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00:00
[Music]
00:05
[Applause]
00:07
thank you Steve I appreciate it good
00:09
afternoon everybody again my name’s Carl
00:11
Morris jr. I’m actually from Johnstown
00:13
Ohio oops I’ve been fishing around
00:18
catfish for about 30 years
00:20
started off fishing in farm ponds
00:22
probably like most she guys fishing in
00:25
creeks anywhere I could stick up a rod
00:26
and reel in I was fishing so my daddy
00:29
used to take me fishing when I was just
00:30
a young and used to wade looking looking
00:32
river for Low’s you guys I know a few of
00:34
you guys out there around Columbus
00:36
Newark area probably familiar to looking
00:38
the river used to wade it fishing for rock
00:40
bass but started catching channel cat
00:42
and once I start catching channel cat
00:45
you know I was really excited you know
00:46
catching the channel cat compared to
00:48
catching bass bluegill and crappie it
00:50
was just aggressive fight was a lot of
00:51
fun so actually when I was about 13 14
00:54
years old when I really started fishing
00:56
for catfish but it wasn’t till I was
00:59
probably about 15 years old went down on
01:01
a trip to the Muskingum River got into a
01:03
nice flathead after that point I was
01:06
hooked
01:07
you know just feeling the fight of a
01:09
catfish compared to other fish that was
01:11
what I was into so I started fishing for
01:14
catfish pretty much you know I’ll say 13
01:16
14 15 years old on my first championship
01:19
that I ever fished for Cabela’s tell you
01:21
guys a little quick story in Ohio
01:23
there’s a lake called mosquito Lake I
01:25
used to do a lot of camping a lot of
01:27
fishing when I went camping used to
01:28
schedule
01:29
camping trips to go out and fish catfish
01:31
tournaments there was a catfish
01:32
tournament up there put on by the
01:34
Northeast Ohio catfish Club I believe
01:36
was the name of the time actually was a
01:38
qualifier for the kink at Cabela’s I had
01:41
seen kink at Cabela’s I’d seen those
01:43
guys running around catching those big
01:44
fish but never went out on the river and
01:47
competed with him at all but what a lot
01:49
of local tournaments fishing around the
01:51
lakes at home we went up there we fished
01:53
this tournament got first place it
01:55
actually won us a qualification to the
01:57
kink at Cabela’s championship in 2007
01:59
which was actually out in Junction City
02:01
Kansas so me and my partner Jeremy
02:04
Martin we thought well what the heck
02:06
let’s go ahead and try it so we saved up
02:09
our money all summer long we took off we
02:11
went out to Junction City Kansas we had
02:13
no clue what we was in for we got there
02:16
we thought we were pretty good fisherman
02:18
until we got out there
02:19
well I finished a hundred and ninth out
02:22
of 113 boats that year so I didn’t know
02:26
half of what I thought I knew so going
02:28
out there I really realized what fishing
02:31
for big catfish was all about you know
02:33
I’d caught some flathead not cause some
02:34
channel cat
02:35
I hadn’t really bluefish much didn’t
02:37
know what it was about well I was on a
02:39
Blue Lake out there in obviously by the
02:42
total right there you tell I didn’t do
02:44
very well so but the main thing was I
02:47
went out there I learned I watched I
02:51
paid attention I went to the weigh-in
02:53
both days second day didn’t have a fish
02:56
but I went to that weigh-in anyways and
02:58
I stood there and I don’t know if
03:00
anybody can tell you why the reason why
03:02
I wanted to talk to all those guys that
03:05
were a hundred times better than me that
03:07
day talking to those guys and spending
03:09
that 10 to 15 minutes out there made me
03:11
a whole lot better well after that I
03:14
decided I had to get better at this so I
03:17
started fishing more tournaments in 2008
03:19
2009 2010 still didn’t do very well I
03:23
was going out all across the United
03:25
States going the high river Tennessee
03:27
River Cumberland River Mississippi River
03:29
just getting my tail kicked everywhere I
03:31
went but the main thing that I did every
03:34
time is no matter if I caught a fish or
03:36
not I showed up it that way in and I’d
03:38
figure out who the top few teams were
03:40
and I try to steal them for a few
03:42
minutes just to ask him hey what did you
03:44
do today how did you catch these what
03:46
bait was you using what rig was you
03:48
using I was obviously missing something
03:50
that they weren’t I needed that
03:52
knowledge so but I’m telling you guys
03:54
you know go to your weigh ins stick
03:57
around talk to the guys out there most
03:59
guys in you know catfish and we’ll share
04:01
anything with you I don’t know if
04:02
they’ll tell you everything but don’t
04:04
share a lot with you if you ask them and
04:06
I tell you what that’s what helped me
04:08
get to be a lot better fisherman give
04:11
you a little bit about myself
04:13
2015 I had eight top-five finishes in
04:17
Cabela’s monsters on the Ohio and other
04:19
national tournaments one to 2012 kink at
04:23
Cabela’s championship this is funny
04:26
story my buddy Willy sitting out in the
04:27
back of the room so I’m actually going
04:29
