The Starting Spot: Poche Wins Big Shallow, Flipping for Bass, and the Truth About Bass Sponsorship

"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.

The Starting Spot: Poche Wins Big Shallow, Flipping for Bass, and Bass Sponsorship | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

June 24, 2025. In today’s edition of The Starting Spot:

- Keith Poche pulls off a Tackle Warehouse Invitationals victory on the James River and credits the win to his Gator Trax boat’s ability to get him where other boats can’t go.

- In the heat of the summer, more bass than you might realize use heavy cover in shallow water, and precision flipping baits at close distance is about the most exciting and effective way to catch them.

- A Bassmaster Elite Pro, pulls back the curtain about the reality of sponsorships in the world of professional bass fishing. A lot of people share a misconception about how it all works.

Poche finishes with just enough for wire-to-wire win on James River

by Jody White

Per an article on the MajorLeagueFishing.com: Keith Poche has a sterling record when it comes to riverine fisheries, with a bevy of Top 10s and wins on rivers proper plus high finishes plucked from the upper reaches of reservoirs. At Stop 5 Presented by 7Brew Coffee on the James River, Poche led the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals event from the start after catching the biggest bag of the event on Day 1 – 23 pounds, 15 ounces. On Day 3, he tallied 12-15 for an even 53-pound total and the win, surviving 20-pound charges from Chad Mrazek and Dustin Smith and staying well clear of his closest competition at the start of the day.…MORE.

Flipping for bass

by John N. Felsher

Per reporting on LouisianaSportsman.com: Many people claim Louisiana does not have four seasons, but it does. Football season, duck season, crawfish season and blazing furnace season!
In July, when even the air seems to sweat, many people won’t move far from their air conditioners. Even on scorching days, anglers could experience hot action, meteorologically and figuratively speaking, if they know where to look…MORE.

Why real sponsorships start with relationships

by Kyle Patrick

Per a story on Bassmaster.com: In our little world of professional bass fishing, sponsorships are a lifeline. They fuel our seasons, fund our travel and often determine how far we can go in the sport. But there’s a common misconception out there — especially among younger anglers — that sponsorships are just about the money…MORE.