The idea of patterning bass is not a new concept; it has been around for decades. Bass fishing professionals have been utilizing patterns since the inception of competitive fishing. By breaking the body of water they are fishing into distinct and definable sections they are able to eliminate vast amounts of unproductive water and concentrate on the areas of a lake that will provide the best chance of catching a winning string of fish. This is not to say fish can't be caught throughout the lake, it just means a higher percentage of the fish caught will most likely come from certain areas.

Most of us that fish have fallen into the trap of catching fish and not really understanding why we found them or why they decided to cooperate and bite our lure. We just know, for example, that a particular creek on this body of water produces fish at this time of year. But what about the times we visit that creek and the fish don't bite? Did they move? What are we doing differently this time that we can't trigger a strike? This is where the pros separate themselves from the rest of us. They pay attention to, and make note of, the small details that most of us overlook or forget. By paying strict attention to the details and making sure all the important data is filed away in an easy to use format, we will be making an important step towards learning how to pattern the bass. But simply jotting all this information in a notebook is not enough. Modern technology has come to the rescue.

If you do a search on the internet today, you will find many on-line fishing logs and software for sale, but they all require you, and you alone, to input enough information to develop patterns. There are some serious drawbacks to this method. First of all, not all of us can be out fishing 300+ days a year. By relying on our trips alone, it will take years to input enough information to cover all of the weather and water conditions possible. The other fatal flaw with the logs and software currently available is unless you were fishing in a tournament and won, you won't know if you were fishing the most productive pattern for the conditions on that particular day. How many times do we come back to the dock thinking we absolutely "killed" them today only to learn there were others that did remarkably better than us? The information that we would have entered into our log only shows us how to duplicate the same mistakes next time we face the same conditions.

I know what you're thinking; "Why would I tell the guys and gals I compete against where I'm fishing and what I'm using? I might as well just draw them a map." It's a valid point, but let me explain. If you caught your winning string fishing stumps in the backs of Minor Creeks in the lower half of the lake, this is enough information that I can use on my home lake during similar conditions to start to develop a pattern, but certainly not enough that I'll find your hot spot or know exactly what you were doing to catch all those bass. What color were you using? Which one of a dozen creeks were you in? How were you retrieving your lure? Which stumps were most productive? Those are the questions that only you can answer. These are the things you can put in the note section of the log that only you will be able to see. The rest of us however, have enough info that we can put to use to develop our own strategy.

Putting it all together
All the information that is compiled nationally over a period of years will be here for the taking by all members of this site. Data that never would be available otherwise will be right here for you to analyze and dissect in any way you deem appropriate. Want to know where on the lake you have the best chance to catch your limit flipping while everyone else is throwing crankbaits? This program will do it. What if a cold front comes thru right before the tournament? Where will you have the best chance of finding active fish? This program will help guide members right to it. As new tactics and lures develop, this program will automatically keep you in touch with those changes and show you in graphic format how they are affecting how fish are being caught. What if your favorite lake had most of the weeds sprayed last fall? How are they catching fish this spring? Instead of your day or two of pre-fishing to rely on, there may be dozens of entries to tabulate and analyze. How much time will this save you? How much more enjoyable will your time on the water be if you have confidence in where you're fishing?

It's up to you
The more members there are the more accurate information you will have to work with. This isn't one of those fishing discoveries you want to keep to yourself. The more people you bring to join you here, the more powerful the tool becomes! So invite all your friends!

Good Fishing!