Win a new NITRO from BPS!

Here's a link (at the bottom) to enter the contest to win a new NITRO from BPS!

Prize(s): One (1) GRAND PRIZE: A 2009 Nitro X5 fishing boat and Daiwa Fishing gear to be selected by Sponsor. Prize includes freight and preparation.
Total combined ARV: $18,995.

(1) First Prize: A 10 day/8 night fishing trip for winner in the Amazon watershed of Brazil for peacock bass and other species provided by FishQuest! And Captain Peacock Expeditions. Prize consists of round trip air travel for winner to Brazil from the major commercial airport nearest winner’s residence; 10 days/8 nights’ standard accommodations on the Captain Peacock luxury yacht; 6 days of fishing; meals and beverages while on board the yacht; airport assistance and transfers; charter flights within Brazil; laundry service; fishing license; guided fishing and use of fishing equipment. ARV $5,750.

(1) Second Prize: an Elcan digital hunter scope. ARV $1,335.

Expires: April 05, 2009

Minimum Age: 21 years and older who have a valid driver’s license

Open To: Legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia

Entry Frequency: One Time

http://www.carstakes.com/bass-pro-shops-%E2%80%9Cquest-for-the-one%E2%80%9D-2009-nitro-x5-hishing-boat/

How Water Temperatures Affect Largemouth Bass Behavior and Metabolism

Water temperature is one of the most significant factors to rely on when trying to locate and catch largemouth bass. As water temperature changes throughout the year, so does fish behavior and metabolism. Learning to identify how lakes change and how largemouth adapt to these changes can improve your success on any body of water.

Fishing for largemouth bass during the hot summer months is often frustrating because warm water temperatures can make finding and catching fish difficult. Periods of seasonal transition, however, are typically excellent times to track largemouth bass based on water temperature. One such time is early fall when air temperatures begin to dip into the 70° F range. In ponds and lakes, this initial cool-down period is a precursor to fall turnover. Pre-turnover water temperatures instinctively cue fish that winter is coming and feeding activity generally increases.


What is fall turnover? It’s a process that breaks down the stratification, or layering, of warm surface waters above cool or cold deeper waters that occurs in lakes during the summer. During the summer, mixing only occurs in the uppermost layer of water. Most folks that have been swimming in a farm pond during the summer have noticed this stratification…your upper body feels nice and warm, but your feet are ice cold. Fall turnover occurs as surface waters cool, become more dense than underlying layers, and sink, thereby pushing the underlying water layers to the surface. This mixing action occurs until all water is the same temperature (isothermal) from surface to bottom.

Fall turnover of a stratified lake

In most lakes and reservoirs, as water mixes from surface to bottom, it is likely to become less clear and odorous from gases trapped in the bottom mud. Dark, dead vegetation is another clue that fall turnover has occurred.

The body temperature of a largemouth bass is the same as the water where it lives. As a result, its metabolism and body chemistry change as water temperature changes. An abrupt decrease or increase in temperature of 8 degrees or more can cause internal chemical imbalances in fish. It’s important to realize that when largemouth bass experience changes in temperature, they may become inactive until their bodies can reach equilibrium at a new temperature. It may take largemouth bass several days to recover from a decline in temperature, whereas they can recuperate from an increase in temperature in only a few hours. Therefore, cold fronts have a greater impact on fishing than warm fronts.

Largemouth bass will instinctively move to warmer water when the water temperature is below 76° F and to colder water when above 86° F. A largemouth bass can detect changes in water temperature less than one half of a degree using its lateral line. In spite of this, bass will not normally search for locations that offer optimum temperatures if all of their basic needs are being met. Even though they are most likely to move to feed or avoid life-threatening conditions, no single factor is dominant enough to force bass to move away from satisfactory conditions in an effort to achieve optimum conditions.

