Tour pro Homer Humphreys seems to have a secret or two for winning BASSMASTER Opens under tough conditions.
In October 2001 he won the Fort Gibson BASSMASTER Central Open in cold and nasty conditions, and he just won the Red River Central Open fishing under conditions that were more suited to Death Valley (with humidity).
BassFan.com asked him for a few tips for succeeding in tough conditions, and he had three.
1. Fix Yourself Mentally
"Fix yourself mentally," he said. "What I mean by that is that we had really adverse conditions at Fort Gibson, and they asked me what I wanted the weather to do. I said I wanted high winds and rain. They said, 'Homer, you're not right.'
"I said that because I feel like I can dominate the field mentally (under tough conditions). I've been on tour for so long, I know how to lock in to what I need to do, and how to lock out bad weather and stuff.
"You have to stay positive. At Fort Gibson I'd say 85-89 percent of the field was ready to go home after the last day of practice. Then the bad weather came in and 90 percent were ready.
"I think I'm better at that -- locking in to what I need to do and letting the elements of nature do their thing. And you have to have a positive attitude. That means everything."
2. Stay With What You Know
"You know it's tough, you know the bite is terrible and everybody is talking about it. You have to lock out those conversations. Don't get involved in them. Try to stay clear of them so they won't taint your mind.
"Go out there with a lure you know day in and day out the fish will hit -- that style and color -- on that body of water or when it gets super tough. No matter what, stay with it. You know deep down that they will eat that lizard or that creature bait because you do it every day. Stick with what you have confidence in.
"I have more confidence in a Carolina rig (which he used on the Red River) than anything else in the world. It has gotten me out of a bind and made me a lot of money when nothing else would work."
In explaining why he thinks it works, he said: "I think fish are like me. It's 107 degrees, and if you run that cold chocolate bar or sundae 100 yards away from me, I won't mess with it. But if it's close to my face, I'll eat it."
3. Stay Focused
"Stay focused while you're out there," Humphreys said, "no matter how tough the bite is. It's so easy to drift off when you're not getting bit, and one bite can be the difference between winning and losing -- especially at the Red River. That wasn't a shabby field. There was some power there.
"One of my partners in that tournament said, 'Damn Homer, you must have icewater running through your veins. You have sweat dripping everywhere and you haven't missed a bite.' I said that I wished I did, but you have to stay focused like that."
