bass

Recent Record Catches in the News

Joe_Cermele — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:55:48 -0400

Though the possible record largemouth bass caught in Japan may be talk of the fishing world right now, there have been some other impressive catches in the last few weeks that will turn some heads, too. Gleaned from news sources around the globe, here are the photos of the these record contenders.

Is This The New World-Record Largemouth?

Joe_Cermele — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:53:52 -0400

Just in from Japan: a new world-record largemouth may have been bested in Lake Biwa.

The Beginner's Guide to Better Fishing Photography

Joe_Cermele — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:31:45 -0400

This summer, don't settle for lame grip-and-grin photos when you go fishing. Here are 20 tips from pro photographer Tim Romano that will get you some show-stopper shots on the water. It's not as hard as you think.

An All-Tackle Halibut and Seven More Pending IGFA Record Fish

Joe_Cermele — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:31:35 -0400

Check out some recent catches that might earn these anglers a spot in the IGFA record books. From bull-dogging tuna on four-pound-test line to epic halibut battles, these fish may be the ones to beat for future record-hunters.

The Killers: 112 Can't-Miss Lures of Today's Top Guides

Joe_Cermele — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 09:59:34 -0500

Ask fishing guides to name their favorite lures and most sigh, then grumble, then inevitably utter some variation on the words, “That’s tough, because it all depends on the conditions.” But deep down, all guides—regardless of sponsorships, endorsements, or free lures showered on them by manufacturers—know the patterns that will get them hooked up on their home waters anytime. They all have standbys that get it done come rain, wind, or dirty water. So we found and grilled 28 top guides throughout the United States and Canada and got them to reveal their absolute favorite lures in four categories for seven species—and even tell us how they use them. It’s a lot of info, and it’s all here. Read it, then check your gear—and we’ll see you at the tackle shop. Click on a species below.

Favorite Lures of the Smallmouth Guides

Joe_Cermele — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:16:56 -0500

Guide John Blais

John Blais
Location: Belgrade/Cobbosseecontee Lake, Maine
Credentials: Blais has been chasing smallmouth throughout Maine for over 20 years, both is still-water and the river systems. Boating 50 fish a day is common, and he’s led clients to his share of six-pound bronzebacks.
Number of years guiding: 7
Contact: (207) 872-9688; belgradebassin.com

Favorite Spinnerbait: War Eagle Double Willow
Color: Mouse/Nickel Blades
Weight: ½ oz.
Details: “I like War Eagles because you can really burn them. It almost seems like the faster you reel, the better they look. The water up here in Maine is really clear, so the fish tend to be spooky. I’ll have clients cast way past the area we’re targeting and get the blades moving right away. That way, the lure looks natural when it reaches the fish and the splash doesn’t scare them.”

Storm Wiggle Wort

Favorite Crankbait: Storm Original Wiggle Wart
Color: Phantom Brown Crayfish
Size: 2 in.
Weight: 3/8 oz.
Details: “Ninety-five percent of the smallmouths’ diet in my waters is crayfish. The Wiggle Wart looks a lot like a wounded crayfish if you work it correctly. If you’re retrieving a crankbait and feel it bump a rock or stump, stop reeling immediately. If it doesn’t get hit, start again with a slower cadence. This action mimics a wounded crayfish trying to escape. If you’re not deflecting the lure off structure, you won’t catch anything.”

Favorite Soft Plastic: Yamamoto Senko
Color: Black/Red Flake
Size: 5 in.
Details: “Dark-colored lures create great contrast in clear water. Senkos work particularly well in the post-spawn when you want big, suspending females. They’re also easy for novices to fish. I always fish a Senko whacky-style, but you want them to fall horizontally so they look natural. Too many anglers run the hook through the collar of the bait, but that’s not the center of the bait. Bend a Senko until the ends meet so you find the center and put the hook there.”

Favorite Jig: Bass Stalker Finesse Jig
Color: Black/Blue
Weight: ½ oz.
Details: “The concave, angled head on these jigs makes them sit upright on the bottom. If you match them with a pork trailer, they look just like a defensive crayfish. People don’t realize that jigs are very versatile. If I’m fishing one more traditionally, I just move the rod tip from ten o’clock to 12 o’clock to impart slight action. But sometimes I’ll just reel steadily and swim them. Both work as long as you maintain constant contact with the lure.

