Sonar Sound-Off
Off To A Good Start

Current Columns

• World Record Bass – By Hook Or Crook

  Thursday, January 17, 2019

  A cool story grabbed my attention: Wanted more

• Binge-Watching

  Thursday, January 10, 2019

  For weeks now, big talk in the bass fishing world has centered on the increase in live broadcasting available to fans. Much of this comes as a result of expansion more

• How Do You Measure Success?

  Thursday, January 3, 2019 By Joe Balog

  With a new year comes a new season in professional bass fishing, the likes of which we may have never seen before. Three major players now comprise the industry, more

• Checking It Twice

  Thursday, December 20, 2018

  As we approach the holiday season, even I share in the giving feeling. Once a scrooge bothered by the commercialization of Christmas, as well as the inconveniences more

• Cold-Water Brutes

  Thursday, December 13, 2018 By Joe Balog

  Cold is relative. Today’s 50-degree temperatures, combined with a brisk west wind, put a glitch in the plans of the crappie fishermen in my neighborhood. It’s more

• The Time Is Right

  Monday, December 10, 2018 By Miles Burghoff

  I’ve always been a believer that timing is the key factor that can make or break an opportunity – or possibly an entire career. Whether on the water, in your personal more

• Transparent

  Thursday, December 6, 2018 By Joe Balog

  It’s frequently apparent that JT Kenney doesn’t concern himself with the approval of others. “I’ve got a big pocketful of 'I don’t give a damn' and I’m happy more

• Show Me The Money

  Thursday, November 29, 2018

  It’s easy to become oblivious to things outside of our daily norm. By that, I mean our primary focus often confuses us into thinking that ours is the only game more

• Trophy Hunter – Vol. 3

  Thursday, November 15, 2018 By Joe Balog

  The first wave of cool weather had finally arrived and the Deep South morning was one of relief rather than a continued onslaught of humidity. Opening the overhead more

• 

  Utter Devastation

  Wednesday, November 14, 2018 By Miles Burghoff

  You never know what challenges life is going to throw at you. This is a truth that we all know so well, yet there are certain events that the magnitude of more

• A Quality Debate

  Thursday, November 8, 2018 By Joe Balog

  Bass fishing in Florida is often a feast or famine practice, thanks in large part to the drastic environmental conditions. Extreme summertime heat combines with more

• Our Society

  Thursday, November 1, 2018

  A great opportunity came my way this week when I was offered a chance to speak at the Teen Sportfishing Association (TSA) meeting near my home in Volusia County. more

• The Rest Is History

  Thursday, October 25, 2018

  The old cliché declares “records are made to be broken," but I’m not so sure. Realizing that key milestones in bass fishing will likely never be challenged more

• Setting New Standards

  Thursday, October 18, 2018 By Joe Balog

  Last week, we discussed the clean slate being offered with the formation of a completely new concept in professional bass fishing and how it may offer us – tournament more

• Three Little Words

  Thursday, October 11, 2018 By Joe Balog

  Grow the sport. Three little words we’re sure hearing a lot lately. Over the past several weeks, we’ve been introduced to a number of players whose more

• Off The Deep End

  Thursday, October 4, 2018

  The excitement reached a fever pitch across the professional bass industry this week as more anglers came forward with the announcement of their decision to leave more

• Inside Scoop For Junkies

  Thursday, September 27, 2018

  Over the last several weeks, the entire bass fishing industry has been immersed in the development of a new, high-profile tournament trail and the reaction and more

• Realizing A Dream

  Monday, September 24, 2018 By Errol Duckett

  As with any industry, change is inevitable. The fishing industry is no different. With that change comes uncertainty and worry, especially for the players in the more

• Rebuke

  Thursday, September 20, 2018

  With the absence of my Thursday edition of Balog’s Bass War, you’re probably wondering where I’ve been. Those of you quick to the draw might have read a piece more

• Suddenly, It's Over

  Tuesday, September 18, 2018 By Miles Burghoff

  It’s incredible how quickly this season has passed by. It seems just like a few months ago, my wife, Katie, and I were caravanning across the country with all more

• BPT Invite Process Flawed, But Change Is Good

  Friday, September 14, 2018 By Randy Blaukat

  Like many anglers, fans, media and sponsors, it’s my opinion that the recent announcement of the Bass Pro Tour is probably the most historic single event to ever more

