Why You Need To Invest In a Great Baitcasting Reel!

Casting reels are one of the most important parts of bass fishing. The price tags seems to get higher and higher but the quality of these reels is amazing!  Sure, there are cheaper reels out there but buying a great reel really is a wise investment. Check out Mike "IKE" Iaconelli at the Abu Garica booth as he tells you why you need to buy the best reels you can afford.

Speed Kills with the Abu Garica Revo Rocket

The Abu Garica is one of the fastest reels on the planet. Abu Garica has made sure to back up that speed with strong gear and plenty of muscle. Find out more of this 9.0:1 speed demon.

Packing a lightning fast 9.0:1 gear ratio, the lightweight Abu Garcia REVO Rocket Casting Reel is the fastest low-profile reel to ever hit the market. It pulls in an impressive 37-inches per turn to take the slack out of any line, and it’s also extremely tough thanks to its corrosion-resistant X2-Craftic Alloy Frame and Sideplates.

Abu Garcia Revo MGX Spinning reel

Spinning reels have overcome great triumphs in design. Abu Garica has led the field in creating wonderfully smooth spinning reels. Here's Andrew Wheeler from Abu Garica to explain the Abu Garcia Revo MGX Spinning reel. If you're in the market for a new reel you have to consider the Abu Garica Revo MGX Spinning Reel.
For more on this great Abu reel link over via here

Skeet Reese Explains Berkley Fishing Line Selection for the BASS Elite Tour

Berkley makes some of the very best fishing line in the world. Monofilament, Fluorocarbon, Braid and even NanoFil all have their place on your fishing reels. Listen to Bassmaster Classic Champ Skeet Reese explain what Berkley fishing lines he uses for all his fishing. 

Berkley Dredger Series Crankbaits with Adrian Avena

If you love to crankbait for bass then you need to focus on the new baits from Berkley. The Berkley Dredger offers a huge range of colours and depths for all you cranking needs. BASS Elite angler Adrian Avena explains why the Berkley Dredger crankbait should be in your boat.

Lake Simcoe Open's New Rules

Here's some of the new rules for the Bass Pro Shop Lake Simcoe Open. As an angler or spectator, this is one of the most thrill tournament of the season!

The following rules shall apply to the Lake Simcoe Open except that (i) these rules may be changed by the Aurora Bassmasters (AB) immediately upon notice by AB to its members, sponsors, partners, suppliers and/or participants, which notice may be published on http://www.aurorabass.com or http://www.simcoeopen.com

Interpretation and enforcement of these rules shall be left solely to the Tournament Director or to his/her designee. In the event of a rule violation, the Tournament Director or a rules committee may impose such sanctions as deemed appropriate by them; including, without limitation to, disqualification, forfeiture of prizes, entry free and prohibition from participation in subsequent tournaments. Subject to any protests process in paragraph 28 below, the decision of the tournament Director of his/her designee shall be final in all matters. Penalties for rules violations may include the following: (a) loss of catch for the day of the violation, (b) disqualification from the tournament in question, (c) disqualification from future tournaments/events, whereby disqualification may be from a specific number of events or for a specific period of time or may be a lifetime disqualification and, (d) any different or additional penalties determined by the tournament directors.

PARTICIPANTS, ELIGIBILITY & COMPETITION:

1) Competitors must be 16 years of age or older. Competitors under the age of 18 must have written parental consent accompanied by a completed proof of General Rules, Regulations & Liability.

2) Entry fees are non-refundable. The Tournament Director reserves the right to refuse or deny application. Payments must be received in-full by Saturday October 17th. Late Entries will be accepted afterwards right up to 7pm at the pre-tournament meeting beginning at 5pm on Friday October 23rd at the Highway Man Inn, Orillia.  Late entries will be assessed a late fee payment of $50.00 to complete their registration.  These will be accepted on a first come/first serve basis (cash only during pre-tournament meeting)

2a) Tournament Director reserves the right to add up to 10 boats to the proposed 100 boat cap in 2016. A waiting list will be compiled and farmed on a first-come, first-serve basis.

