A&J Towing LLC

A fellow bass fishing tournament competitor and MN bass blogger, Art Simms, started a towing company with his brother. I thought I would put up his company info with hopes that if you are local and are in need of a tow, please give Art the business and give them a call. Take a moment and throw their number in your cell phone in case you have a dreaded breakdown and need some assistance. Thanks.

A&J Towing, LLC
24hrs/ 7 days a week
763-592-9697

"Walking the dog" on the water

Here is a tip I offered on FishingMinnesota.com. I explain a bit about the "Walking the Dog" technique as it pertains to the topwater lures which are made specifically for this purpose. I decided to throw it here on the blog as well. Enjoy.

Topwater baits offer some of the most exciting strikes known to bass fishing. I have found that when I introduce someone to bass fishing, I almost always have a spot on the lake where a topwater presentation will draw strikes and blowups, whether it be a floating frog across lilypads, or casting a popper in a shallow bay. Kids and beginners will never forget that bass they caught when it jumped out of the water to attack the bait.

One of my favorite topwater lures is a Heddon Spook or Spook Jr. These types of surface baits will exhibit a "walking" motion, moving side to side, if presented correctly. The technique for manipulating this type of bait is called "walking the dog". Here are a few tips to help you "walk the dog" during the "dog days" of summer...

1. Tackle is just as important as the actual technique. I prefer to use a 7' rod, medium to medium heavy, with a fast action tip. A baitcaster or spinning reel will work, it's personal preference. I like a longer rod to make long casts with, and also I like some give in the tip and rod so I don't pull out the hooks when the bass strikes the lure.

2. Use Monofilament line. Mono line floats, and this is critical in the presentation of the bait. You want the nose of the lure to be slightly higher than the back of the lure. This will allow the bait to look more natural, like a struggling baitfish, and it will also allow the bait to move from side-to-side more efficiently, without nose diving below the surface.

3. Knot Selection: There are many knots available to the average fisherman. My suggestion for a "walk the dog" type lure is to utilize a Loop Knot. A Loop Knot allows one to maximize the action of these baits by allowing the bait to move freely along the loop created, thus resulting in a more natural presentation. There are many different loop knots to tie, so I would find a source for knots and find one that has strength and is fairly easy to tie. I would be more than happy to share the knot I tie if interested.

4. "Walking" your bait: To get the most out of these lures, one needs to practice "walking". Most of these lures are weighted so that they will exhibit the "walking" motion fairly easily, but it is up to the angler to perfect this technique. Just to be clear, when one "walks the dog", they are manipulating the bait so it moves side to side in a forward motion. Horizontally, it would look like this:
Start /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ Finish
After the cast is made, I let the ripples caused by the lure landing to subside. I then proceed with my rod tip down, to jerk the bait with a regular cadence. A helpful hint is to have a little bit of slack in your line. When you jerk your rod tip away from the bait, try to bring your rod tip back to its starting position very quickly. This will allow the bait to dart from side to side because there will be slack line. A taut line will only move the bait forward, similar to a popper.

5. Once you are able to "walk the dog", try different speeds and cadences. Often I will walk the bait for three pulls quickly, let the bait rest for 3 seconds, then do another series of 3. Try out different patterns and see how you do! This is a fun technique, plus, if you are fishing with a beginner or your buddy who only fishes on occasion, you will look like a bass fishing pro! I hope this will help someone add another technique to their arsenal...

Team BassAckwards' New Boat!!

Dave, aka Buzz, recently purchased this 2000 Stratos with a 200hp Evinrude beast of an engine. It is currently at the dealership being cleaned and detailed, and the anticipation of our first trial ride is almost unbearable. It's 19ft long and has a ton of storage and casting space. The back deck will feel like I'm fishing off of a floating dock, as before I was fishing off of an 18" platform in the back of the Crestliner. The purchase of this boat has just added to our confidence level, and now we can't blame our boat or lack of speed when competing against our competitors. New Boat Details:

2000 Stratos 19SS Extreme SC (L19’1” W92”)

Evinrude 200hp, DI, 2 Stroke, SS Prop

Custom Bunk Trailer, Brakes, Swing Tongue, Side Guides

Keel Guard, Hydraulic Steering, 6” Jack Plate, Hot Foot Throttle, Pro Trim

Evinrude 24v 74# Trolling Motor

Lowrance X85 in Dash, Eagle Cuda Depth Finder at Bow

2 Bike Seats

Custom Cover, Ratchet Tie Down Straps

Let the Tournament season begin...

