Kurt Mazurek

Joined: Nov 5, 2024

Kurt Mazurek writes about all things fishing and the outdoor lifestyle for Fishing On SI -a division of Sports Illustrated. Before writing On SI he enjoyed a successful career in the fishing industry, developing marketing campaigns and creative content for many of the sport’s most recognizable brands. He is a dedicated husband and father, an enthusiastic bass tournament competitor, YouTuber, photographer, musician, and author of the novel "Personal Best: fishing and life”.

A Fly Fishing Trip to Africa Took an Unexpected Turn on Safari; The Strange Spiny Lure Taking Over Bass Fishing in 2026; I Didn’t Expect the Best Bass Fishing of My Trip to Happen at Disney World

Bass Fishing

Berkley lifts the curtain on its Lab Series baits after Dylan Nutt’s Bassmaster Classic reveal, including new minnows, worms, and scent tech.

Dylan Nutt revealed Berkley’s unreleased Lab Series bait during the final day of the 2026 Bassmaster Classic—while a strange spiny lure trend quietly spread among the field.

Bass Fishing

Dylan Nutt exposed Berkley’s unreleased Lab Series bait at the 2026 Bassmaster Classic. But a strange spiny lure—the Coike—was just as influential. Here’s what anglers need to know.

Bass Fishing

The Strange Spiny Lure Taking Over Bass Fishing; The Brutal Reality of the Bassmaster Classic; San Diego Might Be the Best Fishing in America

Justin Hamner swings a Tennessee River largemouth into the boat during Day 1 of the 2026 Bassmaster Classic near Knoxville.

Bass Fishing

After riding along with Justin Hamner and Tucker Smith during the 2026 Bassmaster Classic, one thing became clear: even the best anglers can miss the cut.

Fly Fishing

After the Seagrass Collapse, Is Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Again?; Five Miles From the Truck, With a Limit of Walleyes — and a Problem; Svivlo Draken ONE Baitcaster Review: Is This Really a Backlash-Free Reel?

Five Miles From the Truck, With a Limit of Walleyes — and a Problem; How to Win an Ice Fishing Derby Without Cheating; Burbot Ice Fishing Is Booming — From Overlooked to Late-Ice Target.

Freshwater

Five Miles From the Truck, With a Limit of Walleyes and a Problem; Win an Ice Fishing Derby Without Cheating; Burbot Ice Fishing Is Booming.

For top anglers, preparation isn’t just about rods and lures—it includes managing the elements within your control, like mosquitos.

Bass Fishing

A severe reaction years ago changed how I approach long days outdoors — and why MLF’s new OFF! partnership makes practical sense.

Freshwater

Five Miles From the Truck, With a Limit of Walleyes — and a Problem; How to Win an Ice Fishing Derby Without Cheating; The Fish That Becomes an Obsession for Fly Anglers.

Freshwater

Ice Fishing River Backwaters for Slab Crappies; California Beaches, Redwoods & Big Fish on the Fly; Why My Longtime Goal to Bass Fish Okeechobee Keeps Sending Me Somewhere Else.

Teams launch at sunrise during an iKon Tailgate Tour qualifier, part of the 2026 grassroots bass tournament series offering $10,000 payouts and a championship boat prize.

Bass Fishing

The 2026 iKon Tailgate Tour features four Southeast qualifiers with $10,000 payouts and a no-entry-fee championship for non-pro anglers.

Fishing in central Florida offered a reminder that timing, conditions, and local knowledge often matter more than reputation.

Destinations

A lifelong goal to fish Lake Okeechobee led to the same advice eight years apart: listen to conditions, not reputation, when chasing Florida bass.

Freshwater

The Muddy Midwinter Perch Pattern Most Ice Anglers Miss; How Much of the Bottom Does My Fish Finder See While Ice Fishing?; Ice Fishing River Backwaters for Slab Crappies.

Kurt Mazurek

Joined: Nov 5, 2024

An African Fly Fishing Trip Takes Unexpected Turn and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI

African Fly Fishing Takes Unexpected Turn on Safari and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI

I Didn’t Expect the Best Bass Fishing of My Trip to Happen at Disney World

Fly Fishing the Madison, Mystery Bass Baits and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI

Bass Fishing

REVEALED: Berkley Lab Series Baits Unveiled After Bassmaster Classic Leak

Bass Fishing

The Two ‘Mystery Baits’ That Defined the 2026 Bassmaster Classic

Bass Fishing

The Strange Spiny Lure Taking Over Bass Fishing and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI

Bass Fishing

The Brutal Reality of the Bassmaster Classic

Fly Fishing

After the Seagrass Collapse, Is Mosquito Lagoon Back and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI

Freshwater

A Perfect Walleye Evening—a Limit, a Scar and a Story and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI

Bass Fishing

A Bug Bite That Changed the Way I Fish

Freshwater

Five Miles From the Truck, With a Limit of Walleyes and a Problem—and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI

Ice Fishing River Backwaters for Slab Crappies and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI

Big-League Prizes. No Pros Allowed. The iKon Tailgate Tour Is Back

Why My Longtime Goal to Bass Fish Okeechobee Keeps Sending Me Somewhere Else

The Muddy Midwinter Perch Pattern Most Ice Anglers Miss and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI