Sommaire pour March 2019 de Bassmaster

21 Absolutely Incredible Kid Day. Take your little fishing pals to the tackle store and buy them a few new lures … as long as they’re being good. 23 Near Miss Day. Today, we hoist a glass for all of those 10-pounders that somehow just barely got away. 25 Waffle Day. The one day each year where getting to the ramp late is acceptable. You had to stop at Waffle House on the way, right? 28 Weed Appreciation Day. We’re pretty sure this holiday was meant for something else, but here at Bassmaster we are all for holidays that promote cover and habitat. 31 World Backup Day. Years of online petitions have finally resulted in the creation of a holiday that celebrates fishing’s most underrated and essential skill.…

A recent economic study of Lake Eufaula has shed light on bass fishing’s impact across the country. According to Bassmaster’s Robert Montgomery and an Auburn University study, more than $14 million was spent by tournament anglers on the Alabama lake in 2017 — $10 million of that came directly from bass anglers. The study revealed that, on average, tournament anglers spend $473 per day, and more than half of those anglers are bass fishermen. The report also pinned the average household income of tournament anglers at $133,000. Auburn’s Dr. Steven M. Sammons co-wrote the study and told Bassmaster that reservoirs have an “inordinate value” on local economies. Sammons says the per-capita income in the town of Eufaula is around $13,000. “That helps put the estimated $14.6 million dollars in expenditures…

Who taught you to fish? Who put a rod and reel in your hand and changed the course of your life forever? Every angler has someone in their life that pushed them to dream big and pursue their goals in life. Who is that for you? MandyandBrian Martin His shirt says it all!!! My husband prayed for a son who loved fishing as much as he does, and God surely answered his prayers. He has taught him well, and they spend nearly every weekend on the water. My son, now 17, fishes for his high school and will continue following his dreams at the collegiate level. #familytraditions #martinmen Joe Burchill My dad put me on the water. B.A.S.S. gave me the platform. Jim McLaughlin My mom.…

IF YOU LAUNCH at Callville Bay Marina on the lower end of Lake Mead, zigzag around the rocks to go through the Narrows, then cross the huge, open water of the Virgin Basin, you’ll eventually see what’s known as the Overton Arm coming in on the north shore. Created by the merging Muddy and Virgin rivers, this is Mead’s only tributary, and you can go up the Overton 20 miles before you actually see the two rivers. You can skip the trip up the Overton and instead wind slightly south and around into Gregg Basin, head back north into Grand Wash, then drop back to the southeast until you run into the Grand Canyon, which you really don’t want to do. On the other hand, if you head out of…

IF I DIDN’T work for B.A.S.S., I probably would have been fired last year. See, I have an addiction. During Elite Series events, I simply can’t turn off Bassmaster LIVE. As a matter of fact, I requested an extra monitor (please don’t show this column to our accountants) in order to improve my ability to “work” on multiple projects at the same time. Technically, I was above board with this request, sort of, because it is unbelievable how much I learn from watching the best in the biz fish at the highest level on some of the best fisheries on the planet. This year, I may need to seek professional help, because B.A.S.S. rolled out a whole new game plan for LIVE. Before I mention the new stuff, allow me…

In one of his last acts of 2018, President Donald Trump signed the Modern Fish Act. The law is the result of years of labor from fishing and conservation groups like the American Sportfishing Association, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. While primarily a saltwater initiative, the law provides new directives for data-based management of fisheries that distinguishes between recreational and commercial anglers. B.A.S.S. National Conservation Director Gene Gilliland says that, for bass anglers, the new law helped legislators understand the value of recreational fishing. That understanding could pay dividends should freshwater fisheries require future congressional support.…

ACTIVE ANGLER Matt Herren has been beating the B.A.S.S. trail since the mid-’90s. For three decades, the Alabamian has battered a path from the Rio Grande to the St. Lawrence River on a never-ending quest to boat bass. The journey has taken him to peaks like the stage of seven Bassmaster Classics, and valleys like the office of an Alabama chiropractor. Ask Herren, and he will tell you the reason why. “The long boat rides beat up on you,” Herren says. “I’ve been doing this a long time, and eventually it starts wearing on you. Your spine gets out of line. On the boat, running wide open is rough on you, especially if you’re on rough water. Everything gets shaken up and out of place.” It’s no secret that big…

Explain chine walking, why it occurs and how to prevent it from happening or to stop it when it occurs.@kctfishn, Instagram Chine walking is the side-to-side rocking motion that takes place when a performance boat is not balanced properly “on pad.” Pro Staff Manager Rick Emmitt of Bass Pro Shops says a few factors can cause chine walking, such as improper engine height, incorrect prop or too much slop or play in the steering. “You should never try to drive out of chine walking by accelerating or trimming the motor out,” advises Emmitt. “Once the boat begins to chine walk, trim the motor back down slightly and learn to balance the boat on pad. When you begin to feel the boat start to fall off the pad, counteract the propeller…

