How would the pros do?

[Kirtley Howe]

I am sure many of you are familiar with the Bassmaster Magazine feature called "Day On The Lake". For those who are not, the idea is a pro angler is taken to a lake they have never seen before, and are given a set time (8 hours I think) to figure the lake out and catch  bass.  They use their own boat and tackle, and any technique(s) they want. Everything they do is recorded (written down by the rep from Bassmaster), and then how they did is summarized. It is always an interesting read..

But, I would love to see a slightly different twist on this. I would propose that a pro angler would meet up with a total amateur. and would have to fish where the amateur normally fishes, with ONLY what the amateur angle has for tackle (rods, reels, and lures), and must fish FROM SHORE if the amateur does not have a boat or a kayak, or from whatever boat the amateur uses, and said craft must be used with only the equipment the amateur has installed.  I would love to see how the pro would do compared to how the amateur normally does. To put it simply, the pro comes to my area, use my stuff, and sees if he can do better than I normally do. To me, that would be a true test of the pros' skills. It could also be an excellent learning experience  for the amateur. While I enjoy watching a pro figure out a new lake or river, that is not really something I can duplicate given my lack of resources compared to a pro.

Would you find that sort of thing interesting?

[Mobasser]

I think a good pro could take this challenge and do well. Most of us have tackle that's good enough, and, it's not about the tackle. The biggest thing for tournament pros is finding fish and getting patterns in place. Most of them are very good at it.

[king fisher]

I was fishing with a friend and we weren't catching much.  We both started thinking we would have more luck if only we had a couple lures we didn't have.  When I got home after the poor fishing day, my wife asked what we caught.  I told her not much, but we both were sure we could have done better if we had bought some other gear.  She looked at my fishing gear and said if we couldn't catch a bass with all gear we had, than we probably needed to learn how to use what we had.  She asked me if a pro fisherman could have used my gear and caught fish that day.  I thought about it for a minuet, then I had to admit that the truth hurts.  I'm sure that between my friend and I we had everything we needed to catch bass that day.  The only thing we didn't have was the skill needed to catch bass that day.  I have no doubt that someone who makes there living fishing could have done far better using only what we had.  It's not the gear it's the fisherman using it that matters.

[WRB]

The time frame is 7A to 2P as I recall.

Taking a pro out of his boat, no electronics and using tackle not suited for his presentations is too restrictive on a unknown lake fishing 7 hours imo.

Tom

 

 

[Deleted account]

Most  pros, or someone with a similar level of skill and experience, will be able to quickly discern what the various factors of a particular situation are or aren't and maximize catching. What he/she can't do is sprinkle pixy dust on a spot and make fish appear there. As far as using your tackle, as long as it is functional and your tackle selection isn't a bunch of nonsense, it will do. How this relates to how well his/her results compare to yours, that will be dependent on where you are on that spectrum, and the difference between you two.

[scaleface]

I'm suspect on those articles  . A touring pro goes to a private lake hes never been to , usually  fishes the dam first then motors up lake to fish an obscure rock pile  .  Smells fishy  to me.

[TnRiver46]

The pros would still beat ya, they are good and practice a lot. 

[Deleted account]

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

The pros would still beat ya, they are good and practice a lot. 

Yeah, but it's not rocket science...  

[TnRiver46]

1 minute ago, Deleted account said:

Yeah, but it's not rocket science...  

nope! They could beat ya with a cane pole catching bream too, believe it or not most of them grew up doing the same stuff we did 

 

BR members would be too busy setting their drag with dumbbells to win the fishing contest 

[Deleted account]

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

nope! They could beat ya with a cane pole catching bream too, believe it or not most of them grew up doing the same stuff we did 

 

BR members would be too busy setting their drag with dumbbells to win the fishing contest 

You are preaching to the choir.

[WRB]

Having fished most of the States as a invited guest using the tackle supplied by the boater it takes some time to become familiar with the lakes, tackle and equipment.

The local bass angler knows his lake and tackle targeting areas he is familiar with. I usually held my own and caught a few bass in areas the local overlooked. 

