Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Facebook Friends can Win Boat


Win this Skeeter bass boat!
To celebrate 50 years of making America’s Favorite Fishing Lures we’re giving away a fully loaded 2011 Skeeter FX21 bass boat wrapped in Rebel 50th Anniversary graphics. It comes fully rigged with a 250 Yamaha SHO 4-stroke, Humminbird electronics, Minn Kota trolling motor, Power Pole and more. All you have to do is Like Lurenet.com’s Facebook page and submit your entry. Then, you’re in the running for this amazing grand prize, valued at over $60,000!

Friday, January 27, 2012

B.A.S.S. and Rapala challenges anglers to ‘snap to it’

By B.A.S.S. Communications
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. member Adam Tucker did it. Now B.A.S.S. LLC and Rapala are challenging other anglers to “snap to it” and enter the 2012 Rapala Photo Contest.
For the best snapshot, a monthly winner will receive six Rapala lures and recognition in Bassmaster Magazine. The photo must be of an angler with a bass caught on a Rapala lure. Fish size doesn’t matter, but photo quality does, and the Rapala lure used to land the fish must be visible in the photo. B.A.S.S. judges will select the month’s best submission based solely on those criteria. (Hint: make sure the digital camera is set to a fairly large file size because a tiny file can’t be turned into a magazine photo.)

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Elite Series Pro Fred Roumbanis Joins Picasso Lures Pro Staff

JOSEPHINE, Penn. – Picasso Lures is proud to announce the addition of Bassmaster Elite Series pro Fred Roumbanis to their pro staff. 

Roumbanis, a 33-year-old pro from Bixby, Okla., has become one of the most popular anglers on the Bassmaster Elite Series since its inception in 2006. That's not to say that Roumbanis is all show and no go, Roumbanis has compiled a set of career statistics that would make any pro with 86 Bassmaster tournament entries jealous.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Okuma Reel Cash Rebate and Pro Jersey Available in Canada

Many asked if the Okuma rebates will be offered in Canada. I double checked with the Okuma guy and yes they will. So, the next time you're at the tackle shop or the next Spring Fishing show have a look at the Okuma reels.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

B.A.S.S. Bass Pro Shops Southern Open #1 Chirs Lane Wins!

By Ken DukeB.A.S.S. PRESS RELEASE

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Chris Lane of Guntersville, Ala., made it look easy on Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes in the kickoff event of the 2012 Bass Pro Shops Southern Open series.
Chris used his hometown knowledge all the way
to the winner's circle.
(photo: James Overstreet BASS)
Lane was the only angler to weigh in 20 or more pounds of bass each day on the way to his third B.A.S.S. win, totaling 72 pounds, 11 ounces over the three-day tournament. Clifford Pirch of Payson, Ariz., finished second with 58-1.
All of Lane’s Bassmaster victories have come in Southern Opens. His first two, in 2006 and 2010, came on Lake Okeechobee.
“I got tell you, I had an emotional ride over here,” Lane said. “My dad had a little episode about 3 weeks ago. I’m just glad he’s here to see it.”
Citing the need to slow down and fish his areas thoroughly, Lane used a variety of baits to claim the title and a provisional berth in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees, Feb. 22-24. If Lane fishes the remaining two events in the Southern Open season, he’ll cement the spot in bass fishing’s greatest championship.
“I caught fish on several soft plastics, including 7-inch Gambler Sweebo worms, Gambler Cane Toads and the Gambler Big Easy, but I found my bass with a chartreuse Luck-E-Strike RC2 crankbait,” Lane said. “I used it as a search bait. When I found bass with it, I’d pick up the soft plastics and really work the area over.”

