ProBassAnglers.com

2004-06-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

BassMaster Classic Thats right folks, its not too soon to be thinking about the bassmaster classic. This weeks the pros are in North Carolina at Lake Wylie during the last week of allowable practice. The lake goes off limits this Friday for 30 days. Ben Matsubu, Kelly Jordon and Art Ferguson III are keeping BMC Journals for us. We are posting the results of their week of fishing at ProBassAnglers.com.

2004-06-28T08:55:00.000-07:00

Let's Be Careful Out There! We are reminded once again to never take mother nature for granted. At least three people were killed, with several others being seriously injured at Georgia's Lake Lanier this past weekend when lightening struck a group at the popular recreation area. When the skies start getting dark and the thunder starts rollin, lets get off the water and live to fish another day.

2004-06-24T12:46:00.000-07:00

ICAST 2004 I will be attending the ICAST (Industry Trade Show,) show this July in Las Vegas. This show is not open to the public so I would like to get your ideas about the following things: We will be awarding our AwardsCatch Of the Year Awards (otherwise known as COYs) I am looking for award categories. So far we have Rod/Reels, Fishing Line/ Lures/ Terminal Tackle. I would love to hear your ideas about award categories. respond here.

You will be able to listen to our live broadcast from ICAST here at ProBassAnglers.com

2004-06-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

Yamaha Comes Through! If you have been following the Fred Roumbanis saga, then you know that he was high and dry after apparently blowing his engine on Friday. Fred is not a member of Yamaha's Pro Team, he is a customer like you and I, so needless to say, with his entire trip East in the balance, he was a little more than concerned that he would be given help by the Yamaha support team. When the crew arrived on Monday, Fred was there at 7:30 AM. Three hours later, they had him back on the water "good as new."

Yamaha has demonstrated that they care about everybody and Fred is fishing today with a very good chance at making the top 50 and cashing a $10,000.00 check. Great Job Yamaha!

2004-06-21T13:56:00.000-07:00

We Are Back!Things should be back to normal, or at least as close as possible. By now you probably know that Kevin Van Dam won the E-50 tour. In doing so, he out distanced the best bass anglers in recent history which kind of puts Kevin where everyone thinks he belongs...at the top of bass fishing! Oh, by the way, Alton Jones won the last event at Paducah, Kentucky.

Fred Roumbanis has had a streak of bad luck. He has blown his Yamaha engine while practicing at Lake Champlain. As of yesterday, Fred has not been able to fish in two days. This is going to be a major test for the Yamaha people. As you know, Fred keeps his tour report (pro tour journal,) on our web site. This will be a major opportunity for Yamaha to demonstrate its support for anglers. We will keep you posted on how Yamaha deals with this situation.

2004-06-16T07:38:00.000-07:00

Growing Pains! Things have been happening faster then we can handle them here at ProBassAnglers.com, as a result, we have missed some coverage that we should have posted. We thank you for your patience and can tell you that we will be up and running soon.

2004-06-14T12:11:00.000-07:00

The Final E-50 Of The Short, 4 Event Tour Gets Started on Wednesday in Kentucky. I have a very hard time thinking that Mark Davis won't be in there at the end, I think he will be. Word is that the water is high, which makes me think it will be be a shallow water flipping type bite. Perhaps Greg Hackney breaks through at this event. Denny Brauer could also be the man if it comes down to flippin, as could Gary Klein.

These E-50's have been a lot of fun, and with this week, the tour's top prize of $150,000 is on the line. Stay tuned.

2004-06-10T13:56:00.000-07:00

Caught Up Briefly With Fred Roumbanis Today. Fred is driving to New York and has made it as far as Cheyenne Wyoming. This is going to be a long drive (he left yesterday.) Fred has been back and forth several times this year, however he hasn't toured the Northern States yet, so this is all new. His cell phone cut out in the middle of our discussion, so we will wait until he checks back in. He sounded good!

2004-06-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

We Should Be Up Today! Look for our new look! We should be up today. This week's "On The Water" is a good one, Mark Davis, (yeah he has been on the show a lot,) explains his "Hunting and Gathering" technique, while Steve Kennedy explains why his fish were bunched up along a point at the mouth of a creek.

2004-06-09T12:32:00.000-07:00

Thanks For Being patient with me. No I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth. I am in the process of remodeling ProBassAnglers.com. We need to get a new look and we will look better, (I was getting depressed looking at the site, and decided it needed some new light.) We should be up and running by Thursday.

2004-06-07T05:17:00.000-07:00

I'm Not The Kind Of Person To Say "I told you so," (OK, maybe I am,) but I had you watch Mark Davis all week as he inched closer and closer to his second consecutive E-50 victory, and, although it took the four anglers ahead of him to fall off a bit on the last day of competition, Davis still caught a bigger limit than he had the first day.