• The Big Three

  Thursday, September 13, 2018 By Joe Balog

  Big news! As we all know by now, Major League Fishing has announced the formation of a new professional bass fishing circuit, the Bass Pro Tour (BPT). As of more

• Wrapping Up 2018: Quick Notes

  Thursday, September 6, 2018 By Joe Balog

  As the national tours finish up for 2018, we’re left with a few brief topics to touch on, all of which signal a continued change in professional bass fishing. more

• Happening Now

  Thursday, August 30, 2018

  Wow, what a slugfest! Just when I thought that nothing could top the overall catch of smallmouth bass at the FLW Tour event on Lake St. Clair, the Bassmaster crew more

• Controlled Substance

  Thursday, August 23, 2018 By Joe Balog

  By now, most hardcore fishing fans know the story of Clent Davis and the roller-coaster ride that became his career. A solid FLW performer early on, Davis chased more

• A Comeback For The Ages

  Thursday, August 16, 2018 By Joe Balog

  The story was laid out perfect; all we had to do was watch it unfold. Given the chance, a better set of circumstances couldn’t have been drawn up by the FLW more

• Cup Runneth Over

  Thursday, August 9, 2018 By Joe Balog

  This week, we’re greeted by the Forrest Wood Cup, FLW’s world championship that pits the circuit’s best anglers against each other and the elements. While it may more

• Weather Wins Again

  Thursday, August 2, 2018 By Joe Balog

  What a bummer of a weekend for BassFans. High water forced a complete postponement (and later cancellation) of the Chesapeake Bay Elite event and big winds shortened more

• Trophy Hunter: Edition 2

  Thursday, July 26, 2018 By Joe Balog

  At least she followed it. While the big fish hadn’t gone all-in and eaten my swimbait, she’d exposed herself enough to allow me to judge her size and reveal more

• Extinction Of The Specie

  Thursday, July 19, 2018 By Joe Balog

  While I rarely lack an opinion on topics within our bass fishing community, it’s not always easy to find subject matter. Let’s face it, every once in a while things more

• Passion

  Thursday, July 12, 2018

  Mark Daniels, Jr. doesn’t comprehend the word can’t; it’s apparent when you talk with him. There’s nothing he can’t do. I wonder how that can be. With more

• The Fuel To Succeed

  Friday, July 6, 2018

  As it is for all competitive sports, coming out on top in fishing tournaments often comes down to making very small adjustments to your approach that results in more

• Stacked Deck

  Thursday, July 5, 2018 By Joe Balog

  The 2018 FLW regular season is now complete, with the final event being the show-stopper we needed. As predicted, Mark Rose held on to the Angler of the Year title more

• Sleepless Night

  Thursday, June 28, 2018 By Joe Balog

  I wouldn’t want to be Mark Rose today. But I doubt he feels the same. Yes, today marks the first day of the final event of the FLW Tour season, and Rose, more

• The Answers Within

  Thursday, June 21, 2018 By Joe Balog

  Life had been a little stressful lately. Workplace complications put several projects on hold, leading to a few uneasy clients, and a recipe for potential disaster. more

• Bassmen 2043

  Thursday, June 14, 2018

  I was intrigued by an article in the latest edition of Bassmaster Magazine. Prognostications of the Bassmen took an inside look at our predictions for the sport more

• Replace The Fakes

  Thursday, June 7, 2018

  As a kid, one of my favorite dinners was when mom made baked tilapia on Friday night. II’ll never forget the warm, buttery smell through the kitchen when us kids more

• Trophy Hunter: Edition One

  Thursday, May 31, 2018 By Joe Balog

  My fishing has always bordered on obsession, but since I’m consciously aware of it, it prevents me from being classified a madman. When I’m not fishing, I’m usually more

• Keep To The Code

  Thursday, May 24, 2018

  I’d never heard of anything like it. Apparently, early on the third day of the recent FLW Tour event on Kentucky Lake, tournament leader Randy Haynes decided to more

• Unwinding

  Thursday, May 17, 2018 By Joe Balog

  A buddy of mine loaded a new app on my television; one sure to expand my outdoor programming choices. Truthfully, I hadn’t given much thought to my lineup lately. more