to tell you a story about him this 2012
04:31
year was the year that I
04:33
kind of actually started figuring things
04:34
out me and Willie Smith another fella
04:37
from Ohio was in a tight race for angler
04:40
of the year that year then we came down
04:42
to the very last tournament of the year
04:44
down in Columbus Georgia we went in
04:47
Willie was actually ahead of me by a
04:48
couple points I figured he had me but I
04:51
drove all the way to Georgia anyway just
04:52
to see if I could beat him his brother I
04:55
believe it was I lived down there time
04:56
so I figured oh man he’s got a shoo-in
04:59
he’s got a brother living on the water I
05:01
know they fished some catfish
05:02
tournaments down there I figured he knew
05:04
what was going on but we went down there
05:06
we got lucky we beat Willie that day got
05:09
enough points to actually sneak the
05:10
angler of the Year award that was my
05:12
first one then we went on one the very
05:14
next tournament which was the actual
05:16
2012 kink at Cabela’s championship so we
05:19
finished out the season with a bang
05:23
that was my first angler of the year and
05:26
I have since 1/4 times 2012 through 2015
05:32
bear with me guys I can’t get my pointer
05:34
to click right but four-time kink at
05:38
Cabela’s angler of the year today we’re
05:40
here to talk about tournament prep
05:42
everybody asked me all the time what do
05:44
I do
05:45
how do I do it how am I able to win
05:47
tournaments and I’m gonna share a few
05:50
you know things I do I don’t know that
05:51
it’s any different any better than
05:53
anybody else in this room I’m just gonna
05:55
give you my two cents on how I go about
05:58
things we’re going to talk about pre
06:00
fishing again what do I do
06:03
how do I do it mapping first thing that
06:08
I do is read a map a lot of guys show up
06:12
the water and they get out there and
06:13
they just look around see what’s going
06:15
on find a spot I studied I actually
06:19
start picking my tournaments out that
06:21
I’m going to pit fish for the year
06:22
usually about January as soon as the
06:24
National trails have their schedules out
06:26
I map out my year I start right then
06:29
probably like a lot of you guys I get
06:32
yelled at by my wife a lot I sit around
06:34
with a I use an iPad I have my Navionics
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app on there I carry the dinner with me
06:40
I carried out to eat with me I carried
06:42
to bed with me anywhere I got free time
06:45
I’m sitting around staring at a map
06:47
looking at these tournaments I’m going
06:49
through trying to figure out you know
06:51
all the tournaments at this point in
06:52
time are a little different some Lao you
06:54
to trailer some you got us controlled
06:56
launch from a boat ramp those types of
06:58
things make a big difference in where
07:00
you can fish some of these places have
07:02
unlimited boundaries but you’ve got to
07:05
launch from a single boat ramp well
07:07
those of us who know my boat isn’t very
07:09
fast I can’t go that far so some of
07:12
these guys can do 60 across the water I
07:14
can only do 30 I can’t keep up with them
07:16
I can’t go as far so I’ve got to look at
07:19
the areas that I can fish so we’ve got a
07:21
controlled launch I may be able to look
07:23
20 miles up 20 miles down from that area
07:25
that’s typically my rule of thumb is I
07:27
won’t go more than 20 miles
07:29
there’s fish somewhere in that 20 miles
07:31
up or 20 mile down section you just got
07:33
to find them so I will sit there and I
07:35
will study those Maps Google Earth is
07:38
the first one I usually look at to get
07:40
familiar with all the lay the land and
07:42
the surroundings again you can use Bing
07:44
Maps you know all them are the same I
07:46
prefer Google Earth myself so I’ll pull
07:49
up the lake the body of water whatever
07:50
it is I’m fishing you start getting to
07:52
lay the land I’ll mark out my 20 mile
07:55
section from my boat ramp or if it’s a
07:57
trailering event that allows me
07:59
unlimited area I will nail down a
08:01
section that I think I want to fish if
08:03
I’ve been there before I typically have
08:05
an idea of where I want to go time of
08:08
year plays a big difference in it as
08:09
well where the fish Arden spring they’re
08:11
obviously not in the same place in the
08:13
summer
08:13
same place in the fall they move around
08:15
a little bit pull up your boat ramp
08:19
get a look at it how many times the guys
08:21
pull it into a body water looked at
08:23
looked up a boat ramp pulled into it
08:24
couldn’t use it
08:26
well that’s wasted time most of you guys
08:28
like myself when you guys are going out
08:30
of town to fish a tournament we have a
08:32
very limited time frame in which we got
08:34
to get things done we get out there we
08:37
don’t have three four or five days all
08:39
the time a lot of times I work a
08:40
full-time job running a landscape
08:42
company I work daylight to dark mowing
08:44
grass and slinging mulch it’s not an
08:45
easy gig so especially in the springtime
08:47
so I have very limited time a lot of
08:50
times I’ll leave Thursday afternoon
08:51
Thursday night show up wherever I’m
08:53
fishing Friday morning I’ve got Friday
08:55
