What Makes Pro Fishermen Good?

[Brian6428]

Hey guys, I was watching KVD's spinnerbait video when a question popped into my head- What makes professional fishermen as good as they are? I mean aside from equipment, what separates them from the "local legends" who kill local tournaments but couldn't cut it pro. Is it possible that the pros are naturally good fishermen and can work baits good naturally? Is it because they keep detailed log books? Or is it something else? Thanks in advance!

[MIbassin]

I think its the fact that the pros can adapt to pretty much ANY conditions on ANY lake..whereas local tournament fisherman might only succeed on one lake using a few techniques

 

 

[joetomlee]

Mlbassin has a great point and I think that is largely the issue, versatility. You watch someone like KVD or Ike and they have such a solid base of knowledge that they can apply it throughout any setting. It's hard to leave a location you've been productive in the past at. However, the pro's have to do this all of the time.

[ChrisAW]

Hey guys, I was watching KVD's spinnerbait video when a question popped into my head- What makes professional fishermen as good as they are? I mean aside from equipment, what separates them from the "local legends" who kill local tournaments but couldn't cut it pro. Is it possible that the pros are naturally good fishermen and can work baits good naturally? Is it because they keep detailed log books? Or is it something else? Thanks in advance!

 

Its hardly the equipment. A lot of them these days are fishing with the same $100-200 gear that many of us here use. There are guys here that probably have more money into their equipment than some Pros and may have never even fished a tournament. Yes, the boat is a huge piece of expensive equipment that makes it easier for them to fish, but they could jump in any little tin boat and probably fish just as well.

 

The reason they are better is because they have better critical thinking skills. They can take all the information they learned about where the bass might be in different seasons, what type of cover is going to hold the most fish, what type of structure is in the lake and how the bass might be using that to feed, how they react to weather, your line, lure, presentation... They take all that and put together a pattern, which will lead them to be able to find more fish. Then it all changes in the flip of a switch and they start over.

 

A lot of times you may be able to beat them on your home waters. But if you level the field, same tackle, same boat, same unknown waters... Most any of them will still hammer them.

[Marty]

Knowledge. Knowing what bass do in the various seasons and how they react to various weather conditions and knowing how to entice strikes under these various conditions. Also the ability to adapt when the fish aren't behaving in accordance with conventional wisdom. Obviously, other skills come into play, such as precision casting, lure selection and presentation, etc., but I think the knowledge part supersedes all these things.

[MarkH024]

Knowledge. Knowing what bass do in the various seasons and how they react to various weather conditions and knowing how to entice strikes under these various conditions. Also the ability to adapt when the fish aren't behaving in accordance with conventional wisdom. Obviously, other skills come into play, such as precision casting, lure selection and presentation, etc., but I think the knowledge part supersedes all these things.

This. They do everything local lengends do except better. Which is why they can make a living off it.

[fl_bass]

On the water 320+ days probably. Knowing how to adapt to changing conditions, and probably most important researching bass and the waters they are going to fish. I mean if I was going for the big bucks they get, I'd be hiring some guides for the lakes

[derekxec]

On the water 320+ days probably. Knowing how to adapt to changing conditions, and probably most important researching bass and the waters they are going to fish. I mean if I was going for the big bucks they get, I'd be hiring some guides for the lakes

 

just like they do lol

[ColdSVT]

adaptability is thier key...

[BassAssassin726]

What everyone said. Knowledge of the fish they're chasing and adaptability to changing conditions is everything.

[eyedabassman]

I have fished with some of the pro's and will add, that they pick up the little things that most other fisherman would miss.They are pin point with there baits and they pick up patterns very fast and can adjust to any weather or lake! But one of the big things I did pick up on is, they NEVER give up,there confidence is so high it is unreal.and being on the water over 300 days does not hurt them.You can't compare the pro's to local pro's it is not evan close!

[Ima Bass Ninja]

Practice, practice, practice. You have to remember that pros eat drink and sleep fishing 8+ months a year. It's not something they do as a hobby after work. Every lake must be their local lake and they spend countless hours mulling over topo maps, weather forecast and who knows what else. Never would I even think about making a living trying to outsmart a brainless creature only to lose time after time

[Under the Radar]

Indomitable

Cognizant

Analytical

Adaptive

Intuitive

Memory

Studious

[K_Mac]

Its hardly the equipment. A lot of them these days are fishing with the same $100-200 gear that many of us here use. There are guys here that probably have more money into their equipment than some Pros and may have never even fished a tournament. Yes, the boat is a huge piece of expensive equipment that makes it easier for them to fish, but they could jump in any little tin boat and probably fish just as well.

