Balog’s Bass War
Closing In On The King

Current Columns

• Pick One Or The Other

  Thursday, June 5, 2025 By Joe Balog

  Speculation abounds over a potential rule adjustment regarding forward-facing sonar (FFS) on the Bassmaster Elite Series. Pundits, podcasters and YouTube heroes more

• Whatcha Watching?

  Thursday, May 29, 2025 By Joe Balog

  Dissatisfied with a two-month pause in his tournament schedule, Greg Hackney wanted to fish more. “I’m like, why? We don’t have a true season that way.” His more

• Grab A Chair For Dumbo

  Thursday, May 22, 2025 By Joe Balog

  Heavy Hitters is here, as the Bass Pro Tour's best settle the score on Smith Mountain Lake. A champion will be decided today. Smith Mountain wasn’t on my radar more

• 4,200 Hours In

  Thursday, May 15, 2025

  It’s a beautiful time of year for bass fishing. All across North America, spring is in full swing, bringing opportunities from North Carolina to Newfoundland. more

• Running On Lithiums

  Thursday, May 8, 2025 By Joe Balog

  A chip and a chair. That’s the old saying in poker; that anyone can win once the cards are dealt. But it’s never applied to bass fishing. In bass fishing, it’s more

• Small Steps for Man

  Thursday, May 1, 2025 By Joe Balog

  Innovations in bass fishing tackle are always around us, though we take many for granted. I’m always amazed by how fast things progress. Over the course of one more

• A Situation Well In Hand

  Wednesday, April 23, 2025 By Joe Balog

  Tournament bass fishermen are tough critics. When it comes to the daily operations of a tournament trail, it seems many anglers feel they could do it better. Running more

• Evidently, It’s Tribal

  Thursday, April 17, 2025 By Joe Balog

  The subject of forward-facing sonar (FFS) has dominated the bass fishing debate stage, leaving guys like me scratching our heads. Try as I may, I’ve struggled more

• One Of Three

  Thursday, April 10, 2025 By Joe Balog

  REDCREST was a record-breaker, according to all the stats compiled by Major League Fishing. Four thousand pounds of bass were weighed over four days. Broadcast more

• The Shoe-In

  Thursday, April 3, 2025 By Joe Balog

  This week, we welcome the annual REDCREST tournament – MLF’s championship event – awarding $300,000 and a lifetime of accolades to the winner. Fifty of the biggest more

• Shining Star On A Gloomy Night

  Thursday, March 27, 2025 By Joe Balog

  With another Bassmaster Classic in the books, it’s time to dissect the strategy and technique used to win the big show. This year’s victor was 22-year-old Easton more

• Evolving Expertise

  Thursday, March 20, 2025 By Joe Balog

  Just when we have it all figured out, we don’t. For some time, most anglers thought they knew quite a bit about bass. We’d all been successful at catching more

• Dealer’s Choice

  Thursday, March 13, 2025 By Joe Balog

  Last week’s pro tour events demonstrated drastic differences between the leagues. Soon, everyone will have a favorite, at least for a while. While Drew Gill more

• No Facts, Only Interpretations

  Thursday, March 6, 2025

  Recent disqualifications on the Bassmaster Elite Series have me wondering whether the penalties match the crimes. Let’s dig in. Matt Herren was first. A DQ more

• Governed By Yesteryear

  Thursday, February 27, 2025 By Joe Balog

  Fishing for spawning bass has always been a hot topic. Once somewhat taboo, targeting bass on the bed is generally accepted in today’s tournament bass fishing more

• Last Of The Hardcore Troubadours

  Thursday, February 20, 2025 By Joe Balog

  With the sun committed to the day ahead, the water brightened, revealing the mysteries beneath. John Cox was again looking for fish. He’d watched the day more

• Net Your Own

  Thursday, February 13, 2025 By Joe Balog

  Here on the Bass War, we’re always considering the future of competitive bass fishing. It’s easy to get caught up in high-impact topics: catch and release, rule more

• Never Say Never

  Thursday, February 6, 2025 By Joe Balog

  With the big changes in the sport of tournament bass fishing, some participants are contemplating where they fit in. More so, how they’ll survive. Competitive more

