Finicky Bass

I've been haunted by a tournament situation that came about last year. We'd been catching some nice fish in a high pressure area during the pre-fish, but they were all taken in the late afternoon. We let the other boats tucker themselves out in the morning and saved it for the last cast. We had to be back by 3:00 pm and it was a half hour boat ride. At about 2:15 we pulled into the spot to finish up and the wind was blowing pretty good so we anchored each end of the boat so we could really fish it. We finessed it to death for 15 minutes and culled two fish, but I had a real soaker follow a wacky senko right up to the boat without taking it. I yelled oh! sh!t, did you see that? My buddy said ya right and then on his next cast he did the exact same thing and was now a believer. I really enjoy the gut wrenching of a tourney, but it's extremely taxing on the brain and by this time I couldn't think of what to do to get these fish to take the bait. We had to leave and for the half hour boat ride I was sick because those two fish cost us the tournament. As it was we finished eighth and either one of those fish would have put us in second. I feel like we did it right by waiting until the end to fish the spot, but we needed just a little extra. On the boat ride back it came to me I should have tried some shad or craw spray on my bait. With the oxygen deprivation to the brain, I didn't think about at the time and was wondering what else I might have tried. Any suggestions with emphasis on technique and not so much a particular bait although any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Sorry, didn't mean to write a book.

Boldt

[mike0062466]

Did you and your partner each just have the one cast which the bass followed? Or did it follow repeatedly without hitting?

I ain't no expert and never fished a tournament, but you know and I know and everyone knows that you needed to do something different. What needed to be different is not predictable in advance, so different things had to be tried such as different color, different cadence, speed, lure, or whatever.

Sorry you came so close; maybe next time.

[BaSsFiShEr20]

bummer.
well, you was at least able to get its attention.I think if you could not get it to take the senko, I would have tried for a reaction bite. I would have dropped a pig and jig right on top of its nose. Don't give it a chance to decide if it wanted it, just "boom, there it is, gotta eat it". Better luck next time.

Charles