Hanna Robbins and Jennifer Combs with a cooler full of crappie from Lake Sam Rayburn

The Outdoor Gear We Recommend

We may have a little bit of a hoarding problem. Good gear need not be expensive, but it has to improve the experience in some way. Whether it’s the right rod, a certain bait, or the world’s best rainsuit, we’ll give unfiltered opinions on what we use and why we use it.


No tackle shop on earth provides more specialized gear for bass than Tackle Warehouse. If you want it, they've got it in stock — whether it's a proven winner or the newest items on the market — and their service is exceptional.

Gear Pete Robbins Gear Pete Robbins

Bass Boat Saver Discount Code

I’ve used Bass Boat Saver for 25 years to keep all of my fiberglass hulls clean. Now I can give you a 10% discount code. Try it out, you’ll be happy you did.

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Gear Pete Robbins Gear Pete Robbins

Simple River Rat Lure Mod -- Flat Rubber Skirts

As we’ve seen in recent years, it’s possible to get rid of your skirt altogether on wire baits, but if you still want a skirt and particularly if you fish river systems, consider a comparatively ugly flat rubber skirt. They pulse differently and provide a distinct look that moving water fish sometimes seems to prefer.

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Three “Warriors” for Big El Salto Bass

Hanna and I keep a healthy stash of tackle at Lake El Salto. It gets subsidized and replenished on every trip, but certain staple lures never leave – and by “staple,” I mean not just the particular models, but specific baits that have caught hundreds of bass apiece. Here are three of my long-time favorites.

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Who Doesn’t Like a Big Beaver?

The Sweet Beaver defined a genre of creature baits, one that has become incredibly popular in a short period. The sizes around the 4” range tend to be most popular, although 3” versions get the call quite often, too. But what if you’re fishing for larger fish eating especially large prey? You might need a bigger version.

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Gear Pete Robbins Gear Pete Robbins

Even MORE Scat-Style Soft Plastic Lures

The flood of scat-style baits started in the US by the introduction of the Deps Cover Scat continues at a fast pace. Clearly there’s demand and now there’s no excuse if you can’t find an option that works on your local fisheries. Check out a few more that were introduced at ICAST 2023.

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Gear Pete Robbins Gear Pete Robbins

Sweet Beaver Colors the Pros Use When No One’s Looking

The Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver changed the nature of the flipping game. It spawned the category of “beaver baits” and became the preferred choice for most mat flippers. You can get by with standards like Watermelon Red, Black Red Flake, Black Blue Flake and Green Pumpkin – but the pros also have some lesser-known favorites.

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Gear Pete Robbins Gear Pete Robbins

Ribbed for Everyone's Pleasure

Ribbed swimbaits like the Keitech Fat Swing Impact catch fish everywhere and can be used in a wide variety of depths, water colors and types of cover. We've used them to swim through ankle-deep grass on the Potomac, and across deep rocky structure on El Salto. They make excellent trailers, too, and excel on an Alabama Rig.

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Gear Pete Robbins Gear Pete Robbins

My Megabass Vision 110 Confidence Colors

The Megabass Vision 110 was the first lure I purchased that cost over $20, and it was worth every penny. That GP Pro Blue model lasted a long time, through multiple treble hook changes, before I eventually cast it into a rock and broke off the bill. Like many JDM lures, they come in a wide array of premium paint jobs. Here are 5 of my confidence colors.

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Gateways to Enthusiast-Grade Glide Baits and Swimbaits

You may be intrigued by the draw of swimbaits but your budget or your stomach might not be able to handle a triple-digit price tag. If you’re not ready to invest $200+ for a Pizz or $400+ for a Hinkle, you may still want to try something rarer and slightly more expensive than the mass production options available at your local tackle stores.

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Gear Pete Robbins Gear Pete Robbins

Rapala’s Exotic International Topwater Paint Schemes

Walk-the-dog topwaters are a staple on a wide variety of fishing trips across the globe and standard colors are a good bet. Nevertheless, we’re always on the lookout for unique paint jobs that “match the hatch.” Check out these five on Rapala’s new Precision Xtreme Pencil Exo. It reads like a bucket list of exotic species.

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Gear Pete Robbins Gear Pete Robbins

More Japanese “Poop” Baits

One of the most-read, and most remarked-upon articles we’ve written was about JDM lures like the Deps Cover Scat and Valley Hill Heavy Poop. These stubby stick baits have become popular stateside. Yamamoto’s Yamatanuki has been flying off shelves. If you want something a little bit rarer, though, you might try one of these four.

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Best Soft Bait Adhesives for Anglers

Whether it’s a broken rod guide or ripped soft plastics, both minor and major emergencies can derail a fishing trip — unless you take the simple step of throwing glues into your boat or travel bag, in which case they can be easily fixed.

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Gear Pete Robbins Gear Pete Robbins

Put Some Weight on Your Lures (Updated 2025)

If you need your crankbaits, jerkbaits or swimbaits to cast further or dive deeper, here are some ready-made and inexpensive ways to reliably make that happen — without ruining or permanently altering your lures.

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Gear Hanna Robbins Gear Hanna Robbins

New Gear Testing at El Salto – June 2023

The best part about going to Anglers Inn’s lodges on Lake Picachos or Lake El Salto is that the conditions constantly change. – it’s a different lake every time we go. I get excited to bring downnew products that we know won’t get bit at home. If we get bites, not only have we learned something new, but we’ve added to our bag of tricks

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