morning from daylight to dark to figure
08:57
about what I’m gonna do so the more
08:59
things that I know ahead of time to save
09:02
me time from goofing around when I’m out
09:04
running around the better so I’ll find
09:06
my boat ramps I’ll sit back Navionics as
09:10
I told you guys with my iPad I’ll sit
09:12
back and I’ll stare at these maps
09:14
non-stop finding the little bins the
09:19
little crooks contour lines a lot of
09:22
guys just go down a river and look I
09:24
will sit there and I will search that
09:25
map until I find those little funky
09:27
straight ledges little contours just
09:30
it’s something little at times that a
09:32
lot of times I’ve been on bodies of
09:34
water wheeler lake I’ve fished that
09:36
place I don’t know how many times I
09:38
still find new areas that I’ve
09:41
overlooked Don stop just by sitting
09:43
there staring at the map having a hot
09:46
Maps chip or equivalent you know I know
09:48
everybody’s got their favorite but hot
09:51
Maps is one of my favorites as I like to
09:53
use I’m gonna give you a tip a lot of
09:56
guys don’t have access to all this stuff
09:58
if anybody goes in Navionics website if
10:01
you’ve been on there they have a web app
10:03
it is for free it doesn’t give you all
10:06
the same functions that’s the paid for
10:08
apps do but you can pull up this is
10:10
actually off of their website for free
10:13
look at any body of water that you want
10:15
to it’ll get you familiar with things so
10:18
if you don’t have you know a an iPad
10:20
with the app on it or whatnot
10:22
if you’re looking at your phone you know
10:23
it’s awful small trying to look at those
10:25
pictures so you can pull that up on your
10:26
home computer again for free and take a
10:29
look at it first thing I want to worry
10:34
about after I get my mapping nailed down
10:36
where I’m gonna be at is bait everybody
10:39
in here knows bait ski it doesn’t matter
10:42
where you’re fishing that if you’re on
10:43
fish or not you got to have good bait so
10:47
that is probably one of the main things
10:49
that I will tell you is take care of
10:51
your bait find your bait take care of it
10:56
once you’ve got it I’ve seen guys put
10:58
bait in ziplock baggies I’ve seen them
11:00
throw them in the bottom of coolers full
11:02
of water I’ve seen them laying in
11:03
buckets me I’m a baby with my bait as
11:07
soon as I catch that stuff I pull it
11:09
right out of the water
11:10
it
11:10
right on ice them if I got a few guys
11:13
that help me out in bate catching
11:15
they’re the ones who taught me how to
11:16
take care of bait I didn’t understand it
11:18
before I did just like a lot of other
11:20
people but there is a huge huge
11:23
difference in quality of bait I’ve seen
11:26
guys go out you know with skipjack that
11:29
are red-eyed been freezer-burnt been
11:31
laying around for six months that
11:33
typically doesn’t catch you a whole lot
11:35
of fish now that it won’t – some days
11:37
you know what you get lucky and you do
11:39
but nine times out of ten having good
11:41
bait is going to be the key and it’s how
11:43
you take care of it if you’ve got frozen
11:46
bait another thing guys make a big
11:48
mistake of is unthaw it how they unthaw
11:51
it I like to unthaw mine slow and
11:53
naturally I used an analogy before kind
11:55
of like a steak anybody ever froze the
11:58
steak doesn’t want to throw it in the
11:59
microwave and defrost it and throw it on
12:01
a grill that doesn’t taste very good
12:03
does it
12:04
no I mean that’s just kind of the same
12:06
thing it just ain’t very good I like to
12:09
let my frozen bait unthaw overnight
12:11
naturally I’ll take it off take it out
12:13
of the freezer I’ll put it in the
12:15
freezer or pending on what temperatures
12:17
are outside if it’s in the 40s I’ll let
12:19
it you know start unthaw one out there I
12:20
like it to get soft on its own I don’t
12:23
like to just pull it out of a freezer
12:24
throw it in a cooler cut it up my it’s
12:27
frozen let it done thaw on the boat when
12:29
it’s 95 degrees out I didn’t you know
12:31
again that’s my process with it I like
12:34
to let it done Thal naturally I cut it
12:36
out of the pack at that point we’ll pack
12:37
it nice pack it with care again guys put
12:43
their fish in there they throw ice on
12:44
them they bury them in the bottom well
12:46
by two o’clock in the afternoon your
12:48
baits waterlogged it’s no good you know
12:50
simple concept you know I actually mean
12:53
some of my coolers we’ve got little
12:54
braces in there to keep it up but if not
12:56
you keep your ice above your drain level
12:59
keep it several inches above your drain
13:01
levels so that way your fish that ice is
13:03
going to melt guys will make the mistake
13:04
of putting it right even with a drain
13:06
well give it a couple hours it’s going
13:08
down you want to make sure you put it a
13:10
couple inches above your drain line on
13:12
there so your bait isn’t getting into
13:14
the water drain it well I’ll leave that
13:18
cooler sitting all day long at an angle
13:20
I want that water running out
13:22
at all times because again bate is Mikey
13:30
fresh bait skipjack shad who wouldn’t
13:35
rather have fresh bait than frozen bait
