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The 2006-2007 off season has been anything but time off for Elite Series Pro Kurt Dove. The Virginia pro’s 2006 season did not end until the middle of November at the
Elite Series Wildcard event. After re-gaining entry into the Elites for 2007 he came up with a new plan to better prepare himself for his 2007 campaign.
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Dove told the BZ, “I learned last year that to be competitive, I can't show up at a lake I've never been to, fish 3 days of official practice, and wing what I found during the tournament. I believe nearly every angler has an intimate knowledge and understanding of every body of water the Series will fish long before the off-limits period expires. Success in this Series first comes from a good starting foundation to understanding each fishery and its complexities." |
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by Mark Jeffreys |
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Kurt Dove has been a very busy man the last couple of months. Dove made the commitment, and has taken time out this year to travel to every tournament location prior to its official off-limits. “I'm not traveling to these locations to due much fishing either,” said Dove. “When I get to new body of water I like to look and see everything it has to offer. I want to understand how the fish will be affected in different areas of the lake due to any type of seasonal or weather condition we my have just prior to or during the events.”
Dove just returned from a 9 day trip to California to pre-practice the Delta and Clear Lake. He spent 4 days on the Delta understanding its complexities and looking at areas the fish will utilize when he comes back
to the west coast in March. “I'm not to worried about were they are in January, so I'm not targeting the fish or
fishing," said Dove. "I am instead looking at the environment, taking notes, and getting prepared for what the fish will be doing when I return. The Delta is very complex and takes a little more time to understand than most fisheries. I spent 3 days at Clear Lake and again my time was spent looking at the entire lake searching and locating areas the fish will be relating to in March.”
An interesting fact about Dove’s trip out west, out of 7 days on the water at the Delta and Clear Lake, he fished less than 7 hours total. “The important thing to understand is that I learned more by fishing less,” said Dove. “I'm confident my investment to pre-practice this year will ultimately make me more competitive for the 2007 Elite Season.”
The BZ has added a new feature for 2007 titled, “The Sophomore
Season,” focusing on the second-year pros on the Elite Series. The
Sophomore Season will kickoff at Lake Amistad in March.
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