If I Had a Do-Over

EVERY BASSMASTER ELITE Series angler has a painful tale of the near-win, a total bomb or something in between where a key decision shifted an event’s outcome in an unfavorable manner. Within these regretful tales, we find a rich harvest of techniques, tactics and timing that can help all anglers sharpen their game.

EXPANSION NEEDED

Lee Livesay Event: Lake Hartwell Elite, 2019 Scenario: Early April, fish spawning throughout the lake

The Decision: Livesay’s practice revealed a mid-lake area with good numbers of quality fish pulling up to spawn. All signs pointed to a slam dunk, so the Texas pro committed to this script.

“They were fresh; you could tell the females were just getting right,” Livesay said. “A few of them were locked on; the rest of them were cruising or staging on docks. I saw enough in that