Category Archives: Fishing Tackle

Rods and reels to live bait

Consider Rivers from North to South: The First Choice for Early Spring Fishing

If You Are A Walleye Fisherman, Consider Rivers from North to South: The First Choice for Early Spring Fishing

The great thing about fishing is that it can be done anywhere with water, from farm ponds to oceans and everything in between, including flowing rivers and streams. Fishing for many species in the current offers a great chance to catch more predictable fish as they use the current to find forage.

For those in the northern region, it also offers the first chance to launch the boat in open water, and for those further south, it’s a great opportunity to catch grouped-up springtime fish. That’s why a Wisconsin guide primarily targeting walleye in the early spring, Troy Peterson, and a bass fishing champion from Alabama, Dustin Connell, can find common ground in their love for springtime river fishing.

A First Chance at Open Water

After a long and cold winter, things are warming up slightly in the North Woods. Many of the lakes still have a covering of ice, but the rivers are free and clear, meaning it’s time to launch the boat for the first time of the year. This is the scenario Troy Peterson finds himself in currently, and he’s ready to target walleye on the Fox and Wolf rivers.

“We have two main river systems here, the Fox River near Green Bay, which is a destination for trophy walleye, and the Wolf, which is more for your ‘eater’ size walleye, and we fish them both this time of year,” he said. “The best days are sunny days when those fish move up super shallow. We throw a lot of hair jigs tipped with plastic or fathead minnow, blade baits, and Rippin’ Rap-style baits and try to make a lot of noise.”

After a long winter, many of these walleyes are hungry and can be fairly predictable in their locations, but Peterson also utilizes his electronics to find them.

“That shallow water warms up quicker, and on sunny days, they are up shallow. During low light conditions, we’re looking for transitions and targeting the deep holes adjacent to shallow sand flats. I’m talking a foot or two of water at times,” he said. “A lot of those places will be on the bends of the river, inside bends where the current wraps around and creates a little bit of an eddy and some slack water. We also use side imaging quite a bit because there are so many places these fish can be, and you won’t be able to see them without electronics because of how shallow they can be at times.”

Once he locates a good fish population, Peterson finds that they are typically ready to bite, but he adds that presentation is key for targeting these fish.

“Usually, if you throw something in their face, they are going to have no problem eating it,” he said. “The issue with fishing in the river is the heavy current, which can put a big bow in your line, and you can’t present a bait properly. That’s why your line diameter is so important.”

His line of choice is a 12 lb Seaguar PEX8 braid, a micro-thin JDM braided line, and he goes against the trend of braid to a fluorocarbon leader and uses a straight braided line. “It’s so thin that you can get away without a leader and tie directly to your bait, and they can’t see it,” he said. “The ultra-thin diameter of that line is great for cutting the current and allows you to make extremely long casts, whether vertically jigging or just casting hair jigs or blade baits. That gives you a better connection for a proper presentation, which is critical.”

Connell’s Simple Approach to Rivers in the Spring

Two-time Major League Fishing REDCREST Champion Dustin Connell has racked up wins on various fisheries, but at heart, he’s a ‘river rat’ from his bass fishing upbringing. His 2024 REDCREST triumph was on the current-influenced Lay Lake in Alabama, and he’s fished the famed Coosa River his entire life. This has taught him plenty about catching bass in moving water, and he says the spring months are an outlier compared to the rest of the year.

“The biggest thing with river fishing is understanding how the current is running, but spring is the only time when you want to get out of the current,” he said. “You can still catch them in current seams and pockets, but around the spawn is the only time they are not right in the current. It doesn’t matter how nice the water looks; they are probably not in it like any other time of the year. But, when they are done spawning, they’ll be right back in it again.”

With this in mind, Connell approaches a river system more like he does a lake. “It’s a three-pronged approach for me that’s pretty simple,” he said. “I like a ½ ounce jig, a big spinnerbait, and something on the bottom like a drop-shot or shaky head. That will work for you in the spring anywhere on the Tennessee River lakes, the Coosa River chain, the Alabama River, or anywhere you are fishing with current during the spring.”

A tried-and-true jig is a simple bait Connell uses for its versatility on river systems. “I can fish current seams with it, I can fish rock piles, and I can pitch to laydowns with that same jig,” he said. “The spinnerbait is another important tool because it works well in dirtier water, which happens all the time on river systems with spring rains. For both the jig and spinnerbait, I fish them on 17 lb Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon; it’s so strong and casts great with either bait, much better than it will with 20 lb test.”
Finally, Connell says you can’t fish a river system in the spring without something fished along the bottom. His top picks are two finesse rigs, a shaky head, and a drop shot.