You expect a pro to instantly figure out the lake, equipment and tackle! It takes a few hours and the clock is ticking.

The high % areas on smaller low pressures lakes is the launch area, the dam area, any underwater structure including points as docks, out side of the spawn cycle. Any skilled bass angler knows the basics and have confident lures to start with. 

The local may not have the needed tackle for the conditions handy capping the pro’s skill set.

The day on the lake series sums up by asking the pro what would he do different and they nearly always have learned enough with their time on water to do things differently. The local doesn’t have theSkills to make that determination.

Tom

[geo g]

In he long run I would always put my money on the pro.  Although someone could always get lucky once in a while.  Pros all have a proven records over time on all types of water, and conditions.  They don't always produce, but they have been there many times in the thick of the battle.  

[Darth-Baiter]

oh..i think the Pro knows the basic habits of a bass..plus they can livescope the area. 

 

me..i am fingers crossed, casting to things that look "bassy"

[WRB]

14 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

oh..i think the Pro knows the basic habits of a bass..plus they can livescope the area. 

 

me..i am fingers crossed, casting to things that look "bassy"

The question is the pro must use your tackle, boat/kayak and lures. Do you have live Scope?

My point is they should be able to use their equipment for a day (7 hrs) on your lake!

Tom

[Stratocat_Joe]

MLF/BPT Pro (and former BASS AOY) Brent Chapman did a show called Pro vs. Joe where he accepted challenges from "Joe's" to fish a body of water of their choice.  Oftentimes, the "Joe" was an established angler in their local tournament scene, yet, Chapman would still usually win the challenge.  And, in all honesty, I wouldn't consider Chapman to be in the top-tier of Pro anglers.

[Kirtley Howe]

51 minutes ago, WRB said:

The question is the pro must use your tackle, boat/kayak and lures. Do you have live Scope?

My point is they should be able to use their equipment for a day (7 hrs) on your lake!

Tom

My point is that a pro would own all the best equipment...Several sonars, live scope, etc., as well as rods for any possible presentation, and just about any lure, in multiple sizes and colors, that exists. As a total amateur, I have 3 baitcasting rods and reels, and maybe 5 spinning set ups. I have a grand total of 3 tackle boxes admittedly stuffed) of lures, and about 10 packages of soft plastics. With my budget, that is about as good as it is going to get.  For the past few years I have been limited to shore fishing, as I didn't own a boat. I do now have a boat, but it is not "water ready" just yet (again, budget constraints), so that doesn't really count. I do believe that the pro could, in most cases, out fish me even with my equipment and in areas I know. But I also think that I would learn far more about fishing with my equipment if he was limited to only that equipment. And I could come much closer to duplicating his success than I could if he was allowed to use all his equipment.

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

The pros would still beat ya, they are good and practice a lot. 

I would tend to agree with you, but I still think I would learn much more under those conditions than I would if he was allowed to use all the resources that are normally at his disposal.

 

[Catt]

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

believe it or not most of them grew up doing the same stuff we did 

 

The difference between us & them is time on the water. Even before they became Pros they put more time on the water than 90% of us.

 

Most Pros started with Zebcos like us & worked their way up like us.

[Big Hands]

Fun to ponder, but it seems like a CLM (career limiting maneuver) for the pro. They either get embarrassed or flex on an amateur. And they don't get to use the gear they're paid to promote, so if they do well on some other gear, it's not a great look for their sponsors. And it's on TV. 

 

If I was a sponsor of theirs, I would have to ask what the heck they were thinking accepting such a proposal.

[Columbia Craw]

Bass fishing is a process.  Pros are like NFL top tier quarterbacks who are great at going through the progressions of pass options and do it fast.  Pros assess the situation quickly, test it and refine the catch technique or move on and reassess.  They do it fast.  The article is more about the thought processes that get them to the point of actually throwing what they decide on.  

[T-Billy]

12 hours ago, Catt said:

 

The difference between us & them is time on the water. Even before they became Pros they put more time on the water than 90% of us.

 

Most Pros started with Zebcos like us & worked their way up like us.

