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JF Griffin - Index

JF Griffin - magazine - Index

(Bill Dance’s Three KeyWords, Continued from page 18)
Location
Once you learn the ideal depth, you must then
learn the best location in the area of the lake you’re
fishing at that depth. It could be a point, a ledge, a
high spot, a sloping bank, or it could be emerged,
like a boat dock, bushes, vegetation or standing
timber. It’s important to remember whatever depth
and location you fish, it should have deeper water
close by. Note, I didn’t say deep water. All we’re
talking about here is what the majority of fish are
doing at the same time in a preferred depth and
location.
Presentation
Now, let’s discuss that other key word: presentation.
Once a depth and location are found, naturally you’ll
have to select a lure that can be fished effectively
there. Regardless of what lure you choose, a worm,
crankbait, grub, spinnerbait or whatever, it must
be fished in a way that’s most appealing, especially
when bass are inactive.
If you think about it, most of the time we’re on the
water, the bass’ activity level is inactive or neutral
more often than it’s active. When they’re feeding ...
fishing can be fantastic, but when the action is slow,
precise presentations are a must for success.
One thing I’d like to point out about lure
presentation is when bass are really aggressive, your
presentation doesn’t have to be perfect. However, it
should be presented to represent life. You want to
make it look alive in a natural way.
You’ll find that most underwater creatures don’t
skip, jump, hop and speed around. Their movements
are basically slow unless, of course, something big is
hot on their trail.
Here’s something else that might surprise you. If
you only knew the number of bass that actually
see your lure and pay little attention to it, it would
absolutely blow your mind.
The disappointing fact is that most of the time, bass
really don’t want our bait, unless we fish the best
location and present our offering just right. This is
why it’s so important to present it in a way that’s
most appealing. This takes patience, imagination
and concentration.
Since we’re discussing lure presentations, let me
ask you this question. How many times have you
been fishing with a buddy, using the same bait,
same color and size, but the results were not the
same? It happens all the time. Most of us think to
ourselves that he’s fishin’ the best spots, or it’s just
bad luck. However, there’s usually a solid answer to
this question.
This is particularly true in bass fishing. By
presentation I mean the way in which the bait is
offered. Are you moving it too slow? Not slow
enough? Too fast? Or not fast enough? Bass are
finicky little creatures, and they are even more so
when they’re inactive.
You must establish a rhythm for that time, but keep
in mind that can change from time to time and also
in different locations.
Let me tell you, there’s a lot more involved in your
presentation than just blowin’ and a-goin’ down
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the lake, chunking a lure here and there. It’s very
important to put some thought into every move
you make.
When a good fisherman catches a fish, he
immediately begins a mental game. What just
happened here? Exactly where did the fish hit in
relation to the cover? How deep was he? Did the hit
occur as I changed lure speeds, or when I let it fall,
rise or flutter?
Was the fish on the windy side of the cover, the
outside edge or backside? How far was my cast? Do
I need to reposition my boat? Am I too close or not
close enough?
Good anglers can put all the pieces of this sport
together quickly, and this is why they catch the
majority of the fish. They analyze it all: why the bass
hit, how and where it hit.
There’s one thing I’ve learned over the years about
this great sport. You can’t buy, borrow, charge or
steal fishing success. Success is based solely on
knowledge and experience.
Good anglers work and study hard to be consistent;
but even then, they’re never 100 percent successful,
regardless of how much they know. But you can
bet those who have lots of experience, knowledge
and confidence, will fish more carefully, more
thoroughly, more efficiently, more comfortably;
therefore, more successfully. In the end, they’ll
catch a lot more fish, especially if they never forget
just how important those three key words are:
depth, location and presentation. F
42 2008 Fishing Guide