Ebare , Connell , Jones , Neal and Wheeler all possess the discipline it takes to achieve efficiency through tedious preparation . Being able to put their hands on exactly what they need in a matter of seconds often translates to a couple extra fish in a tournament day .
perfecting a new strategy
The Bass Pro Tour brought a unique format to the tournament fishing game . In turn , every fish counts , live scoring , weights resetting and multiple cuts across six-day events led to the emergence of novel strategies .
Using SCORETRACKER ® as a barometer , the new blueprint became catching just enough fish to stay above the cut line during the Qualifying Rounds while simultaneously practicing for how the lake will fish during the final two days of competition . With this , I witnessed how top pros execute what they call “ keeping up with the lake ” in real time .
ILLUSTRATION BY JOE MAHLER
This approach often involves checking the areas of the lake that are changing the fastest to find new bite windows . Whether due to fluctuating water levels , wavering water color , emerging forage spawns , rising water temperature , varying current flow or the impact of fishing pressure , the amount of change that can occur over six days is pretty amazing . Even on the same fishery , one pattern rarely holds up that long .
Discovering these changes and figuring out how they ’ ll impact the bite while other competitors are trapped by the race to make the cut has become a cornerstone of all five anglers ’ strategies . The reward for a strong start on Day One is extra time to practice , and those who practice the most during competition and keep up with the lake the best often give themselves the best shot to win at the end .
confident decision making
On-the-water decision making dovetails with tournament strategy . Carrying out an effective strategy requires decisiveness during a competition day , especially when it comes to making moves on the water . The downward spiral of self-doubt needs to be kept at bay , and the best pros do it with quick , crisp decisions .
The top performers know with absolute certainty when they ’ re ready to move , picking up the trolling motor with brisk bravado . There ’ s no lingering around , wondering if they should stay or go ; no opportunity for the brain ’ s bid to stay to enter the gut and for the inner turmoil to begin . Instead , it ’ s a simple “ we ’ re making a move .” The lure is secured to the rod , the rod is strapped down , and clack , up comes the trolling motor . No hesitation , no hands on hips , no sighs , no “ maybe …”. Within seconds , all I ’ m left looking at is a boat wake .
sense of urgency
You won ’ t find any moss growing under the feet of the top performers on the water . Even when they get out of the gates fast and climb to the top of SCORETRACKER ®, they still move and fish like their hair is on fire . In fact , it ’ s almost as if they fish faster and cover more water when they start strong and have a chance to practice during competition . They always have dozens of other places on their minds to check or different lure ideas they want to try to keep up with the changing lake . And they never run out of places or ideas . There ’ s always something to be accomplished while on the water , and there ’ s no time to tarry .
handling adversity
Perhaps the greatest lesson to be learned from the top anglers on the Bass Pro Tour is how they handle adverse situations . Unfortunate developments like challenging weather , mechanical malfunctions , unexpected company on a spot , dock owners who order them to leave and ( especially ) lost fish might cause some anglers complete meltdowns . But the top names in the sport have a calm , collected way of dealing with such adversity . They understand that if they blow a gasket , they ’ re only hurting themselves .
Instead , when things go wrong , they immediately start thinking solutions instead of taking the incident personally or using it as an excuse . Finding a solution often circles back to preparedness and efficiency , which allows for expedient adaptation . Having a fully stocked toolbox at the ready can help quickly remedy things like trolling motor issues or broken wire connections . A spare prop and prop wrench can cost a guy just 10 minutes in fishing time as opposed to half a day .
Watching pros turn adverse conditions into advantages for themselves is impressive , too . What others might deem too windy or too rough or too muddy or too pressured are opportunities to these anglers . A lost fish is viewed as a clue rather than a crushing blow . Efficiency , proper strategy , clean decision making , a sense of urgency and composure in the face of adversity are all connected and feed off each other . Together , they provide an indisputable advantage for the top performers on the Bass Pro Tour . I ’ ve seen it for myself ; more than any bait or technique , these habits are what separate the top anglers in the world .
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 19