No one would ever confuse me for a shrewd financial planner. On the other hand, any avid fisherman who also has other important obligations, needs to be smart with his bassin’ budget. That’s economics. We all have unlimited wants, but only limited means, so here’s a couple of things that might be helpful.

PRIORITIZE—This is an easy one. Where I live, I will have absolutely no need for a dozen tungsten punching weights and accompanying skirts. These may be the absolute latest technology for fishing the Delta, (more…)

While a lot of casting has produced limited results here on the home water, a more comprehensive search will be undertaken on Monday to find those elusive largemouths. Instead of spinnerbaits and Carolina rigs, I’m joining a DFG crew for the annual spring survey–in the electro-shock boat.

No getting around it, despite high water and even some planted fish, the bass bite has been tough to figure. Some fish have come from shore in inlet channel, but the main lake has been a puzzle. Everyone is hoping that, just like last summer, once the water heats up, the fish will have to get active and there will be lots of action.

In the meantime, there is so much cover, (more…)

You likely didn’t know this because you probably run a Merc, Yami, Evinrude or the like. But this weekend, starting Friday, the Metropolitan Water District is sponsoring the eighth annual Solar Cup races at Lake Skinner–and you’re not invited. (more…)

If you don’t recall, a couple of months back (actually, late January) Humminbird’s side scan sonar, specifically the technology, was granted a patent and shortly thereafter–just days as I recall–they sued Lowrance.

And while a lot of boathouse lawyers suggested that this would not have any effect on production or sales of Lowrance, on Tuesday, the patent office granted yet another patent to Humminbird Side Imaging according to the latest news release: “The ’825 (last three digits of the number) patent expands the scope of the Humminbird(R) Side Imaging(R) sonar technology protected from unauthorized copying.”

The lawsuit was for infringement, (more…)

The International Gamefish Association has just announced its 2010 inductees into the IGFA Hall of Fame with Forrest Wood, founder of Ranger Boats, taking his rightful place on the list that will swell to 85 honorees.

Somewhat overdue, nonetheless, Forrest can be glad it’s not a posthumous award. (more…)

Okay, Chuck Garrison was a saltwater guy, three-book author and national writer. But he was also at Western Outdoor News when I was just starting out back in the 1970′s, when he was as likely to be found in the Eastern Sierra or at Lower Otay Lake.

But what I learned from him were some of the basics of fishing photography–the simplest, and yet most critical of them–that a camera isn’t really that smart. The camera takes what’s there; but the photog makes something of what’s there. (more…)

I guess when your name only appears once a week in print, it’s not quite so obvious when it stops showing up in the publication. In response, then, to a call from an old friend and former contributor to U.S. Bass Magazine Rick Clark– who did notice–I’m just letting all know that is the case with my long-running column in Western Outdoor News. It’s not there anymore. (more…)

If you don’t get it now, you never will. In competition, you don’t fish against the fish, you fish against the fisherman.

When KVD was at the peak of his reign in the Elites, the other pros didn’t forget how to fish, they heard footsteps, or humming troll motors, or burning crankbaits or some other metaphor. If another was leading for a day, VanDam was chasing him down. And if they were trailing there was no comeback.

But today is a new day. It’s Skeet Reese who casts that ominous cloud (more…)

Making another stop in my local area, today I enjoyed an excellent half a day of fishing at Lake Skinner, east of Temecula. And as it turned out, the lightly fished reservoir proved to be a real “Wynner” as in Rod Wynn, my host pro on the day.

I confess it’s been more than a decade since I launched here, but Rod’s “pre-practice” proved invaluable as he was able to pinpoint some areas (more…)