Improving Your 2022 Tournament Results:
Old is New?
by Bruce Callis Jr
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With the new year, there is so much to do to prepare for the first tournament of 2022. Last year, I started off great at the first tournament, but then I struggled at times. It wasn’t just catching bass that was the problem, but rather, not catching tournament length bass. We have a 13 inch minimum size limit and I caught so many that just missed touching the line. And that is the rub, I know I was around them, but what did I do wrong or what piece of the puzzle did I miss? And how do I improve the decision making for this year?
We anglers are creatures of habit when it comes to so many things, and fishing is one of those habits. Whether it be we get stuck on using one bait, or stuck using one technique, we get use to that something that is comfortable, to that one something we have had success catching bass with. And that can be a dangerous habit for a tournament angler.
After listening to a lot of professional anglers over the winter and what they do to prepare for upcoming tournament, you can find out a lot of the things you don’t do or need to do to prepare yourself. One thing I know I don’t do enough of is map study. Google Earth can be a great tool for new water, especially for tidal waters. And that is one thing I plan on doing different this year.
I did look back over what I did differently last year, the times I struggled the most to catch quality bass. I found that I wasn’t listening to the bass and to myself. I kept trying to do what others would do. And the problem is, I am not them. I wasn’t fishing my strengths, I was fishing what someone else said to do. I’m not saying they were wrong, but I am saying it was wrong for me.
I know what got me here and I know which baits are my strong suits. I also know what techniques play into my strengths.
I can fish a drop shot, and I can catch big bass, but it is something I struggle with. Maybe it is just not fishing it enough to have the confidence in it? I know it works and I know how to use it, and the biggest bass I have caught with it was over 6 pounds, so it is something I will continue to use. Just keep working on developing it as a confidence bait.
We all try to stay on top of the newest baits, but sometimes I think we overthink what we are doing. I love throwing a crankbait, but with each new bait we add to our toolbox, sometimes we start to slip away from what has worked for us. And sometimes we need to remember what got us here, what baits have always worked, and caught big bass. I’m not saying the new baits aren’t good or we shouldn’t buy them, but we do need to remember our strengths and fish them more often.
What bait did you use to use that you don’t fish a lot now? Why did you stop using it like you did? Was it for something new? Was it because it stopped producing fish? I use to fish a Texas rigged PowerTeam Lures Craw D’oeuvre a lot and it always produced. Then they came out with the Mauler and I found myself fishing it more. It produced plenty of bass, but the action was different and I wasn’t catching as many numbers at times. So I have found myself rigging 2 rods, one with each bait and switching between the 2 as the opportunity arose. I found my catch rate started to rise again and the quality became better. By going back to what brung me, I found that trying to improve doesn’t always mean giving up the old.
I know with the Fishing Shows there will be plenty of opportunities to see those new baits and to listen to the pros as they work seminars and the bass tank. I plan to listen to them and see what I can learn. Is there something I need to work on improving? Am I using the right bait, just not using the bait in the correct way? Did I walk away from the right bait because I thought the grass was greener using the new bait? Only one person can answer those questions, and that is you. Listen to everything, absorb it, and look at everything you are doing. Find out what you are missing or what you have stopped using that produced, and work your strengths. What are you going to do to improve your 2022 season?