PRO STAFF Fishing Tips Archived Tips available HERE How I develop a Winning pattern for Bass Tournaments by RICHARD BELLOT, Alan Henry fishing guide and Outdoor World PRO-STAFF and 2007 Angler of the Year Bass Tournament’s during the summer:The surface layer of the water will be hot, 75 degrees and up. Water clarity will vary from extremely clear to occasionally stained. In most cases, I look for two summertime bass-holding patterns shallow and deep. Some lakes may only have one pattern while both may exist in other lakes. Shallow Fish patterns- I will look for cover such as weeds, moss, overhanging trees, submerged brush, stump beds and boat docks. Deep Fish patterns- I will look for sloping main-lake points, humps, islands, underwater springs, and deep-water structure such as old bridges, roads and submerged fences. Headwaters or main Points of the lake and are my top producers during summer months as they often provide both shallow and deep water in one small area. The water there may also be cooler. For deep-water bass, I will use small tubes, worms and a jig-and-pig along with deep diving crank-baits. For shallow water, I will use plastic worms, crankbaits and spinnerbaits. I will also work top-waters in and around heavy cover such as moss beds and brush. For deep water, small plastic worms, tube lures, and small deep-running cranks are my top choices. Early mornings, late afternoons, and night fishing are best, particularly on clear-water lakes. Plastic worms, dark-colored spinner-baits or top-waters and buzz-baits tend to be my top nighttime producers. Jerk-baits twitched slowly are often good producers during summertime as well. Tournaments during early Fall:The cooling weather will start bringing surface temperatures down from around 80 degrees to 60 degrees. Although some lakes may have ultra-clear water at this time, others will have stained areas caused by fall rains. During early fall, I will look for bass in their summer holding areas, although they'll move around more and travel the migration routes between deep and shallow areas. Creek Channels are also prime fall spots, since bass tend to follow foraging fish toward the influx of water. Water depth will vary from very shallow to fairly deep. This time of year Spinner-baits, buzz-baits and crank-baits are my top choices. Since bass are moving, and more spread out and more aggressive, I will use retrieves that are fairly fast. Lures should be larger at this time to match the larger size of the forage. Shad are the top forage on many of the lakes, and anything white or silver can be productive. “I will always let the fish tell me what retrieve to use”. Tournaments during the late Fall:By now, water temperatures continue to drop from 70 degrees down to 42 degrees or so. As the lake cools, bass become even more active, needing to fill up before the coming winter months. Bass can be located almost any place at this time, but shallow areas particularly those close to major migration routes as well as migration routes themselves can be productive. The fish are generally moving back to their winter holding areas, and the same places I found them in early spring can again be productive. The upper ends of tributaries and major creeks can be extremely rewarding to fish as they provide a concentration of shallow water, migration routes and deep water in a relatively small area. Water depth will fluctuate from extremely shallow to relatively shallow (one to 12 feet). Crank-baits and Spinner-baits are my favorite choices now because they are fast-moving, "searching" baits and bass are feeding aggressively. As the water temperature continues to drop, jig and pigs can become increasingly productive. I will speed up my retrieves to garner strikes from aggressive fish and also to cover a lot of territory. As the weather gets colder, fish tend to drop deeper and become less aggressive. However, a warming day or two can bring on renewed activity, and crank-baits and spinner-baits are hard to beat at that time. Tournaments during Winter: During a tournament during this season, water should be around 45 degrees or colder. Most bass will be schooled in deep holding areas at this time of year, although they may make occasional move up into shallow water along major migration routes. Winter bass prefer vertical holding areas such as bluffs, submerged trees and deep creek channels, rather than the sloping areas of shallows, flats, etc. The reason is that they can adjust to light and temperature changes simply by ascending or descending, rather than making a more strenuous horizontal migration. Water depth will vary according to structure, water temperature and water clarity, but most bass hold at 18 to 30 feet or deeper. I will use a jig-and-pig or a jig with some other sort of dressing in the wintertime. Jigging spoons can also be successful, and modified jerk-baits work in some areas. I will start in medium-shallow water and gradually work deeper until I locate fish. I will work the vertical areas such as submerged timber, bluffs, etc. I look