Bass pro Larry Nixon is a master at fishing waters he's never seen.

If ignorance is bliss, Larry Nixon is in nirvana.

Nixon is considered one of the best bass anglers in the world, a distinction that requires an enormous amount of fishing knowledge.

There are times, though, when Nixon finds comfort in not knowing anything about an upcoming fishing event. That is the case for the 2001 ESPN Great Outdoor Games.

Nixon is one of 11 anglers who will be competing for the Gold Medal in July. Seven of the competitors have never fished, seen or, until recently, even heard of Lake Flower and Saranac Chain of Lakes.

"All I know is the lakes have smallmouth and largemouth bass and Peter T. (Thliveros) won it last year on largemouth," Nixon said. "I know the spawn is over, so I'm going to prepare for fishing the post-spawn.

"That's about all I know."

It's the same for most of the field.

The Saranac Chain of Lakes receives little pressure because of a short fishing season, and the lakes' sizes are not suitable for large tournaments. In essence, the tournament waters are about as foreign to the anglers as they've ever experienced.

"I like that idea," Nixon said, "go in blind and go fishing. It usually proves who is the better fisherman for that time period. You have to come in without any information and do it on your own fishing skills."

The professional angler from Bee Branch, Ark., has won almost every major fishing title in the bass fishing world, including a BASS Masters Classic, two B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year titles and four BASSMASTER MegaBucks Championships. As a result, he became the first professional bass angler to win more than $1 million in prize money.

A big portion of that money has come from MegaBucks tournaments. In those events, 150 to 175 professionals fishes for four days, ultimately cutting the field to 10 anglers, who move to a different body of water and compete in a two-day tournament. Often the final two days are fished on unfamiliar water, and the anglers are allowed but one day of practice.

	“	I like that idea: go in blind and go fishing. It usually proves who is the better fisherman for that time period. ”
		— Larry Nixon

"That's why Larry Nixon does so well in the MegaBucks," said Tommy Martin of Hemphill, Texas, a BASS Masters Classic champion and touring professional. "If we could only have one day of fishing for every tournament, Nixon would win them all. He's the best angler in the world at figuring out quickly how to catch fish."

The Great Outdoor Games isn't MegaBucks, but there are some similarities, primarily the single day of practice. It's a day that will ultimately decide who wins the event.

"The reason that suits me is you have to rely solely on your fishing knowledge," Nixon said. "In most of the professional events, it's real easy to get help or rely on someone else's knowledge.

"For me that often screws me up more than it helps me. There are times when knowing too much or practicing too much can hurt you."

There will be no such dangers on the Saranac Chain of Lakes. The anglers will have eight- to 10-hours to decide the best way to fish a lake that, by most accounts, allows a variety of fishing techniques to win.

"You will have to have a good practice if you expect to do well," Nixon said. "The guy who does good will be the one who uses that one day the right way. He will have to use his time wisely, find the quality bites with the right tackle.

"That's not always as easy as it sounds. You certainly won't be able to figure it out before you get there."