When Bruce Holt of G. Loomis rods calls to invite you on a trip, the question is not whether you can make it, it’s where this next adventure will end up. So when he contacted me late last year about a visit to Lake Amistad on the Rio Grande, I was all in. Our mission was to get after some early-season largemouth bass and do some serious testing of Loomis’ new GLX rods. Bruce has held many posts at the company over the years (more than the 25 years I’ve been at In-Fisherman) and he’s an avid multispecies angler. But like me, it’s hard for him to to pass up an opportunity to fish for bass. At the 2012 ICAST Show, I’d fondled a few of these sticks, but the truest test of any rod comes when you get to work a variety of lures, and it’s doubled up with a big bass on the other end. We brought along a few models from among the 12 new crankbait rods (CBR) in GLX, as well as jig rods from the flippin’ category (FPR). With the benefit of Loomis’ new proprietary graphite, these rods are calculated to be from 23 to 35 percent stronger than previous GLX models, as well as being lighter and more sensitive.
Our plans came to reality in mid-February, during a week marked by Valentines Day and Ash Wednesday. But this year, neither romantic getaways or church services were in the cards. Bruce had made plans to stay in Del Rio, Texas, and fish with Charlie Hoover and his buddy Tim Ludwig. Tournament veterans and Ranger boat owners will recognize Charlie for his many years as an executive at Ranger Boats and his running of the FLW Tour. Now retired, he spends four or five winter months in Del Rio, before returning home to Arkansas. Tim, likewise is retired from the painting and construction business and spends winters near the lake, heading home to Table Rock Lake in late spring. Before we wet a line, Charlie amazed us with his report that he’s run a brand-new Ranger boat every year since 1969. He has the paperwork for the very first one, filled out by Forrest Wood, for a sale price around $1,700! With Tim’s Ranger just a bit older, we were riding in style.
For the last 6 or 7 years, Amistad has been near the top of the charts for production of big bass, following the Bassmaster Elite tournament in 2007, won by Derek Remitz with 111 pounds 7 ounces for the 4-day competition. Charlie had informed us that the water level had dropped dramatically since then, and had continued to fall steadily this winter. Upon our arrival, it was about 50 vertical feet below where it had been several years ago.

That drop made for a challenging walk up and down the hill at the Diablo East boat ramp, as the terrain is clifflike. But boaters ferrying trailers stopped to pick up folks trudging up and down the slope. Low water also made for some interesting scenery. Amistad fits the canyon reservoir category, with all the deep gorges, plateaus, and rock pinnacles common in impoundments of type. Indeed, even with the reduced elevation, the main river channel was well over 100 feet deep, and many creeks held over 80 feet of water. But the expansive flats Amistad is known for were mostly out of the water or extremely shallow. Houses built years ago along the river valley had been flooded when the dam was built in 1969. Now they have re-emerged and offered some fine bass cover when water levels over them dropped to 20 feet or so. Entire dwellings, stonewalls, cisterns, and even a picnic table adorned the near shore area, bleached white in the sun.
After a mild morning, our first day was extremely windy, with winds well over 30 mph pounding across the desert-like terrain and funneling into the smallest pockets. We fished through it, and indeed caught at least 25 bass among the three of us, topped by Charlie’s 6½-pounder. The wind created huge bows in our lines, even after progressively upsizing football heads from 3/8- to 1/2-, then 3/4-ounce. With a quartering cast into the wind toward a bluffy bank, we missed many more bites as bass spit the jig before we could wind in enough line to get them hooked. I finally resorted to a Carolina rig with a 10-inch Power Worm, which allowed me to tighten up the slack better and catch several more bass. Amistad’s bass are a great size range, averaging about 2½ pounds. And it’s always exciting to fish where the next cast might produce a double-digit fish.
Tim was able to fish the following day, so I joined him as we explored other areas of the reservoir. Tim and Charlie had a team tournament coming up that weekend, so we were scouting spots as well as looking for lunkers.

