Story by Hunter Sales
As a college fishing coach, I find myself talking about the mental side of bass fishing more than most people. Our sport rewards winning. You can have a long career through consistency, but those who enjoy the most financial success have wins under their belts. At every tournament weigh-in you hear anglers talking about “swinging for the fences.” Sometimes this is true, but more often than not it’s an excuse for poor performance. Let’s talk about what “swinging for the fences” (a.k.a. “going for broke” or “going for the win”) actually looks like.
To win an event, you have to either out-perform everyone at the technique you’re utilizing or find an area that no one else finds. Finding an area to yourself in today’s information-laced world is pretty unlikely. It happens, but in a multi-day event, it’s rare. To out-perform everyone at a technique, it needs to be something you’re better at than most competitors.
For example, on Douglas Lake, I opted to stay out deep even though the shallow bite was very strong. I have won way more money out deep on Douglas than by fishing shallow and feel that was my best chance to beat people. During the 2025 Championship on Lake Hartwell, I opted to fish for herring-eaters even though the bite was better on the bank. I didn’t like my chances to win the tournament on the bank, but thought that if the stars aligned, I could win playing the herring game.
My advice to my college team is that if you’re doing the same thing that everyone else is doing, you’re often going to finish where everyone else finishes. Fishing your strength gives you the greatest chance to win an event. This isn’t how you should fish if you’re trying to have the most consistent season, but most people that win an event are utilizing a bait or approach in which you have the most confidence. As a tournament angler, the key is knowing if it’s realistic that your approach could result in a win or not. If it seems unlikely to be able to catch five better than average fish for three days, sometimes your best bet is to run the prominent pattern and fish well enough to cash a check.
Personally, I have the most confidence when fishing offshore or with big baits. If I can make either of these patterns result in catching a few kicker fish in practice, I have the confidence to go all-in on these approaches regardless of what the rest of the field may be uncovering. For me, “swinging for the fences” means pushing all the chips to the center of the table on an approach that I have a lot of confidence in. I often hear people refer to “swinging for the fences” in reference to fishing new water, a random bait, or some other shot-in-the-dark approach. In my experience, the odds of the gambles paying off in a win are astronomically low. The solution: do what you know how to do, in areas where you know it has worked in the past.
These thoughts are not just my own. They’re a result of years of experience and conversations with top professionals and proven winners. I’m always interested in hearing new theories on the mental side of fishing. Let’s keep sharpening our skills, expanding our toolbox, and waiting on the right opportunity to grab a win!
Hunter Sales – Angler Profile
