Entry 242-3
How I Would Have Fished the 2008 Bassmaster Classic with James Niggemeyer
Editor’s Note: James Niggemeyer of Van, Texas, a Strike King Pro Staff member for 3 years, qualified for the 2007 Bassmaster Classic during his rookie year. This year, Niggemeyer was only 40 points and five spots away from making his second Classic appearance. This week, he’ll tell us how he would have fished the 2008 Classic in Greenville, South Carolina, if he’d qualified.
Part 3: Adjust Your Fishing Every Day
Question: James, on the second day of the 2008 Classic, there was 60-degree weather and a bluebird sky, when 2 days before, there was 30-degree weather and a downpour. How would you make that adjustment to fish that last day?
Niggemeyer: The main thing to consider is that you’ve transitioned from low-light conditions to bright-sunny conditions. In 2 days, the water condition in a lake won’t drastically change. I look for largemouth that are starting to pull out of deep water and move into protective pockets. 
These kinds of bass will be susceptible to lures like the Strike King Zero or some of the more-shallow-diving crankbaits, like the Series 1 or the Series 3 in the Sexy Shad pattern.
Question: Have you ever been in a 3-day tournament where you’ve had to abandon a pattern every day and develop a new one?
Niggemeyer: Absolutely. The tournament held on Lake Champlain in 2007 was a perfect example. The first day, I could see the bass, and I caught them flipping a Zero. The second day, I caught bass on the Premier Elite jig. On the third day, I caught them on the Pure Poison. I was fishing for the same bass, but I had to make adjustments in my lure selection to catch them.
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
