The Test of Time

It’s often difficult to gauge the overall impact of changes to our sport of bass fishing. Everything seems so immediate and focused on the here and now. Today’s methods are different, producing a whole new crop of tournament winners. 

But long-term data is required to track lasting change. And few competitors can provide such data like Roger Fitzpatrick.

For those of you who don’t know of Fitzpatrick, he may be the most successful BFL angler of all time, winning 10 regular-seasons events, two Regionals and qualifying for the All-American a record nine times. He’s the terror from the Ozarks, always a threat to win anywhere in the country’s heartland. 

I’ve often wondered how guys like this, total dominators before the advent of forward-facing sonar (FFS), have adapted their game plan.

“It’s a great tool,” Fitzpatrick said, as I interrupted his practice for an upcoming BFL regional. “But I’m not even close to as good as the young guys (with the scope).”

Fitzpatrick is a dock wizard. No matter where he fishes, he’s always looking for a dock pattern. The Ozarks will do that to a guy.

“It’s my fall back, for sure,” he said. 

For 30 years, Fitzpatrick had been guessing what’s underneath the docks he’s fishing. Today, thanks to FFS, he knows for sure. 

“There are times when you can’t see them (bass) when they’re tucked up under the floats, but, yeah, I see quite a few of them.”

I wondered, is that ever a drawback?

“There are a lot of times I see fish that I can’t catch,” he noted. “But I don’t get mad or anything. I’ve never gotten to the point where I have to turn it off.”

Veteran Lesson Number 1

Use the tool for its intended job, rather than demanding more.

Fitzpatrick is a shallow-water fisherman by trade. This may come as a surprise, as places like Lake of the Ozarks are loaded with docks extending out over the abyss. 

“Most of my fishing is 15 feet or less. In the fall, it’s even shallower,” he said. 

There, Fitzpatrick still uses FFS to determine the best docks at a glance. Some fish are only visible once a cast is made as they follow his bait to the bottom. 

Dock fishing has changed with the advent of new technology, but not how I would have thought. 

“Truthfully, it’s freed up a lot of the docks,” Fitzpatrick added. 

It seems that, rather than work on their skipping skills, many anglers have taken strictly to offshore fishing, giving the bank-beaters more room to spread out. Despite Fitzpatrick’s proof of concept – that the largest bass often inhabit shallow targets – he’s often got his best water to himself. 

Veteran Lesson Number 2

A 3-pound bass weighs 3 pounds no matter where it’s caught. 

Perhaps the most compelling aspect of FFS, in terms of Fitzpatrick’s approach, is the insight it gives to the behaviors of bass. Case in point: For years, the dock-fishing ace has used heavy jigs to penetrate brush piles beneath prime structures. A 3/4-ounce Omega jig always did the heavy lifting. But it wasn’t until the advent of FFS that Fitzpatrick began to understand that the value in the lure extended beyond its snag-proof design.

“It’s probably the biggest change I’ve made to my dock fishing,” he said. “I found that using that heavy jig triggered a reaction bite on suspended fish. When I used a lighter bait, I’d see them follow it down (but often not bite). But that big jig triggers them. I use a Bojangles craw trailer. They hit it before it gets to the bottom.”

For years, Fitzpatrick had used the heavy jig, not fully understanding why it worked. He simply trusted that it did. Forward-facing sonar allowed him to expand the approach and catch more fish. 

Veteran Lesson Number 3

Dance with date that brought you, then figure out why she did. 

Eventually, the conversation came full circle, once again casting doubt on the whole concept of FFS. A recent Toyota Series event again found the Ozark ace near the top. He combined a deep-water approach in the morning with his customary dock pattern in the afternoon. Things were going as planned until the final competition day.

“Those deep fish suspended and wouldn’t bite,” said Fitzpatrick, who said he could see the big bass on his electronics. “They were busting all around me. It about drove me crazy.”

After wasting nearly two hours with little to show, Fitzpatrick picked up his dock rod and stopped the bleeding. He caught 13 pounds came in short order. Fifteen and a half – a bag smaller than he weighed each of the first two days – would have won it for him.

One can only wonder, if those deep fish weren’t visible on the screen, would Fitzpatrick have continued to fish for them? How much damage could he have done with more dock time? Did FFS cost him the win and an additional $25,000?

Of course, we’ll never know. But, in the process, we’ve learned a few important lessons that experienced pros knew all along. 

Joe Balog is the Executive Director of Mighty River Recovery, a nonprofit organization working to restore Florida’s St. Johns River. A former national tournament angler, product designer, seminar speaker and guide, Balog has worn just about every hat available to a professional angler. Today, he enjoys rehashing his experiences and adding veteran insight through his weekly Bass Wars column.

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