As we explored meandering channels near potential spawning flats, we uncovered a steep ledge that had lunkers crawling all over it. Making several passes, we put four big ones in the boat: a pair of 6½-pounders, another 6 and an 8-11. That’s the kind of spot you need to win a tournament on that lake.
The next morning, Tim and I headed off to explore a different area, and within minutes I was fast to another giant bass. Onboard, it weighed in at 9-6. A fish like that makes the trip, but the companionship with Tim and Charlie and their lovely wives at Del Rio’s finest restaurants and Charlie’s home put icing on the cake. In the course of our hard-core fishing, the new GLX rods more than proved their worth, as we were able to feel light bites, set hooks (except for that one windy morning), and battle big bass with no problems. During the trip, I was somewhat taken aback to land three smallmouth bass, though Tim said they’re not uncommon there, undoubtedly the farthest south point of the species’ distribution, within a few hundred yards of the Mexican border. He said Amistad also offers stripers, though they were not biting when we were there.
I made it back home in time to clean up after another snow storm, but the memories of fishing Amistad with Bruce, Charlie, and Tim warmed my spirits greatly. Now I’m ready for spring!

About Bait
While the bite was superb, it wasn’t fast. Indeed, at times the shiner would tow the float around a weedy pocket for 20 or 30 minutes before a hawg would venture over to give chase. In those conditions, missed fish are inevitable, and we also had run-ins with big “mudfish,” the local term for bowfin, as well as pickerel. The toothy critters did put a hurt on a lot of our 6-to 10-inch shiners that we rigged on Eagle Claw Weedless Shiner hooks, with the float pegged 2 to 3 feet above.
There’s nothing as attractive as these native shiners for big Florida bass. With heavy fishing pressure, they can learn to spurn even flavored softbaits and the coolest topwater plugs. But nature’s own, the bass’ lust for this food lies at the core of the its very being! Indeed, we tested the waters with a selection of fine lures, but scored not. Where artificials were ignored, shiners were engulfed, if after some minutes of waiting.
Stonewater, who plied the national tournament trail in the late 1970s and early 1980s noted that shiner fishing has taught him to be patient in fishing lures. “Once you find fish, keep working that area, changing lures until you get them to bite,” he recommends.
Shiner fishing is fun and exciting, since it’s highly interactive. The shiner is highly aware of bass approaching, and telegraphs this information to the observant angler. Sudden twitching, bobbing, and diving of the bright Styrofoam bobber almost certainly means a predator is approaching. Sometimes the float goes down, but becomes tangled in viny stalks, so you have to feel for your fish. Too much pressure and the tasty bait’s ejected, even after being fully engulfed in the stomach. Stonewater pointed out the telltale scrapes down the sides of a shiner, made as it’s pulled past the fish’s pair of crusher pads or spit out. You can even gauge the size of the missed fish by the distance between them. Under these weed mats, bass lurked many yards from the outside edge, and after pulling down a shiner might bolt back to the dark interior with its prey.

Location
We found the bass generally in prespawn mode, as the big females were ripe with eggs but not quite ready to lay. Morning water temperatures warmed from 58°F to 60°F, rising to 61°F to 63°F over the course of three days that peaked in the mid-70°F range. When I lived in South Georgia and regularly plied Lake Seminole in spring, I noted that 62°F in early morning was typically when bass headed en masse to bedding areas.
Over the years, Stonewater has located many key prespawn holding areas, where current and baitfish are available near expansive sand flats where nests can be swept and guarded by male bass. The river’s tannic stain limits visibility to a foot or two, so sight-fishing would be a challenge for even the most eagle-eyed anglers. Indeed, in past pro events, competitors have found bedding fish in clearer spring runs or protected areas of lakes on the river, such as Lake George. Poking the rod tip into the bottom clearly defined the transition areas from mud or silt to sand.
The next two days followed in similar fashion and we ended with a marvelous tally of big fish—two between 9 and 10 pounds, four more over 8, and two more between 7 and 8 in a total catch of 42 bass. The St. Johns river is a national treasure, a beautiful lowland waterway with seemingly endless bass habitat. We also enjoyed watching countless bird species, and had eyes out for alligators and manatees. But the cooler weather seemed to have kept them down. We spotted a couple of boils created by manatees swimming below the surface, and a single 5-foot ‘gator.

This place is a bass fisherman’s dream and I will be back.
To check out all the action, tune into In-Fisherman Television episodes early next year (2014). With the new seasonal format, shows are timed to correspond to present opportunities. For more information or to plan a winter getaway, contact Bob Stonewater at: Trophy Bass Guide Service, 800/835-2851, bobstonewater.com.

