Big Indiana Bass

1. The Basics: You haven't embraced 'the formula'

“To catch fish consistently — any fish — you have to use the formula. Understanding factors about the fish leads you to specific spots (locations). Location determines your presentation. Put it together, and you’ll be successful.” -Al Lindner

"An ounce of biology is worth a pound of tackle." -Gord Pyzer

'The formula', which has actually been around for something close to 40 years now, is In-Fisherman’s (F)ish + (L)ocation + (P)resentation = (S)uccess. Yeah, you've heard of it, but do you really understand what it means? Have you taken the time to study some of the books put out by the original group at In-Fisherman magazine that deal specifically with the individual components of the system? If not, you need to start here and make it a point to do so. It's not glamorous, it's not "cutting edge" any more, but it's as simple as Al makes it sound, and the basis for success in fishing, for any species, anywhere.

Fish are pretty simple creatures, that act and respond to the options and alternatives that are available to them where ever they live. The more you understand the biology and the nature of bass, the easier it will be to pattern fish and figure out why they do what they do, when they do it. There are no absolutes in bass fishing, but there are certain generalities that hold true no matter where you fish. The F+L+P=S formula components will give you the foundation you need upon which everything else can be built.

2. Fish: You haven't figured out the sucker shots

"A man with experience is not at the mercy of a man with an opinion" -Anon

"I don’t know about tomorrow – it’s too easy to blank here if your timing is off." -Jarrett Edwards

Here's a term you've heard me mention and write about quite a bit on this site. The sucker shot is simply a very specific pattern for a very specific fish (species), at a very specific time. Let's face it, fish are easiest to catch when they're biting, and certain conditions or times of the year create predictable opportunities to catch bass, lots of bass. Sucker shots stack the odds in your favor of catching one of those good times.

Time on the water and careful note taking is about the best way to figure out when a sucker shot is going down. While there are no guarantees in bass fishing, getting "dialed in" to a specific bite can really put you in a position to be able to call your shot. I've always said that there are really no secret baits any more, but there are plenty of secret bites.

Timing plays a critical role in figuring out a sucker shot. Some last for only hours, others may carry on for weeks. For example, shore anglers, if you fish retention ponds, one of the best bites occurs immediately after thunderstorms. Water running off from adjacent land runs through these ponds, and where ever you find and inlet with that increased water flow, the bass will flat stack up to take advantage of the incoming food source, but it only lasts for hours in most cases during the initial high water inflow.

A few examples on a national level include the recent Vision 110 Ito bite at Beaver Lake, or the early spring Wiggle Wart bite on other Ozark waters. How about the blueback herring bite in the southeast, or the shad spawn bite in the same area. Around here, there is the sissy jig bite that happens on many waters, which has now accounted for well over 300 bass for me these past few weeks. There is a specific post spawn topwater bite on Geist Reservoir every June, along with another Carolina rig bite on the same lake. Waveland has a very specific and incredible post spawn bite as well, and Monroe has a fall jig bite that is just "money". Chances are there are at least one or two on most any water you might fish. You just need to take the time to figure out what it is, and what conditions trigger that bite to occur.

3. Location: You haven't learned your local water intimately

“Find out everything about [the body of water]. Learn where every weedbed, log, rock, shallow dock, deep dock, sandbars and shellbeds are located. It makes establishing a pattern much easier. If your deep water bite disappears, you already know where shallow weedbeds are located and vice versa. The more knowledge you have, the more opportunities you give yourself.” -Greg Mangus

Have you ever noticed how many guys you draw with in a tourney will take you to some old holes where they just killed them last year? Never mind the different time of year, or a whole different lake level, or the cold front conditions that you're fishing under this year. A lot of guys live and die by "the spot", but there is really no need to. There is always a bite going on somewhere in any tourney, and my theory has always been that if I knew what it was, I could capitalize on it just like the winners did. Trying to understand all those winning patterns though, or to be able to replicate them on a spot other than where the winners fished, requires intimate knowledge of a lake. The more you know about the options in a lake, the easier it is to test and eliminate (or discover) a pattern. If they're not in the weeds, maybe they're on rocks or the docks. Perhaps it's a wood bite going down, or a creek channel or ledge bite happening. How will you ever figure it out if you don't even realize those places exist on your home water?

I read an article once concerning the practice habits of David Fritts, and how many co-anglers that got the opportunity to ride around with him on a practice day would mention that it was the most boring thing you could imagine. The reason was because it wasn't unusual for David to spend hours of practice time just idling around, learning everything he could about where and how the breaks, ledges and points lie in any given section of the lake. He wanted to completely understand the bottom of the lake, as well as be able to identify those very specific and key spots in a lake that held quality fish. Then, and only then, would he fish them.

Speaking of, learning and understanding what your depthfinder is showing you is a huge advantage in understanding a lake. I can't tell you the number of guys I've drawn with high dollar units mounted on their newest rig, but that showed fish symbols when they turned them on. While they're called depthfinders, that doesn't mean that is the only use for them. Things are starting to get a little better in this area now that we have side imaging and down scan, where guys can actually watch the equivalent of a video shot of the bottom of the lake instead of having to interpret a 2-dimensional screen into a 3-dimensional world. Still, for those that can't afford or haven't installed such units on their boats, a better understanding of their traditional sonar units will go a long way in helping them learn their waters in greater detail.

