Beating the Winter Blues Part 1: Reading

One of the best ways to kick the blues is reading. There are a lot of cool books out there. Some old and some new are an excellent way to enjoy the fishing scene from the comforts of home. 

Mike's newest one.




Some recommended reads.
Finesse Fishing with Mike Iaconelli by Ike and Steve Price is a new book on finesse fishing. Haven't seen it but it should be a good one. Steve Price is a serious writer with decades of skill. Should be helpful at honing any one's skills. 


 Fishing on the Edge by Mike Iaconelli is a super read. Probably one of the best to illustrate the frustration, fun and foolishness that goes on in tournaments. A key part of the book is the hardcore, internal turmoil of Mike's personal life before and after his Classic win. This is not a "how to" book but an inside view of life on the road towards an impossible dream.  


Bass Madness by Ken Schultz is a super book that paints a not so rosy portrait but honest of BASS and bass fishing tournaments at the national level. The book runs through the 2005 and 2006 Bassmaster season and what a season it was. Some of the key high lights are: Ike gets DQ at the Classic, Luke Clausen wins the Classic and leaves BASS, the rise of BASS, Bass heads, along with plenty of historical details no previous book has offered.

What to do?



It's fun but it's still not fishing.

 Where I live it is freezing out side! I was at Bass Pro shops yesterday and ran into some cool guys from the Ontario Chinese Anglers Association in Markham, Ontario. One asked if I had been ice fishing yet. When I replied no, he questioned if I was waiting for the ice to get thicker. "No, I'm waiting for it to melt!" I kidded. We all laughed and then sighed at the thought of waiting for a few more months before our boats slip back into the water.

What to do when you're cooped up inside?  We'll discuss off season chores and activities that will get you ready for the lake.  

Check out the buzz bait article. There are some home improvements you can do to your favourite buzzers to make them even better.

Keep in touch because I will certainly be in touch.

Getting a Buzz with Buzzbait

By Luigi De Rose


The lake went slick calm just after 8:30 am. Several bass had fallen to the
spinnerbait, but once the wind died, so did my luck. The weed flat I was
working stretched out over hundreds of yards. Being mid-summer, it had turned
into a nearly unfishable jungle. Irregular weed islands checker boarded the
water. Exchanging the spinnerbait with a 1/2oz. chartreuse buzzbait seemed
fitting. Casting to pockets of open water, I snaked the buzzer around numerous weedy islands and through lane ways between the weeds. The first bass caught me off guard when it hit only a few metres from the bow of the boat. As the lure neared my rod tip, my eyes left the bait to scan the water for my next cast. Just as my head turned, the rod buckled under. In one startled motion I powerfully swept the rod hoisting the two pound bass through the air, over the gunnel and into my lap. In the next three hours nine bass clobber the buzzer. Each strike was explosive and exhilarating. That's the magic of buzzbaiting.

This topwater bait is meant for heavy cover. It sports one or two big winged blades that churn quickly to the surface after a few turns of the reel handle. Metal and plastic blades are common but metal creates more flash, vibration, and can be modified easily. Buzzbaits are simple to use. Cast out and reel in. Line up several targets in a row and guide the buzzbait pass each one. Keep the bait in multiple strikes zones on each cast. Casting reels are more accurate and your best choice for buzzbaiting Some anglers like long heavy-action rods, but I prefer a 6 1/2-foot rod with a soft tip and plenty of backbone and a reel; load with 17-pound-test mono or heavier line.

 Although most at home riding over emergent and submerged weeds, a buzzbait will work anywhere active bass and cover coexist. Open water is the untapped horizon for buzzbaits. Big brozebacks and largemouths routinely roam open water. Pods of bass will cruise underwater landmarks. Shoals, contours around islands, points, and rocky shorelines are all prime locations to intercept them. Buzzbaits make great search lures. Straining the water for biters can be done quickly. The clearer the water, the farther fish will hunt these baits down. Casts can be more random and still be effective.

Three colours dominate buzzbaits. Chartreuse, white and black skirts with either a silver or copper blade. Brighter skirts and silver blades are the norm. But, on dark, overcast days a black skirt with a copper blade is a popular combination. Size is pretty standard too. Most baits are 3/8oz. or 1/2 oz. When selecting a lure, scrutinize the hook and blade. The lure needs a large blade that will run well and a heavy, sharp hook to penetrate and hold.  Customizing will make just about any buzzbait more effective. First, add a trailer hook to catch bass that nip at the bait. Slip on a large 2/0 to 4/0 Siwash or specialty trailer hook over the hook of the bait. Some recommend threading rubber tubing over the eye of the trailer hook, but don't do it. This practice was common for years, but there's a better way. After slipping on the trailer hook, pierce a 1cm  (1/4")section of tubing through the middle with the main hook. Then push the plastic tube well passed the barb of the buzzbait's hook. The tubing prevents the trailer hook from popping off, but still allows it to move freely.

Morizo Shimizu Bassmaster Elite Angler

At ibassin.com, we have a strong connection with the fishing scene in Japan. One of that county's most recognizable anglers on the Bassmaster Tour is Morizo Shimizu. He still considers Japan home but has been fishing in the States for almost a full decade. Sporting a funky hair style and infectious laugh, he has done very well over the years. This past year was no exception. Qualifying for his first Bassmaster Classic and a 5th place at Lake Mead during the grueling WON Bass U.S. Open, he is pumped for 2011. 

We met up with him at ICAST this past July. While filming an up-coming fishing special and working the Evergreen International booth, one of his main sponsors, he wanted to give a warm thank you to the fans.

For a brief profile on Morizo check out www.bassfan.com

Go get them at the Classic Morizo!

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