13:37
I will move heaven and earth to get
13:40
fresh bait at a tournament I have driven
13:42
all night long before I have left
13:44
southern Ohio to drive to northern
13:46
Alabama to get bait I’ve been all over
13:48
the country to get bait for a tournament
13:50
there’s plenty of people in here I seen
13:52
on your heads right now that understand
13:53
the bending the same thing or actually
13:55
been with me on some of these trips you
13:58
know again I will go anywhere in the
14:01
world I can to get fresh bait for a
14:02
tournament fresh is king you know I
14:05
don’t think anybody will disagree with
14:06
that
14:07
not the frozen bait doesn’t do the trick
14:09
but again you know if you really could
14:11
you have a fresh steak or a frozen steak
14:12
which one are you going to take you know
14:14
I don’t think anybody gonna walk into
14:15
the steak house and be like hey can I
14:17
have one that’s frozen you know this is
14:19
no good
14:19
now again you know frozen bait has a
14:22
place I mean we all use it we all fun
14:24
fish with it and I’ve won tournaments
14:26
with frozen bait so I can’t tell you
14:28
that you know frozen bait doesn’t work I
14:30
can just tell you that more often than
14:32
not fresh bait will work better that’s
14:34
my opinion of it natural bait shad
14:39
bluegill what do you guys want fresh
14:42
natural bait for the guys you know guys
14:45
were talking to me about sandy Cooper a
14:47
little bit ago asking me if skipjack
14:49
works down in Santa Cooper and I said
14:50
yeah you can catch them catch some blue
14:53
cats down there on skipjack but it’s not
14:54
the natural bait that’s there I’ve went
14:58
down there and fish with skipjack I’ve
14:59
had some good days I’ve had some days I
15:01
haven’t caught much at all it’s not
15:03
natural or native to that body of water
15:06
and a lot of guys make that mistake they
15:08
think blue captain you will we skip Jack
15:11
all over and they will I mean just like
15:13
we eat a little bit of everything all
15:15
over you know and you’ll notice
15:16
throughout my talk I referenced a lot of
15:18
fishing back to just normal things that
15:20
we do because it’s just it’s just like
15:21
that it’s common sense things but if
15:24
there’s not skipjack in the body water
15:26
or there’s not shad in the body of water
15:28
I’d suggest you not using that as your
15:30
primary bait you know even know people
15:32
will tell you if skipjack catch blue cat
15:34
which they do but
15:35
Sandy Cooper’s one place that I can tell
15:37
you that it doesn’t work as great as
15:39
other baits do down there you’ll have
15:41
some guys that tell you yeah I’ve caught
15:43
some decent fish down there on it but it
15:45
doesn’t work near as well as the bait
15:48
that’s actually in that body of water
15:50
for Big Blue’s again
15:52
nine times out Tim skipjack is what I
15:55
want to use here’s a picture one I got
15:59
just now about six weeks ago down at
16:01
wheeler Lake 80 pound blue this one was
16:04
actually caught on frozen skipjack so
16:07
this is a proof to you guys that you
16:09
know frozen frozen frozen skipjack will
16:12
catch big fish I mean there’s not a
16:13
problem with it again I prefer to use
16:16
the fresh but four blues skip Jacky as
16:18
my big favorite for flat heads
16:21
I prefer shad shad a lot of guys you
16:25
know sit there and they talk about you
16:26
got to have bluegill you got to have
16:28
this well I can tell you there’s a lot
16:29
of guys I see in here fishing the High
16:31
River they’ll tell you skip Jack will
16:33
catch a heck of a lot of fly head as
16:34
well them cut bait you know you’ll hear
16:37
fly head fishermen swear you got to have
16:39
live bait I hardly ever use live bait
16:42
for fly head but I catch a lot of them
16:45
they know eat you just it boils down to
16:47
you got to find those fish and you got
16:50
put that bait right in front of them so
16:51
you find them you put in front of them
16:53
you’ll catch them but just goes to show
16:55
you you know guys think you can’t catch
16:57
flatheads unless you’ve got bluegill
16:59
live shad or live fish and I need the
17:01
case catch a lot on skipjack but I
17:04
prefer to have shad myself for flat
17:07
heads now taking off
17:10
we’ve already we’ve got our tournaments
17:12
picked out we’ve got our mapping done we
17:15
figured out kind of the body the section
17:17
of the water we want to go to we figured
17:19
out what we’re going to do about bait
17:20
what bait we’re going to use sometimes
17:22
it’s a little harder figuring out where
17:23
we’re going to get it at but we figured
17:25
out what we want so now I got to go into
17:28
getting my equipment ready because
17:29
there’s nothing nothing worse than
17:31
taking off going 500 miles across
17:33
country and not being prepared and I’m
17:36
sure you know anybody that’s traveled
17:37
you guys are taken off or got your spare
17:39
tire forgot your bearing hub forgot your
17:41
charge or whatever it may be that was a
17:44
big pain to you guys down there so just
17:46
a few things and this
17:48
and I can’t tell you everything to get
17:50
ready on equipment because there’s just
17:51
so many but just want to point out a few
17:54
things just to get to mind running a