“All winter long, the bass are out suspended and chasing bait, and it’s like they say, ‘I need to sit down now,’ and start relating to the bottom more,” Connell theorized. “A perfect bait for targeting stump flats, gravel bottom, seawalls, or even bedding fish is with a finesse worm and a shaky head. I will use that and a drop-shot to slow down and pick apart that cover and throw both on a 21 lb Seaguar PEX8 braid with a 12 lb Seaguar Tatsu fluorocarbon leader; it’s the perfect setup of a thin line that casts great with plenty of strength.”

Fishing a river system is a great way to cash in on some great early spring fishing, whether for walleyes in Wisconsin or bass in Alabama and throughout the Southeast. Moving water of all forms is ideal for all predatory species, and right now is a perfect time to fish them.

Seaguar PEX8 is a micro-thin braid in high-visibility Passion Pink imported from Japan. It is available in 200 meter (219-yard) spools in sizes ranging from 12 to 33 lb tests. (Please check line diameter closely.)

Seaguar InvizX Fluorocarbon mainline is available from 4 to 25 lb tests on 200-, 600-, and 1000-yard spools.

Seaguar Tatsu Fluorocarbon mainline is available from 4 to 25 lb tests on 200- and 1,000-yard spools.

Seaguar Gold Label Fluorocarbon leader is available in 25- and 50-yard spools in 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 & 12 lb tests for freshwater use, complementing the 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 80 lb test leaders available for saltwater.

More Seaguar on the Water >>

St Croix Are the Self-Proclaimed Best Rods On Earth and They Are American-Made For All Anglers

  • Gear, The Lead

American-Made For All Anglers

A message to all anglers from St. Croix Rod

Park Falls, WI – St. Croix Rod has been proudly handcrafting the Best Rods on Earth – from start to finish – in Park Falls, Wisconsin for 77 years. Here, at least 32 sets of hands combine the best raw materials, components, and technologies, transforming them into premium fishing tools that give anglers the upper hand in any situation. True, we use advanced machines, computers and tooling – and that equipment has continually evolved over the past seven decades – but it’s always been guided and executed by skilled and passionate craftsmen, the vast majority of whom are anglers, just like you.

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Best Rods on Earth
 
Best Rods on Earth is not simply a marketing slogan, nor is it intended to be boastful. It’s a guiding statement that represents who we always want to be; a daily affirmation that reminds, encourages and empowers every St. Croix team member to be angler-driven in their work. Simply stated, the pride and satisfaction our anglers experience with a St. Croix rod is our only pride and satisfaction as a company. Our promise is kept when we deliver rods that elevate on-the-water experiences, and back them up with what we believe to be the best service and warranty in the industry.

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Vertical American and North American Manufacturing
 
Within the realm of fishing, vertical suggests a presentation that covers any part of the water column directly beneath the angler. In the context of manufacturing, vertical means owning or exercising increased control over all elements within the value chain. Vertically integrated manufacturing provides significant benefits when it comes to product manufacturing, assembly, and supply, including reduced lead times, increased quality, and cost control, to name a few – all of which benefit our anglers.

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St. Croix Rod is a vertically integrated American company and aspires every day to become even more so. Exercising our own control over every aspect of design and manufacturing is what allows us to deliver you – our anglers – with complete control on the water.
 
To this end, we own and operate our two factories in Park Falls, Wisconsin and Fresnillo, Mexico without reliance upon anyone else’s rod blank designs, manufacturing, or employees. We are free to innovate, and that continual innovation is evidenced in the new rods we deliver each year possessing unique combinations of technologies, materials, performance, and value that improve the angling experience.

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Our vertical control also extends to service. We employ a team of 11 Angler Guides who come to work in the Guide Center every day in our Park Falls factory. These are the real people you speak with when you call or email our Guide Center with general questions about rod selection, service, warranty, fishing presentations, or any other needs. Angler satisfaction is their full-time job and only objective.

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A Family of Anglers
 
Today’s anglers have more choices than ever. In a marketplace full of brands, it can be challenging for anglers to learn or understand “who” or “what” a brand really is. That’s why we’re putting out this message; we want anglers to better understand who and what we are. Above all, know that St. Croix is a family of anglers.

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If you fish our rods, thank you; you will always be the most important part of the St. Croix Family. If have yet to experience one of the over 800 distinct fishing rods we design and handcraft, we encourage you to visit one of our retailers to learn more about which premium, high-performance St. Croix rods are best for you and your fishing. Triumph is the world’s best-selling North-American-made freshwater and saltwater rod series, starting at just $105. Our diverse U.S.-built portfolio of rods begins with Premier – the best-selling American-made rod series – and also includes VictoryAvid Series, and all of our Legend Series rods. We also offer one of the most significant and diverse catalog of saltwater rods by any manufacturer, foreign or domestic.
 
