Ask the pro: Scott Martin
This week, Scott Martin discusses fishing techniques for clear water, ideal ways to fish reservoirs and how to make the leap from amateur status to professional angler.
OperationBass.com is pleased to introduce Scott Martin as this week’s Ask the Pro expert. If you are interested in participating in future columns, submit questions along with your full name and address via email to [email protected].
Q&A with Scott Martin
Q: This spring, I plan to spend a week in Florida targeting bass in phosphate pits, but have never fished deep, clear waters for bass. Can you provide any advice for catching largemouths in clear water?
– Ken Herton, Burlington, Vt.
A: Ken, most of the time in the spring we try to fish in water in the 4- to 10-foot range. I’ve found that lipless crankbait and topwater baits work great for that time of year. The bass will school all day long on small bait fish, so keep one eye open at all times for any surface action. And if you plan on fishing in March in central or southern Florida, you may even find a few bass still spawning. However, if it turns out that you need to go deep, try a Carolina rig using a small finesse worm. If that doesn’t work, you can gradually increase the worm’s size to about 10 inches long.
Q: I consider myself an advanced angler, but want to take that next step and become an expert, perhaps even a professional. Aside from understanding bass habits and patterns, what single piece of advice can you provide that will most impact my fishing success?
– Skip Williams, Mesa, Ariz.
A: You need to try to fish some tournaments in lakes that you’re not at all familiar with and see how you do. If you start doing well away from your home waters on a consistent basis, you might be ready for the big time. But remember, one of the most important aspects of becoming a pro angler apart from being able to catch fish is the ability to represent yourself well onstage and in front of the fans and sponsors. Keep in mind, the fans and sponsors are the people who enable us to chase our dream.
Q: I try to fish as much new water as possible. When fishing a reservoir for the first time, what tips can you offer for judging points?
– Steve Lysering, Marshall, Texas
A: Steve, there are many types of points in reservoirs and sometimes the choices can be overwhelming. I usually start by experimenting with a lot of different types of points – chunk rock, pea gravel, boulders, clay and stumps – depending on what time of year it is. If I find fish on a point, I will take notes on what type of point it is and then spend some time trying to find more points that are most similar. I also keep experimenting with different types of points because sometimes you can find more than one type of point that is producing bass. One final note: Be sure and spend some time on the sides of the points as well.
Scott Martin of Clewiston, Fla., is more than just the son of television fishing legend Roland Martin; he’s his own superstar in the making on the Wal-Mart FLW Tour. In 1999, his first full season on the tour, he won the Co-Angler of the Year title. In 2000, Martin moved up to the pro side and captured the attention of fishing fans everywhere with his impressive victory in Biloxi, Miss., as well as a top-10 finish at the Forrest Wood Open in Florence, Ala. For his short Operation Bass career, the young prodigy already has a total of six top-10 tournament appearances. Martin’s tour sponsors include Ranger Boats, Timex, Evinrude Outboards and Mitchell Rods and Reels.
Next week, Peter Thliveros discusses techniques for fishing shallow water, how to find fish in standing timber and how to fish for large bass in spring.