for bass to be suspended there or just off the edges or drops of the creek channels. I will bounce a jig-a-pig slowly down a bluff wall until I locate the depth where fish are holding; then I fish similar patterns at that depth. I will modify jerk-baits by adding suspend a dots which allow me to crank them down to suspended bass. Even lethargic fish will often hit the jerk-baits as they sit motionless in the water. Early Spring Tournaments: Tournament fishing this time of year is tough, it will consist of a period of hit or miss angling. Some days I get lucky, but the majority of the days are going to be tough. I don’t get too disappointed if I don't catch many fish during this time. The water temperature at this time will range from 45 to 54 degrees F. Water clarity in lakes and reservoirs will normally run from clear to extremely clear because spring rains and runoff have not begun yet. I will start to find bass where a slight warming of the water occurs. Key spots I look for include the south-facing banks of coves, creeks and the tributaries of most reservoirs and lakes. The upper ends of the lake warm first, as do stained water areas and places with standing timber, rocky shoals, scattered boulders, even boathouses or marina docks. Bass will, however, still be keyed to winter holding spots and can be concentrated. I look for deep water winter holding spots with potential spawning areas nearby. Early spring bass will often be located along a migration route between these two areas. When the day warms up, they move shallow; when the temperature drops back down, they move back to the deeper water. I start looking for bass on the first major drop-offs between shallow and deep water. Good spots for me have been bluffs, creek channels, channel bends and flats just off creek channels. I look for bass anywhere from 8 to 30 feet deep. My favorite lure at this time is a jig with some sort of pork or plastic trailer. I will use a 1/4 to 3/8 oz. jig in black or brown, perhaps with streaks of red, blue, chartreuse, etc. The Uncle Josh Pork Frog is my top choice in trailers. Plastic crawdads are also good trailers at this time of year. Spinner-baits or crank-baits retrieved slowly also work well for me. I will fish these just off the edges of creek channel drops. During this time of year fish will normally bite better during mid-day after the water has started to warm up. Tournaments during the Pre-Spawn: Normally the water will run slightly warmer than early spring, although there may be occasional fronts that will drop the temperature. I will look for water temperature between 55 to 65 degrees F. Clarity can change rapidly and can range from extremely clear to stained due to incoming spring rains. As water temperatures continue to rise, bass begin an ongoing migration from their deeper water winter holding spots to spawning areas in the shallow bays and coves and on sloping rubble or gravel banks. It is this time year that I have a chance at hanging the biggest fish of my lifetime. Bass go on a feeding binge in preparation for spawning, and females are heavy with eggs. The fish are more scattered now than any other time of the year and are continually roaming. This is also the time when anybody can catch a bass and, appropriately, this is the time when most bass anglers hit the water. My key locations will still be the migration routes between deeper waters and spawning areas, although bass will be continually moving shallower. I will search out the shallow flats close to major creek channels. My Best action occurs when the water temperature stabilizes above 55 degrees F., which usually occurs once both the nights and days start becoming warm. When bass move onto the spawning areas just prior to the actual spawn, the action is the best of the year. Not all bass in a lake spawn at the same time, an example would be lake Alan Henry, so if I want to extend the productive pre-spawn season, I merely follow the rising water temperature. I will start in early spring on the north side of the lake in the coves against the south facing shore. When these areas warm to the point bass are spawning there, I will move to the lake's southern shore facing the north. Some bass also live and spawn in the middle of lakes and reservoirs where cover is thick, and these fish will be the last to spawn. It's not uncommon for me to see bass spawning in flooded tree tops and on underwater islands and humps and other structure such as old roadbeds, even into early summer. Pre-spawn bass are usually located relatively shallow. I will look for them in water from a foot or two down to eight feet depending on water clarity and amount of cover. Although I will still use the jig n pig "locator" lures that are retrieved at a faster pace allow me to search for roaming bass. Some of my favorites include spinner-baits, crank-baits, and jerk-baits. I will use these faster moving lures at a slower pace at the start of this pre-spawn period; and speed them up as the water continues to warm. I will alter my retrieve speed with these