“Massachusetts’s Elite has Eye on July”
 By
Billy "Hawkeye" Decoteau

July 2011

Column: The Bass Bureau

I once read a phrase, still etched in my memory file! “Endure trials for the sake of Discipline.” Another is, “The Gem Stone must require friction for its Perfection.” Few anglers do I know have been tested both on and off the water as Massachusetts BJ Haseotes. And, fewer anglers have impressed me with such positive enduring attitudes, while always striving to see the light at the end of the tunnel as Cape Cod’s Centerville native BJ Haseotes!

Qualifying in 2009 and competing on the 2010 Bassmaster Elite Series, B.A.S.S. fishing’s pinnacle, Byron BJ Haseotes was faced with one of the easiest decisions, (According to Haseotes.), of his life come the Bassmaster 2011 Elite Series season. “My daughter has been hospitalized in Boston’s Children’s Hospitals since she was born, and although she is getting stronger everyday, her condition will require her to stay hospitalized much longer than my wife Tiffany and I had expected!”

With his daughter Evi’s prolong prognosis, BJ knew in his heart he could never leave to compete all over the country under these conditions. “It was a simple decision to make, my family comes first and foremost in my life and always will!” Contacting the Bassmaster Tournament Office, Haseotes learned of the Bassmaster Hardship Rule.  

            “According to it’s policy B.A.S.S. can grant hardship status for an incapacitating illness or injury to an angler or member of his or her immediate family. So I applied for the hardship status and waited for B.A.S.S. to make their decision,” says Haseotes.

With his application for ‘Hardship Status’ in the hands of the B.A.S.S. Tournament Committee, it wasn’t long before BJ Haseotes was contacted with their decision. “There is no doubt that the Lord was working for me, as both Tiffany and I feel totally blessed to have received approval for a Hardship leave of absence from the 2011 Bassmaster Elite Trail.”

According to the Bassmaster rule, BJ Haseotes will be allowed to return for the 2012 Elite Series Season, under his 2011 qualification status. “I still of course have to make that decision based upon Evi’s condition at the time. However, to know that I am still eligible to compete as a Bassmaster Elite Angler in 2012 without having to re-qualify is definitely a motivating factor.”

Motivation has to be BJ’s middle name? Traveling back and forth weekly from Boston’s Children Hospital to his home on Cape Cod, BJ has not forgotten the necessity for keeping his angling skills tuned to perfection. ‘Tiffany and I live on Wequaquet Lake, this in turn has been a bonus for me,” replies the Skeeter/Yamaha Elite Angler.

With the ability to walk out his back door, jump in his Gulf wrapped Skeeter bass boat; Haseotes has been able to pattern bass on this Massachusetts lake since ice out! “Cape Cod lakes have a tendency to open up much earlier than other areas within the northeast, and with an abundant of high quality largemouth and smallmouth bass lakes all within a few minutes drive I have been able to hone my skills at least once a week,” smiles the extremely likable B.A.S.S. professional. (www.Bassmaster.com)

Developing bass patterns, and staying in tune with their seasonal migration   movements is paramount to success! “July at times can be confusing for anglers who pound the banks,” suggest Haseotes. Showing me a pre-rigged Lucky Craft CB-20 Ghost Sun Fish crankbait BJ added, “This is my search bait! I utilize the CB-20 crankbait as a tool, to locate deep weeds, the type of weeds, as well as structure changes and isolated pieces of cover.”

Continuing Bassmaster Elite Pro BJ Haseotes, enlighten me to the importance of learning and developing good sonar habits not only for finding contour drop-offs, cuts and pockets within structural contour lines, but for one of the most important of all factors to success!

“I can not over stress how important it is to follow the bait. Locating the bait, the depth they are holding at, the type of cover they are relating to, and how they move from one area to another is one of the major reasons Bassmaster Elite Anglers like Skeet Reese and Kelly Jordan are more often than not in the money,” say Haseotes. According to Haseotes, when you find the bait, the bass will be close by. “Remember bass are predators and they thrive on using ambush points to devour their prey. And sometimes their ambush points are the waters surface!”

As BJ Haseotes schooled me in understanding the importance of constantly looking and working with my sonar, he reiterated the varying patterns anglers would face during the month of July. “Northeast lakes can harvest bass staging in post spawn transition, but most lakes will move into summer patterns as days get longer and air temperatures increase. And, this is when topwater baits like my Lucky Craft Sammy, Gunfish and G-Splash see a lot of action!”  (www.LuckyCraft.com)

As important as it is to choose the right bait for each situation, Haseotes warns many anglers fail to balance their tackle, and then wonder why other anglers using the same baits are so successful? “When I’m working my topwater walking baits, (LC-Sammy, LC-Gunfish), or a G-Splash, I turn to a Rhapsody 7’ Medium action, and spool my baitcaster reel with 12-14 lb Sunline Super Natural Monofilament. (www.rapsodyfishing.com) Adding, “It’s imperative to have strong line especially when working your baits over and around heavy vegetation.)  

Haseotes instructs anglers of several reasons bass go deeper during the summer. “July and August boat traffic increase, and bass find their comfort zone usually along deeper weedlines. However, most important is they also find an abundance of baitfish and other forge with in the vegetation.”

So how deep is deep? “Here again is where your sonar will dictate where the bass and the baitfish are holding. It will do you no good to work your bait in fifteen feet of water along the bottom, when the bass and baitfish are holding in ten feet!”

What about when anglers cannot locate bass or baitfish, what should they look for? “Bass like any change whatsoever. Rocky bottoms that turn to weedy areas, openings within the weeds, or where different types of vegetation meet each other, drop-offs, rises in the bottom, like humps and areas where the vegetation grows at different heights are just some things to look for,” suggest Skeeter/Yamaha’s Pro Staffer.

 Interjecting one of his Rapsody Rod Deep Weed Techniques, BJ Haseotes has the following suggestion. “I’ll rig the new Rapsody 7’6” Crankbait Rod, (Designed by Haseotes.) with a 5.3:1 or 6.3:1 ratio reel, and spool the reel with 10-12lb Sunline Shooter-Fluorocarbon line and then tie on a Lucky Craft CB-20. Then I’ll actually work my CB-20 into the weeds and rip it out. Many times this ripping action will trigger a strike, while also moving the baitfish.”

When it comes to choosing his Lucky Craft bait colors, this Bassmaster Elite Angler, has two recommendations. “Stick with natural colors, and try to match the color to the forage base on the lake you are fishing. You can’t go wrong with Lucky Craft colors like, Ghost Minnow, Chartreuse Shad, or Bluegill. Northern lakes have an abundance of Yellow Perch, so go with a Yellow Perch pattern.”

 When it comes working the right bait, BJ Haseotes warns anglers to let the bass tell you what they want! “This may sound easier said than done, however if you incorporate the prevailing conditions, such as wind speeds, brightness of the sun or shady conditions presented by cloud cover, you are off to a good start.” For calm smooth surface situations Haseotes suggest turning to a G-Splash (Excellent for early mornings!) and allow your bait to spit-water. When a slight chop covers the surface walking a Sammy or a Gunfish just may be the ticket.

“One last thing, when the sun is shinning bright high in the sky, start skipping your bait under docks, overhangs tree limbs, and work baits in the high percentage areas…..wherever there is shade!”■