By Chris Schneider BassFan Staff Writer Time is ticking down. The pattern that worked yesterday isn’t working today. It’s crunch time. There’s an hour left in the day. Nerves are starting to fray. What do you reach for when you absolutely more
Looking back at the 2001-02 season, it became apparent that Davy Hite caught a bunch of fish (and won a lot of money) in part with a seldom-mentioned soft-plastic more
Just as a tube can be a good alternative to a jig when flipping, Wesley Strader feels that a Craw Tube can be a good alternative -- or complement -- to a tube. more
You're a flipping fiend, but you're going to a deep-structure lake. Or vice versa. Or you're a clear-water expert heading for the first time to a muddy lowland more
Most BassFans can't get enough. Cold weather? Snow? No problem. The bass still have to eat, right? The pros are the same way, and even though it's the off-season more
If you fish tournaments, chances are there's at least one lake that you just don't get along with. You've been there two times or more, and just can't seem to crack more
Tim Horton has been one of the best anglers in the world ever since he won B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year (AOY) in his rookie season on the BASSMASTER Tour. A major more
In July, Jay Yelas became only the fourth angler in B.A.S.S. history to lead all three days of the BASS Masters Classic: Bo Dowden did it in 1980, Stanley Mitchell more
Last fall at the St. Clair BASSMASTER, Gary Klein finished 4th using a speed- reeling technique that few anglers have even tried, let alone used in a tournament. more
Indiana's Koby Kreiger has fished well again this year. And though he didn't necessarily have his best season, in some ways it was his most productive. He more
The biggest bass weighed in on the BASSMASTER Tour this season was caught by Tom Mann Jr., a 9-06 largemouth at Lake Seminole. He didn't catch it as you might more
At the recent FLW Championship on Cross Lake, fishing pressure was high and options were limited. The pros had to commit to a small piece of water with a relatively more
The virtually indestructible "Super Plastics" made from Cyber-Flexxx material are so new that the pros really don't know what to make of them yet. more
"Every fisherman is comfortable with certain techniques," says Clark Wendlandt. "I'm not comfortable with all of them, but I do know certain more
Since it came onto the bass fishing scene a few years ago, fluorocarbon line has steadily become used more frequently by more tour pros. But like anything more
Tour pro Homer Humphreys seems to have a secret or two for winning BASSMASTER Opens under tough conditions. In October 2001 he won the Fort Gibson BASSMASTER more
All BassFans know that David Fritts is the king of deep cranking, and now is one of the best times of the year to make that technique work for you. As such, here more
Muddy water is part of bass-fishing life for anyone who fishes lowland reservoirs or even natural waters in agricultural areas. For the most part, anglers avoid more
One reason Tennessee's Craig Powers is such a good fisherman is that he can catch fish no one else can. And that's because he can make casts no one else can. more
If you've seen Roland Martin on his TV show, you know that he has enough energy to power a small city. Can you imagine a guy like that fishing slowly? Believe more
Woo Daves says he usually carries "at least 19 to 21 rods to a tournament" -- and that's in his boat, not his truck. Why so many? Because you have to more
"Summer is the time of year when it's critical to get an early bite going," says Larry Nixon. For him that means "a topwater or a sweet spot where more
We all know that bass go deep in summer. But Arkansas' Scott Rook says that he "always" fishes shallow, and that "summertime is one of the best times more
Kevin VanDam often mentions Denny Brauer as the guy who taught him how to go for the win. This has nothing to do with baits or dropoffs or that kind of stuff. It's more
When bass are lethargic -- whether from cold water, cold fronts or heat -- lower-profile lures are the rule. But what if you still need a heavy bait? Louisiana more
When and where do you fish for bass in the spring? The answer to that question depends on what type of water you fish. But in reservoirs, spring bass migrations more
"I've heard it said that reservoirs are easier to fish, and maybe they are, but coming from natural lakes and rivers I feel much more comfortable fishing there." more
"Wintertime is hard-bait stuff, but you can't hardly beat a soft bait as the spawn starts." So says Arkansas' Keith Green about hard-to-soft bait transitions more
Mental preparation is a major component in succeeding in all professional sports, a fact of which pro bass anglers are acutely aware. This season Davy Hite has more
Kentucky's Kevin Wirth says that swimming a jig is a good technique to catch big bass of all major species in early spring. Here's how he goes about it. When: more
(Note: Following is the final part of a two-part series on learning natural lakes featuring Kansas pro Brent Chapman.) 4. Finding the Bait It's more
Say you grew up in reservoir country and became a pro bass fisherman. What's one of the hardest things you'd have to learn? How to fish natural lakes, says Kansas' more
Many times when anglers look at a grass flat, they think of fishing one of three things: a topwater, a spinnerbait or a lipless crankbait. But while those lures more
Everyone fishes a spinnerbait differently, right? Not really. Most bass anglers fish a spinnerbait as it comes in the package, and virtually all add a trailer more
Paul Elias became known for deep cranking after his "kneel and reel" technique helped him win the 1982 BASS Masters Classic on the Alabama River in Montgomery, more
"I'm a jig fisherman, but spring is not the best time for jig fishing," says Florida's Chuck Economou. On the other hand, "high water conditions more
Pros prepare for tournaments differently. Some are die-hard map-studiers. Others pump themselves up with music. Still others rely on visualization or other techniques. more
Practically everyone knows that a hard, suspending jerkbait is a good bait in early spring. But why, exactly? And when and where? Sometimes those basic questions more
The pros fish vastly different lakes over the course of a year and because of that have to adjust even before they get to the next lake. For example, they might more
Over the past two seasons the word has gradually leaked out about pros fishing small crankbaits in shallow water. The reason it has leaked is because this technique more
(Note: From time to time, BassFan.com will feature fishing tips from lure or technique masters who aren't pros. These will be called Master Classes.) Lake more
(Note: This is the final part of a 2-part series on fishing the dropshot rig. For part 1,
Rigging and fishing the deadly dropshot rig is surprisingly easy once you learn how. A few years ago, Gary Klein learned it in just a few hours and caught bass more
As the largemouth spawn creeps north from Florida, BassFans have been asking about sight-fishing tips. Because sight-fishing is one of the most difficult fishing more
One of the unwritten rules of bass fishing is that if you see a bass (not a spawning bass) swimming along, forget him. He won't bite. He has something else on his more
