I have no idea how many of the pros you rode with during the TTBC, but I rode with three of them. Not only did they not have waypoints, they didn't even know where they could run. I did ask Mark Rose and Jason Christie why they were fishing the spots they were and both said they were just on points in front of spawning coves. Greg Hackney on day two said he was just running bank looking to catch a fish big enough to win a truck. He was fishing Little Caney and asked me twice if it was ok to run where we were.

In 7 years of riding with them in the TTBC two things are common. They all say that fishing memories is a sure way to lose. Also that info doesn't mean much. They like to let the fish tell them what to do . The info they do like is from others in their group of a elite pros they hang out with. It's tough out there to make it alone. Most have a small group that helps each other find a pattern that had a chance of at least cashing a check.

Info is also a good way to get help losing. It cuts both ways .

Great article and having had the opportunity to fish with Brent in the Pro-Am it was obvious he had no way points he would be running up the lake and see something on his map like a creek channel and follow it for miles zigging and zagging back and forth pointing out what he saw. He mentioned to us that he had caught several good ones the day before in 35 feet of water and he had no idea they lived that deep on Fork. We spent about half of our 3 hour tournament time just riding around looking it was pretty cool.

for the average spare weekend guy like me, i think waypoints are good and bad. i'm not a big fan of tournament fishing, but it is very cool to see a guy go to fork or any lake with limited or no information and do well. it shows that they can read the conditions and execute. that kind of intuitiveness is a trait that all successful people hold.

personally when i go fishing, i always getted trapped in hitting "my spots". too often i leave the lake not loading the boat with fish. this is a great lesson in going blind, just reading the maps and conditions to know where fish should be holding. reading this gives me more confidence, albeit possilbly stupid bull-headed confidence, in looking at a shallow or deep water spot and fishing the conditions.

the good pro guys go on instinct, and it is paying off. i plan to employ this same kind of instinct when hitting the lake next time the ramps open around DFW.