The Starting Spot: 2025 Bass Jig Buyer’s Guide, Top Lures on Okeechobee, and Giant Iowa Bass Caught From Shore

The Starting Spot Daily Bass Fishing Headlines are the perfect way to start your day with some of the top bass fishing articles on the internet. It’s the quick, informative, how, where, and who you need to know. So, rub the sleep from your eyes, pour that first cup of the day, and head to your Starting Spot.

Today on The Starting Spot: 2025 Bass Jig Buyer’s Guide, Top Lures on Okeechobee, and Giant Iowa Bass Caught From Shore | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

In this edition of The Starting Spot:

-The Tactical Bassin’ guys have started their Buyer’s Guide series of holiday shopping videos. They started with jigs—everything you need to know—but you should also tune in for the next several weeks for a new bass fishing gear topic video every day.

-The Bassmaster EQ just wrapped up on Okeechobee. If you’re wondering what the angler’s caught them on in this late-fall, far-south fishery, check it out here.

-Here’s a fun little story about an absolute monster Iowa bass. It’s worth checking out this story just to take a look at the build on this tank of a bass. And it was caught from shore!

---

Jig Fishing For Bass: Best Jigs, Trailers, and Equipment!

by Tactical Bassin’

From a video on Tactical Bassin’s YouTube channel: Today begins our 2025 Buyer's Guide series. There will be new videos every day, 7 days a week, for the next few weeks. Today's video is all about jig fishing. These are the best swim jigs, flipping jigs, football jigs and micro jigs from around the bass fishing industry! We're exploring how head shapes and hook sizes impact the baits. We're also covering our favorite jig trailers by style, as well as the rods we rely on to fish them effectively.

Jig fishing is a core bass fishing technique. If you're not comfortable catching bass with jigs, you still have room to grow as an angler. Luckily, the technique is simple. You don't need every jig style, typically one or two jigs will cover all the situations you'll face on your lake. Once you've chosen those, pair with the appropriate trailer options, and you're ready to start catching fish…MORE.

---

Top lures at Lake Okeechobee 2025 EQ

by Christopher Decker

From a gallery on Bassmaster.com: The 2025 Nitro Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Lake Okeechobee presented by Bass Pro Shops was no doubt one of the toughest tournaments anglers experienced all season long. A major front ushered the coldest air of the year into South Florida, making it difficult to coax the largemouth into biting.

The most consistent bite seemed to be in the various canals that connect and surround Lake Okeechobee. Caleb Hudson opened the tournament in 25th with a limit weighing 10-9, but he knew there was plenty of potential still in his area of the Rim Canal. That was realized in full on Day 2 when he vaulted into the lead with a 25-7 limit, the second biggest bag of the tournament.

Although the final day was anything but easy, Hudson’s 16-6 limit was enough to hold off Robert Gee and claim his first B.A.S.S. trophy with a total of 52-6. The win also secure his spot in the 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series.

At tournaments end, 10 anglers (one not pictures) clinched invitations to the 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series roster.…MORE.

---

Massive 9-Pound Iowa Bass Caught From Shore At A Small Public Lake

by Bob McNally

From a story on Wired2Fish.com: Avid young bass angler Grant Gould was casting from shore at a small, unnamed public southwest Iowa lake the afternoon of November 5. He and his stepdad Jimmy Lawrence had gone to the secret lake near their home in Bedford, Iowa.


“I think Grant would rather fish than eat or sleep,” Grant’s father Danny Gould tells Wired2fish. “Grant was just walking the shoreline, casting out for bass. He caught a few small fish, then he hooked something a whole lot heavier than the others.”

The largemouth was powerful and fought deep, staying down in a lake hole, according to Grant…MORE.

Thanks for starting your day with Fishing On SI. Lines in!