Balog’s Bass War
Hammer Down

Current Columns

• Desperation

  Thursday, October 17, 2024 By Joe Balog

  Bobby Blakewell’s recent win put a smile on my face. Taking down the recent Bassmaster Open on Lake Martin, Bakewell went against the grain with a buzzbait. Hardly more

• Truly Influential

  Thursday, October 10, 2024 By Joe Balog

  Expanding the sport is always on the minds of bass fishing’s big players. Sponsors, media and tournament organizations look to anglers who move the needle. At more

• A Job For A 10-Year-Old

  Thursday, October 3, 2024 By Joe Balog

  As a young man, I spent a great deal of my time fishing. Adventures in the park turned into an obsession on the Great Lakes, followed by expansion into every form more

• The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

  Thursday, September 26, 2024 By Joe Balog

  All across the North, fall is in the air. While my home state of Florida is somewhat oblivious to seasonal change, I vividly remember the anticipation of autumn more

• An Easy Pick

  Thursday, September 19, 2024 By Joe Balog

  Originally skeptical of expansion of the MLF Team Series, I now find it to be my favorite form of professional bass fishing. I’m old enough to admit when I’m wrong. more

• Thank Goodness

  Thursday, September 12, 2024 By Joe Balog

  In competitive bass fishing, the whole game can change in an instant. And while hard work, preparation and skill overwhelmingly drive success, sometimes things more

• First In Line

  Thursday, September 5, 2024 By Joe Balog

  Well, The NPFL did it. While the other leagues continue to juggle with how forward-facing sonar is impacting the sport, the National Professional Fishing League more

• Tackle Shop

  Thursday, August 29, 2024 By Joe Balog

  Turnout was low at the tackle shop, but I never pass up an opportunity to talk to kids. I had been persuaded to present my history in fishing to a B.A.S.S. Nation more

• Legend

  Thursday, August 22, 2024

  “The tragedy in life is not what men suffer, but what they miss.” With the announcement of Rick Clunn’s departure from the Elite Series, another era has ended. more

• Ahead Of The Rest

  Thursday, August 15, 2024 By Joe Balog

  Jacob Wheeler owns the sport. Nowhere is his dominance currently rivaled. With a third BPT Angler of the Year title in four years, and a narrow miss in 2023, Wheeler more

• Swimming In A Barrel

  Thursday, August 8, 2024

  I was excited to learn of changes coming to the MLF Team Series. I’d never spent much time on this league, as viewing was limited to networks I’m not connected more

• Three For The Record Book

  Thursday, August 1, 2024 By Joe Balog

  As the record books continue to be rewritten, it’s easy to miss the party. Things are changing at blistering speeds. Sure, catch records will continue to fall more

• On The Floor At ICAST

  Thursday, July 25, 2024

  Once again, last week’s ICAST event brought the fishing industry to Orlando, Fla.. The show is always as a special treat, giving me the ability to see what’s new, more

• Sea Monsters

  Thursday, July 18, 2024

  Word of a giant northern largemouth spread like wildfire. Mark Britenbaugh of Gettysburg, Pa. had received confirmation that his submission for a New York state more

• Time Your Decade

  Thursday, July 11, 2024

  The evolution of competitive bass fishing is always compelling. Looking back at winning strategy, we see a full circle in terms of techniques. Three times. Everyone more

• Cookin’ With Gas

  Thursday, July 4, 2024

  Watching Skeet Reese win the James River BPT event was about as good as it gets. For me, power-fishing shallow water is the way this game is intended to be played, more

• Always Carry A Hammer

  Thursday, June 27, 2024 By Joe Balog

  I recently read an interesting quote from an admirable figure. “I was radio silent all week. No forward-facing sonar, just my map and a big worm,” commented more

• Perseverance Pays

  Thursday, June 20, 2024 By Joe Balog

  You can’t help but like Cliff Prince. A rock-star bass pro he is not. With Prince, you won’t hear constant self-promotion, cutthroat attitude or pretentious more

• Ladies' Room

  Thursday, June 13, 2024

  A pair of women made headlines recently as Deanna Moreno and Rachel Uribe finished 1-2 on the co-angler side of the Toyota Series event at the California Delta. more

• Fish Gods

  Thursday, June 6, 2024 By Joe Balog

  “Trending” is a term used to describe a hot topic, typically one gathering lots of input on social media. In our sport, “black bass management” fits the bill. more

• Long Live the King, II

  Thursday, May 30, 2024 By Joe Balog

  Each week, I bring you an opinionated take on the biggest news in professional bass fishing. Despite the constant changes in our sport, the new directions developing more

• Ribbit Or Croak?

  Thursday, May 23, 2024 By Joe Balog

  My gosh, what a beat-down! By now, everyone interested in professional bass fishing has heard of the frog-a-rama going on at the Bass Pro Tour event on the more

• One Generation Ago

  Thursday, May 16, 2024 By Joe Balog

  I’m a treasure hunter. A junkie for obscure information on bass fishing, or stories of yesteryear that ignite my passion. Recently, I learned of a few gems more

• One To Watch

  Thursday, May 9, 2024 By Joe Balog

  Fans of big-league bass fishing got their wishes last week, as we finally witnessed an event dominated by shallow-water tactics. The BPT at Lake Eufaula featured more

• Old Favorites

  Thursday, May 2, 2024 By Joe Balog

  A buddy opened a new tackle shop down the street, and my visit was overdue. I always liked his style. His previous store was a mix of hardcore bass items and old more

• Famous To Me

  Thursday, April 25, 2024 By Joe Balog

  Who is, or was, the most influential figure in the history of organized bass fishing? Always the subject of debate, this topic comes up each time I visit with more

• 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