For every good study habit , there can be a damaging downside . Zero in on a few juicy-looking spots you found on a map or Google Earth , and you might be in trouble if they don ’ t produce . Try to hit too many waypoints and you could miss an important nuance . Commit to what you believe the dominant pattern is going to be — whether due to seasonal trends , past tournament results or word of mouth — and you may not find the actual winning formula .
As a result , it ’ s important to view each piece of information gleaned during the research process as a puzzle piece — many of which won ’ t fit into the final design . For instance , while DeFoe uses LakeMaster to break down a fishery , he ’ s not trying to map out all of his practice stops . He just wants to get a general feel for the underwater topography and have options at the ready should he discover a secondary point pattern or decide to check out a few bluff ends .
Past tournament results , too , should be taken with a grain of salt . Jones totally disregards events that were held at a different time of year . Ebare said it can be good to know the handful of baits that typically excel in , say , Florida during the early spring or the Ozarks during fall , but not to get infatuated with a lure because it once accounted for a win . Cox no longer watches old tournament coverage because he found himself avoiding areas once he knew they ’ d produced big bags .
“ if it ’ s been a really flooded year , that tells me there ’ s going to be a lot of flow going through that lake .”
— Alton Jones
“ I tried to go back and watch some of the past tournaments and stuff , and it always made me feel guilty ,” Cox said . “ You see someone fishing this area and you ’ re like , ‘ Oh , I kind of have an idea where that is .’ And then you ’ re running around in the tournament , and you ’ re like , ‘ Oh , there ’ s what ’ s-his-face over there , I ’ m going to stay away from him .’ So for me , I feel like it ’ s almost better when I don ’ t really know any of that .”
More than any other , the biggest preparation mistake
Ebare has observed among inexperienced anglers is relying on a list of individual spots — especially those provided by someone else . While cycling through waypoints that have been productive in the past can pay off from time to time , he doesn ’ t believe it ’ s a recipe for long-term success .
“ If it ’ s a tournament where you can get information , somebody tells you , ‘ Hey , this is where I caught some , this is where you need to go ’ — I don ’ t believe in doing that ,” he said . “ That kind of preparation is what ’ s popular , because everyone wants a quick path to success . And that kind of stuff does lead to tournament wins at times , 1,000 %, but that doesn ’ t make you a better fisherman . I guess it ’ s all a matter of perspective , but for a guy that ’ s trying to move his way up to become a better fisherman overall and potentially fish for a living one day , I encourage him to do as much as you can on your own .”
Long before he ’ s looking at his graphs on tournament morning , Alton Jones does hours of studying .
PHOTO BY GARRICK DIXON
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 45