TAKEOFF
TOURNAMENT LIFE
ETIQUETTE , STRATEGY FOR FISHING IN A CROWD codY MeYeR ’ s taKe on hoW to deal With fishinG pRessuRe By Sean Ostruszka
every now and then a pro finds a spot all to himself and cashes in for a tournament victory . When it happens , it makes a good story , but the truth is , pros – especially these days – rarely have any spot all to themselves . the reality is that in tournaments with hundreds of boats in the field , the majority of an angler ’ s time is spent sharing areas , or even fishing in crowds . With so many competing , it ’ s almost guaranteed that at least one other angler – or several – will find the same pattern , spot or school as you . that ’ s big-time pressure , but being able to manage and adapt to that pressure is what separates top pros like cody Meyer from the pack .
“ You talk to guys all the time who get spun out because they ’ re sharing water throughout the day , or who are intimidated to fish in a crowd of 10 or 20 boats ,” says Meyer . “ it ’ s never bothered me . unless i have something better , i never mind fishing in a pressured or crowded area . My thinking is the fish are there . i don ’ t have to worry about finding them ; just catching them .”
With so much fishing pressure , catching them isn ’ t always easy , regardless of how many fish there are . Meyer ’ s answer is to downsize or do something different from everybody else . for instance , at the 2017 potomac River flW tour event , he was rotating through community holes with as many as 40 boats in them , and
Crowds are part of tournament fishing , and how well you learn to deal with the added pressure that comes with fishing near other competitors can have a big impact on your success .
20 fLWfIshInG . com I january 2018