Thompson's Tactics For Taking Titan Bass

EDITOR'S NOTE: Every year Jackie Thompson of Eufaula, Alabama, guides hundreds of anglers to the biggest bass they have ever caught in their lives. Thompson says big-bass fishing is different. Let's look at how.

QUESTION: Jackie, what do you do when a client calls you and tells you he wants to take a trophy bass?
ANSWER: If he calls me in the summertime, I tell him he'll have to wait until the first of February. Our trophy bass on Lake Eufaula begin to move out of the deep water and into the shallow water during the last two weeks in February, through the month of March and into the first week of April. At this time of year the female bass are full of roe and weigh more than they do at any other time.

QUESTION: What lures will you fish in the early spring?
ANSWER: I fish the Woo Daves Stinger Jig and the 3/4- and the 1-ounce-Ledgebuster spinnerbaits as search baits to find the big bass. I will also use deep-diving Frenzy crankbaits.

QUESTION: How big of a bass can an angler expect to catch if he fishes with you for three days sometime between the end of February to the first week in April?
ANSWER: You have to remember that we have numerous cold fronts come into the area at this time of year and any of them can shut down the bass fishing. However, if our region has stable weather or a warm front, an angler can possibly catch a 10-pound bass. He's almost guaranteed a 6- to a 7-pound bass and plenty of 4- and 5-pound fish. Remember that when you fish for trophy bass, you want one big bite. You won't catch as many fish as you will if you just go bass fishing. Since trophy bass rarely swim with schools of bass, we'll fish mainly in isolated cover.

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

Tomorrow: How Thompson Catches A Lot Of Bass