Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2025 i Bassmaster

4 Star Wars Day. May the 4th be with you. 6 National Nurses Day. Thank a caregiver in your life by getting them out on the water. 11 Mother’s Day. Celebrate a special lady in your life today and maybe hit the water to look for some big postspawn mamas. 13 Frog Jumping Day. Time to stock up on new topwater baits for summer. 23 World Turtle Day. Bust out the Turtle Wax and get your truck looking its best. 26 Memorial Day. Take a moment to honor those who have fought for our freedom. 28 Flip-Flop Day. Celebrate with a new pair of flops for the ramp.…

The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame will enshrine a trio of new names into bass fishing immortality this year. Randy Hopper is an innovator whose advancements in the design, construction and evolution of modern bass boats have changed the industry for the better. Craig Lamb has spent his 40-plus-year career behind the scenes in various media roles and on the B.A.S.S. tournament operations staff, with invaluable contributions to the media output of the sport. William Shakespeare Jr. redefined the industry with his innovations in product development, including the incorporation of a levelwind traveling bracket into a casting reel and the creation of the Wondereel.…

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. Millsite Daily Double lures Gary Nault, email $10 to $15 (each) Millsite Tackle Co. of Howell, Mich., sold a line of high-quality plastic lures in the ’40s and ’50s and also made a few wooden baits in the pre-World War II years. The Daily Double was one of several “two headed” lures of that era, with a line tie on both ends to offer anglers a choice of actions (deep-diving or shallow-running) on retrieve. The Daily Double came in three sizes and many colorful finishes. Heddon Tiny Punkinseed Craig Kincaid, email $10 to $20 Heddon’s Tiny Punkinseed, mainly sold in the 1950s and…

ACTIVE ANGLER Greg DiPalma still has flashbacks of a logbook lying around the cab of his truck. Inside, hundreds of lines of handwritten notes detailed trips to tackle stores, boat ramps, sponsor meetings and tournament practices. Line by line, they detailed more than 20,000 miles of highway driven in pursuit of a career on the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series and, eventually, berths in the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour and the chase for Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year. But a year and a half ago, DiPalma’s logbook bit the dust. Its grave lies marked by an iPhone and a new app that’s saving the Elite pro money and time: MileIQ. BLUE-COLLAR BREAKDOWN MileIQ is a GPS-enabled smartphone application that automatically tracks mileage. For DiPalma, it…

HER NAME WAS listed as “Mrs. M.W. Taylor,” and if it seems chauvinistic, it was… but it was a different time — a time when women had all the rights but little identity, especially when it came to activities dominated by husbands, fathers and brothers. Mrs. Taylor was listed in the Idaho state fishing records where she held the top mark for largemouth bass for generations. In fact, in late 2023, no one knew how long she had held the record. No date was listed for her catch. There was also no length or girth, no information about the lure or bait used, no photo. Just a name, a location — Anderson Lake —and the weight: 10.94 pounds. It wasn’t a lot to go on, but that’s what intrigued me…

IT ALL CAME down to a value proposition. During the 2020 Bassmaster Central Open at the Arkansas River, Brandon Palaniuk zipped past a lot of fishable water en route to the Kerr Reservoir, about an hour and 15 minutes downstream from takeoff. The reason? Significantly bigger baitfish than the modest forage he’d found upstream. Matching those larger shad with a big-body squarebill yielded a seventh-place finish that validated Palaniuk’s premise. “From my experience, anytime you can find a bigger food source — as long as bass can find them — you’ll get a bigger average-size bass,” Palaniuk said. “They get more bang for their buck.” Flash forward nearly five years and the same logic fueled Palaniuk’s sixth Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series win at Lake Okeechobee. Committing four days to the…

  Water type: Southern grass lake Water temp: Mid-70s Clarity: 1 to 2 feet Depth: 3 to 10 feet Structure: Rock, laydowns, shellbars Cover: Docks, overhanging trees, pads Forage: Shad, bluegill Weather: Partly sunny with afternoon clouds increasing Wind/current: Breezy morning with increasing afternoon wind Experts: A trio of Elite Series pros explain how they tempt postspawners 1 DEEP THOUGHTS Robert Gee Knoxville, Tenn. First move: Expecting mostly a postspawn scenario, Gee’s looking for female bass resting and recuperating in deeper grass. “I like to fish offshore grass that you can’t visibly see,” he said. “You have to graph around and find breaks and holes where fish can group up. “In May, I’ll target 4- to 12-foot depths between spawning and summer areas.” Baits/tackle to use: For covering water and…

About the same time in 2019 that I retired from B.A.S.S. — after 40-plus years with the organization — Toby Keith released his hit single, “Don’t Let the Old Man In.” That song instantly resonated with me. I had just turned 70 and was contemplating retirement and a slew of other life changes, and I was determined to make the most of my “golden” years. Keith said he was inspired to write the song by a conversation he had with Clint Eastwood during a golf tournament. The actor was about to turn 87 at that time and Keith asked his friend how he managed to be so active and productive at that age. “I just don’t let the old man in,” Eastwood answered. Keith soon penned the lyrics, which read…

