Innholdsfortegnelse for January - February 2015 i Bassmaster

“On warmer, sunny days, the fish will move up shallow, and that’s when you can catch them on a crankbait.”— Elite Series pro Brandon Palaniuk SEARCH AND CONQUER I really enjoyed the article “The Mother Of All Search Baits” in the November/December [2014] edition of Bassmaster. Once these big fish expose themselves what secondary techniques or baits do you use to actually catch them? Eric John, Georgia Bassmaster Opens pro Grant Goldbeck If I can get them to eat the big bait, obviously I would like them to do that. But it will all depend more or less on what I’m catching them off of — whether it’s docks or points — so it will be seasonal. With docks, once I have found the productive ones, I will start off…

Greg Hackney Birthday: Sept. 1, 1973 Hometown: Gonzales, La. You’ve had a lot of success during your career, but was last season’s Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year title the sweetest? Absolutely. It’s the pinnacle of my career so far. Honestly, I think most of our guys feel that way. I’m not saying the Classic isn’t great, but as an individual award; there’s nothing like Angler of the Year. Was there a point during the season where you sensed that the crown was yours? Probably at Dardanelle. I went into that event in sixth or seventh and I moved into second, but only by one point. It was like somebody flipped a switch. It motivated me like never before. Angler of the Year became the driving force. I had been…

B.A.S.S. co-owner Jerry McKinnis has spent a lifetime sharing his love for fishing through television and by building the sport of professional bass fishing. Last October, McKinnis was recognized for his many accomplishments with induction into the International Game Fish Association Hall of Fame. McKinnis was one of five inductees in the 2014 class, joining the IGFA Hall of Fame with two-time Bassmaster Classic winner Hank Parker, Al Pflueger Jr. and Eugenie and Lou Marron. McKinnis hosted and produced The Fishin’ Hole for 44 years. It is the second-longest-running show on ESPN after SportsCenter. In 2011, McKinnis teamed with Jim Copeland and Don Logan to purchase B.A.S.S. from ESPN. McKinnis joins bass fishing luminaries Bill Dance, Roland Martin, Jimmy Houston, Ray Scott, Johnny Morris and Forrest Wood in the IGFA…

Two pro bass anglers, a fishing industry entrepreneur and a veteran fishing writer will be inducted into the Professional Bass Fishing Hall of Fame during the organization’s Feb. 19 induction dinner in Greenville, S.C. The 2015 class will include pro angler and Toledo Bend guide Harold Allen, a 15-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier; pro angler Stacey King, a 12-time Classic qualifier; fishing industry entrepreneur William “Bill” Huntley, founder of Bumble Bee Baits and partner in marine-accessory giant T-H Marine Supplies; and Bassmaster Senior Writer Don Wirth, who has contributed to Bassmaster Magazine since 1970.…

Keeping with tradition, we peer into our old snow globe/crystal ball to see what the new year holds in store for the bass fishing world. In April, the Bassmaster Elite Series returns to famed Lake Guntersville for the second event of the season. Kevin VanDam shows the world that last year’s disappointing performance was an anomaly and returns to form with his first victory since the 2011 Bassmaster Classic. (We aren’t known for bold predictions.) In May, Bassmaster television personalities Dave Mercer and Mark Zona team up for a duet of the classic nursery rhyme “London Bridge is Falling Down” during a Toyota Hooked Up! segment on Bassmaster.com at the Elite stop at Lake Havasu City, Ariz., home of the iconic English bridge. In September, the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of…

An Ohio plumber cashed in with a $1 million jackpot in the Powerball lottery, and he said he plans to spend some of the windfall on a new bass boat for his dad. According to the Newark (Ohio) Advocate, Scott Romie of Granville, Ohio, matched five numbers in a September drawing. He played the lottery after he and his girlfriend had dreamed aloud about owning a beach house while strolling along a Florida beach. Romie said he only had played a couple of scratch-off lottery tickets prior to winning the $1 million. Romie has plans for the money: paying off a business loan, investing in his plumbing business, taking care of his 9-year-old daughter and saving for retirement. His dad also will get a new Ranger boat, Romie said. “I…

Time To Chill A great poet once wrote that April was the cruelest month, but he didn’t have to wait for a break in the weather to go bass fishing. Luckily, you’ve got one, and we’ve got three top Bassmaster Elite Series pros to give you advice on fishing it. It’s mid-January — a relatively warm, sunny day with air temperatures in the low 50s. You’re fishing a large midland-type impoundment with an average depth of 35 feet and plenty of cover — milfoil, hydrilla, some standing timber — and the usual assortment of points, creeks, flats and bluffs. The surface temperature is in the mid-40s, but not for long. There’s a front coming, and the weatherman says it’s going to be below freezing by tomorrow night. If the bass…

