Remembering 9/11

 

Scroll Less. Stroll More. Meet the Berkley Doom Stroller

 New Doom Stroller combines hard bait durability, improved casting control and natural minnow action for forward-facing sonar anglers.

Minnow-style baits have become one of the most effective tools for targeting suspended bass with forward-facing sonar, but they don’t come without compromises. Designed to evolve the technique, the new Berkley Doom Stroller combines hard bait durability with precision weighting, natural rolling action and improved hookup ratios. Purpose-built for today's forward-facing sonar angler, the Doom Stroller delivers a more consistent presentation while giving anglers another option for targeting pressured bass.

 

Unlike traditional soft plastic minnow rigs that often require constant bait changes and precise rigging, the Doom Stroller delivers a repeatable presentation cast after cast. A precision-tuned internal weighting system produces natural rolling action across a wide range of retrieve speeds, while the upward tail position imitates an isolated baitfish. Finished with a strategically positioned top treble hook to maximize hookups, the Doom Stroller gives anglers an easier-to-fish, more durable option without sacrificing the action that makes the technique so effective.

B.A.S.S. announces 2027 Bassmaster Elite Series schedule

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The 2027 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series will take anglers from some of the most storied largemouth fisheries in the South to premier smallmouth destinations in the North as B.A.S.S. unveils a nine-event regular-season schedule built to test versatility from start to finish.

The season will open Feb. 11-14 on Lake Okeechobee in Okeechobee, Fla., before moving one week later to the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in Kissimmee. From there, the Elite field will head west and work through a mix of tidal rivers, legendary reservoirs and complex river systems before closing the season with northern stops on Lake St. Clair and the Mississippi River.

Z‑Man ChatterBait PZ2: Premium Performance, Unbeatable Value

 

The ChatterBait® PZ2™ delivers proven ChatterBait® vibration and durability at an unbeatable value. Featuring a streamlined head, custom 5/0 heavy-duty hook, secure trailer keeper, and stainless hex-shaped ChatterBlade®, it produces hard-thumping action cast after cast. Premium skirts, hand-painted heads, and 3D eyes complete a big-fish package built to perform without breaking the bank.

Berkley Introduces the SlapGill, a New Topwater Bait That Mimics Distressed Panfish

Panfish profile, action, and color to entice even the most pressured bass

Berkley is once again focusing on ultra-realism with the all-new SlapGill, a topwater bait designed to combine biological accuracy with an action that replicates a panfish's natural distress signals. Precisely placed weights allow the SlapGill to produce a side-to-side flop while walking before naturally rocking back to rest, creating the signature surface "slap" that inspired its name. Designed to be worked slowly around shallow cover, the SlapGill delivers an enticing presentation built to trigger aggressive strikes from bass.

 

Available in two sizes and seven high-detail, panfish-inspired colorways, the SlapGill gives anglers options to match a variety of forage with precision. Each bait is equipped with ultra-sharp Fusion19 treble hooks for reliable hookups when fish commit.

 

New Minn Kota & Humminbird Collaboration

Minn Kota and Humminbird have spent decades fishing together. On 10/6/26, that relationship enters a whole new chapter.

We can’t share the full story just yet, but we wanted to make sure you were among the first to see what’s coming. 

Canadian Evan Kung Wins 2026 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River!

Cory Johnston finishes 4th

Canadian pro Evan Kung has won the 2026 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with a four-day total of 109 pounds, 9 ounces and officially qualified for the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour. (Photo: Seigo Saito/BASS)

BASS Press Release

CLAYTON, N.Y. — Evan Kung entered this week's Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at the St. Lawrence River in danger of losing his spot on the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series for 2027. Not only did he save his spot on tour, the Canadian went ahead and won his first B.A.S.S. trophy, breaking records as he did it.

Kung blasted a four-day total of 109 pounds, 9 ounces to claim his first blue trophy, the heaviest winning weight consisting of all smallmouth in Bassmaster history, overtaking Patrick Walters 105-pound winning total at the St. Lawrence River in 2023. He also became a member of the Bassmaster Century Club for the first time. 

