Balog’s Bass War
Famous To Me

Current Columns

• Overly Effective?

  Thursday, April 18, 2024 By Joe Balog

  Last week, the Wisconsin DNR provided an opportunity for public input through its annual spring hearings, and the topic of a statewide ban on “live scopes” was more

• Another Ace

  Thursday, April 11, 2024 By Joe Balog

  Selling fishing lures is no picnic. Sure, it seems easy enough. Design something unique that catches bass, and the public is sure to want to buy a carton. Perhaps more

• Suddenly, It’s Urgent

  Thursday, April 4, 2024 By Joe Balog

  In today’s media, hot topics are all the rage. When a contentious subject comes up, it seems anyone and everyone wants to get in on the debate. Often, those with more

• Black And Red For The Win

  Thursday, March 28, 2024 By Joe Balog

  Dustin Connell walked off with the REDCREST crown recently, culminating an incredible three-year span during which he’s earned over $1 million on the BPT circuit. more

• Tulsa’s Turn

  Thursday, March 21, 2024 By Joe Balog

  This year the Bassmaster Classic returns to Grand Lake, site of the 2013 and 2016 editions. Both of the previous events were notable. Cliff Pace took down the more

• Restoring The Mighty River

  Thursday, March 14, 2024

  When I was kid, the St. Johns River was known as the "Bass Fishing Capital of the World". While there were other hotspots for big bass, nothing could more

• Stacked Field

  Thursday, March 7, 2024

  REDCREST is upon us. The 2024 installment takes place next week at Lay Lake, just outside of Birmingham. This venue brings tremendous history in professional bass more

• Staying Out Front

  Thursday, February 29, 2024

  Jacob Wheeler did it again, taking down the second stop on the 2024 Bass Pro Tour at Santee Cooper Lakes. While Wheeler’s win list is becoming too lengthy to keep more

• What Box?

  Thursday, February 22, 2024

  On occasion, we investigate ways to earn a living in the fishing industry, giving readers a bit of the inside scoop. Since I haven’t held a “day job” since the more

• Masters Of A New Game

  Thursday, February 15, 2024 By Joe Balog

  Drew Gill’s MLF Invitational win at Rayburn was a defining moment in bass fishing. Not only did Gill become the youngest to win such a title, he did so utilizing more

• Continued Dominance

  Thursday, February 8, 2024 By Joe Balog

  While the high-stakes tournament season officially kicked off earlier this month at the Toyota Series opener, the fireworks boomed for the first time last weekend. more

• Looking West

  Thursday, February 1, 2024

  As a fan of tournament bass fishing, it seems there’s always been something missing. A sport originating in Southern culture, the '80s boom of organized competition more

• Method To The Madness

  Thursday, January 25, 2024 By Joe Balog

  When I first read of Dakota Ebare’s decision to leave the BPT for the B.A.S.S. Open Series, I thought he was crazy. I’m sure I wasn’t alone. What seemed like more

• Florida Primer – Part 2

  Thursday, January 18, 2024 By Joe Balog

  Florida’s bass fishing season is upon us. Recent cold fronts have curbed the action a bit, but things will pick up shortly, the sun always only a day or two away. Water more

• Destination Lunkers

  Thursday, January 11, 2024 By Joe Balog

  With many locales buried in snow or blasted by arctic temperatures, winter has taken hold. It will be quite some time before the tulips pop up or the dogwoods more

• Resolutions

  Thursday, December 21, 2023 By Joe Balog

  The next time we visit, 2024 will be upon us. With the approaching New Year, I began thinking about resolutions. My personal intentions always seem to focus on more

• Setting Precedence

  Thursday, December 14, 2023

  This week finds us with the first news of a deliberate crackdown on forward-facing sonar. The annual “Fishing for Kids” tournament on Toledo Bend, hosted by more

• The Class of ’23

  Thursday, December 7, 2023 By Joe Balog

  What does it take to place at the top? With the 2023 professional bass fishing season in the books, we can look to the sport’s top finishers for a clue. Three more

• Ghost Town

  Wednesday, November 29, 2023 By Joe Balog

  I first traveled to Florida to bass-fish as a kid. Many of you remember my stories of adventure from that period – a young, impressionable Midwesterner released more

• The Last Cowboy Song

  Thursday, November 16, 2023 By Joe Balog

  “You just don’t go fishing in Florida without a worm tied on.” Those words are burned into my memory as deeply as any fishing advice I’ve ever heard. The year more

• Fall Back

  Thursday, November 9, 2023 By Joe Balog

  All across the media are stories of fall fishing. Tips and techniques on how to get the last few drops out of the bass fishing season. Shallow smallmouths and more

• The Final Champion

  Thursday, November 2, 2023

  The Toyota Series Championship kicks off this week, gathering a widely diverse group. When the format was initially announced, I admit, I had my doubts about the more

• Back On Track?

