Tournament Ready with Trey Butler

Fishermen are bombarded with information from a multitude of resources today. Information about the hottest techniques and products are available on the internet, through magazines and newsletters, by word of mouth, networking, and through marina owners, just to name a few. It seems as though there is always something a fisherman should be doing in order to catch more fish.

It is a sure bet that there are many fishermen who have gone out and bought the latest, must-have secret weapon in fish catching after viewing one of Bill Dance's 30 minute commercials he calls a fishing show. How much tackle do we carry around that we don't actually use? Versatility is very important in becoming a good fisherman and ultimately finding success in tournaments. For those of us who have experienced club fishing, most know of someone that does the same thing, in the same place every time because he won a tournament that way 6 years ago. Now there's a recipe for failure!

Weather, water temperature and clarity, and seasonal changes are just a few of the variables that require versatility. We can, however, attempt to become so versatile that we become diluted in our abilities and masters of nothing. Year after year, season after season there are certain lures, patterns, and techniques that continue to produce fish and win tournaments. While versatility is necessary, having specific strengths or "core competencies" is a vital step in finding tournament success. On a tough day, a good tournament fisherman would rather go down swinging with something he/she has confidence in rather than trying to learn how to catch suspended fish on jigging spoon in 40 feet of water because some Bubba on the internet claims it is hot pattern! So we must in effect pick our battles, finding a handful of lures and techniques to call our own, and to live and die by them. Regionally, there appear to be certain tools that are keys to success. While this list is not all-inclusive, statistics and experience show them to be an excellent place to start.

Sink or swim
Horizontal bait presentations are obviously not new to bass fishing. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits and numerous other lures rely on this concept. It would be safe to say that bass in any part of the world are stimulated by a horizontal presentation. The Southeastern United States, and, more specifically, Cen-tral Alabama, are no exception. Many Central Alabama impoundments are blessed with consistent pool-levels and excellent shallow water habitats of vegetation and wood. Although a closely guarded secret for many years, the pattern of "swimming" baits through shallow cover is becoming a must-have weapon in any angler's arsenal.

Several lures such as floating worms, lizards, and "fluke" type baits quickly come to mind. These lures are fished weightless with 2-5/0 hooks embedded for snag-free action. Plastic baits rigged and presented in this manner can be deadly in spawning situations, but are also effective whenever fish are shallow. Don't hesitate to experiment with different types of plastic creatures. This is not the "wacky worm" pattern we hear about out west, and definitely no place for light line and spinning tackle. It may take some practice, but a high quality baitcasting reel spooled with 15-20lb test and a 6 1/2ft or longer rod will launch a weightless worm a surprisingly long way. The author prefers a Shimano Curado SF reel spooled with 17lb Trilene XT green, and a Falcon EC-66-MH for this presentation. There is an exciting rumor floating around that Jeff Littleton at Sizmic Baits is designing a new "Sassy Lizard" specifically for the swimming presentation, lets hope we see it before the big girls hit the bed this spring!

A close cousin to this pattern is the "swimming jig". Another double top-secret pattern at one time, but word has certainly leaked out (no bricks through my windows, please!). This presentation again involves heavy tackle and heavy cover. Most anglers use a minimum of a 7ft rod with 20lb or stronger line. There is a school of fisherman that swears by braided line, but this is a matter of personal preference. Rod action varies from MH to H (strongly consider a MH when using braid). Again, the author uses a Curado SF, spooled with 20lb Trilene XT, mounted on a 7ft Falcon Expert Heavy action. Not just any jig is appropriate for swimming, and master lure designer William Davis of Davis Bait company has designed a jig specifically for this application. William starts with a composite metal in the head that is more buoyant than lead. The head is designed with a planning surface to bring the bait up quickly, combined with hook-eye positioning to facilitate horizontal presentations. The jig also sports a keeper system for the trailer (trailers slide down easily in the swimming pattern because of long distance casts), and a high-quality wide-gap hook. The ultimate trailer for swimming is the Sizmic Sassy Toad. The Toad balances perfectly with the jig for unparalleled balance. Many anglers bite the head off the toad to adjust the size. Sizmic's new Sassy Toad Jr. will not require alteration for this application and will also function as a world-class spinner bait trailer. William Davis describes the swimming jig pattern as "guaranteed to catch fish on Lay Lake". Cast this rig to the back of the weed beds or into heavy shallow cover and pump it all the way to the boat. Many anglers lose fish by setting the hook too soon, be aware that more times than not, the fish has the trailer rather than the jig. Give her a few "Mississippi's" before setting the hook. This pattern is not for the weak of heart!