The St. Croix Family also extends to encompass our employees, dealers, ambassadors, rod testers, and our ownership. All play key roles in putting anglers first with the highest levels of performance, quality, service, and value.

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Who exactly owns St. Croix you might ask? St. Croix has been owned by the Schluter family for the last 48 years; Gordan Schluter, and today, Gordon’s adult children, Dave, Jeff, Paul, and Pam. Couple this family ownership with premium quality and performance plus a 77-year heritage of American manufacturing, and you can begin to understand and appreciate how truly unique St. Croix is in the fishing marketplace.
 
Ultimately though, it’s all about the rods, and there’s never been a better time to improve your fishing experiences with premium St. Croix quality, performance, value, and service.
 
Whether a father-and-son Canadian fly-out, an inshore adventure, catching bluegills in a farm pond, or competing in the Bassmaster Classic, rest assured your handcrafted St. Croix fishing rods have been proudly conceived and delivered – start to finish in North America – to maximize your success and satisfaction on the water.

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Planning a trip to the Northwoods of Wisconsin? We’d love to host you for a guided Factory Tour so you can experience, firsthand, the technology, passionate care, and precision craftsmanship required to produce the Best Rods on Earth. Call 715-997-3950 or email [email protected].

About St. Croix Rod

Headquartered in Park Falls, Wisconsin, St. Croix has been proudly producing the “Best Rods on Earth” for over 75 years. Combining state-of-the-art manufacturing processes with skilled craftsmanship, St. Croix is the only major American producer to still build rods entirely from design through manufacturing. The family-owned company owns and operates duplicate manufacturing facilities in Park Falls and Fresnillo, Mexico. With popular trademarked series such as Legend®, Avid®, Premier®, Imperial®, Triumph®, Mojo, and BASS X, St. Croix is revered by all types of anglers from around the world. The St. Croix Family of Brands includes St. Croix Rod, SEVIIN Reels, St. Croix Fly, and Rod Geeks.

Young Coho Salmon Offer Fantastic Early Spring Fishing In the Great Lakes

  • Fisheries

Big Fun in Small Packages

  • By The Fishing Wire

By Jim Edlund

Muskegon, MI – There’s an electricity in the air this time of year along the Great Lakes as anglers turn out for an annual bite that’s tough to pass up. As soon as the launches open, you’ll see all manner of small boats (and pier fisherman, too), forming lines to chase near-shore coho salmon

Although these fish leave something to be desired in size – with most fish between a pound and 3 pounds – their table fare is excellent, with many anglers preferring the young, bright red flesh for everything from grilling and baking, to pan frying and filling up smoker racks – to the larger species that occupy the Great Lakes. 

One angler who loves the annual rite is charter captain and Great Lakes Angler editor, Mike Schoonveld, of northern Indiana, who started fishing them this spring in March. 

“What happens is the cohos that were two years old last fall migrate to the south end of Lake Michigan, because that’s where the water temperature stays in their comfort range the longest. Once they get down here, there’s no place to go. Then, in the spring, when the water starts to warm up, the fish that are in the southern basin of the lake storm the beaches in Indiana, southern Michigan, and the south side of Chicago, because those are the parts of the lake that warm up the quickest,” noted Schoonveld. 

“Basically, what you’ve got are two-and-a-half year-old cohos in the lake crammed within a few hundred yards of the shoreline and streams,” added Schoonveld. 

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Where Schoonveld fishes off the Indiana coast, limits are five cohos per person, but he says you can also catch the errant brown trout, lake trout, steelhead, or Chinook salmon. And the chance of a mixed bag only increases as spring progresses. Average cohos right now are 16 or 17 inches to 22 inches – “basically eater-walleye size.”

The bite is ongoing and will last until the water temperatures reach the mid 50s, around May 1stduring a typical, warm spring. The bite can last through the middle of May if temperatures stay cooler. 

Even when it does warms up, Schoonveld says you don’t have to abandon the fight, just move a few miles offshore where the fish migrate to colder water. But then you lose the advantage of fishing near the shoreline and have to be cautious on what days you go out if fishing from a smaller boat. 

And when the fish leave the Indiana coast, they tend to follow the shorelines up the Lake Michigan coast. There are typically fish off the north coast of Chicago by May 1st, as well as up around Kenosha and Racine, Wisconsin. The same thing happens over on the Michigan side with fish moving from St. Joseph towards Grand Haven. 

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Small Boat and Tackle Friendly Bite

One of the coolest things about the annual coho bite is that it’s accessible to anglers with smaller, multi-species boats, as well as pier anglers. You don’t need a large charter boat to access these fish, with a lot less worry about the weather given proximity to shore. And you won’t see a lot of large boats out on the bite either; most are still iced up where they’re moored for winter.

