Swimbaits Part 1: Getting Started

For some anglers swimbaits are nothing new but for many, its still a mystery. Sure, if you live near a trout-infested Southern California fishery you have been seeing swimbaits fly for 20+ years. What about the guy in Arkansas or Tennessee, in some of these places the bass have yet to see a single swimbait. For years anglers have believed that swimbaits simply wouldn’t work in their local lakes.
Using such a big bait was surely reserved for Texas, California, or Mexico. Time (and tournament results) are quickly proving that this simply isn’t true.
For those of you who still have yet to see great success with a swimbait these next few videos are for you. We’re going to take it from the ground up. This first video discusses the mindset you will need and the equipment you should take out on your first day. For step 1 (getting the bait in the water and gaining some confidence) I really don’t recommend buying new equipment. Use what you currently have available to you for the time being.

As this week rolls on check the website regularly for the next few videos in the series. I’ll be discussing where to fish, when to fish, and how to take care of the fish once you get them in your hands.
There are still a handful of videos to be filmed in this series so if you have questions that you would like addressed please offer your suggestions. Afterall, the purpose of this site is to answer YOUR questions and to help YOU catch more and bigger bass on your next trip to the lake.

Goals for 2011

The new year is fast approaching. To the average angler its a time to remember a few good days, a few bad days, and to wonder what next year will be like. To the studious angler however, this is a time for great reflection.
Whether you are a business man, an employee, a hunter, or a fisherman the importance of goal setting is universal.
If you are serious about your angling the ending of a year is a time for reflection, change, and renewal. Were you happy with the past season? What went right, wrong, good, or bad and what can you do to improve in the future?
A fisherman without goals is just fun fishing. When you set goals and put them on paper they become concrete. You now have something to weigh yourself against and to measure your progress. This is KEY to growing and developing each year.

After watching the video you get a feel for some of my goals. I want this year to be better than last year. Don’t misunderstand, I’m greatful for every fish I have caught. Every two pounder is appreciated and enjoyed just like the 5 pounders and 10 pounders, but my eye stays on the prize. My goals are not finalized, they’ll be modified over the next week. When they are finalized I will respond back here with them in the comments section.
So, what are you goals for 2011? How do you want it to differ from 2010? Post a comment and share. What species do you pursue and what do you want to catch? Is it a specific size, a specific number, or is it just a species you’ve never caught before? Whatever it is, its important to get it in writing. If that writing is in a public place (tacticalbassin) then you are even more apt to be successful. Note, I’m not sharing my goals in order to brag (I haven’t caught the 15 lber in 2011 yet) but by sharing it with you I become accountable and even more likely to succeed.
On that note, let the goal setting begin. I look forward to reading all of your goals and dreams in the coming weeks.

Gary Dobyns: Passion wins tournaments

Over the next few weeks I plan to do a series on the mindset behind winners. It doesn’t matter if you’re out to win a tournament, catch a trophy bass, or just make it big amongst your friends. No matter what your goal, preparing your mind to win is a huge part of consistently coming out on top. In this video Gary Dobyns talks about his win at the 2009 US Open, the most prestigious tournament on the west coast.
What does it take to win the biggest tournament in the West? What makes one angler so much better than the rest of the field on a given day? Was it preparation, some secret spot no one else knows about, or is there something more? The first aspect of a “winning mindset” that we will discuss is PASSION.
Listen to what Gary has to say about the US Open but as you hear it listen to the underlying theme. Though Gary never used the word “passion”, it is woven through everything he says. After you’ve watched the video consider if you have that kind of passion. Would you be willing to do what it takes, whatever it takes, to win?

If you want to consistently win and don’t have passion you need to develop it before you take another step into the bass fishing arena. While passion is only one aspect of a successful angler it is incredibly important! Watch for a few more videos on this topic in the weeks to come.

One Simple Way To Catch More Fish

If you’ve ever had trouble patterning fish or struggled to remember how you caught fish last year, this post is for you! We’ve all been there, you wake up feeling a little too confident and decide to just “wing it”. After all, you “whacked ‘em” last year. Little do you realize, you only “whacked ‘em” on sunny days before the fish went prespawn, and unfortunately… spring came early this year. The extra pep in your step quickly disappears as you settle into a tough day on the water, finding that fish aren’t where you had expected. Luckily, situations like this are avoidable. High caliber fisherman across the country employ this tactic to pattern fish and plan their days fishing.

This is just one, simple, tactic to improve you’re fishing. The best way to improve will always be time spent on the water, keeping records only helps you get the most out of those precious hours.
What else has helped you improve your fishing? Leave a comment below, I’d love to hear your story!