IT WAS COMING DOWN...
Monsoon season or not, getting pummeled by a late September rainstorm is not the norm, but today was one of those rare combinations of funky weather with crackling skies and rumbling thunder. Oh yeah, and there were lots of reaction strikes too.
Of course, the bite wasn’t all that species specific, as Dave Schreck and I found out.
For every largemouth (no smallies today) there was at least one striper boil, (more…)
When I break out my 8-foot spinning rod and 6-pound mono or 10-pound braid, I know I won’t be winching big ones with abandon. The long rod is a lever, okay, but it’s more of an extension of my efforts–especially to cast small baits, and for speeding up my hook-sets by swinging more line. (Just ask my ducking partners.)
But as was described quite well by Brian Waldman, a lot more scientific guy than me out of Indiana (see it here), longer does not mean more powerful, regardless of the lure use. It’s really not a tool of leverage in that sense. (more…)
In one of those moves that makes you ask, “Can they do that?” I just learned this weekend that Bass Pro Shops is going after anyone (company) with a logo that is perceived to infringe on BPS’ copyrighted jumping bass and yellow oval.
Although I have yet to obtain a copy of the text of the letter from the Bass Pro legal department, my sources tell me that things as innocent as a “swimming bass” and possibly even the word “Bass” (depending on the format) could be contested. (more…)
Since the entry of swimbait fishing into the mainstream, the technical evolution has not only affected the individual lures, it has spilled over onto the tackle. Because of the very size and weight of the the varied lures, what was first a lot of incredibly heavy and uncastable chunks has matured into an array of sizes and weights that don’t require a pole vault pole to throw.
And thus the curse: one size no longer fits all. (more…)
While other lakes are going off like DVL and Perris, we thought we’d make the four-hour check-in across the street. Our conclusion? There is no silver bullet for Lake Elsinore.
Yes, the water temperature is finally dropping (74-76 depending on where you were) and the effect of 2 1/2 feet of evaporation is evident in the lead photo showing the “Meat Fence” in the background. (more…)
We read the message boards. Lincoln’s Roy Desmangles, one of the more successful co-anglers in the FLW National Guard West circuit, has been trying to get into this week’s event at Roosevelt Lake. Unfortunately, after meeting all the requirements for priority placement (read: jumping through all the appropriate hoops) he found himself left out of his last chance for a shot at the Forrest Wood Cup, Ranger Cup and any other benefits FLW likes to tout.
And it is so unfortunate. (more…)
Bass fishing has got all kinds of rules: tournament rules, unwritten rules, guidelines or general rules–and as a rule, most fishermen abide by them. Yet, there are actually situations where it’s okay to buck the rule–well, at least those that won’t lead to a disqualification. (more…)
Maybe you’ve read, the Toyota Texas Bass Classic field has just been announced. It’s a big money, no entry fee contest that is optimistically being billed as “the unifying world championship” of bass fishing.
The reason, the event features the top 15 from the FLW Tour, the Top 15 from the Bassmaster Elites and the top 15 from the PAA Bass Pro Shops tour, four “exemptions,” along with the defending champion of the TTBC. It’s a really nice field with KVD, Hackney, Klein and the likes. But there is one blaring omission. (more…)
(Skeet Reese, Inc photo)
Not always the most sympathetic figure on the water, nonetheless, Skeet Reese casts a big shadow on professional bass fishing and Californians appreciate his being true to his western roots.
The unfortunate, altered points race created by B.A.S.S. (which will hopefully be done away with by this time next year) kept him from the prestigious Angler of the Year title, but Skeet remains one the best competitors the sport has ever seen. (more…)
NOTHING like last winter is expected
Except for the middle of August, it seems like this summer was a mild one in Southern California, following a better than average winter rainfall. As noted here, one beneficiary was Lake Elsinore, which came up five vertical feet from December to March, though it has lost half that to evaporation since.
But expecting another decent, even “normal” winter of rainfall does not look promising.
The latest from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says El Nino (more…)