Plus, you don’t need downriggers to fish springtime cohos. The fish are high in the water column and susceptible to shallow-diving crankbaits fished on standard gear.

“For whatever reason, they love orange,” says Schoonveld. “There are literally millions of cohos so you can catch them on pretty much anything, but you’ll probably catch them faster if you’re using orange-colored lures – and most bite in the top several feet of water. There’s no reason to use riggers to get your baits down 15, 20, 30 feet or whatever. Most anglers are running bigger planer boards or walleye-sized line planers.”

Of all the crankbaits Schoonveld runs, his favorite is the Storm Rattlin’ Thin Fin, but says Flickr Shads and Rapalas are fish-catchers, too.

In terms of gear, when fishing occasionally with buddies, Schoonveld runs 12 pound hi-vis monofilament on his trolling rods, but if he’s making daily trips, he’ll size up to 20-pound, which stands up better to the use and abuse.

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Schoonveld says orange is the color de jour for spring coho salmon.

“I like the anti-freeze colored lines so I know exactly where all of my baits are when running planar boards. And I use 20-pound fluorocarbon leader to attach to my crankbaits.”

With three lines allowed per angler and up to four anglers total in his 21-foot boat, Schoonveld has become accustomed to running up to 12 lines – typically three planar boards off port; three off starboard; plus Dipsy Diver’s and downriggers in the rear, just because he has them.

“But 85% of the fish will come on the planar board lines. I don’t use weights or anything, just whatever the lure will dive. And maybe 10% of the fish will come on the Dipsy Divers and you’ll catch one or two fish on the downriggers. The ‘riggers are permanently mounted on my boat, so I figure why not use them.”

As far as rods, he’s using the same kind of gear walleye trollers use – in his case, 8’6” medium light trolling rods for the planar boards. He does go heavier and to nine feet with the Dipsy rods and the same thing for his downriggers.

“We’re not really expecting huge fish, so I stick to light walleye gear for the cohos. Later in the season, we’ll start catching bigger fish regularly, so I’ll move up to medium or medium-heavy rods.”

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DRESS FOR COLD DESPITE WARM LAND TEMPS

While the tendency is to dress for fishing according to land temperatures – which might even be in the 70s as spring progresses – Schoonveld advises anglers not to forget that we’re in a time of year when Lake Michigan water temperatures are in the 30s to low 40s.

“Even if it’s 50 to 60 degrees on shore, it’s more like late-season ice fishing out on Lake Michigan. You’ve got wind, rain, sleet, snow, and squalls will blow through. It can get chilly if you’re not dressed for the part.”

To combat the weather and stay comfortable on his daily coho forays, Schoonveld has been wearing the aptly-named Whitewater Great Lakes Pro Insulated Jacket and Bib, and has been impressed.

“The past few weeks have been pretty cold and I’ve worn the Whitewater suit and it’s performed. From shedding water, spray, and easy clean up from blood and scales, it’s been great. And comfortable. It bends at the knees and elbows and all the places you move when getting in and moving around a boat setting up a rods and fishing.” 

He also says that the suit is warm in and of itself, not requiring the layers he’s normally worn underneath other winter parka and bibs he’s used in the past.

“Besides warmth, you also need to make sure you take the precautions necessary for this time of year,” added Schoonveld. “I wear an inflatable PFD underneath my Great Lakes Pro jacket, and I file a flight plan.”

TABLE FARE

When asked if he has a favorite way to prepare cohos, Schoonveld says he has “dozens of favorite recipes.”

“There’s really no bad way to prepare them. The easiest is to fillet them, leave on the skin, add a little bit of seasoning and salt and lay them on a high grill for six or seven minutes. That’s absolutely perfect. But I’ve had them fried, which my kids used to like, and lately I like to smear them with a Panda Express Thai Chili sauce and grill them like that. My wife likes them grilled with ranch dressing. And you can smoke them. Bake them. Whatever. I’ll also make salmon cakes, fry them up, and eat them on a sandwich with a slice of cheese and some tartar sauce. In fact, that’s what I just had for lunch. But like I said, there’s no wrong way to cook coho. They are probably the best eating of all of our Great Lakes salmon.”

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About Whitewater

Whitewater performance fishing apparel gives anglers distinct advantages whenever Mother Nature’s unpredictability conspires to ruin angling adventures. Whether faced with wind, rain, snow, sun, or extreme temperatures, Whitewater apparel equips anglers with the ability and confidence to overcome the elements, so they apply their focus and energies on fighting fish, not the conditions. Whitewater is a brand by Nexus Outdoors, headquartered in Muskegon, Michigan, USA. Learn more and order at whitewaterfish.com.