RECENTLY, WHILE GIVING a river smallmouth seminar, I asked the attendees which lures every stream smallie fanatic should own. I set no restrictions on the number of lures that could be listed, the only stipulation being that participants would list lures until all present were satisfied that they had enough choices to be able to fish successfully throughout the year. Once the list was created, I asked some of the best river smallmouth anglers I know how, when and where they fish these baits. Here’s how these guides, experts and the seminar audience as a whole ranked the lures from No. 13 to No. 1. No.13 Bomber Model A Tommy Cundiff operates River Monster Guide Service in Virginia and West Virginia. “The Bomber Model A is at its best…

ERNEST HEMINGWAY APPARENTLY didn’t relish the idea of a fishing buddy. Reportedly, he said, “Somebody just back of you while you are fishing is as bad as someone looking over your shoulder while you write a letter to your girl.” Not that I had a chance, but I would dearly love to have fished with Hemingway. I’ve read everything he’s written about fishing, and I admire his passion for the sport. Just once, I would like to have spent a day with him on his boat, Pilar, or a trout stream in the wilds of Spain. And if he ever went bass fishing, I especially would love to have been there with him. Hemingway’s name was one of the first to come to mind recently when I began to think…

You’re from basically the middle of the country in Benton, Ark. How did growing up there prepare you for a career as a pro? This area is really rich with fishing and fishermen that have made a career on the tournament trails. Within an hour’s drive, there are anywhere from five to 10 guys fishing professionally. I learned a lot from them about what to do and what not to do — guys like Larry Nixon, Scott Suggs, Ron Shuffield, George Cochran and Jeremiah Kennedy. There are also a lot of fishing options in central Arkansas. We have Lake Ouachita, which is deep, rocky and clear. We have rivers that are clear-water smallmouth fisheries; we have Lake Hamilton, which has cypress trees and lily pads; and we have the Arkansas…

Technically a county, the area locally known as Gwinnett encompasses 10 cities in the Atlanta suburbs surrounding Lake Lanier. Home to the recent Elite Series weigh-ins from its famous lake, the 10,427-seat Coolray Field is also home to the United Soccer League’s Atlanta United 2 and minor league baseball’s Atlanta Stripers, whose logo bears a striking resemblance to our own. 920,260 Gwinnett County’s total population 38,000 Acreage of Lake Lanier No.2 The county’s population rank in the state of Georgia 17 pounds, 9 ounces Lake Lanier record largemouth bass, from 1965 22 pounds, 4 ounces George Perry’s famous state and world-record largemouth bass, weighed in Georgia in 1934…

The images below were submitted by Bassmaster readers, and our antique tackle expert, Karl White, appraises the value of each unique find. To submit yours, email editorial@bassmaster.com. Aluminum Johnboat CJ Adkins, email $400 This aluminum boat was built for use not just for show. If it is in good useable shape, it would be worth between $300 and $400. Huston Troller Keith Caldwell, email $400 This Huston Troller would be quite collectible in original condition. It appears to be made in the 1930s or 1940s and is a very rare piece. It resembles a Minn Kota prop shaft. If it is an original it would be worth $300 to $400. If it is in refurbished condition the value would be between $150 and $200. Spincast Reel Michele Shampine, email $20…

Finding A Way My daddy, Buddy Voan, took me fishing starting young. We weren’t rich, but Dad always found a way. Even though he was crippled (wheelchair and some use of crutches), he found the time and strength. He got me my first Zebco reel and rod, and we would go anywhere we could. Because of him, I took it close to heart and continued the experience and handed it down. It’s down another generation. I still have almost all of the Bassmaster Magazines too, and continue to add to them. Oh and Daddy, he still is able to fish some out of his wheelchair, and even tried out my Z8 for a little ride.Buddy Voan Jr. Lunker Worthy This was the biggest fish I caught in 2018 back in…

WHERE HAVE ALL the great spinnerbait fishermen gone? This question is a common refrain these days from legendary Bassmaster angler Rick Clunn. There was a time when many pro tournament fishermen practically made a living with spinnerbaits. Today, the spinnerbait has become a secondary lure, Clunn lamented. “When I say ‘gone’ I’m talking about Elite Series and FLW pros,” Clunn says. “There are probably some great spinnerbait fishermen out there that don’t fish professionally.” Clunn claimed that the younger pros are less in tune with spinnerbaits because they learned to fish after swimbaits became prominent bass lures. More than any other lure, Clunn believes the swimbait has “semi-obsoleted” the spinnerbait. As with a spinnerbait, a swimbait can be fished from the surface to deep water. And, when rigged weedless, a…