fishing . Some of the best tournament anglers in the world live in the Tennessee Valley ( and for good reason ). Lakes like Pickwick , Guntersville , Chickamauga , Wheeler and Kentucky and Barkley lakes are great tournament lakes , which is why tournament organizations of all sizes frequent them . The list of essential fishing lessons taught by TVA lakes is endless : current , water fluctuation , grass , bushes , rock , docks , tailraces , creeks , flats , Southern smallmouth , fishing pressure — there ’ s some of all of it along the Tennessee River . Guntersville is the crash course for TVA Lakes . In my opinion , Guntersville can teach you more about tournament bass fishing techniques in the shortest time than any other lake in the country .
Florida freaks
If you want to be a professional angler , learning Florida is a must . Florida-strain bass are very quirky , yet many circuits and tours include a trip to Florida at least once a season .
ILLUSTRATION BY JOE MAHLER
The two best options for a Florida bass fishing education are the Kissimmee Chain and Lake Okeechobee . The Big O is the mecca for Florida bass fishing , but Toho and Kissimmee are also prudent in teaching correct water clarities , bottom compositions and key vegetation varieties . Florida bass are notoriously areaoriented , and it usually takes a slower fishing pace to get in tune with them .
An added benefit of training on the Kissimmee Chain is the influence of the Kissimmee River in terms of current , channels and the formation of offshore shell bars . That knowledge gained on offshore fishing in Florida can also be applied to places like the Harris Chain and the St . Johns River .
Lone Star lessons
If you can only go to one Texas lake to learn the Lone Star ways of bass fishing , make it Sam Rayburn Reservoir . Rayburn serves as Texas Bass Fishing 101 for the critical role “ drains ” play in the migration and orientation of Texas bass . Reading and translating drains as a language is the key to unlocking other Texas lakes . Every drain is unique in terms of contours , turns , bends , points and source . In addition , Big Sam also sports acres of flooded bushes ( depending on the water level ), which makes it a great place to hone that game as well .
Lowland lowdown
When it comes to learning lowland impoundments , Lake Eufaula in Alabama , Santee Cooper in South Carolina and Ross Barnett in Mississippi are all good candidates . Eufaula and Santee get more tournament traffic , making them more attractive . The skill that must be acquired for lowland success is breaking down huge expanses of shallow-water flats fairly quickly . Developing an eye for tiny contour changes and fish-attracting wrinkles like small depressions , subtle ditches , old sloughs and backwater ponds in vast flats is imperative . Water level fluctuation on lowland lakes is critical too .
Blueback basics
The blueback invasions in highland impoundments in the Southeast have altered bass behavior , especially in spotted bass . Visiting either Lanier in Georgia ,
Hartwell in South Carolina or Smith Lake in Alabama is a way to earn double credits : one in blueback behavior and the other in spotted bass behavior . This type of fishing is technical and demands extensive use of electronics over deep timber and brushpiles . The lure set is pretty specialized too , with detailed jerkbaits , topwaters , wakebaits , glide baits , small swim baits , underspins and dropshots all being key players .
Tidal time
The Potomac and James rivers are two fantastic tidal-water teachers that are frequented by circuits and tours ; therefore , understanding tides and the effect they have on bass is required learning for the pro level . Due to their daily fluctuations , tidal rivers are very dynamic ; fish are always on the move . Knowing how to “ run with the tide ” and when to fish “ hard ” versus “ soft ” cover is all part of the tidal curriculum .
Ozark impoundments
There are eight major impoundments across the Ozark Mountain range that regularly host tournaments . If you need a go-to lake to learn this area , Table Rock Lake is as good as any — much of what can be learned at the Rock can be translated to other Ozark lakes as well . Many of these lakes are deep and clear and feature a healthy mix of all three species of bass . Ozark lakes are long and twisty and tend to pattern very well with the weather . Important Ozark themes are transition banks , channel swings , bluff ends and chasing the wind . Reading “ slugs ” of colored water that are pulled through the systems with each heavy rain is critical , too .
Summer smallmouth , Northern largemouth
During the peak of summer , many tours turn to the cooler waters of the Midwest and the Northeast , where smallmouth are predominant players . St . Clair , Lake Champlain , and the St . Lawrence River are all fantastic fisheries to learn all about smallmouth bass . Champlain and St . Lawrence offer the benefit of getting a healthy dose of Northern largemouth fishing , too , which is in my opinion is some of the best bass fishing in the world .
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