Georgia Has A New Record Fish In A Tie

ATKINSON COUNTY ANGLER REELS IN A TIE STATE RECORD FISH

PEARSON, Ga. (April 17, 2025) – Georgia has a new freshwater fish state record tie! Wesley Daniels of Pearson, GA landed a tie to the current Spotted Sunfish state record of 0 lb, 12 oz on April 15 from the Suwannee River. This 8 ¾ inch catch ties the previous state record of 0 lb, 12 oz caught in 2024, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD).

“I was fishing for catfish, so the unusual thing was that he was caught on a piece of shrimp, and I thought it was a big catfish at first,” said Daniels. “When I pulled him into the boat, me and my friend just looked at each other because we had never seen a stumpknocker that big!”

Spotted sunfish (Lepomis punctatus) are a member of the Sunfish family and are nicknamed “stumpknocker” because they orient strongly to stumps where they find food. They are dark olive or brown on top, with light green or olive sides, covered with small black spots and dusky orange fins. Most are less than half a pound by weight. They are found in the Ocmulgee, Oconee, Altamaha, Ogeechee, Ochlockonee, Suwannee, St. Mary’s, Satilla and Savannah River basins. They prefer heavily vegetated, slow-moving lowland streams and warm shallow ponds. When angling for them, WRD recommends using worms, crickets, small spinners, flies and popping bugs.

“We are excited to have our first freshwater fish state record for 2025, and I don’t know about you – but that certainly fires me up to get out and get on the water,” says Scott Robinson, WRD Chief of Fisheries. “Who will catch the next state record? It could be you! Be sure to take advantage of the outstanding variety of angling opportunities all over our state and you just might catch one of your own. Let’s Go Fish Georgia!”

Georgia anglers support fisheries conservation! Did you know that your license purchase allows WRD to continue to do important research, maintain and operate public fishing areas and more? Purchase a Georgia license at GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com.

For fishing tips, be sure to check out the weekly Fishing Blog post at GeorgiaWildlife.blog/category/fishing/

Information about state-record fish, including an application and rules, can be found at GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing/recordprogram/rules.

Fishing and Planting Gardens when Corn Brought Me Luck

Did you plant to get your garden planted next Friday? When I was growing up Good Friday was the traditional date to get warm weather vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, okra and corn in the ground.  Based on history, a freeze was unlikely to kill the young plants after Good Friday each year. 

    Sometimes it doesn’t work out. About 15 years ago I left Griffin in late April to fish a Top Six tournament at Lake Seminole.  On the way down near Bainbridge I passed hundreds of acres of newly planted commercial tomato fields.  

    It got so cold the weekend that I went into town and bought the last electric space heater at Walmart. My small motor home had propane heat but I did not want to use it, and it was way too cold without any heat. There was frost on the boat Friday and Saturday mornings. 

By Tuesday afternoon on the way home the temperature was in the low 80s.  But those hundreds of acres of small tomato plants had wilted and dead plants. The farmers lost every plant in the ground.  But if they had waited to plant they might have missed the peak of the sale season.  

Farming is a big gamble. 

At home we always had a huge garden and ate home canned and frozen vegetables all winter.  Every night during the summer was dedicated to snapping beans and shelling peas and butter beans. The next day mama spent all day putting them up. 

Our big corn patch usually was ready for pulling in mid-June.  We would go down to the patch at daylight the day daddy chose to pick and a few hours later the bed of the truck would be full to the top of the cab with ears of corn. 

Back at the house we got a huge pot of water boiling under the carport on daddy’s fish cooker. We had a production line, one would shuck the corn, the next cut the end and any bad places from worms off and silk it. Then a third person would drop it in the cooker in batches and time it.   

After about three minutes the basket was pulled out and carried inside where mama had a sink of ice water waiting.  After cooling for a few minutes, we either rolled each ear in tinfoil and froze it or cut it on a board made for creaming corn and put it into containers to freeze.  

One June I was staying at my camper at the lake for a week and the fish had been biting pretty good. Daddy came by late in the afternoon and told me to come on, we would pick corn the next day. As much as I hated leaving the lake I followed him home. 

The next day was a typical madhouse of activity from daylight until about 2:00 when we finished processing several hundred ears. Although I was tired I got in my van and headed to the lake where my boat floated in the water in front of my camper. For the next five hours, until dark, I had one of those days we all dream of having. 

It seemed every point I fished with a Texas rigged Jelly Worm had a quality bass on it.  I caught about two dozen largemouth, with four weighing six pounds or more on my DeLiar scales.  There were several more in the three to four pound range. 

I have never had such good fishing since then. And every time I eat corn I think about that afternoon and my seeming reward for hard work. 

