Belgian breakfast and paper-pencil games may not sound like common angling fodder, but pay attention to how Bassmaster Elite Series pros break down broad areas and you’ll understand the relevance of terms like “waffle” and “tic-tac-toe.” Specifically, this refers to a disciplined plan for methodically searching broad areas to identify sweet spots and replicable presentations.
For Bassmaster Classic champion Jason Christie, the first thing that comes to mind is matted vegetation. We’ll dig into that in a moment, but the principle also applies to standing timber, pad fields, submerged vegetation and broad flats. The fish could be anywhere, but it’s wise to assume they’re not everywhere.
The best way to do that is to manage your search with a grid pattern. Lengthwise and widthwise, longitude and latitude, up and down and crossways — call it what you want, but know that this strategy promotes time management and thoroughness.
“That tic-tac-toe pattern allows me to thoroughly cover an area,” Christie said. “It’s not always going to look like that because of boat angles, but I always want to know that I’ve cut that cake into the same piece every time — I’m not missing anything. “That carries over from smallmouth fishing in Michigan to mat fishing in Texas.”
