study buddies
That ’ s not to say anglers shouldn ’ t seek help with their homework . In fact , several pros said talking with their peers about a fishery during pre-practice helps them make sense of all the information — sifting through what ’ s important and what isn ’ t , making sure they didn ’ t miss anything .
DeFoe frequently bounces ideas off traveling partners Edwin Evers and Andy Montgomery . If one of the three has more experience on a given body of water ( as will be the case for Evers at Oklahoma ’ s Lake Eufaula and Montgomery at Santee-Cooper in 2024 ), they share their knowledge with the rest of the group . Jones talks strategy with his son , fellow BPT pro Alton Jones Jr .
“ He ’ ll have thoughts that I don ’ t have , I ’ ll have thoughts that he won ’ t have ,” the elder Jones said . “ A lot of times it can be very helpful just to ping it off of another pro .”
When they find themselves in the same field , Cox confers with longtime fishing buddy and former team tournament partner Keith Carson . Prior to the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals event on Lake of the Ozarks last spring , when Cox won and Carson took second , it was Carson who clued Cox in on the sight-fishing bite that developed on the lower end of the reservoir .
John Cox and Keith Carson benefit from years of fishing together and sharing thoughts about conditions .
But once again , the pros urge caution when consulting other anglers .
It ’ s important to know tournament rules , for one . If information sharing isn ’ t allowed , anglers can ’ t give or receive waypoints . Plus , Cox stressed the importance of doing homework with someone who understands his unique style of fishing and approaches things the same way . Getting a tip from someone who excels at using forward-facing sonar or skipping docks won ’ t do you much good if you can ’ t get those fish to bite .
“ We ’ ve both fished together in the same boat since high school , so we ’ ve learned everything together ,” he said of Carson . “ We ’ re on the same page like making calls and moving and adjusting and stuff , compared to if it ’ s someone who I might be best buddies with but we fish completely different – that ’ s really hard .”
46 turning study into success
There ’ s one critical difference between studying for a test and a bass tournament . Unlike in academia , the goal of researching a fishery isn ’ t to enter an event already knowing all the answers . It ’ s to inform and streamline the decisionmaking process once you ’ re on the water .
“ What separates guys that catch ‘ em between takeoff and check-in and guys that catch the heck out of ‘ em with their buddies ? It all comes down to being able to make the right decisions at the right time in the right moment ,” Ebare said . “ That is the most difficult thing in all of bass fishing . All my preparation is to prepare myself to be able to make those decisions .”
Jones provided perhaps the best illustration of what it looks like to put his homework into practice on the water . As he researches each fishery and scrutinizes weather trends leading up to each event , he uses the Notes app on his phone to outline a plan for practice — but not just one plan .
“ I don ’ t want to have to sit out there on the lake and think , ‘ Boy , that didn ’ t work . I wonder what I ought to try next ?’” Jones said . “ I want to have a Plan A , B , C , D — a rotation that I ’ m going to go through .”
Once he ’ s on the water , Jones allows for flexibility within his strategy . If something new occurs to him , he ’ ll check it out , and he doesn ’ t pressure himself to explore every option he jotted down prior to arriving at the fishery , especially if he finds a thread that feels promising .
The end goal is for his homework to lead him to the winning pattern early enough that he can fine tune it — adding more spots to his rotation or finding the perfect presentation for a key area . Once he believes he ’ s on the right track , he can commit to that strategy knowing that , if for some reason it fizzles , he has backup options a click away .
PHOTO BY KORY SAVAGE
“ If I look back at tournaments that I ’ ve won , almost without exception , it ’ s when I ’ ve dialed into the main deal on the first day of practice so that I was able to expand upon that for three days ,” Jones said . “ That ’ s why I ’ m doing the homework , so if I do figure it out , I ’ ll have as much time as possible to duplicate what ’ s working in as many different places as I can .”
Want a firsthand look at how a pro analyzes a body of water ? Check out DeFoe ’ s YouTube channel , @ OttDeFoeFishing . Prior to each Bass Pro Tour event in 2024 , he ’ s releasing a video showing how he uses LakeMaster mapping to break down the fishery .
MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024
Scan here to view video .