17:55
little bit charging your boat batteries
17:57
how many guys make big stick oh I’ll
18:00
charge it when I get there
18:01
well you get to the hotel and there
18:03
isn’t no outside power real easily found
18:05
well I’ve done that before
18:08
I can show you pictures of stanchion
18:10
cord strung from three-story hotel rooms
18:12
running down through and around and I
18:14
mean we’ve got 300-foot strung out to
18:16
get my boat charged being you don’t want
18:18
to do that that’s you know how hard that
18:20
is to try to figure that out and then
18:22
the hotel’s really don’t like it very
18:23
well when you got that stuff strung
18:25
everywhere you know they come out and
18:27
try to yell that you tell you’re not
18:28
allowed to do it we we sneak and do it
18:30
anyway we got to get that boat charged
18:31
somehow but just having your stuff
18:34
charged but in case make sure you have
18:37
extension cords three ways how many guys
18:40
have showed up to a tournament there’s
18:42
three plugs out there and there’s ten
18:44
boats have got to be charged what do you
18:46
do you can’t unplug your buddies boat
18:48
and say I’m taking first no I got a
18:50
three way so I’ll unplug his boat plug
18:52
that in and plug two more in so that way
18:54
we can all get some
18:55
I carry a three-way with me so I can
18:57
always tap in and make sure I get power
19:00
spare batteries
19:02
I always carry spare battery with me
19:05
those you guys been out sometimes you
19:07
know even on the water just one just
19:09
took a dump on you well I’ve actually
19:11
lost tournaments before that I was doing
19:13
really well because I didn’t have a
19:15
spare battery with me lost my trolling
19:17
motor well I’m a drifting guy I drift
19:20
99% of time my trolling batteries are
19:23
key to my success so I always make sure
19:26
that I’ve got some spares with me
19:28
spare trailer tire hubs and bearings I
19:31
know there’s a few guys in here to
19:32
actually help me change hubs and
19:35
bearings I know is that a Bass Pro
19:36
tournament two years back that actually
19:39
limped through the weigh-in line I
19:40
pulled out a boat ramp my tire fell off
19:41
right in the parking lot so I had to
19:43
ratchet strap it up to get through way
19:45
in and I know there’s a few guys sit in
19:46
the back of the room but actually came
19:47
over and helped me get that together you
19:49
know wouldn’t have been able to get home
19:51
if I didn’t have the spare parts it was
19:52
a Saturday night it was six o’clock part
19:55
shops are closed and getting some of
19:57
those funky hubs and things from
19:58
autozone and things like I don’t don’t
20:01
always work either
20:02
Sunday so carry your spares with you
20:05
Reles have them lined ready I don’t know
20:09
how many times I see guys you know
20:11
spending time they could be out
20:12
pre-fishing trying to get their poles
20:14
ready getting all this stuff together
20:16
I want to leave when I leave town I want
20:19
to have everything buttoned down ready
20:20
to go so my poles are lined up ready to
20:23
go now I do not have my rigs tied on
20:25
them because I’ll have to get down there
20:27
and I decide once I’m there on the body
20:28
of water how I want to fish because
20:30
sometimes it depends you guys have all
20:33
done it we’ve been down the high river
20:35
currents been nice we fished it for two
20:37
days we get a heck of a rainstorm we
20:39
wake up the next morning and all of a
20:40
sudden she’s got three mile an hour
20:42
current enter so I want to be able to
20:44
adapt to the conditions when I get there
20:46
so I will not tie my rigs on various
20:51
weights and rigs we will have all
20:54
different kinds of weights because again
20:56
depending on what type of fishing you
20:58
want to do while you’re down there what
21:00
you need
21:01
getting that current you may have been
21:03
using two to three ounces you’re getting
21:04
down through there just fine on Friday
21:06
well that rain came in that water got up
21:08
you might need eight to ten on Saturday
21:10
to get through well I’ve watched guys go
21:13
out because they didn’t didn’t think
21:15
didn’t anticipate that they’ve got three
21:17
four ounce sinkers tied together trying
21:19
to get their weight down there well
21:20
obviously that’s not making your rig
21:22
perform very well it’s getting your bait
21:23
down there but that’s not ideal for you
21:26
so I will carry a variety I’ve got two
21:28
boxes actually that I carry I’ve got one
21:30
takes me from one ounce up to eight
21:33
ounce and then I’ve got ten ounce up to
21:34
32 ounce um guys asked me well what the
21:37
heck you doing with a 32 ounce sinker
21:39
well for those you guys been out in
21:40
Mississippi you understand what I’m
21:42
doing with that 32 ounce sinker
21:44
so Mississippi rivers always got a
21:45
boatload of current in it so not that I
21:48
like thriller 32 ounce sinker very often
21:50
but it has its place down there at times
21:52
so but I’ll have those two boxes ready
21:54
you see the bottom one travel time
21:56
equals tying time you’ll see my partner
21:59
rob most time when he’s driving down the
22:01
road he’s tying up those rigs you know
22:04
we utilize that down time we’re in the
