April 2021

Bassmaster

The Worldwide Authority on Bass Fishing

Bassmaster3 min read
Great Days For Smallies
IT WAS THE fall of 1977, B.A.S.S. was going on 10 years old, and the tournament triumvirate — Ray Scott, Bob Cobb and Harold Sharp — decided it was time for the Tournament Trail to slip the sultry bonds of southern reservoirs and venture northward. T
Bassmaster3 min read
On The Hook
Your road to the Elite Series began as a co-angler in the Opens. Tell us about that experience and how it paved the way to the top for you. I did fish quite a few co-angler events for about four years. My strategy from the get-go was to figure out ho
Bassmaster3 min read
Scientific Angle
Seth Feider remembers awkward encounters at gas stations when shallow-water anchors first hit the scene. People would walk up to him and pepper him with questions about what they were for, and they’d almost never guess that pair of metal towers on th
Bassmaster1 min read
Datebook
1 April Fools’ Day. Be on the lookout for prank calls from “Elite Series” pros. 3 Don’t Go To Work Unless It’s Fun Day. A day for reflection, motivation and planning to make fishing your full-time activity. 12 Walk On Your Wild Side Day. What’s the w
Bassmaster1 min read
State Of The Nation
Each December, thousands of Christmas wreaths adorn the tombs at the West Virginia National Cemetery. Until recently, those wreaths were collected and discarded as trash after the holiday season. However, the West Virginia B.A.S.S. Nation has turned
Bassmaster1 min read
On The Tournament Trail
1-3 Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open #1, Lewis Smith Lake, Alabama 15-17 Basspro.com Bassmaster Southern Open #2, Douglas Lake, Tennessee 16-17 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Smith Lake, Alabama 21-23 TNT Fireworks
Bassmaster1 min readEarth Sciences
Bass City, USA - Jasper, Ala.
Jasper plays host to April’s first Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open on Lewis Smith Lake, and this quaint northern Alabama town is more than a dot on the map. The area’s main attraction, Lewis Smith Lake, boasts more than 500 miles of winding shore
Bassmaster2 min read
You Ask, Pros Answer
My lakes have both largemouth and spotted bass. Is there a pattern I can fish that will target both species after the spawn, and if so, what type of presentations should I use? William Scott, Alexander City, Ala. Absolutely, you can pattern both toge
Bassmaster1 min read
Facebook.com
Here are some of our favorite posts from fellow bassmasters this month. What’s your favorite square bill crank bait? Mine is definitely the @rapala Balsa Big bass on Clear Lake is what spring is all about! It looks to be starting a little early this
Bassmaster8 min read
Making Mussels
THERE’S A WHOLE lot of fishing going on at the local mussel bar. No kidding, right? Well, here’s a plot twist: We’re not talking about the rod and reel stuff. Sure, there’s plenty of that, and we’ll hit those points in a minute. For now, we have to t
Bassmaster8 min read
Up the Down Staircase
EVERYONE WANTS TO catch big fish. It comes with the territory. We up our game, looking for the edge, constantly wondering if we missed something, never completely satisfied with what we’ve got or what we know. From the very beginning, most bass fishe
Bassmaster7 min read
Battling The Monsters Of Spring
THE FIRST MONTH of the second quarter means different things for different latitudes, so you’ll hear talk of prespawn, spawn and postspawn activity. Spring stages vary, but one simple truth does not: those bragging-rights studs may be in their most v
Bassmaster6 min read
Buzzing Spring Bass
A LONG TIME ago, Wes Logan remembers, on a day when bass were not hitting spinnerbaits with any sincerity, he saw a buzzbait lying on the carpet of his father’s boat, and while he had no idea where it came from, he tied it on in place of his spinnerb
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
Bassmaster1 min read
Forged In Fire Keel Guard
1 Measure the scraped-up section of your keel and cut a piece of 1-inch plastic pipe to fit. We used inexpensive black pipe for underground sprinkler systems. Gray, 1-inch electrical conduit is another good choice. Thinner-walled pipe is easier to mo
Bassmaster2 min read
The Hack Is Back
Greg Hackney, one of the most dangerous anglers to ever flip a jig, has returned to the Elite Series. After fishing a few years on another trail, the Gonzales, La., pro requalified through the Bassmaster Opens and again weighs bass on the biggest sta