Cooler water temperatures slow the metabolism of largemouth bass, which causes them to limit movement and eat less. Even though the metabolism of largemouth bass slows in cooler water, this does not mean that they cannot swim fast or aggressively strike a passing lure. However, smaller prey such as aquatic insects typically offer less resistance to capture, take less energy to digest, and are often targeted by largemouth bass when the water cools to around 50° F. Even at this temperature it may take between 4 and 7 days for a largemouth bass to digest a single meal. This strategy of consuming small prey items allows largemouth bass to expend less energy capturing and digesting food, which enables them to be more efficient in cold water.

At 39° F, which would occur mostly in northern latitudes where ice cover is possible, it is theorized that largemouth bass may only feed a couple of times per month during the winter, and each meal takes between 14 and 17 days to digest. Therefore, locations that consistently produce notable catches in late fall or early winter are likely to be where large aggregations of largemouth bass can be found until they "migrate" to spawning grounds in the spring. However, only a few will be caught on a daily basis due to their slow metabolic processes and feeding behavior in cold water.

Fish must use the energy from a single meal to meet several needs. Carnivorous fish, like largemouth bass, have an energy budget that differs from herbivorous fish such as grass carp. Approximately 20% of the energy gained from what largemouth bass eat is discarded as waste, 15% is used for activity or movement costs, 14% is applied for digestion, 7% is used for standard metabolic processes, and the remaining energy is split between growth and reproduction.

One thing you must keep in mind when fishing transitional periods (drastic or seasonal changes in water temperature) is that largemouth bass are adapting to climatic changes. Accordingly, anglers must also adapt their fishing patterns and techniques if they expect to consistently find and catch largemouth bass.

It is key to pay careful attention to aquatic vegetation during the fall to winter transition in lakes. Observing the state of vegetation, whether heavy or sparse, green or brown, or deep versus shallow, is helpful in locating and catching largemouth bass. For example, aquatic plants become sparse in shallow water, which will cause largemouth bass to seek vegetation in deeper water on protected breaks and on inside bends near large flats. As winter approaches, all vegetation in the shallow portion of the lake has begun to turn brown and die. Occasionally, largemouth bass will cruise these areas on warm, sunny days, but, more often they are forced to hold on steeper drop-offs among rocks or stumps.

Another important factor to consider is wind direction and time of day. During the pre-turnover period, when largemouth bass tend to school and feed heavily on baitfish, anglers often target the windy banks because baitfish tend to be concentrated in these areas. However, on cool days in late fall or early winter, this may not be the best strategy. When there is a little "chop" on the water, light, and thus heat, do not penetrate the water’s surface to any considerable depth. As a result, areas affected by wind may become less attractive to largemouth bass. In areas that are as flat as glass on cool days, light, and subsequently heat, can stimulate inactive fish to feed more readily. Largemouth bass are typically more active during the middle or warmest part of the day in fall and winter. As a result, you may have success fishing for largemouth bass on large flats or in shallow coves adjacent to deeper water during the warmest part of most autumn days or during sudden warm spells.

As discussed above, water temperature directly affects the bodily functions and behavior of largemouth bass in many ways. When water temperature is actively changing, bass will adapt accordingly. For consistent fishing success, therefore, it is vital that anglers understand how and why bass behave as they do at various temperatures. It’s also very important to know, not only the water temperature at the time you are fishing, but also the temperature trend in the days preceding your trip. Doing your homework on water temperature definitely increases fishing success.

