Every so often something comes along that I would use even if it wasn’t made by a sponsor. That’s the way I feel about the new Berkley Powerbait Bearded Grass Pig Swimbait. It’s a true upgrade to the swimbait class of plastics. The best way to describe it is to say it’s a new design based on the original Grass Pig — a more traditional-type plastic swimbait — that adds a skirt at the front along with a collar that’ll […]
Sometimes a concept comes to reality and that reality creates something special. That’s what happened when we designed the new Rapala RipStop. Probably the best way to describe it is to say it’s a finesse jerkbait with a special tail that makes a world of difference in how it performs and in what the bass sees when it’s in the water. It’s new so it won’t be available for a few weeks but when it is I’d strongly suggest you […]
The new things that catch my eye at tackle shows like ICAST and really get my attention aren’t the new colors, sizes or minor modifications to existing baits. Anybody can do that. I’m not saying that those things don’t matter. They do, and they often make an existing product better. But the stuff that’s on the cutting edge of bass fishing is what gets me going. Berkley’s PowerBait Maxscent soft baits are in that category. They’ll be a game-changer. I’m […]
Most anglers who fish a lot with crankbaits like balsa. It’s buoyant and has a unique vibration in the water. The thing is, though, it also has drawbacks. Handmade versions are expensive and not every one reacts the same. Buy a dozen and you’re sure to get a few duds. Buy two or three and you might not even get one you like. Another thing is that balsa is soft. Make a 50 foot cast into a rock that’s only […]
Whenever I’m around a tournament, a sport show or the dock I’m often asked about jigs. The prevailing wisdom seems to be that a jig is a jig. Why should anyone spend their hard earned money on a new one? Well, the answer is because a jig is not a jig. There are good ones and ones that are no so good. The new Missile Baits Flip Out is one of the good ones and that’s because we — John […]
I put catching more bass in the title of this blog because I know that’ll get everyone’s attention. The truth is, though, that there are other reasons that are more important — like protecting your vision. Those reasons fall into three groups. The first, and most important in my mind, is to protect your eyes when you’re fishing. Running down the lake at high speed can be problematic for your eyeballs. Even a small bug can become a dangerous projectile […]
You’ve heard me say it before, but I’ll say it again: There’s nothing more important than your electronics. They are your underwater eyes. Good SONAR will tell you what’s under your boat and where you should be fishing. The importance of that is obvious. The best lure in the world, fished with the best tackle in the world, from the best boat in the world won’t do a thing if there isn’t a bass living in the neighborhood. You can’t […]
Every so often I think about a lure that everyone who want’s to catch a bass should know about, and so it is with the David Fritts designed Rapala DT Thug. It’s a small balsa crankbait — 2-1/2 inches long with a weight of 3/8 of an ounce — that’ll dive to between 4 and 8 feet on a normal retrieve. It has a hard, wide wobble, is hand tuned and comes in 15 colors. I don’t care where you […]
When anglers think about fishing a tube they usually think about dragging one along the bottom while looking for smallies or, in some situations, flipping and pitching them into heavy cover for largemouth holding tight. But when I think about fishing a tube — at least some of the time — I think about snapping it. It’s a super efficient technique when you want to target deep bass that have seen every crankbait and every jig that’s ever been made. […]
I’m frequently asked about using spinning or casting tackle. Anglers want to know what they should be using when they go fishing. The answer, of course, is that there is no answer. You can catch bass with either type so you should always use what you feel comfortable with given the way you fish and your level of experience. I will, however, tell you what I use — when and why. If my lure weighs less than 1/4 ounce I […]