When it's time for your championship, points don't matter. That's why Carl Svebek III says to go for the big sack.
"All the people I've talked to recently are getting ready for their championships – all the tournament circuits are coming to an end," Svebek said. "It's definitely an important part of the year.
"When you're getting ready and prepared to fish a championship, you want to have an open mind. Throughout the year you've been fishing to put a limit in the boat to get the points and progress to the championship. But I think, when you make it to the championship, you have to go for broke."
Weights are likely to be heavier at a championship because only the best anglers qualified, they've all done their homework, and they'll be going for broke too. That means you have to fish for bigger fish.
Easier said than done, but still, there are a few key things to keep in mind as you prefish a fall championship.
"A lot is changing right now in terms of weather, fish patterns and that sort of thing," Svebek said. "It's a transition time. That means the fish will congregate, and to do well or win a championship, you'll have to catch bigger sacks than what might be normal on your water.
"You can still fish shallow for a big kicker, but it's pulling up and cranking the brush for long periods of time and catching five that will bring a lot of weight to scales."
To do that, you have to locate a group of fishing that's parked on that brush.
Group Search
Svebek formerly called Sam Rayburn home, but he now lives near Beaver Lake, Ark. Both lakes are tournament-rich and host any number of championships each year.
"The water's cooling off this time of year and the fish will usually congregate because they're so shad-oriented," he noted. "They'll start moving in groups into the creek bends and creek edges near some type of drop, or more often, a brushpile.
"They'll be more oriented to creeks right off the main lake. They're not real easy to find, and you have to find the right group."
Work the Water
Svebek's preferred search method during practice is to throw a deep-diving crank that reaches at least 10 to 12 feet, like a Norman DD22. He uses it to aggressively search and crash the bottom, wood and brush. He'll start somewhere toward the mouth of a creek and then work back.
"I've always thrown a DD22," he said. "It's a good crank – it covers a lot of water and you'll be able to find what's down there on the bottom. It's not finesse-fishing – it's serious stuff.
"I usually throw it on at least 15-pound line, but sometimes 20, which takes 4 or 5 feet off the running depth. This time of year, you can usually get away with heavier line than in the spring."
When he connects with a fish, he studies the situation with electronics, then tries to dial in the area and replicate the angle he used to catch the fish. "One fish usually leads to several," he noted.
If he's got a group like that located, he backs off and saves them for competition.
His other choice for a search bait is a Carolina rig, which allows him to feel around an area for a better idea of what's actually down there. He'll use the setup to help dial-in an area too.
"I usually use a shorter leader than I would in the springtime – 2 feet is usually a good length – because when you're fishing brush, you can stay in contact with the bait a little better."
His Carolina-rigs aren't fancy – he's been tying them the same way his whole life – but in the fall, he does prefer a bulkier bait.
"I Carolina-rig a Gambler Ugly otter a lot," he said. "It's shorter and bulkier than a lizard, and does great in the brush. It has really good action. I'll sometimes use a regular straight-tail worm too."
In summary, Svebek urged anglers to think big at their championships. A group of good fall fish, he said, is a lot stronger than random shallow kickers.