Through the typically thorough coverage of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour on Lake Ray Roberts, we saw how 22-year-old champion Easton Fothergill and other top finishers crafted productive game plans. Along with the nuts and bolts of these high-level performances, bass fishing’s grandest event also provided several lessons relevant for anglers of all skill levels.
Let’s take a look at a handful of pointers and motivational themes.
Start Broad, Work Inward
Roughly V-shaped, Lake Ray Roberts has two main branches. Most of the field, including Fothergill, focused on the east arm. As the champ explained, this side’s abundance of timber, channel swings and fish-friendly contours stood preferable to the west side’s flatter, muddier complexion.
“Everything I caught fish on had immediate deep water access,” Fothergill said. “There are (cedar) trees everywhere, but there are specific ones that I fished — the ones on depth changes and the ones on hard bottom. On the east side, those are easy to find, which allowed me to find a bunch of different areas.”
With more of the staging zones that prespawn bass need during their spring migration from main lake depths to the shallow spawning areas, that east arm offered lots of opportunity. However, nothing lasts forever, especially during this transitional season.
Know When to Go: After placing third on Day 1 with 24-15, Fothergill blasted his way to the top of the standings with a second day limit of 29-6 — the event’s heaviest bag. The key, he said, was relocation. Groups of fish are on the move this time of year, so you don’t want to marry any one spot.
“That lake’s tricky; I caught them in different parts of the lake every day,” Fothergill said. “On Day 2, I made a key adjustment. I started where I caught them on Day 1 and it wasn’t happening. I changed locations, changed techniques and just landed on (the fish).
“I actually think they showed up right when I pulled in there because I went through the zone to the back of the pocket and it wasn’t happening back there. On my way back out, I caught my first big one and then it was game-on.”
Location Logic
Finishing third, Texas pro Lee Livesay brought a ton of local knowledge into the Classic, however, he mentally managed his abundant options by picking key areas and committing to “just fishing.” The key point was moving with the bass as those fish progressed toward their spawning grounds.
“I stayed off the big motor, kept my Minn Kota Ultrex down and maximized my time,” Livesay said. “I found the area that I thought I could catch the biggest fish in and just stayed in it. I caught my fish in a different zone of that area every day.
“It was just a bunch of grass, but the first day, I caught them on a big main lake point, then the second day I caught them on a big flat, then the last day, I caught them in the back of a drain in some timber. It was like they were transitioning to spawn.”
Second-place finisher Trey McKinney agreed and pointed out the benefit of finding those stopping points closer to the mouths of drains where prespawners first start their shoreward move.
“I wanted those fresh ones; the fish that hadn’t see a bunch of lures,” McKinney said. “I looked for the first piece of cover in a drain, as well as points or islands in the lead up spots.”
Signs of Life
Nature speaks to us and that’s not merely a Dr. Doolittle reference. Rather, taking clues from the habitats we fish often lead us to opportunities. Case in point, on Day 3, the B.A.S.S. Live camera caught Florida’s John Cox commenting on why he felt good about the area he was fishing.
“The birds are chirping, there’s bait moving in, the carp are jumping; it just feels right.”
Indeed life attracts life, so when searching for productive waters, look for food chain elements from insects to minnows and watch for various creatures — fins, feathers, or fur — whose presence offers a vote of confidence.
Talking Temperature
Without question, the key variable in springtime bass patterns is water temperature. To understand this seasonal unfolding, we have to consider the increasing photo period (lengthening days).
Spring officially began March 20, the day before the Classic. Once we pass the Winter Solstice (longest night of the year), daylight increases all the way through the Vernal (spring) Equinox when days and nights have equal duration.
After that, days last longer than nights through the Summer Solstice (longest day of the year). Continuing forward, the Autumnal (fall) Equinox again sees equal day/night lengths, followed by lengthening nights all the way to the next Winter Solstice.
Within this annual cycle, weather greatly affects water temperature and, therefore, prespawn bass movement. Such was the case during the Classic, when the strong cold front that arrived right before the event bore a twofold impact.
First, during days 1 and 2, anglers reported finding that colder air temperatures had pulled water temperatures several degrees lower than they’d found in practice. Also, John Garrett noted that the front’s strong winds had churned up colder main lake water and pushed it into the shallower creeks and pockets where bass were moving.
Both factors significantly impacted the event, as significant water temperature declines slow the prespawn movement and put fish in a pouty kinda mood.
More lessons from the 2025 Bassmaster Classic here.
