How-To

Howell: Full Arsenal of Baits

Whether you fish at the Elite Series level or just for weekend enjoyment, maximizing your success on the water depends on the ability to wring every last ounce of fish out of a given area. Even if you've found the ultimate school, no one wants to leave any fish behind.

How-To

Pace: Spinning Tackle

Up until a few years ago, pro angler Cliff Pace didn't even own a spinning rod. The Mississippi resident relied on tried-and-true "bubba" tactics to excel in tournaments. But once he started to compete against the best of the best in the Bassmaster Elite Series, he realized that he needed to integrate finesse tactics into his arsenal, and that called for spinning tackle.

How-To

Ponds: Subsurface crankbaits

Have you ever had one of those days when conditions were perfect for throwing a buzzbait, but for whatever reason the fish would barely show any interest? Elite Series pro Pete Ponds has the solution.

How-To

Niggemeyer: Subtle Color Changes

A trip to the local tackle retailer will reveal a plethora of color options in similar swirls, laminates, flecks and hues. It leaves one wondering if such subtle color differences really matter that much when it comes to catching bass. Elite Series pro James Niggemeyer has developed a loose system to help simplify his color selection.

How-To

Menendez: Targeting Larger Bass

For the tournament bass angler, a successful day on the water is measured by the total weight of the best five bass and not the number of bass caught. Culling through scores of smaller bass means more time spent unhooking and re-rigging, and less time with the bait in the water. Even the causal weekend bass angler can appreciate a pair of 4-pound largemouth compared to a dozen "dinks."

How-To

McClelland: Hook Sets

Elite Series pro Mike McClelland's name has become synonymous with dragging a Carolina rig or football jig around the bottom for bass. In fact, you might say that the Arkansas pro wrote the book (or at least a chapter) on deepwater structure fishing.

How-To

Reed: Standing timber

Standing timber and bass fishing go together like peanut butter and jelly. However, that idyllic vision of bass nirvana can become skewed as winter approaches, given that many anglers abandon timber in favor of more typical wintertime haunts.

How-To

Robinson: Pencil Popper

Big baits are nothing new in bass fishing; 8-inch swimbaits, 12-inch plastic worms and big crankbaits are now commonplace in both professional and recreational anglers' tackleboxes across the country. But when it comes to topwaters, the biggest lure in the tacklebox is often a 5-inch Zara Spook.

How-To

Reed: Contending with turnover

We've all heard the term "turnover" used to describe an annual fall event on many of our favorite lakes. Bubbly water, floating vegetation that's generally related to the bottom of the lake or a stagnant sheen on the surface are all clear indications that the lake is experiencing turnover.

How-To

Robinson: The double Fluke rig

When the band Three Dog Night covered the song "One Is the Loneliest Number," it's safe to say that they weren't singing about fishing a soft plastic minnow bait called the Fluke. However, the way that Elite Series pro Marty Robinson fishes a Fluke, the 1969 hit might be applicable.