November/December 2019

Bassmaster

The Worldwide Authority on Bass Fishing

Bassmaster3 min read
A Season To Remember
I’M A TEXAS Longhorns fan. It seems like yesterday when Vince Young almost singlehandedly defeated the USC Trojans for the BCS National Championship. Pretty sure I still have that game saved on my DVR. Of course, my Longhorns haven’t been national co
Bassmaster3 min read
Jamie Hartman
Last year, you were forced to take a medical hardship due to a ruptured disk. This year, you’ve won two Elite Series events. Do you think time off helped you succeed at a higher level this year? I can’t say that it helped me. What it did was give me
Bassmaster1 min read
Silencing The Slump
Ask most Elite Series veterans about their second year on tour, and almost all of them will talk about the “sophomore slump.” The rookie year is typically filled with wide-eyed wonder and innocent ignorance when angling never-before-seen fisheries ag
Bassmaster3 min read
The Industry
To cap off the 2019 Year of the Fan celebration, Bassmaster editors believe there is no better way to thank readers than by featuring one on the cover of this magazine. So, consider this a search for bass fishing’s top model! Yes, seriously, you coul
Bassmaster2 min read
You Ask, Pros Answer
I love spinnerbaiting with a white, double willow (lure) in the shallows during the fall. There are days when bass seem to ignore it even though I know they are still there. Any advice as to how I can get those fish to bite? Roger Anderson, Richmond,
Bassmaster1 min read
Bass Boating
How do I get the most speed out of a 40-horsepower motor? @Nwh_fishing, Instagram Jim Hergert, manager of 60-hp and below outboards at Mercury, says there are a number of things you can do. For example, make sure the outboard shaft length matches the
Bassmaster2 min read
For Fun Or For Christmas
$399 | denveroutfitters.com Features: • The Rod Vault ST is built from the highest quality aircraft-grade aluminum tubes, with a nonabrasive plastic liner and insanely tough reinforced nylon housing• It’s capable of carrying up to six fully-rigged sp
Bassmaster8 min read
(RIP) RAP Artists Making Hits on the Rocks
THAT LINE OF stacked rocks may look like just that, a line of stacked rocks, but savvy anglers know there’s often much more to the story than meets the eye. Fact is, dissecting the sameness, breaking it down into particular sweet spots and reaching b
Bassmaster6 min read
If I Had a Do-Over
EVERY BASSMASTER ELITE Series angler has a painful tale of the near-win, a total bomb or something in between where a key decision shifted an event’s outcome in an unfavorable manner. Within these regretful tales, we find a rich harvest of techniques
Bassmaster5 min read
Cobb’s 1-2 Punch for Early Winter Bass
IT’S EARLY WINTER on Lake Hartwell, Brandon Cobb’s home lake, but despite the fact it’s getting colder and the sky is filled with threatening clouds, it would be hard to find a happier bass fisherman than Cobb. This time of year, the Bassmaster Elite
Bassmaster15 min read
The Hot List: 42 Pieces of Gear You Should Buy in 2020
THE 2019 ICAST trade show was chock full of awesomeness. Many called the event the “Year of the Trolling Motor,” as Lowrance, Garmin and Motorguide launched new technology in that space. But anglers have a lot more to look forward to in 2020 than fro
Bassmaster9 min read
Day On The Lake Bill Lowen [Early Winter]
Date: Dec. 7, 2018 Venue: Lake M, a flatland reservoir Water: 47 degrees, clear/tannic Weather: 40 degrees, cloudy, light east wind Pro: Bill Lowen, 44, Brookville, Ind. Lowen has fished the Elite Series since 2006, scoring 14 Top 10 finishes and nin
Bassmaster10 min read
Renegade Rigging
WHEN I BECAME immersed in bass fishing back in the early 1970s, it seemed that we had plenty of techniques to learn in our attempts to fool Mr. Bass. For soft plastics, you could use the deadly Texas rig, which has sure stood the test of time, thanks
Bassmaster8 min read
Winning ways: How The 2019 Blue Trophies were Won
Rick Clunn won again on this famed fishery by targeting prespawn females pulling up to spawning areas as the water began warming each day of the tournament. He caught a 10-pounder in practice, but a 9-14 and a 9-11 helped propel him to victory. Most
Bassmaster5 min read
Carriere’s Cajun Cypress Connection
Fishing and parenting have an almost ironclad connection. Ask any Elite Series angler where they got their start, and the answer almost always begins with a father, mother or grandparent. For third-year Elite Series veteran Tyler Carriere, that found
Bassmaster4 min read
Late-Season Bass Strategies
Bass fishing often takes a back seat to deer hunting during the months of November and December. But for those hardcore anglers willing to climb down from their tree stands and hop into their bass boats, some of the most exciting fishing of the year
Bassmaster2 min read
Fall In Line For Big Bites
Season: Late fall on a highland reservoir Water temp: 60 degrees Clarity: 4 to 6 feet Depth: 15 to 25 feet Structure: Chunk rock, bluffs, rocky points Cover: Floating docks, laydowns Forage: Shad schools, bream shallow Weather: Stable, partly cloudy
Bassmaster1 min read
More Than Happy
Elite Series pro Micah Frazier has been competing on bass fishing’s biggest stage since 2015. He had some great moments his first three years on tour. There was the sixth-place finish his rookie year at Kentucky Lake. A 12th-place finish in 2017 at L
Bassmaster2 min read
Cook Says A Mouthful
AS A REPORTER, there’s no question I hate more than “How do you feel?” It’s lazy. It’s generic. It’s clichéd. And honestly, how often can a person accurately describe during an interview how he or she truly feels about anything? But still, you hear i

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