But I think fish will go deep into cover to get away from boat traffic and fishing pressure. When the bass are aggressively feeding on the edges of dense cover, such as bushes and weeds, the fishing is easy. But when they go into a negative funk and retreat into cover, only anglers who make the extra effort to reach them continue to score heavy catches. This isn't to say that many of the anglers competing in tournaments, especially high dollar professional events, are lackadaisical. Truth is, most competitors give it everything they've got, physically, emotionally and, sometimes, financially.
Problem is, they often waste their effort doing counterproductive work.
When those approaches fail, they stick with them no matter what. They're working hard, usually frantically, but they're not being productive. Anglers who have made the effort to teach themselves how to find and catch bass on their own, believes Yelas, are the ones who succeed in tournaments. What separates great fishermen from good fishermen is the ability to remain cool under pressure and come up with creative solutions to problems that confront tournament anglers almost every day they venture onto the water. I think a lot of the top fishermen have a gift, a God-given talent, or whatever you want to call it.