Why Tournament Fishermen Hire Guides

Editor's Note: For 32 years, Jackie Thompson of Eufaula, Alabama, has fished and guided on Lake Eufaula along the Alabama-Georgia border. He has helped many tournament anglers win tournaments. He has guided other fishermen to the biggest bass of their lifetimes and taught others how to catch fish. Thompson's winning personality, his knowledge of the lake and his ability to teach fishing have made him one of the most sought-after guides in the nation.

QUESTION: Why would an experienced fisherman hire a guide?
ANSWER: Most tournament fishermen who hire me aren't professional anglers. The tournament anglers who hire me have full-time jobs and don't have time to pre-fish before a tournament. They want me to show them general areas where they can locate bass during the tournament. Then they can really compete in tournaments in which they may not place otherwise, even if they can't pre-fish.

QUESTION: Do you show them what baits to use?
ANSWER: I show them the baits that work for me. When I show a tournament fisherman a section of the lake to fish, I'll also tell him two or three lures that have produced the most bass for me in those places.

QUESTION: How much do you think that hiring a guide improves a weekend angler's chances of winning?
ANSWER: If an angler has never seen a particular lake before and then he fishes with me all day prior to a tournament, I feel like I increase his odds for winning by 100 percent.

QUESTION: Tell me some of the best rankings achieved by tournament anglers who have hired you.
ANSWER: I had one beginning angler who came in third in the amateur division fishing behind a pro in an Everstart tournament. The pro had the front of the boat, and my fisherman had the back. My fisherman out-fished the pro in the tournament and finished higher in the amateur division than the pro did in his division. I believe that hiring a bass-fishing guide before a tournament is the quickest, easiest and most-productive way to learn about a lake, where the bass in that lake hold and what baits they will bite.

To contact Jackie Thompson, write to him at 110 Marina Drive, Eufaula, Alabama 36027, or call him at (334) 687-9595.

Tomorrow: Thompson's Tactics For Taking Titan Bass