Part of our mission involved testing Cabela’s new Platinum ZX Spinning Rods and Prodigy MG Spinning Reels, along with the company’s new Made in the Shade Shirts  and Pants. Constructed using 3M High Performance Resin technology, the rods are about 15 percent lighter and 30 percent stronger than previous top-of-the line rod offerings from Cabela’s. In addition to their light weight and sensitivity, we found the new Aero Reel Seats made for a sure fit, so the common problem of reels coming loose was eliminated. The MG reels, with a magnesium frame, sideplace, and rotor, performed admirably as big walleyes and bass made sizzling boatside runs. The clothing proved most comfortable in the unseasonably warm conditions, fast drying and wrinkle-free as well.
Toward evening we headed back to the Chairman II where Bernie had been busy preparing a fine dinner, headed by ribs and chicken done to perfection on a grill on the bow. With cold beverages, we shared fish stories and enjoyed a brilliant sunset over the lake.

The next morning, we found that Bernie had risen early to prepare a fine breakfast for us, as well as sandwiches to bring fishing.
Our odyssey continued two more days of fun fishing, relaxation, fellowship, and great meals, while exploring one of the true aquatic treasures of the Midwest, Rainy Lake. For more information, contact Rainy Lake Houseboats, 800/554-918, www.RainyLakeHouseboats.com. 

Demand has steadily grown from a base in marine commercial fisheries, particularly longlining, where baited hooks are set to fish passively. In addition to setting without rod action, circle hooks are favored in commercial fisheries because they hook and retain fish, even on slack lines. They also tend to hook fish in the jaw, causing less mortality than standard J-hooks.

Inland, trotliners and limbliners first tried circle hooks. Today, more anglers are experimenting with circle hooks for various species, based on their perceived benefits: Jaw hooking, which should make removal easier; reduced gut-hooking, resulting in less mortality; and easy setting of the hook, which would be ideal for inexperienced anglers and in deep water situations. Other possible advantages include fewer lost fish, fewer snags, and safer handling. Recently, fishery management agencies have recommended circle hooks for their conservation benefits. In a few situations, regulations even require circle hooks.

But what is a circle hook? This term has been applied to a range of designs, from models with a point that mildly turns toward the shank, to a true circle that snags nothing at all if placed in your pocket. In-Fisherman editors have used certain designs extensively in a variety of situations. We’ll continue to report our findings as we move forward. Overall, variation in design, along with lack of standardization of sizes among manufacturers, have led to conflicting results and confusion. We receive questions and reports about different designs and sizes for various species and sizes of fish, without resolution of any specific questions.

There’s been a similar rise in scientific studies of these tools, particularly their anatomical hooking position, degree of wounding, hooking success rate, and mortality. Dr. Steve Cooke and Cory Suski of the University of British Columbia recently published a major review of scientific findings on this topic.* They charted the increase in studies from 1996, when there were none, to 2004 when 15 were completed or in progress. They then reviewed the results of 43 separate evaluations of circle hooks.

Most have addressed marine fisheries, with striped bass the most common subject. That’s due to the huge striper fishery on the East Coast, where annual catch-and-release angling mortality has been estimated at 1.3 million fish, more than the number taken in the commercial fishery that year. Generally, the species most studied are those commonly captured on live or dead baits and those that have substantial hooking mortality with conventional hooks.

Cooke’s and Suski’s analysis resulted in some conclusions about circle hooks, along with many exceptions, further questions, and new areas for research.

Hooking Mortality: From a management standpoint, hooking mortality is critical when regulations require release of fish of a certain size range. And, of course, fish that are voluntarily released should be in viable condition. Delayed mortality can be important, but it’s far more challenging to measure. When results of all studies were lumped, circle hooks resulted in lower mortality than other types, mostly J-hooks and octopus styles. Mortality estimates for circle hooks ranged from 0 to 34 percent, compared to 0 to 46 percent for J-hooks.

There was substantial variation among species, however. For striped bass, mortality with circle hooks ranged from under 1 percent to 6 percent while J-hooks accounted for 9 to 18 percent mortality, a sizeable difference. Red drum, salmon, and tuna also showed major differences.

But in studies with bluegill and pumpkinseed, rock bass, largemouth bass, and summer flounder, mortality rates were similar between circle hooks and conventional designs (including octopus, sproat, and widegap). Bass mortality was low with circle (5.1 percent) and octopus (6.6 percent) hooks with fathead minnows as bait. Sunfish mortality was extremely low for all hook types (1 percent) and no rock bass were killed by hooking. For flounder, mortality for all hook types was between 12 and 16 percent.

