By now, all dedicated crankbait anglers have become used to a semi-standard bill-to-body ratio. Once in a while, though, a manufacturer comes out with one where the bill looks outsized. Done properly, it allows for a small profile lure that gets down in a hurry.

It took a near flawless system of equipment for fourth year Elite Series pro Kyle Welcher to beat a stacked field for the Angler of the Year title. A big part of that success resulted from his tactical use of Sunline’s various products.

I have extreme confidence in Dan Brovarney’s Wisconsin Swim Jigs, and while I can’t completely pare down my color selection, I’ve narrowed my confidence colors to a limited array. What are your favorites?

The Ringworm — made popular by companies like Rebel in the 1970s — remains a killer lure on tough fisheries, especially rivers. It’s getting tougher to find them, but a few options remain in tackle stores.

We’ve had some tremendous days in Mexico with spinnerbaits and Chatterbaits, but one lure category that we haven’t discussed nearly as much is the swim jig. Sometimes we even forget about them, but they’re really valuable mop up tools.. Be sure to pack a handful on your next trip.

For a while, a 1-ouncer was the gold standard for getting through thick mats, but trash mats were too thick even for that. Slowly we started to get bigger weights, usually up to 1 1/2 ounces and your favorite brand likely runs to that size. However, if you need something beefier, there are even heavier options.

I’ve known the power of the Roboworm for nearly two decades. While I often turn to soft plastics like the Berkley Flat Worm or the Yamamoto Shad Shape worm to dropshot, when in doubt the Robo gets the call. While I own quite a few, the following are my standbys.

Tackle Warehouse, the most well-stocked online retailer in the U.S., has quietly expanded their supply of multi-piece rods in recent years as U.S. manufacturers have jumped on the bandwagon. If you’re looking to buy one (or more), they keep an incredible amount of inventory in stock, and if your need to travel has arisen suddenly you can generally get the rod in a day or two for a fairly minimal upcharge.

If you’re only going to get one topwater popper to fish for bass, make it a Lobina Lures Rico or Rio Rico. Nevertheless, these lures are not an insubstantial investment, so you’ll want the best colors. Many people argue that only the paint on the bottom of these lures matters, but I tend to fish better if I have confidence. Here are five favorites.

Whatever type of fishing you do, fresh or salt, you are by definition around water. Lots of water. That’s good for the fish, but not good for many of your belongings. Water can cause immediate and long-term damage to your clothing, cameras, phones and other critical gear. That’s why we take dry bags on just about every vacation.

There are lure colors that produced really well for me earlier in my fishing life, in shapes that I still use frequently, that got benched. Maybe I found a “better” color, or one that’s easier to purchase, but the following four options got “retired” for no apparent reason.

ICAST 2023 might not have introduced anything truly revolutionary, but I saw lots of products that I’ll tote to Mexico next year in the hopes of improving my effectiveness on big bass.

This week the 2023 Bassmaster Elite Series season will conclude on New York’s St. Lawrence River. It’s a familiar venue for most of the anglers, as this will be the seventh straight season that the Elites will compete there, and the ninth time in the last 11. Here are the winning baits from that great run.

Don’t go to Lake El Salto or Lake Picachos without Senkos – when fishing is good they can produce giants, and when it’s tougher than usual they can save the day. I’m constantly trying new shades of soft plastic, looking for something that might work just a little bit better. If you can’t resist that urge, here are 3 colors that have worked for us.

Packing for a summertime fishing trip to Alaska is difficult because the weather and conditions can vary so much. That’s why it pays to have footwear and pants that are not only comfortable, but also versatile, like the two described here.

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.

Discover the best Strike King 10XD crankbait colors for fishing at Lake El Salto. We provide recommendations and tips for your next fishing trip to Mexico based on hundreds of hours of deep cranking.

We’ve scoured the web to find you lures after tilapia and we’ve documented them 3 times, but the hits just keep on coming. By keeping a careful watch out, we keep a running list of the new options I find. Here are some of the latest.

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.

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.