JACK WOLLITZ 'Milking' your spot can pay off

Knowledgeable anglers know that finding the fish is the biggest challenge on any given day out on the water.
Once the fish are found, catching them often is relatively easy. Trouble is, many anglers work quickly through the concentrations of fish they locate, then move on in search of another pod.
In other words, we break the cardinal rule that says never leave fish to find fish. It's tempting, for sure, to catch a fish or two in an area, then look for a similar area elsewhere.
What often is a better game plan is to milk an area for all it's worth. That means we not only have to figure out the primary pattern that dictates where the fish are holding, but also deciphering the options that will trigger strikes once we've made a thorough pass over a good area.
This point was made crystal clear on a recent trip to Lake Milton.
The water was high and murky and the bass anglers that descended on Milton that day guessed correctly that the fish would be hard to catch.
As I pondered my choices, I made a decision to hit a spot featuring cover, food and current. I pointed the boat direction and soon enough snatched up a nice 2-pound largemouth.
That single fish, caught in the context of admittedly difficult fishing conditions, persuaded me that I was in a good location. It also convinced me that to bounce around the lake looking for other "easy" bass would be foolish.
So I decided to stay where I was, keep the electric motor humming and pitch to every nook and cranny in the vicinity.
By the end of my fishing day, I'd boated four bass topping Milton's 15-inch size limit - one better than 4 pounds, another just a couple of ounces smaller, plus a 3-pounder and the initial 2-pound largemouth.
Two of the fish - the 2- and 4-pounders - came off the exact piece of cover, albeit four hours apart.
All in all a good day on any local lake, and it was even better in the context of the high muddy water. And it happened because I decided to fish the location thoroughly, rather than drive around Milton seeking "new" places.
Iaconelli claims Classic crown
Mike Iaconelli of New Jersey became only the third "northerner" to win the CITGO Bassmaster Classic when he boated a 3-pound largemouth on the Louisiana Delta just minutes before his fishing day ended last Sunday.
Iaconelli earned the world championship title with a three-day catch of 15 largemouths weighing more than 34 pounds. He joins Kevin VanDam of Michigan and the late Bryan Kerchal of Connecticut to win the world title in a sport dominated by anglers from the southeastern states and Texas.
His victory is another symbol of the changing world of professional bass fishing. The highest rungs in the sport, the Bassmaster and FLW tours, are vying for big sponsorship dollars and striving to attract the interest of the top touring bass professionals as they seek to assert claims to the number one spot in tournament angling.
Dave Lefebre of Erie, Pa., meanwhile, also turned in a solid effort at this year's Classic. He made the top 25 in the field of 61 contenders after surviving the second-day cut.
Professional bass fishing today is truly a national sport, with contenders coming from throughout the United States. Their rise to national prominence in events like the Classic helps establish the fan base throughout the country, and provides meaningful exposure for companies seeking to gain from sponsorship investments.
ESPN, which owns BASS and operates the CITGO Bassmaster Classic, reported the number of viewers of its Classic weigh-ins increased 44% compared to the 2002 event. Another good sign, obviously, for the future of pro bass fishing.
jwwollitz@aol.com