FACEBOOK PRIZE PACK

IBASSIN wish all of you a very Happy New Year!

 What better way to start off 2013 than with free gear.
"LIKE US" and have a chance to win one of two X-Rig (JIKA RIG) prize packs from our friends at Stringease.
You have till January 6th.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/ibassincom/265989363495983

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all our fans, friends and family.

Is your Outdoor Card going to Expire?

Hey everyone, its easy to let those little jobs slip your mind. Don't let this job slip by during the busy holiday season.

Have a look at your Ontario Outdoor Card's expiration date.

Super Christmas Present!

If you love the outdoors or knows some who does, this is a great idea. Sign up for an amazing coarse from an amazing guy.

Winter Woods and Waters Photography Workshop

Stokely Creek Lodge February 7th-10th 2013

The winter landscape around Stokely Creek Lodge begs to be photographed. Not only are the rolling hardwood mountains and cavernous valleys laced with cross country ski trails and snow shoe trails, but they are a prime example of the stunning winter wilderness of the Algoma Highlands area.

Embracing the Challenge of Winter Photography
With the winter wilderness literally right at our doorstep, warming up with a cup of hot chocolate by the fire between shoots is an option. However, participants will need to bring warm winter clothes and be prepared to work within the winter elements that most photographers shun. And the results will be worth it.

2013 Quinte Fishing Series 2013 Dates

The Quinte Fishing Tournament Dates

Please observe the dates closely. They reflect the new opening day for zone 20 for 2013. 

Qunite fishing is a great series on a great body of water. If you want a challenging, well organized and enjoyable tournament to fish pick one or all of these events. They launch out of Belleville, Ontario and the fishing is first class. 

May 26th walleye
June 16th Largemouth only, 1 day event
July 6th/7th Largemouth only, 2 day event
July 28th Largemouth/Smallmouth, 1 day event
August 17th/18th Largemouth/Smallmouth, 2 day event
September 14th/15th Peter Thompson Memorial Classic , Largemouth only, 2 day event

For more info click here. 

Due Date for Classic Marshal this Tuesday!

The dead line for registration for the marshal program is this Tuesday. You have to be a BASS member but what a thrill it would be to watch the BASS MASTER CLASSIC being won from the back of the boat.

Click the photo to link to BASS.

Early Christmas Present: Bass Season Opens Early in 2013!

In southern Ontario, Christmas wishes came true for many. Starting 2013, the bass season will open on the 3rd Saturday in June in zones 17, 18 and 20. This year, we get to start on June 15th.

Link to the MNR

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/groups/lr/@mnr/@letsfish/documents/factsheet/stdprod_101636.pdf

Kistler and Loomis Unite on new KLX

The handcrafted KLX (an acronym the "Kistler-Loomis Xperience") build is anchored by a T800 Hybrid High-Modulus blank cooked up by Gary Loomis, exclusively for the KLX project. Loomis' goal was a light and nimble handling blank; yet one which retains the sensitivity that set Loomis blanks apart from the crowded field.

While other manufacturers make over-the-top claims of "super-sensitivity"—the KLX has an uncanny ability to transmit feel, as if it's an extension of your fingertips. KLX Project Director Trey Kistler, “The sensitivity of the KLX is achieved by combining Gary’s revolutionary blank, the most advanced components and Kistler’s technique-specific build configurations. We have a rod that brings much of the experience of our $500+ custom Z-Bones to a price that anyone can afford, and it’s made in America. We felt we owed that to our loyal customers. It's difficult to put into words just how much sensitivity Gary baked into this blank, you just have to experience it"

Shimano and BASS Team Up!

Official Release
DEC 10, 2012
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Bass fishing fans will be seeing a new name linked to Bassmaster tournaments in the 2013 season: Shimano.

Maker of precision fishing tackle, Shimano has become an official Supporting Sponsor of the 2013 Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open, Cabela’s B.A.S.S. Nation and Carhartt Bassmaster College Series.

“Two of the best names in bass fishing just joined forces, and I think B.A.S.S. members and bass fans are the biggest winners here,” said Bruce Akin, CEO of Birmingham-based B.A.S.S. LLC. “Shimano will be a great addition in 2013 to all Bassmaster events and media.”