Mark Davis has waited 18 years to win a tour level event, (he did of course win Angler of The Year 3 times including 1995 when he also won the BassMaster Classic.) But this year, it seems that he has not only got that demon off of his back, he is again taking his performance to unprecedented heights, winning now, three National Tour Events, including two in a row, this season.

For the second straight time, the E-50 format presented a "two tournaments in one" scenario, not only did anglers have to find their fish in pre fish, but they then had to proceed to go to a "blind hole" format. The E-50's seem made to order for Davis' ability to figure the fish out. He again made some amazing adjustments in winning at the Alabama River.

As is customary, we are "efforting" to get Mark "On The Water" again this week. I'm wondering if we should just get him is own permanent microphone.

2004-06-04T08:05:00.000-07:00

How Important Is Current on river systems like the Alabama River? Consider this. When the floodgates are closed, the lakes large population of spotted bass basically suspend out over open water and are nearl impossible to catch. However, when the dam keeper, opens the gates, the spots move up to ambush points and begin active feeding.

Largemouth bass on Lake Havasu on the Arizona, California boarder are like that. The main channel, just south of town isn't usually very good, but during the Summer about 9:00 AM, the water begins to move as farmers receive their alloment of water for their crops. If you can get on that channel, when the floodgates open, you can load the boat.

2004-06-04T07:29:00.000-07:00

Don't Look Now but Mark Davis has made the cut at this week's BASS Elite 50 event at the Alabama River. That means that at worst, Davis has a 1 in 12 chance of winning another national level event this year, (Table Rock-Bass Tour, Tennessee-Tombigbee-E-50.) Now, keep in mind that this is Mark Davis we are talking about, a guy that has demonstrated his ability to make adjustments on virtually any kind of water. Watch out folks, I Mark could do it again!

If Mark Davis does win this week at the Alabama River, we will have his story "On The Water," this week. Hey....you don't think Mark Davis is trying to take over MY show do you?

2004-06-03T08:48:00.000-07:00

Be Sure To Listen In as Florida's Mike Surman explains how to attack Summer time grass beds. Surman is the President of Gambler Lures and one of Gambler's products, the Flappin Shad was designed to catch bass out of grass. Listern to this week's "On The Water," to hear how Mike fishes the Flappin shad.

2004-06-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

Vindicated! Kelly Jordon has taken some heat lately by certain web sites, (BassFan,) for his last two tournament finishes. "They were digging for a story," Jordon said recently, "its no big deal." Jordon shook loose any slump he may have been in by weighing 11-03 including a 6-09 monster, the day's big fish. The BASS E-50, on the Alabama River has been tough, however, it seems like maybe the folks who keep the dam are going to cooperate by releasing current which tends to get the river's spotted bass excited. Jordon is in 10th place going into today's action.

2004-06-02T07:05:00.000-07:00

Bass Fishing From Cape Town S.A. Be sure to take some time this week to read Roy Jacobs' article regarding a couple of trick variations of the drop shot technique posted on our ProBassAngler Article section. Who is Roy Jacobs? Roy writes for a South African Bass Fishing publication and offers an interesting twist on what we do here in the United States.

2004-05-28T11:53:00.000-07:00

Is It Just Me Or is Kelly Jordon getting an unfair deal from BassFan.com? There is no other angler that is doing as much (at least more) than Kelly is this year, yet BassFan seems to need to refer to only his last two poor finishes on the FLW Tour. Nobody should know better than BassFan about how difficult it is to fish 10 events in 11 weeks, and 14 or 15 events in the first six months of the year. I'm not here to rip any other anglers but there are some prominent anglers who have stepped away from trying to do both tours and BassFan never lays into them about that, on the contrary, movement in BassFan's world standings actually help an angler keep his place if he fishes only one tour.

I am not here cast stones, however, Kelly Jordon has had a tremendous year, and while his last two events have been poor, cut the guy some slack. I would rather know about why the other guys have backed away from this ultimate challenge of fishing against all comers instead of just a selective few tour events. To me, the guys who embrace both tours are the ones who are taking on the challenges.

OK-go ahead, let me have it! Respond

2004-05-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

BASS Western Open gets started today at the Delta in Northern Califorina today. Darryl Burkhardt and Fred Roumbains are keeping pro tour journals. Check later this evening and we will have their reports up.

2004-05-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

It Never Fails To Amaze Me how pro tour anglers are able to adapt to the changing conditions they face in big time tournaments. Mark Davis won last week's BASS E-50 event at the Tennessee Tombigbee water way. Mark's win was a classic case of angler adjustment.

First, during pre fish, he encountered windy conditions and he was able to locate fish on a crank bait. A crank bait is always a good bet when the wind is blowing because the wind tends to fragment light under the water, and this tends to position bass on the edge of cover.

