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Pro Staff Question - What Can I Do To Become A Better Bass Fisherman
Dennis "The Fishin Professor" Bryant's Answer
Eric,
Thank you for your very unique inquiry and for coming to me for direction!
With your age, your current full realization of your Bass-fishing abilities and an obviously intense desire for advancement in the sport, I'd feel honored to be able to give you an idea of where to go (closer to home) for a chance to advance your knowledge of the sport ~ without breaking your bank.
Like a wise man once said: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step".
3 Steps To Becoming A Better Bass Fisherman
First:
Learn all you can about Bass.
Read, read and then read some more!
The public library (and probably the one at the college as well) is loaded with books and periodicals advising all who read them.
The "how-to's," the "where-to's," and the "when-to's"; about fishing for Bass can all be found at the library.
Gain a good insight on the basics of fishing for Bass.
Online, there are hundreds of additional sources.
You've found and used a pretty darned good one already: "Bass On Hook .Com".
Check out some of the current & archived articles written by the professional anglers here.
Some of the old, "Pro's Q & A's," are pretty useful resources as well.
Second:
Time to put what you've learned to use on and around the water.
Use the firsthand knowledge of those that already know some of the ins & outs of the game.
There are a thousand different ways to do that.
But allow me to recommend one that will really give you a jump-start!
Join A Local Bass Club
No matter where you live in the US there's a club to fit your budget, located near to you.
A local fishing club (preferably one affiliated with the Bass Federation) is a pretty good spot to start.
Local Club Tournaments are a great way to hone your skills (and pretty inexpensive by comparison).
Watch & learn the various techniques of every man you fish with in the club.
You can learn one thing from every one of them ~ Good or bad!
Use the good and learn to avoid the bad techniques!
Some will work for you, and some won't.
But you won't know which is which until you use them yourself!
When you get good enough at it someone is sure to invite you to join them at an Open Tournament or two.
It's a chance to "play for pay"!
It's the next, obvious step up the ladder!
It's a whole different kind of tournament environment ~ scary and fun at the same time!
Third:
Hone Your Bass Fishing Skills By Becoming A Co-Angler
After you've had a chance to try out and really learn the basics of tournament fishing, then you can seriously consider being a "CO-Angler" in one of the national tournament circuits.
There, you'll be able to further advance your knowledge by learning firsthand the techniques that the "Pro's" use.
Applications are available for all of the tournament circuits online at or near the end of the calendar year for the upcoming year's tournaments.
That's when you'll really begin to pay to play the game.
If you've patiently followed the first two steps and learned your lessons well you're just a hop, skip and a jump away from the "big game".
I've taken the liberty of linking to the Oklahoma BASS Federation.
I'm sure that current President would be more than happy to steer you toward one or more Federation Affiliated Bass Clubs in your immediate area.
I hope that this information I've given you today helps you out at least a little!
Good Luck in your quest!
Good Fishin'!
Dennis Bryant
The Fishin' Professor!
