Around Lakeland, at Saddle Creek, the bass are moving shallow and a few anglers had good catches from the bank this week. Decent numbers of specks have been caught on small minnows, and the catfish bite is good on chicken liver. Around town, lakes Hollingsworth and Parker had the best speck bite, reports Phillips Bait and Tackle (863-666-2248). At Auburndale, Lake Juliana is producing specks on minnows as well as orange and chartreuse color combo jigs. […]
The bait probably surprised the fish and triggered a reaction bite, so Greg Hackney set the hook and swung him aboard. Now, nine times out of 10, that name and that scenario would probably mean a stout flipping jig like the namesake Hack Attack Heavy Cover Flipping Jig, but this was different. Hackney was targeting isolated brush in front of a marina slip with a drop shot — a bulked-up drop shot fitted with […]
They aren’t always apparent in the moment, but events on the water can make a lasting impression. The challenge for the angler, of course, is to recognize the lessons and learn when and how to apply them repeatedly to generate success. My biggest learnings this year involved lures, locations and presentations. Go figure. Putting the right lure in the right place properly is the key to catching more fish, but the value of that equation […]
I was talking with Terry the other evening and he started telling me about his most recent boat rebuild. He’s one of those dudes who can fix just about anything and he loves tinkering, so I’ve enjoyed following his progress. I also brought up my first bass boat – a maroon and gold 1987 Ranger 374-V. After some searching, I finally found an old photo of it and memories immediately began flooding my brain. Looking […]
Changes have been proposed to simplify black bass fishing regulations in New York State. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has proposed changes to black bass, both smallmouth and largemouth, fishing regulations to help simplify them for anglers. The DEC will accept public comments through January 2021 for these proposed changes. According to the DEC, proposed changes would include the elimination of “any size” and 10-inch minimum size limit regulations for black bas...
I sat cross-legged in the backseat of the truck, my face pressed against the glass, eyes drifting over an endless sea of oil derricks dotted across the red dirt of Oklahoma. The long road home after a big bass tournament offers an angler a much-welcomed opportunity to unwind and bask in the high after a successful derby. Or, it can be a very cruel trip if you had a bad week. Your mind fills with […]