Bass Fishing in Clear,Shallow Water

What kind of bassin condition gives you the most trouble? Is it cold, muddy water? Deep water? Weedy areas? Most bass anglers I've talked to says clear, shallow water. When bass are in clear shallow water, they are as visible as a neon sign. Yet seeing the bass and catching it is two different matters. You are just as visible to the bass as it is to you, and approaching to within casting distance requires you to be steahlthy, and you have to try and get it to bite at the same time. Shallow bass are as spooky as a deer in a room full of deer hunters, and they will develop lockjaw the moment they detect your presence. Catching bass under these conditions demands a lot of patience as well as an accurate presentation. The majority of the bass I catch here in Illinois is in stained water and thick cover. Finding them and catching them in less than two feet of clear water sounds impossible, but bass can adapt to super clear water. It would seem logical that a bass would inhabit the darkest, deepest areas, but the 12 years I spent in California I found that the clearer the water the more they gravitated to shallower areas, especially in rivers and natural lakes. The reason for this is weed growth is usually thickest in the shallows, and that's where the majority of the bass tend to live. Plus the forage in most clear water is often composed of crawfish, bluegill and shiners; this type of bass forage typically inhibit the shallow, weedy areas and stay away from deep water.
Because clear water lakes contain little plankton, this limits the plankton eating baitfish such as shad. There isn't any real reason for bass to be anywhere but shallow water.
Bass are most likely to be in shallow, clear water in spring when they are spawning. LargeMouth bass will move into the shallows in clear water coves, flats as the water approaches the upper 60 degree range, looking for the best place to build their nest.
I look for bass beds in the northwest corner of the lake, which is mostly protected from the cold north winds and can be around 7-8 degrees warmer than any other place on the lake. Clear water warms more slowly than murky, stained water. I've seen spawning bass
As early as February in stained, murky water and as late as June in a clear body of water. Anytime the lake suddenly rises, always check newly flooded shallows because bass will move into these areas to gorge themselves on insects and other forage trapped there. Any stumps, or weedy areas will hold bass when they're in shallow water. I've seen bass in 7-8 inches of shallow clear water with weed beds.

So go get them bass in shallow, clear water just be as quite as possible and you should have a good day on the water.

Classic TopWater Lures

I'm going to write about 2 different Classic Topwater Lures that are still around and producing some nice bass. I'm going to start with the first lure manufacturer in America.

Heddon Spooks

Dating back to the late 1890's, Heddon's company was the first lure manufacturer in America. Heddon was responsible for some of the most enduring topwater plugs still available on the market today. The original "Zaragossa", now called the Zara Spook, dates back to 1922. The "Lucky 13' also dates back to the early 20's. The "Torpedo" was offered in 1925, all have remained among the most popular topwater plugs on the market.
Of all of Heddon's lures, the Zara Spook has one of the most interesting histories, James Heddon was in Florida fishing with one of his friends. After seeing the odd looking cigar-shaped bait dance across the water surface, his friend said "It wiggles like one of those girls on Zaragossa Street" which was a red-light district in Orlando.
That nickname stuck until Heddon started making a plastic version of the lure. The clear plastic version of the bait was transparent like a ghost and so it was named "The Spook". All the clear-plastic versions of Heddon's baits had Spook added to their name, The Zaragossa became the "Zara Spook", and the Chugger became the Chugger Spook. Just like the Zaragossa, Heddon's "Lucky 13" was another pivotal lure in the history of lure designs. The Lucky 13, a combination Chugger, walker and slider was one of the very first freshwater lures to cross over to the salt water market. Today not many freshwater anglers use it but popularity with saltwater anglers remain strong.

Spittin Sticks

Four classic lures for finessing a shallow top-water strike, especially around grass beds are Smithwicks "Devil Horse" (mid-1960's), Heddon's "Torpedo" (1925), Luhr-Jensen's "Nip-I-Diddee" (1932) and the "Dalton Special" (1928). The water spittin props and swagger of these lures create an unbeatable attraction for bass. And still as effective as propbaits are at imitating baitfish few anglers know where and when to fish these type lures. Prop baits are more effective when they are fished over calmer, quieter water, I fish my prop baits when the water surface is calm. I have found over the years that these lures are worked around and over aquatic grasses like milfoil and hydrilla. With these type lures the length of pause is equally important. Normally a bass will strike the bait when it's just lying there.
I think the biggest difference in the various propbaits is the noise they make, the older plastic versions like the Crazy Shad and Boy Howdy, make a louder noise than the older wooden propbaits.. I like to use the Devil's Horse and the Nip-I-Diddee when the water is real quiet because the plastic baits do better when the baitfish are really flicking on the top.

