Bass

For many anglers, winter means a time to hunt deer and re-organize fishing tackle. For others, it’s a time to test their mettle against wintering largemouth as water temps drop.

Many anglers associate that time period with ultra-finesse techniques.  For Bassmaster Elite pro, Mark Menendez, he looks forward to picking off key areas with a crankbait.

Water Clarity is Key

by Dave Landahl

Looking back on a season of pro bass fishing, there are an awful lot of amazing moments. Whether watching an angler catch the winning fish on Bassmaster Live, or a rookie taking the Forrest Wood Cup, there were so many really amazing occasions in 2017.

When it comes to catching winter bass, Bassmaster Elite pro Stephen Browning isn’t shy about fishing shallow water. The Arkansas-based angler will fish two to eight foot depths in the back of creeks when water temperatures are in the 40s and 50s Fahrenheit. He uses a crankbait for covering water, but keeps a jig ready to target wood and other cover in his path. Here’s a closer look at his approach for shallow, cold-water bass.

by Dave Landahl

We all make mistakes. If not every day, at least every week. It's just human nature to not be perfect, no matter how hard we strive for perfection.

So, it should come as no surprise to anyone that elite professional bass anglers such as fishing pro Mike Iaconelli make their fair share of foul-ups, even during competition.

by Dave Landahl

by Dave Landahl

Little things matter in sports. Proper defensive positioning in baseball can prevent a hit from getting through. Holding the ball with two hands can often prevent a fumble in football. Little things.

Yet in turn, the little things can become big stuff in a hurry. A bad pitch can walk in the winning run in baseball.  A missed free throw can cost you the game in basketball.

Every angler dreams of that bite where the rod almost gets ripped out of their hands. For Elite Series fishing pro Greg Hackney, come fall, he’d sooner be power fishing and nothing would make him happier than to be throwing a Strike King lipless crankbait.

The Ned rig is one of the most popular finesse fishing baits right now. It’s easy to use, catches all kinds of fish, and can put bass in the boat in tough conditions when other presentations fail. The Ned Rig can be used on lakes, rivers, and ponds in a variety of conditions and can be fished with a number of different baits and retrieves.

Cooper Gallant is one of Canada’s hottest new fishing tournament anglers, who with his partner Danny McGarry, notched a win at the 2017 FLW Canada Bay of Quinte event and the 2016 FLW Canada Championship which qualified him for the 2017 FLW FLW Costa Championship on Kentucky Lake in Tennessee that fall.

Casey Scanlon is an FLW Tour fishing pro just coming off the 2017 FLW Tour Championship. While his season might be over, he’s still getting plenty of fishing time in and in the fall, you can be sure he’ll have some specialized crankbaits tied on for key situations.