I pre-fish to determine what (tools) baits best to use on that lake. Like the water color, if boat dock, grass, offshore fishing.etc.

I just put about $200 worth of petrol in my boat and just go fish as much water as I can and try and make them eat my confidence baits.
If that doesn't work, I will mix it up a bit and try other techniques until I can figure a little something out.


Make it fun and interesting, why turn fishing into work?

Return the day after the tournament, and catch nothing under 3 lbs

I would like to try new places on lakes I already know if I decided to prefish, if not, then stick them the usual way!

Just save yourself some misery and dont do it at all.

Scout for poop spots just in case

Exactly!

Eliminate dead water or unproductive areas.

Nice to know that I am not the only one thinking ahead.

This really is never a issue unless I add a bit of snuff after the mornings coffee. Either one and I am just fishing under pressure when combined I get that "deer in the headlights" glaze and thank God for 101 lbs of thrust....oh and my trolling motor hauls butt too.

I want to see the quality of Bass that are there so not sticking a fish is not in my play book.

This could also change on a slot lake tourn..

On a normal practice day and a lake like Amistad; the top water bite is a must have.

- Top water until I catch, loose, see blow up of one good tourn. Bass and move quickly to the next spot. I try my best to check 3 top water spots on practice morning in the first hour and determine which one will be the starting point for the tourn..

- Heavy cover pitching, flipping, spinner bait and crank bait areas are my next stop. I usually give 3 hours to these shallow water spots. Again I am fishing a spot until one good Bass is caught, lost, or blows up as a indicator. Try to get to 3 spots.

- Deep grass or deep contours will get 3 hours to check 3 spots.
Baits of choice are the heavy drop shot for the grass and Light C-Rig dragging with the wind on the contours that are holding Bass. If deep grass is present then that is what I will fish for the big Bass. If no grass is present then I will fish the contours.

I'd much rather go into a tournament with nothing to go on and look forward to then having the fish found and they won't bite or have moved off. Destroying your confidence, then you panic. I try to put something together, but if I can't, or things don't work, I just go fishing and it has worked out well for me.

Im the exact same way coffee alone bad but not serious butt coffee then snuff and about 10 minutes im hunkered down on the shoreline sweating!!!! LOL

I won't fish a spot unless I've hooked up w/ a minimum of 3 fish in the area. You can catch a straggler dang near anywhere and that doesn't constitute the presence of a pattern or presence of any numbers. Depending on what tournament I'm pre-fishing for changes the way I approach the situation though. BassChamps, I'll go out and fish as many spots as possible and determine where numbers are and where quality is... Every so often, you find quality with numbers and your in biz! If its an everstart and have access to water up to the day of fishing, I'll fish several days before and hopefully find some fish that are active and take the day before the tourney to relax and get gear together. Obviously we all have our systems that work best for us and there are endless ways to approach your days on the water leading into competition. Most of all I have found that you have to get your head right! Can't be out there day dreaming about 2 legged deer or an issue that you may have left at the house...

Don't expect the fish you found the previous day to be there the next day or at least not hitting the same bait. I can't tell you how many times I found fish on practice day only to go back and nothing is there. Sometimes they are there and other times, gone!

Do scout out the lake and look for classic fish holding areas for the time of year, weather conditions and lake conditions. Make a few casts with confidence baits. If you get a bite try to "shake it off" and move to the next spot.

I personally do not go to other peoples spots just to sore mouth their fish. But I only fish small club tournaments I might do different if there was big money on the line.