River Plugs

Heddon's Lucky 13 and Luhr-Jensen's Bass Oreno (1905) are considered to be two-way lures. The lower lips act like the lip on a crankbait, causing the lure to slide under the waters surface. These two baits were considered to be the best lures for smallmouth. The Lucky 13 is best for faster or off colored water, but in summer when water level drops and water clarity is very good I switch to the smaller lure "Bass Oreno".
Like the Bass Oreno the unique action and design of the old topwater plugs are what have made them so enduring. Although generations of Bass anglers come and go , the one constant thing is popularity of the old designs. I hope to see my grandson take a bass with a Crazy Crawler.

A Great Early Season Lure

In early spring, when bass move from the winter areas to staging areas and eventually to shallow spawning flats, few lures produce better than the crawfish imitating lure. The effectiveness of these lures is due to the bass's appetite for freshwater crustaceans. Although bass will eat a crawfish through out the year this predator/prey relationship is strongest in the early spring. Bass's early spring season preference toward crawfish is due to the important nutrients the crawfish provides prespawn bass. And during this cold water period, the crawfish matches the low metebolic activity of the bass making it an ideal forage item. Early on crawfish are found in reletively deeper water just off shallow flats. The bass moving up from their cold water homes are staging in the same areas as the crawfish. As water on the flats warm up, the crawfish and bass become active and move into shallower water. This is one of the main reasons crawfish imitating lures work so well during pre-spawn.

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CB Rod Wars Part 1: Mixing it up with Phenix’s X10

Phenix has reinvented itself as a company and their new rods boast new materials and styling that effectively modernize the brand. The official review from this manufacturer is the X10, which is also the first entry into their Crankbait Rod Wars. Take a look at this “hybrid” crankbait stick to see just what Phenix brings to the table.

Click Here to See Review

Berkley 100% Flourocarbon

The Rebel Crawfish

This is one lure I will always have in my tackle box, back in 1980 lure designer Jim Gowing introduced the Rebel Crawfish. In the 80's this was a very popular lure and it still remains Pradco's top 10 selling lures. The success of this lure is due to the action it has and the very detailed appearance. Bass usually will not try to eat a crawfish with it's claws extended out, it's when they tuck their tails under and the pinchers are pulled in when it moved or propelled itself. The Rebel Crawfish is still today one of the few crankbaits that accurately looks like a Crawfish fleeing from danger. Another thing about this lure is it's ability to draw bites from a number of different game fish.

Rebel's Website Here

Here's a video that will surely make you laugh, have you ever had one of these days?

Click Here for a good Laugh

Fishing Local Ponds

I live in the midwest and I have fished plenty of ponds and largemouth bass are very adaptable gamefish, they can be found in lakes, rivers, and ponds all across the United States. Largemouth bass doesn't need big water areas to grow to hawg size. Just about any body of water a few years old can produce some nice bass. While cover along the banks isn't necessary, cover in the water with plenty of forage is a must for bass. Even if there is alot of fishing pressure I have 3 techniques that I use to catch some big bass.

1. Early Morning Buzzin - Over the last 36yrs I've learned how speed can often trigger a strike, especially when the water warms up. Buzzbaits have always been great producers of big bass in ponds during hot weather, start throwing buzzbaits right at the crack of dawn up until the sunlight starts to penatrate the water, during this time throw the buzzbait past cover and along edges, the bass are often active and looking for thier breakfast. If the water is clear I will retrieve the buzzbait at a faster retrieve than dirty water, if it's dirty water with plenty of cover I'll slow down and put a plastic trailer to help the lure stay on top at slower speeds. I use a 3/8 to 1/2 ounce buzzbait.