4. Presentation: You worry too much about the details

“It’s like the trunk of a tree. Magic baits, secret lure colors, stuff like that are the tiny outside branches of the tree. Most fishermen dance on branches. They can’t see the big picture for the tiny branches. They worry about changing colors before they know if they’re over fish. The average fisherman spends his time reading about, worrying about, and trying to deal with fine-tuning presentation.” -Mike McClelland

"Color occupies in most fisherman's minds, about 50 percent of their thought process in a given days fishing, and really, it should occupy only about 2 percent. There are many, many things much more important in locating and catching fish than color" -Rick Clunn

Lets face it, most bass anglers are suckers for good marketing. Everyone wants the newest baits, the hottest color, the "best" of whatever it is, thinking that somehow that will make the difference in their bass fishing success. Admit it, how many of you have red hooks, use solunar charts, want a Biosonix/Hydrowave unit, are thinking of buying those UV treated worms, apply scent to baits, bought a "sexy" colored crankbait, or a Strike King KVD 1.5 in black and chartreuse? These are just a few examples, but you get the point. This is the fine tuning that is referenced in the quote.

Yes, there is a time and a place for the finer details, but the trouble is that too many anglers wanting to catch bass are too focused on being able to buy success. If you've ever seen a post on a forum, and there are plenty, that starts out with "what is the best ....", you've just seen a bass angler that is struggling. The fact is that simple, basic systems and colors catch fish, and that your time and efforts can be better spent initially on learning and mastering some of the other critical points mentioned in this article. How many places are there where the bass won't eat a black/blue jig, a green pumpkin soft plastic, or a shad or firetiger crankbait? How about a black or white buzzbait, or a chartreuse and white spinnerbait?

You don't need 6 different brands of square bills, or 23 colors of Sweet Beavers. If you've got a couple well recognized and solid bait types, in a few time tested colors, you're going to catch bass on most waters, most of the time. Those 300+ bass I've caught in the past few weeks have all fallen to a simple $1.00  black jig with either a black or green pumpkin trailer.

The same applies to tackle. Any well popularized rod or reel will get the job done. Same goes for line, boats, or whatever. There is no such thing as "the best" when it comes to bass fishing, unless you are talking about an extremely specific situation. Anything that makes something "the best" in one circumstance, will also make it not as good in another. Again, focusing on the things that matter, those F+L+P components, solidly learning the basic baits and the most common presentations, will take you a long ways before you have to sweat the details of any one particular thing.

5. Personalize: You haven't developed your own approach or style

"I know I'm a long way from greatness, but I am beginning to come at it in my own way. I can go through the basic motions pretty well, don't rely quite as religiously on specific fly patterns as I once did, have worked out ways of compensating for some of my most egregious weaknesses and have come to count heavily on timing because it's a hell of a lot easier to catch fish when the fish are biting." -John Gierach

Finally, what this sport really comes down to is figuring out your own personal style and running with it. There really are no right or wrongs when it comes to fishing approaches. Some days the flippers do well, other days it's the ledge crankers. Power rules under certain conditions, and finesse holds its own on other days. Chances are I could name a style or type of fishing, and you can give me the name of at least a couple pros who have made a great living on just that technique or approach.

Where guys get into trouble is when they start fishing for information. It's a very bad habit that once started is hard to break yourself of. If you're a bent pole pattern guy, you'll never learn to find fish on your own. If you rely on the GPS coordinates of others, you'll suffer the same fate. Sure you'll have your day or two in the sun, but you'll fail miserably when you can't get the goods. If you're always asking others what the bite was, and then going out and fishing that pattern the next day, more than likely you'll always be a day late. Yesterday is over, and tomorrow might bring a completely different bite.

It's fine to study others, and ask questions along the way, but at some point you need to get comfortable with your fishing. You can be a power fisherman, or a worm fisherman, or a topwater fisherman and do just fine most of the time. Be a specialist or a generalist, it doesn't matter. Just pick something and become good at it. Don't worry about what others think of your style, or get swayed by talk of guys whacking them on something completely opposite of what you like to do. There are lots of fish in the lakes, and lots of ways to catch them. Pick something you enjoy doing, or a style that suits your personality, and then spend time asking questions that revolve around that particular aspect of fishing. At that point you're learning as much as you can from others who might have more experience, but it is focused learning, learning with a purpose in mind, not haphazard information overload or fishing for a shortcut.

No matter how big your boat or garage, or how fat your wallet, you simply can't fish everything you might like to in a given trip. You can only effectively fish one rod and reel, and subsequently one bait, at a time. The more options you have at your disposal, the more likely you are to quickly abandon something thinking you're missing out on a bite. When I was tourney fishing, the best partners I could ever draw were guys who were constantly down in the boat changing baits and retying. You should be able to finish this sentence quickly and precisely when asked: "I'm a ------ angler." If you can't, you haven't found your style yet - so keep searching.