OK, last week we talked about looking for change. This week we’ll talk about ways to find it. For the most part it’s a collection of simple techniques, things you can practice.
First, train yourself to be observant. Don’t just look at the water, your tackle or your partner. Practice looking at the shore every time you go out in the boat. The more you do this the better you’ll get at it. Think about how steep the shoreline is, about how deep a creek looks as it drops into the lake and think about the details of laydowns and visible grass. Every one of those things can be a clue to a change you might want to explore.
Second, there’s no substitute for learning how to use your electronics. Most pros spend countless hours checking out everything in the owner’s manual. You can’t short circuit this process. A day without rods and reels in the boat playing around with your fish finder will be well worth it when the big tournament comes along and you really want (need) to know what’s underneath you.
Like I said before, these are things you can practice. The things is, though, not all practice helps. Somebody once said that practice doesn’t make perfect. It’s perfect practice that makes perfect. That’s as true in fishing as it is in anything else. With that in mind Pete Gluszek and I created The Bass University, a series of seminars dedicated to helping bass anglers learn and practice the right way.
We have a ton of the best instructors in America teaching. Some of them are new to the professional fishing scene. Others have been competing at the highest levels for decades. Either way, they’ll show you their tricks and techniques for spotting shoreline changes as well as how to fish them.
If you have a question about using your electronics I guarantee you that one of them will be familiar with your unit and can get you through your challenge. I know I said to read the book. I stand by that advice. But I also know that sometimes hands-on instruction is just as good, if not better.
The quality of our instructors can’t be overemphasized. Our guys know their stuff. They’re all successful. More importantly, however, they’re the kind of guys who will share what they know. They don’t tell you half the story and save the other half for themselves. They tell it all so that you can go out and catch more bass regardless of whether you’re an aspiring pro or a Saturday recreational angler who just wants to feel more tugs on the end of his or her line.
Our new schedule has five seminars slotted around the country, several of them in new cities. One will be reasonably close to where you call home. (The first seminar is January 19-20, 2013, in Frankfort, Kentucky.) Check them out. I think you’ll be impressed. If you’re interested, don’t delay. We have discounts going on right now.
Mike Iaconelli’s column appears weekly on Bassmaster.com. You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter.
