Innholdsfortegnelse for November/December 2019 i Bassmaster

Ask most Elite Series veterans about their second year on tour, and almost all of them will talk about the “sophomore slump.” The rookie year is typically filled with wide-eyed wonder and innocent ignorance when angling never-before-seen fisheries against the best in the world. Oftentimes, rookies have great performances by fishing the moment, not history, and end the year in a good place. However, when the second year rolls around, the experience of the first year fishing on the Big Stage somehow hampers their success. It’s like some strange bass fishing witchcraft mojo targeting the confidence of second-year pros. Well, Elite Series sophomore Hunter Shryock proved in 2019 that this slump is not universal. And you could make the argument that the fish he is landing in this photo from…

Date: Dec. 7, 2018 Venue: Lake M, a flatland reservoir Water: 47 degrees, clear/tannic Weather: 40 degrees, cloudy, light east wind Pro: Bill Lowen, 44, Brookville, Ind. Lowen has fished the Elite Series since 2006, scoring 14 Top 10 finishes and nine Classic berths. Boat: Xpress X21 Pro with 250-horsepower Yamaha outboard, Minn Kota trolling motor and Humminbird electronics IF YOU DON’T know the fable of the tortoise and the hare, I’ll make a long story short: There’s this wise-guy rabbit who constantly pokes fun at this turtle for moving so slowly. The turtle, fed up with the nonstop needling, challenges the rabbit to a race. The bunny rockets off the starting line, leaving the turtle in his wake. The cocky rabbit figures, “I’m so far ahead, I’ve got time…

Fishing and parenting have an almost ironclad connection. Ask any Elite Series angler where they got their start, and the answer almost always begins with a father, mother or grandparent. For third-year Elite Series veteran Tyler Carriere, that foundation starts with his dad in the heart of America’s largest wetland, Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin. “Whenever I’m out there fishing those trees, I always remember fishing them with Dad,” says Carriere, who’s turning back the hands of time to divulge our November/December pattern of the month. [Tackle Tips] Rod: 7-foot, 6-inch medium-heavy Six Gill Siren Reel: 8.0:1 Six Gill Wraith Line: 50-pound Sunline Flipping Braid While anglers in much of the country are donning foul-weather gear to get their fishing fix this time of year, Carriere’s clan can usually be found in…

Miles from home and headed for an early morning river tournament, I realized I’d left my chain anchor in the kayak shed. With the contest starting in an hour, I rushed into an all-night superstore and bought some thick zip ties, a 5-pound dumbbell and a roll of Gorilla tape. Voila. In about 20 minutes, I had a really ugly anchor that worked great. Uncut zip ties kept it from wedging into rocks. [Tackle Tips]…

Elite Series pro Micah Frazier has been competing on bass fishing’s biggest stage since 2015. He had some great moments his first three years on tour. There was the sixth-place finish his rookie year at Kentucky Lake. A 12th-place finish in 2017 at Lake St. Clair was certainly solid. And last year he chalked up a sixth-place finish at Lake Chatuge. “You know, those first three years, I was just happy to be on the Elites. This year, I turned that corner and realized how special this opportunity is and that I n eeded to buckle down and take complete advantage of it.” And he did just that. In 2019, Frazier fished his way to third place at Lake Hartwell, and followed that up with another third-place finish at the…

We posted this fake bar scene on Facebook (Lee Livesay’s unbelievable catch from St. Johns) and B.A.S.S. fans went wild! In case you missed it, Livesay hooked a monster largemouth on the other side of a dock. His line and the big bass were dangling more than an arm’s reach away, so he used the butt of his rod to snag the line and pulled the fish close enough to land. Bret Willard I was def out of my chair! Colt Hathaway What the inside of my brain looks like anytime I catch a bass! Mike Simon That’s how it is in my house in Las Vegas By The Numbers 537,061 views 1,588 comments 9,322 likes 1,659 shares…

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IT’S EARLY WINTER on Lake Hartwell, Brandon Cobb’s home lake, but despite the fact it’s getting colder and the sky is filled with threatening clouds, it would be hard to find a happier bass fisherman than Cobb. This time of year, the Bassmaster Elite Series pro gets to use two of his favorite techniques: crankbaiting shallow shorelines for largemouth or drop shotting for feisty spotted bass. Both are fun and easy, and either presentation can produce some excellent catches this time of year. “Fish are not in groups or staging to come shallow like they’ll be doing several months from now in the early spring,” says Cobb in describing his crankbaiting, “but this is not a hunt-and-scratch technique, either. What makes crankbaiting work are two key ingredients: dingy, off-colored water…

