Pro angler and Minnesota resident knows the value of hard work and a willingness to learn and adapt.
May 24, 2021
By Ken Duke
Few things in bass fishing are as important as preparation. Before I go fishing—whether I’m fishing for fun or competing on the Bassmaster Elite Series—I prepare. That means studying the water I’ll be fishing, looking at the weather I’ll be facing, and packing the right tackle to handle it.
I do all that through OmniaFishing.com and Omnia PRO.
Prepping to fish a body of water is critical, whether it’s your first time there or you’ve been there many times before. I want to choose a boat ramp near where I plan to fish or one that’s out of the wind, and I choose my fishing areas based on things like water clarity, temperature, and wind. Not only do I want to find the areas with the greatest potential, but I want to avoid things like bad weather or tough conditions, if possible.
Omnia PRO gives me all that. Not only does it feature Navionics+ cartography charts so I can find the structure I want, but I can use the layer system to find vegetation, bottom hardness, prevailing water temperatures, and water clarity … all before leaving home or on my phone right before I launch … or even when I’m on the water.
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Cover types, bottom composition, water temperature and clarity—those are four of the biggest factors in choosing a fishing location or expanding a pattern. During the pre-spawn and spawn, a hard bottom is critical. Vegetation holds bass all year, especially when it’s green and healthy. Knowing which areas are warming first and fastest in the early season will point you in the right direction for finding the most active fish, and water clarity is a great clue to lure selection and the best depths to target.
The time you invest preparing and learning when off the water is just as important as the time you put in when on the water. The weather layers on Omnia PRO show me wind speed and direction, air temperature, rain, and any storm cells that might pop up and make me want to put the boat back on the trailer. Wind can move plankton and trigger feeding. It can also cause current that will improve fishing, especially in warmer months. Spring weather is notoriously unpredictable, and knowing when it’s about to change can be critical for safety reasons.
Once I have an idea of where I’ll be fishing and the conditions I’ll be facing, I can get my tackle ready. I like to narrow things down as much as possible to simplify my approach. Before I get on the water, I want to have an idea of what rods, reels, lines, and baits are going to be most effective.
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For that, things like water temperature, clarity, wind speed, cover types, and the depths I want to cover are all part of the mix. I’ll make my best guess as to the right baits based on those things plus my own experience and personal preferences. Omnia Fishing helps me there, too.
Omnia’s Fishing Reports feature takes a lot of the guesswork out of tackle selection. Thousands of anglers have entered their data and photos into the system, and with a few clicks I can see what’s worked on the lake and when it worked. The exact location of the catches is protected, but I’m really just looking to learn what bait types and colors are working. It gives me a starting place that otherwise could take hours on the water, and if I don’t have what I need, I can order it with just a few clicks. And PRO members get 10% back on purchases as well as early access to new or hard to get products, plus access to other great offers.
They say there’s no substitute for time on the water, and I absolutely agree. That’s why I want to save time by being thoroughly prepared.