Slice 'em with a blade
Spinners have been around as long as there have been artificial lures. Something about that flashing blade just drives bass crazy. One of the most exciting scenes in bass fishing is seeing a spinnerbait roll over a limb and get slammed by a largemouth bass. Blades can be mindlessly cast and retrieved, and this method will catch fish, but this is but a small percentage of the baits potential.

Kevin Van Damm is known his spinnerbait expertise. Kevin's philosophy is to put the trolling motor on high, keep the spinner bait wet, and target active fish. None of us are likely to argue with Kevin's success. Kevin utilizes the underhand roll cast, a method of loading the rod tip and launching the bait for a low trajectory and soft landing. (Geoff Walker at Mark's can teach you this cast if you don't know it). Another effective and stealthy presentation is "pitching", which is accomplished utilizing the same mechanics as pitching a jig or worm. Pitching can be particularly effective in situations with overhanging obstructions.

Mike Pitts is one of the area's best spinnerbait fishermen. Mike knows how to make the bait work hard for him with exceptional results. The key to Mike's success is flexibility, and his presentation is far from "chunk and wind". To the casual observer, it would seem that Mike is fishing a plastic worm rather than a spinnerbait, allowing the blade to settle into heavy cover and actually crawling it through and out of the cover. Yes, he does loose baits, but more importantly, he catches fish.

The author chooses a Falcon Cara 66 MH rod with a Shimano Curado SF reel and Trilene XT 17lb test for blade running. This is an excellent rod for roll-casting and pinpoint accuracy. Lure selection consists of the ProVibe Spinnerbait with X-Wire technology. In tank testing, this spinnerbait offers unmatched vibration and performance. ProVibe offers the unique "Peacock" color combination, and it is not uncommon to witness someone buying an entire peg of peacock blades at Mark's.

Shake 'em loose
What do you do when the bite gets tough? In post cold front conditions, or on a day when nothing seems to produce a bite, many anglers turn to finesse presentations. Finesse patterns generally consist of downsizing lures, light line, and slower delivery. Western anglers challenged by deep and clear reservoirs have popularized "finesse" worms. These worms are generally 6 inches or less in length, and are usually straight with very little inherent action.

While these baits can be effectively Texas rigged, the use of "jig heads" is enjoying tremendous success on the tournament trail. The author remembers hearing Fred "Taco" Bland preach the power of the "jig-head worm" well before his B.A.S.S. tournament trail days. Fred has always believed this pattern to be a highly effective "limit getter", but experience shows that finesse worms are equally effective on larger fish as well. One interesting twist is the number of anglers flipping finesse worms on heavily pressured waters.

Just as the word "Kleenex" has grown to be used to describe all facial tissues, many anglers refer to jig-heads as "shaking heads". However, not all jig-heads are created equal, and not all are truly "Shaky Heads". Many anglers have heard about the success of the jig-head worm, located a few Crappie jigs in their tackle box, bought a pack of finesse worms, and headed to the lake--only to be disappointed by the results. You can dramatically increase you strike-to-landing ratio by insuring that the jig you use has a high-quality, wide-bite hook. Another sign of a quality product is a clean hook eye, as light line can be easily frayed by sharp paint edges. The author strongly recommends that you settle for nothing less than the original Shaky Head from Davis Industries. Give Sizmic's 6-inch Needle Worm a try with the Shaky Head, these products compliment one another's action very well. The Sizmic worm's flat tail and extreme buoyancy give it unmatched action and fish-catching ability.

Rod selection is vital for finesse fishing. Choose a rod that is limber enough so that you can load the rod tip for long casts with small baits, and sensitive enough to detect subtle strikes, but has enough backbone to drive the hook home. The author chooses a Shimano Calcutta CT-50 spooled with 10lb Floro-coated P-Line, mounted on the Falcon CC3 166 ML. Although this is a medium-light rod, it has built in backbone for punishing hooksets. Falcon has done an excellent job of building specific rods for specific purposes, and Cara 166 is no exception.

While this list is far from comprehensive, these three methods are excellent choices as you become more focused and deliberate in your tournament strategy. Narrowing your skillsets will allow you to find what you truly love and what really works for you. The result will be increased confidence levels in your "go to" baits, and more confidence means more fish. Picking your battles means realizing that no one can win all the time. Finding what you do well and sticking to it can keep you competitive and within striking distance of a win.

The products discussed here are the author's preferred choices, tried and proven on the water. There are, however, numerous other quality products available. Grab Geoff Walker or any of the guys at Mark's to discuss their complete range of fishing tackle and supplies.