Why Clark Wendlandt Power Fishes Shallow Water Better Than You
IF YOU WERE to ask a hundred bass fishermen which style of fishing they like best, more than a few, no doubt, would answer “power fishing,” the technique of moving through areas quickly and reeling baits fast, regardless of the conditions. Certainly Bassmaster Elite Series angler Clark Wendlandt would answer this way.
The Texas pro has fashioned a $2.5 million career with wins or Top 5 finishes at such diverse destinations as Hartwell, Beaver, Ouachita, Logan Martin, Old Hickory and the Potomac River; competed in four Bassmaster Classics and 19 Forrest Wood Cups; and won three FLW Angler of the Year titles. He’s done it not just by power fishing, but by power fishing in shallow water less than 10 feet deep.
“I’m looking for aggressive fish and trying to cover as much water as I can,” explains Wendlandt. “I believe there are more aggressive fish in shallow water than most anglers realize, and I want to put my lure in front of as many of them as I can. It doesn’t mean I won’t slow down, but I know that at least part of what we’re calling aggressive behavior is simply reaction strikes, and those come primarily with fast-moving lures.”
For Wendlandt, the shallow-water, power-fishing season lasts
