Four Blade Bait Retrieves for Year Road Success

When most bass anglers see a blade bait, a few things usually spring into their mind:

• Winter or cold water fishing
• Deep water fishing
• Vertical fishing structure or schools of fish

Savvy anglers, however know the blade bait is far more versatile and when the proper retrieve is used, it can be used to successfully through out the year to increase your catching success.

Take a few minutes and watch as Bassmaster Elite pro Mike "Ike" Iaconelli discusses in this video from the folks at Bass Angler Magazine:

Are All Blade Baits the Same?

What do you get when you take a this sheet of metal cut into the shape of a baitfish, add hooks, color and tabs of lead for weight? 

The simplest cold water baits on the market, a blade bait!

One of the first blade baits introduced to the market is the Heddon Sonar (circa 1959) followed a couple of decades later by the Silver Buddy; both still in production and highly popular today. Since that time many tackle manufacturers have introduced their own version of the blade back by tweaking the components and design to add their own twist to the bait.

Even though the various baits have different shapes, hooks, tie-eye and weight placement on the thin metal body, do they all act or vibrate the same way in the water?

Absolutely not as the folks from Omnia fishing explain in this short video on their favorite blade baits for cold water bassin'

Check out the variety of blade baits available from Omnia fishing by clicking on the following link to start your blade bait collection:

Blade Baits @ Omnia Fishing

Be Smart, Be Safe, Practice Ice Safety

It’s that time of year again and many of our northern friends will be venturing out on the solid surface of their favorite waters for a little winter fishing.

Even though there may be safe ice in the middle of winter in many places, there are certain times and conditions where thin ice may persist and danger awaits…

Take a moment and check out the following video created by the safety folks in MN and distributed via the AnglingBuzz YouTube channel!

You may be glad you did!

Here’s another helpful graphic from the folks at MN DNR showing ice thickness conditions for certain modes of travel…

Take care out there and enjoy every moment you safely spend on the ice pursuing your favorite gamefish 

Picking the Right Reel Gear Ratio

Given the numerous companies manufacturing fishing reels, it's confusing enough for a new angler trying to buy a baitcasting reel. 

Add in the variety of gear ratios for many models, it's almost overwhelming and knowing which gear ratio works best with each presentation is a big factor in fish catching success!

Take a moment and watch as MLF bass pro Stephen Browning provides key insight in how different gear ratios impact retrieves and how to select the best gear ratios for the baits you intend to fish with the reel you're purchasing...

Looking for a new baitcasting reel?

Check out the great selection of baitcasters available at Omnia Fishing by clicking on the following link:

Baitcasting Reels @ Omnia Fishing

Bump Board Ready for Many CPR Tournaments

Anyone planning on fishing small boat tournaments is likely to learn most use “Catch, Photo, Release” a.k.a. CPR as the preferred fish registration method. Bass tournament events based on CPR takes fish conservation to the next level since the bass is quickly released to the water with far less stress than traditional live release events.

As I learned more about CPR events and noticed many target small boat anglers, I decided to get re-involved with CPR bass tournaments this season. The more I looked at different tournament trails, the more I learned a specific type of measuring board was often required; Hagen’s Hawg Trough.

It’s easy to understand why the Hawg Trough was selected but there are two deficiencies in the original design that needs to be addressed before use in most events. These two deficiencies are remedied in an enhanced Hawg Trough model offered by one online vendor as described in this short video:

Yes, anyone can make the adjustments with a couple of simple tweaks but why bother when a “ready to go” enhanced Hawg Trough is available from the folks at Fishing Online?

Until next time…

Tight lines and many gunwale crossings