Frustrated

[cstephens]

Well my dad and i got into a team tournament series on grand lake and eufala lake, are last tournament was on eufala. Going into to the tournament we felt pretty confident from what we found in practice. We found an early shallow water bite that produced some nice bass, but as my luck would go we had a coldfront come in the day before the ttournament, the air temp dropped about ten degrees but the water back in the creeks stayed the same. So we fished all of those areas thinking since the water temp didn't drop are fish will bite. Well that wasn't the case the only bites we got were six short fish, caught em on everything we threw in pre fishing. Where did the big prespawn females go? I am new to tournament fishing and would like to start doin better than I have in the last two tournaments. If anyone has any suggestions or tips I would greatly appreciate it.

[lmoore]

This time of year, the fish will move as much or more than any other time of the year, at least from my experience.  When the conditions change, you almost need to look at the tournament as another prefishing day.  Start where the fish were and, if you don't find them still there, start moving a bit to where you think they might have gone.  In the spring, warming trends move them shallower and cooler trends move them deeper.  That's very generalized and not always the case, but it's a good way to start locating them.  Quite possible they either pulled out to or near deeper water, like to the first major break or point coming out of those creeks.  If the water hadn't changed at all yet, they probably didn't go far but just gave themselves the option of doing so if things went south. 

[Brian Needham]

for the most there are two main train of thoughts:

 

1. they are still there, but you will have to fish much slower for them, in general

2. they moved back to the first drop, break, structure related spot.

if that happens fish where your boat was sitting the week before, and/or fish the first point closest to where you caught them last time.

 

the bad thing about this time of year is they move, in and out, and carry suitcases..... the good thing about this time of year is when you do find them you can really lay into them with a solid pattern to run water with.

 

I am learning this the hard away too... so keep plugging, with every trip out the curve gets easier to follow

[ww2farmer]

Anyone can catch them when they are biting, to do well in tournaments you have to be able to catch some when they are not. Learn how to fish adverse conditions.

[F14A-B]

Also think in terms of Low pressure

And High pressure.. Study a tad on how Barometric pressure affects fish.. It will

Help you understand how to re-find them

And presentations to help catch them!

[cstephens]

Those are all very helpful. I guess another quetion Is why were the buck bass up the creeks feeding, I know the females haven't spawned because water temp was only 57-60 degrees we didn't catch one fish under three pounds in pre fishing. I guess it all comes down to I should have spent more time on the water to find a secondary bite

[lmoore]

Those are all very helpful. I guess another quetion Is why were the buck bass up the creeks feeding, I know the females haven't spawned because water temp was only 57-60 degrees we didn't catch one fish under three pounds in pre fishing. I guess it all comes down to I should have spent more time on the water to find a secondary bite

 

In some ways, spawning bass are like people.  I won't elaborate too much, but thats why males hang around through hell or high water and females take the first excuse they get to leave.

[slimshad]

In some ways, spawning bass are like people.  I won't elaborate too much, but thats why males hang around through hell or high water and females take the first excuse they get to leave.

Awesome.

[Brian Needham]

In some ways, spawning bass are like people.  I won't elaborate too much, but thats why males hang around through hell or high water and females take the first excuse they get to leave.

 

 

yep the males got to work for it, build the bed, yadda yadda.... all the female has to do it show up and pick which male to bed with.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

The change in pressure is what messes with the bass post front. The LMB will get tight to cover and be in a negative mood. If there are SMB in the same water they seem to be a little less sensitive to the frontal conditions. You might try targeting them if that's an option.

[DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only]

Fish in the moment. Learn as many spots as you can, learn your water. I have my tournaments in a body of water that is rarely ever the same. I have been set up more times than I can count. The day before the tournament I put together a partner only to get skunked on that pattern the next day.

What works best on my body of water is going to all the spots in similar conditions that I have caught fish in the past. I start shallow and end deep depending on time of year. I try bluffs, guts, coves, creeks, points, humps, drop offs, laydowns, little tiny patches of grass (no big grass flats where I fish), flats, etc. not in that order. Once I get a idea where the fish are at and their mood, I jump around fishing all the spots that are the similar.

When you put all your eggs in one basket you end up the creek without a paddle. It all starts with knowing your water.

The only other tip is fail proof and it's if you don't know your lake well know your electronics very well. It takes the guess work out of it some. I am not good with my cheap electronics so I do the ladder of the two options.

J