A clean slate. That might literally be the most valuable tool an Elite angler takes into the twice-postponed start of the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake. The impacts of Wednesday’s major storm system are undeniable; but complicating matters is the fact that two days have passed since these 100 competitors have fished Pickwick.
Some used their Thursday-Friday downtime to check the upstream waters of Wilson Lake, while many drove perimeter roads to observe water levels and clarity. Still, tournament waters have been undergoing many changes that must be analyzed and unlocked in short order.
Canterbury offers an example: “The bites I got in practice were in 4-foot-deep grass, which is now (approximately 10) feet deep, so I don’t even know if you can fish that. So, it’s going to be a new ballgame for everybody.”
Shallow pockets and flooded cover could be the ticket for those who figure out where the fish have moved. Turbidity and floating debris can be challenging, but moving muddy water also holds lights-out potential, as bass capitalize on the feeding opportunities.
“If the fish go with the water and get up shallow, it can be really good,” Canterbury said. “It’s just a matter of if you can figure out that they did that quick enough to make the adjustment. Nobody had any practice to see that, so it’s going to be a gamble to try to find them.
“It’s definitely going to be fishing by the seat of your pants. It’s going to be a gamble anything you do; it’s going to be a practice day fishing the first day of a tournament.”
Reflecting on his pre-postponement mentality Jason Christie said this: “One thing I told myself Thursday morning before we (were scheduled) to take off, was to forget everything I’d learned so far and just go fishing.
“Too many times, when it changes like this, you try catch fish in places you did in practice and it doesn’t work out. That’s the scary thing — this is a big event for all of us and, for the most part, you have to start over.”
So, does this mean an aggressive or conservative approach? Christie says the former.
“I think you’re going to have to pull in, hit the high spots and develop a pattern really quickly. The cool thing about it is that what would have happened (on Thursday or Friday) probably wouldn’t be the same today.
“I’m sure there are some guys that have a place that might work out; but as a rule for the whole field, it’s probably going to change day-to-day.
In closing, Christie nods to the entertainment value of a well-shuffled deck.
“As an angler, it’s frustrating because you don’t know what your next move is going to be, but as a fan, I think that’s kinda cool. You’re watching these guys change on the fly and do something different.”