The top professional bass anglers have worked their way through the various levels of tournament competition. They achieved that level of success through hard work, understanding bass behavior, and an acute knowledge of the equipment they use.
Professional bass anglers use the same lures that most weekend anglers do. The difference is the professionals’ understanding of bass behavior, the quality of the rods they use, and on the water adjustments that keep them on fish and the bite going.
In today’s society, we tend to always be looking for the quick fix and that magic to get us the results we want instantaneously. Bass anglers want the lure that can be tied on and the fish just hammer it.
Sometimes that happens.
When the Chatterbait, or bladed jig, first crashed onto the bass fishing scene in 2006 it was a perfect example of how pro angler Bryan Thrift had a lure very few other people did.
He won an FLW event on Lake Okeechobee with the strange-looking lure and overnight the orders came clamoring in.
This example is a rare exception in the bass fishing world. Most professional bass anglers have the same lures in their tackle organizers that the average angler does – albeit a lot more of them.
So what makes the difference then? Why are they so good at what they do?
Like anything in life, the answer is not simple, but I will do my best to point you in the right direction, so you too can experience improved success on the water.
Professional Anglers Understand Bass Behavior and Choose Lures Accordingly
For a creature that has a small brain and relies on instincts, bass can take a long time to fully understand.
Knowing when they migrate, how forage patterns change over the year, and what weather conditions do to position bass, are all topics that top anglers understand. The massive amount of on-the-water experience also allows them to keep learning and adjust what they know or thought they knew.
For example, topwater lures are a blast to fish. Anglers of all experience levels relish the explosive strikes a good topwater bite can create.
Most recreational anglers have a favorite topwater or two and likely use them in the mornings and evenings. Bass are more apt to be active in lower light periods and looking for prey.
Pro anglers can take these same lures and use them all day long.
As the sun climbs in the sky, bass position themselves deeper into cover, into shady areas, or sink to the depths to escape the intense light. Bass lack eyelids and bright light can be too much to handle.
Understanding this, pro anglers will grab the appropriate topwater for the job.
If bass are likely embedded in thick matted vegetation, a hollow-body frog will get a workout.
If those finicky largemouth are nestled under docks, then a topwater like a popper can be efficiently worked down the edges of the dock and left sitting to pique the curiosity of those lunkers hiding under there.
These are just two examples, but the understanding of bass behavior and lure selection runs the gamut of every possible bait you can find at your tackle retailer. It comes down to the right tool for the job or situation.
Professional Bass Anglers Use Quality Rods and the Right Rod for the Lure
Rod sensitivity is key to knowing what is happening under the water.
Price-point rods are made from a lower quality blank and are heavier than the top-end models. The result is less ability to accurately know what is happening.
The best pros can fish a lure on the bottom of a lake or river and tell you exactly what type of bottom composition that lure is coming through. They will know the difference between chunk rock and pea gravel, sand and silt, and even be able to tell you when there is the smallest piece of vegetation hanging on their lure.
The same lure the average bass angler buys will tell a pro angler so much more information just because of the difference in rod quality.
The good news is, there are lots of great rods in that $90-$120 range. While these are still expensive, there is not the need to drop $500 on a rod.
Pro Anglers Can Make On-the-Water Adjustments With Their Lures
This is the most challenging aspect of bass fishing.
No bite ever keeps going that long. The conditions are always changing and pro anglers are able to sense when things are different and adjust.
In the morning, there may be clouds, wind, and a low-pressure system that keeps bass active and moving about. Lures that cover water, like crankbaits and swimbaits, are great choices in these types of conditions.
But if the sun comes out and a high-pressure system sets in later in the day, those same bass are going to push towards the bottom or hunker up in thick cover.
New lures are needed for the situation. Pro anglers will adjust the tools they are using. During a high-pressure system, savvy pros may switch to finesse tactics like a shaky head or a drop shot and put down the horizontally presented lures they were using earlier.
Final Thoughts
Once in a great while, there is a secret lure that some select pro anglers may have that we don’t – but not very often.
They make their living with the same lures that most anyone can buy at any time.
It’s how they use those lures that make the difference. The in-depth understanding of bass behavior, a quality rod, and the ability to adjust to ever-changing conditions are what make these top-notch anglers so good.
The great thing about bass fishing is the more experience the better we get. Time on the water is the ultimate teacher and before long you can be making magic happen with those same lures.
I’m confident you can.
Good luck out there, be safe and make sure to encourage someone today. You never know how you may change their life forever.
Isaiah 6:8
