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Breaking The Code

Most anglers agree that establishing a pattern yields more consistent results than relying solely on a particular spot and/or spots.

There is no question the sport of fishing and the enjoyment it provides is receiving unprecedented exposure. All of this recognition brings with it-increased traffic on waterways, additional pressure on the fish, and heightened competition on your “honey holes”. In addition, with the in-depth coverage of tournaments by both media and spectators, an angler can no longer rely on a spot to carry him through the tournament. Most consider this type of awareness beneficial for the sport but it can also negatively impact your weigh-in results at the end of the day if not well prepared.

I regularly stress the importance of allowing the fish to tell you what they want. If I notice a fish swiping at my crank bait but not hooking up, I will often change color. If the fish are not responding as well to a hopping presentation of my jig I will likely drag it. Though the fish will eventually disclose this type of information, what happens when the only feedback you are getting from the fish is what’s NOT working?

Establishing a pattern on a particular body of water should start long before the act of picking up a rod and reel. Use the weeks or days leading up to your trip to gather as much information as you can. The internet has truly revolutionized pre-trip planning. Find out the techniques, bait, and areas of the lake that are producing the best results. Most tournament organizations and fishing sites such as, Heartland Trails and BassZone.com, provide databases containing recent and past fishing reports and tournament results that anglers can view. Go back as far in time as they have records for the week you will be on location and print off all relevant statistics. Next, take a highlighter and quickly highlight phrases and quotes outlining clues such as, particular baits, areas of the lake, water temp., weather conditions, water clarity, retrieval speeds, etc. Transfer the highlighted information to your “Psychology of Exceptional Fishing Workbook (PEFW)” and make column headings for each of the re-occurring themes.

Now you have a proven starting point that can be applied to your map. With the information in hand, look for areas that match the various descriptions. In addition, don’t rely solely on the past performance of others. For example, if history shows that white spinner baits in 4-6ft of water in the back of coves as a dominant pattern and your instinct or experience tells you a square-bill crankbait on secondary, windy points is worth trying, do that as well.

Upon completion of identifying areas to start on your map, you are now equipped with an arsenal of tools and most importantly a plan outlining baits, techniques, and conditions to start your day on the water. The focus now becomes testing your information. As you fish through your practice plan, it is imperative to remain open to your instinct and intuition. Past performance and history serves as a tool and does not guarantee future results!

Recently while fishing with Edwin Evers in Oklahoma, we knew fish should be biting in that particular creek on square-bill crank baits and spinner baits. It was early fall, the baitfish were moving back into the creeks, plenty of cover, and the water was stained. The night prior to our fishing trip, however, a severe weather front moved through. The temperature dropped 20+ degrees; winds blew at gust up to 25 mph., and high-pressure set in the next day. The first few hours were rather disappointing from a numbers standpoint. So we reassessed the situation and decided to fish the whole creek, front to back, and make multiple passes as well as multiple cast to the same structure.

Our findings were quite remarkable. By fishing the entire creek and making numerous passes, we quickly realized the fish had moved up and were relating to stumps that were leaning or at an angle. Furthermore, as the day progressed we further fine-tuned the pattern to a spinner bait; chartreuse & white with double #3 willow blades in 2-5ft of water. In doing so, by the time the day had ended we were able to go to each leaning log throughout the creek with confidence they were holding fish.

Once success does occur, take a moment to re-think what just happened before moving on to your next spot. How were you working the bait? What was the water depth? Was the bass relating to structure? If so, which side? What is the location with regards to main lake? Was it on the inside edge or outside edge of a point? Was there wind or no wind? Was there baitfish present? And so on…

By taking time to make a mental note of the many factors associated with your most recent catch, you can begin to build your pattern associated with your fishing day. I even go as far as momentarily stopping and writing down in my PEFW notebook the exact time of day, length of the bass, and bait used. In doing so, I am able to go back to the motel room at the end of the day and review, then build upon the information I have gathered and try that pattern on other parts of the lake.

So what happens when you have established a rock-solid pattern? Well, if you are anything like me you always want more! I can’t tell you how many times I have pre-fished for a tournament knowing full well I had a bulletproof pattern and come tournament day it fell apart. For this reason I strongly recommend step two be trying to disprove your primary pattern with another technique, bait, or presentation. If the bass are smashing a spinner bait in 2-5ft of water on lay downs, try establishing a deep-cranking or carolina-rig pattern. Again, this allows you to always be prepared for what the circumstances warrant.

There are many variables that impact a bass and its behavior. There is nothing more rewarding than having “broken the code” and knowing at the end of the day, you were just a little better at the game than the fish that day.

Developing a pattern on the water can be greatly accelerated by taking time to research information prior to hitting the water, coordinating your research with a map, developing a written plan, fishing thorough, and keeping notes during the day.