By O’Neill Williams
Instead of picking a single or a couple of subjects this month, permit me to list a few of the lessons I’ve learned during literally hundreds of trips with talented anglers and to pass them along to you, with proper credit, of course, and allow me to make some recommendations that you can pick from that might improve you fishing success. I’ll be giving credit where it’s due and without fanfare and colorful descriptions. Pick what you want, contradict or disagree if you like. I’m just trying to help. Let’s go.
Generally, and without any order of importance:
From Gary Moore, an outstanding light tackle angler, from Cartersville, Georgia: Order some live crawfish from Louisiana, or somewhere else, and use them with a light wire hook, light mono, and a single BB split around the docks at Lanier. For every crawfish you use, you’ll get a quality bite. It’s almost unfair to the bass.
From Junior Collis, a successful BASS tournament angler from years ago who qualified for and fished in the very first Bassmaster’s Classic: I was in a tournament in the late 70s and Junior was in the line-up, and every time I motored under one of the bridges at Sinclair, I saw him there watching and kind of sitting quietly and waiting until the boats passed under the bridge. After the tournament, in which Junior beat me, I ask what the heck he was doing. He quietly passed along that, around most of the bridges, especially the ones with some current, there would be both bait and bass, and each time a boat passed, it would stir up the action. The bass would rise in the water column, attempt to feed, and he’d catch a couple. Good idea.
From Mack Farr at Lanier: During the summer months, when the spots and largemouth are deep and you’re fishing plastics, if you get bit and hang one and it gets off in a couple of seconds, don’t immediately reel up and drop again. Chances are that the activity down below might be kicking in and another bass might have been trying to get that worm from the one who bit and got off or dropped it. Leave it there for 5 or 10 seconds, and it may be that another bass will try and eat it. Competition sometimes works. Secondly, if you’re striper fishing and drop some live bait above a deepwater tree and catch one or two and they quit, leave and return in a half hour or so. You’re only trying to outsmart a fish, and your return and bait presentation will likely get bit again. The fish didn’t leave after your first visit. They’re still there.
From Randy Smith, tournament angler, outstanding angler, and one having caught a 12 bass limit in a tournament years ago that weighed 77 pounds: So, you’re fishing in a big reservoir where you’ve never been before and don’t know what to do on short notice. That tournament day is your first on that lake. Go up the river into water, a little stained, with some current. The bass will be shallow, more vulnerable to moving baits, more ‘ganged up’ and easily found next to deeper spots in the river and more likely to be behind stumps and downed logs and trees. Likely too is that you will not have any competition up there in the river.
From TJ Stallings, writer, producer and general ‘do everything’ guy for Tru-Turn: Generally, the average angler using light line and small baits will get more bites and catch more fish that an average angler using heavy tackle. Why? You will feel more bites. I recall an old underwater filming years ago that aired on ESPN. Homer Circle was fishing for bass in the clear spring waters in Florida. Homer’s lure was bitten three plus times on one cast by several bass, but Homer never set the hook. When the cameraman surfaced and asked why he had not reacted, Homer said he had not felt the fish. Believe me, it happens frequently. Lighter line and small bait are more easily felt by the average angler. You might ask about how Kevin Van Dam or Roland Martin can use 20 or even 30-pound test and catch them. They’re professionals and you’re not.
Say you just moved into an area with a great reservoir and will be fishing there frequently in the future. How do you find out how to make the most of the upcoming fishing days? Spend the money for a professional guide, one with a good reputation and references. Tell him your purposes. You will learn more from him in one day on how to be successful on that lake than trying to learn it for yourself over the next 10 years.
Now, I’ll ask a favor. Visit O’Neill Outside on YouTube, subscribe to the page and comment or ‘like’ as many of the 700+ videos as you have the time to view. Once you subscribe, every time you ‘like’ or comment, you increase your changes of being rewarded a substantial ‘gift’ from my TV and radio sponsors. Gifts? CVA Muzzleloader, WORX 40 Volt leaf blower, Binoculars from Konus, $50 Bojangles’ gift cards, Big Green Egg Charcoal lighter, Plano Tackle Boxes, Tru-Turn hooks, Realtree jacket, and on and on. Give it a try. We’ll be giving away all this stuff soon.