Want to catch more fish? Then remember this golden rule: Always try to eliminate as much water as possible in an effective manner in the shortest possible time.

Fishing fast doesn't mean fishing sloppy or fishing stupid. I fish fast to catch fish or to learn where they are holding. A good example of my fast/slow system is working cover-laden flats for largemouth bass.

If the only thing you see when looking at a potential bass-holding flat is an expanse of shallow- to medium-depth water without much of cover, you are likely to make many casts but catch few fish.

When I look at such cover, I observe weed edges--both shallow and deep. I make note of different types of weeds that can tell me about the bottom composition. I look for areas of sparse weeds in an otherwise thick weed area and for patches of thick weeds in areas of lesser growth. I look for mixes of weed types and for emerging vegetation bordering submerged vegetation.

Look also for wood. Stumps or standing timber may be present. There may be lying logs, crisscrossed wood, bushes, log cribs, sunken "Christmas trees," hardwoods, pilings, dock posts, and similar features.

Look also for rocks, and consider the various depths available to fish and even existing weather conditions.

When trying to pinpoint bass locations, top anglers try to establish fish-holding patterns. For example, larger bass may be holding in 3-1/2 to five-foot depths, but only where scattered wood is mixed with coontail weeds. Or pads may be the key to large fish, with the best spots being isolated areas of small "dollar" or arrowhead pads. These smaller pads often grow on sand bottom, hence you're fishing isolated areas of hard bottom, a potentially good spring condition.

Once you isolate some productive patterns, fish them hard and exclusively until they fail. If you fish one area of water thoroughly and catch fish, then try to find areas in other parts of the lake, river, or reservoir that have the same conditions. Fish usually don't bite all day so you must fish as fast and effectively as possible.

Unless weather and/or water conditions are poor, I usually fish these types of areas with a fast/slow approach to put together productive patterns. My fast lures are meant to find, but not necessarily to catch, fish. Oh, I'll catch my share, but swirls, boils, follows, or otherwise just "moving fish" may be all I need to zero in on productive patterns. Action shows me where the fish are holding. Then I can fine-tune my presentation to catch them.

The fast lures I'll use will generally be spinner baits, "skitter" spoons, buzz-baits, or shallow-running crankbaits. The type of lure used is determined by cover, depth, and the activity level of the fish. A fast-moving buzz-bait may be ideal for aggressive bass, but a tandem blade spinnerbait fished with short pauses may be as fast as you can go to stir up action on less active fish.

A few feet of open water over a cover-strewn bottom may send me digging for a Rat-L-Trap/Spot-type crankbait, while matted surface goo and warmer weather could dictate the use of a skitter spoon.

If a fish hits your faster presentation and it's landed, ask yourself where it came from? What depth? What type of cover? Any other variables?

If a fish misses your fast presentation, then immediately fire a slow teasing "killer" presentation back to them.

Slow secondary presentations should be weedless, have excellent fish-teasing ability at rest or at slow speeds, exhibit good hooking power, and should either float or sink very slowly.

Favorite slow-sinking presentations include a jumbo Uncle Josh pork frog on a size 5/0 or 6/0 weighted weedless hook, and a bulky plastic lizard or worm rigged Texas-style.

Most of my slow presentations revolve around lures that float. They give me more control, and I can see how the bass are reacting to them (bumping, nipping, or watching). My favorite slow lures are Snag Proof's Bass Rat, SK Frog, and Frog lures. These unique weedless lures have a soft, hollow plastic body that collapses when a bass chomps down on it.

Press the lure's body in to expose the hooks, then sharpen the hooks to razor's edge. I also bend the hooks outward with a longnose pliers to increase hooking power.

When a fish misses or moves at your fast presentation, reel in a few more turns, quickly put the rod down, and pick up a rod rigged for slow presentation. Fire the lure as quickly and accurately as possible back into the action area. Let the ripples subside, and then twitch the lure. Pause and repeat.

The trick is to get that lure back fast and accurately, taking no more than five to eight seconds. It takes practice, but it can be done.

In some areas (Canada and Minnesota come to mind), only one rod may be used at a time. Technically it is illegal to leave one lure out while you cast a second lure at the fish. By the time the first lure is cranked in, the bass has generally gone.

The solution to the one-rod problem is to use a floating weedless lure that can be used fast or slow. No such animal you say? If so, you have never tried a Snag Proof Moss Master Buzzbait. It has the same soft-bodied weedless concept mentioned before, behind a tri-bladed spinner held up by flotation beads. Work it fast, but if a fish misses it, stop the retrieve and work it in a slow, seductive manner.

Its floating, hollow body and skirted rear become a productive top-water presentation. With it, you can get away with using only one lure.