Top Four July Baits

Top Four July Baits

All over the country, July means HOT weather. The water is hotter, the air is hotter, and the days are longer. That tends to push the bass deeper, where the oxygen content is higher, the water is cooler, and their prey is located. Of course, deep is a relative term. In some California reservoirs it might mean 100 feet, while in Florida it could mean 8 or 10 feet, but this is the time to focus much of your effort there. With that in mind, I’m going to give you information about four of my favorite July baits, two for […]

My Fall Bass Fishing Secret

My Fall Bass Fishing Secret

One of the coolest ways to catch bass is with an Alabama Rig, also known as the “A Rig.” If you’re a fan of it like I am, you already know why it’s so good. The term that I often use is that it mesmerizes them. It really does. Out of the water, that contraption looks bulky and complicated, but in the water, it comes alive. It’s one of the best baits ever made to mimic a school of baitfish. The one downfall of the traditional Alabama Rig is the limited number of places where you can fish it. With […]

The Most Versatile Bait of All Time                

The Most Versatile Bait of All Time                

All of us love to buy and test new tackle, but in order to maximize your efficiency it’s important to find lures that cover a lot of different situations. What would you say if I told you that there’s one lure that’s more versatile than the rest? No matter what month you’re fishing, what the water clarity might be, or what kind of cover you’re around, I have one lure that I think is more versatile than all the rest. That lure is the soft plastic stickbait. You’ve probably seen them before. It’s just a straight tail worm looking thing. […]

The Best Multi-species Lure of All Time

The Best Multi-species Lure of All Time

Even at this stage in my career, after fishing for a living for several decades, sometimes I just want to get bites. I don’t care what it is, as long as there’s lots of action. If you’re a beginner, that may be your goal, too – to just have something pull back. Fortunately, you don’t need a lot of different lures to get that done. In fact, there’s one lure I know that catches everything that swims, and I want to tell you what it is, how to rig it and how to fish it. Once you gain confidence in […]

Two Easy Ways to Catch Spring Bass

Two Easy Ways to Catch Spring Bass

When I think about spring bass I think about bass that are in transition. They’re moving from winter areas into shallow, spawning areas and then back out again to where they’ll spend the summer. So, the first thing you need to do is find them. After that you need to catch them. I have two basic ways to do those things. Both involve a Tokyo rig, although in very different ways than what you normally hear about. We’ll find them first. You probably don’t think of a Tokyo rig as a search rig. It’s been touted as a great heavy […]

Chicken Rig Your Craw

Chicken Rig Your Craw

Most of you know something about the chicken rig. Traditionally, the chicken rig was a weedless way to Neko rig a straight tail worm. I’m in love with doing that but I’ve expanded the concept to include one of the most effective and natural looking bass baits on the planet — the craw.  We’ll start with the hook. My favorite, by far, is the VMC Finesse Neko hook. The thing I really like about it is that there are two pieces of heavy fluorocarbon line on the top of the shaft of the hook up towards the eye. That keeps […]

The Mighty A-Rig

The Mighty A-Rig

It won’t be long and the water will start to cool. That means early in the cycle the bass will have a tendency to suspend. Later on it’ll get really cold. A lot of anglers struggle under these conditions. But, that is not necessary. Success is all about fishing with the right lure combination and setting it up correctly. One of the best ever lure combinations for suspended bass and cold water conditions is the A-Rig. Nothing puts them in the boat like it. They look crazy when you first see them. There are wires and spinners everywhere. You’d think […]