Any good judge of fishing talent would likely agree that the Class of 2015 represents the strongest field of bass professionals anywhere, anytime. ALMOST EXACTLY NINE years ago, a small group of B.A.S.S. employees gathered in what amounted to a boiler room. We weren’t pushing stocks or commodities over the phone, though. We were selling a bold new concept in tournaments: the Bassmaster Elite Series. It was a very hard sell. Our task was to call the professional anglers who had been fishing Bassmaster events and ask them to pony up entry fees of $5,000 per tournament, or $55,000 for the year — an astronomical increase over the previous entry fee of $1,975. In addition, they’d have to pay to have their boats wrapped with sponsor logos, wear jerseys with…

Learning from mistakes is as important in the bass fishing game as learning from good decisions and correct moves. I’M PRETTY SURE I’ve made every mistake possible when it comes to bass fishing. Forget to put the plug in the boat: check. Forget to attach the boat to the trailer and watch said boat slide off on the ramp (with plenty of onlookers present, of course): check. The list seems endless, really. I remember one time I was fishing a trophy bass pond with 6-pound test and a flimsy spinning rod. Why? Because I’m dumb. I bowed up on a monster bass and watched it throw the hook on the first jump because my hook set wouldn’t have penetrated a paper sack. When I joined Bassmaster Senior Writer Don Wirth…

Keep Your Rods On A Short Leash Anglers who cast for bass from kayaks, canoes, johnboats and old fiberglass rigs have likely all watched a favorite rod-and-reel combo sink into the depths of their favorite lake, mouth agape, wishing they had secured it to the boat. But how? Try making this simple leash to keep your valuable gear attached to your vessel. 1 Find an old coiled phone charger and cut off both ends. 2 Slide one end around the base of a small carabiner and secure it with two cable ties. 3 Slide the other end of the charger cord through the open section of a Velcro One-Wrap tie. (You can buy 50 for around $5 at your local hardware store. The remainder can be used to keep your…

We’re glad you liked our November/December 2014 issue! Here’s what you had to say about it on Twitter. Happy Thursday everybody! I shall enjoy my day off, and check out this new Holiday Issue of #Bassmaster @fishingwithDom Step 1. Read Step 2. Give to wife Step 3. Pray she buys the right things @Brandon0wen Read-a-thon at my school today. #BassFishing #HookedOnFishing @CoachKohlman Enjoying da nice weather reading magazine from #BASSMASTER at all da goodies...Thanks @BASS_nation @WhoDatFishin Pretty good month so far. Got some @LFTLURES, the new @MysteryTackleBx, and awesome gift ideas from @BASS_nation. @Illinifishing #MustRead in the new @BASS_ nation mag by Denny Brauer on fishing jigs no matter what the season! @KevKingFishing My night @BASS_nation @KnIIghtMare101…

Tackle Prep What do you do on a raw winter day when you can’t go fishing? Get your tackle right. Sort Dig out your tackle-bags and spread everything out in an open space. (If other people live in your home, it’s best not to perform this task on the living room floor.) Separate tackle into hard baits and soft baits, and then split into categories, such as jigs, spinnerbaits, soft plastics, crank-baits, jerkbaits, etc. Inventory Take stock of everything. Are there any gaps in your tackle arsenal? Are there particular sizes of hooks and sinkers that need to be replenished? Are there certain styles or colors of soft plastics that are running low? Shop Make a list, grab that gift card that’s been sitting around since Christmas, and…

Longtime Bassmaster Senior Writer Wade L. Bourne was honored last fall with the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming the seventh person to receive the award in the group’s 50-year history. The veteran writer and broadcaster has covered fisheries, waterfowl and conservation issues in print, television, radio and online media for nearly four decades. He has written six books and more than 3,000 articles and has hosted several radio and television programs.…

The gateway to Falcon Lake, this small Texas town ranks high on bass anglers’ bucket lists of places to chase giant fish. 1 Ranking of this Rio Grande impoundment on Bassmaster’s 100 Best Bass Lakes list in 2012. February. Fishing in extreme southern Texas means the lake’s famed giant bass typically move shallow to spawn this month. 132-8 Pounds and ounces weighed in by Paul Elias for his record-setting Elite Series victory in 2008. Make a Reservation. Anglers from around the country descend on Zapata this time of year, making it a challenge to find accommodations. 135 Percentage of increased angler effort from 2006 to 2010, according to a survey by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Bass abundance on Falcon has declined by about 60 percent.…

Shorelines, a new mobile-device application from Alabama Power, is available for anglers seeking information on several of the Yellowhammer State’s top bass fishing lakes. The application — along with various other platforms, such as social media, a website and personal email communications — launched this past fall. It includes information on water levels, generation schedules and weather conditions for lakes such as Logan Martin, Neely Henry and many more. The app is free and available on Apple and Android platforms. More information is available at www.apcshorelines.com.…

