Article 35...

Fishing Other Fishermen
By Denny  Brauer

As bass fishing becomes more popular, we see our lakes and rivers getting more and more crowded with other fishermen.  This can be a little frustrating, but it does not have to keep you from catching bass.  Pay attention to what the other fishermen are doing then use that to your advantage to catch fish that others may be missing.

First, watch what other fishermen are using.  If most of them are throwing spinnerbaits, maybe you should try a jig.  Give the bass something different to look at and you can catch bass others are leaving behind.  The opposite can be true at times, if you are not catching fish, maybe you should switch to what others are doing.

Second, you should check what water the others are concentrating on and try to identify any water everyone else is ignoring.  There may be coves, creeks, banks, or even whole arms of lakes that others are not fishing for some reason.  These may not be prime areas for catching numbers of fish, but they may have some fresh fish that have not seen a lure.  This is what I did at Lake Eufaula to win last March.  I found areas that no one else was fishing, and won the tournament.  You can also fish depths that others are not, if everyone is fishing shallow, try deeper water or vice versa.

Do not let all of the other fishermen get you frustrated.  Take what they are leaving behind and you can have some outstanding days.