Top Five Baits for Winter Finesse Fishing

<strong>Top Five Baits for Winter Finesse Fishing</strong>

In my last column, I outlined five of my favorite power fishing lures for winter bass. There are times when power fishing is the deal and you can use baitcasting gear to force the bass to react. However, as the weather gets frigid, and water temperatures drop into the 40s or even the upper 30s, bass often become tight-lipped and lethargic. When that happens a spinning rod and light line can really change your day. Here are five of my favorite finesse options for those conditions. This first one probably isn’t much of a surprise if you’ve followed me over […]

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 Ultimate Spinnerbait Series – Retrieves and Tackle

The Ultimate Spinnerbait Series – Retrieves and Tackle

In the first part of my Ultimate Spinnerbait Series, I outlined when and where I use different kinds of spinnerbaits. It’s one of the greatest categories of lures ever made, but if you don’t dial in the proper retrieve, having the right blade style, color and other components really doesn’t matter. The good news: with three basic retrieves, you can maximize your effectiveness. I tailor them to the different zones of the water column – top, middle and bottom – and by thinking of it that way, you can really improve your game. For the top of the water column, […]

The Beginner’s Guide to Rod Selection

The Beginner’s Guide to Rod Selection

If you’re a guide or an experienced tournament fisherman, you might have five, 10, 20 or even 30 fishing rods already. But what about those of you who are just getting started? Maybe you’re a kid or someone who just wants to make a few casts in a neighborhood pond. Or perhaps you’re on a limited budget. You don’t need to have that many, but you do need to make sure that whatever you get is versatile. Before I dive into adult options, let me discuss rods for kids. This is really easy. For younger children, get a spinning or […]

What Makes Fishing Fun for Beginners?

What Makes Fishing Fun for Beginners?

Whether you’re trying to introduce someone new to fishing or you are a beginner yourself, the key to building a long-lasting love for the sport is to keep it fun. After all, that’s why we’re out there. This is particularly true when you’re trying to get kids involved. Fishing is an opportunity for them to build a lifelong passion through discipline and discovery. I’ve already written about the tackle you need to get kids started. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy – just some light rods, bobbers and tube jigs. That bobber makes it a very visual experience which […]

The Best Rig for Spawning Bass

The Best Rig for Spawning Bass

No matter where in the country you live, at some point during the spring the bass are going to be on the beds. Spawning bass can be really challenging to catch and I know that frustrates some of you, but I’ve got a system and technique that works just about everywhere. It drives them nuts. They’ve got to have it. I’m telling you, if you think that you suck at sight fishing, this is one bait you’ve got to try. There’s already been a lot of chatter about this lure, the soft plastic Berkley Gilly, a dead-on imitation of a […]

Blade Baits: Tackle and Techniques

Blade Baits: Tackle and Techniques

Last time we reviewed blade baits by looking at the lure in detail. Now we’re going to talk about what tackle to use and how to fish them. For starters let’s review the holes and clips on the back of the lure. It doesn’t make much difference whether you use a clip, a split ring or a swivel on a blade bait. They’ll all work. I like clips and snaps because you can change holes on the fly easy. Split rings are a little harder to take off and put back where you want them, especially with cold fingers. The […]

The Best Fall Lure!

The Best Fall Lure!

The fall season is here. The nights are getting cold, the water temperature is dropping and the water is getting clearer. That all adds up to mean that bait is what bass fishing is all about. With that in mind let’s talk about the best fall bass lure. And yes, there is only one. It’s the great baitfish imitator — the spinnerbait. The way we need to fish our spinnerbait is by burning it. That can be done the best with an ordinary, but heavy, size spinnerbait. The key to this technique is weight and a size that’s not too […]

My World, with Marina Alex

My World, with Marina Alex

In this week’s show I golfed and fished with Marina Alex, one of the best female golfers in the world. Actually, she might be the very best, or at least it looked that way to me. We golfed the first day so we’ll start with that. My first two swings were ugly. I missed the ball both times. Marina was helpful and on my third try I actually hit it and it went a ways. Most importantly, Marina didn’t laugh to my face. What may have happened back in the clubhouse might be another matter, though. After some instruction and […]

My World, with Kyle Troup

My World, with Kyle Troup

Last Monday My World aired with the show where I went fishing and bowling with PBA Players Championship winner, Kyle Troup. That title earned him prestige in his sport and $250,000. Bowling has come a ways since I bowled as a teenager drinking cheap, warm beer and eating cold pizza. I’ll tell you that. Anyway, we started off the first day at the Jersey Shore fishing for four species of fish — a flounder/fluke, a striped bass, a tautog and a sheepshead. We launched from Bay Front Marina in North Wildwood, New Jersey. We call it the Jersey Shore. Conditions […]