Bass Tournament Tips From the Pros

written by Evan Anderson

Competition is one of the best ways to improve your skills in anything, and bass fishing is no exception. On this episode of Sweetwater, hosts Joey Nania and Miles Burghoff head out in two different directions in their Nitro boats on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in Florida for some friendly competition. Using some standard tournament rules, the two competitive anglers test each other’s skills while giving us some of the best tips for fishing in a tournament.

BAITS AND COVERING WATER

When fishing a tournament, it’s important to cover as much water as you can in a short amount of time. “The Zman DieZel MinnowZ is a really good way to do that and find the fish-holding areas,” says Burghoff as he sets up his rod for the day. “It’s got the perfect profile, a ton of action, and it cuts through the grasses so well.”

Nania decides to go a different route, choosing the Zman CrosseyeZ Snakehead Swim Jig which, due to its unique design, allows it to cut through the grass exceptionally well. He also likes that his jig has colors that mimic the bluegill, a favorite prey of bass in the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes.

ENGAGE YOUR SENSES

Nania makes his first stop at Tiger Lake near the mouth of the canal and begins working the reed patches. “I’m going to be looking for good hard bottom if I’m going to find spawning fish,” he says as he casts his Zman bait and retrieves it through the reeds. A sound catches his attention. “Something just blew up back there,” he says, casting in the direction of the noise, “You can tell, there’s a difference in a gar popping. You see that long shape and hear a snap on the surface. But when you hear that “BOOSH!”, that’s a bass.”

Nania also watches the reeds like a hawk, looking for any sign of movement, made easy with his Wiley X sunglasses that cut down on the glare. He’s looking for anything, a subtle movement of a reed or a ripple gliding on the surface, anything that will give him an indication that there is a fish in there. Paying attention to those details and engaging all your senses will help you better locate and distinguish between the different fish in the area.

EFFICIENCY IS KEY

Using your time efficiently is important for tournament fishing, especially toward the end of the day. “You really want to push it to the limit and utilize every single second,” says Burghoff. Covering water and engaging all your senses will help you be more efficient.

Knowing bass, or whatever fish you’re pursuing, behavior will also help you be efficient with your time. For example, Burghoff misses a strike from a bass at one point and immediately sends his bait back at it, knowing that “post-spawn males get really aggressive when they’re guarding their babies.” Because he’s done his research, he can predict how the fish will react at different times of the year.

As the two anglers regroup at the end of the day, the winner is decided. They chose to compete for most fish, biggest fish, and best overall weight (the weight of all the fish added together). Nania won the most fish, having caught 12 bass, as well as best overall weight, but Burghoff won the biggest fish with a bass that weighed in at 3.35 lbs.

When discussing measuring fish, Nania reminds the audience to measure the length of the bass with the mouth closed and to fan the tail out, not pinch it, because that is how they measure in tournaments.

To see these tips in action on this episode of Sweetwater watch the full episode below. Follow @sweetwatertv, @joeyfishing, and @sonarfishing on Instagram for more Sweetwater content as well as @waypointfish, @waypointboating, and @waypointtv.