question about pros

freakyfish · 06-20-08, 09:44 AM

i am just curious.so i thought i would ask.how is it that people like kvd can stay on top constently. beating thousands of anglers who could be tour guides and people who write bass books.who know structure and everything else about bass.so what are the top pro doing to win it that the other proes can't and are not doing to stay on top consistantly.

doc · 06-20-08, 10:21 AM

In my opinion its cofidence. Just like Michael jordan wanted the ball in the last seconds, Or any other top pro of the sport.

Jim80 · 06-20-08, 10:51 AM

just like any other sport practice , confidence and natural talent make perfection most times it's all what you are willing to put into it .

Jigger · 06-20-08, 10:55 AM

That's a very good question and one I've thought a lot about. I hope you get lots of responses to this. Re: KVD in particular, here's my take from what I've read and observed about him through the years:

1.Passion. I think you've got to be passionate about the sport and I think he is. That's what keeps him going day after endless day on the road and on the water. To me Passion is the foundation of being a long time successful pro. If you don't have the passion, you won't last.

2.Sixth sense or being able to think like a fish. I've fished with a rare few individuals through the years that just had a sixth sense about fish---where they live, how they want a bait presented, what bait they want on a particular day, speed of retrieve etc. I've asked those select few how they do what they do and they'll tell you "I don't know, I just know" or something like that. I think it's a sixth sense, something that is beyond thought. From time to time I will get in the "Zone" myself when fishing and it's almost an out-of-body experience. I'll kind of get a tingling sensation and just know I'm going to catch a fish on this cast and will. I don't get in the Zone often but when I do, it's amazing. Every see the footage of Rick Clunn when he came from way, way behind to win the Classic? His eyes were big as dollars. He was so in the Zone that day it was scarry. I think the true greats of the sport like Clunn and KVD have a sixth sense that you and I don't have. I think it's a gift from God that they've honed to perfection. It's a gift just like A-Rod, Jordon, Woods, Manning and other athletes have and no matter how hard we try, we'll never match them because of their God-given ability.

3.Skill. Ever see KVD roll cast a spinnerbait at targets? He can set it on a quarter without a splash. Unbelievably accurate and with the speed of a gunslinger. The best spinnerbait presentation in the business.

4.Time on the water. There is NO substitute for experience.

I could go on but hopefully someone else will respond. I'd like to hear more answers to this question.

Fish2win · 06-20-08, 11:51 AM

One thing that has not been methoined. Several years a go a guy named Loren Hill who is responsable for a lot of the behavioral lKnowledge we have about bass tested the skin oil in the top three ranking pros of the day. He has found that human skin oil contains a substance called L-Serine. He had also found that bass were very affended by the scent of L serine. When he tested the top three he found that the amount of this substance was unnaturally low in thier chemical make up than the avarage person on the street that he tested.
This is not the only answer but a contributeing factor. The rest is fishing where the fish are instead of where they are not. This sounds dumb I know but only about 20% of the water holds active bass at any given time. Knowing the ingredients that it takes to hold the bass and staying with your strengths is huge.
Seasonal patterns, forage, cover, depth and an excape route to deep water are essential. Recognizing migration routes and defineing edges are all high skill requirments. The more time you spend on the water the better your instincts become.
KVD himself will tell you that he is a prodcuct of growing up with bassmaster mag and shows. Most of what we know about the sport has been learned in the last 35 years. He grew up in that time frame and learned as the old time pros learned. A bass in 1950 and a bass in 2008 are the same animal. A bass in Ny and a bass in California are the same animal all reacting to the same factors in much the same way.
The question is how good are we at defining the factors?
Fish2win

freakyfish · 06-21-08, 02:51 PM

all really good points.but i think theirs more to the equation than that.

Buzz Wing · 06-21-08, 05:55 PM

That's pretty neat about the L-Serine, F2W!

-Buzz

MIbasser · 06-22-08, 08:11 PM

I've met/know some guys in who are 20 years his senior here in Michigan and have told me stories that KVD smoked them when he was teenager at a lot of local tx's.... I think that he's just that good. The other part that I heard is his brother was actually a better angler then KVD.

Fish2win · 06-23-08, 03:07 PM

I have heard that rumor about his brother also. It also helps that the family marine bussiness supported him while he was getting started. Fish2win

06-20-08, 09:44 AM	#1
freakyfish BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 67	question about pros i am just curious.so i thought i would ask.how is it that people like kvd can stay on top constently. beating thousands of anglers who could be tour guides and people who write bass books.who know structure and everything else about bass.so what are the top pro doing to win it that the other proes can't and are not doing to stay on top consistantly.

