Fishing Fast Or Fishing Slow

[Sprint21fter]

Fishing slow or fishing fast?

In tournaments today everyone is wanting a good limit in their livewell. How do most of try to get that

limit? Do we KVD by covering alot of water by fishing reaction baits? Do we Jim Bitter fish by soaking a worm in one place for several minutes?

Let the discussion begin.

[T-RockJaws]

Most of the time, I prefer the slow worm method. However, there are times when conditions can push me to cover a lot of water with the reaction baits.

[MstStudent10]

There is a time and place for everything. If the fish want fast moving lures, by all means, give it to them. When they are on, that is the easiest way to get a limit Fast. If they are going to eat a spinnerbait, crankbait, buzzbait, etc pretty good, then nothing is easier than to blaze along and make as many casts and cover as much water as you can in order to present your lure to as many fish as possible.. Let the fish tell you what they want.

The problem is that many people don't know when to say enough is enough, and just have it in their blood that they have to speed along and 1 or 2 casts is sufficient enough to a particular area...

For example, lets say the weekend before a tournament I was really smacking them in a particular area (such as a certain cove, or channel swing, or an isolated series of boat docks)... So during the tournament I roll up, make 1 or 2 casts to this particular dock, don't catch anything, so I just blaze along and forget about "said dock". I know WAY too many people with that mentality... So if you absolutely know there are fish there, then theres no problem with slowing way down and coaxing those fish to bite. Contrary to what some people believe, a bass won't travel a quarter mile plus for some stupid reason. A lot of times they probably won't even travel a hundred yards. Bass are lazy like any other creature. They will find the closest spot available to them that appeals to their desires at the time... So if you caught a couple keepers lately at a spot like a boat dock or channel swing, don't be afraid to break out the shakey head worm, or smaller jig, or whatever, and probe those spots to death. I have gotten limits off of one medium sized boat dock by literally blanketing it with cast after cast with shakey heads or slower moving jigs... even after other guys had pulled up before me, made the traditional 2-3 casts into the stalls and left. So if you know without a shadow of a doubt there are fish in close proximity to a certain area, slow down and give them what they want.

Another tip for "knowing the fish are there"... If you have a GREAT spring spot, where the bass were just stacked up and you smoked them...(referring back to the bass minimize travel)... During the summertime, look for the typical "summer spots" that are closest to or in close proximity to that GREAT spring spot you found earlier in the yr. Those bass didn't travel miles, so most likely they'll be at those summer spots close by, and visa versa. Don't be afraid to slow down and probe an area when you know the fish are there...

Ok my book is done!