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During the 2009 Elite Series campaign, a variety of baits and techniques where used to secure victories. However, in many of those wins, the lure that put an angler in position to win faltered in the home stretch and had to be replaced by an alternate bait on the final day of competition.
Anglers who have been confined to the house during the winter are now counting the days until spring finally arrives and they can get back out on their favorite lake in pursuit of bass. However, Elite Series pro Bill Lowen, an acknowledged Ohio "river rat," is quick to point out that lakes and reservoirs are not the only places fishing action will be hot come spring.
For the average bass angler, there's nothing more frustrating than getting an explosive topwater strike only to haul water and wonder how in the world the bass didn't hook up. In the world of professional bass fishing, the difference between a near miss and a successful hookup on topwater can mean the difference in thousands of dollars. Bassmaster Elite Series pro Jeff Kriet has a few tricks to up the odds when it comes to hooking bass on top.
Unless you're fortunate enough to live in a particularly temperate climate, when late fall rolls around on the calendar you're most likely either deer hunting or sitting by the fire awaiting the spring thaw. Only the most hardened of fanatics will brave the cold chill of December in pursuit of some late-season bass fishing.
Kota Kiriyama's blowout win in the 2008 Elite Series tournament on Lake Erie was no accident. His 93 pounds of smallmouth caught over four days, an average approaching 5 pounds per fish, were the result of a practice strategy that began several years earlier. While the average weekend angler may not have the time to approach every lake the same way, it provides a template for discovering subtle offshore structure.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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