How-To

KVD: Confidence is Key

With the advances in technology and available resources to rapidly increase a bass angler's knowledge, the learning curve commonly associated with success has been greatly reduced. So, what is it that consistently separates experienced anglers? The answer is confidence.

How-To

KVD: Crankin’ colors

There's no doubt that five-time Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Kevin VanDam knows his crankbaits. Over the course of his career, the Michigan pro has raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars casting and cranking on lakes across the United States. When it comes to selecting the right crankbait color for the job, VanDam says that there's a rhyme and reason for every color in his boat.

How-To

Poche: Dip and dye

Take one look at the soft plastic aisle in a tackle store and it's no secret that plastics come in just about every color imaginable. Need a pink Fluke? They've got them. How about a Blue Sapphire lizard? No problem. Even with all of the color options available on the market, some bass anglers believe there are times when a plastic bait needs a little extra flash.

How-To

Ike: Fishing in the Moment

Elite Series pro Michael Iaconelli has won almost everything a professional angler could desire. From tournaments, to a Bassmaster Classic victory, and ultimately a Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title, Iaconelli has known success through all aspects of the sport.

How-To

Herren on Picking Large Dock

Matt Herren is a rookie on the Bassmaster Elite Series trail, but it's a fallacy to consider him anything other than a veteran tournament competitor. Over the years, he's won tens of thousands of dollars not only from his Alabama cohorts, but from anglers around the country as well. And a sizeable percentage of those funds has been earned with a flipping stick in hand.

How-To

KVD: Fishing mudlines

The fastest path between two points is a straight line. So it's no surprise that Kevin VanDam, a noted power fisherman capable of covering vast quantities of water with lightning speed, is a big fan of straight lines. However, VanDam's favorite lines have nothing to do with speed; they have to do with mud.

How-To

Niggemeyer: Profiling bedding bass

Anyone who has ever attempted to coax a bedding bass into biting knows well the frustrations the technique can often carry. Chief among them is the bass' disinterest in the angler's offering.

Opens # 1: Day Two, Rain and Clouds

Tournament anglers fishing the second day of the Bass Pro Shops Southern Open on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes were greeted with overcast skies and intermittent rain as the dawn broke on Big Toho Marina.

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