Tournaments on Small Lakes

[mattkenzer]

On lakes 2,000 acres or less, would summer bass tournaments (July and August) be won each year on the same "bass holes" or are new locations and patterns being developed by the club leaders each year?

[N Florida Mike]

Both.

[mattkenzer]

Thanks Mike .... that is my thinking.

With these small lakes, it is hard to find new spots that hold large fish.

I guess that is the fun .... searching.

[fishballer06]

Small lakes will fish like small lakes. There's only same many spots that can/will hold fish, and some of those spots will hold better quality fish than others. 

[mattkenzer]

I agree fishballer.

Creates many boats fighting for a few good places.

[Bluebasser86]

I help run a small circuit of Thursday night tournaments for a small group of guys locally. The biggest lake we fish is 4k acres, but only 3 of the 10 or so lakes on the schedule are over 300 acres, most are under 200 acres and as small as 100 acres. Some of them are won doing the same things in the same area most of the time, others it's a different technique and area each time. 

[TOXIC]

Good fish holding spots will always hold fish and will replenish often.  That being said. are you sure you're on the best spot?

[mattkenzer]

Thanks for the replies Bluebasser and Toxic.

Is it fair to say that the Largemouth will hold to speciific spots more than Smallmouth?

 

Toxic, i know that i am not on the best spots based on weigh-in (LOL) but a few of my competitors certainly are close.

I am aware of these " Bass Holes" but have not joined in as of yet.

[Bluebasser86]

Largemouth are more homers while smallies are roamers as a general rule. 

[WRB]

Nearly every SoCal bass lake is under 2,500 acres at full pool, often under 2,000 acres.

DVL is the only SoCal lake over 2,500 acres @ 4,500 acres.

Our small bass lakes have both club and organized money tournaments every weekend year around, plus some at night during summer months, very high pressured bass fishing.

When you consider these lakes have sparse aquatic growth and little shore cover, staying in the top 10 is difficult. 

Today nearly every tournament bass anglers has state of the art sonar, boats and tackle. There are very few secrets and the reason these anglers are so tight lipped about how they catch bass. This is also the reason finesse fishing presentations are effective and the reason I fish during the week or in the rain.

Skill at strike detection and putting every fish in the boat separates the winners and losers.

Tom

 

[Catt]

On any body of water the are no new locations!

 

You may think you have found a new location but rest assured someone has fished it before.

 

The bite moves...the fish don't!

[WRB]

Having spent over 45 years fishing bass tournaments or fishing on a lake during bass tournaments, something you can't avoid during weekends, it oblivious the majority of bass anglers are clueless what the current bite is. It's common to see a boat or boats on a good spot and waiting for them to leave so I can fish it. We call this waiting game fishing behind someone. If the boats are catching bass, no reason to wait, go somewhere else. Most of the time you can catch bass on a pressured good spot if you arrive at the right time and know what the bite is.

Catt said bass don't move the bite does, that is experience speaking the truth.

Tom

[ww2farmer]

My home lake is about 800 acres. I fish a lot of tournaments on it, usually with 15-20 boats. Here's how you do well, or win...pick a spot in the merry-go-round, and be a better fisherman than the rest of field. Everyone's fishing for the same fish, in the same spots, with the same stuff. I used to be real good at this, still am, but the problem is, everyone else is catching up. Not too long ago, a 20 boat field was 5 good all around fisherman , where one or two of them  will cash, a couple will be competitive, and a couple will have bad days, these guys all take turns going in and out of the top spots. Then you'll have 5 one trick ponies that if there "stuff" is on will do well, be it the froggers, the "I only fish for big fish guy", the senko dock skippers, the waypoint babysitters, etc...And  then, 10 or so guys, who are basically giving out donations,  who couldn't catch a cold if they stood outside naked in the winter with wet hair, but still manage to influence the outcome, by sitting on good spots for hours on end because they caught a 13" fish off it, or running their trolling motors like idiots through the good weed beds, or spooking every shallow fish from here to Ohio with their bull in a china shop antics. Once in a blue moon, one of these fools will do well, and it's usually the day of their lives.

 

Now it seems like there's 10-12 good all around fisherman, still a handful of the one trick ponies, and the money donors seem to be dwindling.

[TOXIC]

9 hours ago, ww2farmer said:

My home lake is about 800 acres. I fish a lot of tournaments on it, usually with 15-20 boats. Here's how you do well, or win...pick a spot in the merry-go-round, and be a better fisherman than the rest of field. Everyone's fishing for the same fish, in the same spots, with the same stuff. I used to be real good at this, still am, but the problem is, everyone else is catching up. Not too long ago, a 20 boat field was 5 good all around fisherman , where one or two of them  will cash, a couple will be competitive, and a couple will have bad days, these guys all take turns going in and out of the top spots. Then you'll have 5 one trick ponies that if there "stuff" is on will do well, be it the froggers, the "I only fish for big fish guy", the senko dock skippers, the waypoint babysitters, etc...And  then, 10 or so guys, who are basically giving out donations,  who couldn't catch a cold if they stood outside naked in the winter with wet hair, but still manage to influence the outcome, by sitting on good spots for hours on end because they caught a 13" fish off it, or running their trolling motors like idiots through the good weed beds, or spooking every shallow fish from here to Ohio with their bull in a china shop antics. Once in a blue moon, one of these fools will do well, and it's usually the day of their lives.

 

Now it seems like there's 10-12 good all around fisherman, still a handful of the one trick ponies, and the money donors seem to be dwindling.

Pretty much sums it up perfectly!!  Don't forget the whiners and excuse makers at the weigh in!!  

[mattkenzer]

Gentleman,

 

Thank you very much for your insight .... it all makes perfect sense.

 

Catt, thank you for making this dim light brighter, "The Bite Moves ... The Fish Don't"!