a crankbait that were crusing outside of a reedline.

When fishing shallow the guy in the front of the boat definately gets first shot at the best spots, and unless he's incompetent catches the fish there. So the guy in the back has to do something different. If your partner is pitching a jig and pig, try pitching a texas rigged worm. Chuck a spinner bait around, do anything you can to offer up everything to those bass. Make your own opportunity, don't wait for your partner to miss something to catch fish!!

Good Luck and don't forget that this is supposed to be FUN!!

[Guest]

Fishin Bemidji,
Less than 24 hours ago you basically stood up and called me a liar, and then you've turned around and gave the exact information that I gave to Randyfish to Basspastor. Are you really a guide-pro or just someone that calls everyone a liar if they say they've caught more fish than you.
I hate it that you and I have apparently got off on the wrong foot, but that's kind of ballsy don't ya think?

Basspastor--F.B. is exactly right. If you are not getting any respect as having knowledge in the back of the boat--you need to find a new partner. If you are fishing draw tourneys like the ABA, then your just kind of screwed, but if your fishing formatted team tournaments, than you need a better partner. F.B. was also right about the deep patterns, when the guy in front zigs, you've got to zag. This theory can also be applied in shallow water. For instance, if my partner wants to fish shallow slop or lily pads, and he's throwing a frog I will always put a jig or texas rig worm in behind him. If he's fishing a spinnerbait I will throw a buzzbait. Think about it from the aspect of the fish watching what he's throwing, but wanting what your throwing.

Good Luck

[wastewaterguru]

Basspastor,

Let me know if you need a new partner for a few tournaments.

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I fish.....Therefore I grovel.

Here....Fisheeeeeeee!!

[Guest]

Bigbassman

All I did was question the numbers! I fully agree with the technique, your advice there is solid. I have fished bass on a serious level for five years now, the numbers and size you say you have caught are impressive. I can't say the same for myself, and I consider myself good at what I do. The other thing is that all these five and six pounders are from this year alone!! Now maybe they were four and five pounders? The comment about "I fish therfore I lie" is only a cliche', it was not meant as a personal attack and apologize for you taking that way. I've seen people post results on this forum that are way above the point that you would believe possible. I can admit when I'm wrong, and I apologize if your results are true!! How many days a week do you fish bass?? How many 2-4lbers have you caught while amassing this collection of trophies?? With the time on the water I spend fishing bass, my success ratio of smaller to larger bass would indicate catching a whole lot of bass to acheive those results.(and in only six weeks) Do the math, six weeks ago the season opened. You posted fifty trophy fish caught, a little under ten trophies a week. I'm sorry, I it just hit me as odd.

[Guest]

Thanks for the help so far. Here are a few things in responce. My partners (2 different guys over 3 tourny's) have been pretty good fisherman and do well for themselves from time to time. Like I said, they do give me say on the running of the boat, and especially on where this year. They have been fine with going to my spots and my spots are producing fish (although not always for my team)

scenario- First tournament of the year in WI. Neither of us pre-fish but I fished a tourny a year earlier with nearly the same cold water conditions. We go right to my spot. It only produces northerns to start. We get a bit off of where I think is prime (but don't know it because I haven't pre-fished) and another team happens along into that area. My partner suggests we leave the area after a second and I would say poorly navigated pass (this is a fairly large area). I'm really thinking that would be a big mistake, but he wants to go. So we go. That other team proceeds to catch the heaviest bag of the day right there and we blanked on bass, not even a short.

In the other two tournaments , I have outfished the front person and in one case I think I outfished him badly. It bothers me that I'm outfishing the person in the front of the boat. In the last tournament we ended up contributing about equal to the overall bag, but he was getting more bites, as a good front of the boater will. The problem was that he was dropping 60% of his bites and I was catching 70% of mine. And I know for a fact that my two dropped fish were small because I saw them. And once again in this case we left my water when I really didn't want to and the move unfortunatly didn't work, so we went back and proceeded to cull at least two more fish. The fish were far short of what we needed and I know that area was holding bigger fish. It's so frustrating to me that we were not competative when we should have been in the running.

There definitly is some disconnect from these partners fishing styles and mine. Communication is defintly an issue as that we haven't charted a game plan in advance setting out what we think will work. Hopefully next year I will aquire a rig and partner up with a better fit, plus I'll be the captain.

Wastewater are you serious? and Do you have a boat? I was wanting to fish a tournament @ Wapogasset in Wi on Aug. 10, but with no boat and no partner that would be a problem. email me at [email protected]. Thanks

[wastewaterguru]

Basspastor,

Sent you an email.....call me on my cell number when you get a chance.

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I fish.....Therefore I grovel.

Here....Fisheeeeeeee!!