 

The reason they are better is because they have better critical thinking skills. They can take all the information they learned about where the bass might be in different seasons, what type of cover is going to hold the most fish, what type of structure is in the lake and how the bass might be using that to feed, how they react to weather, your line, lure, presentation... They take all that and put together a pattern, which will lead them to be able to find more fish. Then it all changes in the flip of a switch and they start over.

 

A lot of times you may be able to beat them on your home waters. But if you level the field, same tackle, same boat, same unknown waters... Most any of them will still hammer them.

 

Excellent post Chris. I agree that it is critical thinking that separates the pros from the rest. Yes, knowledge and experience are major elements, but the way they process the information they get from their single-minded focus is the fundamental strength that make them great IMO.

 

Many of us are good fishermen and have said if we had the opportunity to fish as much as these guys, with the equipment they have we could be great. While that may be true for some of us, talk is cheap and the guys that make the leader-board on a regular basis have the ability to evaluate and perform week after week without being overwhelmed by the distractions of life.  

[Brian Needham]

the catching end of it is the easy part of the equation......yes bold statement, let me explain.

 

Pros, take one bite and build the entire day around it and refine it through the 3-4 days of the tournament.

Pros have to "manage" their fish, while we get lucky to catch 15-20#s on a saturday afternnoon. All fine and dandy but can you do it thurs-sun?

we can all catch fish, as it is the easy part.......finding the active fish in 50k+acre impoundments that will hold up over 4 days, thats the hard part.

Running down the bank catching 12#s aint gonna cut it when the pros are pulling 20#+ off a small little cut 200 yards offshore.

Those guys that fish for a living are nutso good.... they are so intune with the lake and notice stuff that the normal guy never even thinks about, much less notices.

and thats just the art of "being at one" with the fish, and doesnt even begin to cover casting to "teacups" no matter how thick the cover......

 

JMO

[Paul Roberts]

I vote for research, critical thinking skills, positive outlook, resolve, and time on the water. Also, having grown up fishing where there are diverse opportunities would help a lot too in terms of the learning curve.

 

AND... after reading the posts below... you have to want to, be willing to, make a business out of your fishing.

Edited May 11, 2013 by Paul Roberts

[jhoffman]

I was once pro, not in bass but in fly fishing. I can tell you what did it for me was focus and time on the water. I fished so much I had tennis elbow. I knew that when I approached a pool that I was going to have to stop my rod high or lay it out based on the depth. If I couldnt get the nymphs to the fish at the head of the pool who were on the bottom I didnt catch fish.

 

As I fished that often I developed what I refer to as a sixth sense. I cant even begin to explain it. I was so in tune with that rod from fishing so much that I could detect strikes on slack line without seeing the line move. It was ODD. As word got out total strangers knew who I was on the creeks and would aproach me, that told me that not only was I good at it but other people respected what I figured out about it.

It wasnt just the fish, I learned about every insect that hatched from the middle of winter till the following winter, what its characteristics were, what it looked like. I would know that as a hatch was winding down and the next one was picking up that the fish were keying on those nymphs and not the ones everyone was fishing.

I dedicated myself too it, but it wasnt because I wanted fame, in fact once I became a pro in that world I walked away it did nothing for me but make me not like it. I didnt like the guiding, showing, telling, tying leaders and flies every night. I just wanted to catch those fish.

 

Now, had I grown up with a lake out the front door and not a stream my story might be different today. When youre 14 years old, its summer, you cant drive and a stream is 15ft away, youll learn what makes them tick.

[Nick49]

I have a theory that I have applied to amateur and professional athletics and I think it explains at least a little of the difference between the pro anglers and the rest of us.  When a gifted athlete moves from the amateur ranks to the professional ranks it truly does become a full-time job.  They were talented enough to make the jump to the pros but they usually won't stay there very long unless they continue to grow in their abilities.  Meanwhile the amateur who didn't quite make it to the pros still may devote considerable time to the sport they love but not nearly to the extent that the full-time pro does - thus, the separation between the amateur and the pro continues to grow.  You have to be exceptional to get there, but you better get even better if you want to stay there!   

[Deleted account]

It matters not the sport or activity, it boils down to one thing, your desire to win must be surpassed only by your hatred of loosing...

[Brian6428]

Thanks guys, there are some great posts on here. Tons of things I didn't even think of that make sense. Thanks!

I was once pro, not in bass but in fly fishing. I can tell you what did it for me was focus and time on the water. I fished so much I had tennis elbow. I knew that when I approached a pool that I was going to have to stop my rod high or lay it out based on the depth. If I couldnt get the nymphs to the fish at the head of the pool who were on the bottom I didnt catch fish.

