New Lures

Now is a time great time of year to get your new gear and get everything organized.  Many of the lure companies like Rapala and Strike King are introducing new lures and there are some sales on the older models.
The new Rapala Clack n Crank crankbaits seem to be stirring up a big time buzz.  I plan on getting at least one for myself real soon!
Be sure to clean and lubricate reels, change old line and organize your tacklebox so you will be ready when you hit the water for the spring spawn.  Of course, in another shameless plug...click on the Bass Pro Shops banner and you can find the latest and greatest as well as anything else you might need for your outdoor excursions.
Now get your $#&* together and go fishin'!

KVD Wins #4!!!

Here we are again!  Kevin VanDam is the Bassmaster Classic champ, AGAIN!
I was doing some thinking and came to the conclusion that he must undergo testing!
Is he a man? A machine? A cyborg?  Or some kind of human-largemouth bass hybrid?
Just kidding, of course!
What else can be said about the greatest bass angler of our time and probably of all time?
Congratulations KVD!  You Da Man...or are you???

Learning Experience

 Today was a new fishing experience for me.  Last fall I bought a kayak, but due to shoulder surgery have not used it, until today.  I am not nearly back to 100% and am quite sore this evening, but I really did love it.
The weather has been extremely cold in NC this winter and the water was even colder than I thought it would be.  The conditions were tough, and being new to fishing from a kayak, I only managed one small bass in 2 hours of fishing.
I had to stop because my shoulder was starting to hurt a bit.  It's definitely different fishing in a kayak and I think I am now addicted!  It's very peaceful and quiet, you can sneak up on the fish for sure!  Hopefully with some more warm days the fishing will get better and my shoulder will get stronger!

Catch and Release

The spawn is on!  Now is the time when bass start spawning and are vulnerable because they are aggressive and hungry.
This is great for anglers and is a great and fun time to go fishing.
I would like to encourage everyone to practice catch and release at this time of year.  The big females are laying eggs or may still be carrying eggs, so it is important for the future of the species that they be allowed to spawn and protect their spawning areas until the baby bass can develop.
If it's good for the bass, it's good for all of us who love to catch 'em!

Love is in the air....uh, water!

In the south, February is the beginning of the bass spawn.  Female bass begin to move to shallow water to get ready for spawning.  This is when they are big, hungry and most aggressive, and prime for catching!
It's a great time for anglers to get out a hunt for the lunker bass of a lifetime!  One of the best ways to catch bass now is with Texas-rigged soft plastic baits.  These can be big 10 or 12 in worms, tubes or creatures like the Berkley Chigger Craw. 
Look for shallow flats near deep water with some type of cover like grass, stumps and brush.  Make fanshaped casts and drag, hop and swim these baits searching for where the bass are and which presentation they prefer.  During the spawn the bass will not be as picky and will attack anything that comes near their spawning beds!  Hold on tight because these bass will hit hard!

Invasive Species

I have read several articles and seen some fishing shows lately that gave information about invasive species.  These can be everything from the "snakehead" fish as shown in the picture, to a range of parasites.  These are species that are not native to our waters and can wreak havoc on our native fish populations.
These invasive creatures can be spread on purpose by people putting fish into their local waters or accidentally by not cleaning their boats, boots, or waders and transferring them from one body of water to another.
Another issue has been the spread of non-native aquatic plants.  These plants can get into our lakes and rivers and choke out the native plants, having a negative impact on these waters.  I know people don't think about these things, but we need to change our thinking to preserve our beloved bass, muskie and other North American fish species for future generations.
"If it's good for the fish, it's good for the angler!"

Hardcore!

As I have stated in other posts, now is a great time for some big 'ol lunker bass!  Not everyone is cut out for this kind of hardcore cold weather fishing, but if you can take it, it could pay off with a trophy!
The best way to handle things this time of year is to watch the weather.  If you can get out after a 3 day or more warming spell, the bass may be slightly more active.  Some will move up shallower and can be caught near underwater structure.
A great bait for winter fishing is a jig with a crawfish trailer. These can be cast near cover and structure and dragged or slowly hopped along the bottom.  Bass and their prey are pretty sluggish at this time of year, so go slow.  If you can find a place where the water transitions from deeper to shallower, you should do well.  Any bass in the area will hang out in areas where they have easy access to both deep and shallow water.  So if you are a hardy type, get out there and land that lunker!