Fishing your strength.

[Jigger]

I was watching the Classic and they interviewed a first time Classic participant whose name escapes me from Oregon and they asked him what he had learned. He said that he'd done research on Lake Hartewell and found out they were fishing a technique he was unfamiliar with (he didn't say what) and he came down and tried it during practice and couldnt make it work and didn't know how. He fished "his strength" and weighed in a good bag.

I think there's some wisdom in what he said even though I DO think you need to be open minded to new methods.

So, do you fish your strength when you're in tournaments or on a strange lake? What is your strength??? Do you agree with the guy from Oregon---or not???

[keithdog]

I don't fish tournaments, but when I fish a lake I've never been on before, I definately start out by using the techniques which I would consider my strengths. The techniques I have confidence in and know how to work under various situations. If those fail, then I will start experimenting with other techniques that perhaps don't fall at the top of my list. Being able to recognize when it's time to alter your presentation, and being willing to learn to use a vast array of techniques and lure presentations is what seperates the men from the boys.

[Rebbasser]

Keith, I couldn't have said it better myself.

[fishing man]

i agree with that 100%. when im in a tournament or just wanting to out fish one of my friends or family, i will use my strengths (which are crank baits, senkos, poppers, and spinner baits) if the conditions are right. but of course i will always try something new or something i have never tried before because thats the only way you can become a better angler.

[BassAddict]

My strength is shallow water power fishing. I love flipping a jig or t-rig. Spinnerbaits and shallow cranking too. My weak area is clear, deep water. Which is what I will have to deal with in my first tournament next month. I haven't honed my skills with finesse fishing quite yet. I'm hoping the water will warm up enough to get the fish to move up. I will try to make it happen up lake where the water is a little more stained and hopefully will warm up quicker. Once we get into April though... it's "game on"!

[Jigger]

Originally Posted by BassAddict

My strength is shallow water power fishing. I love flipping a jig or t-rig. Spinnerbaits and shallow cranking too. My weak area is clear, deep water. Which is what I will have to deal with in my first tournament next month. I haven't honed my skills with finesse fishing quite yet. I'm hoping the water will warm up enough to get the fish to move up. I will try to make it happen up lake where the water is a little more stained and hopefully will warm up quicker. Once we get into April though... it's "game on"!

Ditto, ditto, ditto!!! That could have been my post. I really need to work on my deep water, finesse, sonar use for clear, deep lakes and really cold conditions. I got my butt handed to me the last tournament. I zeroed last week. The winning fish came from 40 ft. of water on slabs. I was LOST. I'm a power fisherman but I've got to get with the deep water program if I'm going to compete in the winter and early spring. I hold my own when the water warms.

[Cranebird]

I would like to think that one who qualifies for the classic could eek out a limit of fish with a technique he wasn't familiar with especially if those who were using it was bringing a limit to the scales every day ? Of course that is easy for me to say sitting home on the porch. If that were really the case, I would not have left that lake without finding someone who was willing to teach me this new technique and you can bet I would be sleeping in my truck a few nights as I fished there until I know without a doubt that I could bring a limit of fish with this new technique.

I try not to have a specific strength for one specific lure. You have to be able to adapt to the conditions for the day.Learn to key in what types of lures will work best by learning what is going on in the water colum you are fishing.I use 2 types of lure presentation, a bottom presentation and a upper water colum presentation, one or the other will allow you to catch fish and further key in on how to adapt your presentations and lure selections for the day.If he knew what part of the water colum and what depth this new presentation was able to catch fish on this lake,then he should have been able to adapt something he already is familiar with to catch a limit of fish. Maybe not the best bag of fish, but none the less at least he would have went down swinging trying the best that he could do. Did I make any sense at all ? Ivan

[Lilmoosecountry]

With know research like TOPO's or satilite pictures to review or prefishing. I would show up pounding the banks with a Shad rap until i could find a pattern

[pignjig]

I don't want to get this thread going in a different direction, but the best thing that happened to me, as far as getting grounded on different baits and techniques, was being a non-boater. It really forced me to adapt, improvise and overcome. Used water can make a man frustrated if he can't present something unique in the right way. And, finishing at the top as a co-angler can be a real confidence booster, too.

This is a great post! Thanks-

P2

[brushhog]

it was this site the encouraged me last year to fish away from my strengths when the bite got tough... I usually fish a lot of t rigged plastics, but found success last year with cranks and drop shots when the usual wasn't working... Fishing deep and jigging are two things I need to develop. To answer the original question, yes i would generally fish my strengths first regardless of what everyone else was doing. Keithdog summed it up pretty nicely!

[bamabassman]

totally agree with keithdog. after you bag a few that way, then atart on other ways.

[Fish2win]

You learn new methods by taking that equipment to the lake over and over until you have it, not during a tournament. Why would you fish a drop shot or some other method you dont know during a tournament.Always fish your strengths not someone elses. Always fish your fish not someone elses. I promise you that I can tell you where and how I am catching fish in a tournament and you wont be able to duplicate what I am doing. Fish your fish, dont worry about how or where someone else is fishing. The only thing they may tell you that could help is how deep they are catcing fish.
Fish2win

[Cranebird]

Fish2win If I am in the back of the boat with you and you are fishing an unknown technique and are catching fish I am good to go to start catching fish. from watching how you are presenting the lure and what you are doing to catch those fish.Hell I mght be rigging up while your fishing or maybe I am just back there sitting watching what you are doing to catch those fish.Then I am going to slightly alter your pattern to see if I can catch a few fish not haing ever fished the way you just showed me.Ivan

If you know what depth a person is catching his fish from or what type of structure they are holding to chances are you will still catch fish using a totally different lure providing you not give up first.I truely believe a person who is willing to adapt with what he knows about making a fish bite will most generally consistantly do better than a person who fishes his go to lure every time out.That is my opinion and I am sticking to it. Lol. Ivan

[Texas_Justice85]

Just as football team only runs the plays they practice in a real game, I only fish the techniques I know Im good at and confident in.

[Fish2win]

Ivan said "If you know what depth a person is catching his fish from or what type of structure they are holding to chances are you will still catch fish using a totally different lure providing you not give up first."
My point exactly. In most tournamnets other than club tournaments you dont have a competeive fishermen in the back of the boat. If we are a team I am going to give you a quick study on how I am catching the fish.
here, like in the classic is always more than one pattern working on any lake at the same time.
If I say go to thje creeks on the south side of the lake and throw a craw colored crankbait you probably wont catch fish on that even though I am. You may catch 1 or 2 but exact location and depth are the bigger dominator.
Fish2win

[Cranebird]

Fish2 win, I agree 100% with your post.

This guy mentioned he researched this so called new technique. I would dare say that when he did his research, he knew what depth they fished this technique and what type of area these fish are holding in on this unfamiliar lake using this unfamiliar technique. That research most likely was a great shortcut even if he didn't know how to fish this new type of technique he knew how to adapt his strength to the same pattern as the new technique fish were holding. He used that to weigh in the "good bag' of fish "fishing his strength" as he called it. As you said there are many different patterns used in a tournament but if they're not on fish they're not going to be weighing in a "good bag"of fish.Ivan