2. Spinnerbaits along edges - In most of the ponds that I've fished over the years the bass are holding in a narrow band of weeds or algae running parallel to the bank. Cast your lure along this vegitation by casting from turns (points). Bass hide in this weed edge even if it's floating cover like lillypads, bass usually will not come up and strike a topwater lure during sunny days so I use a willowleaf blade spinnerbait because the flash of the willowleaf blade attracts bass and I can retrieve it slow enough to allow them to react, when I come to an opening in the vegitation I use short pauses to let the spinerbait flutter down into the openings. The willowleaf blade sheds weeds better than round style blades.

3. Frogs - When you have to get a lure in a 6 to 12 inch opening in thick cover surrounded by lure fouling weeds and vegitation my lure of choice is the frog, a weedless, hollow-bodied frog is great for working heavy vegitated surface cover to get the bass to strike. I've tried many lures over the years such as jig and pig, weedless soft baits but my favorite is the frog because it works best getting through the weeds. Cast the frog out and reel it back across the surface of the vegitation to an opening then stop and let it sit there for a few seconds and then give it a few twitches to try and get a surface strike, this really gets bass stirred up. If you don't get a bite there got to the next hole and repeat the same procedure. I use a natural looking frog because my belief is that a frog is a natural food of bass and if it looks like something they naturally eat than I'll have a better chance of a strike.

I was searching for a new reel today and I came across this Quantum Accurist PT Baitcaster that is $129.99 at regular price and I got it for $69.00!. I just wanted to pass along this great deal to anybody looking for a new reel.

Bass Angler’s Guide Makes Major Chain Debut in bookstores and marine shops in the West

Press Release - FORT COLLINS, COLO. - CircNetwork today announced the arrival of the Bass Angler’s Guide at newsstands in major book retailers Barnes & Noble Booksellers and Borders Books in the Western United States. The publisher was also able to secure distribution into West Marine stores in the same areas.



Click Here to Read More

Shimano Acquires Power Pro Lines

Every Bass Angler knows that crayfish are one of the major baits in the diets of all species of bass everywhere. Here is an article I just got done reading at BassDozer about crayfish and I think every bass angler should know about crayfish. BassDozer Crayfish Article
Young or old, beginner to Pro this site has a wealth of information on Bass fishing. You will find many good bass fishing articles and bass fishing tips to help you increase your knowledge, enjoyment and success in largemouth, smallmouth and striped bass fishing. BassDozer Articles

Ways to Catch Bass in Cold Water by P. Roberts

Winter bass fishing isn't for everyone - just those willing to put up with frigid temperatures and slow bite in hopes of catching a bass.

Try these approaches this winter.


1. TARGET TRANSITIONS: Experienced bass anglers know that bass often gravitate to " transitions," places where one type of bank, bottom, depth or cover condition shifts to a different type.Bass don't move around much in waters below 50 degrees and instead like to hang out in a spot that offers them a variety of good hunting and concealment options in a compact area.


2. FISH SMALL PONDS: I catch dozens of bass every winter by fishing ponds and streams. Plus they receive little fishing pressure, so bass have a chance to grow bigger in them.A jig and pig or a spinnerbait is my top choices for winter bass: I present both baits with short underhand pitches tight to wood or rock cover. The bass strike zone shrinks in cold water.


3. HEAVY METAL: When bass are holding from 18 to 35 feet, which they are in winter on clear, rocky lakes. A metal spoon/blade or tailspinner is the most efficient way to catch them. These lures sink into the strikezone quickly, and when worked properly, emit the flash and vibration of living baitfish.I like jigging a spoon for bass suspended in deep water "hallows" ( v-shaped creek arms ), a blade bait on sloping banks and a tailspinner on deep flats. "Fish the spoon vertically, the blade like you'd fish a jig and the tailspinner with a slow, horizontal retrieve just off the bottom, a long, stiff rod will give you the hook-setting power you need in deep water.


4. PROBE SHALLOW POCKETS: Pockets are small, shallow indentations in tributary arms, and they can be great in winter. Baitfish begin stacking up in shallow pockets with a muddy bottom starting in November and usually stay there until the water drops below 45 degrees.The best time to fish them is on calm, sunny days, that's when you'll often see shad flipping on the surface.My favorite big-bass approach is to slow-roll a spinnerbait, reeling just fast enough to keep the blades from churning up the bottom. SLOW RETRIEVE!