The victory also qualifies Kung for the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Bass Pro Shops next March.

“This is by far my biggest win,” Kung said. “It was a tough year for me, so it was great to end it like this. I couldn’t think of a better ending.” 

The second-year pro was in contention all week, opening the tournament in fourth place with a limit weighing 26-9 before jumping to second place on Day 2 with 28-9. He maintained second by landing 26-11 on Semifinal Saturday before taking the top spot with a sack weighing 27-12, a limit anchored by a 6-13 smallie that earned Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day honors. 

Trey McKinney Wins 2026 Bassmaster Elite AOY, Cory Johnston 2nd!

BASS Press Release

CLAYTON, N.Y. — Trey McKinney has finally defeated the Johnstons.

Thanks to a second-place finish in a heavy-weight battle at the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at the St. Lawrence River, the third-year pro from Carbondale, Ill., claimed his first Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year title, earning 735 points over the nine-event season to outlast Canadian Cory Johnston and become the youngest angler ever to win the prestigious trophy.

The previous owner of that title: Kevin VanDam, who was 24 when he won his first AOY in 1992. 

“This feels unbelievable,” McKinney said. “When I caught the 6-pounder later in the day, I knew that bass had won me $100,000 and Angler of the Year, something I have dreamed of all of my life. I choked trying to win it for the last two years and have been so close. Then I immediately thought about trying to win the tournament.

“It was a grinder year for sure. I was up, down, sideways, behind, ahead. I respect Cory so much. He caught them so many times when I didn’t.”

With the $100,000 check, McKinney now has over $900 thousand in career earnings. He is on pace to become one of the greatest tournament anglers ever, but for McKinney, his next bite is still the most important.

2026 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River Day 3: Trey McKinney Leads (Trey extends AOY spread over Cory Johnston)

Canadians: Kung 2nd, Cory Johnston 9th, Chris Johnston 9th & Gustafson 39th

Illinois pro Trey McKinney maintains the lead on Day 3 of the 2026 Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with a three-day total of 83 pounds, 5 ounces. (Photo: Seigo Saito/ BASS)

BASS Press Release 

CLAYTON, N.Y. — Trey McKinney was so nervous ahead of Day 3 of the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River, he nearly threw up on the side of the road driving to takeoff. It didn’t get much better until he landed his first quality smallmouth of the day, a 5-10 that calmed his nerves and carried him to another excellent day on Lake Ontario.

The three-year pro from Carbondale, Ill., leads the tournament with a three-day total weighing 83 pounds, 5 ounces, adding 26-2 on Day 3 after landing 26-8 on Day 1 and a record-breaking limit weighing 30-11 on the second day. 

“Don’t get me wrong, I was shooting for 27 pounds, but I worked my butt off today,” McKinney said. “I felt like I was going to throw up a couple times in the morning, but once I caught my first big one I told myself to chill out. I caught a second one, and I really calmed down and just fished.”

He not only maintained his lead over Evan Kung in the tournament but strengthened his grip on the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year lead, opening up a 10-point lead over Cory Johnston, who will enter Day 4 nearly 6 1/2 pounds behind in ninth place.

As it stands, the entire Top 10 is on pace to crack the 100-pound mark on Championship Sunday while McKinney is on pace for a 109-pound four-day total. Only three anglers on Semifinal Saturday did not reach a limit. 

One large area of Lake Ontario has served as home base for McKinney this week as he targets smallies on a deep sand flat with subtle rock veins, boulders and drops. On Days 1 and 3, a 2 1/2-inch bug imitator rigged on either a 1/2-ounce or 3/4-ounce drop shot was the best producing presentation. On Friday, however, a 5-inch minnow played a key role.

The mornings have generally been the better bite window for the 21-year-old, except for the 30-minute early afternoon flurry that lifted him to his historic Day 2 bag.