You've read the Brushpile for some time now, and look at you...you're ok.  Outside of that nervous tick, some abdominal spasms and a bit of nausea, you're just fine.  This week Keith Nighswonger descends on the unsuspecting people of Florida, to give us his first hand account of the 2006 Bassmaster Classic.  This week's Brushpiles will have a definite Classic tilt to them and we bet you will find them interesting.  By his own admission, Nighswonger is off to find the stories that you won't read about anywhere else.  If you go to the Classic, you may not see him, but rest assured he will be watching you.  There is no telling where he will show up, so be on your best behavior...... You've been warned! 

2/23/06 Fishing For The Future-One can always tell when the pros have been talking, particularly when they have been commiserating with each other during a difficult practice period before a major event.  They pick up on each other's dialog and new words and phrases are born.  Years ago, maybe a few of you remember, the concept of the "pig and jig" was brought to the forefront.  The concept was simple, someone had been having some success catching bass on the proverbial jig and pork rind combination, yet, when he was asked by a fellow angler, perhaps a room mate, what he was getting them on, the said angler referred by saying, "I got em on a pig n jig."  The term stuck, and is now so much a part of main stream bass fishing dialect that some use it for any kind of jig and plastic trailer combination.  The question is of course, is it "pig and jig," or "jig and pig?"  In the late 70s, early 80s, we learned that "walking the dog," was something more than actually walking the dog.  In our home, Fideo, the family dog, didn't even get excited anymore when he heard the term "walking the dog," because he knew it was just a fishing lingo, and he wasn't going to get outside anytime soon.

There are of course many other words and phrases that surround the bass fishing culture, I suppose I could write my own dictionary, (don't get me started,) many of these words describe lure colors.  "Peanut butter and jelly, "Rayburn Red," Citrus shad,"  and it goes on and on.

The pros have been talking this week and you can certainly tell by the newest phrase to hit the print and web medias, "fishing for the future."  Fishing for the future is terminology that surrounds a bass pro's long range strategy during a pre fish period.  This terminology seems especially fitting for Florida's Kissimmee Chain as the weather has changed on the anglers now about three times since they have been in Florida, each change bringing drastic swings in the water temperature and as a result, the fish behavior.  

Not knowing which set of weather conditions and corresponding fish activity to expect,  these pros can only imagine where the fish will be, given whatever kind of conditions greet them on day one.  Here is an example.  Pros on the water yesterday for the one day, "get used to the Classic Triton Boat, and look around day," found water temperatures in the 70's, small male bass guarding fry, some fish on beds, and other fish clearly looking to move up and spawn.  There were plenty of fish willing to bite, and word on the water is that 15 to 17 pounds would put you in the mix.  Great, just fine, however, the tournament didn't start yesterday, it starts on Friday, and some time later today and over night, a fairly good cold front is due to hit the region, which means that bass will undoubtedly get a jolt of cold water.  Where will they go, what will they do?

A pro can only imagine where the fish he has located will move to when the water temperature drops, and in Florida, it can drop easily 6-8 degrees over night.  So, when getting ready for this, the biggest event of the year, it is not about locating groups of fish.  It is about locating groups of fish, and then deciding where those fish will likely move to, when the conditions change again.  "It's fishing for the future."