I really miss the great food those gardens produced and wish I could still do the work required to have it! 

—- 

Fishing Lake Oconee In A Bad Spring Storm

    Mad dogs and Englishmen may go out in the mid-day sun, but 11 members of the Spalding County Sportsman Club went out in the thunderstorms at Oconee last Sunday.  I wonder about my sanity fishing in weather like that.

    Weather guessers “forecast” some thunderstorms but light rain most of the day.  Wrong.  It poured down rain and almost constant lightning all day was much worse than predicted. There was more than 6.5 inch of rain in my gauge in 24 hours.

    We were supposed to start at 7:30 AM but a strong storm kept most of us on the bank in our trucks until about 7:45. We had a short break, then the lightning started flashing and the thunder crashing within a few minutes after we took off and continued until about an hour before weigh-in.

    In the tournament, 11 of us brought 36 14-inch keeper largemouth weighing about 71 pounds to the scales.  There were six five bass limits and three people didn’t catch a fish in the eight rainy hours.

    Raymond English won with five weighing 12.79 pounds and Niles Murray was an incredibly close second with five at 12.78 pounds. My five weighing 11.26 pounds was third and I had a 4.55 pound largemouth for big fish. Jay Gerson came in fourth with five weighing 8.72 pounds and for about the third time this year Billy Roberts placed fifth with 5 at 7.92 pounds.

    When we took off I made a short run to a rocky point where I caught a 3.5 pound fish in our March tournament two years ago. It was big fish in that tournament. On about my tenth cast with the same crankbait I landed the 4.55 pounder.  That was a good start.

    After catching a 13.5 inch non keeper out of some grass on that point on a swim jig, the lightning drove me to the back of the cove where I felt the overhanging trees gave me some protection.  I ended up sitting against a seawall there trying to cast every few minutes for two hours! I had to run my bilge pumps to keep the boat from filling with water. I did catch three short fish in that time.

    I kept looking at my phone and saw the next county south was under a tornado watch.  The lightning seemed to be what some call “sheet” lightning, bolts that jump from cloud to cloud rather than cloud to ground.  But every few minutes the lake would get bright and the air shake from a nearby ground strike.

    It was so bad a very nice homeowner came down to his dock and asked if I was ok.  When I said I was just trying to stay in a protected area, he said if it got too bad for me that I could tie up to his dock and come up to his basement, the door was open!  There are some nice folks still in this world.

    At about 10:00 the storm let up a little and I fished out of the cove. On the point where the big one hit I got my second keeper out of grass on the other side of it on a weightless trick worm.

    I made another short run to another good cove and caught several short bass going into the cove, then found a ditch with water dumping into the lake. Back-to-back casts to that muddy inflow produced keepers on a jig and pig.  Four in the live well a little before noon, one of them over four pounds, made me feel pretty good.

    At 1:00 I cranked up for the third time and ran a half mile to another good series of coves, but they produced nothing but a few short fish. I was getting worried about filling my limit.

    At 2:45 I went back to the muddy water inflow and caught a short fish from it. Working up the bank I cast my jig to a grassbed and my line started moving straight to the boat. I set the hook and a solid keeper came up and came off.

    I hate to set the hook on a fish swimming toward me. I think they get the lead on a Texas rig, shaky head or jig in their mouth and  are clamped down so hard the hook does not move on the hook set and they come off, just like this one that made me feel sick.

    I got the boat closer to the bank and cast ahead of it. A few casts later my line moved out and I set the hook and landed my fifth keeper. Since it was 15 minutes to weigh-in I didn’t make another cast, just headed to the ramp.

    I felt lucky to land a limit on such a messy dangerous day.

Berkley Unveils Two New Gulp! Saltwater Shrimp Shapes

  • Gear, The Lead

Berkley Unveils Two New Gulp! Saltwater Shrimp Shapes

  • By The Fishing Wire

Take your artificial shrimp game to the next level with the Berkley Gulp! Saltwater Turbo Shrimp and Nemesis Prawn Curl Tail.

Columbia, SC – Berkley is adding to their shrimp imitations with the introduction of two new Gulp! soft plastics—the Berkley Gulp! Saltwater Turbo Shrimp and the Berkley Gulp! Saltwater Nemesis Prawn Curl Tail. Engineered to provide constant action at any retrieve speed or style with the trusted superior scent dispersion of Gulp!, these new additions are built to help anglers catch more fish in any saltwater scenario.

The Berkley Gulp! Saltwater Turbo Shrimp is the next evolution in shrimp imitations, designed to create maximum attraction and scent distribution. Featuring a unique leg design that oscillates back and forth on retrieval, it generates turbulence and vibration that mimics the erratic movements of live shrimp. This lifelike action, combined with Gulp!’s proprietary scent dispersion formula  makes the Turbo Shrimp an irresistible target for redfish, speckled trout, flounder, and more. Available in 11 natural and vibrant colors and three versatile sizes, it’s the perfect bait to match the hatch or stand out in murky conditions.