FLW EverStart Lake Okeechobee Brandon Medlock Wins!

by Rob NewellFLW PRESS RELEASE

This is his second win in a row on the big O.
(photos: Rob Newell FLW)
OKEECHOBEE, Fla. – Win a major bass tournament once on a particular lure or technique and it gets a little attention. But win the same tournament two years in a row on the same lure and technique and suddenly you have garnered a lot of attention.
Such is the case with 29-year-old Brandon Medlock of Lake Placid, Fla., who has now won the EverStart Series Southeast event two years in a row with the same lure.
In last year’s January event, Medlock posted weights of 28-01, 16-05 and 19-02 for a three-day total of 63-08. This year he outdid himself with weights of 17-8, 35-7 and 15-3 for a three-day total of 68-2.
The win earned him yet another $35,300 payday.
“The first time I won, I was in shock,” Medlock said. “And to win again, now I’m even more in shock. I just don’t know what to say.”

Saturday, January 21, 2012

B.A.S.S. Bass Pro Shops Southern Open #1 Chirs Lane Wins with giant 28.05 Bag!

Chris Lane wins with 72-11 pounds total.
place/angler/day 1/day 2/day 3 / total fish and total weight
1Chris Lane520- 8523-14528- 51572-11
2Cliff Pirch519-10519-12518-111558- 1
3Keith Carson516-14518- 6520- 91555-13
4Kevin Hawk513-15520- 9519- 21553-10
5Tim Frederick528- 3310- 839-151148-10

Anyone know the name of this worm?

Look at  the worm co-angler Bill Capps is using.
 Chirs Lane was his pro angler and this worm was magic for both of them on day 3
of the  Bassmaster Bass Pro Shop Open on
Harris Chain of Lakes.
|(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

Friday, January 20, 2012

B.A.S.S. Bass Pro Shops Southern Open #1 Day 1: Lane Leads!

Lane lands lead on Harris Chain
Second bag over 20 pounds puts Florida native in line for title
By Ken Duke
(BASS PRESS RELEASE)
Florida native, Chris Lane is all smiles with over 20 lbs.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

It was a day of regulars and records on the Harris Chain of Lakes at the Bass Pro Shops Southern Open.
The regulars were local anglers like Chris Lane and Tim Frederick, who continued to show their dominance. The record – at least for BASS history on these waters – belonged to Bassmaster Elite Series rook Jared Miller of Norman, Okla.
Lane, formerly of Lakeland, Fla., and now residing in Guntersville, Ala., had another stellar day after weighing in 20 pounds, 8 ounces Thursday. His 5-bass limit weighed 23 pounds, 14 ounces, giving him a two-day total of 44-6 and the lead going into the final day of competition, but he said it wasn’t easy.
“I really had to slow down and change some things,” Lane said. “The fish changed overnight because it was a little colder. The water temperature was 58 degrees this morning, when it had been in the low 60s on previous mornings.”
Lane has been remarkably steady thus far, but admits things can change in a hurry on the Harris Chain.

FLW EverStart Lake Okeechobee Day 2: Monster 35-07 Bag!

Former EverStart champ looks to defend his Okeechobee title with huge catch      

20.Jan.2012 by Rob Newell
FLW PRESS RELEASE
This is what 35-07lbs looks like.
(Photos: Rob Newell FLW)
OKEECHOBEE, Fla. – Before the EverStart Series event on Lake Okeechobee began this week many participants thought it would be possible to see a 30-pound plus bag of fish put on the scales.
But after the day-one weigh-in where only one limit broke the 20-pound barrier, the hopes of seeing a 30-pound limit of fish kind of wilted away.
Today, Brandon Medlock of Lake Placid, Fla., showed the Okeechobee weigh-in crowd what they wanted to see: a five-bass limit weighing 35 pounds, 7 ounces. That’s not a misprint: 35 pounds, 7 ounces.
Medlock’s monster mash brought shock and awe, anchored by a 10-pound, 8-ounce Big O giant that easily took the big fish honors.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

B.A.S.S. Bass Pro Shops Southern Open #1 Day 1: 28 pound Take Lead!

