By David Heine

My dad taught me trolling as a way to introduce me into fishing. Trolling allowed us to cover more water and find productive areas to still fish. That was back in the day and I still troll to get fish in the boat. First off, trolling with leadcore has had it's misconceptions and it basically came from using leadcore on over-kill tackle. I use an ABU 6500 C3 for 12-15 leadcore depending upon the manufacture of the line. I will pair that up with a 6"6 fiberglass baitcasting rod, basically a spinnerbait rod one would use for bass

fishing. Sometimes I will go up to a worm rod like an 843 Loomis, especially for 15 leadcore when I'm going deep. With a set-up like this, the fishing is much more enjoyable and you will fight the fish instead of just cranking them in. Other reels I use for heavier lb test leadcore include the Shimano Bantam 50,Calcutta 700 (27lb test leadcore), ABU 5000.

The take off in the morning and the weigh in are the two most exciting times of a tournament and the rest is just ‘plain work.’ After a hard day of fishing, you head to the designated check in area. You load your boat on the trailer and head to the weight area. The adrenaline starts to pump and your heart starts to race in anticipation. While you’re in line, both you and your partner review your catch for the day. You discuss how much weight you think is in your boat’s live well. You wonder if you have enough weight to place in the money or even win the tournament. You look back and reminisce about the one that got

By Charles Stuart

My first tournament of the 1999 season took me to the Potomac River. Located between Maryland and Virginia, the Potomac River is without doubt one of the premiere fishing locations on the eastern seaboard. River fishing for bass is tough. So many factors play a role in the presentation, location and color selection. The Susquehanna River in Maryland, the St. Lawrence River on the US and Canadian border and the St. Johns River in Florida have left me with physical and mental scars, including memories of lost fish, lost opportunity, lost equipment and a several close, personal looks at Mother Natures awesome power. The Potomac this day would be no exception. With a stalled storm over the Atlantic Ocean, wind and high tides caused havoc for the fishermen. During official tournament practice on Saturday, I had damaged my boat in only 20 minutes of battling the waves and wind. I was now a non-boater. Add to that the prospect of bad weather for the following day and I began wondering if it could get any worse. Sunday morning showed no promise of change as we waited patiently for the start of the tournament. I watched as 200 boats were rocked from side to side by turbulence. How rough would it be I wondered, when we took off

By: Dave Rogers

Being able to find fish on a lake before you even put your boat in the water is key to a successful day on the water. Looking at a map and being able to read the bottom of the lake and determine the migration route the fish will follow to and from the feeding grounds and where the feeding grounds are from a map is important. This way the time you spend fishing will be in the more productive areas of the lake instead of casting blindly and hoping for something to come along.

Remember of course that a map is worth it only if you take the time to learn to read it properly. Tackle shops often carry plastic maps but these often lack true accuracy.

By Roger Bohner

An early thaw in February has Ohio steelhead anglers lining the streams. The rivers are normally frozen during the months a January and February leaving little opportunity for fisherman to catch the ever-present steelhead. The steelhead typically run upstream in the fall and remain under the ice waiting for warmer temperatures to spawn. The unseasonably warm weather has opened up Ohio’s rivers and allowed fisherman the opportunity to catch large numbers of quality steelhead.

Many fishermen are catching 20 or more steelhead in single day. These fish range from 2-10+ pounds and reach lengths over 36 inches. A variety of techniques are being used to catch the fish including fly fishing with nymphs, bottom bouncing egg sacks and suspending a jig tipped with maggots under a float.

— by Charles Stuart

June is here and my fingers are itching to get bass fishing!

Due to local DEC regulations, we are not permitted to fish for bass on Long Island for a few more weeks, so I will discuss the techniques I use for upstate New York and Connecticut.

Despite a short, mild winter, the bass will begin their annual movement towards the shoreline in preparation for feeding and bedding. Males will bite more readily close to the shoreline, however the larger females will hold back, usually at the first or second drop-off. This annual ritual is probably the best time to catch that lunker fish you have dreamed about.

This past summer while pre fishing for a tournament I ran across a unique situation. People were catching all kinds of fish and most fish were very good. Having fished tournaments for quite a few years I looked back on my notes and found a pattern for this particular time of year. For some reason this body of water had kicked out some pretty nice fish over deep water. Most of the fish taken in the past were suspended and caught on deep diving cranks. With that I headed out on the water with one goal in mind. To find and catch fish on crank baits.

I started out looking for fish on my Pinpoint 7520. I was getting good

By David Christian

The sport of muskie fishing is taking the world by storm. With the evolution of the Professional Musky Tournament Trail and a total of 33 states now stocking muskellunge in their waters, more and more people are becoming involved in this extreme freshwater sportfishing adventure. Catching the elusive musky is a treat in itself and capturing one of trophy proportions can be related to taking a whitetail buck or trophy gobbler.
One of the questions I am asked by my clients is, "how can I get started musky fishing?" The best way for a beginner is to hire a guide and spend the day casting your heart out. If you still feel the urge to become

By Stan Moore

We all have visions of what it takes to be an adventurer and outdoorsman. Well, bare with me, as I tell you how you may someday catch all the trout you want and brave the outdoor life without getting into trouble as those Hollywood chaps would have you believe. First of all this is not a comedy and it is not a farce. This story is a compilation of my thirty eight years of fishing experience. I have been an outdoorsman all my life, except for the last five, which I regret, because I love to fish, hunt, and camp in the wild places of America.

It all starts on an uneventful day in the winter months. I have these fantasies of a great granddaddy of a Rainbow as it grabs my bait on the other end of a

The “Down Shot” Rig

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<>How many times have we all gone to our favorite body of water and used the same lures we have used for the past 20 years. It doesn’t matter what species of fish you’re after. Most anglers will say, “They still work”, I always catch fish on this lure. This is my bread and butter bait. I feel confident with this bait. When all else fails, I go to old reliable. I have some of my own. “You know what," they do still work. Are you catching the quantity of fish that you used to? Is the size of the fish getting smaller? I believe

the fish are becoming smarter. This is especially true for the large fish that have been around for a while in a body of water that is fished heavily. They see the same thing day after day. The Big Hawgs, (over 10 pounds) become more aware of the bait. They become a lot harder to fool.