Innholdsfortegnelse for July/August 2021 i Bassmaster

July 1 Canada Day. Bassmaster tradition dictates that Jeff Gustafson gets free rein of headquarters for the day. 4 Independence Day. A holiday about America, fireworks, fishing and flame-broiled goodies makes the Fourth of July one of the best for bassin’ fanatics. 20 Moon Day. Not Monday. This celebration of the moon serves as a great reminder to check up on the old farmers’ almanac and study your moon tables. August 7 Campfire Day. When was the last time you spent the night by the lake? Nothing wraps up a day on the water quite like a summertime campfire with friends. 13 Friday the 13th. Some say this is an unlucky day; we say it’s a day to plan a trip to find that elusive 13-pounder. Sam Rayburn, anyone?…

Syracuse may be synonymous with college basketball, but the host city of the July 2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Open at Oneida Lake is more than a hub for college kids. The seat of Onondaga County is home to a metropolitan population of more than 662,000 people and has historically served as a crossroads for the Erie Canal. Oneida Lake, located on the outskirts of town, is home to smallmouth and largemouth populations that have landed the 51,000-acre lake a regular spot in Bassmaster’s Top 100 list of best bass fisheries. 4 Number of Bassmaster Elite Series events hosted in Syracuse 36 Weight of New York state record freshwater drum, boated on Oneida in 2017…

JUST OFF COUNTY Road 33, a couple of miles north of the dusty little town of Boston, Ga., population 1,318, there it sits. Nestled between old quail plantations, fields of agriculture and the occasional double-wide trailer, Red Hills Fishery stands, unassuming, with nearby grazing cows standing sentinel. Four years ago, this plot of land was a dilapidated catfish farm. Now, and passersby would never know it, the new buildings erected here and the contents within feature one of the most state-of-the-art private hatcheries in the nation, a multimillion-dollar investment, with scientists and biologists solely focusing on the improvement of the largemouth bass. And the discoveries they are making may well reshape the national stocking landscape of the most popular sportfish in the country. Red Hills Fishery was the brainchild of…

Water type: Postspawn smallmouth Water temp: Mid- to upper 70s Clarity: 3 to 5 feet (zebra mussels present) Depth: 12 to 25 feet Structure: Rock reefs, ledges Cover: Deep grass Forage: Shad, bluegill, yellow perch, smelt, alewives Weather: Partly cloudy and hot Wind/current: Calm, clear morning with afternoon clouds and wind Experts: A trio of Elite Series pros explain how they achieve big results by targeting summer smallies 1 BUSY INTERSECTIONS Paul Mueller Naugatuck, Conn. First move: Dialing in areas where structure or cover intersect with the thermocline provides Mueller’s recipe for breaking down a body of water. “I’ll fish areas where structure, like a dropoff or transition, or cover, connects with a thermocline.” Baits/tackle to use: For matching big perch, Mueller uses a 5-inch Do-it Molds Ripper swimbait with…

I WAS BORN in 1971. Math is not my strong suit, but even I know that will make me 50 years old when my birthday rolls around in September. It wasn’t so long ago when I’d meet 50-year-old people and consider them elderly. For the record, my opinions of the elderly have changed. So, it’s amazing to think that before I took my first breath on this earth, Don Wirth had work published in this magazine. Yes, this month marks the 50th anniversary of Wirth’s contributions to Bassmaster, an extremely rare feat for any journalist writing for any magazine, and a record not likely to ever be broken in this one. Bob Cobb, the first editor of Bassmaster, bought Wirth’s first submission in 1971. The piece was a humorous yarn…

Bass fishing just keeps getting bigger in Texas. On the heels of the 2021 Bassmaster Classic in Fort Worth, the Lone Star State is filling a 16,600-acre impoundment about an hour north of Dallas in Fannin County. The new reservoir, Bois d’Arc Lake, takes its name from the 68-mile-long tributary of the Red River whose waters will fill the reservoir to usable levels for drinking water by 2022. The $1.6 billion major reservoir is the first major new lake built in Texas since 1990. The lake’s basin will extend for roughly 13 miles. Officials plan to leave most of the existing timber and brush in place as fish habitat inside coves. All told, Bois d’Arc Lake is expected to max out at 70 feet in depth — with an average…

Two For One I know neither of these are lunkers, but they were both caught on the same cast and the same lure! I caught these two on an Ott’s Garage squarebill crankbait at a local farm pond. Initially I thought one was chasing the other, but hey … two is better than one!! Zach Erzinger Plainfield, Ill.…

