When to Hold Them and When to Fold Them with Larry Nixon
John E. Phillips 02.01.13
Would you like to learn how to win a bass tournament and win millions of dollars? In the new eBook How to Win a Bass Tournament by John E. Phillips, he interviews eight professional bass fishermen who have won over $20 million in bass fishing tournaments and over $50 million in residuals related to bass fishing.
In February 2013, the bass fishing world will be tuned in for the Bassmaster Classic to see who the best bass fisherman for 2013 really is. Deep in the heart of every bass fisherman, especially tournament fisherman, is the dream of one day winning the Bassmaster Classic. In How to Win a Bass Tournament, you’ll learn how Kevin VanDam, George Cochran, Mark Davis, Shaw Grigsby, Rick Clunn, Mark Rose, Denny Brauer and Larry Nixon have won hundreds of bass tournaments.
Larry Nixon of Bee Branch, Arkansas feels his primary fishing strengths are fishing soft plastics, quickly figuring out daily patterns of bass and fishing structure he can’t see. One time Nixon won $200,000 in one weekend by switching tactics throughout that tournament as weather and water conditions changed.
“I’ve learned that many bass fishermen either change baits and locations too quickly, or they hold on to comfortable bass fishing methods for too long,” Larry Nixon observes. “You’ve got to know when to hold and when to fold for the most bass fishing tournament success. One time I fished an FLW tournament on Lake St. Claire near Detroit, Michigan, with more than 350 other anglers. During the first two qualifying days, I faced the problem of locating bass other anglers hadn’t found and areas where other anglers didn’t want to fish. Everybody knew that the big bass would move out of the spawning bays toward the channel into the current, so most of the anglers fished on the edge of that deep water next to the spawning bays.
“I discovered a small, graveled area that ran from the channel back into a spawning bay, about 200 yards from the lip of the break where many of the other anglers fished. I fished on this little channel where the fish swam out of the spawning flats into the deeper water further out in the bay. Using short, flipping-type casts, I caught bass on a four-inch watermelon-colored jig with metal flakes in it with a 1/4-ounce jig head. To catch these bass, I flipped the tube jig out, let it fall to the bottom of the lake and allowed it to stay still on the bottom for about 10 or 15 seconds. Most anglers fish tube jigs on the fall, or they’ll hop them up off the bottom and expect the bass to strike when the jigs fall back. But in this place and on this day, the bass wanted the bait to lie still on the bottom.
“I believe that because so many anglers had fished the area, the bass had become spooked by the moving lures. But, these same bass felt confident enough to bite when big baits fell and sat still on the bottom. After letting the bait attached to my 10-pound-test line stay on the bottom of the lake briefly, then I’d hop it approximately a foot and lay down the bait on the bottom for another 10 or 15 seconds. If the bass didn’t take the bait after the second time I moved it, I would reel the bait in and make another cast. Then on the second day, other fishermen moved into my area. Although most anglers would return to the spots where they’d caught bass the day before and slug it out with the competition, I decided to change my fishing location and tactics.”
To learn more about bass fishing and to get How to Win a Bass Tournament, click here. Or, go to http://www.amazon.com/kindle-ebooks, type in the name of the book, and download it to your Kindle and/or download a Kindle app for your iPad, SmartPhone or computer.
John, the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors.
Phillips has been a contributor to many national magazines, has been affiliated with 27 radio stations across Alabama serving as their outdoor editor and wrote for a weekly syndicated column, "Alabama Outdoors," for 38-Alabama newspapers for more than 13 years. Phillips was Outdoor Editor for the "Birmingham Post-Herald" for 24 years. Phillips was also the executive editor for "Great Days Outdoors" magazine for 3 years.
The author of almost 30 books on the outdoors, Phillips is a founding member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and an active member of the Southeastern Outdoors Press Association (SEOPA). Phillips also is the owner of Night Hawk Publications, a marketing and publishing firm, and president of Creative Concepts, an outdoor consulting group.
Phillips conducts seminars across the nation at colleges in freelance writing, photography and outdoor education besides teaching courses in how to sell what you write to writers' groups. Phillips received his photography training as a still-lab photo specialist for six years in the Air Force. He was the chief photographer for Mannequins, Inc., a Birmingham modeling agency, for 11 years.
While serving as 2nd Vice President of the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Phillips was in charge of all press releases for the organization as well as serving as Chairman of Alabama's Big Buck Contest, which he founded more than 30 years ago. He also was president of the Alabama Sportsman's Association for three years.
Phillips is the recipient of a Certificate of Merit from the Governor of Alabama and the Department of Conservation for his work in the outdoor field. Phillips is vitally interested in the outdoors and travels the nation collecting personalities, stories and how-to information for his articles and features.
EDUCATION: B.S. degree from the University of West Alabama with a physical education major and a history minor.
EXPERIENCE: 10 years parttime and fulltime physical director for YMCAs and 34 years as a freelance writer, photographer, editor, book author, lecturer and daily-content provider for websites. Currently, Phillips is a field editor for Game and Fish Publications; serves on the editorial board of Grandview Media; is a regular contributor to 12 internet magazines and a daily content provider for 8 websites.
WRITING AWARDS: Runnerup - Best Outdoor Magazine Feature - 1981 - SEOPA; Certificate of Merit - Awarded by Alabama's Governor for writings on conservation; Most Outstanding Sports Writer in Southeast - 1983 & 1984; Best Outdoor Feature in Alabama, 1987 - Alabama Sportswriters' Association 3rd Place; Best Book of the Year - 1989 - SEOPA; 2007 - inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Communicator; 2008 - received award naming him 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the Year from the Crossbow Manufacturers' Association; 2009 - GAMMA Honorable Mention for Consumer/Paid Best Essay for July/August 2008 in "Southern Sporting Journal."
