Balog's Bass Wars
Uncovering ICAST

Current Columns

• The Greatest Show On Earth

  Thursday, July 17, 2014 By Balog's Bass War

  It’s a big week in sport fishing. While the pro bass tours take a lazy summer break, the entire fishing world focuses on the industry’s annual “buzz” event: ICAST. more

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  The 'Almost' Angler Of The Year

  Thursday, July 10, 2014 By Joe Balog

  “I couldn’t have won Angler of the Year, and I wouldn’t have done anything different." Cody Meyer was trying to convince me, or perhaps himself, that his more

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  Slow and Steady Wins the Race

  Thursday, July 03, 2014 By Joe Balog

  I used to think that guys like Andy Morgan were a dying breed. While the latest class of pro bass superstars became more technologically advanced, and ventured more

• America’s Pastime

  Thursday, June 26, 2014 By Joe Balog

  A stormy morning quickly dispelled any hopes I had of going fishing. Deadlines, office clutter and a list of obligations helped the cause. But before the rest more

• BASSFest: The Fans Win

  Thursday, June 19, 2014 By Miles Burghoff

  As part of my very hectic schedule, I was fortunate to be able to participate in the very first BASSFest as part of the Shimano Experience Team. At first, I wasn’t more

• BASSFest: A New Era?

  Thursday, June 19, 2014 By Joe Balog

  As we head into the final stretches of this season’s professional bass tours, without question the biggest event of late was the recent BASSFest at Lake Chickamauga. more

• More About Florida’s Plan

  Thursday, June 12, 2014 By Joe Balog

  Last week we chatted about the State of Florida’s redirection of fisheries management goals and the increased emphasis it's placing on trophy bass management. more

• The King Wants His Crown Back

  Thursday, June 05, 2014 By Joe Balog

  I remember seeing an old, black-and-white photo my dad held onto from an early trip to the bass mecca of Florida. Featured was a much younger and thinner version more

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  Elite Goal Will Be Tough To Reach

  Monday, June 02, 2014 By Miles Burghoff

  Sometimes no matter how well you prepare, and no matter how many controllable factors you take into account, it’s just not your time. The recent Bassmaster more

• Is A World-Record Smallmouth On The Horizon?

  Thursday, May 29, 2014 By Joe Balog

  At one time, recreational bass fishermen across the North regarded a 5-pound smallmouth as a true trophy. As time went on, fishing equipment advanced, previously more

• Swimming With The Fishes

  Thursday, May 22, 2014 By Joe Balog

  I’ve always been fascinated by the intricacies of catching bass and those anglers who become intimately familiar with their quarry. Most often, big-money events more

• Proof Is In The Pounds: Fork Reigns Supreme

  Thursday, May 15, 2014 By Joe Balog

  “Good Lord!” I said it aloud, although I was alone in my home. I had just checked the outcome of this year’s Toyota Texas Bass Classic and could hardly more

• Time To Stop The Bleeding

  Thursday, May 08, 2014 By Joe Balog

  Well, I just got back from a great vacation. I might have gone a little overboard, spending a couple thousand bucks and fishing everyday, but it was worth it. more

• Black Tuesday?

  Thursday, May 01, 2014 By Joe Balog

  Spring is in the air around my part of the world. The Great Lakes have awoken fully from there monumental winter slumber, open water is finally available, and more

• A Long-Overdue Trip

  Thursday, April 24, 2014 By Joe Balog

  After what seems like an eternity away from bass fishing, it’s finally my turn to dust the sticks off. While I’m immersed in fishing nearly every day from a business more

• Rig Or No Rig, The Cream Rises

  Thursday, April 17, 2014 By Joe Balog

  “Different roads sometimes lead to the same castle.” ― George R.R. Martin, "A Game of Thrones" It wasn’t long ago that the umbrella more

• No Longer Just For Me

  Wednesday, April 16, 2014 By Miles Burghoff

  August, 2006. I was on the road to my new start – my new life. I was alone. I loved it. I continued to love my selfish lifestyle for the next 7 years. I more

• Seminars Of The Future

  Thursday, April 10, 2014 By Joe Balog

  I remember one of the first pro bass seminars I ever attended. Always eager to rub elbows with my childhood heroes, I somehow convinced my mom to drive me an hour more

• Two-Tour Pros Help the Cause

  Thursday, April 03, 2014 By Joe Balog

  Like many of you, I scour the media for any information on the big-name pros. I’m always amazed at their demonstrations of skill when fishing for big money. I more

• Back To The Future

  Sunday, March 30, 2014 By Miles Burghoff

  I want to apologize for not being as on top of this column as I normally am. It’s not that I don’t have anything to report – in fact, the exact opposite is true. I've more

• I’m Keeping Score

  Thursday, March 27, 2014 By Joe Balog

  Well, we’re off and running on all cylinders in the world of pro bass. The early tournaments brought us results surprisingly like those of recent years. One man more

• The Howeller

  Thursday, March 20, 2014 By Joe Balog

  Months prior to winning the Bassmaster Classic, Randy Howell had booked an appearance at a popular spring sales event at Bass Pro Shops. There, he assumed he would more

• What’s It Really Like to Win a Classic?