What’s a quick troubleshoot for a hydraulic steering issue? @tpitman_lipripper, Instagram If you’re having issues with your hydraulic steering, there could be several causes, says Greg Duncan of Ranger Boats. According to the manual from SeaStar — a company that makes steering systems — you should check for mechanical interference, like something blocking the movement. “Secondly, bleed the system and ensure it’s properly filled,” says Duncan. “Also, make sure that the adjusting nut on the support rod isn’t overly tight. It should be only hand-tight.” If the problem continues, get it to a dealer. Any kind of steering issue shouldn’t be taken lightly. How should I choose a good tow vehicle? @chris_parent90, Instagram Never cut corners on towing power, so make sure you know the weight of the boat you’re…

WHAT YOU WEAR while casting for summertime bass is more important than which baits you tie on. Choose the wrong lures and you won’t get many bites. Don apparel that exposes your skin to the sun and you play Russian roulette with cancer. Thankfully, a number of companies offer lightweight fishing apparel that blocks the sun and helps you stay cool. Then, all you need to be concerned with is finding bass and choosing baits that will catch them. Shirts Carhartt Force Ridgefield Solid Long Sleeve Shirt $49.99 - $54.99 This lightweight, quick-drying, polyester/cotton blend shirt is part of Carhartt’s new Force line. It wicks away sweat thanks to FastDry technology. Force also either fights odors, releases stains with Stain Breaker technology, or both. The shirt features a mesh-lined back…

powered by Go {Fish} powered by Catfish jugs. This one is a home run for beginners and children because it starts as an arts and crafts project and ends with fish in the boat — maybe even in the skillet. Go {Cook} powered by Gourmet S’mores. Get creative with flavors and get the whole family involved in changing up the gooey treat that we’ve all enjoyed for so many years. These s’more recipes will keep your mouth watering all summer long. Go {Camp} powered by Campsite fun. Add even more fun and adventure to your camping trip with these seven easy campsite games and activities! Compete or relax. It’s up to you. Go {Explore} Simple 7 Hiking. Breathe in fresh air and enjoy nature’s beauty with the kids on the…

Bryan Schmitt Deale, Md. There aren’t too many bass fishing pros from Maryland. What is fishing culture like in that part of America? It’s fairly big, just like anywhere else. The season is a little bit shorter. It gets going in March and peaks in April. Then, everyone is done by October. People are fishing a lot of rivers. They have the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac River and a lake called Deep Creek Lake. Other than that, though, there aren’t a lot of major lakes. It’s mostly rivers and tidal stuff. A lot of anglers learned to fish with their dads, but you actually learned from your mom, Holly. How did she influence your life as an early angler? My mom took me fishing all of the time. She would…

July 8-11 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite, Lake Champlain, New York 15-18 Farmers Insurance Bassmaster Elite, St. Lawrence River, New York 24 B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX, Pickwick Lake, Tennessee 29-31 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School National Championship presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Chickamauga Lake, Tennessee 29-31 Basspro.com Bassmaster Northern Open, Oneida Lake, New York August 7 B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX, Upper Chesapeake Bay, Maryland 12-14 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops, St. Lawrence River, New York…

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. Mystery Lure Amanda Magdalene Kestner, email $100 This is either a saltwater or a muskie bait, because of the size. This is an older lure, probably made in the late 1940s. I value this lure at $100. Hendryx Brass Reel Lee Baxter, email $40 Hendryx was a mass-produced reel starting in the late 1800s. In the late 1900s they sold out to Winchester. The reel you have has raised pillars and 1917 would be just about the correct age for it because of the production. Value $40 to $50. Jig From Grandfather’s Estate Bill “Mack” Rhoades, email $30 Shimmy Gal. About 1930s. Value…

ACTIVE ANGLER Mandatory. That’s the official B.A.S.S. stance on action cameras during Elite Series tournaments. If you read last issue’s “Scientific Angle,” you know how Elite Series pro Caleb Kuphall is deploying a YOLOtek PowerStick to fuel an all-day supply of energy to a GoPro mounted on his back deck. This month, we talk to fellow pro Kyle Monti to go a step deeper into the GoPro equation. “We’re pretty much all using those YOLO sticks for power,” says Monti. “That’s part of the equation. The other part is storage. You can go through six or seven SD cards in a day if you aren’t careful about what you’re doing.” BLUE-COLLAR BREAKDOWN “When I first started doing GoPro stuff, it was like 2010 or maybe 2011,” says Monti. “A lot…

HERE IN MY hometown of Birmingham, Ala., there is a 1,050-acre impoundment called Lake Purdy, from which the surrounding areas draw their drinking water. The lake is accessible only by rental boat, and the maximum-size outboard allowed is 9.9 horsepower. I live within an hour of three Coosa River fisheries that are known for producing big spotted bass. But if my life depended on landing a 4-pound spot today, I’d drive past all of those lakes to put my dad’s 7.5-horsepower Johnson on the back of one of the aluminum johnboats at Lake Purdy. The lake fits the definition of a hidden paradise perfectly. Besides being hard to access, it’s not a popular destination for hardcore tournament anglers because, besides the little Friday night wildcat tournaments they have there a…