By the way Todd, you make the best educational videos out, I learned alot from you and I am 56 years old, but in shape, I got to hurry up and start doing better, thank you young man
dude, Thank You!!!! top water, crank, chatterbait, CRig and i ALWAYS FISH A SWIM JIG after watching your success. Agreed tough question, but you picked out the essential information that we wanted no NEEDED to either validate what we thought or point us a great way to start when we hit the water. Appreciate your insight more than I can say. Tight Lines brother!!!!!
Todd, loved the video. I’ve been wanting a technical pro like yourself to do a video on “Fishing Clean” or “Why pros lose less fish”. I feel like that is such an overlooked skill that the top guys have mastered. Of course you’ll lose one here and there, but you lose and break off way less than I do. I think it would be a great opportunity to breakdown some of your fish landing to talk about what you are doing and why. Thanks Todd
I don’t tournament fish and have no desire to do so but I like catching fish. First thing in the morning on a lake I know or new water I’ll grab a walking bait, frog, but usually if it’s open water it’ll be a glide bait. Caught a 5 in the first 10 minutes on the water last week. Followed the glide and I hit it with a D-Bomb bass in my hand. It just seems fairly obvious? If the first thing you grab is a Texas rig for your first cast you really need to evaluate what you’re doing unless you’re catching them right off the rip then carry on.
Great info Todd!!! I think it goes a little deeper with the weather cond.,water quality,and water temp. In chosing the proper power fishing bait. Just because there not hitting a buzzbait does not mean you cant get em on a spook,or some times they want a spinner bait and wont touch a swimbait.Knowing what bait to use in the conditions and cover you are fishing is a key piece to the puzzle.Knowing when to slow down is also a big key.Thanks for sharing with us.
I think more than anything you have taught me the importance of the 5 best you can catch...not catching 20. I bet most of us think a team that brings a winning stringer in caught the heck out of them. Often times you really don't catch a ton...but you fish for the right 5
I get why not to use a TX rig, but what makes the CRig different? What am I doing wrong with that? I think of both of them as slower presentations, never thought of CRig to cover water
I was fishing Red Man (BFL) and the BASS Federation in the late 80’s. I was catching a limit every day and was last in or first out in every event I fished. Conversational wisdom was you caught a limit and then tried to cull. I analyzed the standings, did the math # of fish and average weight per fish. In 1990 I had an epiphany, targeting bigger fish brought my average weight per fish up more than average # down. Enough so that 4 outweighed what 5 of what I had been catching. I made the Classic in 1991! I fish a jig a lot and don’t finesse fish. Catching a limit is highly overrated fish for the fish that a limit will give you a good shot of winning! So basically what you said, great advice.
Dude… you gave up so much tournament strategy juice in this one. You probably should’ve released this one on the members only. Good work. Keep them coming.
My lakes that we fish in Ohio, are so over pressured that moving baits rarely work especially in the summer time. I'm not saying you can't get bit on top water, but tournaments here are usually won going finesse and slowing down. Often times 5 12 inch fish win the tournament. Ohio sucks lol
I really enjoyed the way you broke this down. I’m a long time BFL angler & had some success over the years but have not done as well as I think I should be doing at this stage in my Fishing. I’m a moving bait power fishing guy & always cover water in practice but there was something different about this video that was eye opening to me. Got me thinking about things in a different way. I echo some these guys comments. That’s a lot more of the 1 day anglers watching your content than the guys fishing 3-4 day events. This was a good “Back to Basics” type video in my opinion. A broad group can benefit from this one! Appreciate it & Congrats on AOY’s👍
I love watching your videos, as a first year tournament angler, fishing BFLs as a co and local stuff as a boater, I’ve learned a lot from you and Upshaw. I can’t wait to see you keep up the daily uploads. Thanks Todd!
Man Todd that video was so good on so many levels,so juice,answered to a T,the Texas rig deal is something I've never thought of,really good stuff brother thanks for the knowledge 👊
Great video. Appreciate you sharing your thoughts/opinion some foundational guidance on finding & catching fish. Keep making these kinds of videos they are really helpful 👍🏻
You put more information out in this short video then I learned in my first 10 years! 😂 now in my 60’s it is a bit easier! However physically I can’t do it for long.. pay attention and ignore the minutia out there..
