(Editor's note: This is part 2 of a 2-part story that analyzes techniques used to win and "place" at each 2008 tour-level event. Part 1 provided an overview of how each event was won. Part 2 analyzes the numbers and percentages for baits and techniques.)
Several factors affect trends on the tours, but of them all, scheduling is probably the heaviest influence.
For several years near the beginning of this decade, both tours tended to pack their events into the period from January through April. Such a schedule tended to put pros on lakes during periods of high, off-color water during prespawn and spawn.
That's one reason flipping dominated the tour scene for so long. Other shallow-water techniques, like spinnerbaiting, were also critical.
In 2003, for example, flipping/pitching was a factor in 24% of total wins (one of every four). And in those same events, it was a factor in one of every five 2nd- through 5-place finish (called "place"). Spinnerbaits factored in 16% of total wins and placed 17% of the time.
In 2003, swimbaits didn't measure for wins, nor did finesse techniques.
Even last year, flipping/pitching factored in one of every five Top 5s.
How times have changed. This season (2008), flipping/pitching pretty much fell off the map and was a factor in a win or Top 5 only 7.2% of the time, while finesse was a factor in 15% of all wins. In fact, of all techniques, finesse was most often cited as a method involved in winning or placing.
The Data
Below are two tables that compile pattern information from the Top 5 finishers in every tour-level event this year (Bassmaster Elite Series and FLW Tour).
Table 1 (below) illustrates frequency at which techniques were cited by Top 5 anglers. "Wins" represent the winner's technique(s) and "Place" represents the 2nd- through 5-place finishers' technique(s). "Total" groups the data sets together and represents the percentage that technique was cited in total Top 5s for the year.
Table 2, found below, illustrates which techniques were used during the months of competition for all Top 5s. For example, flipping/pitching was a factor in 4.5% of Top 5s in February, but 30.8% of Top 5s in March.
Spotting Trends
A few notable trends emerge from data analysis. First, as previously noted, finesse has become the most important technique for a Top 5 finish.
Why? For one, this season included two Lake Erie events (Detroit River FLW Tour and Buffalo/Niagara Elite Series), plus two events where deep smallmouths were critical (Oneida and Champlain Elite Series).
Additionally, the FLW Tour again visited some pressured fisheries (Lewis Smith, Ft. Loudoun-Tellico, Norman) where finesse presentations factored big-time.
However, note too that the fastest-growing technique the past 2 years has been football-heading (identified in the tables as Drag Tube/Jig). The Bassmaster Elite Series continued to visit deeper, post-spawn and summer fisheries this year – examples include Falcon, Amistad, Clarks Hill, Murray, Wheeler and Kentucky.
Those venues put a premium on deep fishing. Note too, though, that the numbers for crankbaits and footballs are identical. That's because a lot of pros worked a one-two punch for those deep fish.
A couple other trends:
> While docks were a big deal on the FLW Tour this year, they weren't a major factor in the Elite Series.
> Frogs/toads helped win three events this year (Fred Roumbanis at Murray, Dean Rojas at Oneida and Michael Bennett at Murray).
> Swimbait numbers were down slightly this year for wins, but up overall to 9.4% in total Top 5s.
> The top finishers apparently left their jerkbait rods in their lockers this season.
> Some have called 2008 "The Year of the Big Worm." The baits were important, again on deep fisheries and in Florida to start the year, but overall they didn't match finesse, cranking and football-heading.
> April offered the greatest variety of techniques (12 total), and was the only month that sight-fishing was a factor. The tours did encounter bedding during other months, but water levels and clarity at those venues made sight-fishing a non-factor.
> Cranking and football-heading pretty much dominated June.
Notable
– End of part 2 (of 2) –
