The concept of pattern fishing subscribes to the theory that the majority of fish on a given lake will be doing basically the same thing, at the same time, all over the lake. This being the case, if we as anglers, are be able to go into an area of the lake and establish that the fish are there, and that they will hit a certain lure, then we should be able to go to similar waters all over the lake and fish the same lure in the same type of water and have repeated success. This, in a nutshell, is pattern fishing.

Learning to find and establish patterns in a short amount of time is the secret to winning tournaments and being a successful weekend angler. Whether you are a touring pro or a weekend warrior, you both have a common enemy… time. The tournament angler works against a block of time prescribed by the tournament hours, the weekend angler’s time is allotted and dictated by the time clock at 8 A.M. on Monday morning. The two are different, yet the same because it is the individual who is able to establish one or more patterns within his allotted time on the water who enjoys the greatest degree of success in catching his share of black bass.

The first and most important step in locating fish is to consider seasonal patterns. A good understanding of the season movements of fish is one of the greatest keys to locating fish on a consistent basis. Seasonal patterns tells us what part of the lake in which to start our search. It makes no difference what lake you are on, fish are going to be basically the same thing from lake to lake because of the time of year. If you study all the lake reports for the whole year, you will have a basic understanding of seasonal patterns. Nothing replaces years of experience on the water, but this technique will provide a starting point.

Upon consideration of seasonal pattern to know what part of the lake we must search, we must establish a daily pattern. Factors to be considered in establishing the pattern for the day are things like current weather conditions, available cover, personality of the lake, and current lake conditions. Fish are affected by each of these factors and the angler needs to be observant of all the conditions that make up the fish’s environment. It is these factors that dictate on what structure will hold fish, what cover will hold fish, and how they will relate to that cover.

To give credence to the statement that fish all over a lake will be doing basically the same thing, at the same time, all over the lake, and also, as an example of how important that pattern fishing can be.

The following are the guidelines I personally use in developing the patterns that make up my tournament game plan.

Establish the seasonal pattern: Test fish potentially good seasonal patterns, and conditional patterns, keeping in mind the current weather and the current water conditions. These factors tell the angler what part of the lake to fish, how deep the fish are likely to be and how they will relate to cover. This gives the angler a basis for starting place. Try to pick the right pattern for the day based on past experiences. Experience is extremely helpful if you can bring in similarities from previous successful trips. Bass display similar behavior under similar conditions.

Establish the daily pattern: As you start test fishing an area, keep your brain in gear and try a lot of different things. Pay attention to what works. Try different lures, different structure, different cover, but pay attention to what works. Pay attention to what does not work. Don’t keep doing things that do not work. As you try different things, catalogue what doesn’t work, cover, lures, water depths. Mentally sort through the cover fished and things tried without success. Don’t allow the excitement of the catch to cause you to forget to remember the details of the catch. Remember that the hardest fish to catch of each day, is the first one. That fish will talk to you if you will listen. He will tell you things like what cover to fish, the lure to throw, the color and retrieve to use… listen to him.

Daily patterns can only be established by trial and error, remembering the details of each catch (or each failure) and assimilating the data in a useful format is the key to establishing the daily pattern.

Once a pattern is established, continue to refine it. Try to find patterns within patterns. Compound patterns exist when two or more favorable conditions exist. These very valuable keys in your days fishing.

On good lakes there may be several patterns working simultaneously. Spend your practice time defining as many workable patterns as you can. If some condition changes on tournament day, or if the tournament is a multiple day event you may have to fall back on secondary or even tertiary patterns. You can even have a pattern that works well for the first hour of the day but quickly diminishes as the sun rises. Knowing when to abandon a pattern and to “change horses” is part of the skills developed in tournament fishing.

The length of time required to establish a good pattern depends a lot upon current conditions and the quality of water being fished. For example, the time required to establish a workable pattern on a fish factory like Toledo Bend will be much less than a lake like Mead that just does not have an abundance of fish. In addition, if you were to hit a lake like Toledo Bend on the first day after a cold front, you could even have trouble establishing a pattern there. In this situation, one or two bites on practice day might clue you in to the winning pattern. Conversely, on a day when the fish are very active four or five bites might not tell you much. In pattern fishing, your common sense is the best piece of equipment that you have. Concentrate, keep your brain in gear as you fish, and be observant. Learn to control controllable factors, and let your competition rely on luck.