Westernbass Magazine June 2011, Page 48

Westernbass Magazine June 2011, Page 48

ADVICE

practice COURSE

FISHING

By Kent Brown

I

have several friends that enjoy golfing and spend

as much time chasing a little white ball around a

field as I spend chasing a little green fish around

some ditch in the Delta. They often tell me golf is like fishing and I remind them if golf was

like fishing they would move the holes every

day and not put a flag in them so you would

have no idea where they went.

As I thought about their claim I thought

about how many afternoons they would spend

at the driving range or putting to improve their

game and I thought that was the one thing

missing in most bass anglers pursuit to get

better. Not that you need to start hitting a few

balls on your way home from work but how

many of you actually work to improve your

fishing mechanics?

I get asked often how you catch more fish

or why the top pros are better at catching

more and bigger fish than the average

weekend angler? That question usually boils

down to time on the water and mechanics.

What I mean by mechanics is being able to

cast, flip and pitch with accuracy every time,

spinning and bait casting, mono, fluorocarbon

or braid you need to be able to put a bait

where you want it every time.

I think that so many times anglers want

to believe the pros are better because they

have newer and bigger boats, better rods

and get prototype lures the fish have never

seen before. Get the chance to ride along

with some of these guys and you will see

they are very proficient at putting a bait

wherever they want it and if a fish misses

a bait like a topwater or a spinnerbait they

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have it back in the same spot the very next cast often resulting in that missed fish hitting the net. Being able to make a presentation next to a tree, tulle point or