"Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers.com" wrote in message
...

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message SNIP

3. Get the bites you get IN THE BOAT.

That was the problem I had with my partner in the tournament I was in a
couple weeks ago.

He insisted on throwing the huge topwater lure that draws strikes, but
I've never seen him hook a fish with. Even in practice, the fish would
blast it, but wouldn't hook up. We had a long talk about using only
known, productive lures unless we weren't getting bit at all. He agreed.
Yet, less than an hour into the tounament, he was throwing that silly
thing and drawing strikes, while I was throwing a lure and landing fish!
I know we could have done better...

Since he really likes to throw it, and it gets strikes maybe you can focus
on helping him stick more of those fish instead of trying to get him to
throw something else. I know on small poppers I upsize the hooks as far as
I can and not sink the bait. It took my hookup ratio from 60% to 80%, and
learning to wait on the strike has probably push me up into the 90-95%
range. Probably close to 99% on bigger fish. I'm not saying that is the
answer, but that there might be something you can help him do if you think
about it to turn those strikes into hook ups. Maybe giant Excalibur
rotating hooks instead of what's on it? I don't know, but like I said,
"Maybe you can find a way to help him throw the bait he likes and turn those
strikes into catches."

A fishing partner is like a wife. You can't just lay down the law. You
have to coax and help them just like they coax and help you.

Good job Bob!

Thanks Steve. I was lucky and persistent.

Bob La Londe
http://www.YumaBassMan.com



--
Steve Huber
Executive Producer/Editor in Chief
OutdoorFrontiers Multi-Media LLC
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com