Pre Fishing

So you totally ignore seasonal patterns Craig? Huge mistake dude. You can
have your channels & 15 ft depths in the spring & fall. Any good map or
plotter will show you your channel intersections etc.

As for smallmouths, in the winter & spring they hate current.

Warren
--
http://www.fishingworld.com/MesaTackleSupply/
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com http://www.secretweaponlures.com
http://www.warrenwolk.com/ http://www.tri-statebassmasters.com/

"Craig" wrote in message
...
Pre-fishing is absolutely necessary for any tournament, if for nothing
else
than becoming acquainted with the lake and its major structure. When I
fish
a new body of water, the first thing I usually do is lock on the 15-foot
contour line and follow it from one end of the lake to the other, or in
shallow lakes, I find the main channel and follow it while marking
channel
intersect points. Then follow as many of those intersecting channels,
roadbeds, ditches, etc., to see where they take me.

I have learned a long time ago to focus on incoming water and its channel
to
where it meets the main channel. Those channel breaklines and the first
90-feet of any adjoining flats or shallows will be statistically the most
productive. Regardless of time of year, I will start at the main channel
and
work my way up the incoming water channel. Why? Because first and
foremost
I am a smallie angler and smallies like current. Second, these fish are
more likely to be in an active state. Third, these fish are less likely
to
be effected by changes in the weather - even if this incoming source
starts
dumping in mud (breakline between the mud and clearer water can be killer,
especially around eddies).


--
Craig Baugher

Warren, I am not saying you are wrong, but each of us most go on our own
success patterns. When I fish "New Water", I will fish incoming water
sources, for it has proven to be the most successful for ME (Winter, Spring,
Summer or Fall). Remember I said the breakline plus 90-feet, which is an
easy casting distance, that includes plenty of room for slack water around
current breaks. I may not catch the biggest bag of the day, but I will come
in with a bag of fish, which is pretty good when fishing a totally unknown
lake or river.

--
Craig Baugher

Gotcha. But I thought the object of entering a tournament is to win...

Warren

"Craig" wrote in message
...
Warren, I am not saying you are wrong, but each of us most go on our own
success patterns. When I fish "New Water", I will fish incoming water
sources, for it has proven to be the most successful for ME (Winter,
Spring,
Summer or Fall). Remember I said the breakline plus 90-feet, which is an
easy casting distance, that includes plenty of room for slack water around
current breaks. I may not catch the biggest bag of the day, but I will
come
in with a bag of fish, which is pretty good when fishing a totally unknown
lake or river.

--
Craig Baugher

I believe there are many different pre fish strategies, but not pre
fishing at all doesn't compute to me. On waters that you are very
familiar with, and have already done your homework, there would be times
when pre fishing wasn't a big deal. But on unfamliar waters, or very
rough weather conditions, I want to "test" some ideas before the
competion begins.
There are many times that conditions change from pre fish to tourament
day, so nothing is ever locked in. I look at it as a "warm up" not much
different from some other sports...get the feel for the "playing court"
g.
If you are worried about the fish....bass have short memories, and there
are probably plenty of fish left there that you didn't hook g. But not
hooking them is the way to go in my opinion.

JK

To me, it's a matter of putting your finger on the pulse of the fish and
especially the lake. When I say lake, I don't just mean the depression in
the earth that's full of water, I mean the web of interdependent life forms
that make up the aquatic community as well.

I can gain valuable prefishing info for a bass tourney by catching crappie,
pike, whatever. If I've got my finger on the pulse of the lake, I can get a
good handle on where and how to fish as conditions change.

RichZ©
www.richz.com/fishing

Sounds like Rick Clunn Zen stuff.
;-) Happy holidays! Joe Z.
"RichZ" wrote in message
...
To me, it's a matter of putting your finger on the pulse of the fish and
especially the lake. When I say lake, I don't just mean the depression in
the earth that's full of water, I mean the web of interdependent life forms
that make up the aquatic community as well.

I can gain valuable prefishing info for a bass tourney by catching crappie,
pike, whatever. If I've got my finger on the pulse of the lake, I can get a
good handle on where and how to fish as conditions change.

RichZ©
www.richz.com/fishing

Joe wrote:
Sounds like Rick Clunn Zen stuff.


Yes and no. I'm not into the whole spiritual thing. Getting in tune with
the lake is a very palpable experience for me.

RichZ©
www.richz.com/fishing

Rich is right. Take Boom Lake for instance.

I know a place there that I've only spent a few hours on, and I caught only
short bass there. But it's the best habitat I've seen on the lake. It
borders a flat, has a sharp dropoff into about 15' of weed-filled water.
There's tons of panfish, pike & small bass there. I know larger bass live
there...

Warren
--
http://www.fishingworld.com/MesaTackleSupply/
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com http://www.secretweaponlures.com
http://www.warrenwolk.com/ http://www.tri-statebassmasters.com/

"Joe" wrote in message
...
Sounds like Rick Clunn Zen stuff.
;-) Happy holidays! Joe Z.
"RichZ" wrote in message
...
To me, it's a matter of putting your finger on the pulse of the fish and
especially the lake. When I say lake, I don't just mean the depression in
the earth that's full of water, I mean the web of interdependent life
forms
that make up the aquatic community as well.

I can gain valuable prefishing info for a bass tourney by catching
crappie,
pike, whatever. If I've got my finger on the pulse of the lake, I can get
a
good handle on where and how to fish as conditions change.

RichZ©
www.richz.com/fishing

Warren, you know it is. You also know I to fish to win. But if I am on
unknown waters, my primary objective is to be in the show (get into the
money). If I win, GREAT! If I can make it in the money I'M EXTREMELY
HAPPY! Even if I only win back my money I put out.

If I were fishing in the tour, my primary objective would be to make the top
40, then 30, then 20, then top 10, then to make the final 6. then to win
one. In that order. I would be extremely happy with myself to make the top
40, at least the first time. Then it would be to make the top 30 and so on.

--
Craig Baugher

A guide I used to fish with on Lake Fork told me that as long as you weighed
in fish EVERY tourny you would be near the top at the end of the season.
Was a former touring pro, but tired of the travel. Guide was Mark Woodruff
out of Alba, TX. http://www.lkfork.com/
Bill

"Craig" wrote in message
...
Warren, you know it is. You also know I to fish to win. But if I am on
unknown waters, my primary objective is to be in the show (get into the
money). If I win, GREAT! If I can make it in the money I'M EXTREMELY
HAPPY! Even if I only win back my money I put out.

If I were fishing in the tour, my primary objective would be to make the
top
40, then 30, then 20, then top 10, then to make the final 6. then to win
one. In that order. I would be extremely happy with myself to make the
top
40, at least the first time. Then it would be to make the top 30 and so
on.

--
Craig Baugher