January/February 2021

Bassmaster

The Worldwide Authority on Bass Fishing

Bassmaster2 min read
Determined Much?
When Paul Elias developed the technique of kneel and reel in the ’80s to get his crankbait a couple of feet deeper, bass anglers across the nation adopted the concept. Here, it looks like Elite Series pro Patrick Walters is taking the technique to a
Bassmaster1 min read
Bassmaster
Editor-in-Chief: James Hall Art Director: Laurie Tisdale Executive Editor: Bryan Brasher Associate Editor: Mandy Pascal Editorial Assistant: Natalie Landers Designer: Breanne Jackson Senior Writers: David A. Brown, Steve Price, Pete Robbins, Louie St
Bassmaster3 min read
A Sentinel Steps Aside
THERE HAVE ONLY been three. That’s a pretty amazing statistic considering the five-decade time span being considered. Still, there have only been three tournament directors in the long, storied history of B.A.S.S. Harold Sharp was the first. He held
Bassmaster3 min read
On The Hook
You broke into fishing as a teenager with a crew of guys who have had successful professional fishing careers. Tell us about how you got hooked on tournament fishing. I’d say around that 15- to 16-year-old age is when we really got going on the local
Bassmaster3 min readFashion
Scientific Angle
Four years ago, Stetson Blaylock dropped his boat into Tennessee’s Cherokee Lake and blasted off on his first-ever Bassmaster Elite Series outing. A north wind had been battering the Appalachian reservoir during practice, and overnight lows in the 20
Bassmaster1 min readEarth Sciences
B.A.S.S. Weighs In On 30 By 30 Concept
Familiarize yourself with the 30 by 30 concept. It’s a global initiative to protect 30% of all worldwide lands and water by the year 2030 in an effort to combat rising global temperatures. 30 by 30 is being supported internationally by leaders from 2
Bassmaster1 min read
Datebook
7 Old Rock Day. This obscure holiday pays homage to, well, old rocks. It’s meant for fossil collectors, but our faithful readers will surely know just the right rock to put that jig on in the winter months. Right? 14 Dress Up Your Pet Day. This year
Bassmaster1 min read
Thunderstruck
A Bio-Acoustic Fish Fence recently installed at Kentucky’s Lake Barkley was rendered inoperable by lightning strikes last fall. The fence is designed to deter Asian carp from spreading out of the Cumberland River and toward the Great Lakes. The $7 mi
Bassmaster1 min read
What’s It Worth?
Bo Bienvenu, email $5 DeLong Frog. Made in Texas. Dated 1963. Value $5-$10. Ed Webber, email $50 One of the bamboo rods the GIs brought home from the war. No good value has ever been put on these rods. This is an Olympic Seiko. These rods, with all t
Bassmaster2 min read
You Ask, Pros Answer
When fishing a river system, is it more important to nose into the wind or into the current while fishing ledges?@Slaterolb63, Instagram Really, it’s about boat control for me. Ideally, in any river system, I want to work my bait with the current, no
Bassmaster1 min read
Bass Boating
I see guys plow through heavy weeds with their trolling motor, but mine always bogs down in the heavy stuff. What are they doing differently?@Terrywatsonfishing, Instagram There could be several factors, says Brad Henry, brand manager at Minn Kota. W
Bassmaster1 min read
Mail Call
Mr. Hall’s Upfront piece, “Thank You, Karl,” brought back my own memories from the 2000 Bassmaster Classic held in Chicago. The media rode with the anglers back then; I rode with Alton Jones on the Calumet River during practice day. I rode with Gary
Bassmaster1 min read
You Write The Caption
It’s your turn to write a cutline for your favorite magazine. Follow B.A.S.S. on Instagram (@bass_nation) and comment with a clever caption on this cartoon that will be posted on our feed on Jan. 5, 2021. If your caption is chosen, it will be printed
Bassmaster1 min read
Facebook.com/BASS
He was extremely fun to watch. This type of performance may not be seen again for a very long time. CONGRATS! Got a suspending jerk bait tied on for tomorrow! Congrats you put on a absolutely amazing clinic!!! The century mark is always impressive, b
Bassmaster1 min read
Twitter Poll
If you could choose only one lure to fish in January it would be: ■
Bassmaster8 min read
Land of Giants
Targeting bass during the coldest months of the year is not for the faint of heart. However, if you are willing to brave the extreme cold and follow the advice of these Elite Series pros, you may well catch the biggest bass in the lake BUNDLED UP, FR
Bassmaster7 min read
Winning Ways: Versatility Key in 2020