 

As I fished that often I developed what I refer to as a sixth sense. I cant even begin to explain it. I was so in tune with that rod from fishing so much that I could detect strikes on slack line without seeing the line move. It was ODD. As word got out total strangers knew who I was on the creeks and would aproach me, that told me that not only was I good at it but other people respected what I figured out about it.

It wasnt just the fish, I learned about every insect that hatched from the middle of winter till the following winter, what its characteristics were, what it looked like. I would know that as a hatch was winding down and the next one was picking up that the fish were keying on those nymphs and not the ones everyone was fishing.

I dedicated myself too it, but it wasnt because I wanted fame, in fact once I became a pro in that world I walked away it did nothing for me but make me not like it. I didnt like the guiding, showing, telling, tying leaders and flies every night. I just wanted to catch those fish.

 

Now, had I grown up with a lake out the front door and not a stream my story might be different today. When youre 14 years old, its summer, you cant drive and a stream is 15ft away, youll learn what makes them tick.

Funny you should mention that. I went on a guided fishing trip with a former pro who fished professional tournaments for a few years. He said the exact same thing. He said that he had promised himself that when fishing was no longer fun, he would quit, and that is exactly what he did. Obviously he only quit the tournament part of it, but same idea.

[Sam]

Mainly because it is their career and we do not fish as often nor study bass fishing as the pros do.

 

It is a hard and grinding life which 99% of us would not enjoy.

 

All professionals work hard at their chosen career, both in sports, fishing and life.

[prjavelin]

not a single one of you said one very important part of fishing... EXPERIENCE. Lets face it, most of those guys have fished those lakes a bunch of times. The lakes used on major tournaments are a lot of times the same lakes. The pros have their navigation points, past experience, local reports, experience in that situations and many other qualities that weekend anglers fish for years to gain. In my case Ive been fishing with a boat for a very short period of time. Theres a lot of things that we know because we have done it before. 

 

MLF have shown us that pros get skunked just like us. that they make stupid decisions, that some of them without their previous practice, previous study and the variables in their favor they cant perform just as well. On the other hand, It has also shown us how good guys like KVD, brent ehler are. they almost always perform. they have an innate and extremely special ability to figure out bass. 

 

With all that said and my 3 months of fishing I wish and I hope that someday I can become one of them. 

[JEC]

practice, drive ,keen observation, passion, attention to detail, experience, versatility, and an absolute love for what they do just to name a few just my .02

[WRB]

Thinking the top 200 bass pros that make up the Elites and FLW tours are head and shoulders above your local winning tournament anglers simply isn't true. There is a lot more to becoming a successfu full time bass pro then catching bass, although that is a big factor.

Marketability is one big factor that separates pro anglers. How many of the 200 pro names can you recall without looking them up? The names your can recall have marketing skills. Everyone of the 200 were local tournament anglers at some point in their careers and each one made the decision to bass fish for a living, a high risk adventure for most.

The successful tournament angler at every level most know how to catch bass during the time allowed and under whatever weather or water conditions that prevails during the tournament. Only a lot of time on the water under various conditions like heavy weekend boat traffic etc., then making the decision where to fish and when to change locations and presentations is the key to getting a pay check.

You can't live on tournament winning alone!

Tom

[Sam]

I want to expand on my previous post about the bass pros.

 

Each bass pro has a number of sponsors. These sponsors do the research and study the biats, rods, reels and line under many conditons. Even some pros, like VanDam, Ike, Clunn, Crews, Duckett, Reese, Rombanus, Parker, Brauer, Monroe and others have a say in the production of a specific bait.

 

The baits the pros use are not always the same as the ones that are marketed to us with the support of the pro. The pros modify their baits in ways we do not know. I was told of two ways VanDam alters his baits and I was asked not to share it with anyone and I will abide by that agreement. Each pro will modify their "off the shelf" baits either using their own gut feeling or based on what the company researchers tell them.

 

The pro bass fisherman has an number of tackle manufacturers working behind the scenes so that they can produce baits for the pros to use on specific bodies of water at certain times of the year and under specific weather conditions that have proven to be productive. With many researchers doing the homework for the pros the pros can take to the water with a good arsnal of baits and knowledge how to use them.

 

What we are missing are the years of free research that the pros have available at their fingertips and the fishing histories of each body of water the tournaments are held. Computers today can take the results of many tournaments and catagorize them so one can easily see the various fishing factors and what baits worked and when.

 

The data we do not see is like baseball. Every team knows about each player on the opposing team and how to pitch to them and how to set the field based on the inning and guys on base. The pros parallel this with bodies of water and their tackle and baits.

 

Please do not feel frustrated when the pros do so well in tournaments and you struggle. If you had a pro bass fishing career with your livelyhood in question you would have to mate with a few manufacturers to hawk their products so you can enter their world of statistical information to use to your advantage.