Harris Chain of Lakes - Tavares, FL, Jan 19 - 21, 2012

Top 3
Tim Frederick 1st.
(Photos: James Overtreet BASS)

Chris Lane 2nd.

Clifford Pirch 3rd.


Here is the top 20 weights. It is crystal clear that some anglers found a few big ones.


1
Tim Frederick
5
28- 3
5
28- 3
2
5
20- 8
5
20- 8
3
5
19-10
5
19-10
4
5
18-13
5
18-13
5
5
18-11
5
18-11
6
5
17-13
5
17-13
7
5
17-10
5
17-10
8
5
17- 8
5
17- 8
9
5
17- 3
5
17- 3

10

FLW EverStart Lake Okeechobee Day 1: Kapiton Take Day 1

Big O tightens the belt on big bass      
19.Jan.2012 by Rob Newell
FLW PRESS RELEASE
OKEECHOBEE, Fla. – The day-one takeoff of the EverStart Series Southeast event on Lake Okeechobee was like Christmas morning all over again. Even before dawn broke the horizon, anglers were delirious with anticipation over opening the many gifts that Santa-chobee had promised them.
Kapiton Take Lead with 21-06 on Day 1
(Photo: Rob Newell FLW)
Those gifts were in the form of tight green mats of vegetation, adorned with bows of hyacinths, and anglers could not wait to see what big green monsters lived inside the promising packages.
But it appears that perhaps not all anglers had been good boys this year as many were sorely disappointed with what they received. By noon some pros would have even been happy with a couple of stocking stuffers for their empty livewells.
In short, the numbers of 20-pound limits – and even 30-pound limits – that were predicted failed to materialize, leaving many pros scratching their heads. Instead, one lone 21-pound, 6-ounce bag broke the 20-pound mark.
Some of the usual Big O suspects still topped the leader board at day’s end, but all were at a loss as to happened to their fish. The number of bites pros were receiving fell off dramatically. The large concentrations of fish that continually thumped lines in practice had evaporated, leaving those who did well to scramble way more than they had planned to.

Florida Fishing: B.A.S.S. and FLW Start Their Season

Both B.A.S.S. and FLW started their Southern divisional tournaments today. FLW is on Lake Okeechobe and B.A.S.S. started on the Harris Chain of Lakes. Each are big bass waters but very different bodies of water.

The Harris Chain is a network of canals, lakes and dead ends. Staging bass commute these areas looking for spawning areas. Bass and bass anglers need to navigate endlessly to reach quiet spawning grounds. Anglers and bass hope to find a secluded area out of view of prying eyes.


Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Alabama Rig Banned at Classic!

B.A.S.S. imposes One-Lure Rule for the Bassmaster Classic and Elite Series
 
By B.A.S.S.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S., upon the recommendation of its Bassmaster Elite Series Rules Committee, has amended its tournament rules to limit anglers competing in the Bassmaster Classic and Bassmaster Elite Series to the use of a single lure during practice and competition.

Monday, January 16, 2012

The Start of Tournment Season: FLW EverStart Southern Division at Okeechobee

Considering the blast of cold weather we just got, it is difficult to consider mid-January as the start of the tournament season. Yet, even as most of us reach for a heavy jacket, anglers are getting ready for the start of the FLW EverStart Southern Division on the Big O.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Heavy Drop Shot Video with Luigi De Rose

Drop shotting is a great technique. Heavy drop shot is a great adaptation on this proven technique.  Exchange the light line and spinning gear for a flipping rod and braided line will allow you to fish the drop shot rig in places your never imagined. Its a great way to present soft plastic baits in deep grass, standing timber, drop offs and other deep bass locations.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

IBASSIN Exclusive: Fastach X-RIG

Here is a look at the X-RIG

Features:
 Sizes will be 3/0, 4/0 and 5/0. VMC Extra HD 7317 Offset hook.

5 Pieces per pack and costs around $6.99CDN.

Weights will be 2 or 3 assorted per pack. Lead natural colour. Pricing to come.

