KVD Wins Number Three!

Kevin VanDam won his third Bassmaster Classic title on Sunday, becoming only the second angler with 3 titles (Rick Clunn has 4 titles). KVD was his usual self, dominating the entire tournament, with his wide-open fishing style.
I was very surprised by the large sacks of fish at each days weigh ins. The cold conditions we've had here in the south led myself and others to expect tough conditions. However there was some warming and the water temps rose enough to produce some great fishing and made for a great Classic this year.
KVD cements his position as the greatest pro angler in history every time he hits the water. He is a great role model and spokesman for our sport and always handles himself with a ton of class.

Time for the Bassmaster Classic!

It's time once again for the granddaddy of fishing tournaments and I can't wait. I have to admit that I love watching fishing shows and tournaments.

This years classic will take place on Lake Lay near Birmingham Alabama from February 19-21. I have been trying to come up with some predictions, it's tough with such a great field of bass anglers. Of course Kevin VanDam is always a great pick to win anytime he's on the water and defending champ Skeet Reese will be a top contender.

There are some awesome bassers that could make a run at the title, like Alabama native Boyd Duckett and Shaw Grigsby. All of these guys are great bass anglers and all of the articles and interviews I have seen with them they seem like real good folks as well. I think any of them would be a great champ and spokesman for this great sport we all love.

Well, all that being said, it's time for my pick. I'm going with last years runner-up Michael Iaconelli. Last year Ike nearly pulled it off and I think this year he will win his second Bassmaster Classic title. You just have to love this guy's passion and intensity.

World Record Bass

This new world record bass was recently caught in Lake Biwa in Japan by 32 year old angler Manabu Kurita. The bass weighed in at 22 lbs 5 oz which beat the old record by 1 ounce. Officially it is considered a tie because officials state the rule that a fish must weigh 2 ounces more than the previous record in order to take over the title.

No matter how you look at it, it's an amazing fish. I believe that the report I saw said he used a live bluegill for this lunker. He also uses many huge 7" swimbaits for some of the other big bass he specializes in catching. I think I may have to upsize some of my own tackle and target some big boys for myself this year. Kurita reportedly also fishes with extra large softbaits such as 10" wacky rigged worms when targeting big bass.

Winter Deep Spinnerbaits

I have recently been researching ideas for effective winter bass fishing and came across using spinnerbaits fished deep. I have to admit I had not really considered this, as I usually use jigs or deep diving crankbaits this time of year.

The idea is to choose a heavy (3/4 or 1 ounce) spinnerbait with Colorado blades to sink down to the deep water that bass prefer when it is very cold. The Colorado blades are the larger, rounded blades and put off more vibration, that will help bass find the bait easier. I would also suggest using brightly colored baits in white and chartreuse to further enable lunker bass to see your bait. This can be a great addition to your arsenal of winter bass fishing.

Fishing Science

Just when I thought the Laser Lure was the utmost in scientific advances, along comes the Biopulse Lure. Being a poor working man I haven't gotten one yet, but I'm savin' my pennies.

This lure sounds amazing with a scent dispensing system, sound generator and LED system that are all supposed to attract bass by appealing to all of their senses.

There are always new fishing lures and tackle coming out, but I have to admit this one really sounds like cutting edge fishing technology and I can't wait to tie one on my line. If anybody out there has experience with this or any other lure, please feel free to leave comments about how they worked for you.

Cold Weather Fishing

If you are a hearty soul, now is a great time to catch some really big bass. You will have to have patience and the right equipment to go after bass at this time of year.
I would suggest that you use a depth finder, even a cheap one will do, because most bass will be in the deepest water of your favorite fishing hole. You will need to have an idea where these spots are and a depth finder is a must have. Bass Pro Shops and Cabelas have a large selection and like I said, even a cheapie will let you identify deep water.
Once you have an idea where to fish for those deep water largemouth bass and smallmouth bass you can use a deepdiving crankbait to probe these areas. I also like to fish with a jig and trailer bait in cold water. The jig should be fished slowly since the bass are more lethargic in colder months and the bait they normally feed on is also moving more slowly now. This will provide a more natural bait presentation.

Crankbaits

I am posting a picture of various types of crankbait bills so that you will have an idea of what I am referring to when I talk about different lures. This is the quickest way to identify your crankbaits and figure which one to use.
I like numerous brands, including Norman Lures, Rapala, as well as the store brands sold by Cabelas and Bass Pro Shops. Be sure to have an array of styles and colors in your tackle box so you can figure out what those wiley bass are looking for.