Editor’s Note: As an avid tournament angler Mackenzie DelRosso has learned the importance of understanding catfish behavior at different times of the year. He applies that knowledge to the tournaments he fishes. He also understands that there are no better anglers to learn from than the ones he competes against. He offered this tip as he was preparing to travel to Texas and fish the CatMasters Championship on Lake Texoma.
I mostly fish on lakes Milford and Tuttle Creek in Kansas. The things I learn here can be applied to other destinations on the tournament trail.
I think the biggest things that have improved my performance as a fisherman is understanding what I’m seeing on my imaging, weather conditions, and water temperature!
Determining those factors starts with prefishing. Most days begin with finding good bait. After that, we like to find a few spots to fish. We spend about an hour on each spot before moving on to find more.
The goal is to pick some different depths, structures, ledges, and flats that are holding fish for tournament day. Of course, all this depends on the time of year!
If you can learn the habits of catfish at different times of the year, in different weather conditions, your ability to become consistent greatly improves. Also, I feel that tournaments are a great way to interact with people who are as passionate about fishing as I am, and learn from them!
