BassGold Preview: Oakley BBT at Guntersville

We’ve been previewing the awesome Oakley Big Bass Tour events all year – previews on the Oakley BBT website here. This time we’re also posting the preview here. Enjoy, and if you’re fishing Gville this weekend, go get ’em!

Lake Guntersville, AL – Oct. 12-13

Who wouldn’t want to be fishing Guntersville this weekend: big fish, they’re biting (it’s the right time of year) and lots of techniques will work – what’s not to like? Before getting into what BassGold says about this riverine reservoir this time of year, bear in mind a few things:

1. Always bear in mind the current conditions. BassGold’s data covers many years and most weather conditions, but always factor in what BassGold says with what you’re seeing on tournament day.
2. This is just a quick overview of the info BassGold has, but there’s a lot of info in there. That’s gold, and you can get more gold by applying what you know to what BassGold shows.
3. BassGold’s data is based on thousands of tournament patterns (mostly), which means it’s not what should or might work, it’s what has definitely worked. Have confidence in it even if it’s counterintuitive. BassGold’s pattern info was second-guessed several times on the Elite Series, and ended up being right every time.

Overview

BassGold shows that a variety of baits will do well this time of year on Guntersville, both fast and slow. The top baits responsible for most tournament wins and high finishes (2nd-5th) this time of year are crankbaits, jigs, lizard/creatures and topwaters (tied), and spinnerbaits and worm/Senkos (tied). The most wins come from crankbaits, spinnerbaits and lizards/creatures.

By far the most wins and high finishes come from the “main lake offshore” and “creek channel structure” areas, with river/upriver third. When it comes to cover and structure, no surprise that submerged vegetation is the deal, but fish other stuff if you can find it. If you’re fishing grass beds, the pattern details in BassGold suggest that long casts may be important.

You should be using the awesome BassGold maps!

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Six things to keep in mind about big bass:

1. Big bass follow the same patterns as smaller bass and can be caught the same way as smaller bass. The key, which BassGold helps you with, is to not waste time in dead or low-production areas.

2. Big bass are often caught in tournaments – because all bass follow similar patterns.

3. Big bass can be around smaller bass, but big bass will be on the best spots on structure or around cover. It might be a boulder, a 6-inch depression or something else, but it will be something.

4. Big bass can be loners. Don’t be afraid to fish, for example, a lone stickup or stump.

5. Big bass usually, but not always, move slower than smaller bass.

6. Big fish often are more sensitive to fishing pressure and boat traffic than smaller bass.

For more information, go to BassGold.com. Sign up for the daily BassBlaster email at: bassblaster.bassgold.com

Category: AL, Analysis, Oakley Big Bass Tour