  Thursday, March 13, 2014 By Joe Balog

  As fans of bass fishing, we all know by now the major events that occurred last month at the Bassmaster Classic: the top producing patterns, the best lures, the more

• Omori Opens Up About Info

  Thursday, March 06, 2014 By Joe Balog

  It was a decade ago, possibly a little more, when I met Takahiro Omori, though he might not remember. We were both at the newly built home of Rick Clunn, nestled more

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  Rare Insight

  Thursday, February 27, 2014 By Joe Balog

  Of course, my flight’s delayed. In the middle of what seems like an endless winter through much of the North, I long to just get away from it all. Packing for more

• My Pick To Win The Classic

  Thursday, February 20, 2014

  Ladies and gentlemen, step right up. It’s the show you’ve all been waiting for. That’s right, it’s Bassmaster Classic week, and things couldn’t be better. This more

• DQs Dominated At Opener

  Thursday, February 13, 2014 By Joe Balog

  Well, our first big event of the year has come and gone. Despite a poor opening round, my pick for the winner looked pretty good after day two, as Florida ace more

• DQs Point Out Issues That Need Fixing

  Friday, February 07, 2014 By John Johnson

  There's nothing wrong with the FLW Tour rules that led more

• My Pick To Win Okeechobee

  Thursday, February 06, 2014 By Joe Balog

  This week marks the beginning of yet another season of professional bass fishing. While the Bassmaster Elite pros patiently wait to compete in the Classic or work more

• A Little Birdy Told Me

  Thursday, January 30, 2014 By Joe Balog

  “Civilian aviation authorities reported no confirmed occurrences of cell phones affecting flight safety on aircraft with on-board cellular base stations." So more

• Winning Against All Odds

  Thursday, January 23, 2014 By Joe Balog

  Traveling over Lake Mead and the Grand Canyon on a crystal-clear desert day last week reminded me of the tales I’d read of Rick Clunn winning the U.S. Open, fully more

• Accountability Is Crucial

  Thursday, January 16, 2014 By Miles Burghoff

  It’s an amazing feeling when you renounce the fear of failure and embrace the learning process of your trade – the ups and the downs. I can say with confidence more

• Bass Fishing’s True Roots

  Thursday, January 16, 2014 By Joe Balog

  Last week, I alluded to a conversation I had with Ott DeFoe recently. We ended up on the same flight after a promotional meeting at Minn Kota and, while we waited more

• Tour Expansion Part 2: It's Not That Easy

  Thursday, January 09, 2014 By Joe Balog

  The harsh reality of winter has now settled in through much of the country’s northern range. In my home state of Michigan, snow is severe, and excessively low more

• A Eureka! Moment

  Thursday, December 19, 2013 By Joe Balog

  Last week, I alluded to a predicament in pro fishing that’s influencing nearly all of the top players: Number of events, or a lack of them. My eureka moment thought more

• One Happy Angler

  Thursday, December 12, 2013 By Joe Balog

  Well, the Bassmaster Classic Wild Card event has come and gone, so it’s naturally relevant that we take a little time here to comment on the string of events. more

• Nice Guys Finish First

  Thursday, December 05, 2013 By Joe Balog

  I recently completed an article for In-Fisherman that will appear this spring in that magazine's annual Bass Guide. Most of you diehard bass geeks are sure to more

• Bass Vs. Bucks: It's No Contest

  Thursday, November 21, 2013 By Joe Balog

  As I continue to celebrate autumn’s splendor, it seems there’s very little in the headlines around the world of pro bass fishing. Terry Butcher, an Oklahoman hammer more

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  Big Things

  Wednesday, November 20, 2013 By Miles Burghoff

  Sometimes it’s the “small” things that really get you excited about what you love to do. Sometimes it’s grabbing your favorite energy drink or coffee on the way more

• Trip To South Florida Hard To Justify

  Thursday, November 14, 2013 By Joe Balog

  B.A.S.S. recently ran a press release reminding qualified anglers of the approaching sign-up date for its 2013 Wild Card tournament. The event would represent more

• Is Circuit Breaker The Next Step?

