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PRO PERSPECTIVE
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CLARK
WENDLANDT
Young Anglers: Learn to Find bass, Not Waypoints
igh school and college fishing are, without a doubt, the
current rage in the bass tournament world.
Fishing organizations are tooting their high school and
collegiate fishing horns pretty loudly these days. In addition,
marine manufacturers, major tackle brands and sporting
goods retailers are pouring sponsor and advertising dollars
into these school-based programs. As a result, thousands of
young anglers are getting exposed to the thrill of tournament
competition at an earlier age than ever before.
As the popularity of student fishing increases, so does the
number of inquiries that professional bass anglers get from
young anglers about fishing locations. Since my home state
of Texas has been a hotbed for high school and college fish-
ing tournaments, I get these requests frequently. And I’m not
alone. Many pros have received dozens of requests for fish-
ing locations on lakes where they’ve done well in the past.
What’s most astounding is the number of parents who con-
tact pros on behalf of their kids to basically solicit waypoints.
As a parent of two daughters who were big into volleyball,
I get it. We parents want to do the most we can to help our
kids succeed in their chosen sporting pursuits throughout
high school and college. It’s a natural tendency.
As a professional bass angler, however, I can also be can-
did in saying that gathering waypoints from other people for
fishing tournaments is a serious hindrance to a young angler’s
growth in the sport, especially if he or she has any desire to
turn pro.
The enormous growth in fishing because of these student
programs is great, but competitive fishing is far different from
other sports pursued in high school and college.
If they’re involved in sports such as soccer, baseball or
football, kids can attend specially tailored clinics and camps
to hone skills. Some parents and athletes even seek out the
services of private coaches for more intensive workouts.
Understandably, parents looking for the same kind of help in
the realm of bass fishing turn to high-level pros for guidance.
But instead of asking for advice about fishing skills, most of
the time their requests boil down to, “Hey, where are some
good spots to fish on Lake Such-and-Such?”
Here is the cold, hard truth about the reality of competi-
tive fishing: There is an art to finding fish that must be prac-
ticed, refined and mastered for long-term success. It’s not
that I mind young anglers approaching me. I really love their
enthusiasm, but I want them to learn the coolest sport in the
world in the only way that can truly benefit them – by spend-
ing time on the water. Fish-finding skills can only be acquired
through time on the water. Period.
Sure, there have been some major tournaments won with
a list of waypoints. It does happen, but it’s largely an anomaly.
Ask any full-time professional angler about the longevity of a
career based on receiving fishing locations from other
anglers, and they’ll all tell you the same thing: There is no
future in it. Which is why pros sometimes take offense to
such waypoint solicitations. With the request for waypoints
comes the insinuation that the whole sport is nothing but a
GPS numbers game with very little credit given to the craft of
actually finding fish.
The bottom line is that finding fish is a craft that must be
honed. I don’t give waypoints away, and as a rule I don’t even
keep them myself because it undermines the natural flow of
practice when trying to find fish for a tournament. Most folks
think I’m nuts when I tell them this, but it’s true. I almost always
start from scratch and let the fish tell me what they’re doing.
I’m not trying to play the role of the information police in
bass fishing here. Doing research on the internet for histori-
cally productive areas, patterns, lures, water levels, water
temperatures, etc., is all part of the game now. What has
become a bit alarming to me (and my peers) is the number
of young anglers who think getting specific fishing locations
is the end game. I can assure you that mindset is bad and is
no way to build success in tournament fishing.
For that reason, I urge all young anglers and their parents to
resist the temptation to solicit waypoints and exact fishing loca-
tions for tournament competition. It’s a shortcut that becomes
a crutch. Learning how to find fish through their own reconnais-
sance – not running a list of waypoints – is what made the Kevin
VanDams, Andy Morgans, Brent Ehrlers and Greg Hackneys of
the world the fishing stars they are today.
FLWFISHING.COM I OCtOber 2017