A bass fishing tournament can bring out the best and worst in people. Just like any sporting contest you’ll have those who simply won’t hear of defeat while others are simply happy to be there to enjoy the outing.

Which category do you fall under? Professional bass fishing tournaments aside, competing in contests open to amateur anglers is certainly no picnic if you are serious about making an impact and walking away with any of the prizes.

Angler vs. Bass

There is plenty of pressure in a bass fishing tournament for those anglers competing but did you ever give any thought to the fact the bass being hunted also feel the pressure?

It’s something many anglers overlook. Bass a predators by nature and are pretty smart fish as well. When a crowd suddenly converges on a lake or waterway somewhere in large numbers, they are going to make some extra noise.

Bass can sense that somehow they are now the ones being hunted and this is what separates a good angler from an average one. On a waterway that is not used to high, concentrated activity for most of the year and then suddenly plays host to hundreds of fishermen under tournament conditions, the impact on fish biting can be quite dramatic.

For tournaments run over several days, it’s a given just about everyone will catch a fish of some description on the first day. But things can taper off significantly over the following days simply because the bass are responding to the pressure being applied to them.

A good angler will start to change things up a bit; use different bait… use natural looking bait, try a combination of slow retrieve and provocation tactics, change spots, take note of where they are getting most of their bites, be careful not to make too much noise or even throwing their shadows over their targeted areas.

In other words, when the biting slows down to a trickle these anglers have back up plans they put into motion. They won’t always work but it’s a case of patience and perseverance and while others are considering heading back to shore for some light refreshment, these guys and gals simply don’t give up.

In most cases, that’s what separates a successful angler from an average one during a bass fishing tournament. The ability to up the pressure on a fish which is already reeling from plenty of pressure anyway.