UPDATE: Viewer Brian Day did a follow-up trip to DVL and noted some good bass action, while providing some additional relevant images from the scene. Included were shots of temporary section of ramp, plus silversides (smelt) baitfish.

Emailed Day, “On the water by 6:30 am. Three in a boat, relatively comfortable. Casting and covering water will be a challenge. Went to first point on the right of the launch.  First fish, 3 pounds, on rocky outcropping tight to the rocks on a BBZ Shad… just out of the no wake zone, the bait was pushed to the surface and the fish were boiling. (more…)

Talk about name dropping, in the realm of bass lures there more baits named “Shad” than there are Murphys in a St. Patrick’s Day parade. So for this week’s quiz, we decided not to go back quite so far into bass fishing history in order that we might grab a winner from the current generation of anglers.

Anyway,  most of the following list are shad models from the last decade–or three. (more…)

Guide Rich Tauber was gloating again yesterday, given he and his clients were on ‘em again.

Said Rich, “No, that’s not Manny Ramirez, but batting gloves are standard equipment at Lake Casitas. The monster bass are on the prowl big time….”

Lake Casitas is known to provide many memorable moments. In this case, Friday, Steven Wood of Seattle, WA captured this 8-pound, 15-ounce largemouth. “We have had excellent topwater fishing every morning in the gray,” said Tauber. “Then we fish the live shad on the flyline in the afternoon.” (more…)

FRIDAY UPDATE–There was a new leader going into the final day at the Columbia River, but as noted below, the numbers held. It took 8 pounds a day to get a check; 14 of the 28 money winners (same percentage as in the field) were from the Golden State. However, only 4 or 40 percent made the cut–giving the home court to anglers in the Northwest.

We know now the highly touted National Guard FLW Series West (see it) has drawn 85 boats, and a Californian is tied for the lead after two days. But there is even more to consider than the overall total (which was quite a bit better than many had predicted.)

The percentage of pro participants breaks down like this: (more…)

After, I don’t know how many years, there has been some contraction at headquarters and an old friend, Rich Holland, will be taking over what have been my duties as WON BASS Editor–like today.

While Rich is widely known for his expertise on the saltwater scene (and who remains on top of the whole MLPA fiasco) he is a fine editor who guided Western Outdoors Magazine through the last couple of seasons, before, like so many periodicals across the country, it ceased publication in May of this year. (more…)

Nobody is a bigger proponent than I am of the little crappie bait for bass (or wipers or catfish or crappie) but I’m not sure about the latest design change.

Subtle, yes. Well-intentioned, yes. But two things stand out about the lure that have me concerned. One, putting the swivel on the chin of the bait, rather than behind it, means the swivel is going to take the brunt of all bottom contact. (Look closely at the swivel position of the lures pictured.) (more…)

Don’t know if they’re just waiting for smoke on the horizon or if they can’t find the tune-up kit, but the fire-fighting seaplane, Hawaii Mars is not going to show up at Lake Elsinore today as previously announced.

Latest word from the city indicates a more likely arrival time is, “the middle of next week,” so the popular north end and “pipes” areas will be accessible this weekend. Just how much of that area will be off-limits remains to be seen. (more…)

If you ever become a star in the bass fishing game, you just might get the duty that Brent Ehrler has been called to perform regarding the upcoming FLW Series event on the Columbia River, June 24-27. That is, to be the spokesman charged with trying to pump up an event that is apparently looking at a sad number of participants.

Right now you can go to the FLW website and find Brent quoted as saying, “I think there will be some fish just getting off the spawn; lots of fish will be caught.” (more…)