Bassmaster

The ancient Romans had a calendar, but not one where the days were numbered. Instead, lengths of months were determined by counting days based on the full moon. In this regard, the Romans would have been great bass fishermen. As spring arrives, every

You’re from basically the middle of the country in Benton, Ark. How did growing up there prepare you for a career as a pro? This area is really rich with fishing and fishermen that have made a career on the tournament trails. Within an hour’s drive,

Can you catch bass immediately after the ice leaves our Northern lakes? If so, where do you look and what techniques do you prefer?- Jerry Wallace, Valparaiso, Ind. Bassmaster Elite Series pro Chris Groh You sure can! If I had to go catch bass three

WHERE HAVE ALL the great spinnerbait fishermen gone? This question is a common refrain these days from legendary Bassmaster angler Rick Clunn. There was a time when many pro tournament fishermen practically made a living with spinnerbaits. Today, the

VETERAN ELITE SERIES anglers have a history with most of America’s finest bass fisheries, and they have seen just about everything. But Lake Oahe, the sprawling 370,000-acre reservoir straddling the border of the Dakotas, drew an almost unanimous rea

SOMETIMES YOU WANT the burly fullback to punch it up the gut, but other times, the lighter running back with the slick moves gets the call. Much the same way, there are times when you need to pull that full-size flipping, football or swim jig off the

Date: March 1, 2018 Venue: Lake G, a small, flatland reservoir Water: 58 degrees, high, murky to muddy Weather: 57 degrees, rain, approaching cold front Pro: Micah Frazier, 30, Newnan, Ga. Frazier has fished the Elite Series for four years and has qu

IT’S A WARM, perfect-for-fishing day on Alabama’s Lay Lake, where the shoreline brush and laydowns between Elkahatchee and Coley creeks almost certainly hold some bass, but right now, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Matt Herren isn’t fishing for them. Th

RECENTLY, WHILE GIVING a river smallmouth seminar, I asked the attendees which lures every stream smallie fanatic should own. I set no restrictions on the number of lures that could be listed, the only stipulation being that participants would list l

JIG FISHING ISN’T everyone’s favorite technique for the spring season, something Bill Lowen finds hard to understand. The veteran Bassmaster Elite Series pro has been fishing jigs throughout the spring for more than two decades, and in his opinion, a

IF YOU LAUNCH at Callville Bay Marina on the lower end of Lake Mead, zigzag around the rocks to go through the Narrows, then cross the huge, open water of the Virgin Basin, you’ll eventually see what’s known as the Overton Arm coming in on the north

This is it, ladies and gentlemen. In most of the country, the weather is beginning to warm, the days are becoming longer, and the bass are moving up to spawn. The resulting combination could give you the perfect balance of mild weather, warm water an

Season: Early spring Water type: Outer third of a spawning creek, TVA lake Water temp: 56 to 58 degrees Clarity: 2 to 3 feet Depth: 8 to 15 feet Structure: Points, rock contour Cover: Stumps, laydowns, docks Forage: Thr eadfin shad, crawfish

Slender, flat-sided crankbaits (a) are hard to cast long distances, (b) have a vibration that’s so subtle you can barely feel it through your rod tip and (c) hang up easily in brushy cover. So why do so many Bassmaster Elite Series pros love these lu

Do you remember the old western film where John Wayne played Rooster Cogburn? The old gunslinger was hired by a young girl whose father was murdered by a black-hat wearing bad guy. Throughout this pair’s journey, each character was tested in differen