Yesterday Ott DeFoe reminded me of one of the simple fundamentals we learn about fishing, especially when it gets passed down.
“Rule number one taught to me by my grandpa was never leave fish behind.”
The question came up when posing it to DeFoe about junk fishing. There is much of that going on this week.
What DeFoe meant was the common shortfall of fishing too fast when junk fishing. Potentially passing over fish is the result. Using the tactic means using multiple outfits, sometimes a dozen, in a rotation. Changing lures and speeding up the process until you find the best choice is an easy temptation.
Being thorough is how DeFoe overcomes the temptation to fish too fast.
Lake Dardanelle is recovering from a flood of clay-enriched, muddy water coming downstream from Oklahoma. A recent period of heavy rain caused it all. The water went up, is coming down, and the main river channel remains muddy, while the creeks are clearing up.
Bass don’t like too much mud and current. Hence, the perfect storm for a junk fishing tournament. Junk fishing might just become even trendier here as the weather continues to change.
DeFoe likes to keep a multiple-lure rotation in play instead of emptying the tacklebox. He’s doing that now and the selection of baits and tactics are keeping him within range of the Top 12.