Do you understand how the rate of fall on a bait can impact the bite? While some anglers reach for heavy weights when flipping and pitching, others lean toward lighter options. Regardless of which fits your fishing style the best, understanding the role of a bait’s rate of fall is crucial in lear...

Just take a look at the selection of soft plastic baits at TackleDirect. There are thousands and thousands of bait/color combinations to choose from! Ish Monroe helps simplify the process of selecting the right soft plastic and describes the scenarios for using his most effective soft plastic bai...

A spoon is one of the most under-utilized tools in many anglers' lineups, but this versatile technique is something you can use to target fish all year. While jigging spoons fished vertically over cover excel in the cooler months, casting and flutter spoons shine during the warmer months when bas...

One of the best things an angler can be is versatile, but what exactly does that mean? Versatile doesn’t have to mean 20 different rods thrown on the front of your boat. Being a versatile angler is more about knowing when to make changes, and feeling comfortable in a variety of techniques to be c...

Punching grass mats can be overwhelming. For many anglers, it seems like an impossible task to pick apart acres of grass mats one pitch at a time. While you may not always produce a lot of bites punching, it does give you the opportunity to get bigger bites throughout the day. By using a heavy tu...

Lipless crankbaits are very popular on grass lakes in the late winter and early spring, but did you know it’s a technique you can utilize all year long?
“When they're on it, you can't beat it,” said Mike Iaconelli, 2003 Bassmaster Classic champion. “Here's the deal with this bait, and this is wh...

It’s impossible to learn every technique in one year. While versatility in bass fishing is an important trait, many anglers often rely on only a few different baits and techniques to catch fish.
"A lot of people don't know their tools as well as they should,” said John Crew. “What I mean by that...

The bass spawn offers anglers time to catch some of the best fish in their body of water all year.
As water temperatures start warming up, bass will begin migrating from their deeper wintering holes to shallow spawning areas to lay their eggs. The good news for bass fishermen is before they go ...

Everyone wants to catch as many fish as they can, but the reality of tournament fishing is that catching the most fish isn’t always the best method – sometimes you need to focus on grinding out the right five bass limit.
"You're only trying to catch five,” said Drew Cook. “That's the deal. You o...

Some anglers would rather keep throwing their favorite baits than make adjustments when the fishing gets tough.
While bigger bass often target bigger baits, sometimes the key to catching more bass is a more subtle approach.
“There's a lot of reasons finesse fishing is so good when it gets tou...

While the debate about technology in bass fishing has never been louder, it’s hard to argue just how much it has revolutionized the sport. "I don't think that the horse is going to go back in the barn," said John Crews on the technological advancements. "It's out and it's running at full stride a...

Love it or hate it, forward-facing sonar has taken the bass fishing world by storm.
“Foward-Facing Sonar is the here and now,” said Brandon Lester. “It's the biggest advancement probably that I've seen in my professional career. ... The thing [that separates] forward-facing sonar is we're gettin...

Practicing for a tournament can be the deciding factor for many anglers on competition day. While some are able to fish their favorite bodies of water blind, others typically spend a few days preparing beforehand. For 2023 Major League Fishing REDCREST champion Bryan Thrift, having the right prac...

Growing the sport of bass fishing is a double-edged sword. While it’s healthy for the industry to be growing at the rate it is, it also can cause some trouble because more people fishing means one thing – more people are fishing.
“There is more fishing pressure today than ever before,” said Mik...

For many anglers, topwater fishing is one of the most exciting ways to catch bass.
“Everybody goes crazy on a topwater strike,” said Shaw Grigsby. “When you’re fishing, and one blows up next to you, every one of us has the same reaction, ‘Oh my gosh!’ and we make a cast over there.”
Grigsby de...

The Z-Man Chatterbait isn’t new on the fishing scene anymore. However, it’s still dominating tournament trails nationwide due to its ability to catch fish in almost every condition.
“I would venture to guess there is nobody that has in the great United States of America that has logged more hour...

Forward-facing sonar has been changing the fishing industry for several years, but taking the time to truly harness its power isn’t something that can be done overnight.
One of the technology’s greatest uses is just how much time it can save you while fishing.
“It's literally about catching, n...

Fishing pressure is impacting every body of water across the country – potentially more than ever. One way anglers can offset this is by reaching fish that others aren’t targeting.
“If you want to do this for a living, you can go anywhere in the country, and catch more fish than anybody else j...

Locating bass in practice can be hard enough, but when they’ve moved by tournament day in can complicate things in a hurry.
If you understand the migration routes that bass take, it can make relocating them much easier.
“We've all been on fish and lose track of them, 'Man, they were there yes...

Fishing large grass beds can often be overwhelming for many anglers. To the untrained eye, it all looks the same. However, being able to break down grass beds effectively will help you catch more bass. “Grass is a good habitat,” said Bryan Schmitt. “It's probably the best habitat on any of body o...

Do you want to learn how to better locate and catch bass offshore? While many anglers consider offshore fishing strictly a summer-time activity, it’s a variable strategy in many lakes all year long. “Offshore fishing, for really anything I've won in my career, that's the technique that I've leane...

Catching a trophy Smallmouth bass is often a once-and-a-lifetime opportunity for many anglers. Understanding the seasonal patterns of those fish can help increase your odds, especially during the spawn. “I think it's probably the most important thing in fishing,” said Pete Gluszek, about underst...

Do you feel lost when fishing in the current? While moving water can help position bass in easy-to-catch areas, it can also be overwhelming for the inexperienced angler to deal with – especially when it comes to boat positioning. “The key to fishing current, and doing it well, is understanding ho...

Do you tend to get stressed out when things aren’t going your way? While having the right gear and finding the right fish is important – being mentally strong on the water is also a major factor when fishing tournaments. "A positive mind does not always guarantee success, but a negative mind will...