GET A STRIKE first. No need to hook and land many during your search...

Consider the relationship between finding and catching bass. The former is about gathering information and processing it. The second is more of what vacationers from Nebraska get to do: shriek and reel ‘em in.

Searching is learning. Catching is about rewards.

Over-simplified, sure. But the fact is in getting a sense of what’s going on (pre tournament)–many get rubber-legged and don’t believe their own eyes. Instead of confidently logging a discovery, they want the prize at the same time. (more…)

WELL DIVIDER didn't seem that practical in my Z7...

After witnessing a lot of weigh-ins in the West (especially with teams and shared-weight pro-ams) I’ve wondered why more anglers don’t remove the divider in their livewells. The fish count the same for both partners, so why squeeze somebody’s kicker into that shoebox that is half a livewell?

I’m sure there are reasons–and someone may want to chime in with their explanation–but my fishing is a lot more pragmatic. Not only do I want all the combined catch to have ample room in transit, (more…)

CHILLY early, warmer later...

The late “Lunker Bill” Murphy used to say there were only two seasons in Southern California: summer and winter, with a brief time-out for the spawn. When you think of things that way, you don’t get ahead of yourself, trying to track the general fish movement or behavior.

But while our seasons tend to ooze into one another, that doesn’t mean you don’t acknowledge a longer thermometer in September and October, (more…)

TROUBLE could be lurking under your prop...

The trolling motors we have today are so good compared to 10 , 20 or more years ago. The brackets, cables and inter-related systems let you weather some big waves and maneuver through some heavy green stuff. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have to pay attention to some things.

I’m talking about when plowing through the grass and it seems to take a more effort than usual. Sure, when you lift up the head and find 10 extra pounds of salad, that can be part of the problem. But sometimes the grass is hiding the real culprit. (more…)

WHAT COLOR IS THAT?

Sometimes I get strange notions about techniques and when I do, it’s probably because I have forgotten the foundation of all bass catching: bass are just big, dumb perch and will hit anything.

Sure, there are exceptions to that rule (sometimes lots of them) and that’s why I repeat the rule so often. Every time I get off track, can’t get a bite, or lose faith, I have to remind myself: Hey, you went to college, dang it!) (more…)

Maybe it’s because each new spring tends to provide differing amounts of precipitation, there is variety on every bank at this time of year.  Some changes are more immediate from rain, while others come a bit later due to snowmelt. 

In the arid Southwest, and especially as applies to Southern California and in some degree to Arizona, flooded shorelines are all about the brush, (more…)