Avena’s 5 favorite rookie lessons

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In bass fishing, anglers typically search for number five to get to number one. But reaching the top spot, and the fifth fish, can be a difficult task on the tour level — especially for a newcomer or rookie. Elite Series Pro Adrian Avena knows better than most. The 27-year-old finished second in two Rookie of the Year races over the past seven years — the first on the FLW Tour in 2012 and the second in 2016 on the Bassmaster Elite Series. <p> Now in his third year as a Bassmaster Elite Series competitor, we asked Avena to share the five favorite important lessons he learned in his rookie seasons.
In bass fishing, anglers typically search for number five to get to number one. But reaching the top spot, and the fifth fish, can be a difficult task on the tour level — especially for a newcomer or rookie. Elite Series Pro Adrian Avena knows better than most. The 27-year-old finished second in two Rookie of the Year races over the past seven years — the first on the FLW Tour in 2012 and the second in 2016 on the Bassmaster Elite Series.

Now in his third year as a Bassmaster Elite Series competitor, we asked Avena to share the five favorite important lessons he learned in his rookie seasons.

<b>Utilize what you can do at home, before you drive to the lake.</b> <p> “The biggest difference between the Triple A or opens divisions, is limited practice,” Avena said. “You go from having unlimited practice time, to practicing for a four-day event in two to three days. <p> “What I have come to realize is, you have to start narrowing down bodies of water before you even step foot on the (lake or river) or you will be overwhelmed.” <p> Avena suggests “utilizing Google Earth, pre-studying paper maps, looking at Navionics, watching various videos, researching old tournament results — doing whatever you can to get a relative idea for what should go down during the tournament.”
Utilize what you can do at home, before you drive to the lake.

“The biggest difference between the Triple A or opens divisions, is limited practice,” Avena said. “You go from having unlimited practice time, to practicing for a four-day event in two to three days.

“What I have come to realize is, you have to start narrowing down bodies of water before you even step foot on the (lake or river) or you will be overwhelmed.”

Avena suggests “utilizing Google Earth, pre-studying paper maps, looking at Navionics, watching various videos, researching old tournament results — doing whatever you can to get a relative idea for what should go down during the tournament.”

<b>Try not to spread yourself too thin. </b> <p> “On a large body of water, it’s hard not to want to fish the whole thing — from top to bottom,” Avena said. “But a lot of times that can hurt you.” <p> “I’ve seen it on Lake Champlain where you practice one day in Ticonderoga, one day up north, and one day in the Inland Sea. All the sudden you have a couple of good bites in each place, and you’re spread out. <p> “The problem here, is when you roll up after the first day of the tournament and things didn’t go your way; the next day, you try to make this massive ‘hero’ move and you spend more of the tournament running than fishing.”
Try not to spread yourself too thin.

“On a large body of water, it’s hard not to want to fish the whole thing — from top to bottom,” Avena said. “But a lot of times that can hurt you.”

“I’ve seen it on Lake Champlain where you practice one day in Ticonderoga, one day up north, and one day in the Inland Sea. All the sudden you have a couple of good bites in each place, and you’re spread out.

“The problem here, is when you roll up after the first day of the tournament and things didn’t go your way; the next day, you try to make this massive ‘hero’ move and you spend more of the tournament running than fishing.”

<b>Make every bite count, through confidence and execution. </b> <p> “I can remember two particular times my rookie year on the Elite Series, that I wasn’t completely confident in the particular bait or lure I was using, knowing I needed to switch up,” Avena said. “And it cost me a few key fish.” <p> “Fine-tuning your gear and having confidence in what you are using will help with execution. <p> “Follow your gut feeling, because at the end of the day execution is the most important thing. “Listen to that voice in the back of your head telling you to ‘use a lighter rod, or retie,’ there is something telling you to do that.”
Make every bite count, through confidence and execution.

“I can remember two particular times my rookie year on the Elite Series, that I wasn’t completely confident in the particular bait or lure I was using, knowing I needed to switch up,” Avena said. “And it cost me a few key fish.”

“Fine-tuning your gear and having confidence in what you are using will help with execution.

“Follow your gut feeling, because at the end of the day execution is the most important thing.
“Listen to that voice in the back of your head telling you to ‘use a lighter rod, or retie,’ there is something telling you to do that.”

<b>When all else fails, fish what you are good at. </b> <p> “I’ve seen it time and time again, anglers get caught up in how the tournament should be won, or what patterns should dominate the tournament — even if you’ve never fished that pattern in your life,” Avena said. “You can waste a lot of time trying to figure something like that out, when in reality, you can (pick up something you’re good with) and fish the way you want to fish.” <p> “I feel like that really hinders a lot of people, thinking about what ‘should’ be happening instead of what you could be doing.”
When all else fails, fish what you are good at.

“I’ve seen it time and time again, anglers get caught up in how the tournament should be won, or what patterns should dominate the tournament — even if you’ve never fished that pattern in your life,” Avena said. “You can waste a lot of time trying to figure something like that out, when in reality, you can (pick up something you’re good with) and fish the way you want to fish.”

“I feel like that really hinders a lot of people, thinking about what ‘should’ be happening instead of what you could be doing.”

<b>Network with fellow anglers. </b> <p> “It’s a heckuva lot easier to compete on the Bassmaster Elite Series when you have two or three fellow anglers (on the Bassmaster Elite Series) you can trust to bounce ideas off of,” Avena said. “You scratch each other’s back.” <p> “Me, being a northern guy and knowing how smallmouth act, and we start the year in Florida and have to sight fish or fish shallow grass — something I may not be the best at — and one of your buddies clues you in and throws you a bone — you help them out when they come up north. <p> “When dissecting all of these bodies of waters, there is no better way to work, than work together (in some capacities).”
Network with fellow anglers.

“It’s a heckuva lot easier to compete on the Bassmaster Elite Series when you have two or three fellow anglers (on the Bassmaster Elite Series) you can trust to bounce ideas off of,” Avena said. “You scratch each other’s back.”

“Me, being a northern guy and knowing how smallmouth act, and we start the year in Florida and have to sight fish or fish shallow grass — something I may not be the best at — and one of your buddies clues you in and throws you a bone — you help them out when they come up north.

“When dissecting all of these bodies of waters, there is no better way to work, than work together (in some capacities).”