More 10+ Lb Largemouth and Spotted Bass than any other video, EVER!

This video makes us proud to be from Northern California! From Clearlake to the Delta, Berryessa to Bullards Bar we are surrounded by world class fisheries and when the fish want to bite there is nowhere else like it on earth!

Merry Christmas to all of you amazing people that have helped make TacticalBassin what it is today! We're forever greatful to each of you and are thrilled for what the future brings! For fun this Holiday Weekend we decided to do this throw back video to one of the most insane bites to ever occur! 

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Here are the baits that were catching these fish...

1)S-Waver 200 Swimbait
2)Spittin Wa 70 Frog
3)3/4 Oz. Pitchin' Jig
4)Huddleston 8" Trout Swimbait
5)Keitech 4.8" Fat Swing Impact Swimbait
6)Matt Allen Swimbait Head

How to Spoon for Bass

Is there a more fun or cost effective way to catch a ton of fish in the Fall or Winter? Probably not! Spooning is often over looked in favor of finesse tactics but don't be fooled, its a technique you need to get comfortable using.

When the bass are schooling on baitfish, even when they're just scattered on deep water points and ledges, a spoon is hard to beat. When the fish are suspended around bait, it can't be beaten. A spoon perfectly imitates a dying or injured baitfish, fluttering toward the bottom. Bass are hardwired to react to this quick fluttering action, often resulting in jarring strikes! So why should you be using a spoon during the colder months?

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First, its cost effective. Unlike soft plastics which tear up easily, spoons hold up over time. Assuming you don't snag and lose them, you can use the same spoon trip after trip. Second, they're deadly. When the fish are lethargic and don't want to feed you can often draw the "reaction" strike with a few quick hops off the bottom.

Over the years I've used a lot of different brands and models of spoons. For deep water vertical jigging the best spoons I've found are Blade Runner Duh Spoons. They're offered in a variety of colors but my personal favorites are Morning Dawn, Black Shad, and Electric Chicken. The most consistent sizes are the 1 1/4 and 1 3/4 ounce but experiment with the fish on your lakes to see what works best for them.

One other point to consider is that spoons can even work around busting fish. The temptation is to pick up a spook or whopper plopper in pursuit of the fish you can see but often times the largest bass in the school will be holding back, below all the others, waiting for the smaller fish to stun the bait and provide them an easy meal. The next time you see active fish on the surface consider dropping the spoon below and you might just be surprised by the biggest bite of the day.

Tim Breaks the State Record Spotted Bass!

Both Tim and I have a passion for trophy bass but there is a huge difference between catching big bass and breaking records. On January 12th, 2015 Tim had the honor of breaking the Calfornia State Record for Spotted Bass. His monster bass tipped the scales at 10 pounds 6 ounces and is the number 2 spotted bass of all time!

Over the past few weeks there has been an amazing buzz across the internet about this fish. No one had ever seen a spotted bass like this. Her dimensions are an amazing 24.25" long x 20" girth! We put together a brief documentary of the experience including the RELEASE of such an important bass.

While some anglers would argue that a bass of this size should be killed in the name of science, we just couldn't do it. She's still out there, she's still swimming, and maybe one day we will meet again. This sport is all about setting goals and pursuing our dreams until they become a reality. For Tim, his goal of a true world-class spot has become a reality and he had the blessing of watching her swim away when it was over.

So what comes next for Tim and Tactical Bassin? Well, the world record is still out there somewhere. The pursuit is real and we'll continue putting in our time searching for the biggest bass in the world! We appreciate the constant support from all of you that read the blog, watch the videos, and follow the Tackle Warehouse links to do your shopping. We couldn't do any of this without you!

Until next week, good luck out there!

Winter Fishing: Top 5 baits for Cold Water Bass

With winter fast approaching most lakes have turned over and the bass have headed for warmer deep water haunts. "Deep" is a relative term that varies lake to lake but when bass head for the depths a lot of anglers lose confidence.

In this week's video we break down our favorite baits for seeking out those deep water bass. This list may be missing some baits you expect but when the going gets tough, these 5 options are consistent producers.

1) A Football Jig: Tim and I vary a little on our specific choices. I lean toward a 1/2 oz or heavier Dirty Jigs Finesse Football (Give "Go To" or "Super Matt Brown" those colors are deadly). Tim takes it a step further and will occasionally go as light as 3/8 oz with his Dirty Jigs HP Football Jig. Why go with a light weight in deep water, you ask? With the lighter weight comes a smaller hook, allowing you to drop to lighter line and even throw the jig on a spinning rod if conditions require.

2) A Drop Shot: Tried and true, this bait is deadly in deep water! Tim likes to downsize, often using a size 2 Owner Mosquito hook with a small tungsten weight. He insists that the light hook allows his bait to have maximum action in deep water. As for baits, he uses a wide range of options but a 6" Roboworm Margarita Mutilator is a proven winter time color.

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3) Ball Head: The ball head is such a simplistic way to fish and consistently catches quality fish in the cold water months. Much like a darthead, you should thread the worm on so the point of the hook is left exposed. The difference between a ball head and virtually every other head design is that it has almost no action of its own. This is a drawback most of the year but when the water is cold that "dead action" drives the fish crazy. Tim and I both agree, a 5" senko is your best option with this presentation. Day in and day out, it gets a significantly larger bite than smaller worms.

4) A Jigging Spoon: The spoon is a deadly bait throughout the fall but don't lose faith as cooler temps take over and the bass become lethargic. Using a very subtle flip-flop approach, keeping the jig on bottom at all times, is a phenomenal way to get a big bite in winter. Matt prefers the Blade Runner DUH spoon for its ideal weight, size, and color schemes.

5) The Small Swimbait: I prefer the 6" Basstrix or the 4.8 Keitech coupled with 1/2 and 3/4 oz Swimbait Heads. With an exposed lead head its very easy to maintain bottom contact. From rock to gravel, sand to mud, you'll feel every change in contour and the bite will be unmistakable. For this method I maintain constant bottom contact and swim the bait as slowly as I can stand. It presents a sizable but slow moving meal to the bass that is hard to resist.

This Winter, consider not getting your boat winterized. Instead, head for the lake! The bass are still there and they still need to feed. You may be surprised to find that some of your biggest bites of the year come when the water temperature is below 50 degrees.