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.
Daiwa Saltiga Premium Travel Rods for Saltwater Combat
Imagine you get to the Seychelles or Costa Rica or Baja and the outfit you've chartered has crappy rods not up to the task of subduing your quarry. Toting a full-sized rod tube is also often a pain in the butt. Daiwa offers a solution -- travel rods built to take on the beefiest brawlers in the ocean.
Zoom Super Chunk Variety
Zoom’s Super Chunk is my go-to in a wide variety of situations when bass want something with a lot of action. Consistent with Zoom’s history, it comes in a ton of colors, but if you want to get started with a limited budget, here are five that’ll cover most situations.
Dan Brovarney’s Swim Jig Tutorial
It might be a stretch to say that swim jigs changed my life, but once I bought into them, I caught tons of fish that had previously ignored or evaded me. Here’s a one-on-one with Dan Brovarney, the man responsible for that improvement.
Japan’s Hottest New Soft Plastic Bass Lure
Japan’s latest and hottest new bass craze may have a scatalogical name, but it’s super effective. If you think the Senko is the greatest bait ever — and there’s a strong argument for that — see if this stubbier, heavier version gives it a run for its money.
Scents Down Under: We Had to Beat It Out of Them
When it comes to NSFW ribald humor, our raucous Australian friends have a leg up on just about every American fishing tackle manufacturer except for Andre Moore. Check out the newest lure scent from Shads Lures — I’m not sure they could get away with that here.
Matching the Hatch Mahi-Style
We love catching mahi. Apparently lots of other species like to chase, capture and consume them, too, because the tackle ecosphere is loaded with hyper-realistic trolling lures.
Daiwa Baitcasters for Mexico That Provide Value and Performance
On your next trip to Lake El Salto or Lake Picachos, I’d strongly recommend bringing no fewer than five reels. Chris Martin of Daiwa offered us up information on reels that excel for flipping, cranking and swimbaiting that are also value propositions.
Winning Baits of Past Grand Lake Bassmaster Classics
We’re headed back to Grand Lake for the big Oklahoma impoundment’s third time hosting the Bassmaster Classic. The tournament will be a month later. Nevertheless if you need a refresher course on what won the last two times, check out the following lures. No matter where you fish during the prespawn, they might help you sack a few extra bass.
My Favorite Whopper Plopper and Choppo Colors
It came from the musky world, but the Whopper Plopper and its progeny have made bass fishing substantially more exciting. What are your favorite colors in this category?
My, What Big Teeth You Have – Daiwa’s Ardito Muskie Travel Rods
Most travel rods are made to handle a number of circumstances, none of them particularly well. Daiwa wants to change that in their US market, and one clear sign is their new Ardito Muskie Travel Rods. They’re two 8’5”, five-section sticks made of premium components.
East Texas Trapping With James Niggemeyer
Texans are as serious about Rat-L-Traps as they are about barbecue, deer hunting and Friday Night Lights. Veteran pro James Niggemeyer leads us through his “Trap” choices for big bass.
Kimmel in the Clutch
If you’re looking for a big blueback herring imitator — or just a chop-style glide bait that you can fish faster than the others — check out the Clutch Darter. NPFL pro has more experience with it than just about anyone and can fill you in on the details.
The Shad Rap Core Four
Now is the time of year to throw the best cold water crankbait ever made and the winner has been the same for four decades – the Rapala Shad Rap. There may be another choice that does better in limited circumstances, but despite numerous swings at the champ no one has been able to thread the needle and consistently beat it.
Warm Weather Dreaming with the AFTCO Female Pros
I HATE the winter so I spend lots of time dreaming of warm-weather fishing travel — and want to make sure that I’ll be properly outfitted. The AFTCO women angling pros can lead you to the proper choices and colors.
New Specialty Rods at Tackle Warehouse
I’m a sucker for new rods, but as my collection has grown to unfathomable numbers, I probably don’t need any more 7’ medium heavy baitcasters or 7’ medium action spinning rods. I’m more interested in specialty rods at the margins or aimed at very narrow purposes.
Two More Pairs of Polarized Sunglasses Into the Rotation
While I could probably get by with one or two pairs of polarized sunglasses for my varied fishing efforts, as I’ve gotten older I’ve learned that there are benefits to having specialized eyewear. I’ve added two more pairs that I have become consistently-chosen options and should continue to be so for the near future.
Best Fishing Boxers – Updated for 2024
I continue to search for the best boxer briefs for fishing. It’s not such an easy task. Since last summer I’ve integrated three new winners into the rotation as several decomposing or underperforming options have been sent to the trash heap.
Ish’s Flipping Colors – Four Staples and Three Secrets
For well over two decades California pro Ish Monroe has epitomized the idea of being a big bass specialist. He loves to wield a flipping stick in and around the heaviest cover possible. He’s won hundreds of thousands of dollars with key Missile Baits in key colors.
Garage Reorganization – Live from Lunker City
Lunker City Fishing of Connecticut is best known for the genre-defining Slug-go, but other lures from their catalog — several of which are still available — have played notable roles in my time on the water.
Garage Finds – Topwater Blasts from the Past
My lure choices this week are topwaters once again. I just love the thrill of the fish exploding on the lure. I pulled some really odd and interesting looking baits off the shelf and of course Pete had stories about all of them. There’s always a story.