When the tournament started, Mark encountered flat, calm waters, which are not usually conducive to crank bait fishinng. No problem, Mark threw a plastic worm and built an 11 pound lead going into the last two days of the tournament.

Of course the E-50's make you zero your weight for the final round, (sort of tough to do when you have an 11 pound lead,) but Mark was equal to the task. During the shoot out rounds, Davis flipped and pitched a Strike King Tube jig around likely looking wood targets and he prevailed.

Not only did Davis get on them during practice, he got on them during the first round and he finished off a very strong field.
Congratulations Mark.

2004-05-24T04:41:00.000-07:00

Go Figure! Ok, by now you know that I am on my own sort of Odyssey, searching for the truth.....Ok, Ok, (too much television,) I have been conducting tests (mainly just fishing,) to see if I can embrace braided lines, to see if an old dog, (me,) can learn a new trick. This past weekend I fished a team tournament, which you will hear more about this week right here, and the braided line, (Power Pro,) performed very well. I had one rod spooled with 10 pound monofilament line, my cranking rod, that last holdout, the last link to the old era, anyway....My first crank fish is a good one, maybe four pounds, I got a real good look at it. The fish, struck, I got about three cranks on it and snap, the line breaks. Crank bait and fish- bye bye.

About 5 minutes later, right in front of the boat, a 3-4 pound bass, surfaces, with my Fat Free Shad in its mouth, head shakes, tail walks, and throws the bait. The bait floats there on the surface. I have never had a fish return a bait, but I was grateful. After close inspection, I learned that the fish must have sawed me off on a rock, because the mono was abraised badly, (I always check my line and wouldn't have cast with line like that.)

The moral of the story, I will be using braided line to crank from now on.

Oh yeah, I caught two more keepers on that bait the fish returned to me.

2004-05-24T04:36:00.000-07:00

Wrapped Bass Boats Are Cool! There are a ton of wrapped bass boats these days at the various pro events. "Wrapped Boats," a new feature at ProBassAnglers.com, will allow you to view and vote for the boat you like the most. We are working to secure some tackle pacts for voters who will be randomly chosen from our voting e-mails. Give it a try, who knows you might win something cool.

2004-05-21T11:06:00.000-07:00

The Little Things Ask any pro bass angler for the secret to his / her bass fishing success and they will probably tell you that there is no one thing that by itself can put an angler over the top. Instead, it is more likely the hundreds of little things, like sharpening hooks, painting worm weights and other minute tasks that takes lots of prep time. These are the things we do as we collect our thoughts and begin our mental preparation. It all adds up to increased confidence, which we all know adds up to success.

This week at ProBassAnglers.com, we will begin a new section on the "little things" we do that add up to success. Obsessions? Maybe, but if it helps me fish better, thats all that matters.

2004-05-19T10:02:00.001-07:00

How Do You Catch Fish In Rising, Muddy Water? Good question! Check in this week to find out how the pros solve the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway at the 2nd BASS Elite-50 event of the season. "Flowing Mud," is how the water way has been described and finding fish has been difficult. Stay tuned.

2004-05-18T08:31:00.000-07:00

I Have My New Drop Shot Rig! Having just received an order of Guide Select Rods From Okuma, I have finally
found the drop shot rig I have been looking for. A medium-heavy , seven foot, Guide Select blank. An 11 ball-bearing Inspira Reel spooled with 6 pound Power Pro Braided Line, (one pound diameter line.) I got to use it this past weekend, the set up is perfect.

2004-05-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

Braided Line Update As you may or may not know, I am
kind of on my own personal odyssey regarding my use of braided line versus my comfort zone which has been monofilament since the creation of fishing. This past weekend I was able to get out and do some good old fashion drop shotting using Power Pro's 6 lb test which has the line diameter of 1 lb monofilament. Now I have never used one pound monofilament for any kind of fishing let alone bass fishing. The line is dark green, which makes it invisible and ultra sensitive. I am very impressed to say the least.

This has been a big deal for me, I have been very reluctant to switch or even try something that isn't monofilament, but so far, I like what I am experiencing.

2004-05-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

Speaking/thinking of wind...How do you approach a situation where it is windy? There are always degrees of difficulty ranging from a mild breeze to a tornado, but generally speaking, the approach, David Fritts is using, fishing a crank bait on windy banks is the way to go. Wind cuts down on light penetration, which makes the bass less inhibited, and it also starts the food chain, which also puts the bass in a positive mode. Next time you encounter winds strong enough to keep you off your favorite fishing spot, consider covering water with a crank bait, rip bait or spinner bait. It will pay off!

2004-05-13T06:41:00.000-07:00

If Its David Fritts...Man this guy can fish a crank bait. Post spawn, suspended fish on main lake ledges, perfect crank bait conditions. David Fritts, perfect crank bait artist. Wind is a major factor. If it blows, it should help Fritts' crank bait fishing, it it doesn't blow, Fritts is good with a Carolina rig also, which is the way most of the field is getting their fish. Watch out, we may be witness to another "Fritts Blitz!"