Guide Ed Keller

Ed Keller
Location: Susquehanna/Potomac River, Maryland
Credentials: A former Redman Tournament Circuit pro, Keller now focuses his angling efforts into putting customers on up to 40 smallmouth a day, many of them weighing four pounds or better.
Number of years guiding: 9
Contact: (301) 582-9404; potomacguides.com

Favorite Spinnerbait: Strike King Premier Pro Model
Color: White/Gold Blades
Weight: 3/8 oz.
Details: “The water in our rivers can be off-color depending on time of year and run-off. Gold shows up much better in those conditions, and double willow blades produce more vibration. I’ve found that a slower retrieve produces well in my area. You do have to keep the blades turning, but bumping the bottom on the occasion is not a bad thing. I’ll use this retrieve when we’re fishing around grass points in four to five feet of water.”

Favorite Crankbait: Rebel Wee-Crawfish
Color: Green Crawfish
Size: 2 in.
Weight: 1/5 oz.
Details: “Crayfish are the main forage of our smallmouth. This lure has a wide wobble that triggers more strikes than any other imitation I’ve found. Because of the odd profile of this crankbait, you need to get the retrieve just right. I try to reel just fast enough to get the rod tip tapping slightly. Pull them too fast and all they do is roll.”

Yamamoto Senko

Favorite Soft Plastic: Yamamoto Senko
Color: Watermelon
Size: 4 in.
Details: “Senkos are great during the post-spawn when bass are guarding the fry. The watermelon color has great visibility, and fish hit it defensively as it falls. I rig a Senko Texas-style with no weight. I prefer a 2/0 or 3/0 wide-gap hook. You want them to fall in a nice level position. They look the most natural that way. A bait falling nose-down just doesn’t look right.”

Favorite Jig: Rite Bite Tube
Color: Green Pumpkin/Purple Flake
Size: 3 ½ in.
Weight: 1/8 oz jighead.
Details: “These tubes are heavily salt-impregnated, which I think causes fish to hang on longer when they strike. The plastic material is also thicker in this bait then many other, which makes them more durable. I use a 1/8-ounce jighead with a tube 80% of the time. If you’re targeting suspending smallmouth, they won’t usually dive to chase a jig that comes whizzing past them. One-quarter-ounce jigs fall too fast, but 1/8-ounce is just right in most cases.”

Captain John Davis

John Davis
Location: Dale Hollow Lake, Tennessee
Credentials: Davis began running smallmouth trips only six years ago because he “didn’t want to share secrets.” But now that he’s offering his knowledge to clients, they shouldn’t be surprised to hook bass topping seven pounds.
Number of years guiding: 6
Contact: (859) 619-8002; smallmouthspecialty.com

Stanley Wedge Tandem

Favorite Spinnerbait: Stanley Wedge Tandem
Color: Chartreuse/White
Weight: ½ oz.
Details: “The Wedge appeals to me because it doesn’t look bulky in the water. The head is very streamlined, which gives it a nice presentation. I like to run a spinner bait shallow enough that I can see the blades flashing, but not high enough that there is a wake on the surface. I also like to position the boat so I’m throwing parallel to the bank. When the bass are holding shallow, it’s a deadly combination.”

Favorite Crankbait: Luhr Jensen Hot Lips
Color: Hot Texas Red Crystal
Size: 2 ¾ in.
Weight: ¼ oz.
Details: “Hot Lips run true right out of the box. I’ve never had to tune them to get a fish-catching action. That red-and-black color is also a terrific crayfish imitator. With any crankbait, you need to be hitting things underwater, like logs, rocks, or just the bottom, for success with bigger fish. A lure bouncing off debris better imitates a fleeing crayfish. The fish key in on the sound. I’ve had five clean runs and caught nothing, then on the sixth, I hit a rock and a fish grabs it.”