5. DEEP WATER TRICK FOR SHALLOW CRANKBAITS: I like to take a small, minnow-imitating floating crankbaits with chrome or gold finish for this approach. I use a soft-action rod, I slide a 1-ounce egg sinker onto 14lb main line, then place a bead and swivel below the sinker and add a 3=foot leader of 8lb mono filament with a floating minnow lure on the end.This setup allows you to fish a hard bait 30-40 feet deep. Cast to deep rock piles or ledges, let the sinker hit bottom, twitch the rod tip, pause and twitch again. The crankbait will flash and suspend, imitating a dying baitfish.

I would like to tell you about 2 great Bass fishing forums: The first is BassHoles, this is a great forum with some great members. They have very informative message boards, Fishing Articles, YouTube Gallery, and they have a monthly new member contest where you can when some nice lures from the sponsors. The best part is if you have any questions about Bass Fishing, they are more than eager to help you out! Whether you're Young or Old you need to check this forum out.

Click Here to Checkout BassHoles

The second forum is: UltimateBass.com, Here is another great forum. They have tackle reviews, Fishing Articles, The latest Bass Fishing News, and a lot of Bass Fishing resources. The members are very helpful if you have any questions and they make you feel welcomed.

Click Here to Checkout Ultimate Bass Forum

I came across a Nice informative Blog this morning, go check it out it has some great articles and links to Pro Anglers

Click Here to Checkout Bass Pundit

A Revolutionary new Trolling Motor, the Foldable Torqeedo



Click here to see the new Foldable Torqeedo

How Does Berkley's Latest Attempt at a 100% Fluorocarbon Line Stack Up?



Click here to see the review

Shimano blends Power with Weight Reduction with the Sophisticated new Chronarch D
Click here to see Chronarch

Fishing Bluffs by P. Roberts

I'm going to write a little about "Bluffs" because they are among the most intimidating structures anglers face, but they can produce outstanding fish.

Some of the best bluffs have ledges that extend out under the water. Substructure also is important. A substructure is a cut, pocket, or point on the end of a bluff.

The farther apart these areas are, the better their chances of holding bass. Points at the end of a bluff often produce a lot of fish, especially if a river channel comes up against them. The upper end of a point, where the channel brushes the bank, is a great location.

If there is a current I've found that the upcurrent point will yield the biggest bass. bluffs usually are located near deep water, the fish using them will not always be deep. The location bass use near a bluff depends on a fews different things: shade, forage, currnet, ph, water clarity, light penetration, type of cover.

Light penetration changes with the seasons and the time of day, the light that penetrates the water will dictate the depth bass prefer.

If you're fishing during the summer, try bluffs early in the morning and close to sunset. Bass in clear water move more vertically than horizontally. As the sun gets brighter bass generaly go deeper, that's why it is best to start deep and work your way up until you find the preferred depth of the bass.

You will not find clear water on every bluff, and that is why it is important to understand water clarity. The water clarity of any lake will determine how far bass will move. The distance of movement is much less in dingy water compared to clear water. So, on a clear day with high skies and good light penetration, bass living in dingy, shallow lake may move vertically only 2 - 3 feet, but under these same conditionson a clear lake, bass would be forced to move 10 - 15 feet.

Bass prefer subdued light because they can conceal themselves in the shade to ambush prey.

Position your boat parallel to the bluff and begin with a fan of casts. By doing this, you'll be able to fish the lure more effectively. When you fan cast, your lure will remain in the strike zone at least 80-90% of the time. The only time fan casting will not be useful is when the ledges extend way out into the lake. When this is the case, cast directly into it and work the lure down the ledges. Working the lure down the ledges takes a certain amount of practice: just move the lure a few inches at a time so it falls along the ledges contour.

Do Not Be Intimidated By Bluffs!