COLUMN : BALOG ON BASS FISHING
beating the local advantage
California to Florida , Texas to Minnesota — some pros just know how to get it done
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
For more than 20 years , Joe Balog has made his living in the fishing industry on and off the water . A successful tournament angler from the Great Lakes region , Balog now lives in Florida , where he continues to work in product design , marketing and outdoor media when he ' s not chasing trophy largemouth .
E very bass angler has a favorite fishery . Or do they ?
From the looks of the Bass Pro Tour standings year after year , a handful of top pros couldn ’ t care less where the tournament trail takes them . Equally adept at northern lakes as they are on southern swamps , these guys make it look easy , overcoming any “ homefield advantage ” offered to local competitors .
What is it about some pros that they can excel regardless of what corner of the country they visit ? How is it that recreational and part-time tournament anglers – guys like you and me – seem to capitalize at home but often flounder on the road ? To find out , we asked three of the best in the business .
thrift ’ s obsession
Nine-time MLF winner Bryan Thrift is one of the sport ’ s most versatile anglers . He profits from that trait when traveling to venues outside of his home range .
“ I always want to show the fish something different ,” Thrift says .
More specifically , he believes his lack of experience in a new location aids in his lure selection .
“ I don ’ t have history . I don ’ t know the favorite lure or color at a new lake , and I don ’ t want to ,” Thrift explains . “ If everyone is throwing the same lure , like a red Rat-L-Trap at Rayburn , for example , that ’ s the last thing I ’ m going to use .”
Fans of Thrift recall famous pictures of his front deck loaded down at times with 20 or more setups , all featuring different lures . He ’ ll rotate through dozens of baits in practice to determine both what the bass will eat and what they won ’ t . It reduces any trial-and-error once the tournament clock starts to tick .
In addition to overlooked lure options , Thrift concentrates on off-the-wall structures .
“ Fish get constant pressure on certain areas or cover types ; sometimes that opens up a mini-pattern ,” he says . “ There ’ s always a group of fish
22 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2023