After a subpar practice, Paul Mueller decided to get away from the crowd and ran into creeks where he had gotten a few bites and water levels were a little more stable. That decision not only paid off but earned him his second Bassmaster Elite Series
Bassmaster8 min read
Clark Wendlandt’s Angler of the Year Journey
LIKE A CLIMBER slowly making his way up the steep, icy ridges toward the summit of Mount Everest, a journey that can take several months, Clark Wendlandt’s climb to the pinnacle of American bass fishing, the 2020 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year
Bassmaster5 min read
Spearfishing For Smallmouth?
GARY VONDEROHE TOOK a deep breath and sank below the water. As the breathing tube of his snorkel followed him into a cold, mossy hole in Oregon’s Coquille River, the weekend bass angler and weekday biologist for the state’s Department of Fish & Wildl
Bassmaster4 min read
Exclusive First Look: ActiveTarget
“HOLY MOTHER!” WERE the first words out of Jamie Hartman’s mouth when he arrived back to the dock. The two-time Elite Series champion had just spent two hours on a boat equipped with the yet-to-be released ActiveTarget technology by Lowrance. “This i
Bassmaster7 min read
Winter’s Lure Lineup
BASS ANGLERS ARE creatures of habit. When we get to our favorite lakes, we’re drawn to the same baits that we caught them on the last time we were there. That’s fine. But what if it’s a totally different time of year? Like winter, when the fish can b
Bassmaster9 min read
DOTL: Jay Yelas
Date: March 9, 2020 Venue: Lake E, a flatland reservoir Water: 52 degrees, stained Weather: Cloudy, windy, high of 59 degrees, approaching storm front Pro: Jay Yelas, 54, Lincoln City, Ore. One of the superstars of bass fishing during the 1990s and e
Bassmaster5 min read
Diary of an Elite Series Marshal
“DO YOU KNOW how to drive a boat?” Those were the first words Hank Cherry said to me at the boat launch that warm June morning at Lake Eufaula, Alabama. To better understand how somebody like me reacted to this question, you must know this: I had nev
Bassmaster6 min read
Late Season Festivities
AFTER A LONG, stressful season of being a Bassmaster Elite Series nomad, most of the pros head home and take a needed break from fishing. However, many of them soon get the itch to resume casting. They know that the late-season fishing on their home
Bassmaster5 min read
Swimbaiting Frozen Smallies
AS LATE FALL bleeds into winter and tightens its grip on Northern lakes, avid anglers keep fishing. “We’ll fish until the ice prohibits us from launching boats,” says Michigan angler Neil Vande Biezen. “And we’ll be back out there the day it leaves.”
Bassmaster5 min read
January Jawbreakers Are In The Cards
Norris Lake sits within spitting distance of Caryville, Tenn. The town of 2,300 is home to a small waterfall that empties into a tributary of the waterway where Brandon Card learned to lure lethargic bass from their winter homes. But, while most angl
Bassmaster4 min read
Hot Tips For Big Winter Bass
Fair-weather anglers, consider this fact: Three of the five biggest largemouth ever recorded in Bassmaster’s “Day On The Lake” series — lunkers ranging in weight from 9 pounds, 10 ounces to a whopping 11 pounds, 14 ounces — were caught in either Janu
Bassmaster3 min read
Find ’Em In The First Quarter
Water type: Late winter patterns on a Southern grass lake Water temp: Mid- to upper 40s Clarity: 2 to 3 feet Depth: 6 to 15 feet Structure: Rock, contour breaks, points Cover: Laydowns, grass Forage: Shad, bluegill, crawfish Weather: Prefrontal condi
Bassmaster1 min read
Thief-Thwarting Rod Quiver
Materials include: a 5-foot section of 4-inch PVC with an endcap, a 2-foot piece of 1 1/2-inch PVC, two 1 1/2-inch elbows and two tees for the handle, as well as a sponge to provide padding in the endcap, a hacksaw, some sandpaper and two-part adhesi
Bassmaster1 min read
Lunker Club
Congratulations to the newest members of the Bassmaster Lunker Club™. Membership in the club is free and open to any B.A.S.S. member who catches a largemouth bass weighing 10 pounds or more, a spotted bass weighing 5 pounds or more, or a smallmouth b
Bassmaster2 min read
A Welcome Goodbye
This was the sunset on the final afternoon of the last Elite Series event of the season on Lake Fork. Beautiful? Absolutely. However, it was even more symbolic. As anglers idled away from the weigh-in to put boats on trailers for the last time in 202
Bassmaster2 min read
Martin’s Plan On Track
I’LL GIVE IT to Scott Martin: he’s a man of his word. When I talked to him back in November 2019, Martin told me the two main goals he had left in an already-storied pro fishing career were to qualify for the Bassmaster Elite Series and win the Bassm

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