Shimano and B.A.S.S. have partnered before. One recent collaboration was in early 2012 in the creation of bassmaster.com/Shimano, a site that helps educate anglers about Shimano products, then directs them to local retailers to make a purchase. Sponsorship of Bassmaster events is a further step into the bass market.

The Right Crankbait

L Taylor

The crankbait is one of the most important tools in bass fishing, but they’re a lot like screwdrivers – you need the right style to get the job done.

Most bass fishermen know that crankbaits rank among the most productive and user-friendly lures in existence. Various cranks look mighty similar in tackle trays, though, so picking the best lure to use can get confusing. Retrieve is another variable that defines whether you get the job done. B.A.S.S. pro Terry Butcher has depended on crankbaits for many of his wins, and has an advanced approach to selecting and fishing crankbaits.

A two-time B.A.S.S. winner who calls Oklahoma home, Butcher spends a lot of time with a crankbait tied to his line. He cranks through the seasons and in a big range of situations.

“I try to learn something about a lake and its tendencies for the time of year when I’ll be fishing,” Butcher said. “Generalities about the lake and the time of year, when combined with specific observations about conditions, tell me a lot about the kinds of areas I will fish, and consequently, the best crankbait to choose.”

Favorite Cranks

The biggest factor that plays into Butcher’s crankbait-selection decision is the depth of the water or the cover the fish are using. Generally speaking, he has favorite crankbaits for various depth ranges. That said, the ranges overlap, and at times he might choose a particular crankbait because of its wobble or a lure that runs too deep for the range because he really wants grind the bottom.

Shimano the Official Reel of BASSMASTER!

Shimano is now the Official reel of BASS. Never in the 40 plus years of BASS have they has an official reel, so Shimano will be the first. For 2013, Shimano will be a proud sponsor of BASS and their Live Release boats will display a full Shimano wrap.  

The press release will be coming shortly on the details.

Five Quick Steps To Locating Bass

By L. Taylor 

Answer these five questions and you’ll find the fish.

With Oklahoma’s Lake Wister severely flooded but falling quickly, Harry Padgett was confident that the fish would be up a certain creek and relating to flooded wood or the briar patches common around the shorelines. With the water falling, he figured the fish might be on the outside edge of the flooded timber and pastures instead of buried into the middle of the thick stuff.  

We caught a bundle of stout largemouths in short order, making things seem almost too easy. For me, it was easy, because Padgett did most of the thinking. All I had to do was throw my spinnerbait around the stuff he said they would be using.

Southern November Crankbait Fishing with Tim Horton

By L. Taylor

I know it’s time when the foliage has turned colors and fallen to the ground; when fernlike patterns appear on my truck’s windows every morning before driving to the lake. I know it’s time when Jack Frost comes nipping at my nose and toes leaving a thin, white layer of crystals. It’s time to resist the temptation of hiding under the covers. It’s time to go crankbaiting in the South.

Anglers in the South welcome the white ice crystals. It’s a sure indication of the changing of the seasons when bass move shallow to gorge themselves before the coming winter.

 “It’s a great time to be out cranking,” says Bassmaster Elite Series Pro Tim Horton.

Although the Muscle Shoals, Alabama, fishing pro is more renowned for his deep offshore structure fishing, when November rolls around he switches crankbaits. He trades in his Bomber Fat Free Shad BD8 and BD7 for the shallow running Bomber Model 4A.

“The key to catching bass in November is finding out where the bass are located. I like to begin searching  in a main tributary that feeds the lake,” he said. “I go halfway back into it then fish toward the backend.

“Here’s what I’m talking about: On Wilson Lake down in Alabama there is a big creek called Shoal Creek. I will get back into it about a mile back then focus on fishing the channel swings inside the creek.”

Another bonus when fishing on Wilson Lake is the smallmouth. During November, big smallmouth move back into creeks feeding on schools of shad. Like the largemouth bass, smallmouth will use channel swings as prime locations for ambushing and gorging themselves on shad.