2004-05-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

This Week, On The Water with Keith Nighswonger takes a look at what it takes to qualify for the BassMaster Classic, via the Federation. IT IS TOUGH! Definitely a marathon, is it worth running? Stay tuned to find out!

2004-05-10T09:38:00.000-07:00

Wow! I had the chance to test the new Power Pro braided line this weekend. We flipped heavy cover, using the 50 pound test with a 12 pound test diameter. The stuff is unbreakable, (your flippin stick is not!) Power Pro braid, black in color and round, (not all braided line is,) cut through grass and tullies, and was really not a fair match for the fish!

2004-05-07T14:10:00.000-07:00

Several Great Tour Comebacks in this weeks Western EverStart at the Delta. Michael Bennett of Roseville, CA. had 13-14 on day one and came flying back on day two with 21-11, which put him in the cut. Gary Dobbins also had a similar situantion with the same outcome, (13-09 & 21-11,) watch out whenever Dobbins is even in the same State as a tournament, he is deadly! Steve Chianello of Gresham, Oregon went 12-08 and 19-02 to make the top twenty. These are great comebacks, with great stories!

A few other guys had great turn arounds but fell just short of making the cut, Ken Eddy of Madera, Ca. had one fish for 3-05 and 18.01 on day two, while Ramona, Ca. pro Gabe Bolivar blanked on day one and caught 15-12 on day two.

These are the stories you don't often read about in the head lines, however, there is probably more to be learned from an angler that bingo's on day one, then figures them out on day two, then possibly even the winner of the tournament.

ProBassAnglers.com is working on these stories and more.

2004-05-06T05:16:00.000-07:00

Monsters On The Delta Did you check out the results of Day One of the FLW Western EverStart tournament? Bernie Guant of West Sacramento caught a big one! 12-09 is only two ounces short of the biggest bass ever weighed in at an FLW event. That makes two events in a row on the Western EverStart tour in which a fish over 12 pounds has been weighed in. Three weeks ago, Art Berry, of Ramona, California had a Clear Lake whopper that weighed in at 12 pounds even.

2004-05-04T14:26:00.000-07:00

Feeling A Little Beat Up After This Weekend's Tournament?No, not because the fish got the better of you! Long boat rides, lake chop, long casts with deep running crank baits.....It can wear you out son! Check in with ProBassAnglers.com this week as we begin an in depth look at angler fitness. Pro Tour Journal correspondant, Darryl Burkhardt of Greshem, Oregon will offer tips on training and we'll hear from some fitness industry representitives to get the down low on angler fitness.

2004-05-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

How Well Do You Know The Forage In Your Lake?Post Spawn has arrived in most of the lakes in country, (Northwest, you may still be spawning,) did you know that post spawn for bass is actually the beginning of the spawn for threadfin shad? At this very moment in many lakes, nation wide, shad are in the shallows early in the morning and late in the day, (low light periods,) to spawn. This is an excellent time to key in on top water. This week's Fishing In The Moment will look at top water fishing and the connection to the shad spawn. Check it out, Saturday at 9:00 AM pst on your favorite radio stations, nation wide, or check out the text later today at ProBassAnglers.com

2004-05-03T10:28:00.000-07:00

April Inspira WinnerCheck out the two monsters caught by Gabe Sanchez. Gabe entered the Okuma Inspira Moment contest, by sending his picture to ProBassAnglers.com. Gabe's picture wins him a brand new, Okuma, 11 ball bearing, Inspira Reel. Way to go Gabe!

2004-04-30T08:42:00.000-07:00

Angel Anglers, Very Cool, a group started by BASS Angler Of The Year, Gerald Swindle and Harris Chain Champion, Marty Stone makes a point of visiting Children's Hospitals in the towns where the Pro Tour takes them. Read more here...

2004-04-28T08:47:00.000-07:00

South Carolina Pro, Ricky Shumpert has a good idea for approaching bedding fish that may be spooky when alerted to the presence of your boat. He has a tight rope tied to the back of his boat that goes from his jack plate to his mooring clete. He takes a 10' piece of electrical conduet 1/2" diameter and slides it between the rope and his boat, then pushes the conduet into the bottom of the lake, (yeah he needs to be in water about 8 feet deep and less.) Next, he takes a second piece of conduet and pushes that into the bottom of the lake and secures it with piece of rope to his trolling motor. With his boat secured, in perfect position to fish for a bedding bass, Ricky can stay off the trolling motor, so as not to spook the fish and he doesn't need to anchor which means less weight in the boat and less plop, when you drop the anchor in.