Injuries and Mortality: Physiological damage from hook setting and removal can be minor or severe, including brain damage, blinding, and gill tearing. Cooke and Suski report that post-mortem exams of stripers killed with conventional hooks found damage to the heart, liver, gill arch, kidneys, and intestines. As circle hooks are not often swallowed, such damage is reduced. The summary of studies found that jaw hooking was far more frequent with circle hooks than other types. The incidence of gut hooking with circle hooks is low (generally less than 5 percent). Bleeding also was lower with circle hooks, a factor often related to hooking location.

Circle hooks did tend to cause more eye damage than other types, however. The point of some hooks tends to penetrate the eye orbit as it sets, and further damage may result from removal. Blinded fish are obviously far less likely to thrive, and the wound is a dangerous entry point for bacteria.

Time required to remove hooks can affect mortality, since fish are typically held out of water during the process. Cooke and Suski note that this factor hasn’t been examined widely, but that circle hooks generally were more difficult to remove. But again, this factor varies among fish species and likely also varies based on specific design and hook size in relation to fish size.

The bass were captured and tagged in a single 23-foot-deep bay, formed by a tributary creek. Ten bass remained there during the study, though seven made occasional forays outside the bay. Water temperatures during the study ranged from 69F in late October to 42F in late December, before warming to 71F by late April. At normal pool, the bay has sparse cover, consisting of sparse vegetation, small stickups, tree roots, and undercut banks.

As water cooled in fall, largemouths reduced the size of their home ranges. One bass showed no detectable movement from early January through the end of March. It wintered in tree roots at the base of an undercut bank. Bass also shifted farther offshore during the coldest period that ended in mid-February. When water temperature climbed in February, the fish abruptly moved close to the bank.

During winter, largemouths tended to move closer to the bank in the early morning, shifting offshore from about 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., then approached the shore again in the late afternoon, where they remained at night. Once water temperatures rose in spring, the bass stayed near shore day and night.

When water levels rose 6 inches or more, bass entered areas with flooded shoreline bushes and trees. They moved into such cover both during the day and at night, though the shift was most pronounced in fall, late winter, and early spring. Some fish moved into flooded shoreline cover at water temperatures as low as 43F.

Several of the largemouths established separate home ranges during winter, returning to the home ranges they’d used in fall when the water warmed, a behavior that previously had not been documented in adult largemouths, though noted for sub-adult bass. As other studies have shown, individual bass chose home ranges and faithfully return to them, though one bass was a wanderer and didn’t establish a home range at any point. Several fish moved to suspected spawning locations and remained there late in the tracking period.

Interestingly, the trackers followed the signal of one bass to an angler’s livewell, where the sublegal fish (Jordan with a minimum-length limit of 16 inches) was residing. The angler released the bass.

What American fish can grow to over 100 pounds, has no teeth, eats microscopic plankton, and resembles a shark with a big nose? If you solved this riddle, you’re familiar with the paddlefish, one of our largest, oldest, and most fascinating fish.

Early European explorers encountered this strange beast in North America’s large rivers. Records of the paddlefish date back to DeSoto’s Expedition through the Southeast from 1539 to 1542. A writer known only as “A Gentleman of Elvas” wrote, “There was another fish called pexe pella (translated ‘peel fish’). Its snout was a cubit in length and the tip of its upper lip was shaped like a shovel.”

Archeologists have uncovered fossils of paddlefish similar to our Polyodon spathula in rock formations around the Green River in Wyoming that date back over 50 million years. Yet major aspects of its biology remain mysterious. And its common name, spoonbill cat, suggests that some anglers remain unsure of its place in the animal kingdom.

BIOLOGY
In early America, paddlefish inhabited the large free-flowing rivers of the Mississippi Valley, extending north into Ontario and west to the Missouri River in Montana. Commercial fishing and dam construction later eliminated paddlefish from several river drainages and four states. They thrive in some impoundments, however, and today are found in 22 states.

The paddlefish skeleton is cartilage, except for a small amount of bone in the jaw. To feed, adult paddlefish swim through clouds of zooplankton, engulfing whatever can’t swim out of their way. Their long thin gill rakers then strain the water, filtering food organisms from it. Young paddlefish feed by sight on zooplankton until their gill rakers fully develop at a length of about 16 inches.

Paddlefish do not spawn until they are relatively old–about 8 for males and 10 for females. Harvest of immature fish (females may weigh 30 pounds and be immature) has hurt populations in several areas. Spawning takes place over shallow gravel bars with current, but only when appropriate water temperature, day length, and flow rate coincide. Throughout its range, spawning may take place from late March to late June, when water temperature is in the mid-50F range.

