There is much heavier pressure on tournament bass from the first day of practice to the last day of the tournament. Everyone is fishing the same water as you. Finding the same schools of bass and pounding them with everything in their boat.
Experience in this kind of pressured situation is the best teacher. I think there are 3 to 5 different patterns going on in any body of water, at any given time.
PATTERNS – BUILD- ING AND DECLINING
Let’s take five current patterns for this example. I believe there are two patterns that are going away, one that is the dominant pattern and two that are building or getting better as each day passes.
Most guys find the dominant pattern, as these are the easiest bass to catch. Depending on the weather conditions, time of year and how the bass are reacting to the fishing pressure, a pattern will vary in how long it lasts, but rest assured, even the dominate pattern will fade away.
We all hear the “dock talk” that happens after a day on the water and how many times have guys said they busted them in practice, but for whatever reason, they just couldn’t get them during the tournament. They were on the dominant pattern in practice and it just changed. Possibly for any one or combination of the reasons I listed above.
In my opinion, what you want to look for in practice is one of the two or more “building patterns” in practice. One of these will be the pattern the winners of the tournament fish.
Again, experience is the best teacher here and even then no one can win every tournament, but you will see a few of the same guys at the top 10 or 15 in most tournaments.
That consistency is what you are looking for to sustain a successful career. This is some of what to look for in actual fishing to have success
in the sport of tournament bass fishing.
Look in the past issues archived on this website of this online magazine to expand your knowledge of actual fishing facts that will help you in the actual fishing aspect of being a successful tournament angler.
DO THE WORK FIRST
As weekend anglers attempt to break into the tournament ranks, they all too often have their hand out looking for sponsors to get some free stuff. As you do the work in this industry, the sponsors will come.
Don’t get the cart before the horse, do the work FIRST!
This next statement is very important and I can’t emphasize it enough. By the way, I’m very serious about this! Do the WORK FIRST and the money will come. As you make yourself more valuable in the bass fishing marketplace, you will get paid in direct relation to that value you bring.
Lets talk about some of the things you will need to do to “expand you comfort zone” and start becoming more valuable to this industry. Volunteering at kid’s tournaments or disabled veterans tournaments is one example of how to “do the work first”. Use your imagination here. You are only limited in this life by your belief in yourself
FALL 2015
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