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Hunters know that the difference between a successful hunt and coming home empty-handed usually hinges on the ability to get close to the quarry without being detected. When it comes to shallow water bass fishing in clear lakes, the same rule applies. Slammed lids, dropped rods, trolling motors cranked on high and sonar pings can all turn feeding bass into fleeing bass.
When four-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier Dave Wolak sees matted grass, he's in his comfort zone. At times, he seems so in tune with heavy vegetation bass that it's almost as if he can see what's going on under the canopies.
When it comes time to crank shallow water, all too often anglers just reach into their tackleboxes for a bait that has a pretty paint job and dives to the right depth. That's a mistake, says Elite Angler Dustin Wilks, who offers up one other factor that is a prime consideration when he ties on a shallow crankbait.
The learning curve associated with a pro's first year as a competitor on the Bassmaster Elite Series circuit is incredibly steep. Beyond the grueling 30,000 miles of travel required between tournament stops is the fact that many rookies are put onto bodies of water they've never seen before.
In bass fishing, just like in poker, you have to be able to understand a good bluff. In both cases, the critical factors lie beneath the surface, invisible to the naked eye. If you play your cards wrong, you'll lose, but if you figure out the true nature of the bluff you can walk away with all the chips.
Elite Series events of the 2009 season. At the Toyota Trucks Diamond Drive on Arkansas' Lake Dardanelle, an impoundment of the Arkansas River, wind advisories forced the cancellation of the second day of competition, and the same thing occurred the following week at Alabama's Wheeler Lake.
Catching a nice bass on a tough day is one of the most satisfying feelings in bass fishing. The event is often followed with a high-five, a photo op, or in a tournament; a trip to the livewell. Many anglers fail to realize that with a little diligence, that single bite could lead to a memorable day on the water.
Not many of us weekend anglers pay very much attention to how a bass is hooked. We land it, admire it and let it go.
Elite Angler Clark Reehm may not look particularly buff, but under duress he's been known to perform superhuman feats of strength, lifting boats off mudflats and push poling those same boats down hundreds of yards of what often turn out to be dead end canals. He doesn't do it for the health benefits; it's all about finding populations of fish that the competition overlooks.
Whether you fish at the Elite Series level or just for weekend enjoyment, maximizing your success on the water depends on the ability to wring every last ounce of fish out of a given area. Even if you've found the ultimate school, no one wants to leave any fish behind.
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