Dams have flooded many natural spawning sites and even where spawning sites persist, sudden fluctuations in water level caused by flood control and hydroelectric operations strand fertilized eggs or hatchlings.

Young paddlefish grow quickly, reaching up to 20 inches at age-1. After age-5, growth rate slows to about 2 inches per year. Maximum age is around 40 years.

FISHING
Commercial harvest has been severely limited throughout the United States but anglers have sought paddlefish for food and the thrill of battling a big fish. Since these filter feeders rarely take bait or lures, weighted snagging hooks are cast on heavy tackle and blindly jerked to stick fish. This method works when paddlefish migrate upstream in spring, congregating below dams.

Where paddlefish populations are stable, fishing may be legal, though the season and bag limit are restricted. In some regions, stocking has buoyed paddlefish numbers. On Missouri’s Osage River, the paddlefish population was doomed by construction of Truman Dam, which blocked their migration from Lake of the Ozarks. An innovative hatchery program has maintained a strong fishery, with the state record set at 130 pounds. Kansas and Arkansas also have obtained fingerlings from this hatchery to strengthen populations in their rivers. And artificial spawning has been successful at the Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery in North Dakota.

CONSERVATION
Because of the grave problem of poachers slaughtering paddlefish for their roe, the sale or barter of paddlefish or their eggs is illegal. The value of the roe has spurred the development of commercial aquaculture of paddlefish.

Where natural spawning areas for paddlefish remain, it’s critical that channelization or damming be prohibited and that pollution be minimized. Harvest must be carefully monitored to ensure that populations aren’t reduced to a point that spawning is limited. Where populations are sustained by stocking, harvest must be limited so these ancient fish can maintain the place in our rivers they’ve held for millions of years.

Once late fall sets in, anglers in all but the southernmost states start yearning for the next fishing season. A week doesn’t go by that I don’t get samples of a neat looking new lure I can’t wait to try. It’s frustrating to put them in a box until next spring, way too frustrating. So it was that last March, toward the end of one of the longest of Minnesota winters in my 23 years in this state, I decided to take the family on a trip to Mazatlan on the west coast of Mexico.

There’s been some reluctance among some American travelers to visit Mexico in the last three years, as stories of drug-related violence have been rampant on the news. But careful checking showed that tourist destinations far south of the border weren’t seeing that sort of violence. Indeed, when we landed in Mazatlan, Billy Chapman, Jr., owner of Angler’s Inn, met us at the airport and asked rhetorically, “Are you a drug dealer?” His point was that visitors there who pursue normal activities are in no more danger than visitors to Los Angeles or New York City.
Staying at the Pueblo Bonito, Emerald Bay, my wife and 17-year-old daughter chatted with visitors from the U.S., Mexico, Canada, and other countries, all having a fine time in the restaurants, on the beach, at the the pool, or around town. Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay, in fact, has several swimming pools, some with a quieter motif for adults wanting to sun or read a book, others built like a waterpark for kids, and yet others with a swim-up bar for the party crowd. But the truth is, we were there for more than a break from winter and fun in the sun. Fishing beckoned, of course!

My wife Edie, daughter Meagan, and I took advantage of the great fishing opportunities just off Mazatlan’s beaches. We fished in one of the Angler’s Inn super pangas piloted by “Capitan Gallo” named for his expertise at catching rooster fish. This nearshore habitat also holds grouper and snapper, as well as pompano and jack crevalle. Just off the beach, massive rocky outcrops thrust from the sea, offering great habitat for fish species, as well as drying off spots for the many sea lions that inhabit the area. We enjoyed the sights and caught some nice fish, though roosterfish eluded us. But Billy Chapman regaled us with stories of giants that roam the harbor mouths, and are accessible by kayak for those daring enough to get towed around by theses beautiful and overgrown members of the jack family.

Another evening, we fished from the surf, right by the hotel, using dune buggies equipped with rod racks. We cast into the reddish glow of sunset, working big topwater baits and spoons. The Emerald Bay hotel, a prime location for fishing, also boasts 5-star accommodations and dining, and a large and helpful staff. One evening, the chef prepared fish we’d caught just off the beach.

