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The current issue features:

• Kevin VanDam’s Secret Bass-Catching Trick
• Best Big-Bass Baits: What Pros Are Fishing
• 5 Can’t-Miss Techniques You Should Be Using Now!
• Spots To Avoid When Lake Water Is Rising
• How Savvy Anglers Land Lunkers In Strong Current

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By Hank Parker

Most anglers choose a soft-plastic lure because it looks good to them, the color looks right or simply because it’s their favorite bait. Those are good reasons, but one key consideration that often gets overlooked is how the lure falls through the water column.
This is a critical aspect of all vertically presented lures. Even the best lure in the world won’t get you bites if it’s falling too fast or too slowly. This is something crappie anglers have known for years. That’s why you see them with five different jig sizes tied on. (more…)

By Kevin VanDam

Everyone fishes spinnerbaits shallow, but have you tried fishing them deep? You should. It’s deadly for catching big bass when they’re feeding on shad around deep structure. It’s one of my favorite tactics for summertime fishing, but it shouldn’t be overlooked when fishing in early fall.
There are two presentations I use, depending upon the water depth and mood of the fish. The first is a basic slow-rolling tactic for water that’s 10 to 20 feet deep. I allow the bait to go to the bottom at the end of a long cast and keep tension on the line. Once I begin the retrieve, I’m feeling my way along the bottom, trying to keep the bait just above whatever cover is there. (more…)

By Mike Iaconelli

In the northern United States, mild fall weather can dissipate quickly. Well before Halloween, anglers may have to dredge up bass from deep water.
On many lakes, the colder weather forces us into a mid-fall pattern, a time when fish have left the shallows and are retreating along their structural highways.
Before finding this season’s best places to fish, it’s important to remember the difference between cover and structure. Cover is some physical object separate from the actual bottom contour, while structure includes the breaks, drops and humps that make up the bottom. (more…)