John Garrett’s simple game plan bespeaks the myriad of calculations, adjustments, gear shifting and best guessing that Grand Lake will require for the year’s final Basspro.com Bassmaster Open.
“The pattern is no pattern.”
Indeed, fall inherently brings inconsistency, as most bass are chasing baitfish wherever they roam. That does not mean you won’t encounter a few parking on a dock, point or laydown; it just means you probably can’t count on riding anything for more than a day — if that.
“I think having an open mindset all day is going to be important,” Garrett said. “In practice, I’d catch a couple of fish doing something, and I’d think ‘Okay, that’s the deal,’ but I’d run it for three hours and not get another bite.”
Garrett, who’s currently ninth in Central Opens points, noted that recent rains have dirtied much of the lake’s upper end. The lower end always holds the cleanest water, but the general thought is that the entire lake is in play.
“I think you’ll need to have multiple areas and multiple patterns,” Garrett said. “Like you’re running down the lake, you pull in a pocket and you might catch two really quick. It seems like if you get a bite you have a good chance of getting another bite.
“But you may run 10 more pockets and not get a bite. So you say ‘I’ll run that windy point’ and you might pick one up doing that, or you might pick one up on a shallow boat dock. I practiced for three days and I have yet to see a true pattern play out at all.”
Bait choices will be diverse this week and weigh in reports will probably hear tales of anglers catching fish on bold reaction baits, subtle finesse rigs and many things in between. Garrett plans on throwing a Strike King Tour Grade buzzbait a lot and he’ll keep a Texas-rigged Strike King Rage Bug for flipping docks and wood. Beyond that, he’ll fish what’s in front of him with whatever bait seems appropriate.
“For me, this tournament is going to junk fishing 101,” Garret said.
Jay Przekurat, who’s fishing his first year as an Opens pro, ranks second in the Central Opens. He found a few good bites in practice, but agrees that Grand will be challenging this week, particularly with a recent cold front.
“The lake is fishing a little off right now, mostly because of all the recent pressure and the cooling temperatures,” Przekurat said. “There are fish all over the map from shallow to deep.
Notwithstanding the challenging fall scenario, Przekurat believes the weigh-ins will see a strong showing of this lake’s potential: “It’s still Grand Lake though, so there will be some big bags brought in.”