  Thursday, October 26, 2023 By Joe Balog

  Another round of changes has been announced for the Bass Pro Tour, leaving many competitors and fans frustrated. It seems the frequency of these format shifts more

• Mirror, Mirror On The Wall

  Thursday, October 19, 2023

  B.A.S.S. recently announced the creation of a technology review committee to keep tabs on the rapidly-changing world of competitive bass fishing and the way forward-facing more

• Opens EQ, Then and Now

  Thursday, October 12, 2023 By Joe Balog

  This week, the final event in the 2023 Bassmaster Opens will take place at Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes, bringing a unique qualifying bracket to culmination. more

• Searching For A Unicorn

  Thursday, October 5, 2023 By Joe Balog

  With a break in the humidity and the first signs of fall, my mind immediately shifted to trophy bass fishing. Sure, big fish show up year-round here in Florida. more

• Missing The Bus

  Thursday, September 28, 2023 By Joe Balog

  The bus stop looked boring. Four kids, middle-school age I’d guess, waited on a grey day. Gloom hung in the air. Despite standing a few feet apart, none conversed more

• Secrets Of The Elites

  Thursday, September 21, 2023 By Joe Balog

  After extensive review of this year's BPT winners, I set off this week to uncover the secrets of the Elite Series champions. Just like the previous two weeks, more

• Different Story For BPT's 2nd Half

  Thursday, September 14, 2023 By Joe Balog

  Last week, we reviewed the first half of the 2023 BPT season, uncovering an interesting pattern of specialization required to win. Until then, I was convinced more

• Master Of One

  Thursday, September 7, 2023

  In the past, it was said that versatility was the key to earning a living as a tournament professional, but specialization was required to win events. We saw examples more

• The Many Facets Of The FFS Debate

  Tuesday, September 5, 2023 By Miles Burghoff

  When I left the Lower 48 for my brief annual trek to guide for halibut, salmon and rockfish in the pristine, icy waters of Alaska, it seemed like I left the more

• KVD’s Best

  Thursday, August 31, 2023 By Joe Balog

  The newest BassFan reader poll grabbed my attention. What was Kevin VanDam’s greatest feat? Total wins, Classic crowns, AOYs? Or perhaps something else? Rarely more

• Mid-Depth Mystery

  Thursday, August 24, 2023 By Joe Balog

  With the conclusion of the Lake Champlain Elite Series event comes an interesting look into tactics used by the highest finishers. Regular readers here will recognize more

• How High’s The Water, Momma?

  Thursday, August 17, 2023 By Joe Balog

  With two events remaining, all eyes are on the Angler of the Year race on the Bassmaster Elite Series. For over a decade, the Elites have often concluded their more

• The End Of An Era

  Thursday, August 10, 2023 By Joe Balog

  The stage had been set for a perfect performance. All the characters were in place. Everyone knew their role in the final act. Online commentator Marty Stone more

• Bring The Heat

  Thursday, August 3, 2023 By Joe Balog

  A recent article in B.A.S.S. Times got my attention. Robert Montgomery’s “Controversy on the Coosa?” detailed a difference of opinions between mangers of the Coosa more

• Fair Play

  Thursday, July 27, 2023

  The recent disqualification of Spencer Shuffield following completion of the BPT event at Cayuga Lake set a precedent in the sport, immediately grabbing the attention more

• And The Results Are In

  Thursday, July 20, 2023 By Joe Balog

  ICAST '23 is in the books, and with the show came a number of surprises in terms of new products. Before we go there, I find it’s always important to emphasize more

• Cast Of Characters

  Thursday, July 13, 2023 By Joe Balog

  This week finds most of the fishing industry traveling to ICAST, the renowned trade show held each year in Orlando showcasing the newest products from tackle, more

• Summer Vacation

  Thursday, July 6, 2023 By Joe Balog

  Bass fishing in America has undergone a number of transitions through its short history. Freshwater fishing, as a whole, started as a sustenance game, meaning more

• The Win Business

  Thursday, June 29, 2023

  I recently had the opportunity to conduct a very special interview. Now, I don’t want to give too much away and ruin the surprise, but just know the featured angler more

• Opens Are A Different Game

  Wednesday, June 28, 2023 By Miles Burghoff

  Just when I think I have it all figured out, this sport throws me a heaping portion of humble pie. With my recent deep triple-digit finish at the Bassmaster more

• Great Lakes Ghosts

  Thursday, June 22, 2023 By Joe Balog

  Are smallmouth bass more mobile in large lakes than once thought? That was the question posed by a recent study conducted on Lake Erie by Ohio DNR scientists more

• The Clock Is Ticking

  Thursday, June 15, 2023 By Joe Balog

  Attention must be given to the recent Cayuga Lake Bass Pro Tour event, the most astonishing smallmouth tournament we’ve ever seen. With 25-pound stringers unable more

• The Number You Have Dialed

  Thursday, June 8, 2023

  I probably interview more professional bass fishermen than anyone in the sport. Maybe I’m wrong, and that’s okay. But continuously gathering weekly content for more

• Tension Mounts

  Thursday, June 1, 2023 By Joe Balog

  This week brings us one of the most significant professional tournaments of the season: the Bassmaster Elite Series event at the Sabine River in Orange, Texas. more

• Timing Is Everything

  Thursday, May 25, 2023 By Joe Balog

  Jacob Wheeler again made headlines with another dominating performance at the recent Lake Guntersville BPT event. While I was taking note of this extraordinary more

• Adaptation To Change

  Thursday, May 18, 2023 By Joe Balog

  Last month, Keith Poche’s catch was disqualified at the Bassmaster Open at Toledo Bend, a decision that was later upheld after appeal. The rule infraction and more

• Some Must-Have Stuff

  Thursday, May 11, 2023 By Joe Balog

  For the most part, I leave the how-to columns to the pros. While I once contributed regular tips to readers on ways to catch more bass, today I find it better more

• The Power Of The Blueback

  Thursday, May 4, 2023 By Joe Balog

  Coverage of the Lake Murray Bass Pro Tour event left me dreaming of a road trip. Hometown hero Anthony Gagliardi added to his win list, but just as big of a story more

• Moving In That Direction?

  Thursday, April 27, 2023 By Joe Balog

  Have you seen the new trolling motor by Power-Pole? The Power-Pole Move? I got a chance to dive into this thing recently at a big consumer show, thanks to a more