Outdoors: Will local knowledge be an edge in B.A.S.S. event?

To run or not to run? For bass anglers fishing the B.A.S.S. Northern Open series on the James River this week, that really is the question. And the lunker hunter that answers it correctly (and finds a honeyhole full of quality largemouths) will win entry into professional bass fishing's most prestigious event: the 2012 Bassmaster Classic.

To clarify, "running" on the James and its tributaries means running the tide, passing up valuable fishing time and cruising for long distances in search of the right water level and tidal conditions. It's the preferred method of the "local smoke," guys who've fished here for years - decades, even - and know the James, the Chickahominy, the Appomattox and all their feeder creeks like the back of their hands.

If Eddie Griggs was entered in this three-day tournament, which cranks up Thursday morning at Osborne Landing, he'd be considered local smoke. After all, the Varina native has fished the James all his life. But he's also a former pro on the FLW Tour's top series, and he's had to compete against local smoke (his term) all over the country.

Local knowledge versus pro skill: That's one of the intriguing angles at B.A.S.S.'s regional Open series. Comparable to the NASCAR Nationwide Series, the Opens tend to bring out pros who have yet to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic or want another chance to fish for sizable purses outside of their regular Elite Series schedule. But entry is not limited to pros on the Elite Series. So, despite entry fees in the thousands, locals flock to tournaments on their home water for a chance at the same glory.

"For a so-called amateur angler to have a shot at the Bassmaster Classic just by winning one tournament ...Why not?" Griggs said. "I'm an idiot for not pushing to get in this thing."

So what'll it be, run the tides like the locals or see the water differently, as an outsider - a professional - might?

"The river rats, the guys that know the river and fish it quite a bit, they've fished it enough to know that certain areas are better on high tide, certain areas are better on low tide and they try to be at those areas at the times they think are the best," said John Crews, an Amelia native who fishes the B.A.S.S. Elite Series.

On the other side, you've got guys like Mike Iaconelli, former Classic winners who've accumulated career earnings in the millions by doing things their own way.

"A lot of times an outsider coming to the James will fish the river a little unconventionally compared to the locals," Crews explained. "Sometimes they can catch some good fish because those fish haven't been touched. They'll fish an area because they don't know any better and sure enough they end up finding a few fish."

It'll be interesting to see which method - or maybe a hybrid of the two - results in the most big fish come Saturday's final weigh-in at Bass Pro Shops. Griggs said he's taken out over a dozen guys entered in the tournament, out-of-town anglers who wanted to see the river through his eyes.

"Most common question is how to fish the tides, by far," he said.

The concept isn't complicated; it's just the execution that gets tricky.

When the tide is high, there's more water for the fish to hide in. More water equals more territory to cover for anglers, and sometimes that territory is a thick marsh or small creek into which they can't place a bait.

"As the tide comes out and the water gets lower, it pulls the baitfish and the bass out of these marsh areas and into areas where it's easier fishing for them," Griggs said.

Sounds simple, but the difference between low tide at Jamestown and at Osborne Landing is over four hours. Some guys will spend all day running to areas where the water is lowest, where there are fewer places for big bass to hide. Others will try a different tack.

"Guys from out of town look for areas that look like there are more fish in them," Crews said. "They'll just kind of camp out in there for the whole day. They'll fish in high water and low water and catch them in all phases of the tide."

There'll be over 150 boats on the water come Thursday, and the man at the helm of each one is going to have to decide: To run, or not to run? A berth in the Bassmaster Classic could hinge on the answer.