DURING PRACTICE FOR the 2002 Bassmaster Central Open on Lake Ouachita, Arkansas, another competitor told Stephen Browning that he thought legendary angler Rick Clunn was the guy to beat. “I looked at him and said, ‘Clunn is always a threat, but the guy you need to watch is this new guy Greg Hackney,’” Browning recalls. His prophecy was dead on. Hackney not only posted his first Bassmaster win at Ouachita, but continued to rack up accomplishments that culminated with the 2014 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year title this fall. “It’s a childhood dream come true,” says the Gonzales, La., resident and father of two boys. “I know the Classic is a big deal, but the Angler of the Year means you’re the cream of the crop for the whole…

Eagle Lake ... exemplifies the battle state agencies face against well-organized and affluent lake associations. SPORTSMEN MUST TAKE to heart a problem far greater than the next bass they catch: Powerful lake associations are gaining momentum in efforts to keep us off “their lakes.” Granted, large reservoirs on state and federal land offer massive boat ramps and parking lots. But in the natural lake region across Northern and Midwestern states, property owners with financial backing are forming political alliances to diminish boating access. State agencies are fighting back, but must do it with one arm tied behind their backs, says B.A.S.S. Conservation Director Gene Gilliland. “It’s a concern across the country,” he insists. “State agencies have to work under restrictive rules that the private sector doesn’t have to deal with,…

When it all started. Hackney pinpoints the 1984 Bassmaster Classic — held in Pine Bluff, Ark., near his childhood home of Star City — as the moment he knew he wanted to be a pro. “Rick Clunn won $40,000, and I was like, ‘People get paid for this? And I get to do what I want to do all the time?’” Whitetail obsession. Hackney says that his passion for deer hunting is almost a “sickness.” That’s why he stopped chasing deer around Jan. 1 this year to focus more on fishing. No salt, please. Hackney lives close to some of the best saltwater fishing in the U.S. and enjoys speckled trout and redfish angling, but he’ll forego those opportunities this winter to concentrate on bass. It’s all ducky. After getting…

The Great Lakes neared or surpassed ice-cover records last winter, and the trend of colder water in the lakes continued going into this winter. The Oct. 11 average surface-water temperature for Lake Superior was 47.6 degrees, more than six degrees less than the lake’s temperature at the same time the previous year and 3.5 degrees colder than the long-term average of 51.1 degrees. Lake Michigan’s average surface temperature was 56 degrees, 6.1 degrees cooler than the previous year and 2.4 degrees below the long-term average. Surface-water temperatures can affect weather in areas near the lakes. Colder lake temperatures can cause cooler air temperatures but also can reduce lake-effect snow accumulations.…

More than 1,000 bass over 8 pounds have been caught in the two years since the Florida TrophyCatch program began through a partnership with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration, the Wildlife Foundation of Florida and corporate partners. The West Virginia Department of Natural Resources is attempting to recreate flooded trees that attract fish by using hardwoods as fish attractors. The EPA found that a chemical formerly used in Scotchguard still contaminates bass and other fish in the Great Lakes and urban rivers.…

DO YOU DAYDREAM about catching a trophy smallmouth? Turning that vision of boating a slab-sided 7-pounder into reality requires more than luck, and the road to lunker smallmouth heaven is replete with potential dead-end turns. We asked Michigan guide and Bassmaster Northern Opens competitor Chris Noffsinger, one of the nation’s premier trophy smallmouth hunters (www.northernadventuresfishing.com), to list the eight most grievous errors bass anglers make when gunning for a giant bronzeback — and, because we want you to realize your dream, to explain how to correct each mistake. If you’re really serious about catching a monster smallmouth, you’d be well advised to read and heed what follows. 1 DON’T HAVE A GAME PLAN FOR TARGETING BIG FISH “If I go fishing often enough, sooner or later I’m bound to catch…

6-5 Georgian Bay, Ontario ◆ Rapala Jointed Shad Rap (shad) ◆ Water clarity: Clear ◆ Depth: 5 feet ◆ Weather: Clear 6-2 Lake Havasu, Arizona 4-inch swimbait (white) 10-9 Lake George, Florida Wild shiner 6-1 Lake Erie, Ohio Netcraft Dominator Tube (mud puppi gold glitter) 6-1 Lake Arbutus, Wisconsin Bandit 200 crankbait (red) 10-14 Lake Istokpoga, Florida Yamamoto D-Shad (watermelon red) 6-12 Lake Erie, Pennsylvania Cabin Creek soft plastic on 1/4-ounce jighead (purple) 13-3 Lake Palestine, Texas Zoom Speed Craw (black/red glitter) To request an application, write to editorial@bassmaster.com or B.A.S.S., The Lunker Club, 3500 Blue Lake Drive, Suite 330, Birmingham, AL 35243. A photo documenting the catch must be provided, along with the length and girth of the bass. Only suitable photos will be published in Bassmaster Magazine. We…