This App Is Like Having Tom Boley on Speed Dial and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI

In case they slipped by you, following are the most read fishing stories of the week: This Walleye Fishing App Is Like Having Tom Boley on Speed Dial; What Makes Strike's Bigeye Boot the Perfect Fishing Partner?; Inside Bass Fishing's Wild Urchin Bait Craze

1.) This Walleye Fishing App Is Like Having Tom Boley on Speed Dial

Tom Boley holds a phone displaying the Walleye Now fishing app while walleye fishing in northern Wisconsin — Fishing YouTuber Tom Boley demonstrates his Walleye Now app during a day of walleye fishing in northern Wisconsin. The app organizes Boley's fishing advice by season, water type and fishing situation. | Kurt Mazurek

As a pleasant surprise during a recent northern Wisconsin fishing trip, I got to spend half a day trolling for walleyes with prominent fishing YouTuber Tom Boley. While I was familiar with his work, I had never met Boley before so I had almost no idea what to expect. I can tell you, the first thing that became very apparent is that he is a wealth of walleye fishing information.

In between netting walleye, our conversation covered a wide range of topics from fishing tips and techniques to video production to small business ownership to entrepreneurial brainstorming. That’s when Boley mentioned that over the years he noticed a problem that his audience kept bringing up again and again. Anglers loved the videos, but they always wanted to know exactly how Boley himself would catch walleyes on their specific type of water at the specific time of year they were fishing…GET THE REST OF THE STORY HERE.

2.) What Makes Strike's Bigeye Boot the Perfect Fishing Partner?

The Strike Bigeye Boots keep an angler's feet dry and comfy when casting a line. | Justin Hoffman

I was given the opportunity to field test the Strike Bigeye Boot for the past month and a half. According to their website, this boot is 'engineered to withstand the most demanding conditions, offering waterproof protection and robust durability.'

  I was intrigued.

Fishing-specific footwear has never been high on my priority list. Most days in the summer, while chasing bass in the boat, sandals or bare feet sufficed. Bug bites, sunburn, or soggy feet were the norm, not the exception, and that unmistakable ache in the arches after a day spent standing was a constant reminder that just maybe I should take fishing shoes and boots more seriously.

The last few years has seen a shift in my way of thinking, recognizing that fishing footwear is almost as important as the lure you choose or the rod you work. I finally realized that wearing the right shoe or boot will make your day more comfortable, safe, and enjoyable…GET THE REST OF THE STORY HERE.

3.) Inside Bass Fishing's Wild Urchin Bait Craze

Three urchin-style bass baits of varying sizes and colors in an ethereal underwater world scene. — One bait in focus, and imitators filling in behind it — the exact scene playing out on tackle shop shelves right now. | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

If you’ve been able to get your hands on an original Hideup Coike in the past month, you’re either very lucky or well connected. “Sold Out” is what the rest of us are finding. After multiple high-profile tournament wins, proven success on both sides of bass fishing's biggest technology debate, and nearly every soft plastic manufacturer—from garage crafters to industry giants—racing to build its own version, the urchin-style bait category has quickly transitioned from a popular trend to a full-blown craze.

Baits like these started to creep into the consciousness of American bass anglers after a couple of strong showings by Elite anglers, Taku Ito and Kyoya Fujita. While their performances were worth noting, those guys are well-known as specialists who utilize forward-facing sonar. That put those “crazy looking baits” they were throwing in a category that a huge percentage of anglers wouldn’t touch.

But then, during a one-month period late this past spring, anglers won three major tournaments on three different lakes throwing an urchin-style bait—without FFS…GET THE REST OF THE STORY HERE.

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