2004-04-28T06:53:00.000-07:00

Braided Line Update: After speaking in detail with Freddy Roumbanis about braided line, I have made the commitment to give it a try. Power Pro Braid, (Grand Junction, Colorado,) is the brand I am experimenting with. Three things have jumped out at me. Power fishing which I love to do, particularly deep cranking is completely different with a braided line. I find myself setting the hook on the bait's wobble sometimes. I have never experienced that much feel on a lure, it really takes getting used to.

The second thing that I am blown away by is that Power Pro makes a braid that has the diameter of one pound test, but is rated at six pound test, I actually think it breaks at a much high weight. But I can apply all of my finesse techniques using essentially one pound test. It is amazing.

The third thing that is impressive is the that Power Pro is available in a black color which makes it invisible (to me,) in the water. I am very impressed.

I would welcome any comments you might have about this. Comment

2004-04-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

Dirty Water A Problem?Do you struggle with how to find fish in dirty or muddy water. A common frustration faced by anglers who are used to fishing clear water is what to do when faced with low visibility. This week's "Fishing In The Moment," addresses the dirty water solution. There's gold in them there shallows, ya just needs to know how to mine it! Be sure to listen to Keith Nighswonger's "Fishing In The Moment," this Saturday at 9:00 AM pst or you can read the transcript at ProBassAnglers.com. Check this out later on today. Click Here

2004-04-27T06:12:00.000-07:00

When Does 29th Place Make Headlines?When you go from 180th place on day one, catch almost 25 pounds day two and move up 151 places. That is Florida Pro, Mark Lamb's story. Be sure to check out our Great Tour Comebacks section to read Mark's story. How do go from catching the smallest keeper of Day One (EverStart at Santee-Cooper,) to catching a 7, two fives and several other big ones? You stay within your range of expertise, and you rely on the area you found during pre fish.

2004-04-26T10:57:00.000-07:00

Spawning Bluegill, Your Key To Shallow Water Success.When the bass are finished spawning, the bluegill and other pan fish move in and often use the same gravel where the bass spawned to spawn themselves. Many anglers wrongly believe that bass leave the shallows during post spawn and return to deep water. Some do.

Many of your lakes, biggest bass will stay just off the bank, along grass edges and will return to the shallows, targeting these spawning bluegill. Be sure to include baits that mimic bluegill. Bluegill colored shallow crank baits, and especially jigs can really score this time of year, and don't forget top water!

2004-04-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

Several of the pros fishing the E-50 event at Lake Dardanelle reported catching their fish on tubes. What they didn't explain was the technique they were using. Fishing a weightless tube over the top of shore line grass is a technique kept on the "down low," by many of today's top pros. It is very much like fishing a rat or frog over matted grass, except that the cover is not as thick. When bass are in post spawn, many are still shallow gurading fry, and fishing a weightless tube triggers the same kind of strike that a a weighted tube, spiraling down would trigger from bass that are extremely territorial. Give it a try.

2004-04-26T06:05:00.000-07:00

If you get a chance, swing by the FLWoutdoors (.com) web site and find out about the TTT. TTT (could actually be called TTTTT, but that would be a lot of T's) stands for The Texas Tournament Trail Tour, and it is a two day, (one day with a championship Cut,) weekend, style tournament trail held completely within the state of Texas. Now, why is a national tournament web site / radio show mentioning a regional trail?

1st of all, the trail draws over 200 anglers in the "pro" category and another 200 anglers in the "co-angler" category per event, that is impressive. 2nd, check out the names of the guys fishing these events. It is clear that when they have a week off, pros like Clark Wendlandt, Trent Huckaby, Randy Behringer, Randy Dearman, and Harmon Davis, make fishing the TTT a priority. I don't mean to start a war or anything, but I think it is safe to say, that when you look at the participation in events like this, by the number of anglers that this circuit produces, and the quality of angler that participates in
this series, the state of Texas produces more, "hard core" tournament anglers than any other state. Ok, maybe I do want to start a war.

I invite your comments, (ducking all the way!) click here

2004-04-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

Glenn Browne has been keeping a Pro Tour Journal for us
this season. He has recently been experiementing with some
Ultimate Lure Savers. He likes the fact that he can get his
trebble hooks to hang down lower in the water, making it easier
for fish to hook themselves, especially when they attempt to slap
the bait. He has also tested the Lure Savers by working through heavier
cover, and has not lost any baits. Glenn's Santee Cooper report will
be up tonight.

2004-04-22T06:12:00.000-07:00

Get Those Life Vests Zipped And Clipped...Hey folks, we are getting caught up on our Great Tour Comebacks. Chad Martin and Brett Hite are posted on ProBassAnglers.com. The idea behind Great Tour Comebacks is to examine the decisions made by today's Bass Pros to see how they turned a poor first day into a successful second day.

Also-be sure to check out Randy Howell's interview. It is so refreshing to listen to a person who is grateful for the gifts he has.

