Entry 242-2

How I Would Have Fished the 2008 Bassmaster Classic with James Niggemeyer

Part 2: Changing Tactics with Changing Weather

Question: James, on the second day of the 2008 Classic, the temperature and the sky conditions made an abrupt change. Temperatures at Lake Hartwell went from 30 degrees with cold rain and dark skies to 60 degrees with no rain and bluebird skies. How do you make that kind of adjustment?

Niggemeyer: First, you want to keep an open mind as to where the bass may be holding, based on those radical weather and water changes. Then make sure you have the right lures to fish those changing conditions. Normally, you’ll think that when you have that type of weather change, the fish will change their patterns. But that’s not necessarily true. The bass can behave the same way under bluebird conditions as they do under cloudy, rainy conditions. So, you may be able to catch them the second day using the same tactic you’ve used the first day, which is exactly what Alton Jones did to win the Classic.

He fished for deep-water bass that weren’t affected by the weather change. When there has been a dramatic weather change overnight, don’t assume the fish have adapted to the new weather. Fish the same lures and patterns you fished the day before, and see if the bass are in the same spot. If the bass aren’t where they were the first day, try to find them by changing lures and tactics.

Question: James, you also believe in outrunning the fish, don’t you?

Niggemeyer: Yes, I do. Remember that at night, the sky doesn’t change. Therefore, if you return to the places where you’ve caught fish the day before, and the sun gets bright in the sky, the bass may not be able to tell that this day will be a bluebird day. So, they may hold where they’ve held on the earlier day. If you fish fast and efficiently, you may be able to catch the bass you need to catch before the bass realize there has been a weather and a sky change.

If I can’t get the bass to bite the baits they’ve been biting the previous day, before I leave that spot, I’ll change lures. For instance, if I’ve caught bass in a particular area using a specific pattern with a Football Jig on the first day, and I return to that same spot on the second day, and the bass won’t take the Football Jig, I’ll try a shaky head jig or a Series 5 crankbait. If that doesn’t work, I’ll try the Sexy Spoon.

But after I’ve used several lures and the bass won’t take them, that’s when I’ll make the decision that the bass have moved, and I’ll have to relocate. If your pattern is absolutely not working, and you don’t have any backup plans, then you need to scout for bass just like you do when you pre-practice for a tournament.

I don’t completely abandon the area I’ve been fishing. I’ll come back to it a couple of times in a day to see if maybe the bass have pulled back on to that place to feed. Just because bass aren’t on a spot when you’re there doesn’t mean they won’t return there later in the day. One of the key things to remember is to never completely scrap a productive pattern or lure. Always return and recheck the places that have put bass in your boat previously.

Next: Adjust Your Fishing Every Day

Contents:

• Part 1: Fishing Rainy, Cold Weather
• Part 2: Changing Tactics with Changing Weather
• Part 3: Adjust Your Fishing Every Day
• Part 4: When to Hold ‘Em and When to Fold ‘Em
• Part 5: The New Shadalicious