Fishing

Grass means bass

Brett Collins lives in Ridgeway, S.C., a small town of about 300 just west of Lake Wateree, where he’s fished since the 1960s. He’s watched the lake change through the years and said it has become a different fishery since the early 1990s, about the time the water willow arrived. Collins owns and operates Carolina Anglers Team Trail, which organizes bass tournaments across the Carolinas. He said fishing has always been good at Wateree, but anglers these days are catching more and larger bass from the Catawba River impoundment. At his weigh-ins, a couple of 8-pounders usually show up, and competitors have even presented a few 9- and 10-pounders. He has a theory about why it's better. “I think it’s the grass,” he said. “They are in that grass all year except the winter.”

Popular Erie steelhead fishing spot's upgrades ready for fall

When steelhead fishing resumes in the fall, anglers on lower Walnut Creek near Stop Sign Hole will test their luck from an all-new stream bank that may serve as a model for other streams that feed into Lake Erie. Led by the Pittsburgh-based nonprofit environmental conservation group Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, the recently completed project on the lower creek in Fairview Township placed about 200 linear feet of tiered rock along Walnut Creek’s east bank to stop erosion and improve angler access.

Some of the best fishing can be found right off the dock

Henderson Harbor, on Lake Ontario, is more than 100 miles by boat from Waddington, N.Y., where the Bassmaster Elite Series launched a tournament, in August 2013. Most of the competitors believed that it was too far, through too rough waters. Idaho-native Brandon Palaniuk didn’t. He made the trip four days in a row, stopping for fuel multiple times and dodging a poker run, near Kingston, Ontario, along the way. He returned to the town of about 2,300, on the St. Lawrence River, each time with enough Smallmouth Bass to win the $100,000 first-place prize. You don’t have to travel that far to find good fishing, if you spend all or part of your summer on the River. Some of the best spots are as close as the nearest dock.

Ice fishing competitions back on solid footing, for now

Unsafe ice conditions sunk Western PA Hardwater Tournament Series’ entire 2017 schedule. While the wintery blast around Christmas helped make its first two events possible this year, organizers and participants know Mother Nature offers no guarantees for the next two.

Podcasters, musky lure builders are expanding their audience

Each week, Vance Kaloz climbs in Andy Zomcik’s boat. Fishing guide Todd Young is there, too, thanks to some technology. They are avid anglers who prefer to pursue muskies, the elusive torpedo-shaped freshwater predators with razor-sharp teeth and the genetics to grow past 4 feet and 50 pounds. While their conversations take them to far-flung places, the boat never leaves the pole barn behind Zomcik’s Edinboro home.
They are the voices behind the Fat A.Z. Musky Podcast, the only one dedicated to musky fishing. 

How to find bass on a  new lake

Two-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier and 2015 Bassmaster Elite Series angler Paul Mueller shares some insight into how he catches big bass thousands of miles from his home in Connecticut.

Kick boats: Big boat fishability in a small package

Where there is a will, there’s always a way, especially when it comes to bass fishing. Jeff Wilson and his friend were avid anglers, so they had plenty of will between them. But about a decade ago they were searching for the way. “At the time, we couldn’t afford a boat,” he said.
   The two found their solution through Bass-n-Tubes, a northern California bass club with about 40 members. It’s affiliated with The Bass Federation, and its members compete from float tubes, kick boats or kayaks during club tournaments. Wilson purchased his first kick boat at a Costco Wholesale store about 10 years ago, and he hasn’t stopped rowing and catching since. “It’s a whole lot of fun,” he said.

Want to fly fish for bass?

  Fly fishing isn’t just about catching fish. It’s an experience and a skill that brings a sense of accomplishment. It adds excitement to fishing and a new way to appreciate it. “I think it’s the strike,” Susquehanna River guide Brian Shumaker said of why he loves fly fishing. “Especially if it’s real clear water, and you can see the take of the fly.”

Hauling boats for the
​Bassmaster Elite Series

Britt Myers competes on the Bassmaster Elite Series, and his truck plays as big a role as his boat. He customizes it, and those driven by his fellow competitors, at his Gastonia, N.C., business.

Choose the PFD that you'll wear

Anglers and waterfowl hunters should choose a PFD that they will wear. Here are some tips on choosing the best one for you and what you need it to be in eyes of the law.

Paddle bassers

   When someone mentions bass tournaments, thoughts turn to 20-foot fiberglass boats with 250-horsepower outboards slicing small wakes across quiet coves in dawn’s early light. But the truth is there are many tournament anglers who compete in smaller fiberglass, aluminum and even inflatable belly boats. Joining their ranks is a growing contingent of anglers who paddle kayaks. ​

Softer side of power fishing

  If your finesse fishing starts with a shakey head and ends with a drop shot, you’re missing out on presentations that can put bass in your boat. It also is about finding lures that catch bass under the toughest conditions — cold fronts, heavy fishing pressure and bass keying on a specific size or type of prey. Power-fishing lures are known for their large sizes and speedy retrieves. But change your perspective, and they can be as effective when finessed. Just like you downsize from an 8-inch worm to a 4-inch one, you can downsize your power-fishing lures.