22:06
front of a truck for six eight hours
22:07
he’s not doing a whole lot so he’s
22:10
getting all that little stuff ready
22:11
he’ll sit there and tie you know ten
22:13
different rigs you know
22:15
of different styles so that we have them
22:17
ready we don’t want to be out there pre
22:19
fishing on Friday morning sitting there
22:21
in a boat tying up rigs so he’ll tie ten
22:24
of you know Carolinas he’ll have ten
22:26
three ways maybe ten with floats on them
22:28
whatever we think we might utilize down
22:31
there ready to go so that’s what he does
22:33
in the front of truck utilizing that
22:35
downtime to be productive
22:38
pre fishing this is always a fun one we
22:43
all want to get out of town and what do
22:45
we want to do any buy it goes down to
22:47
wheeler Lake whether they’re fishing the
22:49
term or not what’s the first thing you
22:50
want to do on Friday when you hit that
22:51
water you want to go out you want to
22:54
find the biggest fish you can and put it
22:55
in the boat that’s what everybody’s
22:57
there for well a lot of times that is
22:59
the case but you can’t win tournaments
23:01
like that how many times you guys went
23:04
out pre fished on a Thursday or Friday
23:06
and just lit them up just went down
23:09
there you hit your hole and man they
23:11
were just thick down through there and
23:13
you just sit there and you just caught
23:14
fish out to fish and you’re thinking man
23:16
this is good
23:17
well it’s good today it’s real good
23:20
today
23:20
but probably won’t be real good on
23:22
Saturday you sit there and sort lip all
23:24
your fish all day long that’s the
23:26
biggest mistake that I see out of guys
23:28
they go out they find a couple fish and
23:30
they sit there and they just beat them
23:32
on the head all morning or all day long
23:34
well there’s only so many fish gonna be
23:36
in that hole
23:37
you keep sore lipping them you ain’t
23:39
catching none on Saturday so we’ll go
23:41
out first thing I want to do is scam
23:44
that’s the first thing we get out and do
23:47
I want to go out to all these
23:49
predetermined areas I mapped out and
23:51
when I was looking at my map sitting at
23:52
home I got all these areas mapped out I
23:54
may have ten I may have twenty I may
23:56
have thirty predetermined locations that
23:58
I want to go to based off the map well
24:01
now I’m gonna go out and scan all those
24:03
areas some of them I pull up to there
24:06
ain’t a fish there there ain’t nothing
24:07
there I was wrong
24:09
Matt looked real good but you got out
24:11
there there’s nothing in there so I keep
24:13
going until I find the fish and I think
24:16
that’s one thing that you know I strive
24:19
hard on I think it makes me do a little
24:21
bit better at times and some others is
24:23
because I keep looking for those fish
24:26
I may have sit in one hole one day
24:28
you know last trip down there May it
24:30
caught a boatload of fish well that
24:32
means I should go back here and fish it
24:33
again right hello I caught American you
24:35
know a few weeks ago they got to be
24:36
there well how many times you guys went
24:38
back to the same honey hole and not
24:40
caught a fish that’s because they moved
24:43
trust your depth finder that is one of
24:46
the bigger things I can tell you guys
24:47
how much do you guys pay for those boxes
24:50
you got on your – I mean good god they
24:52
get more and more and more every year I
24:54
know at HDS twelves running into three
24:57
$3,300 range I believe now why pay
25:00
$3,300 to have a box on your dash you
25:02
don’t know how to use that’s one thing
25:04
that I will tell you guys and I mean
25:07
believe me when I say it I became a lot
25:09
better fisherman when I learned how to
25:11
use that box on my dash I used to think
25:14
was pretty cool yeah I can see some fish
25:15
here water temperatures this here’s my
25:17
map point great I didn’t didn’t know how
25:19
to use it
25:20
you know I’ve spending all this money
25:22
for those depth finders and I didn’t
25:24
know how to use them once I spent the
25:26
time and invested hours in hours and
25:29
hours into learning between watching
25:31
videos talking to guys and just getting
25:34
out on the water and playing with it it
25:37
made me a lot better fisherman I will
25:40
tell you guys that right now learn how
25:42
to use whether it’s a hummingbird
25:43
Lawrence or what are Garmin whatever
25:45
you’re running learn it understand it
25:48
become one with it it will make your
25:50
fishing a lot better but I’ll go out I
25:53
do a lot of down scanning tree right
25:56
there you guys there you go not many
25:59
catfish on that tree when I went over
26:00
and took that picture but you can see
26:02
all the bait fish stacked on it well
26:04
when you find bait fish stacked on there
26:05
usually are some catfish somewhere close
26:07
by if they’re not there right then
26:09
they’ll be there shortly I mean that’s
26:10
like the buffet right there but you can
26:12
see that you know this this one here
26:14
it’s got the tree root ball sticking up
26:16
here it’s got the slope going down
26:18
there’s usually fish packed down through
26:20
there like I said in this picture but a
26:21
bunch of big catfish on a lot of bait
