Entry 277-3
How to Win with James Niggemeyer
Editor’s Note: The famous line from “The Gambler” with country-music star Kenny Rogers, “You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em,” is especially true for professional bass fishermen. The Strike King Pros’ careers, in many cases, are based on the decisions they make on the water before and during a tournament. This week, we’ll look at how James Niggemeyer of Van, Texas, member of Strike King’s National Pro Team, makes the critical decision of when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em to win a tournament.
Part 3: When to Leave Fish that Are Biting
Question: James, let’s say you’re catching 1-1/2- to 2-pound bass on almost every cast. How do you decide to leave those fish and look for bigger fish, knowing there may be a bigger fish in that school of fish you’re catching?
Niggemeyer: If I know that to win the tournament or finish in the top 10, I need five bass that weigh a total of 15 pounds, and I’m only catching bass that weigh 2- to 2-1/2-pounds each, then as soon as I catch five bass, I move from that area. It may be fun to stay on that spot and catch bass, but if you know from your research that you can’t win the tournament with 2- to 2-1/2-pound bass, the faster you leave those little fish to hunt bigger fish, the better your odds for catching the fish you need to win the tournament.
Question: Could there be a big bass in that school of 2- to 2-1/2-pound bass?
Niggemeyer: Yes, there could. But, I’ve learned that when you’re fishing a school of bass, most of the time the bigger fish will bite first. 
So, if I have five bass, I’ve given the bigger bass in that school five chances to eat my bait, and they haven’t.The bigger fish seem to be the ramrods of the school and will be holding in the better ambush points. Therefore, if I have five fish and haven’t gotten a big-fish bite, I’ll leave that school and hunt bigger bass. This rule isn’t written in stone, and there always are exceptions to every rule, but you’ll typically catch the biggest bass first.
Question: If you set-up a milk run where you think you’ll catch bass at several-different spots, and you haven’t gotten a bite, what will you do? How do you abandon every tactic and spot you’ve planned to fish and start over?
Niggemeyer: I’ve found that if I haven’t caught a fish on the places I’ve thought will produce a bass, I need to reevaluate the day, the weather, the water, the cover and the structure, and start all over again hunting bass. For instance, last year at Lake Champlain, I was flipping into heavy grass with a Strike King jig, and the bass bite disappeared. 
So, I abandoned the grass pattern and fished shallow water to figure out what lure I could get the bass to bite. The wind was calm, and I could see the bass. I pitched the Strike King Zero to the bass and caught all my bass on that lure.
The next day, the wind was blowing, I couldn’t see the bass, and the fish wouldn’t bite the Zero. So, I switched to the Strike King Pure Poison and caught bass with that lure. The next day, I started fishing the Strike King Pure Poison, which I’d caught fish on the day before, and the bass wouldn’t take it. So, I went back to the grass and flipped the jig, and the bass started taking the bait in the grass. I learned from this tournament that I have to keep an open mind and not bet on catching bass on one lure, regardless of weather conditions.
Contents:
- Part 1: How to Decide to Make a Long Run or Fish Close
- Part 2: When to Change Lures
- Part 3: When to Leave Fish that Are Biting
- Part 4: Deciding When to Fold ‘Em
- Part 5: The Woman Behind the Man
