Fishing Tackle

I am pretty fanatical about tossing hollow-bodied frogs. Whether over slop, through pads, or across weed pockets, frogs ring the dinner bell for largemouth bass. Over the years I have tried them all.

If inshore and nearshore marine anglers in the southeast U.S. had to choose an overall one-stop "lurish" offering, they'd be hard-pressed to pick an item more effective than the jig head and shrimp. Before we deal with its many applications, let's examine this wonderful rig.

Louis Johnson, a retired Chicago foundry operator, was frustrated by the abundance of weeds that kept fouling the hooks on his lures in his favorite fishing lake. Eager to overcome the problem, he began tinkering with some household items, including a dinner spoon.

If you've ever hung a big landlocked striped bass on an artificial lure, you know it's a jarring experience. There's nothing tentative about the way a striper hits a surface plug, crankbait or jig -- no slight peck, no mushy feeling, none of that maybe stuff. "How will you know when a fish strikes?"  A striper doesn't strike a lure, it creams it, smashes it with a vengeance, blows it to kingdom come.

Fishing electronics are a valuable tool in today's world of fishing. They are also expensive and protecting your investment will make your days on the water more enjoyable and certainly more productive.

The lead weight has been an old standby in the fishing game. They still work great but is there a better mouse....or should I say....fish trap out there?

This the season...for blade baits.

Blade baits, those compact vibrating metal lures like Bass Pro Shops' XPS Lazer Blade, represent the style of lure in which I usually catch my last open water fish of the year on.