Innholdsfortegnelse for January/February 2020 i Bassmaster

When the 2019 Elite Series kicked off at the St. Johns River, there were Canadians in the field for the very first time. Three of them, to be exact. Fans and pundits were very curious how these north country men might fare south of the border, especially in southern impoundments that seem so different from what and how the Canadians typically fish. Well, this shot of Jeff Gustafson pretty much answers that question. “Gussy,” as he is affectionately called, fishing out of a Lund (first angler ever to tow one of these rigs along the Elite trail), was constantly in this position: reaching for a heavyweight fish to boost his limit. He ended up in 28th place in Angler of the Year standings, missing a win at Cayuga by a…

ACTIVE ANGLER In 2004, David Fritts was putting the wraps on a lackluster season on the Bassmaster Elite 50 tour when a terrifying spectacle unfolded. “I was fishing on the Ohio River outside of Paducah, Ky.,” he recalls. “As I made my way back toward the launch, a really bad lightning storm came up. I got down in the middle of my Ranger and hunkered down a bit.” A split second later, Fritts heard a loud pop and felt heat running up his spine, then he fell to the floor, unconscious. He’d barely missed a direct strike from lightning. When Fritts came to, an estimated five minutes later, part of his motor was in the boat and his face was bleeding. “My rod box was up instead of down,” he…

Is flipping grass a viable technique during winter months? If so, where do I start looking for bass this time of year, and what baits I should be using? Roger Reinke, Norman, Okla. Bassmaster Elite Series pro Brad Whatley It certainly is, and here’s why: We all know grass makes great bass cover, but this time of year, it also absorbs heat like rocks do and can warm up the nearby water by a degree or two. Prespawn or spawning bass want that. If the grass is like hydrilla, not canopied heavily, I will use a 3/4- to 1-ounce Santone Grass Jig with a Missile D-Bomb for a trailer. If it’s too thick for that, I will rig the D-Bomb with a 1 1/4-ounce sinker on a Texas rig and…

Relion Lithium Batteries $650-$1,300 | relionbattery.com Features: Long-lasting lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries fit and power all types of watercraft Half the weight of lead acid batteries Countless sizes for boat and RV applications exist to make life more comfortable when on the road for a tournament or vacation The company uses the most stable chemistry available offering tremendous safety, reliability and durability Shimano/G.Loomis Rod And Reel Combo $499.99 | fish.shimano.com Features: First time that a Shimano/G.Loomis combo has been offered Combo consists of Shimano Bantam MGL baitcaster paired with a G.Loomis IMX-PRO 863C JWR rod, separately valued at $675.99 Reel features Shimano’s CoreSolid Body design that provides durability and comfort, along with many other cutting-edge features. Available in both right- and left-handed models The rod measures 7 feet, 2…

Date: Feb. 28, 2019 Venue: Lake T, a small flatland reservoir Water: 49 degrees, murky Weather: 39 degrees, fog, rain, severe cold front Pro: Stetson Blaylock, 31, Benton, Ark. A seasoned tournament veteran, he’s fished the Elite Series for three years and previously fished FLW for seven seasons. Blaylock won the 2019 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Elite at Winyah Bay. Boat: Nitro Z21 with a 250-horsepower Mercury Pro XS 4-stroke outboard, Minn Kota trolling motor, Garmin electronics in Bass Boat Technologies mounts and twin Power-Pole shallow-water anchors THE WINTER OF 2019 will go down as arguably the most suckworthy in recent memory. Much of America suffered through massive flooding, mudslides, sub-zero temperatures, blizzards — it even snowed in Phoenix and Los Angeles — and constant, oppressive cloud cover that cast…

I HAVE AN idea for a lure. A better mousetrap, if you will. But then, who doesn’t, right? Look up “fishing lure” on the government’s website uspto.gov and you’ll find 3,100 patents. Since 1976. That’s 3,100 better mousetraps, most of which were never even manufactured. I’ve been on this particular quest for about 10 years, conducting my own searches, monitoring existing fishing lures, investigating production methods. And I know a little bit about intellectual property, from working with my inventor father, who as of this writing has been awarded 19 patents as well as numerous trademarks in the field of horticulture. Just recently, I dropped $1,000 to hire a professional patent search of my idea and obtain advice from a patent attorney. Part of me really wanted to find the…

Water type: Shallow bay in a Florida lake Water temp: 58 to 62 degrees Clarity: 1 foot or less Depth: 1 to 5 feet Structure: Kissimmee grass, maidencane, cattails Cover: Hydrilla beds, lily pads, hyacinth mats Forage: Shad, bluegill, crawfish Weather: Bluebird conditions Wind: Flat Experts: A trio of Elite Series pros offer their insights for making something happen when a cold front pauses a spawning movement and gives fish a case of lockjaw 1 FIND THE FALLBACK SPOTS Matt Arey Shelby, N.C. First move: Arey’s initial priorities are identifying spawning flats with hydrilla and then finding adjacent hyacinth mats. The fallback spots provide fish the sunblock needed for the bright bluebird conditions of a post-front day. “The mats may be at the mouths of the bays or connected to…

MINN KOTA BELTED a grand slam when it introduced the Ultrex trolling motor in 2016. For the first time, bass anglers could have a cable-like, foot-pedal response and electronic GPS anchoring in the same motor. Toe tap a button on the foot pedal’s base and the Ultrex holds you in place over deep water, leaving you free to concentrate on fishing. Prior to the Ultrex, all trolling motors capable of electronic anchoring had steering mechanisms that were too sluggish for the quick, precise, shallow-water boat control needed for bass fishing. The Ultrex proved to be a game changer and soon became a must-have item for bass anglers everywhere. The motor was designed to communicate with specified Humminbird graphs. So, if you bought an Ultrex, you were likely to purchase Humminbird…