2004-04-20T11:04:00.000-07:00

FLW's Bass Fishing League held its end of the year, "All American" event this past week. Formerly known as the Redman All American, this event has launched the careers of some big time anglers, like Shaw Grigsby and more. Allen Hayes won the $100,000 first prize but that isn't as big a story as Dave Lefebre's second place finish. Lefebre finished 2nd by 2 ounces. 2 ounces! Lefebre caught his fish sight fishing which means he could see the fish he went after and could for the most part, take his pick. Lefebre, down in the standings going into the last day figured he needed a big fish, so he spent a lot of time looking for bigger fish, and left several small males, any of which would have allowed him to cull up just a little bit.....He finished 2nd, a little bit behind! (2 oz)

We face this problem often in tournaments, do I take little bites, (cull up ounces at a time,) or do I look for a giant. In this case, little bites would have given Lefebre the weight he needed for the win, however with no way of knowing that, we applaud Lefebre for going for the big fish, and what he felt would have won him the tournament.

2004-04-20T07:37:00.000-07:00

Fishing Intuition? Make sure to read this week's "fishing in the moment," an interesting look at how you can tap into your fishing instincts, and salvage a tough day on the water. Be sure to come to ProBassAnglers.com and click on "fishing in the moment." Give me some time, it isn't posted yet, but here is a sneak preview:

Intuition- an instinct, a perception, a sixth sense or just a hunch. However you describe it, the successful professional on today's pro bass fishing tours has learned to master the art of listening to his/her thoughts.

In bass fishing, as in everything else in life, we stock pile our experiences that
we have had on the water. Oh you may not remember that back in 1992, you caught some real nice fish on a bank that looked like the one you just stopped to fish, but your sub-conscious mind does, you know, that vault where everything that happens to you is stored.

Our bass fishing intuition comes to us from the articles we read, seminars we attend, TV shows that we watch and of course, our own experiences on the water. Of these things, our own, personal experience on the water, is the most valuable and meaningful information we will ever gather, because it is our own. Professional anglers are the best, because they do this all of the time, they have more personal experience than most people, thus, they have a greater intuitive base to draw on.

The thing about intuition is that it presents itself to us as little thoughts, some
we are aware of and some we are not. I think of these thoughts as little voices that whisper to me, telling me what to do.....

2004-04-19T07:08:00.000-07:00

Spinner bait trailer-hooks:It is about confidence, but more importantly, its about giving yourself a chance to succeed. At a team tournament in January, my partner and I struggled all day long. We caught a couple of short, non keepers but nothing we could take to the weigh in. Finally, with about 30 minutes before we were due in, a breeze picked up. Sensing that this might cause a reaction bite to manifest, I picked up a spinner bait and began casting to standing brush piles in about six feet of water. On my fourth cast, I got nailed at the boat by a 3 3/4 pound bass, the only the keeper of the day. We weighed the fish in, finished 38th and salavaged a pretty lousy day.

That fish, did not have the spinner bait hook in its mouth. That fish was hooked by the rear trailer hook!

I always use a trailer hook on spinner baits and buzz baits, it is a matter of confidence, but, in situations, like the one I mentioned, it can be the difference between hits and misses.

I rig my trailer hooks, (also called stinger hooks,) by taking a piece of 1/4" diameter clear plastic tubing and sliding it over the eye of the trailer hook. Note-trailer hooks are special hooks that have a larger than normal eye, so that another hook point can pass through it.

I then push the spinner bait hook through the eye (and plastic tube) so that both hooks are facing up. I also add a five inch grub trailer to the fish something to key on as it attacks the bait.

2004-04-15T13:44:00.000-07:00

The FLW Western EverStart promised great results for giant bass, and it still may produce those colossal weights that we would expect for a Clear Lake tournament in the middle of the Spring, however weather has made things a bit difficult for anglers. Cold, overcast weather with high winds has dropped water temperatures into the mid 50's after they were in the mid 60's during the pre fish. What do you do?

I like to keep in mind a plan for situations where cold fronts cause fish to back off the bite during the spawn. I call it Spring In Reverse. The idea is simple; when falling water temperatures push fish off the beds, where are they going to go? Right back to the staging areas, usually brush at the first break line, where they can find the water temperature that they are looking for.

How do you catch them?

I really think George Cochran showed his bass fishing genius at Lake Gunthersville a couple of weeks ago when he fished a suspending rip bait on a dead stick. Those fish were staging, waiting for the right water temperature and he waited them out. If the bait moves through too fast, they can ignore it, but if it stays around their brush pile, they feel compelled strike. How long should wait between twitches? Up to 10 or even 15 seconds. Remember you are trying to force them to attack, and keeping the bait near the brush pile that they feel like they own, is a great way to get them.

2004-04-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

The water has fallen slightly at Lake Dardanelle this week for the BASS Elite 50 All Star event. Many pros have stated that this is making a large lake fish like a small one, (just not as many productive areas available.) Question: What do you do when your lake level falls?

