Bassmaster June 2023

Do you remember Space Invaders, the 1970s video game where you had aliens floating above your ship while you attempted to shoot them from the sky? Well, fans who attended the 2023 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota might have felt like they had stepped into this game during the event’s kickoff party. Except, the invasion was friendly and a most amazing show to watch. The folks at Humminbird and Minn Kota sponsored a drone dance. Google it for a little perspective. But, in basic terms, they hired a company to launch 400 drones to perform a ballet of lighted images that transformed in the night sky. The show started with logos of the sponsoring companies, then shifted to a boat, an angler holding a rod and…

MY WIFE IS a ranker. We finish a delicious pizza from Domino’s: “Do you like it more than Papa Johns?” she asked. We watch Iron Man 3: “Where would you rate it compared to the other two?” she asked. We get a new French bulldog puppy: “What breed of dog could you like better than this?” she asked. So, it came as no shock to me that after attending the Knoxville Classic this past March, she asked me how it compared to the other 23 I have attended. That query actually made me think for a bit because it seems like every year the Classic keeps getting better. Still … My very first Classic holds a special place in my heart. Being at that 1999 event held on the Louisiana…

  Talk to us about growing up on Alabama’s Coosa River. What makes fishing there unique? I think spotted bass are really what the Coosa River is known for. They’re strong and they’re fun to catch. Also, they predominantly live shallow, so everybody likes to fish there because it’s a challenge. Do you see anglers from other parts of the country on the water there? You know, I think there are a handful, but as far as tourism goes, I don’t know that it goes too far beyond 80 or 100 miles away. Those people will come in once or twice a year to catch spotted bass, but other than that I don’t know that it’s a destination quite yet. How did those home waters help you out when you…

8 Best Friends Day. Call up your best buddy and make time to hit the water. 14 Flag Day. Dust off Old Glory and make sure she’s flying high on the front porch. 18 Father’s Day. Take a visit to your favorite watering hole with Pops or the memories of his favorite honey hole. 22 World Rainforest Day. Take time to finally research that peacock bass fishing trip you’ve been pining for. 25 National Catfish Day. Make a trip to the world’s catfish capital in Paris, Tenn., and cast a line on Kentucky Lake.…

After three years of extensive drought and low-water conditions, Diamond Valley Lake — a backbone of southern California’s water storage system — is predicted to fill to capacity by the end of 2023. On the heels of a series of winter storms that eased drought conditions across California, state water management officials released water from northern California into the lake at 600 cubic feet per second. Metropolitan Water District officials say the storms gave California “a lifeline” to refill the 810,000-acre reservoir to full capacity. This winter, snowpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains boosted water supplies enough that state officials were able to increase allocations from 35% to 75% to their member agencies, which supply water for 27 million people. Last year that figure reached just 5% during an extreme…

The home of Fort St. Jean Baptiste, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the host city to Bassmaster College, High School and Junior events at Red River during the 2023 season, Natchitoches offers a blend of French-Creole architecture and a historic, brick-lined downtown featuring a river walk littered with shops for exploration. The nearby Cane River National Heritage Area draws visitors to sites like the Badin-Roque House, Magnolia Plantation and Cane River Heritage Scenic Byway, while stops along the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail showcase the story of civil rights in the region. 2 Number of Bassmaster Classics held on the Red River 57,00 Average flow of the Red River in cubic feet per second 1,360 Length of the Red River in miles 37-12 Keith Poche’s winning weight during…