Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2021 i Bassmaster

ACTIVE ANGLER 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 the back of his rig were anchors. “They would guess almost anything but an anchor,” he says. “To be honest, I had no idea what they were at first either. But once I used them, I realized I couldn’t ever go without them.” Since then, Feider has witnessed the evolution of shallow-water anchors from his front deck, every few years finding a new iteration of the latest and greatest on the opposite end of his boat. Now, we’re tapping him for insight into the next product…

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 B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional, Milford Lake, Kansas 22-25 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite, Lake Fork, Texas 28-30 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Southeastern Regional, Lake Hartwell, South Carolina 29-May 1 Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open #2, Pickwick Lake, Tennessee…

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. Old Clacker Jerry LaSalvia, email $10 This 1960s clacker is not old enough to be valuable even though this is one of the first buzzbaits ever made. Value $10. Outboard Motor Larry Peterson, email $100 Looks to be a small 1- to 2-hp Evinrude engine. 1930s. Value around $100. Heddon Crazy Crawler Charles Nyre, email $10 Probably a 1960s Heddon Crazy Crawler. Older model will have an eye screw holding the wings. Heddon purchased Jim Donaly Baits in the 1930s. The Donaly was called a “WOW.” Value $10. Reel From Korean War Joseph E. Schroeder, email $35 Most items from wartime are made…

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. This area has the toughest fisherman in the US. Mark MooreCongrats on a great feat … First appearance as a Elite and get the win!! Kyle StrotherAfter that day one … to come back strong and take the win?! Congratulations are in order. Rodney SmithDude caught more weight than closest competitor … that’s what it’s all about Tracy GravelyAwesome comeback that last day Bryan! CONGRATULATIONS on your win!#RippinLipsInc Joan NewCongratulations Bryan!!! You definitely…

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 spring “Day On The Lake” outings that had been scheduled months in advance. So, the bad news is, you won’t find a new DOTL article in this issue. But, because we know you follow this series to glean insights into the lures, presentations and thought processes Elite pros use to locate and catch bass on lakes they’ve never fished before, we’ve put together a compilation of pertinent factoids from every single April DOTL outing, dating back to the very first “Day On The Lake” outing way back in 1998! April is prime time…

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 the starting lineup by a guy named Lou Gehrig — and more than 2,000 straight games later, Gehrig was still manning first base for the Bronx Bombers. Pipp has become the poster child for not letting up. He’s the athlete many sports fans think of first when a star skips a few practices or dogs it a little bit during a game when the action is particularly tough. His name is even used as a verb. When someone gets replaced for falling…

“When we began fishing there … 90% of the other fishermen on the water were after panfish or walleye.” 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. They chose the Thousand Islands stretch of the St. Lawrence River between New York and Ontario, and if the B.A.S.S. pros balked at driving all the way from Alabama and Georgia to Upstate New York, they were ecstatic to discover their new favorite fishery. Smallmouth bass were feisty and numerous, and — because local anglers targeted muskies, walleye and salmon over black bass — incredibly easy…

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 wildest backwater you’ve ever been to? Today might be the day for a return trip. 22 Earth Day. Some people plant trees on Earth Day. We recommend planting fish habitat. 27 Babe Ruth Day. Honor the Great Bambino by setting out on a quest for your personal record bass.…

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 shoreline in the southern foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The lake is typically a haven for finesse anglers who make a living on its rocky outcrops and normally clear waters. 35 Approximate length of the lake in miles 1961 Opening service date of the dam 21,000 Scale of Smith Lake in acres 8-15 Alabama state record spotted bass boated in March 1978 by Phillip C. Terry…

BASS SOCIAL Here are some of our favorite posts from fellow bassmasters this month. @c_bait_bassin What’s your favorite square bill crank bait? Mine is definitely the @rapala Balsa @clearlakeoutdoors Big bass on Clear Lake is what spring is all about! It looks to be starting a little early this year. @toadchaser Ready for warmer days and catching tanks like this one! @bassfishing.cyprus Found this beautiful 3.2 pounder hiding in dense cover. The jig bite is just awesome. The dink is the bonus for the day! Let’s get into spawn already! @thereelchance First bass in the snow!! Got this pretty guy on the a flipping jig. If there’s no ice they’re biting.…

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. Though they’re connected hydrologically, each basin is unique. A biologist recently told me the only thing that Lake Superior and Lake Michigan have in common is that they both contain water! Their popularity as an angling destination has grown, estimated at over $1.2 billion in annual angler expenditures. While salmon, steelhead, walleye and perch have been headliners, Bassmaster readers know that the venues visited by the Bassmaster Elite Series pros are among the best locations in the world for smallmouth bass, and a few offer excellent largemouth fishing, as…

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 morning, becoming breezy later Experts: A trio of Elite Series pros explain how they handle a late-season cold front’s complicating impacts 1 DOCK DILIGENCE Brandon Lester Fayetteville, Tenn. First move: “If a cold front knocks them in the head and there’s docks available, that’s probably the No. 1 place for them to back off [their beds]. They’ll just suspend and hang out and wait for things to get right again.” Baits/tackle to use: For skipping under docks, Lester uses a 5-inch stickworm wacky-rigged on a Size 2 Mustad TitanX Wacky/Neko. For…

Destin DeMarion Grove City, Pa. 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 how to meet people. I didn’t know anyone in the fishing world because nobody in my family did it. I had no idea what to do, and part of my research was doing pro-ams. I figured that format was a great way to meet people, and I was right. The first year, I didn’t know anyone, but after that I started traveling with people and trying to expand my knowledge. I would fish Northern Opens,…

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 trash into treasure by rescuing the wreaths and using them as fish habitat. According to West Virginia B.A.S.S. Nation Conservation Director Jerod Harman, individual wreaths are gathered into bunches and connected by PVC pipe. They’re tethered to a wooden pallet and pipe frame and then placed in an exposed area of Tygart Lake — using a forklift — during winter drawdown. The result is a win for the 391-acre fishery as well as area anglers. The wreaths are a tribute to America’s fallen veterans, courtesy of the Wreaths Across America program. According to…

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 removal of 250,000 pounds of carp in the Bluegrass State and coincided with the launch of a “War on Carp” T-shirt whose sales partially go toward supporting organizations fighting the invasive species. “AFTCO’s War on Carp T-shirt efforts have been very well received both at the ground level and abroad,” said the company’s marketing director, Matt Florentino. “The publicity and promotion of the War on Carp campaign has generated a number of donations from various companies in the region directly affected. A great example of that is a chain of convenience stores…

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 that requires only one battery. “Bow-mount motors are more efficient because they pull the boat rather than push from behind,” says Brad Henry of Minn Kota. “You’ll need a flat mounting surface, and if there isn’t one, you may need to add a mounting plate.” Henry says Minn Kota offers a few quick-release brackets that might be an option for you and notes you can get advanced features like GPS, navigation and wireless hand-control or foot-control versions. He recommends either the PowerDrive or Terrova models. Is it bad to store my…

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 spinnerbait. For the rest of that day, each time he and his dad revisited the spinnerbait area, bass would eat the buzzbait. That day turned him into a buzzbait fisherman. Fast-forward to Oct. 1, 2020. The weigh-in for Day 2 of the 2020 Bassmaster Elite tournament on Lake Guntersville has just been completed, and Logan has jumped 19 spots into second place by weighing in the day’s heaviest catch, 18-10. Two of those bass, one nearly 5 pounds and the other…