The Starting Spot: Winter Bass Fishing, Anaya Grabs Final Classic Spot, and How to Dial In Your Electronics

In this edition of The Starting Spot:
-Lots of anglers give up on fishing for the year when water dips into the 40s. But if you know the proper adjustments you can have the lake and the bass all to yourself.
-This 20-year old Alabama angler, Fisher Anaya, is on a serious roll. After securing his place to fish the 2026 Bassmaster Elites through the EQ series, he has now grabbed the final 2026 Bassmaster Classic spot by winning the Bassmaster Team Championship Classic Fish-Off on Lake Hartwell.
-Texas Bassmaster Elite angler Keith Combs has long been known as a deep water, offshore master. If he’s giving tips on how to dial in your electronics, you’d be wise to check it out.
Winter Bass Fishing: From Beginner to Advanced
by Nick Petrou
From a story on Wired2Fish.com: Most folks hang their rods up when the frost starts to creep across the boat ramp and the surface temps dip into the 40s. But for the anglers who stick it out and don’t hop in a treestand or a duck blind, winter is a season of opportunity: quiet ramps, unpressured fish, and the chance to tap into a bite that rewards patience and precision.
Winter bass fishing isn’t about power-fishing your way across a lake; it’s about understanding biology, dialing into subtle movements, and embracing the grind. If you learn how cold-water bass behave and you adjust your approach, winter can be one of the most rewarding times of the year to fish…MORE.
Anaya clinches final Classic spot at Lake Hartwell
by Andrew Canulette
From a story on Bassmaster.com: Fisher Anaya’s name says it all – the kid from tiny Eva, Ala., seems destined for big things as a professional bass angler.
Fresh off fishing atop the 2025 Bassmaster Elite Qualifier Points Standings last month and locking down a spot in the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series for the next two seasons, the 20-year-old Anaya won the TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship Classic Fish-Off Saturday on Lake Hartwell. His two-day total of 10 bass weighing 39 pounds, 15 ounces was just enough to hold off fellow Alabaman Barrett Choquette, who finished second with 38-5.
The win secured for Anaya the final spot in the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour when it’s held March 13-15 on the Tennessee River in Knoxville, Tenn…MORE.
Simple adjustments make big differences on your electronics
by Keith Combs
From a story on Bassmaster.com: I’ve spent a lot of time this offseason guiding anglers on Texas lakes. Some of them just want to go out and catch a bunch of fish, but lots of others want instruction, either on a particular technique or increasingly on how to use their electronics.
What I’ve learned from watching and helping many of them is that these new systems can be intimidating. Whether you’re running Humminbird’s top-of-the-line Apex systems or the newer Xplore units, they’re both packed with features that’ll help you catch bass, but at times that can be overwhelming.
The most common mistake I see is guys who have upgraded their electronics significantly but haven’t made a corresponding improvement in their battery power…MORE.
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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”.