(Editor's note: The following is the latest installment in a series of fishing tips presented by The Bass University. Check back each Friday for a new tip.)
At any multi-day tournament, there’s likely to be a change in conditions that affects the fishing. It could be a change in weather, or a power generation schedule or even tidal factors, but something always makes consistency difficult. That’s why it’s rare that a major tournament is won off of a single spot, using a single technique, and why it’s critical to have a back-up plan or multiple back-up plans every day.
“Even in a single-day tournament, this will keep it to where you can be consistent across the board,” said three-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier James Elam. You may have to catch them in two different ways, or on lakes with more than one species of bass, it can often be smart to target one during the early hours and another when conditions change. “You’ve got to have a lot of Plan Bs, Plan Zs, whatever.”
He believes that there are certain times of the year where this adaptive skill is even more critical. For example, when the shad spawn is in play, it may die off after a short period, and then anglers need to do something else for the rest of the day.
In order to implement a one-two punch properly, it’s necessary to understand what kind of weights it’s likely to take to do well in a tournament. For example, on Lake Martin, a mixed bag of spots with a few kicker largemouths can be enough, but on other lakes a one-species limit (or series of limits) might be the only way to compete. Either way, if for example largemouths are the best bet, on a day when conditions are not favorable for them it often makes sense to salvage an event with a non-winning bag. At the tour level, it’s a way to make cuts.
Elam also believes that it’s necessary to understand whether you’re on a “pattern lake” or a “spot lake.” He explained that most of the Ozarks lakes are pattern lakes, while many Florida fisheries are “spot lakes.” At the tour level, “patterns normally win multi-day tournaments,” but even on lakes where it’s critical to lock yourself into the absolute single best areas, “it’s usually patterns within the area” that claim top prizes. It’s not impossible, but it’s unusual that someone wins a multi-day event fishing one discrete spot.
Weather is another factor that influences how, when and where Elam implements his one-two punch. When it’s cloudy or windy, he’ll tend to move faster, pursuing reaction bites, while sunny, slick conditions often merit a move to downsized, more natural lures and slower presentations.
No matter what, Elam said that the key to being consistently competitive at any level is to avoid getting too locked to any one strategy. “It’s a big deal to have a back-up plan,” he said, and added, “I always call it ‘running the fire drill.’”
If you want to learn some of Elam’s specific one-two punch favorites to use at various points during the four seasons, check out his full video, available only by subscribing to The Bass University TV.
