Don't Get Distracted By Other Anglers

"The right mental attitude is everything," four-time BASS Masters Classic Champion Rick Clunn of Montgomery, Texas, explained. "Without the right mental attitude, you can't consistently find and catch bass. Your mental state of mind controls all your fishing."

Many people thought Hank Parker from Clover, South Carolina, who had won the 1979 BASS Masters Classic and always competed hard, had a good chance to win because of his expertise as a river fisherman. When I asked Parker at that time what could cause him to lose the 1984 Classic, he explained, "I'll only lose this Classic if another competitor starts fishing close to me, which will distract me and make me fish too fast and not pay attention to what my lure is doing in the water. If I have a weakness, it's that I get distracted by other competitors when they start moving in on the water I'm trying to fish."

In this same Classic, Hank Parker, as he'd predicted, had another angler pull in on the same bank about 70 yards from where Parker fished. As Parker watched the other angler, a bass that weighed more than 5 pounds took Parker's bait, and Parker set the hook. But because Parker hadn't focused his attention totally on his fishing, he allowed the bass to get around the trolling motor and break the line. Before the tournament, Parker had pre-predicted what could cause him to lose.

Tomorrow: Fish Your Best Spots

Check back each day this week for more about bassing's secret weapons...

Day 1 - The "Loser" Who Won
Day 2 - "As A Man Thinketh In His Heart, So Is He"
Day 3 - Don't Get Distracted By Other Anglers
Day 4 - Fish Your Best Spots
Day 5 - Expect To Have Your Best Tournament Ever

John's Journal