Team BassAckwards..."We're the one's hooked!"

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North American Fishing Club- My Blog has been noticed!

I recently received an email that this blog has been featured in an online article for North American Fishing Club. This article is under Exclusive Articles in the Trophy Room, an area only for Lifetime members of NAFC. You can visit their site at www.fishingclub.com. If you aren't a Lifetime member, you won't be able to view the original article, so I posted it here. Side note: In the original article, they pulled a photo from this site to coincide with the article. I was lucky enough to be the only site with a photo! Thanks NAFC!!


Best Fishing Websites You Never Heard Of
"Five of the best fishing websites you may not know about"
By Nick McCarthy

I admit it: I'm a computer geek, which means I enjoy talking about how much better Mozilla Firefox is than Internet Explorer. I'm also a fishing nerd, in the truest sense of the definition (nerd: a single-minded enthusiast; somebody who is considered to be excessively interested in a subject or activity that is regarded as too technical or scientific).

And, to your great benefit on this Website, I am a computer geek/fishing nerd hybrid. That means more than simply a lack of ability to attract members of the opposite sex. It means I spend countless hours both on the water and on the Web, searching through hundreds of fishing-related Websites, blogs, chat rooms, forums, e-newsletters and the like.

Let me share a few of my favorite sites. OK, never mind, that would take too long. Let me share a few of my favorites in a specific category for a specific purpose. In this article, I will highlight what I feel are some of the best individual or personal fishing sites, Web sites and blogs that perhaps fly under the radar. Don't get me wrong, I love looking at lures on lurenet.com and watching clips on rapala.com as much as the next guy (actually, more than the next guy – remember, I'm a computer geek).

I have other articles on the way that will look at the best of the "big" Websites, as well as future articles on the best blogs and Websites in particular fishing categories (bass, big fish, how-to, story-telling, etc.). That's not the point of this article. This article, much to the delight of my inner computer geek, highlights the best five fishing Websites you've never heard of (unless you, too, spend hours online each week).

Enjoy!

Carl's “Bassackwards” Fishing
Blog1. Carlsfishingblog.blogspot.com

Young Carl Spande's blog definitely falls into my initial disclaimer of "best site you've never heard of" and it is, I feel, one of my better finding jobs. You never know what's out there in the vast oblivion of Web-nothingness, until you search for several hours one night and stumble across a kid like Carl.

I know, I know – his blog doesn't compete technically with more advanced Websites, but he does an excellent job of laying out his information and blogs. The best thing about Carl's site is its authenticity. He is a young fishing fanatic, clearly, who wants to make a go of it in the world of tournament fishing. His smarts and ambition drive him and make the blog work. He does an excellent job of talking about his experiences in a very "real" way – you get the sense he'd be a lot of fun to fish with.

2. Fishgeek.com
The title of this one probably scares you a bit. But don't worry, my non-computer geek friends, you'll like it just fine, as long as you like fishing small rivers and ponds. The Illinois Smallmouth Alliance was founded in 1994 and started its simple, yet well-designed, site to promote, protect, educate and enhance smallmouth fishing.

The forums are highly functional, and the tabs across the top of the homepage clearly identify information that's logically tied to the mission. The links under Conservation, Education and Activities are up-to-date and make for valuable resources. Also, as a computer geek who's long-ago adjusted the settings on every computer I own to block pop-ups and ads, this site does a good job of not placing roaming ads all over the page. Instead, it has a single tab titled Sponsorship which lists its sponsors and can be easily avoided if desired.

3. Earlham.edu/~peters/knotlink.htm
Many good Websites out there have knot information, and animated knots and videos available. This site will help you find them. I like this site for its Google-imitation structure; it's essentially a search engine and a listing of links that provides all the information you'd ever want about tying knots.

As a techy, I think this site is brilliant in how it uses such technology and makes itself a Website based on other Websites. Look for sites such as this, not just in the fishing world but in other categories, to continue to emerge and grow in popularity as online search tools continue to improve. A future addition could be adding some Wiki capability, which would instantly make any site my favorite.

This site has links to knot software, video, discussion threads and photos, plus articles. Unfortunately, some links are broken or outdated, which is beyond the Webmaster's control to a degree, but nevertheless drives me crazy.