3) All competitors must hold a valid Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Fishing License and must be on your person & produced upon request- MNRF Conservation Licenses are not valid for the Lake Simcoe Open.

Bass Pro Shops Hooks Cabela's

Hail to the King!

By Luigi De Rose

And Sold! Bass Pro Shop’s acquisition of Cabela’s has finally occurred with a staggering $5.5 billion (US) transaction.

Under pressure for lagging sales especially in its foot ware and apparel departments Cabela’s was actively looking for a buyer. An offer of $65.50 per share is a 19.2 percent premium to Cabela's close on Friday making the takeover very appealing and lucrative for shareholders. Its stock has jumped 11.1 percent from this time last year.

This move has vaulted Bass Pro Shop to hunting and fishing retail supremacy. The combined company will have 184 stores in America and Canada. The agreement between Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops is expected to close in the first half of 2017.

For the outdoor industry it might be boom or bust. For the companies lucky to grab shelf space its brand will be showcased to outdoor enthusiasts throughout the continent. Being on the outside looking in can spell doom particularly for start-up or smaller companies. Even popular regional brands will now have a more difficult task to catch the eye of Bass Pro Shop’s buyers. Many insiders forecast that the future will see more generic store brand lures which will be a detriment to the industry as a whole. As this occurs, competition will likely be more feverish for anyone who wants to slay the beast.

Skeet Reese Loves Berkley HAVOC baits and You Should Too!

Skeet Reese is one of the most accomplished anglers on the BASS Tour. Berkley used Skeet's knowledge to create some of their most successful HAVOC baits. Learn from the Bassmaster Classic himself as he explains why HAVOC baits are so good.

G-MAN is the 2016 Toyota Bassmaster Elite Angler of the Year!

Feider wins event with 26lb bag of smallmouth!
BASS PRESS RELEASE

G-Man finally is crowned AOY!
(Photo: BASS)

Gerald Swindle of Guntersville, Ala., clinched his second Angler of the Year title at the 2016 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship at Mille Lacs Lake in central Minnesota.
 
A total purse of $1 million was paid out to the Top 50 Bassmaster Elite Series pros, along with berths to the 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro. Swindle collected $100,000, and the remaining 49 anglers earned shares of the remaining $900,000.
 
The Top 39 anglers in the points standings have secured berths into the Classic next March on Lake Conroe near Houston, Texas.
 
Swindle, a 15-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier, failed to catch a limit on the first day of the championship, but he figured out the fish and on the final day brought in 22 pounds.
 
“The last thing I wanted was to win this title without catching the kind of fish that Mille Lacs is known for producing,” Swindle said. “I left the docks this morning with the full intention of going out and catching them how I wanted to catch them. I threw a jerkbait and a vibrating jig and had an awesome day. Sometimes you just have to go with your gut.”
 
Swindle said a 7-pound largemouth he caught during the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Ala., in late April was the turning point for his season.

2016 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship at Mille Lacs Lake Day 2: Swindle Banking on Point Spread!

Swindle down, but far from out. 

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Another impressive day of hefty smallmouth astonished fans during the second round of the $1 million Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship at Minnesota's famed Mille Lacs Lake.

Points gap favours G-Man.
(Photo: BASS)

On Thursday, the Top 50 qualifiers from the Bassmaster Elite Series produced 23 limits exceeding the 20-pound mark. Today's field did one better by bringing 24 limits to the scales exceeding 20 pounds.

While that's an impressive turnout yet again, the angler who catches the heaviest three-day limit of bass does not win this tournament; rather points are the key to victory this week.

Gerald Swindle of Guntersville, Ala., held onto his Angler of the Year lead after weighing 15 pounds, 13 ounces, which brought his two-day total to 25-6. He improved on Thursday's performance, but Keith Combs of Huntington, Texas, is within 28 points of Swindle in the AOY race.

