Is Keeping Bass Wrong?

Following the rise in popularity of bass tournaments during the latter part of the Twentieth Century, “catch and release” became the standard for bass anglers to help protect the health of our fisheries…

But is “catch and release” the ultimate answer in keeping bass populations healthy and thriving?

I decided to use my inaugural episode of my new video series named “What Doc Thinks” to address this issue 

I also decided to provide a few links to articles discussing the benefits of combining selective harvest with catch and release to preserve the health of our treasured fisheries below:

Selective Harvest 1

Selective Harvest 2

Selective Harvest 3

Selective Harvest 4

Side Scanning Sonar for Bass Fishing

The breadth of tools available in today’s world of bass fishing electronics is absolutely fantastic.

It seems like it was only a few years ago, when the electronics technology available for bass anglers focused primarily on different types of fish finders  such as flashers and chart recorders.

Recently, however, advances in electronic technology now allow bass fishermen to locate their position with global positioning systems (GPS); monitor the subsurface world with underwater cameras and use sonar units sensing the underwater world both vertically and horizontally using side-scanning technologies.

Below, Al Lindner (formally of In-Fisherman and now Angling Edge fame) shows the benefits side-scanning sonar units and how they provide an amazing perspective of the underwater environment.  This in-turn, of course, can help you catch more bass …

Extend Your Floating Net Handle

If you are a small boat, float tube or kayak angler you may have purchased a Promar or Foreverlast short handle floating net to safely land your prize catch. 

Where the short handle works well if wading or fishing from a float tube, it doesn't take long to find it comes up a little "short" at times when fishing from a canoe or kayak (splash). 

Want to know a way to solve the problem and keep the net floating?

Take a moment and learn how via this DIY video tutorial...

Problem solved with just a few components and sweat equity it seems :)

Best Fall Baitfish Lures

 Is there any time of year that bass are more focused on baitfish than the fall?

I don't think so!

Since bass are so keyed on baitfish when putting on the fall feed bag, what are the best lures to throw and increase your success?

Watch the following video and see!

According to bass pro Jeff Sprague the top five include:

1. Walking baits
2. Lipless crankbaits
3. Squarebill crankbaits
4. Chatter-type baits
5. Jerkbait

Those may work for him but personally I would add spinnerbaits and buzzbaits to the list as we;;!

Do you have any favorites?

Getting Goosed When Bass Fishing?

I Came across a pretty interesting find when I was searching for information via YouTube on kayak bass fishing.

Here’s a dude, fishing for bass in an area with lots of vegetation (great cover right) and a couple of tag-a-long geese watching every cast… 

Everything looks innocent enough. I’ve had many encounters with waterfowl (ducks, geese & even swans (though the swans can be real nasty) where they were aimlessly swimming round the boat while fishing…  

Never really had much of a problem… 

I have to admit though, I have never had the same type of encounter as this guy 🙂 (whew!)…

I guess it goes to show… you really shouldn’t be teasing the wild critters… 

Especially if fishing for bass from a KAYAK! 

And it definitely gives a whole new meaning to the expression … getting goosed! 

Fortunately it seems everyone and everything came out OK…