Adding to the lineup, the Berkley Gulp! Saltwater Nemesis Prawn Curl Tail delivers a deadly combination of subtle action and maximum scent dispersion. Built with a finely tuned reverse curled tail, this bait produces a lifelike flutter even at super slow retrieve speeds—perfect for enticing finicky fish. Its heavily spiked prawn-shaped head and faceted body create extra turbulence, dispersing scent effectively through the water column. Available in eight lifelike and bold colors, the Nemesis Prawn Curl Tail offers the versatility anglers need to fish confidently in all conditions.

Whether you’re fishing grass flats, mangroves, or deep channels, the Gulp! Turbo Shrimp and Nemesis Prawn Curl Tail are must-have additions for any saltwater angler looking to catch more fish and land bigger bites.

“The Gulp! Saltwater Turbo Shrimp and Nemesis Prawn Curl Tail are something we have been working on for a long time and can’t wait for people to get their hands on,” said Will Pate, Berkley Saltwater Product Manager. “We are super excited to keep expanding the Gulp! Saltwater line-up, and this is just the beginning.”

BERKLEY GULP! SALTWATER TURBO SHRIMP – KEY FEATURES:

  • Unique leg design that oscillates to mimic real shrimp leg action
  • Segmented body and wide fan tail creates a tail kick action and turbulence in the water
  • Gulp! superior scent dispersion
  • Available in 11 fish-catching colors

Sizes: 3” • 4” • 5”
Colors: Peppered Prawn • Camo • Pink Belly Shrimp • New Penny • Pearl White • Molting Shrimp • Nuclear Chicken • Flamingo Chrome • Violet Haze Fleck • America • Ocean Shift 
MSRP: $8.99

Available: March 2025

About Pure Fishing

Pure Fishing is a collection of the world’s favorite fishing brands. Every day, all around the world, someone experiences the joy of catching a fish with one of our products. From gear for epic battles at sea to a relaxing day with family at the lake, our portfolio includes the most recognized and admired brands in fishing tackle, lures, rods, reels and storage. Abu Garcia, Berkley, DAM, Fenwick, Fin-Nor, Frabill, Greys, Hardy, Hodgman, Johnson, JRC, Madcat, Mitchell, Penn, Pflueger, Plano, Prologic, Savage Gear, Shakespeare, SpiderWire, Stren, Ugly Stik and Van Staal.

Bad Fishing Products and Worse Service

Have all companies given up on making decent products or just some of the fishing equipment ones I have dealt with recently? 

My $2500 Minn Kota trolling motor had a problem that a $25 aftermarket sleeve solved. Yet folks at Minn Kota told me they knew of the problem and there was no fix.

When I sent them proof there was a simple cheap solution they could implement, I got no response.

T-H Marine makes a replacement trolling motor pull handle that I have used in the past that worked well. I recently installed a new one and the eyes of the Allen set screws that came with it stripped out with almost no pressure.  They would not tighten down.

When I contacted T-H Marine they said they did not see that as a big problem and they sold many of the handles.  They are aware of the problem but it is not a big one to them.  In their defense, they did send me new screws that seem to be good.

Targeting Spring Bass with the Right Gear

Targeting Spring Bass

  • February 17, 2025
  • By The Fishing Wire

In just a few short weeks, anglers across the United States will be gearing up for one of our favorite pastimes: spring largemouth bass fishing. Depending on where you are located, spring bassing could mean cool, crisp mornings, long days in the sun and rod-bending action for hours. No matter if you’re flipping soft plastics into heavy cover, casting buzzbaits or just plugging the shoreline of your favorite lake or reservoir, you’ll benefit from a good pair of fishing gloves.

Just as you’d wear a glove for golf or baseball batting practice, fishing gloves can help your game on the water by greatly reducing hand fatigue. Fish Monkey gloves have just the right amount of padding in all the right places plus a superb grip area that works as well when wet as it does dry to help relieve the pressure on your hands from making hundreds of casts every day. Another benefit: They offer good hand protection and reduce those fin pricks, scrapes and small cuts from hooks, gill plates, braided line and more. You can also virtually eliminate “bass thumb” —those scrapes on your thumbs from lipping and releasing largemouths—with a good pair of gloves as well. 

One of the most popular options is the Stubby from Fish Monkey. This design has been a best-seller since the first season it was introduced, and for some very good reasons. First, it was crafted for comfort and all-day wearability, with ultra-lightweight, quick-drying fabric and a second-skin fit, plus shorter fingers and cuffs (hence the name). The Stubby offers UPF 50-plus sun protection for the sensitive skin on the backs of your hands and has a non-slip silicone palm print. 

