Entry 54-4
Eliminating or Establishing Water with Mike Wurm
What You Can Learn from Other Anglers to Establish or Eliminate Water
Editor's Note: Mike Wurm, from Hot Springs, Arkansas, has fished professionally for 12 years. He's fished in six BASS Masters Classics. In seven of the eight tournaments he's fished in this year, he's earned a check, and he's finished in the top 16 in three of those tournaments. Wurm is one of the most-consistent anglers on the B.A.S.S. circuit. This week, Wurm will explain five secrets to his consistent bass fishing.
Wurm: When I'm practicing for a tournament, I see another fisherman fishing on a point and he catches two bass within five minutes of each other, then I'll study the point where he's fishing. Hopefully I'll see what kind of lure he's using and then go to another point on the lake that's similar to what he's fishing and see if I can't establish points as a solid pattern to catch bass on during a tournament.
I don't go around looking at how other anglers are fishing, but neither do I ignore them. If I'm fishing down a bank and see several other fishermen working boat docks on the opposite side of the lake, I'll eliminate those boat docks from my fishing plan. If an area has a lot of fishing pressure on one type of structure or one section of the lake, all those fishermen will more than likely spook every bass in there. So, I'll eliminate those types of places that receive the most fishing pressure.
Too, I'll look for the sites on every body of water where anglers don't generally fish. For instance, I like to fish a clean bank where no fisherman in his right mind ever fishes. Most anglers know that bass prefer an irregular bottom or some type of cover. A clean bank has neither that you can see. But many times bass will relate to a clean bank. Baitfish may be moving on to and holding on that clean bottom. Or, some crawfish may be on that clean bottom and clean bank. The bass may be using that clean bank to dodge fishing pressure.
Therefore, when I'm trying to eliminate or establish water, I look for places where no one else fishes. I target those areas so that I either can eliminate them or establish them as places I want to fish.
