Bass Fishing Aug - Sept 2018 | Page 76

74 Dudley won the 2003 Cup on the tidal waters of the James River and is an expert on tidewater fishing. Most tidal fisheries are highly variable, with all sorts of cover to fish and vast areas to search. So the first feature that Dudley checks to narrow down the fishable waters when the bite gets tough is the amount of flow. “You always want to go where the current is heaviest,” he says. “Go where there’s a lot of water flow when the water is hot.” From there, you have to dial in on the specific features of the fishery and area. Dudley will usually pick up a small crankbait and a Texas-rigged creature bait and fish every stitch of grass, every piece of wood and every bit of rock until he can narrow it down. 10. Fish Hard Probably the greatest factor in Dudley’s Cup career is his attitude. He never quits. He’ll pick up a spinning rod and drown a worm all day, or wind a deep-diving plug if that’s what it takes. We all know the summer doldrums make for really tough fishing in a lot of places. It can be hot, and the bite can be slow. But the winner’s check is always the same, whether you won it with five bites a day or by plucking smallmouths out of 30 feet all day long. FLWFISHING.COM I AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 RA 9. Fish the Heaviest Tidal Flows Dudley’s mastery of finding bass in tidal waters earned him the 2003 Forrest Wood Cup victory.