I think following a general rule of thumb is helpful in this situation, and that rule is that you follow the fish out. If the lake level falls, bass have no choice but to relocate, and they will usually go to the first significant cover that is in a depth that offers them comfort. Often if you will find a long point, and just work out towards deeper water, you can relocate the fish. Brush lines that are still under water, or adjacent to deeper water can still hold the fish. Generally, if we imagine where the fish can logically pull off of the bank to, we can relocate the fish.

The question this week at Dardanelle, is will the water continue to fall? The bass are spawning, and if too much water is pulled, this could disrupt this spawn cycle. Stay tuned.

2004-04-14T22:24:00.000-07:00

Kelly Jordon has them just where he wants them. I spoke with Kelly Jordon this evening as I was getting his Pro Tour Journal information, (Kelly is in 3rd place at Lake Dardanelle BASS E-50.) Let me just say, that I kept checking the date on my cell phone, because it was only three weeks ago that I had a similar conversation with him. When Kelly is on fish, he gets that very quite confident tone about his answers. He didn't come out and say it, but I get the feeling that Kelly is about to do it again. He did confess that he has a couple of areas that nobody else is fishing because they don't look very good, they are not typical. The lake level fell today at Dardanelle, which pushed the nation's Elite anglers even closer to each other. The lake is fishing skinny right now, (not too many productive areas.) Jordon feels like he is on to something that others are not.

I have learned over this past season that when Kelly talks this way-Watch Out!

2004-04-14T14:30:00.000-07:00

"I don't like to fish for spawners." I have heard this comment a hundred times
made by anglers of all levels, weekenders all the way up to pros. If you feel this way, that somehow we are going to destroy a lake fishing for spawning fish, then you need to put your rods away until the end of June. I spoke with Mark Kile last year during the spawning season and he made a statement that really brought this whole issue into to focus for me. "Understand that if you fish for bass in the months of February through June, (depending on where you fish,) you are fishing for spawners. They may not be on beds, but they are headed there or have just finished. This period of time has always been broken down into three stages, pre spawn, spawn and post spawn. The key term is Spawn."

Mark hit the nail on the head. You may be able to fool yourself into thinking that you are not picking them off the nest, but if you are fishing in water that is zero to 12 feet deep, those bass are involved in the spawning cycle.

2004-04-14T12:18:00.000-07:00

Can You Feel It? Right now, across the country there are three big money tournaments going on. On the West Coast, FLW Western EverStart Pros are going at at Northern California's Clear Lake, expect some monster bags there. The BASS All Stars are fishing the first of four Elite 50 events at Arkansas' Lake Dardanelle. The weigh in for that event is later, 7:00 PM Central time. Also in Arkansas is the BFL All American, which rewards the best weekend anglers in the country with a $100,000 first prize. Get all of the results tonight at ProBassAnglers.com

2004-04-14T10:47:00.000-07:00

Tom Monsoor talks getting organized this week on the water. Ok, you may think that Tom is obsessed with all of his tinkering. I beg to differ. Control over
the things you can control is an important step towards tournament success. Listen to what Tom says, then read his check list at ProBassAnglers.com

2004-04-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

Hey!whatever you do, don't listen to what Tom Monsoor says about tournament preparation on this week's "On The Water." He is the master of getting ready for a tournament. The stuff he shares this week is stuff you won't or can't get anywhere else. It is priceless.

2004-04-13T13:42:00.000-07:00

Catching Too Many Fish?
Could it be? The other day, I went to a lake near my home and fished a drop shot in about 10 feet and caught caught 13" fish after13" fish, and while these fish would certainly count and measure in a tournament, it dawned on me that I would probably make the top 30 of a team tournament with about 7 pounds for my best five fish. Question-How to upgrade. I spoke with Kelly Jordon and Mike Surman about the question of upgrading and they had some good ideas. Please check out "Fishing In The Moment," this week on a radio station near you. If its doesn't run on a station near you, you can read the text on our web site. ProBassAnglers.com

2004-04-13T10:01:00.000-07:00

Pig And Jig?
With all of the plastic trailers on the market, the age old practice of using
pork rind as a jig trailer has kind of become a forgotten trend. I came across
this site the other day, www.superpork.com, a product that claims to be the softest pork on the market, it stands straight up, extremely buoyant and looks pretty cool. Let us know if you have had any experience with Super Pork. From the web site, it seems like the company has a good assortment of styles and sizes. Check it out.

2004-04-13T05:04:00.000-07:00

No Tour Stops This Week?
While it is true that there are no "tour stops" this week, (BASS season is over, and FLW has a one month break in its schedule,) there are still some intriguing events taking place. The BFL's "All-American" (FLW's grass roots championship, was formally the Redman All American,) is taking place on Arkansas' Lake Hamilton. This event has launched a number of Bass Fishing careers over the years, most notably Shaw Grigsby, as well as other names that you would recognize.