  Thursday, November 07, 2013 By Joe Balog

  While the tendency is to focus on the controversial and awe-inspiring details of professional bass fishing here on Balog’s Bass War, occasionally I overlook a more

• More Umbrella Rigs … I'm Starting To Feel Queasy

  Thursday, October 31, 2013 By Joe Balog

  Well, it’s that time of year when hunters take to the woods and bass nuts collectively give a sigh of relief at the sight of their vacant fishing hotspots. The more

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  Pay Attention To Climate Change, Before It's Too Late

  Monday, October 28, 2013

  (Editor's note: Randy Blaukat has competed on the Bassmaster or FLW Tour or both for much of the past 25-plus years. He's among the most outspoken anglers when more

• Confidence: Bass Fishing's Best Technique

  Thursday, October 24, 2013 By Joe Balog

  When the most recent copy of the FLW Outdoors magazine arrived a few days ago, I was immediately drawn to the cover story on reigning FLW Angler of the more

• Considering the Constituents

  Thursday, October 17, 2013 By Joe Balog

  As we settle into fall across much of the country, many die-hard bass fishermen climb into treestands or duck blinds and take a break from it all. For many touring more

• TTBC Doing A Lot Of Things Right

  Thursday, October 10, 2013 By Joe Balog

  Recently I attempted to compare and contrast the basic business models of FLW and B.A.S.S., and while the piece was met with a little sarcasm, I escaped with most more

• It's Dealer's Choice

  Thursday, October 03, 2013 By Joe Balog

  What’s the greatest thing about fishing? The relaxation, the challenge or the time outdoors? How about the best part about tournament bass fishing? The money and more

• Destiny Blows In The Wind

  Wednesday, September 25, 2013 By Joe Balog

  There’s been some buzz lately in my corner of the world with the recent cancellation of a competition day at the Lake Erie Bassmaster Northern Open. And while more

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  Superstars Find A Way

  Thursday, September 19, 2013 By Joe Balog

  At one time, I despised Mike Iaconelli. And, with the New Jersey screamer delivering the latest crushing blow in my quest for a recent Great Lakes title, you’d more

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  Keeping The 'Live' In Livewell

  Thursday, September 12, 2013 By Joe Balog

  This week finds me competing in the Bassmaster Open event on Lake Erie, the place where smallmouth dreams are made and bass boats are broken. Hopefully the more

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  Year Has Been Disappointing, Yet Educational

  Tuesday, September 10, 2013 By Miles Burghoff

  I’m back! Another summer working as a fishing guide in southeast Alaska is in the books and I'm ready to get back to work catching green fish and reclaiming more

• Sunny Days Predicted – No Umbrella Needed

  Thursday, September 05, 2013 By Joe Balog

  Turn out the lights, the party’s over. Last week, we saw an additional umbrella-rig ruling come to fruition in pro fishing when FLW banned the controversial more

• Considering The Stars Of The Show

  Thursday, August 29, 2013 By Joe Balog

  One of the really cool aspects of tournament bass fishing is the extent to which the top pros will go to win a tournament. I remember reading a story in which more

• FLW Crowns Its King

  Thursday, August 22, 2013 By Joe Balog

  Last week, we were greeted by one of the biggest things to happen in pro fishing each year: the Forrest Wood Cup. Without question, this is one event in which more

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  Ish Monroe, Part 2: The Busiest Man In The World

  Thursday, August 15, 2013 By Joe Balog

  It seems that everywhere you look in the world of pro fishing, Ish Monroe has a presence. Last week, we pretty much decided it had little to do with the fact that more

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  An Inside Look At Ish Monroe

  Thursday, August 08, 2013 By Joe Balog

  One of the real perks of this job is rubbing elbows with the Tour pros. While I find myself included in many competitive circles in my own right, I love hearing more

• Has Technology Gone Too Far?

  Thursday, August 01, 2013 By Joe Balog

  The big ICAST tackle industry trade show has come and gone. We’ve all reviewed the products given “best new” awards and, true to my prediction, there was a frog more

• Slimmer Schedules Blur Line On Being A True Pro

  Thursday, July 25, 2013 By Joe Balog

  Nowadays, everybody is a professional fisherman, or knows one. The phrase gets tossed around for tournament anglers at all levels, guides, charter boat operators, more