Innholdsfortegnelse for September/October 2023 i Bassmaster

In the ever-changing landscape of sports, the growth of youth bass fishing emerges as a heartening tale of inspiration, casting a radiant light on the future of our beloved sport. With each young angler who takes their first step to the water’s edge, a new chapter in the legacy of B.A.S.S. is written — one that promises to keep the sport alive for generations to come. Although Bassmaster has played an instrumental role in nurturing this movement, it is the dedication of a family member or mentor that sows these seeds of passion. Countless B.A.S.S. members have donated countless hours to this movement, leading kids toward a deeper appreciation for the art of angling, building memories that will be forever lasting. Take a look at the smiles on the faces…

September 11 9/11 Remembrance Day. Have a moment of silence on the water for those we lost. 19 International Talk Like A Pirate Day. An excellent reason to entertain or annoy your fishing partner. 23 Autumn Equinox. The official start of fall is a great time to clean the boat and get ready for cooler weather. October 1 International Coffee Day. Invest in one of the many coffee-flavored soft plastics on the market, because why not? 9 Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Familiarize yourself with the people who gave many of your favorite waterways their names. 13 Friday The 13th. Tempt fate by going night fishing … you may catch a monster.…

Chris Dello Henderson, Nev. Gabriel Lo Gatto Indianapolis, Ind. Derek Richards Saguaro Lake, Ariz. Eli Currie Centerville, Texas A Game Changer Dear Bassmaster Editors, This is a picture of my grandson, Ryan Hunt, who caught his first bass on Memorial Day weekend. He caught it all on his own on Lake Manitou in Rochester, Indiana. He was using a spincaster reel on a medium-heavy rod. The bait was a red Texas-rigged Rage Craw — a bait I’ve had in my box for years and have NEVER caught anything on. His hat says it all — GAME OVER. He’s hooked on bass fishing for sure now. Dan Wilcox Carmel, Ind.…

The images below were submitted by Bassmaster readers, and our antique tackle expert, Rob Pavey, appraises the value of each fascinating find. To submit yours, email editorial@bassmaster.com. Joe Moore’s Silver Dragon Alex Avery, email $10 to $20 The Silver Dragon spinnerbait was manufactured in the late 1940s and 1950s by Joe Moore’s tackle company of Fort Worth, Texas. It is a simple metal lure with an unusual nickel-plated head shaped more like an airplane than a dragon. Its maker claimed he had a pending patent on its “adjustable depth” that made it “the choice of experts.” Lamothe-Stokes Swiv A Lure Chris Carr, email $20 to $25 (plastic version) The unique, jointed Swiv A Lure made its debut in the late 1940s as a wooden bait but was soon switched out…

ACTIVE ANGLER Truck maintenance is the overlooked travel gremlin every bass angler should pay more attention to. Greg DiPalma remembers his first truck. For years, he traveled the backroads and boulevards of south Jersey in a red 1988 Ford Ranger festooned by a brushguard and light bar. From the Ford, he eventually found himself behind the wheel of a Dodge and a Chevrolet before finding a home at Toyota. As the 41-year-old Elite Series veteran has grown his career, his truck game has grown as well. BLUE-COLLAR BREAKDOWN Bass anglers put a lot of miles on their vehicles. What DiPalma says might go unnoticed is the particular kind of miles those vehicles endure. When the vast majority of road miles involve heavy towing, traditional maintenance cycles might not be enough.…

“Cobb redefined not only the style of writing anglers would eventually gravitate toward, but the substance demanded within.” MY WIFE FORGOT our wedding anniversary. Not. Even. Kidding. I took her a bouquet of flowers during my lunch break, and she looked at me like I was wearing a bikini. I immediately realized two things. First, I should probably buy her flowers more often. Secondly, she had no idea our seven-year mark had arrived. Milestones have a way of sneaking up on you when the bustle of life keeps you sprinting through weeks until all 12 months of a year have been exhausted. Well, the editorial staff of this magazine came close to making a similar mistake. A few months ago, we were organizing magazine covers for digital use. After seeing…

Minnesota wildlife officials are calling the investment “transformational.” $98.1 million in state funding for hatcheries, access and stocking is set to be distributed across the Land of 10,000 Lakes. “This is a moment that Minnesota anglers should celebrate,” said Ron Schara, president of the nonprofit group MN-FISH. “This investment in fishing shows state leadership understands the economic and cultural importance of sportfishing in Minnesota.” “Gov. Walz heard the call from anglers and responded,” said Dave Osborne, MN-FISH treasurer. “The governor’s leadership during the 2023 legislative session to begin reinvesting in our fish hatcheries and accesses demonstrated his commitment to ‘Keep Minnesota Fishing Strong.’”…

It’s your turn to write a cutline for your favorite magazine. Follow B.A.S.S. on Facebook (@bass) and Instagram (@bass_nation) and comment with a clever caption on this cartoon that will be posted on our feed on Aug. 25, 2023. If your caption is chosen, it will be printed in an upcoming issue. Last Month’s Post Last Month’s Caption Winner: “For the stars and stripes, the ones who won the fight, so we could keep the lines tight, God bless america and bass!” @almatran_don…

RAY SCOTT’S BASS Anglers Sportsman Society has had a seismic impact on every aspect of the sport of bass fishing. Following the success of Scott’s first All-American Invitational tournament in 1967, he formed B.A.S.S. to be both a nationwide fraternity of bass anglers and a first-class tournament organization. Upon joining Scott’s bassin’ brotherhood, you received a colorful sew-on B.A.S.S. patch, eligibility to fish in B.A.S.S. tournaments and a subscription to Bassmaster Magazine, the first issue of which appeared in the spring of 1968. Now, 499 issues later, Bassmaster’s readership has grown from a few hundred to over half a million. But the publication’s mission hasn’t changed since the day Scott, an insurance salesman with no editorial experience, cobbled together the very first issue: “Give hard-core bass fishermen hard-core information on…

