Balog’s Bass War
The Class of ’23

Current Columns

• 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

• Tin To Win?

  Thursday, April 20, 2023 By Joe Balog

  You’ve wondered about aluminum. For decades, we’ve been programmed to assume that big, shiny fiberglass boats are top-tier. The best thing a bass fishing junkie more

• Desert Jewel

  Thursday, April 13, 2023

  With five fish weighing over 23 pounds, Ray Arbesu and team partner Don Iglinski had a great day. Their bag was heavy enough to win, though not by much, as another more

• Outside The Spotlight

  Thursday, April 6, 2023 By Joe Balog

  Let’s look further into the evolution of our sport. I want to let you in on a compelling detail I came across recently at the highest level of competition. more

• A Pioneer Among Us

  Thursday, March 30, 2023 By Joe Balog

  With his recent Bassmaster Classic victory, Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson became only the second international angler to capture the crown, his Canadian roots and fishing more

• Classic Primer

  Thursday, March 23, 2023 By Joe Balog

  Who will win the 2023 Bassmaster Classic? That’s a very, very good question. This Classic is the hardest to predict in recent memory, due to a number of factors. more

• REDCREST Crowns The King

  Thursday, March 16, 2023 By Joe Balog

  “Everything worked out as planned.” Those were the words of Bryan Thrift during the press conference following his 2023 REDCREST victory. As planned. more

• Epic Battles Of March: Part 1

  Thursday, March 9, 2023 By Joe Balog

  The first of our sport’s two World Championships begins this week, with REDCREST kicking off at Lake Norman, near Charlotte, N.C.. Norman is known as the Ocean more

• One For The Books

  Thursday, March 2, 2023

  Cracking open the storage tub gave a bit of a pirate feel. The label indicated logbooks inside, and there they were, much like I’d packed them away years before. more

• Willpower

  Thursday, February 23, 2023 By Joe Balog

  We all have our favorite pros. You’ll recognize mine as the old-school guys. To me, power-fishing shallow water defines the sport. Competitors who stick to more

• Kong Lives

  Thursday, February 16, 2023 By Joe Balog

  This week brings the beginning of a new season in pro bass fishing, along with the end of an era. As competitors kicked off the Bass Pro Tour campaign, Kevin VanDam more

• On Again, Off Again

  Thursday, February 9, 2023 By Joe Balog

  Regular readers will recognize my affinity for getting the inside track from the best in our sport. More specifically, I often attempt to define just what makes more

• Two-Word Answer

  Thursday, February 2, 2023 By Joe Balog

  Scanning through a social media business platform, I came across a good question. It involved young anglers trying to establish a career in fishing. “What more

• Threats To A Favorite Pastime

  Thursday, January 26, 2023 By Joe Balog

  This year is shaping up to be a good one for tournament bass fishing across the country – 2023 brings a number of venues that are really cranking out the lunkers. more

• Winter Wonderland

  Thursday, January 19, 2023 By Joe Balog

  Never trust a weatherman. There was time in my life when I took pride in my ability to predict the weather. Growing up in the Midwest and spending an extraordinary more

• Rod And Reel Scientists

  Thursday, January 12, 2023 By Joe Balog

  Browsing the weekly bass fishing news, I had to go back over what I’d just read. Surely, these guys weren’t talking about hydrilla. “It’s great news to see more

• Putting ’22 To Bed

  Thursday, January 5, 2023 By Joe Balog

  Before we move into the new year, I thought we’d take a minute to reflect on the biggest stories of 2022. Professional bass fishing has seen quite a transformation more

• Dog Eat Dog

  Thursday, December 15, 2022 By Joe Balog

  With the Bassmaster Team Championship Classic Fish-Off in the books, Collin Smith became the final qualifier for the 2023 Bassmaster Classic. Smith is a solid more