• The Tapp

  Thursday, May 10, 2018 By Joe Balog

  Recent headlines brought back a memory. As a young tournament angler, I had just been given an annual beating by a group of Carolinians on Buggs Island Reservoir. more

• That Uncomfortable Feeling

  Thursday, May 3, 2018 By Miles Burghoff

  I've never been one to get too focused on one particular style of fishing, or on individual lakes. To me, one of the most satisfying aspects of tournament fishing more

• The Greatest

  Thursday, May 3, 2018

  "Kevin isn't going to beat himself. He's found that space where only a few have been, and he's not even close to the last chapter of what he's writing.” - more

• Help Me Help Myself

  Thursday, April 26, 2018 By Joe Balog

  Several years ago, I received a call from a sponsor on a Sunday. Such usually means one of two things: either you’re about to get a raise, or you’re about to get more

• Back Deck Notebook – Vol.1

  Thursday, April 19, 2018 By Joe Balog

  Throughout my time here with you, I’ve tried to focus on the most pressing issues affecting bass fishermen in America. Safety, conservation and angling rights more

• Reinventing The Wheel

  Thursday, April 12, 2018 By Joe Balog

  I’ve always been fascinated with the lures used to win bass tournaments. More specifically, the rise and fall in popularity of certain techniques intrigues me more

• Picking Your Days

  Thursday, April 5, 2018 By Joe Balog

  This week, we saw a complete stoppage of a professional tournament due to flooding, as the Bassmaster Elite event scheduled for the Sabine River in Orange, Texas more

• Louisiana's Situation Is Not Pretty

  Monday, April 2, 2018 By Steve Rockseiler

  (Editor's note: The following is a rebuttal to BassFan columnist Joe Balog's March more

• The Road To Paradise

  Wednesday, March 28, 2018

  This week brought news of the Louisiana waterway access laws revisited, as B.A.S.S. officially endorsed House Bill 391 – legislation that would attempt to conquer more

• Just Like You And Me

  Thursday, March 22, 2018

  It was the final-day weigh-in of the Bassmaster Classic and with the microphone now in front of him, Gerald Swindle was pulling out all the stops. After several more

• Classic Prophecy

  Thursday, March 15, 2018

  The big game is upon us, as we kick off the 2018 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell. As I mentioned last week, I truly feel the sport has progressed beyond the more

• Local Shootout

  Thursday, March 8, 2018 By Joe Balog

  The 47th annual Bassmaster Classic will kick off at Lake Hartwell next week, bringing with it competitive excitement and agony, along with fan enthusiasm, like more

• New World Order

  Thursday, March 1, 2018 By Joe Balog

  International champions seem to be a theme this year, as Canadian Chris Johnston grabbed the most recent title in pro fishing with his FLW Tour win at Florida's more

• Quietly Ponder

  Thursday, February 22, 2018

  For the first time in a while, I find myself in the shop, tinkering with tackle. Once a ritual performed several times weekly, lately I’ve gotten away from the more

• Game-Changers

  Thursday, February 15, 2018

  Last night, I dreamt I had a side-imaging transducer sewn into a pair of waders. No lie. So important has technology become, and I so dependent on it, I can’t more

• Faulty Practice Plan Leads To Dud

  Friday, February 9, 2018

  I’ve always considered practice to be the most crucial part of the tournament fishing process. Sure, the tournament is when the rubber meets the road, and when more

• The Fans’ Focus

  Thursday, February 8, 2018 By Joe Balog

  I’m stunned at how times have changed. Again. In the early 2000s, I spent a morning riding around Lake St. Clair looking for tournament fishermen. The Canadian more

• Trending Now

  Thursday, February 1, 2018

  Like many of you, I’m constantly searching for information on new bass fishing techniques, digesting everything I can from any source available. With today’s endless more

• The Life You Save

  Monday, January 29, 2018 By Bernie Schultz

  As almost all of you know by now, a serious boating accident occurred during the recent FLW Series event on Lake Okeechobee. Boater Bill Kisiah and co-angler Nik more

• First, Safety

  Thursday, January 25, 2018

  As we discussed here last week, in the wake of tragedy, I find it necessary to discuss all we can do to prevent a similar disaster. As promised, I’d like to discuss more