Story by Todd Goade | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
There are thousands of up-and-coming anglers in our sport, and one thing you hear from a lot of people is about how versatile they are. While that’s a great quality to have, when you get to the highest levels of bass fishing, you see that the guys who are successful have maybe one or two techniques where they really thrive.
That’s why I think versatility is a little overrated. Here are a few examples:
Now, I’m not saying, “You only need to worry about flipping and don’t ever do anything else.” But when you look at guys like Greg Hackney and Jason Christie, those guys have techniques that, if all else fails, they know they can rely on to catch some fish no matter where they are, and the two NPFL events they won this year showcased just that.
If you get in the boat with me this fall in Tennessee on Douglas Lake, you’d see that I would probably have a topwater, crankbait, a jig and a Side Piece from Pulse Fish on my deck. Whereas a guy like Hunter Sales is only going to have three rods on his deck: two minnow style baits and a drop shot.
The guys that are really good at a couple of techniques usually go around looking for good spots to throw that bait. Instead of figuring out what the fish wanted to bite, they catch them on what they want to catch them on.
When you’re trying to figure out what your go-to technique is, it might have something to do with the part of the country you grew up in. If you were raised in Florida, you might have grown up pitching and flipping. In Tennessee you might have grown up throwing a crankbait or a jig. In places like Missouri, you probably are good with a jerkbait and a wobble head.
I don’t think you have to search for your favorite technique because you might already have it in you due to where you grew up.
I do consider myself versatile, and I feel like I can catch them on lots of different baits depending on what part of the country we travel to. However, if money is on the line and I need a bite, I’m throwing a jig or a shaky head. Fishing those two baits for me is a combination of growing up in East Tennessee and living on Lake Lanier for 20 years. I learned tricks with a shaky head at Lanier that I have applied all over the country. What I’ve learned by jig fishing in Tennessee, gets me bites everywhere.
College kids always ask me what they need to do to become a professional angler. I tell them that there’s so many talented young anglers out there that it really comes down to what’s between the ears more than anything. Have confidence in what you’re doing and don’t try to do too much.
If you’re fishing a tournament somewhere new, don’t get caught up in the dock talk. I think anglers that really trust their own instincts and the baits they have confidence in have an advantage over everyone else and usually beat half of the field before they put the boat in the water.
What’s your go to technique? If you see me out and about, let me know!
Tight Lines!
Todd Goade – Angler Profile
