Welcher Does Not Skimp On These Items |
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Bassmaster Elite Series pro Kyle Welcher has worked his way up to the highest level of professional fishing and is fortunate enough to use some of the best equipment in the industry. Coming up through the system Welcher wasn't always able to afford the top of the line gear. In this video he breaks down certain pieces of equipment and gear that he wished he would have invested more money in sooner! Check it out here.
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Poche Out For Murray Elite |
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Elite Series pro Keith Poche of Cecil, Ala., will not be fishing the upcoming Marathon Bassmaster Elite at Lake Murray April 20-23. B.A.S.S. officials have ruled him ineligible for the third stop of the 2023 Bassmaster Elite Series season because he violated the 28-day off-limits rule that all competitors must follow. Poche fished in the Bass Pro Tour tournament on South Carolina's Lake Murray April 2-5, placing him in violation of the off-limits period for the Elite Series tournament at Murray. Bassmaster Elite Rule C3. I, for Practice and Competition states: “Off-limits for Elite events begins on the Monday closest to 28 days prior to the first practice day.” According to B.A.S.S. officials, “Keith Poche violated the 28-day off-limits rule which has deemed him ineligible to compete in the Lake Murray Elite event." Poche knew going into the season that he had a scheduling conflict between the two tournaments. He told B.A.S.S. tournament officials about the conflict early in the year, knowing that he would need to take a DQ for the Elite on Lake Murray. Poche finished in 13th place in his BPT group and is competing in the Knockout Round today.
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Benton's Bed Fishing Tips |
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As temperatures begin to warm around most parts of the country bass begin to migrate to the shallows for their annual spawning ritual. While timing varies depending on what body of water you choose to fish, one thing is for certain. This can be the best time of the year to target your personal best. One technique that can be extremely effective during the spawn is “sight fishing”. Targeting spawning bass while they are on the bed or nest can be extremely rewarding, but often times equally as frustrating.
Big Bite Bait pros Drew Benton, has made an enormous amount of money targeting bedding bass, and has several tricks up his sleeve that will help you become a better “sight fisherman”. One of those tricks involves not seeing the bass whatsoever. Learn more of Drew's sight fishing tricks here.
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Building upon the success of the widley popular Zoom Horny Toad and designed by Zoom’s touring pro-staff, the Zoom Uni-Toad Swimbait is a versatile as it is deadly. Molded with the same body as the original Horny Toad but with a single paddle tail instead of two Ultra-Vibe legs, the Zoom Uni-Toad Swimbait produces a dazzling action and strong kicking motion that bass crush on the surface.On the bottom it features a belly slit to increase hook penetration and make it easy to rig weedless on EWG or screw-lock style hooks for fishing over grass and pads. It can also be fished as a trailer on the back of your favorite buzzbait to create better casting performance and a bigger target than a silicone skirt for hungry bass. Offered in Zoom’s best-selling colors, the Zoom Uni-Toad Swimbait is sure to become a staple in every boat across the country. Check out the full lineup here.
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Fear My Heart Films : Lake Seminole |
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Follow along as Carl Jocumsen tackles Lake Seminole for stop #2 of the Bassmaster Elite series in episode two of his Fear My Heart film series here.
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Photo Courtesy Major League Fishing
Bass Pro Tour professional Cliff Crochet's sponsors include Bill Lewis Fishing, KastKing, Blazer Boats, Power-Pole, Dakota Lithium Batteries, Netbait, SnagProof, Lowrance, Buzbe, K2coolers, Crusher Lures, Bob's Machine Shop, Cajun Outboards, and Lowrance just to name a few.
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This week only, Do-it Molds is offering a 15% off CNC Spring Sale! Check out their product offering and find the right mold for you here. Then just use the code “SPRING15” at checkout to apply the discount.
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Pick The Correct Line For Your Topwater |
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One of the biggest mistakes I see anglers of all levels make, especially beginner anglers, is not choosing the right line for fishing topwater baits. I hear story after story about losing that big bass on a topwater bait. Even this year, I heard a story from another pro angler. He said he lost a big one on a spook. My first question was about the line he was using. Let’s just say it was not the line would have used. Line choice is pretty simple for me on topwaters. If the bait steady moves, I use braid. If it stops, I use a mono leader on braid. That is it. Simple. I can even use one rod with braid for most any topwater. I can just tie on a short leader of mono if I need it for that topwater. Not all braid is equal. After fishing professionally for 20 years, I have tried braided fishing line for about every bass fishing technique. I have also tried many different types of braids. For topwater braids, there is no better line than Sunline X-Plasma braided line, Asegai. The plasma coating on the line actually repels water so it does not get wet and sink. The line is super strong and very smooth. It ties great knots and leader knots. I use 30-pound test for most of my smaller baits like little buzz baits and spooks. Next up is 50-pound test. That is what I use on bigger buzz baits, Whopper Plopper 110s, toads, and frogs. About the only baits I will use on 60-pound braid is the Whopper Plopper 130 and Pencil Poppers. Stop it. For those baits that stop when you work them, I will use either 30- or 50-pound Sunline Asegai as the main line. Poppers, such as the new SPRO E-Pop, would see me using 30-pound braid to a 14-18-pound leader of Sunline Defier about 12-24” long. The nylon line is stiffer and stays up in the water column better so the action is correct. Rip baits like a Devil’s Horse need a similar braid to nylon leader setup. The size of the bait will dictate the size of the lines you use. Why use the braid? The braid is key to making the baits have the best action and getting the best hooks up. If you are fishing a SPRO frog in a thick milfoil bed, it makes sense that the braid will allow you to penetrate that Gamakatsu frog hook into the bass’ mouth once they eat it. The braid also allows you to just “haul in” the bass, grass, and all. As for walking baits, it seems like most of the bites come when you make a long cast. The braid allows you to make longer casts. The braid also allows you to get immediate hook sets way away from the boat since there is zero stretch in the line. Once that bass is on my spook style bait, I reel as fast as I can and don’t allow the bass to thrash around. Any bass less than 4 or 5 pounds just gets “water skied” to the boat and swung in. We all love that giant blow up that bass are known for on topwater baits. After hundreds and hundreds of bass on those beloved topwater baits with braid as the line, I can tell you without a doubt that you will land more bass with braided line. Braid will also last for a year or more on a reel, even with lots of use. Once you make the switch to braid on topwaters, you will not go back!
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