WHEN I BECAME immersed in bass fishing back in the early 1970s, it seemed that we had plenty of techniques to learn in our attempts to fool Mr. Bass. For soft plastics, you could use the deadly Texas rig, which has sure stood the test of time, thanks to its versatility and ability to fish through the thickest cover. The Carolina rig was a whole different animal, but all who learned to adjust their sinker selection and leader length found it deadly on structure or flats without thick cover. It became a fixture in the pros’ arsenal, even if they dread spending the day “draggin’.” Then some offbeat angler got the nerve to hook a plastic worm through the middle, and the wacky worm was born. I first encountered it…

1 [Get Your Mind Right] Bass fishing often takes a back seat to deer hunting during the months of November and December. But for those hardcore anglers willing to climb down from their tree stands and hop into their bass boats, some of the most exciting fishing of the year awaits. Follow these tips from Bassmaster Elite Series pros to score a late-season lunker! LATE-SEASON CHANGES ◗ The photoperiod (amount of daylight in a 24-hour period) is greatly reduced now, meaning slower aquatic plant and plankton growth, which in turn impacts the food chain and bass location. ◗ Many reservoirs are drawn down to winter pool, leading to a major relocation of baitfish to deeper structural edges. ◗ As lake temperatures drop into the 50s, bass typically feed up heavily…

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, 2018, 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…

I love spinnerbaiting with a white, double willow (lure) in the shallows during the fall. There are days when bass seem to ignore it even though I know they are still there. Any advice as to how I can get those fish to bite? Roger Anderson, Richmond, Va. Bassmaster Elite Series pro Robbie Latuso Remember, bass are starting to feed up for winter and the baitfish are generally larger this time of year, so you have to upsize your blades and lure profile. For example, if the water is stained, I typically use a 1/2-ounce Delta Lures white and chartreuse or chartreuse/white/blue skirt with larger double Colorado blades. Those blades add thump and help the bass find the bait when the water is dirty. If the water is clear, I’ll…

THE 2019 ICAST trade show was chock full of awesomeness. Many called the event the “Year of the Trolling Motor,” as Lowrance, Garmin and Motorguide launched new technology in that space. But anglers have a lot more to look forward to in 2020 than front-of-boat power, as exciting lure and terminal tackle designs emerged and rod and reel manufacturers kicked cutting edge design into high gear. Clothing and other cool accessories made this list, as well, as you want to be protected from the elements and certainly need storage for all the new lures you are bound to purchase. If you haven’t started saving up some cash to update your bass fishing gear, you better start now. These new products are going to help you put more fish in the…

Feb. 7-10, Power-Pole Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River Rick Clunn won again on this famed fishery by targeting prespawn females pulling up to spawning areas as the water began warming each day of the tournament. He caught a 10-pounder in practice, but a 9-14 and a 9-11 helped propel him to victory. Most of his fish came from the backside of docks or between docks in 1 to 2 feet of water. It was Clunn’s 16th victory as a Bassmaster pro. Key baits: 3/4-ounce Luck-E-Strike Trickster Spinnerbait (shellcracker), 6-inch Bobby Ditto Gator Tail worm (junebug). Conditions: The river system lacked the eelgrass it is famous for, so man-made structure and lily pads were key targets. Also, the water warmed up 8 to 10 degrees between the end of practice…

Season: Late fall on a highland reservoir Water temp: 60 degrees Clarity: 4 to 6 feet Depth: 15 to 25 feet Structure: Chunk rock, bluffs, rocky points Cover: Floating docks, laydowns Forage: Shad schools, bream shallow Weather: Stable, partly cloudy Wind: Calm Experts: A trio of Elite Series pros offer their insights for maximizing the fall season 1 THE COLOR OF SUCCESS Brandon Cobb Greenwood, S.C. First move: Right off the bat, Cobb’s all about recon. He’ll run a manageable section of the lake and primarily look at water clarity. “I want to find, not necessarily muddy water, but just a color change that shows where the shad are moving.” Baits/tackle to use: The first bait is a white Greenfish Tackle Toad Toter buzzbait with a white Zoom Horny Toad…