06-20-08, 10:51 AM	#3
Jim80 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Thomaston CT Posts: 3,862	just like any other sport practice , confidence and natural talent make perfection most times it's all what you are willing to put into it . __________________ In memory of Zooker 1/11/73-7/2/2010. You will be sorely missed and never forgotten.

06-20-08, 11:51 AM	#5
Fish2win BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Norris Tennessee Posts: 469	One thing that has not been methoined. Several years a go a guy named Loren Hill who is responsable for a lot of the behavioral lKnowledge we have about bass tested the skin oil in the top three ranking pros of the day. He has found that human skin oil contains a substance called L-Serine. He had also found that bass were very affended by the scent of L serine. When he tested the top three he found that the amount of this substance was unnaturally low in thier chemical make up than the avarage person on the street that he tested. This is not the only answer but a contributeing factor. The rest is fishing where the fish are instead of where they are not. This sounds dumb I know but only about 20% of the water holds active bass at any given time. Knowing the ingredients that it takes to hold the bass and staying with your strengths is huge. Seasonal patterns, forage, cover, depth and an excape route to deep water are essential. Recognizing migration routes and defineing edges are all high skill requirments. The more time you spend on the water the better your instincts become. KVD himself will tell you that he is a prodcuct of growing up with bassmaster mag and shows. Most of what we know about the sport has been learned in the last 35 years. He grew up in that time frame and learned as the old time pros learned. A bass in 1950 and a bass in 2008 are the same animal. A bass in Ny and a bass in California are the same animal all reacting to the same factors in much the same way. The question is how good are we at defining the factors? Fish2win __________________ Norris Tennessee set the hook! They dont have hands.

06-23-08, 03:07 PM	#9
Fish2win BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Norris Tennessee Posts: 469	I have heard that rumor about his brother also. It also helps that the family marine bussiness supported him while he was getting started. Fish2win __________________ Norris Tennessee set the hook! They dont have hands.

06-20-08, 10:21 AM	#2
doc BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,134	In my opinion its cofidence. Just like Michael jordan wanted the ball in the last seconds, Or any other top pro of the sport.

06-20-08, 10:55 AM	#4
Jigger BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 490	That's a very good question and one I've thought a lot about. I hope you get lots of responses to this. Re: KVD in particular, here's my take from what I've read and observed about him through the years: 1.Passion. I think you've got to be passionate about the sport and I think he is. That's what keeps him going day after endless day on the road and on the water. To me Passion is the foundation of being a long time successful pro. If you don't have the passion, you won't last. 2.Sixth sense or being able to think like a fish. I've fished with a rare few individuals through the years that just had a sixth sense about fish---where they live, how they want a bait presented, what bait they want on a particular day, speed of retrieve etc. I've asked those select few how they do what they do and they'll tell you "I don't know, I just know" or something like that. I think it's a sixth sense, something that is beyond thought. From time to time I will get in the "Zone" myself when fishing and it's almost an out-of-body experience. I'll kind of get a tingling sensation and just know I'm going to catch a fish on this cast and will. I don't get in the Zone often but when I do, it's amazing. Every see the footage of Rick Clunn when he came from way, way behind to win the Classic? His eyes were big as dollars. He was so in the Zone that day it was scarry. I think the true greats of the sport like Clunn and KVD have a sixth sense that you and I don't have. I think it's a gift from God that they've honed to perfection. It's a gift just like A-Rod, Jordon, Woods, Manning and other athletes have and no matter how hard we try, we'll never match them because of their God-given ability. 3.Skill. Ever see KVD roll cast a spinnerbait at targets? He can set it on a quarter without a splash. Unbelievably accurate and with the speed of a gunslinger. The best spinnerbait presentation in the business. 4.Time on the water. There is NO substitute for experience. I could go on but hopefully someone else will respond. I'd like to hear more answers to this question.

06-21-08, 02:51 PM	#6
freakyfish BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 67	all really good points.but i think theirs more to the equation than that.

06-21-08, 05:55 PM	#7
Buzz Wing BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Hudson, MI Posts: 1,219	That's pretty neat about the L-Serine, F2W! -Buzz

06-22-08, 08:11 PM	#8
MIbasser BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Okemos, MI Posts: 1,447	I've met/know some guys in who are 20 years his senior here in Michigan and have told me stories that KVD smoked them when he was teenager at a lot of local tx's.... I think that he's just that good. The other part that I heard is his brother was actually a better angler then KVD.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)