2016 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship at Mille Lacs Lake Day 1: Swindle Misses Smallmouth Fest!

Omori bags giant 26 pound smallmouth limit
BASS PRESS RELEASE

Terrible day reduces AOY lead for G- Man.
(Photo: BASS)

Giant limits of smallmouth bass created quite the spectacle during the first weigh-in of the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship at Mille Lacs Lake in central Minnesota.
 
Twenty-three anglers crested the 20-pound mark with their individual five-fish daily limits. While that’s very impressive, this tournament isn’t won by the heaviest three-day total. Rather, it’s all about crowning the best angler of the 2016 season.
 
Gerald Swindle of Warrior, Ala., came to Mille Lacs with a 43-point lead over Keith Combs of Huntington, Texas. Swindle didn’t have to do much coming into this tournament to lock up the AOY title. But during Thursday’s first round, the 15-time Classic qualifier struggled to locate the right fish.
 
Swindle brought only three bass to the scales that weighed 9 pounds, 9 ounces.
 

Become an Amazing Drop Shot Angler with Cody Meyer

Another great video to help you become a better drop shot angler. One of the best techniques from Japan, drop shotting works amazing especially in autumn for giant smallmouth and largemouth.
Listen to FLW Pro Cody Meyer as he explains how he drop shot fishes and what gear he likes to use.

Carrot Stix 2.0

Customer service driving force in branding of new Carrot Stix.

By Luigi De Rose

At the recent 2016 ICAST SHOW a distinct booth, a distinctively orange booth seemed busier than most. The blazed orange of Carrot Stix rods gained constant attention throughout the show and warranted a closer look. Aware of success years back, I was curious of their new gear. 

In 2007, Carrot Stix launched their Carrot Orange rods and won an unprecedented 3 ICAST Best of Show categories. At the time, these rods were ground breaking with the introduction of Nano-technology, micro guides and feather light weight. Within a few years the rod company was in trouble then disappeared. In 2014, the company was bought and they were back into the fishing game.

Interested in more information, I sat down with Matt Ki, VP of Operations for Carrot Stix.

IBASSIN:

Hi Matt, thanks for taking the time to tell us more about Carrot Stix.

MATT:

No problem. The booth is a bit quieter now. Yeah, Carrot Stix has 6 lines of spinning and casting rods plus several saltwater and specialty rods along with our brand new 2 speed spinning reel and casting reel. We’re really excited about the 2 speed spinning reel. We’re getting a lot of positive feedback. 

IBASSIN:

Please tell me more about the company? Is it under new ownership?

MATT:

In 2014 it was bought and relaunched. We are steadily building back the business. The past owners left the company in bad shape.

IBASSIN:

Yeah, Carrot Stix was popular then it died out. What happened?

MATT:

The problem was poor warranties and customer service. The real problem was that the factory they used cheated. Instead of hand winding the guides they used a machine which probably wrapped too forcefully creating a weak spot on the blank. So, they shipped out a bad batch of rods without knowing the problem existed.  It seemed that all the rods were breaking between the 2^nd and 3^rd guide. Instead of honouring their products, they were worrying about all the money they were losing by replacing the broken rods. It tarnished the brand. 

2016 FLW CUP: Interview with Chris Johnston FLW Rookie of the Year

Hometown legend in the making.

By Luigi De Rose 

As the scales settled on the FLW CUP on Wheeler Lake, Alabama on August 7^th, the 2016 Walmart Tour season came to a close.  John Cox was declared champion but there is another champion who was bolting back home to continue his bass tournament season in Canada. Chris Johnston, of Peterborough, Ontario had concluded his rookie season on tour. We caught up with him to discuss his fantastic season and his 8^th place finish at the FLW CUP. 

Chris Johnston 2016 FLW TOUR Rookie of the Year. (Photo: FLW)

IBASSIN: Thanks for taking the time out to chat. 

