Mayflies can make for topwater dream
July 2010 One of my favorite ways to catch bass, like a lot of other people, is on topwater baits. In the summer, you’ll typically have a topwater bite, especially early in the morning, but it often goes away by the time the sun gets up good.
Crank your way to a great June bag
June 2010 I love to fish crankbaits — I’ve fished them a lot in tournaments as a search bait, to help me find fish, but in June, I fish them not only as a search bait, they’re the baits that do most of my catching.
April means spawning ‘fun’
April 2010 April is an awfully fun time to be a bass fisherman in South Carolina. The weather is usually great, and the fishing is good. You can count on almost all the bass being in shallow water, and the most interesting part is, you’re going to be looking at a lot of the fish you’re catching.
Lipless baits are winners in March
March 2010 Most of the fishermen I know in South Carolina recognize that March is a great month to be on the water, and to really take advantage of the bass-fishing opportunities out there, they know they need to have a crankbait tied on.
February a great month to ‘dance a jig’ for bass
February 2010 I think most everyone who knows me or knows much about how I fish understands that I love to fish a jig. I’ve caught a lot of big fish on jigs, and tournament fishermen love big fish — we’re after quality, not quantity. A large percentage of my tournament wins have come with a jig playing an integral part.
'Show up' for a real buyer’s market
January 2010 To me, January is a very interesting month. We’re finished with deer season, and most of us haven’t fished very much in a while, except for maybe a little striper fishing. It is the month when I get back in my bass-fishing mode, when I do a lot of preparation for the spring. It’s when I put in brushpiles, when I start to prepare myself mentally, when I get my tackle ready.
How I spell December fun: s-t-r-i-p-e-r-s
December 2009 I guess you could say that for me to go fishing when I have time off, away from bass tournaments, is like taking a busman’s holiday. But fishing for fun is entirely different than competitive fishing, and I cherish the opportunity to get out on a lake and fish just for enjoyment’s sake.
Lakes are empty, but bass are biting
November 2009 I’ll be the first person to admit that I don’t fish nearly as much as I should in November, because I’m in the woods hunting so much.
October: prime time for a topwater bite
October 2009 As a tournament fisherman, I try not to get caught up in the old saying, “Catching one bass on topwater is better than catching four or five on a worm.”
Ponds offer chance for a real trophy
September 2009 Not every fisherman is as lucky as I am — blessed with a job that takes me to some of the best lakes in the country to catch largemouth bass.
Get all the tools you’ll need for the job at hand
August 2009 When you schedule a repairman to come fix your air conditioner or a plumber to repair a leaky faucet, or when you watch your mechanic go under the hood of your vehicle and fix whatever it is that’s causing that infernal squealing, you expect them to have the tools they need.