26:23
fish but I’m gonna go and I’m gonna find
26:25
I’m looking for little treasures just
26:27
like that right there that you know
26:29
somebody’s overlooked so I find that I
26:31
usually fish it yeah that’s usually
26:33
going to be a good spot for me but what
26:35
I gender what I you generally use is
26:37
down scan and side scam I use my sonar
26:41
Asian alee but I usually use down scan
26:44
side scant dialed in look for my fish
26:46
determine your target area
26:48
so once I’ve went out and I’ve down
26:50
scanned I have found my fish found my
26:52
areas I’ve determined my target area I
26:55
know where I want to go on Saturday so
26:57
out of those 30 spots or 20 spots that I
27:00
went out and I found now I got to decide
27:03
how am I going fishing
27:05
everybody in here fish is a different
27:07
way some people drift
27:09
some people anchor some people walk bass
27:11
some people bounce bait some people drag
27:13
bait there’s all these different methods
27:15
that you can go about everybody asks me
27:17
what do you do I do them all that’s the
27:21
thing I do them all at different times
27:24
there’s different times where different
27:26
applications need to be applied
27:28
anchoring doesn’t always work
27:30
drifting don’t always work dragging
27:32
don’t always work you know I do a
27:34
combination when I’m out there
27:35
pre-fishing we’ll go ahead we’ll drop a
27:37
few baits in the water a lot of times
27:39
we’re not trying to catch fish you know
27:41
we’ll drop a few baits to see if we can
27:43
find some active fish well how did we do
27:45
that we made though two pools off the
27:47
back and we may drag them we may have a
27:49
couple suspended I may have a couple
27:51
when you’ll have one in my hand sitting
27:53
there walking the bait well where did I
27:55
get the bites at did I get him on the
27:58
dragon pools did I get him on the
27:59
suspended you know fish are showing up
28:01
in the column a little bit your tip will
28:03
go and get him unsuspended first showing
28:05
down there in the bottom you’re
28:06
typically gonna get them on the dragon
28:07
well but then even that they may be just
28:10
off the Bob maybe you need to drag it
28:11
with a float on it to keep it up just a
28:13
little bit there’s all these different
28:15
ways you’ve got to determine what style
28:18
you want to use again anchoring spot
28:21
lock a lot of guys to know me I have an
28:24
anchor on my boat it’s probably five
28:28
years old I’m gonna say at this point
28:30
and it looks brand new
28:32
it’s probably only seen the bottom I’d
28:34
say probably ten times or less I do not
28:37
anchor them I I’m you know I’m fortunate
28:39
enough I got one of those I pilots on
28:41
their spot lock I spot lock and I got
28:44
various drift socks on my boat most time
28:47
I’m fishing the river application so
28:49
there’s little bit of current you know
28:51
I’ve got drift socks that are anywhere
28:52
from 18 inch to 72 inches large
28:55
I’ll spot lock though drifts off the
28:57
back it will hold me straight I will use
28:59
that as my form of anchoring but
29:04
drifting bouncing walking suspended are
29:10
all methods in which to go and tack
29:12
these fish you need to determine what
29:14
you like what works for you but more
29:18
importantly what works for the fish
29:19
because I think that’s where guys make a
29:21
mistake because there’s some guys that
29:23
like to anchor that’s what we do that’s
29:26
all we do well some guys like to drift
29:29
that’s what we do that’s all we do well
29:32
I can tell you what’s made it a lot
29:34
better for us is being able to get
29:36
halfway decent at all those different
29:38
functions I can’t tell you that I’m
29:39
great at any of them but I’m fluid in
29:42
all of them I guess you know so I know
29:45
how to drift well I know how to drag
29:47
baits I know the proper ways to use the
29:49
weights and things so I’ve got like I
29:51
said I won’t tell you that I’m better
29:52
than anybody else in this room at any of
29:53
these things but I’ll just tell you that
29:55
I know how to do them all and I catch
29:57
fish doing them all follow your instinct
30:01
after you’ve done these you’ve mapped it
30:04
you’ve looked at it you scanned it you
30:06
fished it what’s your gut tell you
30:08
most guys over think it they sit there
30:13
and oh god I go this bow when we saw
30:15
these over here over here most guys just
30:17
stress out over it they overthink it
30:19
follow your gut most the time you know
30:22
it doesn’t lie to you in life in general
30:25
not fishing just life in general how
30:28
many times your guts tear you’re wrong
30:30
when you usually have an instinct that
30:32
you need to go this way or you need to
30:33
do this how many times do you look back
30:35
and say man but I just followed my
30:36
instinct I’ve been all right a lot of
30:39
times a lot of times that happens you
30:42
guys second-guess yourselves said man if
30:43
I just went with Plan A I’ve been
30:45
alright well most time I’m going to tell
30:47
you go with playa’ neg whatever your gut
30:49
tells you go with take a chance to wrap
30:55
up we’re running short on time here
31:03
guys ask me how do you win I honestly
31:08
don’t know the answer to how I win