The FLW Western EverStart on Californians Clear Lake should be unreal, as the fish are on beds and ready to go. That all gets started on Wednesday.

Of course the BASS Allstar Series, otherwise known as the Elite 50's also gets started on Wednesday at Arkansas' Lake Dardanelle.

No tour events? Yeah, right. This is going to be a busy week, a great week for bass fishing fans.

2004-04-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

Advertisers not sponsors
I would like to hear from folks who fish tournaments, yet fish out of a boat manufacturered by a non sponsoring company. Do you feel left out because you fish out of a Nitro and Ranger sponsors the trail? Or do you run a Basscat yet get no love because Triton is the circuit sponsor? I understand the aspect of having advertisers, heck, I will welcome a boat advertiser when it comes on board, but when a trail takes on a sponsor, it seems to me that they are beginning to cross a line. Listen, if the trail is sponsored by company X, does that mean that anglers who fish out of companay Y boats get left out of things like "angler profiles," or speaking spots at sport shows?

For the most part, I haven't noticed too much of this happening on any of the big national trails, although it does look kind of poor when an angler has to wear a tee-shirt to receive an award, because their sponsoring boat company conflicts with the Trail Sponsor.

Anglers should be sponsored! Anglers need to be sponsored. If I am a boat company, why should I spend money to sponsor individual anglers, when I can sponsor a circuit and reach hundreds more? Do you get it? The tournament trails are hurting the very anglers they claim to be helping. Tournament trails should provide adverstising opportunities, and should not seek sponsors. Make the boat companies pay for advertising spots rather than the exclusive sponsors of the the trail. This would allow anglers to seek and receive more and better support from the boat companies, it would place an even greater emphasis on the importance of the anglers who fish the circuits.

Finally, if this sport is to grow, it must do so by enlisting advertising from companies that are on the fringe of the outdoor industry, ie, sun block companies, tool companies, automobile industry etc. When boat companies are advertisers, the playing field begins to become more level. They need to be involved, but should not be given monopolistic! strength over a given tournament trail. Advertisers not sponsors

2004-04-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

Kelly Jordon At The E-50s
Kelly Jordon will be keeping his ProTourJournal from Lake Dardanelle in Arkansas. Look for the 1st posting tonight after 9:00 PM pst.

2004-04-12T12:20:00.000-07:00

FLW Western EverStarts At Clear Lake
If you are a fan of heavy weight limits, be sure to check out this week's
Western EverStart at Northern California's Clear Lake. Clear Lake is
possibly the nation's top lake for monster bass, and they should be on beds
this week. Check with us for updates or go to FLWoutdoors.com. It should
be a beast-fest!

2004-04-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

Super Braids
Fred Roumbanas, (Pro Tour Journal correspondant) has switched completely to Power Pro Braided line. We are efforting to have him "On The Water," this week to discuss this transistion. There are definite advantages, but getting dialed in can be a bit of a strain on the old confiedence. This will be a good segment, one which we will follow up on with a ProBassAnglers article.

2004-04-12T06:35:00.000-07:00

What Are The E-50's?
BASS has added an "All Star" aspect to their tour this year. The E-50's represent 50 anglers that meet a fairly strict criteria, and represent an extension to the tour season. BassFan.com has a good explanation of the E-50's. Kelly Jordon will be "On The Water with Keith Nighswonger" this week to explain the E-50's. He has qualified and should be able to give us some good insight as to what is going on. He will be with us via cell phone from Lake Dardanelle in Arkansas.

2004-04-12T05:35:00.000-07:00

Tournament Preparation This Week, "On The Water"
Don't miss this week's "On The Water with Keith Nighswonger," as we will discuss tournament preparation with Wisconsin Pro, Tom Monsoor. Monsoor, who describes himself as a fanatic about being ready, is well known for being as thorough as any pro when it comes to being ready. Its not the one thing anyone does, its the 1000 things we do in getting ready for a day on the water, that counts. Back

2004-04-12T05:24:00.000-07:00

Kaenon Sunglasses
Yes, I know that they are an advertiser! But I was out on the water this past week, and I cannot get over the difference these glasses make. Don't believe me, but I am seeing things in the water that I have not seen before. I am seeing things that my fishing guests are not seeing. There is a difference. They have a very cool web site, Kaenon.com Seeing is believing! Back

2004-04-11T22:03:00.000-07:00

Kelly Jordon Talks Supersizing This Week On "Fishing In The Moment"
Do you ever wonder why when you have a limit of bass that weighs in at 11 pounds, someone else has one that weighs in at 16 pounds? Be sure to read this week's "Fishing In The Moment" to find out how several top bass pros go about upgrading their weights. The information is sure to make you think about some things you might be over lookings.