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, […]

My Bass Fishing Tournament Kayak Setup

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My Bass Fishing Tournament Kayak Setup

As kayak fishing continues to grow in popularity, the ability to customize your kayak grows in lockstep. There’s not just one way to do it. Depending on what you carry and where you fish, you might have a setup that’s uniquely perfect for you. To give you some ideas, let’s go through how I rig my Hobie PA 14. Let’s start with the battery power. This is no simple craft and it needs lots of juice during the day. Fortunately with a single Pro Guide PGL50 lithium battery, I can take care of all of my power needs. It’s super-light, […]

Top Four September Bass Baits

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Top Four September Bass Baits

I consider September to be the start of fall fishing patterns and behavior. Whether you’re in New York or Florida, California or Ohio, this is the time of year when we start to get the first night or two of colder weather, and the first week or so of temperature drops. Even if it’s just one or two degrees, combined with the fact that the days are shorter, it cues the fish that fall has begun. The changes spur the bass to start moving from where they spent the summer to where they’re going to feed heavily in the fall. […]

How to Fish Small Ponds and Lakes

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How to Fish Small Ponds and Lakes

For today’s episode I’ve wandered down from the shop to the dock to give you all a simple breakdown of how to fish smaller lakes. Whether you fish from the bank, from a canoe, a kayak or a jon boat, this one’s just for you. No matter the size of these smaller lakes, I believe that they’re “the same but different” from larger lakes and reservoirs. The first similarity is that you always want to be fishing around change. The second is that the bass will typically behave predictably with respect to seasonal movements. Whether you’re fishing on Lake Okeechobee […]

Six Retrieves for the Berkley Nessie

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Six Retrieves for the Berkley Nessie

The Berkley Nessie is an incredible bait not just because it fills a void by essentially crating the category of soft glide baits, but also because you can fish it so many different ways. Whether you’re an absolute novice or you’ve been fishing with glide baits for years, I encourage you to experiment with it. You may find new ways that work best on your home waters, but when starting out you’ll want to focus on six basic retrieves. The first is the simplest – just a steady retrieve. All you have to do is make a long cast and […]

Berkley Nessie – Features and Benefits

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Berkley Nessie – Features and Benefits

By now you may have heard a few rumors about Berkley’s new Nessie. It’s a bait I’ve been helping with for a while, and to be honest it’s so distinctive and novel that I cannot recall the last time I was this excited about a new design. Why? It’s one of the first soft glide baits on the market, and that gives it some huge advantages over the competition. First, let me explain the name. “Nessie” evokes the Loch Ness Monster, and glide baits are known for being bigger than average lures. We have a 9-inch giant, a 7-incher for […]

Top Four July Baits

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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 […]

Top Four Bass Baits for June – Deep Dive into Summer Bass Fishing

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Top Four Bass Baits for June – Deep Dive into Summer Bass Fishing

It’s heating up throughout the country, and with summertime nearly here, bass are mostly post-spawn, even in much of the north. Normally I give you two monthly suggestions for the northern fisheries and two for the southern fisheries, but this time I’m not going to split it up. Wherever you live there are four iconic lures that dominate in June. All four of these baits have similar characteristics: (1) they get a little deeper; (2) they’re big and bulky to help fish recover from the rigors of spawning; and (3) they can help you cover water and locate fish that […]