Water type: Drawdown decision on a TVA reservoir Water temp: Mid- to upper 70s Clarity: 1 to 2 feet Depth: 8 to 15 feet Structure: Rocks, bluffs, laydowns, bridges Cover: Docks, grass Forage: Shad, bluegill Weather: Partly sunny Wind/current: Calm morning with afternoon wind increasing Experts: Three Elites with a ton of experience on TVA lakes 1 STAGING POINTS Carl Jocumsen Toowoomba, Australia First move: “I’ll be looking for the shallower brushpiles leading into the backs of pockets — those transition areas where the fish will soon start wanting to move shallower, but they’re not there yet,” Jocumsen said. Baits/tackle to use: For brushpiles and shellbeds, Jocumsen uses a 1/2-ounce Molix GT football jig in wild craw with an X Zone Lures Adrenaline Craw. For outside grasslines and winding over…

“I sat straight up in my chair and said, out loud, ‘I just edited Bob Cobb. How crazy is that?’” DURING THE SPRING of 2004, I fished a tournament on a beautiful lake just outside of Eufaula, Ala. It was only a 10-boat field, and one of the other nine boats was helmed by Dave Precht, the longtime editor of Bassmaster Magazine and then vice president of publications for B.A.S.S. Seeing him there was like spotting a rock star at Starbucks. Using the loosest definition of the term, I guess he and I were both “outdoors journalists.” But there were pictures of him sitting with presidents and superstars from the fishing industry, while no such pictures of me existed. I refused to even talk to him for fear that he…

It’s your first year back on the Elite Series after a six-year run that began in 2006. Talk to us about your year so far. I’m really excited to be back. Six years ago, there were different anglers, and the atmosphere is a lot different than the first time I was here. Back then, I was the young guy. Now, because of my age and because fishing has so many more young guys competing at such a high level, the game is different. What do you attribute that to? Is it a combination of factors? I think it’s a combination of things. Technology — not just forward-facing sonar, which everybody focuses on — but also GPS mapping. Young anglers don’t know it any other way. That’s just how life is.…

Perched on the precipice of the Arizona and Utah border beneath the looming geologic wonder of the Grand Staircase-Escalante, the town of Page serves as the gateway to stunning Lake Powell — home of the 2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Western Regional. But why is a Western Regional site deserving of the title of “Bass City, USA”? Powell itself is one of the pre-eminent bucket-list destinations for any adventurous bass angler. Created in 1963 when the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation began construction of the gargantuan Glen Canyon Dam. Whether engineering triumph or environmental curiosity, the flooding of Glen Canyon created one of the planet’s most stunning bass fisheries. 8,448,159 Acre-feet of water in Lake Powell in June 2023 1,000 Estimated age in years of indigenous ruins located along the shores…

B.A.S.S. fans react to The Bassmasters’ throwback coverage of the 1995 New York Invitational at the St. Lawrence River. Mark Rickman The original Bassmasters with Bob Cobb. Greatest show ever. Looked forward to it every week on TNN. Miss the intro with Larry Nixon and the jumping bass. Austin Volmert Look at the river/lake now! 13.5lb average to win that tournament. Consistently putting up 25+ now. Nick Voss Jr. Been on the St. Lawrence when it was rough like that. Good to hit dry land. Scott Meier The archive’s shows on the Website are great. Even have the original commercials. Love it!…

How does a T-H Marine trolling motor Eliminator prop nut eliminate/reduce vibration and keep the trolling motor cool to extend its life? @Mossyback.angler, Instagram Luke Dunkin of T-H Marine says the G-Force Eliminator prop nut acts almost like a harmonic balancer once it’s installed. It can help remove/dampen unwanted vibration due to the wider contact surface that the Eliminator prop nut offers compared to a standard nut. Dunkin says the cooling ports help to dissipate heat, which can certainly help with the life of the trolling motor. Also, he adds, it helps with newer electric motors, both brushed versions and brushless, as well as older motors that seem to be at the end of their life. Where do I get replacement parts for a 2006 Skeeter ZX? @Jason_tait79, Instagram A…

THE TIME WAS in the 1960s, the golden years of outdoor magazines like Field & Stream, Outdoor Life and Sports Afield. “The Big Three” ruled the newsstands and magazine racks. The odds were stacked against a lowly start-up publication like Bassmaster Magazine surviving in the dog-eat-dog world of publishing. But, we did it! You are holding the 500th issue, a collector’s treasure. The backstory of how Bassmaster became known as “The Bible Of Bass Fishing” is almost as biblical as the story of David defeating the giant Goliath. By late 1968 Ray Scott’s fledgling Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.) emblem was being worn by over 2,000 card-carrying members. The Society was on the march, but Ray needed help to keep up the pace. “I had too many oars in the…

THE APRIL 1985 issue of Bassmaster was my first as editor. Bob Cobb handed me a stack of manuscripts and photo transparencies, wished me luck and turned his focus from print to television. Looking back on that first Bassmaster with my name on the masthead, I’m struck by two highlights. One was an article debuting the first digital depthfinder marketed to bass anglers, Humminbird’s Liquid Crystal Recorder, and the other was an ad for Daiwa’s computerized Procaster Tournament electronic reel — “The first reel with a mind of its own.” In a way, those two developments typified the fishing industry during my tenure as editor, which lasted through the summer of 2003. It was an era of tremendous, rapid advancements in the technologies of fishfinding, navigation and boating. It was…