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

The Best New High-End Rods and Reels at Tackle Warehouse (2025)

Discover the best new high-end fishing rods and reels at Tackle Warehouse in 2025. From premium baitcasting tackle to ultra-smooth spinning gear, explore the latest tackle designed for serious anglers who want cutting-edge performance, unmatched quality, and the ultimate fishing experience.

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Gear Pete Robbins Gear Pete Robbins

Mike McClelland’s New Signature Jerkbait

Mike McClelland has been customizing jerkbaits since before many of today’s bass pros were born. His SPRO McStick has become a staple among serious anglers but he recently realized that both the original and the deep diving version didn’t cover all of his needs so he developed the McDart.

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Gear Pete Robbins Gear Pete Robbins

Feed Them a Big Bonito

On our trips to Central America we’ve caught a wide range of fish on live, dead and artificial lures, but sometimes the biggest bites of all come on bonito. Whether you’re looking to target marlin, wahoo, tuna or greedy inshore species, it can pay to have a bonito imitator or two.

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Gear Pete Robbins Gear Pete Robbins

Baitcasting Rods Six Feet Four and Under

When I started bass fishing in the 1980s, a 6’6” baitcasting rod was considered the gold standard. Now I use relatively few baitcasters under 7’. There may be circumstances where a shorter rod is advantageous. This article lists a few really good ones.

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Gear Pete Robbins Gear Pete Robbins

11 Wakasagi Topwaters To Cover Your Surface Needs

We recently had fun listing some of the key wakasagi jerkbaits. That led us to seek out some topwaters in that same hue — many of them are JDM products. You don’t need to have Wakasagi or Delta Smelt in your home waters to make them work, because they’re a near-universal baitfish imitator.

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Gear Pete Robbins Gear Pete Robbins

Why Wakasagi Jerkbaits?

Wakasagi is a popular jerkbait color, but most Americans probably don’t know what the word means. It’s actually a baitfish native to certain areas of Japan, as well as Korea and Russia. They’re also closely related to and closely resemble the Delta Smelt.

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Gear Pete Robbins Gear Pete Robbins

10 New Shades of Pink from ICAST 2025

Anglers must be buying pink lursbecause the manufacturers keep on producing more. This isn’t an exhaustive list of the ones introduced at the 2025 ICAST show in Orlando, but 10 of the ones that stood out to me most.

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Gear Pete Robbins Gear Pete Robbins

Swimbait Trends from ICAST 2025

Swimbaiting was historically an underground culture. Not everyone could get the hottest baits at any price. In fact, there were plenty of brands, baits and presentations that were strictly on the downlow. Here are signs from ICAST 2025 at how much more mainstream it has become.

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Gear Pete Robbins Gear Pete Robbins

Is it a Frog or a Zara Spook?

We’ve spent the last couple of decades trying to walk the dog with various frog style lures. Most of us can do it reasonably well. But what if you want a more elongated body? There are numerous options for that — take ‘em to the nearest grass bed.

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Gear Pete Robbins Gear Pete Robbins

Introducing Stoneage Custom Rods

Stoneage Custom Rods are new JDM travel rods tested in the harsh environment of the Amazon on big peacock bass. Here’s designer Reo Kodera talking about what makes them special and purpose-driven.

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Gear Hanna Robbins Gear Hanna Robbins

Garage Finds – Forgotten Soft Plastic Craws

I got caught red handed looking for Pete’s ride or die – the single bait  he said he would choose if he could only use one forever – THE CRAW. Listen to why he chose the craw and check out the oddball craws I came across.

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Gear Pete Robbins Gear Pete Robbins

New Lures in Some of Our Favorite Special Colors

We’ve had a fun time listing lures in distinctive color patterns. Whether it’s tilapia imitators or all things bubblegum, if you’ve searched for it there’s a decent chance we have, too. We try to stay up to date with all of the new items at Tackle Warehouse. Here are a few that help us update past columns – shop away!

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Gear Pete Robbins Gear Pete Robbins

It’s a Frog! It’s a Bird! You’re Both Right

Earlier this year, Ish Monroe won on the Cal Delta with a variety of lures, but two of the keys were a River2Sea Phat Mat Daddy Frog and River2Sea Whopper Plopper, both in “Yellow Head,” a black body with a yellow head. That pattern has also frequently been referred to as “Tweety” or “Canary.”

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