Bass fans know that just an hour and a half from Mazatlan lies El Salto, likely the most famous of Mexico’s bass lakes, thanks to a 20-year history of excellent fishing for big bass, including many 10-pounders. While my wife and daughter chose to enjoy activities like parasailing off the beach, shopping downtown, and horseback riding, I rode up to the lodge and fished for 2 days. As usual, bass action was superb, as guide Antonio, who I’ve fished with on several occasions, was onto some deep and shallow patterns for big prespawn bass. Last winter was unusually cold, even in central Mexico, and many bass were yet to spawn in mid-March. In some years, in contrast, spawning may start in January, with most fish finished by February. But their massive girth indicated many of the big females were still developing eggs.

Antonio had found several groups of fish spread over deep flats ranging from 15 to 22 feet deep, close to the drop into the main river channel. Making gargantuan casts with Rapala DT 20s and Norman DD 22s, and doing as much kneeling and reeling as my sunburned legs could take, bass ate the big baits as they ticked bottom or bounced off stumps and deep timber. Under calm conditions, however, a slow steady retrieve with Storm WildEye swimbaits was more appealing to the fish. There seemed to be large schools of 5- to 8-pound bass roaming across the flats there.

In the morning and evening, a shallower bite predominated, as it often does at Mexican reservoirs. We cast Texas-rigged 8½-inch Larew Biffle-O Lizards among small bushy trees in water just 5 to 10 feet deep. Here we hooked the biggest bass, including one that Antonio and I both thought was over 10 pounds, but the scale stopped at 9.4, a huge bass at any rate, well above the state record for Minnesota. Chapman had a monster eat his lizard, then tear off through the timber and break the line. Unlike some years, a topwater bite didn’t develop, which can be a most exciting bite, indeed. Perhaps the cooler water and postponed spawn kept bass from busting on top.

Back at the Angler’s Inn Lodge, it’s always fun to catch up the staff and share stories with other visiting anglers. The establishment Chapman has built at El Salto is without peer, with large finely tiled rooms, spacious bathrooms, and dining rooms both indoor and patio-style, for the varying weather conditions anglers encounter between October and July, when the lodge is open. Late summer is the hottest and wettest time, and Mexican lodges typically close. If my wife and daughter had chosen to come up and fish for bass instead of enjoying Mazatlan, they would have enjoyed massages and manicures from the highly trained staff masseuses at the lodge.

When I returned to Emerald Bay, the gals had had a great time and we were set for a couple days of relaxation before returning home, where ice fishing awaited. The combination of family activities, saltwater fishing, and top-notch bassin’ make this an ideal vacation destination for a families, as well as fishing buddies and corporate groups. Contact Angler’s Inn at www.anglersinn.com, 800/GOTAFISH.

It was with great anticipation that I drove north to fish Lake of the Woods earlier this week. The best trips I’ve head for muskies have occurred in the Canadian waters of this vast, million-acre lake laced with reefs, islands, and humps, every one of which looks like a likely lair for a giant.

Moreover, I was set to fish with Dave Bennett, a young pro fisherman and guide on that waterway, who had just won the Kenora Bass Invitational, a big 3-day competition there. Dave is a true outdoorsman, having grown up in Sioux Narrows and now living closer to Kenora. He guides full-time, year-round, hunting and fishing for everything that swims or walks, and is legal for capture.

Our first evening, we persisted into the dark hours and Dave was rewarded with a hefty 46-incher that slammed his Muskie Mayhem Super Girl (chartreuse and black) as light waned. Casting these giant spinners on long heavy rods is a far cry from even the powerfishing for largemouth bass I’d been doing lately. Firing them out over massive reefs is work, but as you watch the mesmerizing blades turn and cause the giant skirts to pulsate, you can’t help but feel a big fish is behind the next boulder.

But the fish proved reticent. I boated a small muskie the next day on a big Blue Fox spinner, along with a nice pike, and we had several follows and 3 fish that struck at the lures, but somehow evaded the hooks.

Dave took us to fantastic areas all across the northern half of Lake of the Woods, supplying tales of giant fish he’d caught here and there over the years. With few other boats about, we couldn’t blame fishing pressure for the clearly finicky attitude of our target species. But as we reminded ourselves, that’s part of muskie fishing. That’s what keeps you coming back. The more you think you know about them, the more they put you to shame. Time on the water pays dividends, though there’s no discounting occasional luck when you pursue these unpredictable beasts. I will be back!

