IBASSIN is your first choice for all things bass fishing. Tournaments, new lures, articles, interviews and resources centred around bass fishing.
Friday, June 14, 2019
Post-spawn magic
Thursday, June 13, 2019
Johnny Morris and Bass Pro Shops donating 40,000 rods and reels in nationwide effort to get more kids outside
Gone Fishing movement aims to introduce fishing to families everywhere with free activities, donations and partnerships
Noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris is challenging families everywhere to get off the couch and head outdoors to discover the fun of fishing this summer. Bass Pro Shops is donating 40,000 rods and reels to nonprofit organizations that help kids from all backgrounds connect to the outdoors. The effort is part of Gone Fishing, a nationwide movement that aims to introduce the sport to families everywhere through donations, nonprofit partnerships and free catch-and-release ponds at Bass Pro Shops locations across North America on June 10-11 and 17-18.
Morris was inspired to create the initiative after reflecting on childhood memories of fishing with his family. These experiences helped shape his lifelong passion for the outdoors and wildlife conservation.
“The most special memories in life come from spending time in nature with those you care about. For me, it all started with fishing,” said Johnny Morris, who spent his boyhood summers fishing with his family on the beautiful rivers in Missouri’s Ozark mountains. “We want to help as many kids as we can discover the joy of fishing – on the ocean, in a lake or on a stream – so we’re donating thousands of fishing poles, inviting families to catch their first fish at Bass Pro Shops and encouraging everyone to take someone they love fishing this summer.”
National Donation Day
During a national donation day on Thursday, June 8, Bass Pro Shops is donating 40,000 rods and reels to nonprofit organizations that connect kids to the outdoors and help get more kids outside. Customers brought in their gently used rods and reels this spring in exchange for discounts on new gear. Bass Pro Shops refurbished each piece to ensure it was fish-ready for kids. In the last five years, Bass Pro Shops has donated more than 250,000 items to youth-focused nonprofit organizations including Boys and Girls Club and Boy Scouts of America.
Monday, June 10, 2019
New Z-Man® TicklerZ™ tones down fanfare, maximizes bites
Sometimes, the most
alluring baits for bass and other species, by far, are the simplest in
stature. The best minimalist baits don’t mimic anything specifically;
they’re suggestive of aquatic life, approximating the size,
silhouette and movements of a bite-sized critter.
The anatomical opposite of exacting,
match-the-hatch profiles, bare-bones Ned Rig baits do
one thing extraordinarily well: catch fish in assembly-line numbers. That’s
the idea behind Z-Man’s fresh-from-the-molds TRD TicklerZ™. Put one in the
water and there’s no denying its simple, elegant appeal to underwater
predators.
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“What makes Ned Rig
fishing so good is, well, nothing,” deadpans Brian (aka “B. Lat”)
Latimer, winner of the 2019 FLW Tour event at Lake Seminole.
Lest you misinterpret B. Lat’s take, first
realize the Z-Man pro is actually a major Ned Rig fan.
“The TRD TicklerZ is my new favorite Ned
bait—super unassuming, but with just enough subtle, bite-inducing appendages.
It’s similar to the Hula StickZ™— my other
favorite finesse bait— only in a shorter, stubbier package and with a
smooth-skin texture.
“I can’t tell you how to fish it, because you
can’t fish it wrong,” B. Lat shrugs
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Meanwhile, another
migrating angler who splits time between bass- and walleye-rich Lake of the
Woods, Ontario and southern U.S. Bassmaster Elite Series events, Jeff “Gussy”
Gustafson says the TRD TicklerZ has been a revelation for both smallmouth and
spotted bass. “Earlier this spring, we crushed the spotted bass with a Ned
rigged TicklerZ at Lake Lanier. Came home and cleaned up on big smallmouths
with the same combo on Lake of the Woods. For guiding kids and first-time
anglers, it’s like fishing livebait, because there’s no wrong way to work it.
That’s a sign you’ve got a sweet bait tied on.”
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Friday, June 7, 2019
When to Use Talon Shallow Water Anchors vs Spot-Lock
A common question is, when should I use my Minn Kota Talon shallow water anchors and when should I use Spot-Lock. Well, there many situational uses for each technology. Bassmaster Elite Pro, Carl Jocumsen shares some situations in which he will Talon down and when some in which he will use Spot-Lock on his Minn Kota Ultrex. Water depth, wind direction, fishing presentation, and fish location are all factors.
Thursday, June 6, 2019
Wheeler Rolls to First Bass Pro Tour Win on Table Rock, Takes Home Bad Boy Mowers Stage Seven Presented by Covercraft Trophy
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| MLF pro Jacob Wheeler was able to run away with the Bad Boy Mowers Stage Seven Presented by Covercraft trophy after capturing 56 Table Rock bass for a total of 84 pounds. (Photo: MLF) |
Jacob Wheeler has been in contention at several events this year, but one thing had eluded him: a Major League Fishing® (MLF) Bass Pro Tour win.
Until Wednesday.
Wheeler owned the Bass Pro Tour Bad Boy Mowers Stage Seven Presented by Covercraft. He was the story after the Shotgun Round with his record-setting pace, then after leading the Elimination Round, and again when he survived a midday boat swap to still finish eighth in Tuesday's Knockout Round.
He remained in contention every day, and was able to run away with the win Wednesday after capturing 56 Table Rock bass for a total of 84 pounds, easily outdistancing Brandon Palaniuk's 69-2.
Another Big Day for Wheeler
When time expired, Wheeler was visibly emotional after the realization that he won had set in. He finished second to Jacob Powroznik at Stage Three, and stated on MLF NOW! that he told himself if he was ever in the same situation, he would not let up. And he didn't.