Bassmaster1 min read
Commentary
Fans comment on Bassmaster Elite Series rookie Bryan New winning the 2021 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at the St. Johns River. Brad HouchinsCongrats to the “rookie.” NC angler proving yet again, if you can compete in the Carolinas, you can compete anywhere
Bassmaster1 min read
Astrotables
To order Rick Taylor’s Prime Times products, visit primetimes2.com. For more months, go to Bassmaster.com/astro-tables. ■
Bassmaster1 min read
Bass Boating
Is a bow-mounted trolling motor realistic for a 12-foot boat?@Chris_fishes_lo, Instagram It’s very realistic, depending on individual preference and the mounting options on your boat. Given the size of your boat, you can get by with a 12-volt model t
Bassmaster2 min read
New Challengers Await
HARDCORE BASEBALL FANS are no doubt familiar with the story of Wally Pipp. Pipp was a standout first baseman for the mighty New York Yankees from 1915 through the early 1920s. But then one day in 1925, he decided to take a day off. He was replaced in
Bassmaster1 min read
What’s It Worth?
The images below were submitted by Bassmaster readers, and our antique tackle expert, Karl White, appraises the value of each unique find. To submit yours, email editorial@bassmaster.com. Jerry LaSalvia, email $10 This 1960s clacker is not old enough
Bassmaster3 min read
Data Mining: March Edition
THE CANCELLATION OF spring 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series tournaments due to the COVID-19 pandemic left pro anglers, like the rest of us, sheltering at home. The travel hiatus impacted Bassmaster’s editorial schedule as well, forcing cancellation of sp
Bassmaster5 min read
Running Down Roamers
ANGLERS’ EYES BEGIN to sparkle this time of year because we know big bass will soon set up shop in the spawning rituals. But before that happens, there’s a period when bass are just hard to catch. They aren’t yet officially in prespawn mode, but they
Bassmaster4 min read
Scratch the Hatch
FOR ANGLERS, A hatch is a significant influx of a large quantity of a particular prey item in or around a body of water over a relatively short period of time. Hatches, often part of an aquatic insect life cycle, can be as memorable as actually catch
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 March 29, 2021. If your caption is chosen, it will be printed
Bassmaster2 min read
Tools For Springtime
$124.99 | mossbackfishhabitat.com • Offers artificial structure for shallow water. Perfect height for 3 feet of water or deeper• Fill the large bowl with gravel to create the perfect spawning bed. Upper limbs offer protection for fry• V-shaped limbs
Bassmaster4 min read
Pro Tips For Fishing Wood Cover
Wood cover — submerged trees, logs, stumps, brush — is found in reservoirs, rivers and along the margins of natural lakes. Bass use wood as an ambush station from which to attack passing prey and as a “rest stop” during periods of inactivity. Here’s
Bassmaster5 min read
Canterbury’s Coosa River Throwback
Mention legendary rivers in bass fishing and a familiar set of major waterways inevitably comes up. The Tennessee, St. Lawrence and St. Johns rivers are all hallowed names in the world of bassin’, but there are a host of smaller waterways that are he
Bassmaster6 min read
Greatest Great Lakes Destinations
THE SIZE AND diversity of the waters we call the Great Lakes boggles the mind. This system contains 21% of the world’s freshwater supply and has 160 native species of fish, supplemented by many imports arriving via stocking trucks and otherwise. Thou
Bassmaster1 min read
Conservation
Bass fishing brands are putting their money where their mouth is to combat the spread of invasive Asian carp. AFTCO recently grabbed headlines by donating $10,000 to the Lyon County, Ky., Industrial Development Authority. Those funds went toward remo
Bassmaster1 min read
Twitter Poll
What is your favorite topwater bait for spring? Flip to page 48 to find out what some of your favorite Elite Series pros prefer. ■
Bassmaster3 min read
Should I Stay Or Should I Go?
Water type: Cold front interrupts the spawn on a highland reservoir Water temp: Mid-50s Clarity: 1 to 2 feet Depth: 2 to 20 feet Structure: Secondary points, dropoffs Cover: Laydowns, docks Forage: Shad, bluegill Weather: Bluebird skies Wind: Calm mo

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