When I describe the show to friends, they seem to glow with envy at the meer ideal of glimpsing all the new lures, lines, rods, reels, and more that are displayed. Indeed, that is a fun aspect of the ICAST Show, especially when the companies bring enough to pass out samples!

But for our editorial staff, it’s a daily grind from an early start right through evening dinners that bring the day’s close to midnight for those not inclined to take part in the Las Vegas gambling scene or other types of social activities. The days were full of meetings with company representatives—some old friends, some newcomers to the scene. But all are eager for editorial coverage. On the other side of the coin, our ad sales staff are looking for editorial support in the form of advertising in print, on television, and on our website.

One of the ICAST’s highlights is the “Best of Show” Award ceremony, where new items displayed at the New Products Showcase receive awards in one of 21 categories, based on voting by media and other independent representatives. Company personnel eagerly listen as the winners are announced, and cheer and high-five when their tackle’s recognized. Conversely, those who are denied may be left wondering about the fairness of the system of the wisdom of the judges.

The overall “Best of Show” award went to Berkley’s Nanofil line, an amazing new product that’s ideal for spinning applications, extremely manageable and strong.

Anglers will be excited to view and try many of the other items we examined. In-Fisherman’s annual Gear Guide will highlight select items in many categories when it’s published in the fall. You’ll doubtless marvel at light new reels such as Quantum’s EXO (short for exoskeleton) with a skeletal appearance and marvelous balance. And Daiwa’s new line of T3 reels sport a remarkable new magnetic braking system called Magforce 3D as well as the company’s new T-Wing system, a t-shaped levelwind aperture designed to reduce friction and enhance casting distance. To appreciate these features, you have to handle the reel and cast with it, possible at the show in one of the casting pools.

Many great-looking new lures were on display, particularly in the weedless frog, dropshot, crankbait, swimbait, and flippin’ categories. River2Sea’s Diving Frog, designed by Larry Dalhberg, is truly innovative, nothing like it exists at this point. And Grant Koppers adds new lifelike baits to his Livetarget line, including the Hollow Body Mouse, which won the best Soft Lure award. The D & S Crank, a weedless, single-hook lure designed by Patrick Sebile, captured the Hard Lure category for the Sebile brand, now owned by Pure Fishing. A neat new dropshot hook, VMC’s SpinShot took honors for Terminal Tackle, as it incorporates a swivel to eliminate line-twist while maintaining a horizontal position for baits.

There’s plenty more to talk about, and we will be bringing you more product reviews and tactical approaches in In-Fisherman and our seven annual guides, which we’re working on right now, beginning with the Ice Guide, due out before Thanksgiving, and winding up with the Catfish Guide next spring. In the meantime, give these new items a try, if you can find them. Nanofil, for one, is on store shelves right now.

Though I can scarcely comprehend time’s swift passage, 2011 marks the 15th edition of In-Fisherman’s annual Bass Guide. We’ve come a long way. This edition, one of seven annuals we now publish, has transformed from a status report to a full-blown editorial revelation of the hottest tackle and craftiest techniques.

We’re also happy to present the third volume in the In-Fisherman Critical Concepts Largemouth Bass series of books, this one focused on presentation, published last summer. It highlights proven techniques and novel tricks with all sorts of lures, rigs, and tackle to help anglers everywhere catch more fish. And as I write this column, our 2011 In-Fisherman television season is cued up, due to start the first weekend of the year. Covering as always a variety of species, it includes plenty of hot action and helpful advice for catching largemouth and smallmouth bass. Check for channels and times at in-fisherman.com.

In the world of bass fishing, the sale of Bass Angler’s Sportsman Society to Jerry McKinnis’ group by ESPN seems positive for long-time BASS members as well as tournament anglers. McKinnis’ lifelong love of fishing and decades in television production promise good things for grass-roots bassers as well as pros and those who aspire to be pros.

FLW Outdoors also has a new management team as well as strong financial backing from heavyweights like Walmart and the National Guard to promote the sport, as well as their stable of pros and sponsors. The company has signed a contract for Lindner Media, owned by In-Fisherman founders Al and Ron Lindner, to film their bass and walleye tournaments.

That said, the economy continues to cough and sputter like that old motor on your first boat, not really wanting to get anywhere fast. Consumers are understandably careful about purchases, and many companies have limited promotional budgets, including advertising. We cling to hopeful signs and rely on In-Fisherman’s loyal audience and industry allies for support in our mission to help anglers catch more fish and enjoy their experiences even more, while passing along this love of fishing to the next generation.