WHILE ADDRESSING COMPANY meetings and get-togethers, Jerry McKinnis would almost always say, “I want to tell you a little story …” McKinnis, who died Nov. 2 at 82, would go on to twist a tale that sometimes would be poignant and relate to the mission at hand. Other times, his stories bent on the fantastic, some even magical. He put life into his storytelling, and his life as a pioneer in the world of fishing is quite a story itself. “It’s a sad day,” B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin said. “Jerry packed a lot in those 82 years, that’s for sure. He contributed so much to the sport of fishing. Jerry was a true friend of the angler. He’ll be sorely missed.” Growing up in St. Louis, McKinnis’ infatuation with playing…

FISHERMEN HAVE fished them for years on different types of lakes around the country. They attract and hold largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass at all times of the year. Tournaments at every level have been won on them, including the Bassmaster Classic. Best of all, they’re especially productive during the cold winter months when bass may gang up on them in fairly shallow water. In case you’re wondering what these seemingly magical places are, they are transition zones — places where two different types of structure or cover meet. The most easily recognized transition zones are visible along shorelines where rocks may change to gravel, or gravel to vegetation, and which continue underwater. Depth changes are transition zones, as are lone boat docks (that’s why the first dock entering a…

Jason Williamson knows a thing or two about catching winter bass. The 13-year Elite Series veteran made a habit of cashing winter checks in the early stages of his career, and he’s chiming in this month with a time-tested pattern to boat big winter bass. “This time of year, water temperatures are chilly for the most part,” starts Williamson. “That means slower presentations are going to pay off — for me, it’s all about the crawfish.” By that, Williamson means his version of the crawfish. Not the soft-plastic version commonly found in a bag on the tackle store shelf, but the version created by hand when he blends a brown, 1/2-ounce Buckeye Lures Mop Jig with a green pumpkin Zoom Super Chunk trailer. “That’s my No. 1 go-to this time…

The best bass creeks are often snaggy, where branches can grab and break rod tips. You must keep rods stowed horizontally, with tips protected from sticking out. My Old Town Predator 13 has tip-protector flaps on the bow and rod-butt shelves with bungees next to the chair for stowing two rods flat. Here’s how I added two more horizontal holders and tip protectors. [Tackle Tips]…

This year we are celebrating our biggest fans. From your best catches to interactions with the pros, we’d love to see your photos. Post to our social channels with #yearofthefan and you might be featured in an upcoming issue.…

THE NEW YEAR’S beginning brings big opportunities to tug on a big fish. It’s often the coldest time of the calendar, but the right tactics can unlock the hot bite. Check out what these Bassmaster Elite Series anglers have to say about engaging late-winter whoppers. Hunter Shryock — Southern Grass Lake Knowing that many of the fish live shallow, Shryock will identify major spawning flats and then dial in the sweetest-looking hydrilla mats where staging prespawners have likely positioned. Holding heat and providing ample feeding opportunities for bulging bass, these mats provide the ideal waiting room. “In the wintertime, this is a huge deal, especially for those big prespawn fish,” Shryock said. “They like to get under those mats where the sun bakes on that vegetation and they can sit…

SOME OF THE Bassmaster Elite Series pros believe the KISS formula is the way to go when it comes to crankbait colors. Give them crankbaits in a basic shad, crawfish and chartreuse pattern, and they’re good to go anywhere in the country. At the other extreme are pros who carry crankbaits in multiple hues because they believe a crankbait’s color is far too important to be limited to so few choices. Elite Series angler John Crews of Virginia is one of the latter. “A crankbait’s running depth and action will always be the most important considerations,” Crews said. “But choosing the right color is a multiplier. It can double the number of bites you get and turn short strikes into solid hookups.” Crews packs at least six different colors in…

1 [Managing Expectations] In regions of the country where lakes and rivers remain free of ice, winter can be prime time for catching lunker bass — if you adjust your lures, presentations, casting targets and expectations to better cope with frigid water conditions. Follow these recommendations from Bassmaster Elite Series pros to score more strikes on your winter bass outings. The Cold Facts Bass are cold-blooded, meaning they lack the ability to control their body temperature. As the water temperature drops in winter, they move more slowly and feed less frequently than in warmer conditions, often shifting their food preferences from baitfish to slow-moving crawfish and worms. Since most aquatic vegetation dies off in winter, bass will either hold around submerged rock and wood cover or, in deep/clear lakes, suspend…

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 bass weighing 6 pounds or more, from Jan. 1, 2019, to the present. New Lunker Club members will receive an official certificate with holder and a gift pack. [Trophy Trends] 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 will only accept entries for bass that are released…

“Psychedelic trip, my stomach flips again and again; I’d love to get my ticket back but I’m locked in; A white knuckle grip hanging on to what’s left of my life; I hate to think about coming down when I’m up this high.”— Eric Church, “Roller Coaster Ride” Elite Series veteran Chris Zaldain could have written the lyrics to this song as he fished his way through the 2019 Elite schedule. Not because he had an up and down season, though, but because he teetered between leading Angler of the Year and being just out of the lead all year long. Sometimes, the most painful drop can be by a single point. To say he had an epic season would be an understatement. Any other year, perhaps, his performance would…