Practice Day Theories/Critiques...???

[ITO_ZILLION]

I am not a tournament angler. I also don't have the necessary experience, knowledge or skills to be one. But I am totally confused by some of these tournament bass anglers I see on Youtube.

 

The way I see it, bass fishing in tournaments (and in general) is a numbers/math game. It has many parallels and similarities to Basketball and/or Hold'em style Poker. I see bass fishing as being a high percentage baits vs low percentage baits and high percentage areas vs low percentage areas kind of game/mentality. So, in order to be competitive, its important for an angler to know how to use their baits in practice in order to maximize time and resources efficiently. Practice day should basically be a 'process of elimination' where by you test baits in certain areas to see how fish would react and if you can use those baits and areas as potential honey holes come tournament day. Therefore, the best plan of attack would be to fish low percentage areas on a practice day.

 

What I will usually see on these videos is, come practice day, these anglers will use high percentage baits like bottom/vertical plastic techniques (Dropshot, T-Rig, Shakey Head, Weightless Senko, Neko Rig etc.) in high percentage areas. For example, flippin/punchin a Texas Rig in some brush/cover/mat that is clearly on or nearby a spawning cove/flat/bank. You would think they would leave high percentage areas alone and fish only the low percentage areas. That way they can see if they can use these low percentage areas as a 'Plan B' or last resort. Or at the very least try to find a pattern or technique that may produce fish when other baits or areas will not produce otherwise come tournament day.

 

I'm so confused because everyone knows that you can always 'fall back' or count on a bottom/vertical plastic technique to produce a bite no matter the conditions, the weather, the lake or the area that you are fishing in. Its usually those low percentage baits like reaction baits that most anglers need to be worried about in a tournament scenario and should try and eliminate. Therefore, the only time that I think fishing high percentage areas on a practice day makes sense, would be to fish low percentage baits like reaction baits in order to figure out if there will be a pattern or preference for a specific bait that might produce a few big/crucial bites. 

So, why go thru the hassle of losing money, time and energy using techniques in a practice day that you know you are already going to fish anyways come tournament day when the fishing gets tough, doesn't make sense to me at all. I don't know about some of these tournament anglers but I like to maximize my time out on the water and be efficient as possible by using the least amount of energy and resources possible. But like they always say, 'conditions are always changing and you never know what the fish are going to do'. So, who knows maybe there is something I am not seeing and someone in here can help clarify some things about tournament angling that I don't know. 

 

Sorry for the long rant. Just confused and kind of perplexed. 

[Michigander]

When practicing, all I'm concerned with is generally what the fish are hanging out around, what they're munching on, and what the lake looks like in various places.

[roadwarrior]

The goal is to locate fish.

 

 I think Rick Clunn summed it up years ago and his statement still rings true:

Catching bass is easy, the challenge is finding them.

 

[TOXIC]

I have had an elite series angler stay with me more than once and got to witness first hand how he practiced and approached a tournament.  He would use his mapping software and apps like google earth to scan the big areas of the tournament.  He then would scout the tournament waters from his boat to find “things that are not on the map” very rarely did he ever wet a line.  

[Mike L]

2 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

I have had an elite series angler stay with me more than once and got to witness first hand how he practiced and approached a tournament.  He would use his mapping software and apps like google earth to scan the big areas of the tournament.  He then would scout the tournament waters from his boat to find “things that are not on the map” very rarely did he ever wet a line.  

Folks would be shocked to find out how many professionals do the same thing. 
 

Why would anyone who’s lively hood depends on catching fish, waste their practice days in obvious unproductive waters? 
Just to prove they were right?

What advantage is there in that?

 

 

 

Mike

 

[InfantryMP]

In my opinion you are looking for structure, or those high percentage areas of course, or at least checking them out from the boat instead of a map. I think the bait selection is based on conditions and cover. Submerged grass= chatterbait for me first

 

The other thing I like to do is "eliminate water". When I go check out a spot or place that I believe to be decent from a map, if I do not get bit, or see anything scanning, I will eliminate it as a spot to hit during the tournament. 

 

I need at least a few spots during my tournaments to hit to feel comfortable. 

[TOXIC]

Just to add that with the advancements in electronics, you would not even need to cast to verify if fish were there, you would be able to see them, their size and what they were relating to.  

[InfantryMP]

59 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

Just to add that with the advancements in electronics, you would not even need to cast to verify if fish were there, you would be able to see them, their size and what they were relating to.  

I agree with this, I will add though, just because they are there, does not mean they will be bite as we all know.

 

I think of suspending fish being around, but being difficult to catch. Now, if you casted in, and they fired up, then that spot may be a keeper. I would always at least try to grab one if I see a few grouped up but that is just me. You could always cut the hook off a bait and try that way so you do not actually get a hook in them too.

[Hawkeye21]

For me, it's all about locating fish and figuring out a pattern.  If I catch a couple under docks then I stop doing that and expect that pattern to continue on tourney day.  After that I'll try something completely different and see if I can find another pattern.  Maybe try a completely different part of water or depth or cover.  It's nice to have a plan A, B and C.  Heck, some days I need a plan D.

