
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.
JDM Manufacturers Keep Scuppernong Flowing
I’ve previously written about the long history of Scuppernong-colored lures. Most U.S. lure manufacturers seem content to let the number of Scuppernong lures remain static or even shrinking. Fortunately the bait designers in Japan consistently take up the slack.
The Uncoordinated Angler’s Guide to Skipping Lures
Boat docks and other overhanging cover provide premium bass habitat, but if you’re just nibbling around the edges you’re missing. You need to be able to skip a lure back underneath them. Here are some shortcuts that’ll help you maximize your efficiency in putting lures where the fish live.
New Multipiece Spinning Rods – January 2025
There are typically more multi-piece spinning rods than baitcasting rods. They’ve recently added nine spinning rods or series. Whether you’re chasing bass, trout, walleye or saltwater critters, they probably have something you can pack on your next long-distance trip.
New Multipiece Baitcasting Rods – January 2025
Tackle manufacturers are getting the message that two-piece rods and travel rods have a place for serious fishermen – perhaps not in tournament competition, but increasingly for those of us who fly to distant locations. Here are six new ones at Tackle Warehouse.
13 Hitch-Flavored Soft Swimbaits
Even if you don't fish California's famous Clear Lake, and even if you're not as talented as Steve Kennedy, you can still put some of these hitch-flavored soft swimbaits to use anywhere big bass swim.
Kyle Welcher’s Fluorocarbon Cranking Advantage
Kyle Welcher has the full range of Sunline products with him at every tournament and uses thousands upon thousands of yards of Shooter and Sniper each year. A key tipping point in his twoual AOY campaigns has been his frequent additional use of Sunline Crank FC.
New Big Bass Baits for Mexico at Tackle Warehouse
Although we truly believe that it pays to pack the proven basics for your next bass fishing trip to Mexico, we continue to scour the internet for lures that might apply. Each year or two we seem to add one or two more “staples” to our list. Furthermore, a lot of you big bait fanatics think that’s the way to tempt a true giant.
Golden Shiner Topwaters and Big Baits
As many of you head to Florida in the coming weeks to get the rust off of your tackle, you might not want to use live shiners. Perhaps you don’t want the hassle of keeping them alive, or you simply prefer artificials or you’re fishing in a tournament. No matter the reason, it’s still possible to “match the hatch" with these lures.
Vertx RLT 50L Duffel Bag: A Bag Built for Battle
If you’re tired of cheap boat bags and carry-on luggage that doesn’t protect your valuables, consider this option from Vertx, a combo carry-on and duffel that’s resistant to water and stains.
The Five New Rods I Used Most Last Year
I have a lot of fishing rods, and I’ll probably up the count in 2025, because part of my tackle-hoarding sickness is that I live for the myth of more. Here are the five that I obtained in 2024 that’ll get used heavily in 2025 and beyond.
HPFC Hall of Fame: Stormr Strykr Suit
I learned about the Stormr Strykr neoprene cold weather suit at what was then the coldest Bassmaster Classic to date. In the decade since then, it has made me a much more enthusiastic cold weather fisherman.
The Clothing You Need for a Week-Long Panama Fishing Trip
We have 20 people headed to Panama and our first-timers are a bit nervous about what clothing to bring. We’ll be on a remote island, exposed to the elements for eight or nine hours a day, and no one wants to be uncomfortable. This video shows exactly what I’m packing.
Bass Tackle for Panama Tuna Trip #5
My 2024 fishing travel highlight took place in Panama when we got into multiple schools of tuna and I caught them on bass tackle. We’re headed back in January, and while that’s not ultra-prime tuna popping time, I’m hoping that I can use some of that same gear for not just tuna, but also inshore species.
The Nine Most Unlikely Forage Imitations at Tackle Warehouse
Most of you who fish for bass are probably trying to imitate shad, perch, bluegills or crawfish with your lures but I sincerely doubt that any of you think that your local bass feed on tarpon or Murray Cod. Nevertheless, some of our premier manufacturers have come up with lures like these nine odd patterns
Five Lures That Made 2024 One of My Best Fishing Years Yet
I claim not to be a tackle junkie. However, the longer I continue to fish, the more I realize how much specific baits can make a difference. I’m truly catching on to why we have a garage full of baits. Here are 5 that made a difference in 2024.
Not Just Another Tequila Sunrise
When I first got into bass fishing, Tequila Sunrise was a standard color. Multiple manufacturers still make soft plastics in their respective versions of Tequila Sunrise, but they’ve also extended the tequila brand to various other categories of lures like jigs, spinnerbaits and crankbaits.
Living in My Costa Grand Catalinas
The 80s-reminiscent styling of the Costa Del Mar Grand Catalinas may not be for everyone, but with the gold mirror lenses I found them to be a solid all-around performer that I reached for repeatedly.
Fishing Clothing That Made It Into My Permanent Rotation in 2024
There is nothing worse than waking up early in the morning to fish and not knowing what to wear. Packing for a fishing trip is equally difficult: What do I take? What if it gets dirty? What if I don’t like it once we get there? I continue to refine my “must take” items to include a stack of clothes that go with me on nearly every trip.
Are Oysters a Bass-phrodesiac?
I enjoy a lot of seafood, but I draw the line at oysters, clams and mussels. Some people find them to be tasty, and others are convinced that oysters are an aphrodisiac, but to me they seem like wads of phlegm. Nevertheless I’m not going to rain on your parade if they’re your jam. Also, an oyster-colored lure is sometimes great.
Do Fish Eat Boogers?
OK, the headline was a little clickbaity, and it’s something we’ll never be able to answer anyway, but oddly enough there are plenty of lure manufacturers who produce baits with “snot” in the name. Here are some of the winners we “picked.”
