You have to adjust to catching fish, no matter where you are fishing.  For Fred Contaoi from Maryville, Tennessee, adjusting has been a challenge.  You see, Big Fred  his nickname, came out to the east coast from the west coast to fish FLW Tournaments and in other bass fishing tournaments.  Adjusting to new reservoirs and the size of bass caught in them has come at a price.

Everyone has a different learning curve.  Contaoi has had only a short amount of time to learn how to catch smaller east coast bass in strange reservoirs.  Back on the west coast, Contaoi would rarely stop, if ever, to catch a spawning bass less than three or four pounds.  “It just would not do you any good, when everyone else is catching seven or eight pound bass,” explained Contaoi.

Contaoi’s (www.bigfredfishing.com) tackle box also had to change with the move out east.  “My tackle box has adapted to fish on these lakes and rivers out here,” Contaoi continued, “I am more comfortable fishing these reservoirs and starting to introduce some of the same techniques used for bass out on the west coast”.   “For example, swimbaits and how they are rigged out west and weedless set ups can be fished out on the east coast,” said Contaoi.  His favorite soft swimbait is made by Basstrix lures.  Basstrix swimbaits come in a variety of sizes and colors.  The heads and underspin heads he uses are made by Blade Runner Tackle.  But can west coast techniques work on east coast fish?  “Yes, but it has taken three season to figure out how to catch them,” Contaoi went on, “lakes out east are under enormous angling pressure compared to back out west”.  In addition to enormous angling pressure Contaoi also said, “The fish are not as predictable as out west, the patterns do not seem to hold up as well”.

Contaoi has adjusted to strange lakes by learning what the locals do and adapting his style to that lake.  “If a lake is a trap lake like Lake Guntersville in Alabama, you throw a trap,” Contaoi continued, “you do not try to reinvent the wheel; however, if you see something that worked out west in the same conditions you try it out east”.  It is not only the fish that are different, but also the forage.  Bass have plenty of bait fish to select from depending on which reservoir you are fishing out west.  The number one forage for bass on the west coast is trout, if that reservoir stocks them.  “Trout are soft, big, and an easy meal for a bass to eat,” explained Contaoi.  Of course, this explains why anglers out east throw large soft and hard swimbaits and catch giant bass.  This craze is spreading, thanks to west coast anglers like Contaoi exposing them to east coast anglers. 

 Just like anglers from the east coast, Contaoi has a selection of favorite lures.  “I like swimbaits of course, but also jigs, frog, crankbaits, traps, chatter baits, and a drop shot,” said Contaoi.  Even though there are less fish, more angling pressure, and the overall size of the bass are smaller, Contaoi seems to be adjusting to being out east and if a lake does have some big fish, he always seems to catch them.  

Key bass fishing technique:  “Anglers should learn how to rig and when to fish soft bodied swimbait; when the shad are spawning in the spring they are one of the best baits to catch bass on,” revealed Contaoi.

Sponsors:  Basstrix lures, Blade Runner Lures, Ranger Boats, Evinrude Outboards, Powell, and Berkley.