31:10
tournaments or how I’ve done better than
31:12
anybody else the thing I tell everybody
31:14
and people that know me I’m the first
31:17
one up my trucks the first one in the
31:19
boat ramp every morning when we comes
31:21
tournament time I’m up I’m there I’m
31:24
usually out in the water for anybody’s
31:25
even getting going
31:28
I’m also the last one out when guys give
31:32
up at three o’clock in the afternoon
31:33
they’re going in they’re done for the
31:35
day
31:35
if I haven’t found what I want you know
31:38
one of those thirty spots sometimes it
31:40
takes me all day long there’s been
31:43
numerous times where me and Rob have
31:45
been frustrated we’ve been out and we
31:47
just haven’t found them and at six
31:49
o’clock we went over that last one or
31:52
two or three holes are like oh right
31:54
there it is
31:55
there it is well why everybody else gave
31:57
up and went home with what they had for
31:59
the day and said well I didn’t find well
32:01
I didn’t find fish very well but I think
32:02
I got a few I will continue to look and
32:05
work and work until it’s darker I got to
32:08
be at a meeting or I’m just playing out
32:10
of time those are the things I’ll tell
32:12
you work hard you know anything you get
32:16
in life anymore ain’t easy you got to
32:18
work hard at it
32:19
so I like I said I’m the first one up I
32:21
am the last one out all the time
32:28
remember I came from a hundred and nine
32:32
out of a hundred and thirteen boats
32:33
so can you i stunk it up for years like
32:37
I told you guys at the beginning the
32:39
thing that has made me a little bit
32:41
better tournament fishing is the fact
32:43
that I put in the time that’s number one
32:46
you can’t get good anything without
32:49
practice without knowing your craft and
32:51
working hard at it I learned from guys
32:54
who were obviously much better than me
32:56
when I go to these tournaments like I
32:58
said I mean it started off me and Shaun
33:01
me and Jeremy we would go to these
33:02
tournaments and I mean it was tough I
33:05
mean it was tough I was defeated I don’t
33:07
know how many times I would drive it
33:09
back across country on Sunday I said man
33:11
I don’t want to do this again I just
33:13
need to give up that’s just just Saint
33:15
working out but I’d go back one more
33:18
time and I’d keep talking to fellows
33:20
like I said that did a lot better than
33:21
me that you know on that day I would
33:24
stand there I would clap for him I would
33:27
go stand there and wait until they got
33:28
their prize got their plaque whatever it
33:30
was and just say hey sir can I talk to
33:32
you for a few minutes you know just to
33:34
get that five minutes worth of time I
33:36
would stand there that way in for an
33:37
hour to get five minutes worth of
33:39
somebody’s time maybe they’d give me a
33:41
little little tip you know fishing the
33:44
Mississippi River I know I was out there
33:46
doing fishing a couple of tournaments
33:48
wasn’t doing so well
33:49
I’m Darren Jason mask Gil they were
33:51
having be fishing in the same area I was
33:52
one day told me hey slow it down just a
33:55
little bit you’ll be fine I went out the
33:58
next tournament fished out in Crystal
34:01
City Missouri
34:01
I want it he’ll I slowed down a little
34:04
bit exactly I mean them guys gave me
34:07
that little tip that helped me out a lot
34:08
there’s a numerous guys I could tell you
34:11
that has you know given me that five or
34:13
ten minutes worth of time afterwards
34:14
that I’ve made friends with guys all
34:16
across the country that helped me out a
34:19
lot you know it isn’t that I’m that much
34:21
better than anybody else it’s just I try
34:23
to learn pay attention and watch the
34:25
guys around me that’s what’s made me a
34:27
better fisherman and I’ll tell you again
34:29
you’re Lance your hummingbird learn how
34:33
to use it please you guys spend a
34:36
boatload of money on those toys but I’d
34:39
say if I had to give you guys a
34:41
challenge I’d say probably less than 50%
34:43
in this room here right now can use it
34:45
well that is the big thing I mean I’m
34:48
telling you what learn how to read those
34:50
things learn how to use it don’t go back
34:52
to the same honey hole all the time just
34:54
because you caught fish there yesterday
34:56
doesn’t mean they’re gonna be there
34:57
today trust that box get out there find
35:00
those fish we’re about done here I’m
35:05
running out I’m getting the old thumb
35:07
getting kicked off the stage here I’m
35:09
gonna hang out for a few minutes
35:10
anybody’s got any questions I’ll stick
35:12
around up front here so we can talk a
35:13
little bit longer and I appreciate you
35:16
guys stopping by today
35:17
what’s that know oh hang out I guess
35:20
I’ll hang out out back I’m being kicked
35:22
out all the way out of the room now so
35:24
I’ll hang out out back
35:26
but the anybodies guy any questions you
35:28
know please come
35:28
seemi I’d love to talk to you guys I
35:30
appreciate all your time and good luck
35:32
out there and follow me on Facebook you
35:34
guys got any questions you guys forget
35:36
today hit me up I’d be glad to talk
35:41
[Music]
35:44
[Applause]
35:45
[Music]