[GaryH]

For me a lot depends on known or unknown water. Known water I will bounce around and see what is on the menu and the depth their hanging. Unknown water I’ll spend most of the day without wetting a line. I’ll scan and mark waypoints where I find fish or habitat I like. If there’s time after that I’ll try a few cast in the deeper areas I marked. It’s a lot harder to find them than to catch them. IMHO 

[ITO_ZILLION]

On 6/9/2021 at 6:39 AM, Mike L said:

Folks would be shocked to find out how many professionals do the same thing. 
 

Why would anyone who’s lively hood depends on catching fish, waste their practice days in obvious unproductive waters? 
Just to prove they were right?

What advantage is there in that?

 

 

 

Mike

 

 

You make a great point and I totally understand where your coming from. I've never looked at it like that and it makes total sense. Based on your analogy/observation, it would seem like my approach could very well be unproductive also and can therefore lead to poor/low efficiency and not maximizing resources and energy to the fullest extent. I totally understand and agree with your way of thinking.

 

But hear me out on this one everyone, we've all heard of the dreaded...'fishing pressure always gets to the fish and causes a lot of lockjaw come tournament time'. Therefore, you would think that most tournament anglers would 'leave' the high percentage areas alone in practice in order to keep the fishing pressure off the fish and keep them 'fresh' for the tournament and instead fish the low percentage areas in order to find something new or different that could lead to bigger fish or numbers or at the very least, eliminate them all together. And yet, I don't see a lot of tournament anglers doing this. It confuses me. 

[Ratherbfishing]

If I read the OP correctly, there are a LOT more low percentage areas in any given body of water than there are high percentage areas.  Therefore, you'd have to have a LOT of practice days in order to fish all the low percentage areas and then confidently say what remained were high percentage spots.  And even assuming they could, by process of elimination, remove all the "less productive" water, even the pros cannot always figure out immediately what techniqes and/or baits would be most useful for those high percentage areas.  Finding the fish is the biggest part of the equation (see a different thread) BUT technique and choice of baits is also important and there is only so much time.  I don't think even the best pros can confidently say where and what is going to work best.

 

The only caveat to finding the good spots is to then not OVER fish them so as to not pressure, educate, or otherwise spook the fish you want to CATCH and weigh in on tournament days.

[Mike L]

Practice days are intended to not only confirm what they know, been told or seen, but to also eliminate water. 
I get it. 
 

My point is that with only a day or two in unfamiliar water, to be effective on opening day the search is on to confirm where the fish are more so than not. 
 

As I said, to fish obvious places where all aspects of my experience tell me it has a too low of a possibility to be successful over a 3 day period, it’s best to leave those alone and concentrate my efforts in more advantageous water. 
 

In my opinion, it’s best to go hunting in a possible target rich environment and try to confirm or deny it is, than in the obvious places it’s not. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

[ITO_ZILLION]

10 hours ago, Mike L said:

Practice days are intended to not only confirm what they know, been told or seen, but to also eliminate water. 
I get it. 
 

My point is that with only a day or two in unfamiliar water, to be effective on opening day the search is on to confirm where the fish are more so than not. 
 

As I said, to fish obvious places where all aspects of my experience tell me it has a too low of a possibility to be successful over a 3 day period, it’s best to leave those alone and concentrate my efforts in more advantageous water. 
 

In my opinion, it’s best to go hunting in a possible target rich environment and try to confirm or deny it is, than in the obvious places it’s not. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

 

This ^^^.

 

I can't believe I didn't see it your way until you finally posted this. I now understand your train of thought/theory now and why it would actually be a better approach and method versus mine. In theory, I believe my approach/method would actually be less productive/efficient and does not maximize time and resources. d**n, I need more people to school me on bass fishing. I guess that's why there are forums like this. I am not confused anymore. 

 

Thanks Mike for the info and introspection. I guess this would lead me to my next question...

 

How do you keep from 'over fishing' a potential high percentage area/spot and keep the fish fresh so there is 'no lockjaw/no bait conditioning' when the tournament starts? 

[Glenn]

This is relevant:

 

[ITO_ZILLION]

Also to everyone and just a clarification...

 

The reason why I think of bass fishing in terms of High Percentage areas and Low Percentage areas is because I was usually taught (videos/seminars/fishing shows) that in any kind of lake that has bass, there is usually always an 80/20 Rule. That is, 80 percent of the lake's water is usually 'unproductive' and that most if not all the fish usually reside in just 20 percent of the lake's water. 

 

I think this rule has some truth to it and so it kind of makes me think about which areas I should be focusing my efforts on in order to not waste time and resources and to better maximize my fishing.

[Mike L]

10 hours ago, ITO_ZILLION said:

 

How do you keep from 'over fishing' a potential high percentage area/spot and keep the fish fresh so there is 'no lockjaw/no bait conditioning' when the tournament starts? 

Practice is not about catching fish!
After you do all your research before you hit the water you have an idea where to start.

If you’re right, and you find them STOP fishing. Mark it and move on trying to replicate the same pattern in like areas. 
 

Remember, remember, remember…You’re NOT fishing in practice so you don’t need to worry about “over fishing”

You’re there to confirm or deny the possibility that your research paid off. 
That’s It. 

When I had my boat, I’d always bring the first one up but the next I’ll either shake off or unhook IN the water and leave, no reason to stay. I learned what I wanted to know. 

Tournaments are won or lost on practice days. 

 

 

Mike