SOME READING THIS may not be old enough to remember the Gatorade commercial and overly catchy jingle “Be Like Mike.” The advertisement aired in 1991 and showed clips of Michael Jordan doing otherworldly basketball shots, as well as hanging out with kids who, seemingly and for good reason, wanted to be like him. Well, over the past 50-plus years, bass fishing has produced several of its own Michael Jordans. Rick Clunn certainly comes to mind. What angler wouldn’t want to have a 50-year professional career, four Bassmaster Classic titles and 16 wins? There’s Greg Hackney, Kevin VanDam, Mike Iaconelli and Aaron Martens. These guys have done things with a rod and reel that equate to half-court shots and a dunk from the free-throw line. That said, I recently met a…

April 30-1 Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Buggs Island, Virginia 4 Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Buggs Island, Virginia 4 Bassmaster Junior Series, Buggs Island, Virginia 8-11 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite, Lake Fork, Texas 15-18 MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite, Sabine River, Texas 30-31 Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Chickamauga Lake, Tennessee 31-June 1 Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Lake Tenkiller, Oklahoma…

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 April 21, 2025. If your caption is chosen, it will be printed in an upcoming issue. Last Month’s Post Last Month’s Caption Winner: “Is that an E-rig? Cause that lure’s got EVERYTHING!” @thereeldre Largemouth, Big Smiles First-ever largemouth bass catches for my stepson Kannon Glover of Poteau, Okla., and daughter Aubrey Means of Denison, Texas. The smiles say it all! Thank you Bassmaster for providing years of knowledge and educational opportunities for young anglers like these. Andrew Means Denison, Texas…

You’ve got a few years on the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series under your belt now. What areas do you feel more successful in, and where do you see yourself having room to improve? I feel like a success has been improving my forward-facing sonar game. I’ve been putting a lot of time into that and learning how to utilize that tool to capitalize on it. I also feel like I’m a lot better at traveling around the country, actually. This year, I’m traveling with Jacob Foutz and Cole Sands. So, just being able to work together and bounce ideas around has been helpful. We all get a rental house, split the cost and split the groceries for the week, which might seem underrated but is actually super-helpful. Talk to us…

Nestled in the foothills of the Boston Mountains, Cookson, Okla., is set to host the 2025 Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft May 31 through June 1 and the 2025 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller June 12-15. Lake Tenkiller, named after a prominent Cherokee family, offers anglers a diverse array of challenges, from its deep, clear waters to its intricate coves and submerged structures. 12,900 Acreage of Lake Tenkiller 1,369 Estimated population of Cookson as of 2025…

B.A.S.S. fans react to Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro John Cox’s garage tour of his mega-bait hoard. Paul Mueller On this weeks episode of tackle hoarders Donald Carter Looks pretty organized to me… John Keene Hello, my name’s John and I have a problem. Try A A, anglers anonymous Garren Alewine It’s not over buying. It’s being prepared for every single situation Spencer Manchester I have a good place for it all to stay nice and safe I’ll dm my address and we will get this all taken care of Alvin Randolph And he knows EXACTLY where everything is when he wants it too….. #IStandWithJohnCox…

When buying a used bass boat, what are the main things to look for? @mr.higgs_260, Instagram First and foremost, keep your head and don’t let the excitement of getting a new boat overshadow your needs and attention to details. We asked Michael Massey of Brownie’s Marine in Fairland, Ind., how he evaluates a bass boat when buying or trading for a used model, and he says close examination of the fiberglass is a key first step. “We look over the bottom that takes the most impact,” he explains. “Scratches are common, but make sure there aren’t stress cracks or big chunks missing. Examine the transom for any flex or cracks, as that is one of the most important parts of the boat.” Stress cracks look like spiderwebs and are typically…

MIKE IACONELLI KNEW where the fish were, but he knew he couldn’t reach them. Not one to take “no” for an answer, he resolved himself to finding a solution. Then it hit him. If he could not go to the fish, he’d exploit the one thing that would bring the fish to him — the tide. Proving profoundly puzzling, the 2014 Bassmaster Elite at the Delaware River required less than 8 pounds a day for 10th place and denied all but Iaconelli four daily limits. When the scales closed, the 2003 Bassmaster Classic champ held a blue trophy and a whopping 8-pound winning margin. Iaconelli, who resides in Pittsgrove, N.J., about an hour south of the Philadelphia tournament site, overcame the hometown curse by not only denying the tide’s limitations,…

Date: May 2, 2024 Venue: Lake R, a small flatland reservoir Water: 72 to 74 degrees, stained Weather: Partly cloudy, windy, high of 86 degrees Pro: Logan Latuso, 30, Gonzales, La. The son of former Elite Series pro Robbie Latuso, Logan joined the Elites in 2023 after qualifying via the Bassmaster Opens. Boat: Bass Cat Eyra with 250-horsepower Suzuki outboard, Minn Kota trolling motor, Humminbird and Garmin electronics and twin Power-Pole shallow-water anchors LOGAN LATUSO’S DAD, Robbie, is a former Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro who competed for five seasons starting in 2017. During this period, Logan fished the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN with the dream of joining his dad on the Elite tour. The younger Latuso found the Opens to be a grueling and sometimes heartbreaking…