Expect Change and Adapt to It

How do I go about breaking down a lake?

One of the questions I get asked a lot is, “How do I go about breaking down a lake?” My answer to that is that first you’ve got to fish with an open mind. One of the hardest things to do when fishing a lake that you’ve fished before is not to fish it the way you did in the past. If a pattern was working, if a bait was working, if a certain area was productive it is very difficult not to go back to those tactics. But you can’t do that and win tournaments.

Every day on a lake is different. Every day something changes: the water temperature, the air temperature, the wind, the depth, the color, the current. . . you name it and it changes. You have got to be able to read those changes (and quickly) and make adjustments in order to do well.

Lake Toho is a prime example. I fished a tournament there in January and found a pattern that was working pretty well for me. When I went back there for the first Walmart FLW Tour event of the year I knew I needed to make adjustments just because of the all the changes that had taken place since January. And here is the tricky thing: Over the course of six weeks the fish hadn’t moved far, maybe 50 or 60 feet (not yards, but feet), so I knew they were still there. The difference was that in January the bass were in the reeds. When I went back in March they had started pushing away from the reeds and were moving up shallow. That meant the fish were going to eat differently.

I also knew in January that I wasn’t on a winning pattern. I was on a pattern that would allow me to cash a check, but it wasn’t enough to win, so when I went back in March I knew I had to make adjustments that would give me the opportunity to win. After the first day of the Tour event I was in 27th place; not exactly where I wanted to be, but I had at least put myself in a place where I had the opportunity to move up and make the cut.

I started the second day with the same pattern I used on day one. I got one bite. I got a second bite and a third. The fourth bite I lost. The bass weren’t eating the same way they were the day before. After losing three hours of prime fishing time I finally switched baits and started to catch bass immediately. This is what I mean when I say that you have to fish with an open mind because every day is different. I tried to force something that wasn’t going to happen out of sheer stubbornness. You can’t do that. That’s what cost me from moving up 13 places to make the cut and giving myself the opportunity to win and moving down 13 places and finishing 40th. YOU HAVE TO FISH WITH A CLEAN HEAD!

When breaking down lakes you also have to fish to your strengths. If you’re not a frog fisherman don’t force it. Look for areas in the lake that are conducive to your strengths. Thanks to growing up around Dee Thomas, the godfather of flipping, my strength is flipping. Flipping is a proven pattern that consistently wins tournaments. My other strengths include topwater, square bill/spinnerbaits, worms and drop-shotting. Fish the patterns you know, and learn the patterns that win. A swimbait is another lure that gives you a high percentage chance of winning. Deep cranking, drop-shotting and fishing shaky heads are not patterns that consistently win tournaments. I am a winner because of the patterns I fish, and the patterns I have become an expert at are patterns that have a high percentage chance of winning.

Don’t get me wrong, you see a lot of great anglers that are very versatile, however, the true winners are specialists. Make yourself a specialist.

The next stop on the Tour is Lewis Smith Lake March 26-29. It beat me pretty bad the last time we were there in 2013 when I finished 85th. I did learn from that experience. I learned that I need to commit to one side or the other. There will also be one other major factor that will be different in this year’s tournament. No A-rig. This will be especially good for me and the other guys that were never truly on board with it. For me the A-rig was a feast-or-famine rig. Luck was a huge factor when throwing it, and I never seemed to have any of that luck. Maybe that’s because I like to make my own luck, fish my strengths.

Last time we were there I thought I could fish for both largemouth and spotted bass – not true. Fishing for spots will give me the opportunity to catch those 2 1/2- to 3 1/2-pounders consistently, but if I commit to the largemouths I will have a shot at a nice 5- to 6-pounder. Fishing for largemouths will also give me a shot at a few spots. I’ll just have to see how the lake plays out during practice to make my decision.

Remember, keep an open mind and fish happy.