lures until the fish tell me what retrieve they prefer. If I get a strike but don't hook the bass, I will switch to a slower lure such as a jig- n- pig or plastic worm, and re-work the area. Normally, the smaller males spend more time in the shallows than the bigger females do. If I continually catch small fish, I will back out to the next deeper water layer available. Tournaments during the Spawn: At this time of year the water will normally range from 65 to 75 degrees F., while clarity will run from stained to clear, depending on lake location and amount of runoff. Good spawning locations can vary a great deal from lake to lake, depending on the structure available, but bass will have three general requirements. First is a fairly solid bottom such as gravel or rocks. Soft, mucky, weedy areas are rarely chosen. Second is depth, which will be fairly shallow so that plenty of sunlight can reach and incubate the eggs. Spawning area depths range from about a foot to 10 feet, depending on water clarity, structure, etc. Third, there should be little or no current that can wash the eggs away. Most spawn areas will be located fairly close to deep water such as a submerged channel. My most productive lures are tubes, plastic worms and jig and pigs. Flip or pitch your tube or plastic worm past the bed and slowly drag it to the bed where you will slowly twitch the lure until the bass get aggressive enough to take it. Tournament Fishing Post Spawn: Temperatures will range from 75 degrees on up. Water will quite often be clear to extremely clear, although occasionally runoff may produce some murkiness and windy weather can create stained water conditions on shallow lakes. As soon as the spawn is over, a majority of the bass, particularly the males will retreat to the nearest deep water to recuperate. I look for the migration routes between spawning areas and deep water. I will start shallow and work my way outward until I locate fish. Key areas I look for are the deep ends of major lake points, creek channels, etc. water depth will range from between eight to 15 feet deep. Use slow-working lures such as the jig-and-pig, plastic worms and tubes, I will also use crank-baits to bump along the bottom with a medium to slow retrieve to locate bass. I will also yoyo a spinner-bait slowly near the bottom. This is a tough time of year because many bass have become inactive. I can continue to fish for the active fish, such as pre-spawners in other parts of the lake, or wait for the fish to enter their summer pattern “Not an Option during a Tournament”. Dawn and dusk often provide the best fishing for me during this period. Final thoughts on any kind of fishingWhen I establish a pattern for a tournament based on the season, I will always remain flexible and adapt my presentations to the changing conditions that are present at the time of the tournament. I will always let the fish tell me what type of lure and retrieve to use. LISTEN TO THE FISH Richard Belott, guide Lake Alan Henry and other Texas Panhandle lakes www.TexasFishingAdventures.com FISHING THE FOUR SEASONS by JAY FRIEMEL of Canyon, Texas Early winter, water temp mid 50's and falling. Look for Bass funneling out of creeks stopping on channel bends and channel-edge cover to feed. Flip or pitch blk-blue, blk-brown jigs or craws into cover. Work channel sraightaway's with deep diving crankbaits targeting the channel lip for schools of Bass migrating. Walleye,Sripers, and Sand Bass schooling, pushing shad against deeper points and ridges. Can be taken with 3/4oz jigging spoon using "fleeing shad"action (sharp 2'to3'hops) Experiment with color- chrome,chartruse and white seem to work best Dead of winter, water temp low 40's. Bass almost dormant. Most feeding activity will occur after three to four days of warming temps. Look for Bass positioned in the top portion of isolated, bushy trees that are located near the channel or on deep mainlake flats. These fish are absorbing sunlight while ambushing shad. Big, shad colored crankbaits and white or firecracker jigs worked extremely slow thru the tops of these trees should produce a couple of quality bites on a good day. For quicker action pursue cold water species such as walleye and stripers during this time. These fish will be in 40+ ft. of water. Live shad is you're best bet, suspending the bait directly in front of or just above the fish you have located on you're graph. 