Favorite Soft Plastic: Kalin’s Triple Threat Grub
Color: Brown/Chartreuse
Size: 5 in.
Details: “Grubs are great in mid- to late spring when bass are in the cover, because you can bring them over the grass without getting hung. Triple Threats have great tail action, and they’re something any client can fish easily. People get so wrapped up in all these new scented lures. They’re expensive, and in my experience grubs are more about getting a reaction strike than attracting the fish with smell. A grub brought in with a steady retrieve catches plenty of fish. I never worry about scent.”

Favorite Jig: Punisher Shaky Jig
Color: Brown
Weight: 1/8 oz.
Details: “I’ve caught hundreds of fish on this jig. It has a finer skirt material that I think gives it a little more subtle action. It even works great in really cold water. The best thing about a skirted jig is the versatility. Sure you can jig them up and down, hop them along, but one thing that I like to do is slow-crawl them. I’ll let it settle on the bottom, and provided it doesn’t get hit on the fall, just drag it so it looks like a slow-moving crayfish.”

Guide John Tipton

John Tipton
Location: New/Shenandoah River, West Virginia
Credentials: A veteran smallmouth hunter on the rivers of West Virginia, Tipton runs more than 75 trips a year, getting customers hooked into fish winter, spring, summer and fall.
Number of years guiding: 18
Contact: (540) 731-3165; newriverfishing.com

Favorite Jig: Yamamoto Hula Grub
Color: Green Pumpkin
Size: 2 in
Weight: 1/4 oz stand-up jighead.
Details: “Ninety-eight percent of the forage in the New River is crayfish, and Green Pumpkin best matches their molted color. These jigs work well year-round, but when the water is cold, I use a stand-up jighead. The smallmouth won’t chase a jig, but with a head that causes them to sit vertically on the bottom, you can practically dead-stick the bait and let the current impart the action. Just make sure to keep constant contact with the bottom.”

Favorite Spinnerbait: Strike King SpinnerBait
Color: White/Silver Blades
Weight: 1/4 oz
Details: “You can't beat a white spinnerbait in my opinion. White and silver just match so many different kinds of forage. However, I do think people tend to just cast and reel. They don't think about speed and approach enough. I've caught smallmouth as the lure was falling. I've also caught just as much reeling fast just under the surface as I have slow and deep.”

Favorite Crankbait: Lucky Craft RC 1.5
Color: Purple Perch
Size: 2 in.
Weight: 1/2 oz
Details: “Lucky Craft lures might be on the expensive side, but they can take a beating. That's important because the trick to getting strikes is often boucing a crankbait off structure. The Purple Perch pattern has always done well for me in various water conditions.”

Case's Wacky Jack

Favorite Soft Plastic: Case's Wacky Jack
Color: Green Pumpkin
Size: 5 1/2 in.
Details: “The Wacky Jack is very similar to a Senko, but I've found that the design outfishes them signifcantly. Because of those pointed ends, the lures just has a natural action on the fall that smallmouth can't seem to resist. The green pumpkin does a great job matching crayfish, and this color works all year long.”

Favorite Lures of the Largemouth Guides

Joe_Cermele — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 09:04:15 -0500

Captain Roger Lee Brown

Roger Lee Brown
Location: Lake Champlain, New York
Credentials: Brown is a former pro tournament angler turned operator of a 3-day bass fishing school with national and international cliental from as far off a South Korea, Africa, and New Zealand.
Number of years guiding: 23
Contact: (518) 597-4240; capital.net/~rlbrown/

Favorite Spinnerbait: Stanley Wedge
Color: Gold Shiner/Gold Blade
Weight: ¼ oz.
Details: “These baits are very easy to tune right out of a package. This particular lure also caught my all-time biggest bass: a 17.2-pounder. I'll grab the Colorado blade with needle-nose pliers about a 1/4-inch from the tip. Then I'll bend the blade at a 45-degree angle away from the cup. This will create a lip and give the lure five times more vibration. It’ll feel like you’re pulling a crankbait.”

Favorite Crankbait: Bill Norman Deep Little N
Color: Smoky Joe
Size: 2 ½ in.
Weight: 3/8 oz.
Details: “This lure has always been a pet bait for me. That color is a shad pattern, which is probably the most versatile for a crankbait anywhere in the country. The Deep Little N is rated to run at six to eight feet. But a fast retrieve will get it as deep as twelve and it also works really well just sub-surface if you slow-crawl it.”

