UPDATED, 9-12, 8:45 A.M.–A lot of guys must think bass fishing rods are just like Teflon-titanium body armor. Since they spent a bunch of money for them, they figure they must be unbreakable.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Properly used, yes, they are remarkable tools. Yet, as incredibly strong and lightweight as today’s super high modulus graphites and resins may be, the fact is the material is brittle. And so you know, Ironman ain’t brittle, man. (more…)

CLEAR WATER expected?

We all know that global climate predictions make the most sense when they actually come to fruition, however, the current measurements around the world are real. Now it’s up to NOAA and its fellows to figure out what we are likely to encounter over the next 12 months.

Thus, the latest information and maps (if you’re up to studying) suggest the likelihood of roughly normal precipitation for much of California this winter, with again, higher expectations in the Pacific Northwest. The data of most interest to me, however, (more…)

REVISED 11 a.m., Sept. 21–Today B.A.S.S. announced that the organization and Nate Wellman have come to an agreement that Wellman will not be competing in the 2012 Bassmasters Classic (actually, no B.A.S.S. event until March of next year).

REVISED 10:15, Sept. 8–The revisionists are at it already. Today bassfan.com published accounts of all parties, and notice the edge is missing. I know this, those working hard to make the Classic are not pleased with Wellman or the B.A.S.S. response. Maybe this is another reason to utilize “shared weight.” I dunno.

True to the heightened politics of the day, Michigan bass pro Nate Wellman (click here) just did his best Richard Nixon impression (“I am not a crook”). After being fined and placed on a year’s probation for soliciting a 4-pounder from his co-angler during his “win” in Bassmaster Open, Wellman produced the statement today (Sept. 8): “I am not a cheater.” (more…)

IS THIS THE PROBLEM in bass lakes?

I know there is a common feeling among anglers that striped bass in our lakes lead to poor trophy bass production. But is there any data that supports that? Has any authorized fishery study confirmed this belief? And what about stocked trout? Is this artificial forage species the only reason California has seen such big bass in the past?

One of the great lessons from the book How to Lie with Statistics (Huff, 1954) is how people are so willing to pronounce a causal relationship to something shown only to be “correlated.” (more…)

A week and a half from now and the gate will open for the expansion of tournament hours, and thus the line-up of full scale competition. Since June 15, of course, the lawful angling hours have been six between weigh-ins, due to high water temperatures and lower oxygen content. But now it’s time for a check-up. (more…)