Kevin's Bass Fishing
Site4. Bassfishin.com
Some sites pretend to be big operation-sites, run by many masked wizards behind the scenes. This site doesn't pretend – the name itself pretty much gives it away – it just really looks that good. And actually, it doesn't just look good, it also operates well and functions at a high speed.
I'm pretty sure that if I ever met this Kevin who runs the site, he'd be my best friend. The navigation on this site is phenomenal. It offers a ton, from production videos to instructional shorts to video tackle reviews, and is extremely appealing visually, while remaining clear and clean in its lay-out – a real rarity with busy Web sites. In my opinion, "busyness" is the most common ailment of Websites.

Kevin also lets members write their own articles and product reviews, which earns his site even more points for the "audience interaction" that is so vital in high-traffic Websites.

Walleye Blog By Mike
5. Mike-walleye.blogspot.com
My Web friend Mike takes your typical blog set-up to the next level, and I have to tip my cap to him for a number of reasons. First off: Great subtlety, smarts and skills in incorporating Google ads into the middle of the site in a compelling way that surely elicits a lot of clicks. The ads are relevant, and what's more, presented in a way that makes them look like pure content, rather than advertising that earns him money with every click. Ca-ching, ca-ching.
Mike's also practical in embedding fishing video from YouTube onto his site. Why more sites don't do this – it's easy, fast and free – is beyond me. I also like Mike's blog roll on the homepage and find that he does a good job of updating content often. The photos and stories are a fisherman's delight.

Well there you have it, five of the best fishing Websites you've never heard of, straight from a computer geek and fishing nerd who's enjoyed doing all the research for you.

David Dudley, Putting the Puzzle Together

This past Saturday, Feb. 28th, the St. Paul Armory was host to a fishing tackle swap meet presented my the MN National Guard and the Minnesota Federation of Bass Anglers. There were many individuals and local tackle companies at booths to sell their used or non-current tackle at blowout prices. I picked up 6 Rapala lures for $20 bucks, which is a fantastic deal and they were new in the box. All the proceeds from the event are to be used to give returning soldiers from overseas an opportunity to go on fishing trips and enjoy the outdoors.

One treat we got to experience was meeting David Dudley. David is the all-time money leader in FLW professional bass fishing, and he was the 2008 Angler of the Year, beating out close to 200 professional anglers. David gave a great talk regarding some of the mental attributes needed to become a better fisherman and tournament angler. One of his main points was that your natural instinct needs to be developed with time on the water, and following your instincts will lead to confidence and knowledge for the given day. He related fishing to being one big puzzle, and the more pieces you could put together, the better you will see the whole picture. One point of emphasis was to not "overthink" when you get a bite. To relate it to a puzzle, if you fit a bunch of pieces together in the very corner of the puzzle, you still won't have a clear view of the whole picture. One needs to take a broader approach, still with detail, and try to replicate it on other areas in the given lake. David gave a great talk and answered many questions. Below I have put together a few points that I thought were interesting.

1. David is almost strictly a Fluorocarbon line guy. He almost never used braid and he uses monofilament only for topwater applications, as mono floats and fluoro sinks.

2. He uses mainly Heavy and Extra Heavy rods. He is not a believer in using medium power rods for cranking, which is his main style of fishing. He feels that a stiffer rod is more sensitive to strikes and is needed to get the barbs on the hooks into the fish.

3. David believes that fishermen that fish offshore, meaning those who fish the underwater structure and not merely the visable structure, will produce better bags and win more tournaments in the long run. He mentioned that this was one of the reasons he now focuses more on crankbaits and fishing away from the banks.

4. David never cruises to a spot and zigzags across the top to disect it with his sonar. He would rather pull up away from a potential spot and start casting, instead of disrupting the fish below a potentially great spot.

5. Don't bother prefishing a lake a week before and then expect the fish to be in the same spot and biting with the same presentation. David mentioned that conditions change on a constant basis and many fishermen are fishing in the past, instead of recongnizing the situations and conditions that are occurring at the moment.

Team BassAckwards spoke with him a bit before he went on stage and he seemed like a great guy and very willing to have a picture with us. All in all, it was a great time at the tackle swap meet and it was fun and informational listening to David Dudley speak. I would like to thank the MN National Guard and MFBA for hosting this event. Also, I got a free hat for Sarah from Karen Savik, who is a regular contributor on the tv for the North American Fishing Club and professional woman bass angler. She was great and excited that my soon-to-be wife was into fishing. Thanks Karen!

Thanks to everyone who visits my site. The 2009 tournament season is only a few weeks away, and I am excited to get back to blogging about my tournaments. Also, keep coming back for updates with regards to my new puppy. I will now be getting a male pup so that is exciting!

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Team BassAckwards..."We're the one's hooked!"