Favorite Soft Plastic: Zoom Li’l Critter Craw
Color: Watermelon Red
Size: 3 in.
Details: “I have more confidence in this soft plastic in this color than any other no matter where I fish in the U.S. I’ve tried many different colors in countless conditions and Watermelon will out-fish all of them. This bait is also the best imitation I’ve found of a soft-shell crawfish, which are candy to bass. When Carolina-rigging I encourage anglers to use enclosed rattle chambers instead of the normal glass or brass beads strung on the line. The click they produce alerts bass that natural forage is near by. But what happens when weeds get wedged between the beads? With enclosed rattles, you don’t have that problem and produce an enticing click on every cast.”

Heddon Zara Spook

Favorite Topwater: Heddon Zara Spook
Color: Natural Leopard Frog
Size: 4 ½ in.
Details: “Anglers forget that all the bass can see on a big, round, buoyant bait is the belly. So colors on the back don’t make much difference. White is a natural forage color and this frog pattern has a white belly strip. Assuming the bass may catch a glimpse of the sides now and again, I stick with the frog as they are a natural forage everywhere. People put too much into working a walk-the-dog. They try to achieve long strides and they work them all the way back to the boat. I’ve caught more bass on a Zara that was sitting still than during a steady retrieve.”

Captain Marc Mitrany

Marc Mitrany
Location: Lake Casitas/Castaic, California
Credentials: As Mitrany grew up fishing the lakes on which he now guides, his intimate knowledge of these waters help him lead clients to largemouth weighing up to 14 pounds.
Number of years guiding: 13
Contact: (800) 572-6230; ojaiangler.com

Favorite Spinnerbait: Sworming Hornet Fish Head Spin
Color: Pearl White
Weight: ¼ oz.
Details: “I like these lures because they can effectively fish the entire water column. Also, because you can change out the tail, they’re very versatile if you need to match various water conditions. When bass are boiling on the surface, many guys go to topwater, but in my experience the Hornet is the most effective lure in that situation, especially matched with half a Zoom Super Fluke. You can work them just sub-surface and they cast far, so you need not be right on top of the fish.”

Favorite Crankbait: Bill Norman DD 22
Color: Splatter Bass
Size: 3 in.
Weight: 5/8 oz.
Details: “All big bass eat little bass, but it’s not always out of hunger. Little fish annoy big fish and that holds true everywhere. That’s why a bass pattern crank is my go-to. I always fish a crankbait with a stop-and-go action. Baitfish tend to move this way in schools. They bolt real fast then just hang around, bolt, hang around. I try to match that natural movement.”

Robo Worm Straight Tail

Favorite Soft Plastic: Robo Worm Straight Tail
Color: Ox Blood/Red Flake
Size: 6 in.
Details: “Worms produce year-round on Lake Casitas and are probably the most effect lures I use. I stick to this color because it matches the lake’s crayfish, which are a primary forage for our fish all year. We have lots of structure in Casitas. There’s everything from fallen oaks and timber to small brush piles, and that’s where the bigger bass live. Because you need to really get in that cover, fishing a worm on a Texas rig or drop-shot rig is going to out-fish most other methods.”

Favorite Topwater: Zoom Super Fluke
Color: Albino
Size: 4 in.
Details: “Flukes are just classic topwaters. There is something about the action as they glide along the surface the bass can’t resist. You can also work them nice and slowly. Many anglers rig Flukes weedless, but I always expose the hook point through the back of the bait. If a fish grabs the lure but doesn’t completely commit to the take, you’ll often miss it if you have to penetrate the soft plastic for a hook set. Keeping the hook exposed really ups the catch ratio.”

Captain Tom Redington

Tom Redington
Location: Lake Fork, Texas
Credentials: Redington has been hunting trophy largemouth on Lake Fork since 1993, in which time he’s boated his personal best 12 ½-pounder. Since he became a full-time guide, he’s put clients on lunkers topping the 11-pound mark.
Number of years guiding: 6
Contact: (214) 683-9572; lakeforkguidetrips.com

Favorite Crankbait: Cotton Cordell Super Spot
Color: Rayburn Red
Size: 2 in.
Weight: 3/16 oz.
Details: “Super Spots make a lot of noise and you can work them at almost any speed, deep or just under the surface. The heavy rattling really produces a lot of fish for me. I stick with the red color because it's a good crayfish match.”

