A look at the Stren Series standings (see it) after two days on the Delta and obviously, Ish Monroe of Hughson was fishing a different lake than everyone else. His 11-pound lead going into the final day–with only nine competitors to deal with–gave him an excellent shot at the top prize, and as we know now, held up as he finished with 66 pounds even.

For Tami Curtis (Tami on Tour), the opportunity to make her second top 10 was thwarted when she could only boat two keepers (more…)

The prognosticators were right. The California Delta is not the waterway it has been–at least right now–and the weights in today’s Stren Series (click here) contest confirm it. Tami Curtis Jennings (Tami on Tour) sits in a 16th place tie among co-anglers with 11 pounds, 5 ounces–but that’s just 6 ounces out of a top 10 spot!

The draw was kind to Tami as she was paired with the young, but expert John Billheimer, Jr. who holds down ninth place among the pros after weighing in 17 pounds, 14 ounces. As you might guess, Tami’s day had its tense moments. (more…)

He’s won nearly $1.2 million dollars in his short career, moved up comfortably to second in the BassFan World Rankings, but FLW pro Brent Ehrler admits he doesn’t have it all.

“I’ve always wanted to fish a (Bassmasters) Classic,” he told me yesterday afternoon. Still, he knows he needs to ride the wave that has carried him to national prominence and that lofty spot in the rankings. “At this point in my career, I’ve staked myself with FLW. (more…)

A short week, yes. But busy nonetheless. Juggling headlines, I’m keeping a promise I made to Blakemore back when I first got this site up and running back in March. You won’t hear it from Mike Hart (SoCal dominator) or even the BBZ’s Bill Siemantel, but you will hear it from me–a 3-part series all about Road Runners for bass. (Somebody had to talk.)

I’ll start with the why, move to the how, and then go into everything what or what about that I can squeeze in. It’s time everybody finds out what they’ve been missing–because for me, the little bladed lure has been everything from a trip-saver to a critical go-to bait (more…)

The questions continues to come up about the bass action at Lake Casitas–especially, is the only way to catch them with live shad? Rich Tauber, guide and former U.S. Open winner, decided to make a few casts with his clients at Lake Casitas this past week and among the fish he hooked, a nice 6-pounder (pictured) fell for a Zip Baits Rigge 90 jerkbait.

According to Rich, the bass at Casitas, “have been reacting well to a variety of reaction baits. The grass beds have begun to grow and the shad are puddling and spawning in and around the grass.”

What’s more, he says, (more…)

Fishing is a part of the fabric of life in America and to that end, many sports figures have been active participants or otherwise associated with angling on some level–including bass fishing. The five following individuals, most with some California connection, are primarily and respectively, known for these roles in pro sports.

RAY BOONE, Major League baseball player from San Diego, father/grandfather of Major Leaguers as well

LARRY BIRD, NBA basketball Hall of Fame player with Boston Celtics

JIM ‘CATFISH’ HUNTER, Major League baseball player, top pitcher with Oakland A’s, Yankees

DARYLE LAMONICA, NFL football quarterback with Oakland Raiders, known as the ‘Mad Bomber’; played collegiately at Notre Dame

TED WILLIAMS, Major League baseball player from San Diego, legendary hitter for Boston Red Sox

But can you match these figures with their connection to fishing? Options are: (A) Featured in full page ads for Daiwa tackle (B) Team tournament bass angler in California (C) Suggested bringing Florida bass to the Golden State (D) Inducted into IGFA Hall of Fame (E) Arguably no unique role in angling (none of the above)

See how well you scored: (more…)

Buried under “pro tips,” blogs and twitter, it’s no wonder we don’t always see the benefits of “warnings” or good advice to  improve angling performance. We somehow overlook things.

I think back to when my kid was developing as a soccer goalkeeper and one night before a match I suggested that the shot he needed to worry about most was the first one. Then wouldn’t you know it, the first one got by him–ouch! But fast forward to his collegiate career and we greatly enjoyed a moment when he was recognized nationally (fyi).

In every sport things happen, but if you can be good early you have a better chance for success overall. In bass fishing, it’s pretty much the same thing, (more…)

Just a quick update on the Lake Elsinore action. Two words: Good. Early.

While I usually show off some big hybrids (and we had plenty of those) I thought I’d share a shot of one of several nice largemouths that my partner, Matt Taylor of the OC, took on spinnerbaits. The fish came on the slow roll on the outside fence line and ledges around the flooded city campground launch ramp.

The thing was, the spinnerbait also accounted for some wipers.

But cranking was best for the linesides, shad-like colors in the Deep Little N and the Speed Trap. They weren’t boiling, but the shad activity and a glance at the meter told you to keep casting. Most of those fish were in four to nine feet (more…)