Several anglers throughout practice mentioned that the Oahe Elite was going to be a point fishing bonanza. On Day 1, the guys delivered on that promise. Anglers occupied point after point on the Missouri River, all in search of the nomadic smallmouth that roam these waters.
The points are key, because they offer constricted areas where the bass can target the more concentrated herring and other baitfish. It may not seem like a point in 20- feet of water is that restrictive, but when you take into consideration there’s 40- feet of water on either side of it, the strike zone is immediately cut in half. These points basically make it possible for the bass to chase the bait down a little easier, as they have less real estate to run around in.
The problem with this type of fishing, is that it’s very inconsistent day to day, a concern the anglers voiced prior to the start of the event. The points are key, but the same points won’t necessarily hold fish everyday. Instead, the bass may push the bait a mile down river from 3PM on Thursday to 7AM on Friday. So it’s not as simple as returning to right where you left the fish for the Elites this week. Instead, we’ll see a lot of the haves form Day 1 be have nots on Day 2, and vice versa.
I believe an angler will emerge from this morning’s top 10 to make his way to the top of the leaderboard on Day 2 by fishing the same way he did on Day 1, but not the same spot. It’s very easy for me to sit here behind a keyboard and say, “Just leave the fish you found to find new ones.” I don’t have a single dollar on the line reliant on this theory. And in any tournament, it’s almost impossible not to return to where you caught them on Day 1, provided you had a good day.
But I think our inevitable Day 2 leader will likely have to do just that this morning. Even if he starts on his fish from Day 1, not wasting much time there if they’re not biting will be pivotal. So I believe the first angler to adjust, leave fish that aren’t biting and spend most of his day fishing loose and locating new fish, perhaps on places he didn’t get bit yesterday, will elevate himself to the lead. Fishing loose like this is going to be essential to being consistent on an inconsistent bite.