Yep. Time on the water and diversity. Most of us fish a handful of local waters. Those guys fish a wide variety of lakes all over the country, and learn to break them down quickly.

[Fastbee]

Lack of resources isn't a direct cause for lack of success.  As usual, Catt nailed it. Time spent fishing is the single most important thing to getting better. When I was able to fish 3-5 times a week I was SO much better than I am now only fishing maybe 1 time a week. I was a broke kid fishing out of a leaky aluminum boat (when I had enough money for gas) or off the bank. Only had a handful of hand-me-down combos and a few baits but I learned to maximize what I had.  Also, if there isn't anything there to catch it wouldn't matter if you had better stuff or a "pro" to learn from. 

[KSanford33]

7 hours ago, Columbia Craw said:

Bass fishing is a process.  Pros are like NFL top tier quarterbacks who are great at going through the progressions of pass options and do it fast.  Pros assess the situation quickly, test it and refine the catch technique or move on and reassess.  They do it fast.  The article is more about the thought processes that get them to the point of actually throwing what they decide on.  

This might be the best analogy of what a professional bass fishermen (and ideally us amateurs as well) do or should be doing. With fishing though, it's a dual-stage process. "Am I on fish, and do they want what I'm offering."

[Captain Phil]

I have been fortunate to fish with more than a few well known professional anglers.  They don't fish that different than amateurs.  They don't hold their rods differently than you.  They don't count on some "secret lure" or technique to win.  What they have over weekend anglers is time on the water.  Most are experts in a wide range of techniques.  One person was the best bed fisherman I ever saw.   I could stand over a bedding fish for hours and all I did was waste my time.  He would pitch in the bed and the fish would jump on his lure instantly.  Another was known for fishing a jerkbait, but changed to flipping in a instant when the conditions called for it.  Most did not fish.  They sat in the back and asked questions while I fished.  They weren't looking for spots, they wanted patterns.

 

The biggest difference is being in the zone.   When you spend that much time on the water, things come easier to you.   Your timing is better, you make better decisions and you have more experience.  Could you beat a Rick Clunn or Shaw Grigsby on your own lake?   Once maybe.  

[Kirtley Howe]

9 hours ago, Fastbee said:

Lack of resources isn't a direct cause for lack of success.  As usual, Catt nailed it. Time spent fishing is the single most important thing to getting better. When I was able to fish 3-5 times a week I was SO much better than I am now only fishing maybe 1 time a week. I was a broke kid fishing out of a leaky aluminum boat (when I had enough money for gas) or off the bank. Only had a handful of hand-me-down combos and a few baits but I learned to maximize what I had.  Also, if there isn't anything there to catch it wouldn't matter if you had better stuff or a "pro" to learn from. 

I did not try to imply that my lack of resources has led to a lack of success...most times I do just fine  (at least in my opinion), and even on my worst days, I consider it a success just to be fishing and learning and being outdoors. As Catt pointed out time spent fishing is the most important thing to getting better.  But as I said, if I could fish with a pro who had to use nothing but my equipment I think I would learn more about how to maximize my success rate than if I fished with a pro who could use all his equipment. Yes, I would no doubt learn a lot from the pro no matter what resources he had at his disposal...but since it is very unlikely I will ever have access to his resources, some of what he could teach me would have little or no bearing on how I could actually fish. And I still think it would be a ton of fun to see how the pro would do with just my stuff and in the bodies of water I usually fish.

[BigAngus752]

On 11/8/2022 at 2:15 PM, WRB said:

The time frame is 7A to 2P as I recall.

Taking a pro out of his boat, no electronics and using tackle not suited for his presentations is too restrictive on a unknown lake fishing 7 hours imo.

Tom

 

 

And the time frame is too restrictive also, depending on the time of year.  I went out Monday and caught 2 LM from 9am to 1pm.  From 1pm to 3:30pm (fishing BACK THROUGH what I had fished that morning) I lost count of my catches at 25.  I caught 30 plus LM in the same locations I had fished before.  Window in the fall is always late in the day.  Don't tell me I have to quit early!!!