Favorite Soft Plastic: LFT Magic Shad
Color: Watermelon Seed/Red Flake
Size: 5 in.
Details: “These shads are very versatile and can be fished a number of ways both weighted or unweighted. Bass will grab one as it falls to the bottom, so you have to remember that you'll rarely feel a strike. You need to watch your line where it enters the water. Any tick, bounce, or side movement can mean a bass grabbed the bait.”

Favorite Topwater: Original Yellow Magic
Color: Smoke Shad
Size: 2 3/4 in.
Details: “I've been a fan of the Yellow Magic for a long time. I think the scoop in the mouth is a little deeper than other poppers, which makes a big difference. You can work one of these lures at any speed, and even a sublte chug will throw enough water to grab the bass's attention.”

Terminator T-1

Favorite Spinnerbait: Terminator T-1
Color: white
Weight: 1/2 oz.
Details: “Terminators can really take a beating. I know people say they're expensive, but when you consider the cover they bounce off constantly, it makes sense to use a bait that will last rather than constantly buying new ones. I go with white because it's simply the most versatile color you can fish.”

Captain Mike Shellen

Mike Shellen
Location: Lake Okeechobee, Florida
Credentials: Although former golf pro Mike Shellen has only been a full-time guide on Lake Okeechobee for eight years, he’s been fishing it over 30 and has eight 10-plus-pound bass to his credit.
Number of years guiding: 8
Contact: (863) 357-0892; okeechobeebassfishing.com

Favorite Spinnerbait: War Eagle Double Willow
Color: White/Gold Blade
Weight: ½ oz.
Details: “For starters, War Eagles are very cost effective, and I like willow blades because they don’t hang as easily. As for the color, I always say you can throw any color spinner bait as long as it’s white. We’re always fishing in Kissimmee grass beds. So I tell my clients to engage the reel while the spinner is still in the air and start cranking before it hits the water. Spinner baits are only weedless if they’re moving. Let them sink on a slack line and they’ll hang more often than not.”

Favorite Crankbait: Rat-L-Trap
Color: Chrome/Black Back
Weight: ½ oz.
Details: “This is probably my most effective lure in the summer when the bass are schooling up on the shad. They are a perfect bait match and work at all depths. Even when bass are blasting schools of shad, they don’t get stupid. The first day you can reel straight in and catch them. The next day you might have to violently jerk a Rat-L-Trap to get hit. It changes daily, so never assume you’ve got them figured out.”

Zoom Horny Toad

Favorite Soft Plastic: Zoom Horny Toad
Color: Black
Size: 4 ¼ in.
Weight: 1/64 oz. screw-in weight
Details: “The design of these frogs allows them to easily come right over top of the weeds. The leg design is a plus, too, because they’re always fluttering and adding realism. Horny Toads are big baits, and if you rip the rod back as soon as the fish hits, you’ll pull the lure away almost every time. You want to bow the rod and wait until you feel the fish. It takes practice, but it’s the only way.”

Favorite Topwater: Rebel Pop-R
Color: Tennessee Shad
Size: 2 ½ in.
Weight: ¼ oz.
Details: “Pop-Rs produce lots of sound between the deep mouth and internal rattles. You can get a bass’s attention without imparting too much action.Everyone thinks you have to jerk a popper so it splashes loudly and spits water. A recent pattern I’ve noticed over the last few years is that they often work more effectively during a steady retrieve. It just proves that you can never stop experimenting, even if the action you create isn’t typical of a particular lure.”

The Fish Babes of Mid-Winter

Joe_Cermele — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:07:51 -0500

It might be the middle of winter, but readers are still submitting shots for our Fish Babes gallery. These photos might ease that cabin fever just a bit. Ladies, if you're kicking but on the water, submit your shots in our Trophy Room.

untitled image 3427

fieldandstream-editor — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:00:00 -0500

Joe Borcherding shot this buck in the Star Tannery National Forest in Virginia.

untitled image 3426

fieldandstream-editor — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:00:00 -0500

John Chapman and his grandson after successful day on the water.