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  • The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

    By Joe Balog

    All across the North, fall is in the air. While my home state of Florida is somewhat oblivious to seasonal change, I vividly remember the anticipation of autumn more

  • An Easy Pick

    By Joe Balog

    Originally skeptical of expansion of the MLF Team Series, I now find it to be my favorite form of professional bass fishing. I’m old enough to admit when I’m wrong. more

  • Thank Goodness

    By Joe Balog

    In competitive bass fishing, the whole game can change in an instant. And while hard work, preparation and skill overwhelmingly drive success, sometimes things more

  • First In Line

    By Joe Balog

    Well, The NPFL did it. While the other leagues continue to juggle with how forward-facing sonar is impacting the sport, the National Professional Fishing League more

  • Tackle Shop

    By Joe Balog

    Turnout was low at the tackle shop, but I never pass up an opportunity to talk to kids. I had been persuaded to present my history in fishing to a B.A.S.S. Nation more

  • Legend

    “The tragedy in life is not what men suffer, but what they miss.” With the announcement of Rick Clunn’s departure from the Elite Series, another era has ended. more

  • Ahead Of The Rest

    By Joe Balog

    Jacob Wheeler owns the sport. Nowhere is his dominance currently rivaled. With a third BPT Angler of the Year title in four years, and a narrow miss in 2023, Wheeler more

  • Swimming In A Barrel

    I was excited to learn of changes coming to the MLF Team Series. I’d never spent much time on this league, as viewing was limited to networks I’m not connected more

  • Three For The Record Book

    By Joe Balog

    As the record books continue to be rewritten, it’s easy to miss the party. Things are changing at blistering speeds. Sure, catch records will continue to fall more

  • On The Floor At ICAST

    Once again, last week’s ICAST event brought the fishing industry to Orlando, Fla.. The show is always as a special treat, giving me the ability to see what’s new, more

  • Sea Monsters

    Word of a giant northern largemouth spread like wildfire. Mark Britenbaugh of Gettysburg, Pa. had received confirmation that his submission for a New York state more

  • Time Your Decade

    The evolution of competitive bass fishing is always compelling. Looking back at winning strategy, we see a full circle in terms of techniques. Three times. Everyone more

  • Cookin’ With Gas

    Watching Skeet Reese win the James River BPT event was about as good as it gets. For me, power-fishing shallow water is the way this game is intended to be played, more

  • Always Carry A Hammer

    By Joe Balog

    I recently read an interesting quote from an admirable figure. “I was radio silent all week. No forward-facing sonar, just my map and a big worm,” commented more

  • Perseverance Pays

    By Joe Balog

    You can’t help but like Cliff Prince. A rock-star bass pro he is not. With Prince, you won’t hear constant self-promotion, cutthroat attitude or pretentious more

  • Ladies' Room

    A pair of women made headlines recently as Deanna Moreno and Rachel Uribe finished 1-2 on the co-angler side of the Toyota Series event at the California Delta. more

  • Fish Gods

    By Joe Balog

    “Trending” is a term used to describe a hot topic, typically one gathering lots of input on social media. In our sport, “black bass management” fits the bill. more

  • Long Live the King, II

    By Joe Balog

    Each week, I bring you an opinionated take on the biggest news in professional bass fishing. Despite the constant changes in our sport, the new directions developing more

  • Ribbit Or Croak?

    By Joe Balog

    My gosh, what a beat-down! By now, everyone interested in professional bass fishing has heard of the frog-a-rama going on at the Bass Pro Tour event on the more

  • One Generation Ago

    By Joe Balog

    I’m a treasure hunter. A junkie for obscure information on bass fishing, or stories of yesteryear that ignite my passion. Recently, I learned of a few gems more

  • One To Watch

    By Joe Balog

    Fans of big-league bass fishing got their wishes last week, as we finally witnessed an event dominated by shallow-water tactics. The BPT at Lake Eufaula featured more

  • Old Favorites

    By Joe Balog

    A buddy opened a new tackle shop down the street, and my visit was overdue. I always liked his style. His previous store was a mix of hardcore bass items and old more

  • Famous To Me

    By Joe Balog

    Who is, or was, the most influential figure in the history of organized bass fishing? Always the subject of debate, this topic comes up each time I visit with more

  • Overly Effective?