Using the VMC HD hook. The clip allow for fast changing of weight sizes.

This is not the official weight. Expect a baseball bat profile.
The factory is still designing the weight for the X-RIG.

Line is tied to a super strong swivel and the weight dangles below.

Monday, January 9, 2012

IBASSIN Exclusive: Vok's Croaker Frog

Here is a look at the new Croaker Frog by Vok.

Features
3D Eyes
Ultra Sharp Double Hook (available in barbed and non-barbed hooks)
Extremely Soft and Supple Hollow Plastic
Internal Rattle
Wild colours
Custom cut skirts
3 sizes: 45 small; 55 medium and 65 large

A sample of the colours available.

Great double hooks.

Side view of a 55.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

IBASSIN Exclusive: Vok's Samurai Frog

Here is the first look at this new frog.
The Samurai Frog:
3D Eyes
Super Like-like Appearance
Ultra Sharp Double Hooks
Extremely soft and supple hollow plastic
Internal rattle
Custom Cut Skirt

3 sizes: 45 smallest; 55 medium and 65 largest

Not sure of any MSRP but they are definitely a premium style frog
Model 65
code: SMR-RYW-65

Angled view





Friday, January 6, 2012

Busy week and new tackle

It's been a busy week. Sorry for not getting the new info to you sooner but I've been writing article after article. So what is new? Considering the holidays are over and the weather is finally cold, a lot of bass fishing stuff is new.

Alabama Rigs
I also most had the new Guru's "Rig" in my hands. They just arrive Wednesday morning while I was shopping.  I wasn't going to be close to the office so I couldn't scoop up a few samples. Next week, I should have some time to pass by and get some. Expect some photos sometime midway through next week.

New Frogs
There are 2 new hollow body frogs for this year from Vok Fishing. The truly life like model is called a Croaker frog and the more traditional bait is called a Samrai Frog. Photo coming ASAP.

X-Rigs
I got a phone call early this week. The designer of the X-Rig scolded me for using such a poor picture of the rig. So, I have samples of a few sizes so expect some much higher quality photos of the X-Rig shortly.

Enjoy the weekend.

Monday, January 2, 2012

New Alabama Rigs "Set The Hook" Introduces the CX4-D, CX4 and CX2

IBASSIN EXCLUSIVE

"Set The Hook" Introduces the CX4-D, CX4 and CX2
Peter Savoia, owner of Set the Hook, has released his version of the Alabama Rig.  Creatively called the CX4-D (Canadian X4 Dragger. patent pending) and the CX-4. He also has a two arm one called CX2-W (Canadian X2 walleye rig).
Here are the stats on the rigs
CX4-D
Note the two dragger arms. The legs will keep the bait parallel and slightly off bottom.
The CX4-D and CX4 (traditional Alabama Rig design)
- Designed for dragging on the bottom with two prongs
- Made in Canada
- constructed with .040 Stainless Steel wire
- 30lb duo-lock stainless snap swivels (snaps can be removed to just have the barrel)
- 3 D eyes
- Hard epoxy finish
- Legs are 6" long straight
- 3/4 and 1/2 oz heads versions
CX4
It comes with 4 arms that can be contorted to suit your needs.
CX2-W
Canadian x 2 walleye rig
Designed for trolling two worm harness
- 050 stainless steel weir
- only available in 3/4 oz
all the same features as the cx4.

IBASSIN Exclusive: Fastach Creates it Own Jika Rig

Sizes range from 1/0 to 5/0
(Top to Bottom)
Fastach's new X Rig is the answer for all who were looking for a Jika Rig. This version uses the unique Fastach system which allows anglers to quickly slip on or off any size of weight. This rig substituted the welded O-ring with a small yet ultra strong swivel to provide a solid line tie and prevent line twist. Using custom VMC worm hooks, this X Rig is ideal for finesse all the way to heavy cover presentations.  Expect them in stores in 2012 at a very reasonable price.