There are two things that will make you 10-times the fisherman you are right now...first is understanding "speed and depth control" and the other is "pattern" fishing. This posting is the first of many to follow that will begin to help you understand "pattern" fishing.
I learned this concept while fishing professional tournaments for 7-years. In fact, it is so important that no one can compete successfully at the highest levels of professional angling without understanding and practicing this important concept and you cannot pick up a fishing magazine or watch a fishing show that doesn’t contain this concept...even if the author doesn't speicifically point it out.
And yet…most amateurs have never heard of it…and most weekend “pros” don’t understand it.One of the least understood concepts of being a successful fisherman is called “Pattern Fishing”. Regardless of what type of fish you are trying to catch (bass, crappie, walleye, catfish, etc.) this “system” will help you not only catch more fish but be more consistent as well.
“THE CONCEPT”: At any given time in any body of water a lot (not all…but a LOT!) of the species of fish you are trying to catch are all doing the same thing at the same time. (READ THAT AGAIN!)
Here is the key. Once you catch 1-2 fish under a specific set of circumstances you can continue to catch more fish by duplicating that same set of circumstances in other areas of the lake. Here is an example: During practice for a tournament I discovered that bass were holding on structure where a creek channel would swing into and hit the bank (“upstream” side). I never caught a fish along the actual channel bank or where the creek channel left the bank on the “downstream” side and swung back out into the cove. Once I determined that fish were holding on the “upstream” side (where the creek channel first hits the bank) I could then ignore all the water along the channel bank it’s self, as well as the downstream area where it left the bank. This allowed me to literally run my boat from one channel bank to another, fishing only where it first hit the bank and ignoring everything else in between. The more such areas I could find on the lake…the more fish I caught…and the less time I wasted fishing non-productive spots.
Another example: During “pre-spawn” (just before actual spawning) all fish become the easiest to catch and all fish have a preferred area (bottom content) that is best for spawning. If you know what that is you can key in on just those types of spots containing that specific bottom content and ignore all the rest of the lake. I can’t tell you how many times I have simply started the motor and ran all over the lake just looking for the right type of bottom content with the right water temperature with the right depth of water without actually fishing. By finding enough spots containing the correct combination of conditions I could catch a lot of fish. Another example: More times than not a bass will “stage” on a certain part of a “fall-down” (trees that have either fallen or grow out into and/or over the water). They might be on the first branch closest to the bank, or on the very end of the tree or anyplace in between. The key is that once you have caught a fish from such structure…pay attention to where that fish came from. Once you have caught 2-3 fish you can usually establish a “pattern” and simply fish ONLY that area of the tree that the fish are staging on and ignore the rest…!
This concept applies to your favorite body of water as well. Once you catch a fish ask yourself a few questions. (How deep was the fish, how fast was my retrieve, what is the bottom content, what is the water temperature, why is this fish here, are there other such places like this on this body of water?)
Don’t just catch a fish and move on down the bank. You will never get better doing that. That fish was there for a reason and he took your lure or bait for a reason and you need to try and determine why! If you can…and then you can duplicate those same circumstances somewhere on the lake…you WILL CATCH more fish! Yes you will! I promise!
This is true regardless of what fish you are trying to catch. If you are a bass fisherman or walleye fisherman or crappie fisherman or catfisherman you will catch 10x as many fish by learning to “pattern” what those fish are doing on that lake at that given time.
Patterns change by season which is why you may catch fish in the spring but you have little to no success in the summer! (READ THAT AGAIN!). The fish changed but you didn’t! Patterns can change by the hour. The more stable the weather conditions and the deeper the fish, the more stable the “pattern” so once you determine what the “pattern” is for the fish you are catching you can continue to fish that same pattern day after day as long as there are no major external forces like a major weather change.
On a large reservoir you can have multiply patterns at the same time because conditions can be completely different from one end of the lake to the other. For example…on a large reservoir you can catch bass during the “pre-spawn” period on “pea gravel” (small size rocks) banks for up to 2-months! How? By starting in early spring in the upper part of the lake which warms much sooner than the deeper water near the dam. Water in the creeks in the upper part of the lake may be 60 degrees while only 40 degrees near the dam. So by “following the water temperature changes along with the correct bottom content” (starting in the upper sections of the reservoir) you can fish pre-spawning fish for up to 2 months as you gradually move closer and closer to the dam area.
The following video is a great example of “patterning” the fish. Not only do I find two exact types of situations and catch fish in both of them…I actually “called” it before I ever made the first cast!Until next time…go fishing…keep some to eat…turn back the rest…and check back in soon.
Clay
Web Site: http://www.kansasfisherman.com
Email: clay@kansasfisherman.com
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