10 MISTAKES YOU ’ RE PROBABLY MAKING AND HOW TO FIX THEM
MLF pro Josh Bertrand ’ s best advice : Make sure all your gear is compatible and matches exactly what you ’ re trying to accomplish .
PHOTO BY PHOENIX MOORE
“ YOU NEED TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO YOUR
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PRESENTATION .”
“ Some weekend anglers fail to pay close attention to where their casts are going and whether they ’ re approaching from the best angle to bring their lure through the target area ,” says legendary Florida pro Shaw Grigsby . “ It could be because they ’ re not concentrating , or simply don ’ t understand what it takes to trigger a strike .”
We need to focus on that “ something different ” within cover or structure because that ’ s what ’ s usually holding the bass . Targets that present ambush points should always be approached seriously and with an eye to bringing our lures through the zone in the way a predatory bass would expect from its prey .
“ Don ’ t be in a hurry ,” advises Grigsby . “ Be thorough . Pick the cover and structure apart as you go , and always think about how the fish are likely to be positioned .”
“ YOU DON ’ T FISH THE HEART OF THE COVER .”
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Lures are expensive . Losing them is painful — emotionally and financially . But we buy them to do a job : to catch fish . If we ’ re not using them to their fullest , we ’ re cheating ourselves .
“ There ’ s just something about throwing into the thickest , gnarliest cover , whether it ’ s vegetation or wood or rocks ,” says Toyota pro Mike Iaconelli . “ That ’ s where the most and the biggest fish live — in the heart of the cover — and a lot of weekend anglers are hesitant to go there .”
Ike is not recommending that we put our treasured baits right in the briar patch on the first cast . If conditions are ideal and the bass are chasing , they might hit a lure presented on the edge . But before we leave that prime cover , we should try to make what he calls “ the impossible cast .” Sure , it might result in a hang-up and a lost lure , but it ’ s also our best bet to catch the fish of the day or to catch fish behind other anglers fishing the same waters .
“ YOUR GEAR IS NOT BALANCED .”
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They say it ’ s a poor craftsman who blames his tools , but MLF pro Josh Bertrand is a master craftsman who ’ s seen many weekend anglers mismatch their rods , reels , lines and baits , leading to lost fish and frustration .
“ I see it all the time ,” Bertrand says . “ A guy ’ s fishing 12- pound line on a heavy rod and he breaks the line on a hookset close to the boat . Or he ’ s making long casts with light monofilament and wondering why his medium-light rod isn ’ t giving him good hook penetration .”
The fix takes time , but it ’ s attainable . The Arizona pro recommends that we really get to know our gear . Experiment with combos , rod actions , reel speeds , line types and sizes . Make note of any failures and adjust accordingly .
Generally , Bertrand believes that weekenders use line and rod actions that are a bit too light for the job . But since that may not describe you , keep changing the recipe until you ’ re dialed in and suffer fewer equipment-based letdowns .
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“ YOU GET INTO A RETRIEVE RUT .”
Have you ever paid attention to your basic lure retrieves — the way you crank a bladed jig or hop a worm or twitch a jerkbait ? Odds are you do it pretty much the same way every time . You ’ ve developed muscle memory that ’ s become the default in your angling repertoire , and it ’ s limiting your ability to trigger strikes .
James Niggemeyer of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit believes that fighting this tendency can take your fishing to the next level .
“ Triggering a strike is a challenge we face every day on the water ,” he says . “ I ’ m constantly reminding myself to vary my retrieve , to try something a little different until I figure out exactly what ’ s working that day . Sliding back to muscle memory is an easy trap to fall into , but if you can be truly engaged on every cast , you ’ ll catch more fish .”
Niggemeyer guides in his spare time and says that his most common instruction to clients is to “ slow down .” Most have a default retrieve or presentation style that ’ s too fast for conditions . It ’ s something all of us should thinking about .
54 FLWFISHING . COM | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2021