That One Guy

[fmoore]

Going off the thread about the mistakes that beginning anglers make, let's hear what you do or see other experienced fishermen do that puts them a notch above everyone else. We all know that one guy who seems to always cash a check. Why him? What makes him win more often?

What do the most experienced, most successful anglers do that set them apart from the rest (not necessarily technique-wise)?

I've noticed that most guys who win a lot are very deliberate. There is a reason for everything they do and all changes, moves, etc are very well thought out and deliberate. Their minds are always thinking about the why, never just accepting the fact that something is the way it is with no reasoning behind it.

[Bass XL]

Experience. Here in local tournaments, generally those guys know the water that they are fishing on. And the one that wins usually, finds something completely different than what everyone else is fishing.

[Bass_Fanatic]

I agree with experience, but also patience has to be added. The guy in our club that whoops our butts knows the waters better than everyone else, knows the fish are there, and throws a jig and lets it sit forever. It drives me crazy!

[bassnleo]

Tournament anglers that win alot are versatile in many ways. Not only are they good at a variety of techniques, but they know how to adjust to the days conditions and not fish past memories or what worked yesterday.

[atrocity123]

Their skin, the boils and spots from the sun beating on them shows the experience and the number of hours they have spent on the water finding their spots and their fish.

[Lund Explorer]

I've noticed that most guys who win a lot are very deliberate. There is a reason for everything they do and all changes, moves, etc are very well thought out and deliberate. Their minds are always thinking about the why, never just accepting the fact that something is the way it is with no reasoning behind it.

Isn't that your answer?

To be able to cash in tournament after tournament, an angler has to be able to adapt to the conditions as they happen. That angler will have already anticipated those possibilities and will be ready to make that change seamlessly.

Every time you read a post around here where the person says they know "the lure" or "the spot" that will work all the time, you can rest assured that this angler is not going to be called That One Guy.

[fmoore]

Isn't that your answer?

Just trying to get some discussion going. Good input guys

[hookingem]

Confidence! The guys who win go out KNOWING they are going to catch fish and believe the next cast is the one that they are going to land that kicker fish. This helps them stay focused and adjust accordingly. BE CONFIDENT!

[atrocity123]

Confidence! The guys who win go out KNOWING they are going to catch fish and believe the next cast is the one that they are going to land that kicker fish. This helps them stay focused and adjust accordingly. BE CONFIDENT!

this cannot be true because it doesn't work for me

[Lund Explorer]

Just trying to get some discussion going. Good input guys

Actually, I thought you had given an excellent answer to your own question.

I'd say it bodes well for your future in tournaments as many anglers never do figure it out.

[evrgladesbasser]

I think the most successful anglers are versatile in there techniques. More importantly though, they can recognize and adjust to changing conditions. Sometimes conditions change from day to day, and even hour to hour. Those who realize this and make the right changes win.

[Mottfia]

Versatility is nice and useful but in my area the best guys are the guys that are specialist and are dedicated to a style of fishing. They are confident that it will work. This doesn't mean they don't make adjustments. They do but its still around their style.

We have done great in a number of tournaments just by sticking to a technique that was only working so so because we believed that we would catch them . Just take a look at the pros. They are all over the place in different styles and techniques. The top thing is that they believe they can catch them. Confident is key as one guy already said

Mottfia

[Catt]

Versatility, not the versatility that comes from knowing how to use a variety of lures but rather the uncanny ability to rapidly adjust to changing conditions on the water.

It has been said my his peers that Larry Nixon is probably the most versatile angler on the Pro circuit because he can detect minute changes in weather/water conditions and adjust his presentations accordingly.

KVD is another master at this type of versatility

[ABLE2DISABLE1]

I'd say if you spend over a gazillion hour's upon a lake that you love.You too,would then be confidant in yourself,and the choices you make.But if you were to go an fish an unknown lake,and find fish,That Alone doen't make you great,just successeful.Not knowing if the fish frequint the area,or camping on a spot,can make or break your confidance right up.Trust is the start of your fishing day,and the decission's,make way for what your about to apply,in experiance.Graph's,Weather,Current,Wind,and Foreage as to Vegitation.All can be in order for you,and that still doesn't mean you will get the co-operation from your target,untill triggered into feeding.I've had parties around me tossing in the kitchen sink,and still wasn't hooking quality fish,like I,and my partner were.I've,alway's said that you or whom ever can fish along side me while in the water,but that doesn't mean you'll hookem,because the fish are tuned into what I'm doin,not to you.Confidance,and Trust is my first choice,then experiance will follow,along with making better Decission's on what to apply,and how.

[BRONZEBACK_ADDICT]

I agree with everyone else in respect to confidence. When the going gets tough, I always go to a jig and grub because I know that I can catch some fish on it, although they may not be the bites I'm looking for...a starting point.

I also think that you can't get in that rut of what worked yesterday...patterns change and the most successful fishermen change with it. I've learned way more from a hard day on the water than an easy one. I tend to think more when things aren't going as planned.

I fished a smallie tourney a couple years ago. I spent a week pre fishing an new lake and had a deadly pattern going. The big bass were just inside the cabbage in 10 ft of water adjacent to deep water. 2 days before the tournament, I fished 8 spots and landed 6 bass. My 5 best would have been about 17 lbs...not bad. The last spot, I had 6 other 3-4 lbers trying to rip the jerk shad from my fish's mouth!!

Long story short, on tournament day, all the big fish were gone. We brought in just under 10 lbs...brutal!! We stayed with the gameplan on day 2 and never boated a fish until 1:00 when we decided to abandon our pattern and try a rock pile where we caught 6 bass in 6 casts!! We also had the privilege of watching the tournament winners boat 18 lbs on a rock pile just down from us!!

I've learned that you've got to be versatile.

Good luck.

[brushhoggin]

there's a guy that fishes and wins just about every tournament here because if he can't catch anything anywhere else, he goes and fishes cypress trees he has tied cinder blocks to either end and placed in the water.

[senko_77]

In my opinion, "that guy" is that guy because he/she fishes for quality bites from cast number 1. The catch 5 mentality doesn't exist in these anglers minds. This allows the angler to slow down and fish with patience. The slower, more precise presentations turn into quality bites. If you ask the top finishers of a tournament, most of them will say they got less than 10 bites all day.

[Catt]

In my opinion, "that guy" is that guy because he/she fishes for quality bites from cast number 1. The catch 5 mentality doesn't exist in these anglers minds. This allows the angler to slow down and fish with patience. The slower, more precise presentations turn into quality bites. If you ask the top finishers of a tournament, most of them will say they got less than 10 bites all day.

Some of us get it...Some of em don't ever, ever get it