FISH IN THE MOMENT
sometimes even dutifully spending casts in areas that rarely produce.
On the other hand, sometimes your choices are made for you. On very small lakes or on those waters dominated by community GPS holes, you don’t have the luxury of checking to see if your 6:30 spot is better at 8:30 or noon. As Rojas related, “Growing up in San Diego, you had to wait them out. If you left, someone else would take your spot.”
However on larger waters where the distance is not so great, you can check back, or if you have several days of tournament practice to check them out, you cannot ignore the fact that unless you are there when the roving wolfpacks or even the area homers move up to feed, you have to be there at the right time. Maybe it’s a tidal or lunar issue, or a prevailing wind, or water releases or pumpbacks kicking in—the wrong timing should be addressed. But you can’t do that unless you react to the cue that your best water did not produce your first time through.
But take heart if your fishing success has yet to reach the consistency you want. Rojas was being very candid when he said, “It’s hard when you practice for three days and you get so dialed in [and things
One of the first adjustments you can make is to change retrieve
speeds or vibration intensity.
change]—it’s hard for me to adapt at times. It’s one of the little hiccups that I’m constantly working on. In the back of your mind, you don’t want to change too quickly [and get away from the right stuff.]”
In many ways, your success will begin with observation. You’ll have to note many things, from wind direction to sonar readings to how well the fish might be taking the bait as they relate to your expectations. But don’t be too quick to seek an explanation for the things you witness. Just make some slight alterations in retrieve speed or rhythm, action, lure color, angle of approach, or fall rate and pay attention to the results.
Take your cues from the fish.
14
http://www.bassfrogclones.com