The mist rises slowly from the chilled water, like an eerie apparition on this Halloween eve, as I cautiously idle the boat through my most productive smallmouth haunts. With eyes trained squarely on the graph, I scan the underwater world from above, searching for the tell-tale signs of baitfish... more »

Largemouth bass are also undergoing change in the fall. Sensing the impending arrival of their winter food drought and near-dormant stage, bass are beginning to feed heavily, bingeing on prey and rapidly building fat reserves. They're also migrating from summer-friendly locations to those that meet... more »

Fishing can be so complicated these days, it seems like you should read an owner's manual before hitting the water. There are rods, reels, lines, and lures to match specialized techniques and situations. Spinnerbaiting is a welcome relief from all the high-tech hoopla. Although developed originally... more »

The idea of flinging a small plastic worm on a jig head was born years ago, but recently it fully spread its wings after gaining a reputation in U.S. tournaments for its ability to produce daily limits of bass. It came of age because of a change to a specific type of jig head and a new way of... more »

They can shimmer and dance and seem to come alive in your hands. They can smell like candy or rancid sardines. And just about every bass angler worth his or her baseball cap has pounds of them in almost every conceivable shape. Some styles come and go. Others have stood the test of time. While... more »

It's one of those warm summer mornings when tree-top-filtered sunlight dissipates mist over glassy-smooth water. Bass fishing was not my intention when I left the dock, but after an hour of pulling a spinner along a steep break, I've not persuaded the lake's walleye to disturb the tranquility.... more »