jig – Ike's Fishing Blog

Top Four Baits for December

December 6, 2024December 5, 2024Mike Iaconelli 0

It’s hard to believe it’s December already but here we are. In this blog, I’m going to outline for you the top four baits for the month of December. And, as always, we’re breaking it down for you depending on where you live. If you’re in the North, above Virginia, you’ll get two baits that dominate cold-weather fishing. For my Southern anglers, Carolinas and below, you’ll get two picks perfect for those transitional conditions. But before we dive into the baits, let’s talk about December because, man, it’s a unique time to fish! December: A Month of Change Up North, […]

Top Four Baits for October Fishing

October 4, 2024October 3, 2024Mike Iaconelli 0

In this blog we’re diving into my top four baits for the month of October. Whether you’re up north where it’s full-blown fall or down south where the fish are still transitioning, I’ve got the tips you need to get those bass biting this month. So let’s break it down! Understanding October Fishing First off, let’s talk about what’s happening in October. Depending on where you live, it can either be early fall or full-on fall feed time. For those of you up north, like Virginia and beyond, October means fish are really starting to pack on the pounds before […]

Top Baits for August

August 9, 2024August 7, 2024Mike Iaconelli 0

It’s August and it’s hot! No matter where you are, whether you’re in California, Maine, Texas, or Ohio, August means the hottest month of the year, the hottest extremes of weather, and the hottest water temperatures. You’ve got to think about not just fish location but also your bait selection based on those hot conditions. You’ve heard me say it before, and I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but summertime patterns are all about deeper, thicker, and current. Fish go to deep water to escape the heat, get oxygen, and find food. Fish go under thick cover […]

March Best Baits

March 8, 2024March 6, 2024Mike Iaconelli 0

Today I’m going to talk with you about the top four baits for the month of March. You know how it goes, folks. I’m gonna hook you up with two baits for the top half of the country, let’s say from Virginia north, and two for the bottom half, let’s say from Virginia south. But before we dive into those juicy details, let’s talk about March. In most places across the U.S., March marks some phase of the spawn, specifically the pre-spawn in a lot of regions. Remember our chat in February? We discussed fish migrating towards spawning areas from […]

Unveiling the Ultimate Panic Box

January 26, 2024January 26, 2024Mike Iaconelli 0

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 Bass Baits for June – Deep Dive into Summer Bass Fishing

June 16, 2023June 14, 2023Mike Iaconelli 0

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 […]

Top Five Power Fishing Lures for Early Winter Fishing

December 2, 2022November 30, 2022Mike Iaconelli 0

For a lot of us around the country, it’s early winter right now. The leaves are off the trees, the mornings are cold, and water temperatures are down. That typically means that fish have left their fall patterns. They’re headed to or in their wintering holes, but they’re still feeding. That often means you can still catch them with power fishing techniques. I have five lures that fit the bill The first, without a doubt, is a suspending jerkbait like the Rapala Shadow Rap. I can’t think of a better bait for this time of year. It emulates a struggling […]

Hard Cover vs. Soft Cover

December 10, 2021December 9, 2021Mike Iaconelli 0

This is really a continuation of my thoughts about fishing the moment. It’s about where the fish are on any given day or any given hour, and how to find them. In most waters that we fish, there’s hard cover and soft cover. Hard cover is stuff like docks, laydowns, rock, and concrete. In the video I want you to watch along with this blog — you can view it here — the bass were on laydowns. Soft cover is stuff like weeds and other kinds of vegetation. I fished that off and on but the bass weren’t relating to […]

The Best 6 Baits Every Serious Bass Angler Should Own

January 31, 2020January 31, 2020Mike Iaconelli 0

There must be a thousand fishing lures on the market. Choosing only six of them for this blog was no easy task. But sometimes we need to downsize so I did just that. I’ve listed the baits below in no particular order. The first three are power fishing lures. The last three are more in the finesse category. A crankbait This is a great bait because you can cover a lot of water with one and because they search out the bass. It’s almost like they’re calling the fish in to them. Although there are hundreds of them available, picking […]