I'm glad you asked if I had any tips for Jimmy Houston's Bass Tournament USA, because the only tip I have for 3 Ninjas Kick Back is to avoid it at ALL costs. Talk about an annoying game!

 

Anyway, on to Jimmy Houston. The game is pretty straightforward and all you have to do to beat it is finish in the top 3 in 3 qualifying tournaments, and 1st in the Championship tournament. Below I'll list the name of the Lake each tournament is held on, how many days it lasts, the lure I had the most success with, and the technique I used with that lure. I'll also list how many pounds of fish you'll need to finish in 1st place in each tournament. The game doesn't tell you these amounts, I've just learned them from experience. These amounts will never change. As soon as you reach the required amount, you can immediately weigh in and win the tournament. 

 

First though, I'll list a few general tips about the game.

 

General tips:

 

1.) You will catch significantly more fish around the outer edges of the lake than in the middle. This is because fish like to hang out near underwater or floating structures such as trees, rocks, lilly pads, logs, etc., which are more frequently found near the shoreline.

 

2.) Once your lure is less than 20 ft. from the boat you can just reel it back in. I've played this game off and on since I was 12 years old and I've never caught a single fish at a distance less than 20 ft. from the boat. 

 

3.) If you cast out a few times and dont' get any bites, don't give up on that area yet. Use the shoulder buttons to move your boat to the left or right because that huge Bass you need may be lurking just to the side of where you initially cast. 

 

4.) As I mentioned in tip #1, fish love to hang out near trees, rocks or anything similar in the water. So cast as close as you possibly can to anything like that in the area where you've decided to fish. The closer the better, just don't get too close or you'll snag your line. 

 

5.) Always set your hook by pushing up on the directional pad. The other directions will work too, just not as well.

 

6.) The lures and techniques I suggest below are just that, suggestions. If something I said isn't working, don't be afraid to experiment. Sometimes a fish won't bite a purple frog lure, but will immediately bite a white frog lure on the very next cast. 

 

Now for the Tournament info: 

 

Qualifying Tournament #1

 

Lake Fork, TX

1 Day Tournament

You'll need 15 lbs of fish or more to finish in 1st place. 

 

Lure I had the most success with:

Name: Standard Worm/SLT-Shot

Range: Shallow

Type: Soft

Weight: Light

Color: Blue or Purple

Technique: Cast your lure, let it sink a little, then reel it in a couple feet and stop. Wait about about 2 seconds and reel it a few more feet and stop. Rinse and repeat until it's time to cast again.

 

Qualifying Tournament #2

 

Lake Winnipesaukee, NH

1 Day Tournament

You'll need 12 lbs of fish or more to finish in 1st place.

 

Lure I had the most success with:

Name: Tube Worm/Jig Head

Range: Middle

Type: Soft

Weight: Light

Color: White

Technique: Cast your lure and let it sink to the bottom. Let it sit on the bottom for 2-3 seconds, then reel it in a few feet and let it sink to the bottom again. Rinse and repeat until it's time to cast again.

 

Qualifying Tournament #3

 

Lake Seminole, GA

2 Day Tournament

You'll need 40 lbs of fish or more over the 2 days to finish in 1st place.

 

Day 1

 

Lure I had the most success with:

Name: Frog 

Range: Top

Type: Soft

Weight: Light

Color: Blue

Technique: Use in areas where you might find a real frog, such as near floating logs or on lilly pads. Cast your lure and as soon as it hits the water start reeling it back in, only stopping for a split second every 3 to 4 feet. This will keep the lure on top of the water, mimmicking a real frog, which will cause the bass to attack.

 

Day 2

 

Lure I had the most success with:

Name: Standard Worm/SLT-Shot

Range: Shallow

Type:  Soft

Weight: Light

Color: Blue  

Technique: Cast your lure, let it sink a little, then reel it in a couple feet and stop. Wait about about 2 seconds and reel it a few more feet and stop. Rinse and repeat until it's time to cast again.

 

Championship Tournament

 

Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie, SC

3 Day Tournament

You'll need 67 lbs of fish or more over the 3 days to finish in 1st place.

 

Unlike the 2 day tournament just before this one I pretty much used the same lure for all 3 days. 

 

Lure I had the most success with:

Name: Standard Worm/SLT-Shot

Range: Shallow

Type: Soft

Weight: Light

Color: Blue or Purple

Technique: Cast your lure, let it sink a little, then reel it in a couple feet and stop. Wait about about 2 seconds and reel it a few more feet and stop. Rinse and repeat until it's time to cast again.

 

Sorry to have rambled on so long, but I just couldn't seem to stop once I'd started.