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n old army saying is “Fail- ing to plan is planning to fail.” This concept applies equally to bass fishing. Planning includes preparation at home and testing strate- gies once on the water. The two critical pieces of the pre-fish puzzle once on the water are: 1) find where bass are located and 2) once located, what presentation will get them to bite. everything you do should be focused on location and presentation. divide the day into segments (early morning, low sunlight, high sunlight, wind). Lowrance hDS split screen views Plan what you wish to test during each condition or segment. don’t forget to try what you plan; otherwise you will waste a good plan. is slightly submerged, you can see more than three one of the biggest mistakes made during pre- times as deep as you can without one. fishing is doing too well. We all know the guy that This is extremely valuable during the spawn, as always wins pre-fish, but bombs in the tournament you can find bedding areas in much deeper water than and has no clue why. Predators (like bass) survive anyone else. You can also use it to view weedlines, by avoiding danger; so don’t expect you can pound a rockpiles and bottom composition. They are too spot and the bass will still be eager to play the next clumsy to use during a tournament, but when used in day. don’t “sore-mouth” your bass. pre-fish you can learn about the bottom and find fish, tools can help you on the water. now is the time and return to these spots during the tournament. to use the lowrance charts you marked at home with your game plan. remember to fish all the “question PRE-FISH STRATEGIES mark” waypoints you placed on the chart at home. one of the best ways to find bass, without after launching your boat on pre-fish day, plan sore-mouthing them, is to use an underwater video to use one or more of the following strategies. camera. Video works best where the water is clear, each could do the trick, and with success particular strategies will become your favorites, and will be best but many anglers don’t try cameras thinking their suited for your style of fishing. if you are fishing with water is too murky for a camera to work. don’t sell a partner, always try something different than your these short, especially when bass are deep and partner. Use a different technique, color, retrieve, relating to structure. location, etc., even if your partner is catching fish and The new lowrance HdS-9 and HdS-12 touch you are not. When one of you has found success, units have a video input, which allows you to directly this is a prime opportunity for the other to compare connect an underwater video camera. now you can effectiveness of other methods or to expand a view actual cover, structure, and bass on your HdS pattern. screen, even while still displaying sonar or charts! another little known tool that can help you during pre-fish is the use of a bathyscope. This is also Run AnD Gun used for underwater viewing, but no electronics are The object is to find bass by racing to cover lots involved. i use a Plastimo Underwater Viewer, which of spots, as quickly as possible. typical lures i use for is a plastic cone with a clear glass bottom on the big this approach are lucky Craft crankbaits, jerkbaits end, and a viewing opening at the small end. When and topwaters, Hildebrandt double deep spinnerbaits, held over the side of the boat so the glass bottom
December 2012
Issue 6
49