I’m a Texas Longhorns fan. It seems like yesterday when Vince Young almost singlehandedly defeated the USC Trojans for the BCS National Championship. Pretty sure I still have that game saved on my...
With age, comes reflection, it seems. As I celebrate my 20th year with B.A.S.S. this month, it feels natural to take a look backward, if for no other reason than to gain perspective for...
As a storm bears down on Bill Lowen, a ray of sunshine peaks through his day of clouds in the form of a 4-pound smallmouth. “Finally!” he yelled. He is able to cull a 1 1/2 pounder and add an adult...
“Man, it’s like I’m living in the nursery today,” Lowen yelled as he boated another 2-pounder. His bites have been less frequent than the past two days and the quality is certainly lacking in...
The rapid bites for Bill Lowen have slowed to a crawl. He has landed a few short fish, but the big smallmouth he’s been catching off his morning stop seemed to have disappeared. “Here today, gone...
“My heart can’t take it!” yelled Bill Lowen, as he slid his second keeper, a 3-pound smallie, into his livewell. He is fishing an area with very heavy current. These brown bass already have a...
One indicator of who might win any particular 4-day derby becomes apparent after the Day 2 weigh in. The guys at the very top of the leaderboard are considered the favorites, but the anglers who...
Our timing today has been impeccable. For the fourth time this afternoon, an angler sets the hook on a bass as we pull up to photograph him. It is Harvey Horne, and he is ecstatic. He has already...
It seems this year’s version of Smallmouthfest on the St. Lawrence will be defined by extremes. We have seen anglers fishing in 40 feet ... and others casting in 5. And we watched competitors with...
We jumped down the river and found Brian Snowden. As we pulled up, he set the hook. The fish went skyward. After a fairly short battle, Snowden landed the fish. “Five pounds!” he replied after I...
We were able to see both ends of an Elite Series pro’s emotional spectrum over the course of just a couple minutes. Shane LeHew hooked up on a big fish, carefully played it for a couple of minutes...
As Chris Johnston landed his fourth fish, Shane LeHew, who is fishing the same flat about 300 yards away, was culling. Unlike Johnston, who has been scouring the flat with his trolling motor on...
“I’ve lost the first three big ones I’ve hooked, not a good start,” said Chris Johnston. Granted, he said that as he was sliding a 4-pounder into his livewell. That gives him three keepers. And I’m...
Our first stop of the morning finds us floating a hundred yards distant from Chris Johnston. The Canadian son is casting a shallow flat on the American side of the river. Looking overboard through...
The traffic in Miami was terrible. That said, traffic in Miami is always terrible. Still, bumper-bumper vehicles is not something you typically deal with when moving from one waypoint to the next...
“Stick your hand into the fire and see how much you can take.” That’s Bassmaster Elite Series pro Drew Benton’s formula for climbing to the highest ranks in professional bass fishing. The 30-year...