"The fishing was crazy good the first day (88 fish for 129-14), but I knew the pressure would get to them, so I had to change it up," Wheeler said after his win.
Having to change boats during the Knockout Round was understandably stressful, but he overcame it.
Wednesday, June 5, 2019
DeFoe, VanDam lead final 10 into Bass Pro Tour Stage Seven Championship Round
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| MLF pro Ott DeFoe (left) shows one of his 51 scorable bass caught in today's Knockout Round competition, before immediately releasing it back into the water after being weighed. DeFoe finished atop the 10 anglers who qualified for Wednesday's Championship Round. But his and all scores are zeroed for the Championship Round, which will return to a morning start time of 7 a.m. CT and ends at 3 p.m. |
Watching the weights on SCORETRACKER® during the Knockout Round for the Major League Fishing® (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Bad Boy Mowers Stage Seven Presented by Covercraft - and trying to predict who would be in the Top 10 when time ran out - was like the local meteorologist trying to predict the next storm around Table Rock Lake.
It was nearly impossible.
Once again, there was a lightning-related weather delay, but it was short-lived, and the anglers only lost a few minutes of fishing time. The scheduled Knockout Round hours were noon - 8 p.m. CT, as they have been throughout each of the first five days of competition this week.
DeFoe On Top
It has become pretty common to see Ott DeFoe leading after a round, and he did so with a catch of 83 pounds, 8 ounces on 51 fish today. He did much of his damage with a crankbait and caught several quality fish, including a 3-13.
Tomorrow's starting time has been adjusted to a 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. schedule to avoid another delay, and things could change in terms of how the anglers catch their fish.
"I was able to hold off Kevin (VanDam) there at the end and have some good momentum going into tomorrow," DeFoe said. "I need to hurry and get back to bed since we're starting in the morning."
Defoe finished Stage Six in 8th place, and it seems like he has Table Rock dialed in this time of year as only he and Jacob Wheeler are repeat Championship Round qualifiers.
VanDam Starts and Finishes Strong
Kevin VanDam had a solid morning bite going and quickly took the lead before falling back a few spots. He stayed in the Top 10 all day and resumed his place near the top in Period 3 as he tallied a total of 81-14 on 46 fish today.
Wiggins and Meyer Rally
Jesse Wiggins was in 37th place as Period 1 came to a close, but the Alabama pro executed such a strong turnaround that he briefly held the lead at one point in Period 3. His miraculous jump included catching several quality fish in a row with around one hour to go.
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
Van Dam Rockets into Knockout Round MLF!
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| Kevin VanDam powered his way into the Knockout Round thanks to a strong day on Table Rock Lake. (Photo: Josh Gassman MLF) |
Impending storms were a storyline all day at the Bass Pro Tour
Bad Boy Mowers Stage Seven Presented by Covercraft, and they finally became the
story at 6 p.m. as Group B’s Elimination Round was cut short by a
lightning-caused weather delay that lasted until 7:20 p.m.
When things were deemed safe to resume, anglers had 40 minutes
to make a move. Only one significant change happened during those closing
moments: Bradley Roy exited the Top 20, and Michael Neal jumped above the
Elimination Line.
As the weather became the story, it overshadowed great days from
several anglers, some big movers, and a Kevin VanDam sighting at the top of
SCORETRACKER®.
VanDam, Suggs Lead the Pack
The leading angler when the storm arrived was Scott Suggs with
122 pounds, 6 ounces. He backed up a solid day during the Shotgun Round with 55
pounds today.
However, in the final moments, VanDam pushed himself to a spot in
the leaderboard he’s found himself in many tournaments: the top.
VanDam has had a trying season, but his 69-3 on Monday was the
best of anyone in the field as he ended with 123-14.
Big Movers
Nobody made a bigger move than Andy Montgomery, who started the
day in 36th and found himself in 33rd after Period 1. A 33-bass, 44-pound tally
in Period 2 salvaged his tournament, and he found himself in 12th place to
finish the day.
Others making moves were: Mark Davis (21st to 10th), John Murray
(24th to 14th), Greg Hackney (28th to 7th), and Jesse Wiggins (23rd to 17th).
Falling out of the cut today was: Gerald Swindle (15th to 24th),
Brent Chapman (16th to 25th), and Kelly Jordon (17th to 27th), and Alton Jones,
Jr. (18th to 21st).
Andy Montgomery was one of the big
movers on Monday. Photo by Phoenix Moore
Monday, June 3, 2019
Record Fall on Bass Pro Tour's 7th Stop on Table Rock Lake!
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| MLF pro Shin Fukae joins fellow angler Jacob Wheeler in breaking the 100-pound mark in the opening round of the MLF Bass Pro Tour Stage Seven at Table Rock. (Photo: MLF) |
Fishing the first tour-level afternoon/evening competition day in recent years - a noon-to-8 p.m. game day - Wheeler wrote his name in the MLF record books twice: Once for most weight caught in a single day of competition, and one for most scorable bass landed in a day.
Elimination round for Group B starts today at noon.
Friday, May 31, 2019
3 Hot Bass Fishing Trends
Check out this great video that highlights 3 Hot Bass Fishing Trends that will catch more bass for you.
#1. Micro braid lines. Super far casts, fishing deep and quick sink rates are all a plus.
#3. Bladed jigs with big trailers is a big bass killer. Why do some baits outproduce others?
Find out here.
#3. Silent jerkbaits are a secret when the bite is slow or the bass are moody.
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