Lost In a Sea of Information
by Adam Johnson

My partner in a bass tournament was asking me why I was picking the particular location I was in and why I was using the lure I had on.  I explained to him that the formula I use is one I devised after I earned an Aquatics Biology degree.  I learned that a particular species will be in a specific location based on certain criteria that has to do with the fish’s biology as well as outside forces, such as weather, current, and other influences.  Since I put a huge priority on finding fish to achieve angling success there was little doubt that my education would push me towards the equation I call, Setting Up The Profile.

I explained to my co-angler in that bass tournament that the spring spawning transition was over and that the largemouth we were chasing on that reservoir would now be feeding aggressively and they would be stationed in their mid-depth ambush locations.

The vegetation in the reservoir was sparse in the main basin and not much heavier in the backwaters.  Since the big bass had not been pushed out into the deeper water by warm shallow-water temperatures I knew we could find fish on the first sharp dropoff where there was some hard bottom, like boulder, cobblestone or shale.  As it turned out there were also some fish on some clay-bottom breaklines.

The forage base on this reservoir was shad.  This led me towards a shad-shaped crankbait in a black-backed silver pattern.  I needed a lure that would dive to 12 to 14 feet so I picked a rod that was spooled with a fine-diameter superline.  The fine-diameter superline means the lure can run deeper with less line drag, and you still have the insurance of a line with a stout test-pound strength.  The best of both worlds.

Now if those bass would have been schooled and holding tightly to some structure or cover I would have used a scented-plastic-tipped jig.  You use crankbaits when the fish are spread out and you need to cover some ground.  Jigs are great when the fish are holding tight in heavy cover in groups.

With this example you can see there are a few variables that can change dramatically where a particular species will be.  It’s easy to get lost in a sea of knowledge where you constantly question yourself.  This, as it turns out, was what prompted the question from my co-angler.  He explained that he reads all the articles and watches all the shows.  He seems to think that one angler will tell you one thing and another the exact opposite.  He is constantly scratching his head wondering which program is right, when in fact they probably both are, but only when you consider the different conditions.

I’ll give you another example.  I was watching a show where the anglers were dragging live-bait rigs around in 30-feet of water for walleyes.  They made it sound like the walleyes were always at 30 feet and this technique never failed.  Which means a lot of novice anglers, after watching this show, will head out to their local lake and drag live-bait rigs around in 30 feet and never catch a thing and wonder why.  It could be there is no oxygen at that depth due to a thermocline.  It could be that the spawn has pushed all the walleyes into the shallows.  There are a lot of reasons you won’t find walleyes deep.  But when you do, a live-bait rig can really generate bites.

My point is that you can get lost in that sea of information and end up frustrated and skeptical, unless you balance the knowledge with a profile of the species and surrounding conditions.  Let me outline a basic profile.

First, look at where the species you’re after is relative to their transition periods.  These would be spawn, post-spawn transition, stable period, fall transition, cold-water period.  All of these periods put your species into specific locations.  Know what they are.

Next, look at the body of water you’re fishing in relation to forage base, available cover, maximum depth, and water visibility.  This will determine your presentation.

Look at the weather conditions to see how you will pace your presentation.  During stable weather use a more aggressive approach.  During wildly changing weather patterns or on the apex of a cold front consider a more subtle presentation.

Using the habits of the species in conjunction with the biology of the body of water you’re on and the current weather conditions can put you into a situation where you can decipher what is most probable when it comes to that species you’re chasing and set up the right program to catch them.  Then all that information and knowledge you’re gaining from reading the articles and watching the shows will make sense.  Then you will realize that the pro-anglers your read and watch are talking about something working because all the variables point to that being the presentation that should work.

 So my partner and I caught some nice bass that day.  We didn’t win but finished in a respectable position.  He wasn’t disappointed that we were just out of the money because he thought he was rewarded by his lesson on Setting Up the Profile and now he can easily navigate that huge sea of fishing information we have at our disposal.

To contact Adam visit his web site at www.adamjohnsonoutdoors.com