An Old Bass Pro’s New Perspective On Tournament Fishing and Other Top Stories

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.

Today on The Starting Spot: Bass pro Wesley Strader shares his new perspective on tournament bass fishing as he heads into next season; five bass fishing styles/techniques you need to know; and how, when, and where to vertical jig for winter bass | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

In this edition of The Starting Spot:


-Heading into his 30th year as a professional bass tournament angler, Wesley Strader has a new perspective. A recent conversation reminded him what’s actually important and just how amazing it has been to live out his dream career as a bass angler. Great message!

-Here are five basic fishing styles/techniques all well-rounded bass anglers should know. Would you add anything to this list? Maybe, low, side-arm casting? Anything else?


-Vertical jigging for cold water bass can be deadly. Learn how, when, and where to put this tactic to work this winter.

---

Some much-needed perspective entering the new year

by Wesley Strader

From an article on MajorLeagueFishing.com: A friend of mine told me something recently that hit me hard. He said a buddy of his has spent the past 30 years working in a prison. If there’s a more thankless job, I can’t think of it. Anyway, this guy loves bass fishing – he said when he gets off work, all he wants to do is watch fishing or go fishing.

Well, he told my friend that it’s getting hard for him to watch the pros because all they seem to do is complain. They’re living a dream life, he said, and it seems like they’re constantly griping about forward-facing sonar or tournament rules or payouts or something else.

That really struck me, because I see myself in that guy…MORE.

---

Five bass techniques you need to know

by David A. Brown

From a story on Bassmaster.com: Just like jackets and shoes, there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to bass fishing presentations. That’s why a diverse arsenal of baits helps you dial in the day’s color, size and shape preferences.


Along with that thought, diversifying your presentations further enhances your ability to find something the fish like. Most bass anglers started out slinging a Texas-rigged worm off a dock, seawall or shoreline and, while there’s still plenty of room for such simplicity, gaining proficiency in the five techniques below will cover you in practically any scenario you face.

You’ll also want to keep a few reaction baits — spinnerbaits, topwaters, crankbaits, bladed jigs — handy, but the following presentations are foundational to a well-rounded bass program…MORE.

---

Best Vertical Lures for Winter Bass Fishing in the Midwest

by Frank Sargeant

From a story on GameAndFishMag.com: In the hit movie Top Gun, Maverick loved “going vertical.” Bass anglers across the Midwest might take a lesson from the legendary fighter pilot when it comes to fishing in late fall and early winter as bass head to deeper water and cluster near bait, and there are few lures better suited for vertical fishing than flutter and jigging spoons. These are distinctly different from weedless spoons (like the legendary Johnson Silver Minnow) and they can be deadly in cold waters. 


Flutter spoons are oversized slabs of curved steel equipped with a sizable treble. Their main purpose is fishing deep, with maximum depth limited only by their weight and any current present. Flutter spoons are designed, as you might expect, to flutter as they free-fall. The angler must ensure line feeds off the spool with no resistance as the lure drops. Otherwise, the erratic, fluttering, back-and-forth movement that triggers strikes is lost…MORE.

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