Brush Dominated In The Closing Rounds
Friday, March 5, 2021
By John Johnson
BassFan Senior Editor Following is some pattern information for the 2nd- through 5th-place finishes at the recent Bass Pro Tour REDCREST championship event at Alabama s Lake Eufaula.
2nd: Michael Neal
Michael Neal, still seeking his first victory at the sport s top level, logged the 11th Top-5 finish of his career. He caught 10 fish for 31-04 in the finals, trailing winner Dustin Connell by a little more than 5 1/2 pounds.
He used a ChatterBait to catch shallow fish from pockets on the Qualifying Round days, then switched to brushpiles with a jerkbait and a spinnerbait in the Knockout and Championship rounds.
Your Best Chance at a Trophy Bass May Be Right Now
It may be January, but big-bass season has already begun in the southern U.S.
January actually rates as one of the best times of the year to target big bass. (Photo by Lynn Burkhead) January 20, 2021 By Lynn Burkhead
You may have noticed that another New Year is upon us. And after the way 2020 treated us, thank goodness!
While it remains to be seen how kind 2021 will be as the COVID-19 pandemic rolls on, many of the nation s outdoorsmen are knee-deep in the off-season projects that keep us busy in the dead of winter.
COVID claims Pack
Mark Pack, a renowned bait-maker, Lake Fork guide and former FLW Tour winner, died Saturday after a month-long battle with COVID-19. He was 59.
Pack competed for 10 seasons on the FLW Tour (2000-09). He won the 2008 event at Beaver Lake, outdueling runner-up and Bass Fishing Hall of Famer George Cochran. He d previously fished a couple of seasons on the Bassmaster Top 150 trail and made one Classic appearance, finishing 17th in the 2000 edition at Lake Michigan out of Chicago.
As the founder and president of Lake Fork Trophy Bait and Tackle Company, he was the driving force in the tungsten-weight revolution of the early 2000s after learning of the rare metal s properties from a guiding client who worked in the machinery industry. He was also the developer of the Structure Guard, a single-strand weedguard attached to the hook below the barb by a small plastic band, which allowed a jig to slip more easily through heavy cover.
Safety Paramount On Wintertime Bass Trips
Thursday, December 17, 2020
Photo: MLF/Phoenix Moore
Veteran pro Kelly Jordon emphasizes that wearing a life jacket at all times should be a no-brainer for mid-winter outings.
By Lynn Burkhead
OSG Senior Digital Editor A wintertime trip for largemouth bass isnt for the faint of heart or the unprepared.
Thats because there may not be any second chances for bass anglers who get into trouble at this time of the year when water temperatures are typically in the 50s, 40s and even the upper 30s on some water bodies. But since some of the years best big-fish potential lies during the cold-weather and chilly-water months of December, January and February, how can an angler remain safe and still have a chance at a big bucketmouth?
Waking Up A Wintertime Bucketmouth
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Photo: Lynn Burkhead
Pursuing bass during the coldest period of the year isn t always comfortable, but it can be highly rewarding.
By Lynn Burkhead
OSG Senior Digital Editor The depths of winter even in the lunker-rich Lone Star State where I live can be a trying time to fish for largemouth bass. The days are shorter, the water is colder and when the Christmas and New Years Day holidays approach, bass seem to be settling down for the long winters nap that Clement C. Moore wrote about in his timeless classic A Visit from St. Nicholas.