I find myself stopping to fish couple docks but end up fishing the whole cove thinking the next one maybe, or that one over there next thing u know I've waisted 1 1/2/2 hrs
Thanks Todd. I still have a huge issue. I will throw 20 different things, whatever I thought they might bite. But I never know if it's the right way, so I'm constantly second guessing myself.
Do you still take the same approach when you are only fishing for 5 bites a day? I fish the Ohio River mainly and most tournaments you are lucky to get 5 bites all day.
Todd, you are an absolute wealth of deep bass fishing knowledge. This video put a lot of thoughts I had into words. Excellent video. It is like people are afraid to power fish.
For not knowing how to answer you absolutely nailed it. I watch your videos and try to apply what you say to how I fish. This was the first time that I felt like you were only talking to me. Your finesse description of fishing is EXACTLY how I like to fish. You definitely opened my eyes. Maybe I thought you were talking to me cuz that was my comment that you showed. A fan for life!
Damn you are smart, I am going to start throwing topwater, I used to throw lucky craft Sammy , I guess I will bring him back out, and thunder cricket , I keep C-rig and jerkbait year around on Pickwick
Finesse techniques make sense where 'fish are set up', or in other words, the fish anticipate that smaller forage in sufficient quantities will approach them. Instead of the fish needing to approach the forage. And sure, finesse fish could be categorized as feeding fish, of a more juvenille variety (as opposed to predatory fish who are large enough to hunt their prey down in darkness, and to rest up in places in day time). It's really that, more than anything else which underpins 'power fishing' method. The reality that one fishes tournaments in day light mostly, and it's a decent bet you want to target some specimens who are non-feeders at that time. The reason that predators take all kinds of lures, has very little to do, with an idea those fish think it is food. It's a far safer bet to think, that the lure unlocks some recent memory or instinct of the fish. Of it's most recent feeding window. However, the lure itself doesn't have to mimick food as such.
My Tuesday night summer tournaments are from 6pm-9pm. 3hrs to catch 14" minimum 5 fish limit! I'm fishing out of a 14ft custom tiny boat competing against guys in $70,000 Rangers with $6,000 in electronics. Best bag I've had this summer is 3 fish. I still finish mid pack each week. My goal is to have a 5 fish limit night before end of season. I already won a Big bass of night this yr. First year competition fishing and just having fun and learning. Thanks for this vid!
I’m completely on board! If there’s anyone out there that wants to improve their fishing skills and their mental game they should be listening to you! If not then they are just falling behind..
Would you apply this scenario, on florida lakes as well, Todd? I throw swimjigs alot. I just can't seem to get any bites on a chatterbait. I'm going to try, the spunk shad on my chatterbait.
By the way Todd, you make the best educational videos out, I learned alot from you and I am 56 years old, but in shape, I got to hurry up and start doing better, thank you young man
Great video as always. Agree on throwing a moving bait to catch them. In a tournament as a co if my boater is throwing a walking bait I usually throw a Caffeine shad nose hooked. I may dd a small nail weight in the middle of the bait to allow it to sink a little faster that way I can work it quicker just under the surface. Also can swap quickly to a wacky worm on the same set up. Compact spinner bait, Thunder Cricket, or swimjig/swimbait is always tied on. 1/2 oz structure jig is always tied on usually a green pumpkin and adjust colors and actions with my trailer. Drop shot is again always tied but if I need to cover water behind my boater I drag and work it quicker then just shaking in one spot unless I am targeting brush etc.
I think you gave a great summary of your channel. If someone is really interested in this all they have to do is watch your drops. Over the years you've given us these very examples, time and time again.
Great video! I use a drop shot like you do the Carolina rig. I cast it and cover lots of water and with ffs you can see fish to throw at. You just have to figure out which ones are bass!
It so crazy man I just came up with the same conclusion for my self fishing this week, I have been wasting time Texas rigging while the best crankbait bite I have seen in years was going on right under my nose. I put up my trig rods and haven't looked back. Once again your telling it in the real world man.
