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Teamwork: A Follow-Up Approach
By Jerry Puckett

May/June 1994

In many cases today, if you're tournament fishing you're fishing in a team tournament or one which incorporates the new shared weight format for draw tournaments.  In either case the goal is to have both partners functioning efficiently as a team - complementing each other's styles and prepared to maximize each opportunity through the day.

One way to do this is to have the team thinking and implementing a follow-up approach.  Remember, it is of no consequence who happens to catch a particular fish, only that the fish is caught.  It is incredible just how many opportunities are missed because a partner fails to have a follow-up offering ready when his partner has a fish turn short of a topwater, buzzbait or whatever.

Like a well-trained bird dog "honoring a point", we have all schooled ourselves to avoid casting a bait atop a fish that a competitor has "working".  We have to remember that in a share weight format that person in the boat is not a competitor but rather our partner for the day.

I have proved the viability of this approach time after time while fishing team tournaments, usually with one of my young sons as my partner. We discuss the follow-up approach weeks in advance of a tournament in order to mentally prepare ourselves for the job at hand.  When arriving at a spot we want to fish, the first thing we do is lay out our follow-up rods.  This is the key, you must do this first because when things start popping there's no time.

During a recent team tournament on the clear waters of Lake Mead our follow-up plan paid handsome dividends in the form of a largemouth that tipped the scales at 3 lbs. 8oz. In the early morning hours we were working the back end of a brushy cut when I noted the slightest bulge in the water's surface, directly behind my buzzbait.  This small "tell" alerted me to the fact that a fish had turned behind my bait.  With a lot of line still out I didn't stand a good chance of getting a bait "on the spot" in time.  As it was I hollered for Clayton (my 13 year old son) to pitch his grub directly behind my buzzbait.  He was ready, made an accurate cast and the grub had not fallen two feet before the bass ate the bait.

Now, had we not been prepared to execute the follow-up would I have been able to catch that fish?  Who knows. But, the fact remains that we did. I can't emphasize enough how important I believe this follow-up approach is. But again, the whole key is to have your preparations made before the first cast is made. And having the rigged rod in the boat is not sufficient.  That rod should be on the deck with the bait hanging right at the rod tip. You need to be capable of reaching for it and making a cast, all in one smooth motion.

Although we use baitcasters for 99% of our fishing, my guys and I prefer to use a spinning rod for follow-up work. The spinning rod allows us to make a longish cast with a light leadhead (1/8 or 3/16 oz.) which provides a very enticing slow fall when used with a five inch single tail grub.  Also, because the follow-up cast is made very rapidly in a somewhat stressful situation, the spinning reel prevents the potential of a backlash due to keyed up nerves and adrenaline levels.

At times we may choose a chartreuse grub for our follow-up but in 90% of the cases we opt for either a smoke sparkle (135) or a salt-and-pepper (187). We choose the straight grub with no skirt but opt for the larger five inch version so as to be somewhat more visible to the fish.  Generally the type of action you put on your retrieve is of little consequence - the fish are usually there or they're not, in most cases hitting the grub on the fall.  If the grub has not been hit quickly as it falls on a tight line we simply begin a slow paced swimming retrieve back to the boat. Next we fan-cast the area, repeating the tight line drop and swimming retrieve.

In addition to a fish that may hit-and-miss a reaction type bait, we are also on the lookout for fish following a hooked fish to the boat.  It's important to really look.  Attentiveness and good Polaroid's will reveal many of these very competitive followers. Before going for the net to assist in landing your partner's fish, go for your follow-up rod.  Have it in cocked-and-ready condition in your casting hand as you hold the net in your "off" hand.  These are the details that can make a big difference in your bag at day's end.

Give these tips a try.  You may be surprised when your tired old team begins running  like finely oiled machine and makes a long overdue return to the pay window.

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