More than a decade has passed since the 2011 Bassmaster Elite on the Harris Chain of Lakes, but veteran pro Bernie Schultz still talks about the event with disgust.
It was in March — and he says that should have been his first sign that nothing about the event would make sense.
On Day 1, Schultz was fishing the same canal as fellow Floridian Shaw Grigbsy as they both waited for big spawning females to move shallow. After talking with Grigsby at midday and realizing neither of them had caught much, Schultz ran out of patience and began fishing grasslines with a crankbait to land a small limit of 11 pounds that put him in 48th place.
That night, as is common during March, a blistering cold front moved in and temperatures dropped into the 20s.
“I thought the spawning fish were done,” Schultz said. “I thought Shaw was done. I just decided he could have it, and I went out and caught a small limit on a crankbait thinking I was gonna survive and make the Top 50 cut.”
Schultz caught 8-1 and missed the cut by just over a pound. Meanwhile, Grigsby stuck with the spawning strategy and landed 29-8 to jump into the lead. He then went on to win, fishing that same pattern for two more days in postfrontal conditions.
“Shaw stayed because he didn’t have a backup plan,” Schultz said. “Fish came out of nowhere, and the weights took off. I would have never expected to a see a wave of big females move in there.”
It was a painful lesson for Schultz that March is the one month on the calendar most likely to contradict itself.
All the knowledge you’ve acquired about fishing over a lifetime might apply.
Or, it might not.
The fish might be doing what you expect them to today, but not tomorrow.
On one end of the lake, but not the other.
March requires an open mind, not only from day to day, but from hour to hour.
“It’s a transition month, and multiple things can be going on at one time, regardless of the weather,” Schultz said. “You can have a deep freeze and move into postfrontal conditions, and the fish may be doing one thing on one part of the lake and something completely different on another part of the lake.”
Schultz says anglers should attack the month with an open mind. Since multiple patterns might be in play, it’s best to start with your strengths but always be willing to do whatever is necessary, even if it’s outside your comfort zone.
Based largely on his 2011 Harris Chain nightmare, he also cautions against making assumptions about the weather. If you’re on spawning fish and early spring suddenly turns back into late winter overnight, at least go and check your spawners before abandoning them. It’s always possible the cold didn’t bother them as much as it bothered you.
Also remember that cheesy old saying about March winds bringing April showers.
“March is the windy month, for sure, but you can use that to your advantage,” Schultz said. “Put it at your back, save your trolling motor and use technology like Power-Poles and Power-Pole drift paddles to stay where you want to be.”
Most of all, Schultz advises shaking off bad days during a month that can be painfully moody.
“In a tournament situation, the first-day leaders might be doing three different things,” Schultz said. “It’ll be the guy who continues to adapt as the week progresses that’s gonna survive and excel. Other guys’ patterns will go away.
“It’s not because they’re bad fishermen who can’t compete. It’s just that the fish changed and they didn’t change with them.”
Take it from him, in March, it’s an easy mistake to make.