For those who want a bit more protection, check out the Half Finger Guide glove. It differs from the Stubby in that the fingers and cuffs are a bit longer. It also retains the same qualities of quick-drying fabrics, second-skin fit and UPF 50-plus sun protection too. 

And for something that’s a bit of both, there’s the Pro 365 Guide glove. It has a bit less coverage than the Half Finger but a little more than the Stubby—it’s just right. Designed for those guides, captains and professional anglers who spend long hours in the sun, it has unparalleled comfort, UPF 50-plus sun protection, padding where you need it and a wet-or-dry grip that won’t quit. 

Make the most of your spring bass fishing this year with Fish Monkey performance fishing gloves. Interested in becoming a Fish Monkey Hunt Monkey dealer? Click here for more information! 

Roku Becomes The Streaming Hub Of Bassmaster Tournaments

Roku Becomes The Streaming Hub Of Bassmaster Tournaments So Tune in There

  • By The Fishing Wire

Birmingham, AL — Audiences can soon hook free access to live coverage of Bassmaster professional bass fishing tournaments thanks to a new streaming rights partnership between Roku, America’s No. 1 TV streaming platform, and Bassmaster, the world’s leading authority on sportfishing. Upcoming Bassmaster LIVE events will include action from the brand-new Elite Qualifiers (EQ) Series, five Bassmaster Open Series events, which set the field for the EQs, select coverage of all nine Bassmaster Elite Series events, Friday coverage of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour and a special prime time production of the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Classic Celebrity Pro-Am presented by Yokohama, all streaming for free on The Roku Channel.

Kicking off with Thursday and Friday coverage of the 2025 Bassmaster Elite Series season on Feb. 20, the Bassmaster tournaments will stream live on The Roku Channel’s Roku Sports Channel. Professional fishing fans can also enjoy replays of the live stream alongside additional on-demand content, clips and highlights across The Roku Channel, Roku Sports Channel and Roku’s Sports Zone, plus a dedicated Bassmaster FAST channel launching later this year. The partnership will expand coverage availability of Bassmaster LIVE properties and further bolster Roku’s free lineup of exclusive live sports. 

“It’s an honor to call Roku the streaming home of Bassmaster, an iconic brand with a decades-spanning history of producing best-in-class professional fishing tournaments,” said Joe Franzetta, head of sports, Roku Media. “We look forward to bringing these events for free to the passionate fanbase of this top outdoor sport, as well as introducing Bassmaster to new audiences, expanding the tournaments’ reach to millions of streaming households in the U.S.”

“We are proud to bring so much live programming to Roku’s fast-growing sports channel, and we’re very excited about the creation of a new outlet for posted video content on a dedicated Bassmaster FAST channel on Roku. It’s thrilling to have one of the first streaming-rights partnerships in outdoor sports and the first for professional fishing on America’s No. 1 streaming platform,” said B.A.S.S. Chief Operations Officer Phillip Johnson. “This partnership will allow Bassmaster to bring our exciting coverage of the highest level of professional bass fishing to Roku’s enormous audience and introduce our sport to a new fan base.”

Viewers not familiar with Bassmaster events are in for a real treat, as the show follows the best bass anglers on the planet racing against the clock to catch the five biggest bass they can wrangle to end the multiday tournaments with the heaviest weight. Of course, high winds, rainstorms, intense heat waves and the drama of tricking largemouth and smallmouth bass into biting leads to intense moments, as the competitors vie for the coveted trophy and millions of dollars in prize money. New viewers and die-hard fishing fans alike can expect world-class coverage of each storyline as the catches unfold across the competitions.

David Katz and Mike Kelly of ThePostGame, a leading sports media consultancy and content production company, represented Bassmaster in its recent third-party media negotiations and helped secure the partnership with Roku.

The Roku Channel is available to stream for free — no subscription or sign-up required. Audiences can watch it on Roku devices or TVs, and it’s also easily accessible online at TheRokuChannel.com, iOS and Android devices, Amazon Fire TVs, Samsung TVs, Google TVs and other Android TV OS devices.

*By hours streamed (Hypothesis Group: Dec 2024)

About The Roku Channel

Launched in 2017, The Roku Channel is the home of free ad-supported streaming television on Roku, and features a diverse lineup of more than 80,000 on-demand movies and programs, more than 500 live linear television channels, and premium subscription offerings in the U.S. It licenses and distributes content from more than 250 partners and features a growing library of Roku Originals. In Q3 2024, The Roku Channel was the #3 app on Roku’s platform by both reach and engagement.

About B.A.S.S.

B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.