1oz. Spoons will work during and right after a shad die-off, use a "dying shad"action (slow, one foot hops). Early spring, water temps low 50's and warming. Bass are starting to move back in the creeks. Start the morning fishing secondary points with _ oz. Spinnerbaits and suspending jerkbaits. As the day progresses look for warmer pockets of water and cover that absorbs heat such as rocks, brown cattails and laydowns. Use 3/8 oz spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits on these fish keying on the current breaks that this cover provides. Also fish _ oz. Jigs on 45' degree channel banks targeting big females feeding on emerging craws Pre-spawn and spawn, water temp 61 to 67 degrees. Look for this to happen first on protected northern banks in the upper end of the lake. "Staging" fish should be in 4' to 7' foot of water, heavily feeding, flushing they're prey. Texas and Carolina rigged lizards are the #1 bait right now with soft twitch baits, (Sluggo's and Assassin's) a strong second. Work these baits around and between cover rather than in the cover itself. Once the Bass goes on the bed feeding ceases. She then must be antagonized to bite, often merely picking the bait up and moving it off the nest making hookups difficult. Pursuing pre-spawn and or post-spawn fish is usually more productive. Post-spawn. Females will pull off the bank and suspend while reccuporating. Target points out from spawning areas with reaction baits that will run in front of or above the fish. Spinnerbaits, Zara Spooks and Buzzbaits will all work. Try swimming a jig or splittshotting a worm for less aggressive fish. Males will stay behind protecting the fry. They are easily caught with lizards, worms, floating jerkbaits ect. Use whatever is most efficient for given conditions. Early summer, water temps in 70's and rising. Fish are hungry and aggressive but large prey is depleted and fish start keying on "young of the year". Now is the time to downsize baits to match the hatch. 1/4oz. Spinnerbaits,Gitzits, 4-inch worms and baby crankbaits will be most productive. Dog Day's of summer. Fish have moved to mainlake structure, humps, deep points and channel's are now home. Start on the shallow part of this structure in the morning with topwaters following the fish down with medium diving then deep diving crankbaits as well as worms. Concentrate you're effort in areas with good current. If you prefer to fish shallow seek out green, growing vegetation fishing the edges early and moving in tight fishing the pockets and mats as light penetration increases. Fall Fishing. Cool fronts begin arriving signaling the fish to migrate up the lake following the baitfish into creeks and bays. Main objective is to cover water for these fish are on the move! Best baits for this should be Pop'rs, Buzzbaits, Rattle Traps and shallow crankbaits. Look for the fish to feed in extremely shallow water pushing the shad onto the bank at times.     Tournament Trails by Gary Carter of Pampa, Texas 1996 Winner of the Panhandle Grand Slam What's fishing the Tournament Trail like? After 20 plus years fishing various tournament schedules, I would like to share a few notes. Get ready to spend a lot of time away from home. Motels will almost become a way of life when you're on the trail. Restaurant food becomes your staple - good and bad. Long hours on the water, soaked to the bone by rain, sunburn, sore muscles, and hands that have been poked by hooks and fish alike. These are just a few of the things the tournament fisherman endures. My typical day begins at 4:00 A.M. and ends at 10 or 11 P.M.. There are meetings to attend, equipment to repair and maintain. And, somewhere in the middle of all this you have to have some time to think and plan for the next day on the water. You have to watch what you do, say, and how you dress. Don't come to the weigh-in looking like you were rode hard and put up wet if you want to keep those sponsors. Speaking of sponsors, they actually expect you to promote their products. They want to hear from you! How does the product work? Don't forget to plug them anyway that you can. After all, they are spending money on you. Does all of this sound gloomy? Well it's not really that bad. The long term friendships, peer admiration, and occasional paychecks make up for it all. You'll learn more about bass fishing in one year on the trail than you could in a lifetime of fishing alone. Don't get me wrong here. I'm not slamming clubs. They are the backbone of tournament fishing in this country and a lot of really good fishermen come from them. Clubs have been largely responsible for making state wildlife departments' work for the public. Don't forget that a lot of well-recognized tournament fishermen started out in clubs. A lot of equipment will break during all of this time on the water. You'll learn to carry a lot of spare parts. I carry a spare prop, power trim relays, trolling motor parts, wheel bearings, trailer lights, tackle parts, and enough extra tackle to open a small store. Some people even bring an extra boat! Seriously, when you are home, take time to check all of your equipment. I can't think of anything worse than equipment that won't perform when it's called upon to do so. This kind of thing will ruin anyone's concentration. And that's a good way to lose a tournament. If you still want to join the tournament trail after all of the negative things that I have said here, well you're just crazy enough to succeed. Practice long hours of casting until you can put a spinner-bait in a coffee cup from 50 feet. Read everything that you can get your hands on about tournaments and bass. And, most of all, get out on the water and fish, fish, fish.