Author: Mike Iaconelli

Unlocking February’s Winter Fishing Secrets: Top 4 Baits for Success

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Unlocking February’s Winter Fishing Secrets: Top 4 Baits for Success

Let’s talk about my top four bait picks for bass fishing during the cold winter month of February. February can be a tongue-twister to say, but trust me, picking the right baits for this month can be even trickier. I’ve got you covered with two killer baits for the colder northern regions, and two absolute gems for the warmer southern states. But before we jump into the baits, let’s chat a bit about why February is such a challenge. February marks the transition month for our bass friends across the country. It’s the pre-spawn period, where bass are bidding farewell […]

Unveiling the Ultimate Panic Box

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Unveiling the Ultimate Panic Box

By popular demand, I’m going to tell you about a tackle box that never leaves my boat. Twelve months out of the year, from New York to Texas to California, it’s always with me – it’s my panic box. It has saved my butt over the years and that’s why I always want to have it accessible, in the compartment behind the driver’s seat of my boat. It’s kind of like a bright red or bright white fire extinguisher. When I’m in situations where I’m struggling, it’s obvious and ready to help me salvage the day. Why do you need […]

Top Four January Lures

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Top Four January Lures

January is typically among the coldest months of the year. Depending on where in the country you live, that could mean ice, or the water temperature could be as high as the low 60s. It’s a relative thing, but my starting point is to look for deeper, more vertical areas. Up north, that could be a bluff where the depth drops from 10 feet to 30. Down south it could be a deep-water canal that is 8 feet deep. In either situation, expect the fish to be relatively lethargic. As always, I’m going to give you two baits for up […]

Five Must-Have Hooks for Dominating Bass Fishing

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Five Must-Have Hooks for Dominating Bass Fishing

Whether you’re just starting out bass fishing or you’ve been doing it a long time, the sheer number of hooks can be intimidating. Go to Tackle Warehouse and there are hundreds of options available. It’s ridiculous, it’s confusing, it’s outrageous. Of course there are specialty hooks that apply in certain situations, but when I sat down and thought about it, I realized that there are five basic styles that I use the most. These five are in my bass boat or my kayak any time I go bass fishing. Let’s start with the workhorse: It’s a straight shank flipping and […]

Top Three Lures for Imitating Blueback Herring

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Top Three Lures for Imitating Blueback Herring

Herring are a prolific baitfish in a lot of our eastern lakes. From Virginia north, they’re mostly alewives, and from Virginia south it’s generally bluebacks. Despite some differences, they’re very similar – long, skinny, and they just about always travel in schools. When they’re spawning, bass gorge on them because they’re an easy meal. While a lot of other baitfish dart left to right or make a wide glide, bluebacks tend to move in a straight line. They’re also not necessarily blue – they have white or pearl sides and a greenish or brown back. Don’t believe me? Google them. […]

Top Four Baits for December

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Top Four Baits for December

It’s December and I know that a lot of you are already looking forward to Christmas, but don’t overlook the fact that this time of year features some big fish if you know what to use. I’m going to give you four options – two for the north and two for the south, but realistically all four will work wherever you live. The first choice is especially effective up north as temperatures drop into the 50s, the 40s or even the high 30s. That’s when you’re chasing a true winter pattern. The fish are getting deeper, they’re keyed in on […]

Top Four November Baits

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Top Four November Baits

Depending on where you are in the country, November is often the month when bass get off of the heavy fall feed and start moving toward their winter holding areas. It’s getting colder, the days are shorter, and they realize that they need to make a change. It’s a great month for fishing. Up north, they’re truly making the transition and down south they’re enjoying the tail end of the fall feed before moving. Let’s examine my two favorite baits for each of those scenarios. In the north, my number one choice is a tight wobbling crankbait. You’ve heard about […]

Brand New Must-Have Swimbait – The Cull Shad

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Brand New Must-Have Swimbait – The Cull Shad

    Over the past few months, the Berkley Cull Shad soft swimbait has gotten a lot of buzz. Even before it was introduced, a lot of guys at the pro level were experiencing some big catches on it and the cat got out of the bag early. (Pre-order Now Available.) First, the basics. It comes in two sizes. There’s a 6-inch model for when bass are feeding on smaller forage like little shad, herring and juvenile perch. There’s also the Big Mama, an 8-incher for when they’re eating gizzard shad, big shiners, trout, hitch and other larger bait. Both […]

The Importance of Power Poles in Fishing

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The Importance of Power Poles in Fishing

Now that I’ve had Power Poles for two decades, I would never think of having a boat without them. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a full-sized bass boat, a saltwater boat, a jon boat or even a kayak, I need some combination of these shallow water anchors on the back. That’s how important they’ve become. I use my Power Poles constantly throughout the day, starting when I launch and go to park the truck, and then whenever I need to stop or slow down. That could be to retie without losing position, or it could be necessary to help me […]

Top Four Lures for October

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Top Four Lures for October

October is all about fall fishing patterns. As the water starts to cool down, the bait move shallow and the bass follow. Then when they’re done feeding up, they head back to their wintering areas. It’s a big transition, and if you use the right lures you can find and tempt quality fish the whole time. If you’ve read my previous “best baits” columns, you know that I like to pick two for the North, from Virginia up, and two for the South, from the Carolinas down. Don’t let that box you in. All four are good just about anywhere, […]