Chris: No problem we are just about 40 minutes from the Canadian border.

IBASSIN: You had an amazing FLW CUP! Let’s talk a bit about it the championship and how you fished. 

Chris: I am surprised that I did so well. I had a very poor practice. I was expecting to flip trees to get the better bites and I did get a few fish but it was random. The first couple of practice days I could get about 5 to 6 bass a day. I was worried that I couldn’t get a limit each day. The deep bite wasn’t there. I got nothing out deep.

On the third practice day, I found a point that had some schoolers but many of the fish were very small. Some were only a few inches long but there were a few 2 pounders mixed in. So, I determined that I would get a few schoolers each morning then try for the flipping fish.

What I discovered was that the schooling bite got better throughout the day. That is something you shouldn’t figure out during an event but in practice so I got a bit lucky. On Day 1 of the tournament I determine that bite was stronger than what I imagined it would be. 

IBASSIN: FLW had pictures of you with some big smallmouth. Did you catch them mixed in with the small schoolers?

2016 BASS Elite Potomac River Day 1: Justin Lucas Leads with 20-04lbs!

G-MAN still in control of AOY

By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Justin Lucas on a roll on tidal rivers.
(Photo: BASS)

There has been a lot of talk the past few years about the declining quality of bass fishing on the Potomac River.

But on Thursday, the best bass fishermen in the world proved there is still plenty of hope for the famed fishery.

Things were especially good for Alabama pro Justin Lucas.

Lucas caught five bass that weighed 20 pounds, 4 ounces, off “one special place” to take the lead in the Bassmaster Elite at Potomac River presented by Econo Lodge. California angler Brent Ehrler is second with 17-13, and Washington pro Luke Clausen is third with 17- 9.

The Top 62 anglers in the 107-angler field caught at least 10 pounds of bass.

“I think the river has taken a little hit the last couple of years, but there’s more grass growing this year than there has been the past two or three years,” Lucas said. “That really helps the weights in a tournament.

“The bass get up in there and eat bluegill and whatever baitfish they can — and it fattens them up.”

Lucas worked his Day 1 magic in one spot that he was surprised to have to himself.

“At certain times of the year, I think the place I’m fishing is a pretty popular place,” Lucas said. “But this time of year, I don’t think it is. I only saw one other boat all day, and that was surprising.

“I stayed there almost until the end of the day — just guarding it more than anything.”

With three days left to fish, Lucas wouldn’t say which lures he was using. He only said he was fishing “West Coast style.”

2016 ICAST G Loomis GLX with Kota Kiriyama & IBASSIN

The G. Loomis GLX rod got a lot of attention. Lighter, better balanced than any other rod out there. International BASS Elite angler Kota Kiriyama explains why he loves the new G Loomis GLX rods.

ICAST 2016 Strike King Rage Swimmer Swimbait with Shaw Grigsby BASS Lege...

If you like swim baits in open water or up in the cover, then you have to  pick up some Strike King Rage Swimmers. Shaw Grigsby explains how to rig and where to cast these great baits.

ICAST 2016 Gamakatsu G Finesse Swivel Shot Worm Hook with Shin Fukae and...

Shin Fukae is one of the very best at drop shotting for smallmouth and largemouth bass. He teamed up with Gamakatsu hooks to create the G Finesse Swivel Shot Worm hook that allows you to avoid line twist while fishing bigger baits or around cover.

ICAST 2016 New Molix Supernato Beetle Topwater with Mike Iaconelli and I...

One of the coolest baits at the 2016 ICAST show was the Molix Supernato Beetle topwater bait. Ike explains why it is a must for anyone looking for an edge or just because it looks so damn cool!

Japanese YGK Braided Line with Shin Fuake FLW Tour Pro and IBASSIN

One of the secrets to FLW Pro Shin Fukae drop shot fishing is that he uses a sinking braided line that is now available in the USA. Learn what makes the YGK braid ideal for fishing in clear water.