Coulter Says Douglas Checks Depend on Strategy

By Pete Robbins 

 

Of all of the major bass circuits across the country, few consistently rely upon creativity and strategy as much as the Big Bass Tour. Sure, any one cast may result in the grand prize winning fish, but for those who want to garner checks, and maximize their value, it often comes down to decisions – and veteran Tennessee pro Brandon Coulter said that the tournament field will have to make some critical ones. 

 

That’s partially because the fish at the upper echelons of the hourly and overall leaderboards will be tightly-packed together. This annual fall event hasn’t required a fish over 6 pounds to win since 2019, and it hasn’t produced a 7-pounder since 2017. The 4 and 5 pound footballs are the moneymakers, and the lower end of that range is where strategy comes into play. 

 

Are you paying attention to the live leaderboard? 

 

How far do you have to go to weigh in your fish? 

 

When you weigh it in, will you give up your spot on the merry go round? 

 

The strategy starts even before that because of the way the lake has changed in recent years, Coulter said. 

 

“Smallmouth are going to play,” he explained. “It has turned into a smallmouth fishery. I’m not sure if the overall biggest fish will be a smallmouth, but you can bet that plenty of hourly checks will be earned that way.” 

 

One way to find them is to “go as far as you can, but the problem with that is that you’ve got to get back. It’s a long way to go to weigh in your fish.” 

 

The other way is to chase individual fish or small wolfpacks of 3- and 4-pounders offshore. While some fish may be caught on traditional structure, close to or on the bottom, these days “offshore” means finding suspended specimens off the breaks. The fish are often over 60 to 80 feet of water, and you have to stay with them not only from day to day, but from hour to hour. They’re not always reliable, particularly as conditions change. He’d look for those fish from the mid-section of the lake to the dam. 

 

There’s a third prime pattern in play – “As fall takes over, you can glue a topwater bait in your hand all day and cover water. It’s a little early for them to be schooling in the backs, but they’re going to continue to move in that direction whether the water temperature cools off or not, and we’ve already had some cooler nights.” He’d strongly prefer a day with cloud cover and perhaps a little bit of chop for this pattern, but even in sunny conditions it would likely be his first choice. He prefers a walking bait like the Berkley J-Walker in these conditions, as opposed to a pencil popper style lure like the Cane Walker. 

 

Up in the river, he noted that it’ll be a matter of hitting current breaks and visible cover, “anything that’s still in the water.” He said that if conditions are tough the river might be dominant for the overall number of checks, but it requires the best time management and the most knowledge and confidence when it comes to navigation. He’d flip shallow wood, while also keeping a shakey head ready, but his bread and butter lure would be a Berkley Slobberknocker, probably in white or green pumpkin, but he’d turn to black and blue if he found dirty water. 

 

Ultimately, though, he believes that no angler is likely to have success by trying to ply all of these areas and techniques. “All three things are a commitment,” he explained, so go with your confidence area. Once you have a decent fish in the boat, that’s where the real gamesmanship comes into play, deciphering how to double or triple its value simply through timing and awareness.