    By Joe Balog

    Last week, the Wisconsin DNR provided an opportunity for public input through its annual spring hearings, and the topic of a statewide ban on “live scopes” was more

  • Another Ace

    By Joe Balog

    Selling fishing lures is no picnic. Sure, it seems easy enough. Design something unique that catches bass, and the public is sure to want to buy a carton. Perhaps more

  • Suddenly, It’s Urgent

    By Joe Balog

    In today’s media, hot topics are all the rage. When a contentious subject comes up, it seems anyone and everyone wants to get in on the debate. Often, those with more

  • Black And Red For The Win

    By Joe Balog

    Dustin Connell walked off with the REDCREST crown recently, culminating an incredible three-year span during which he’s earned over $1 million on the BPT circuit. more

  • Tulsa’s Turn

    By Joe Balog

    This year the Bassmaster Classic returns to Grand Lake, site of the 2013 and 2016 editions. Both of the previous events were notable. Cliff Pace took down the more

  • Restoring The Mighty River

    When I was kid, the St. Johns River was known as the "Bass Fishing Capital of the World". While there were other hotspots for big bass, nothing could more

  • Stacked Field

    REDCREST is upon us. The 2024 installment takes place next week at Lay Lake, just outside of Birmingham. This venue brings tremendous history in professional bass more

  • Staying Out Front

    Jacob Wheeler did it again, taking down the second stop on the 2024 Bass Pro Tour at Santee Cooper Lakes. While Wheeler’s win list is becoming too lengthy to keep more

  • What Box?

    On occasion, we investigate ways to earn a living in the fishing industry, giving readers a bit of the inside scoop. Since I haven’t held a “day job” since the more

  • Masters Of A New Game

    By Joe Balog

    Drew Gill’s MLF Invitational win at Rayburn was a defining moment in bass fishing. Not only did Gill become the youngest to win such a title, he did so utilizing more

  • Continued Dominance

    By Joe Balog

    While the high-stakes tournament season officially kicked off earlier this month at the Toyota Series opener, the fireworks boomed for the first time last weekend. more

  • Looking West

    As a fan of tournament bass fishing, it seems there’s always been something missing. A sport originating in Southern culture, the '80s boom of organized competition more

  • Method To The Madness

    By Joe Balog

    When I first read of Dakota Ebare’s decision to leave the BPT for the B.A.S.S. Open Series, I thought he was crazy. I’m sure I wasn’t alone. What seemed like more

  • Florida Primer – Part 2

    By Joe Balog

    Florida’s bass fishing season is upon us. Recent cold fronts have curbed the action a bit, but things will pick up shortly, the sun always only a day or two away. Water more

  • Destination Lunkers

    By Joe Balog

    With many locales buried in snow or blasted by arctic temperatures, winter has taken hold. It will be quite some time before the tulips pop up or the dogwoods more

  • Resolutions

    By Joe Balog

    The next time we visit, 2024 will be upon us. With the approaching New Year, I began thinking about resolutions. My personal intentions always seem to focus on more

  • Setting Precedence

    This week finds us with the first news of a deliberate crackdown on forward-facing sonar. The annual “Fishing for Kids” tournament on Toledo Bend, hosted by more

  • The Class of ’23

    By Joe Balog

    What does it take to place at the top? With the 2023 professional bass fishing season in the books, we can look to the sport’s top finishers for a clue. Three more

  • Ghost Town

    By Joe Balog

    I first traveled to Florida to bass-fish as a kid. Many of you remember my stories of adventure from that period – a young, impressionable Midwesterner released more

  • The Last Cowboy Song

    By Joe Balog

    “You just don’t go fishing in Florida without a worm tied on.” Those words are burned into my memory as deeply as any fishing advice I’ve ever heard. The year more

  • Fall Back

    By Joe Balog

    All across the media are stories of fall fishing. Tips and techniques on how to get the last few drops out of the bass fishing season. Shallow smallmouths and more

  • The Final Champion

    The Toyota Series Championship kicks off this week, gathering a widely diverse group. When the format was initially announced, I admit, I had my doubts about the more

  • Back On Track?

    By Joe Balog

    Another round of changes has been announced for the Bass Pro Tour, leaving many competitors and fans frustrated. It seems the frequency of these format shifts more

  • Mirror, Mirror On The Wall

    B.A.S.S. recently announced the creation of a technology review committee to keep tabs on the rapidly-changing world of competitive bass fishing and the way forward-facing more

  • Opens EQ, Then and Now

    By Joe Balog

    This week, the final event in the 2023 Bassmaster Opens will take place at Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes, bringing a unique qualifying bracket to culmination. more

  • Searching For A Unicorn

    By Joe Balog

    With a break in the humidity and the first signs of fall, my mind immediately shifted to trophy bass fishing. Sure, big fish show up year-round here in Florida. more

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