• Why, thank you, Jack

  Thursday, January 30, 2025 By Joe Balog

  The professional tournament trails kick off this week, with the Bass Pro Tour hitting Lake Conroe for the season opener. This venue has some great bass fishing more

• My Way Or The Highway

  Thursday, January 23, 2025 By Joe Balog

  Drew Gregory is the most successful tournament angler in the history of kayak bass fishing. Thanks to a recent win, Gregory now possesses more champion’s trophies more

• Alive-Well

  Thursday, January 16, 2025 By Joe Balog

  Livewell care and keeping bass alive have always been special subjects with me. In today’s catch-and-release debate, fueled by recent studies confirming many tournament-caught more

• Co-Dependent?

  Thursday, January 9, 2025 By Joe Balog

  Back from the holiday break, we turn our attention to pro bass fishing’s latest stories. Big news came while we were away, as B.A.S.S. announced the demise of more

• Quick Revision

  Thursday, December 19, 2024 By Joe Balog

  Well, that didn’t take long. As predicted here a few weeks ago, B.A.S.S. found that the no-entry-fee Elite Series idea for 2025 wasn’t in the best interest of more

• Another Dinosaur Dies

  Thursday, December 12, 2024

  News hit the press of the demise of Major League Fishing’s print component, Bass Fishing Magazine. I’ll be sad to see it go. Sure, I’m partial. I was a regular more

• Thanksgiving

  Thursday, December 5, 2024 By Joe Balog

  The quick holiday break snuck up on me; Thanksgiving was here before I knew it. In between bouts with turkey and taters, I pondered what I’m truly thankful for, more

• Alabama Says It Out Loud

  Thursday, November 21, 2024 By Joe Balog

  Big news this week, as it appears the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division is contemplating a crackdown on traditional bass tournaments for select more

• Still Slingin’

  Thursday, November 14, 2024 By Joe Balog

  You’ll hear it said that the plastic worm is the greatest bass fishing lure of all time. I’m not sure that’s true. Regardless, manufacturers consistently try to more

• Dust Off The Résumé

  Thursday, November 7, 2024 By Joe Balog

  This week, industry headlines center on the Bassmaster Elite Series entry fee changes. As you all know, the announcement recently came that the 2024 Elite Series more

• Dream Teams

  Thursday, October 31, 2024 By Joe Balog

  After a slow start, the Team Series cranked up the heat as we watched two of the best competitors in the sport combine for the win. Jeff Sprague – possibly the more

• Hammer Down

  Thursday, October 24, 2024 By Joe Balog

  I find myself daydreaming about fishing destinations. Truth be told, I don’t venture far from my central Florida home. With access to places like Rodman Reservoir more

• Desperation

  Thursday, October 17, 2024 By Joe Balog

  Bobby Blakewell’s recent win put a smile on my face. Taking down the recent Bassmaster Open on Lake Martin, Bakewell went against the grain with a buzzbait. Hardly more

• Truly Influential

  Thursday, October 10, 2024 By Joe Balog

  Expanding the sport is always on the minds of bass fishing’s big players. Sponsors, media and tournament organizations look to anglers who move the needle. At more

• A Job For A 10-Year-Old

  Thursday, October 3, 2024 By Joe Balog

  As a young man, I spent a great deal of my time fishing. Adventures in the park turned into an obsession on the Great Lakes, followed by expansion into every form more

• The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

  Thursday, September 26, 2024 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

  Thursday, September 19, 2024 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

  Thursday, September 12, 2024 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

  Thursday, September 5, 2024 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

  Thursday, August 29, 2024 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

  Thursday, August 22, 2024

  “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

  Thursday, August 15, 2024 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

  Thursday, August 8, 2024

  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

  Thursday, August 1, 2024 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

  Thursday, July 25, 2024

  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

  Thursday, July 18, 2024

  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

  Thursday, July 11, 2024

  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

  Thursday, July 4, 2024

  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

  Thursday, June 27, 2024 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

  Thursday, June 20, 2024 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