The Fishing A Lure blog is almost ready to make an exciting change, we'll be relocating our home base to the  beautiful shores of the gulf of Mexico near Sarasota, Florida.

As a fishermen living in Michigan, I have been spoiled with countless amazing options to target a wide range of freshwater fish. Now, my fishing world is about to be turned upside down, and it's going to be awesome!

Growing up I watched ESPN's Saturday morning fishing shows. One of my favorites was the Walker's Cay chronicles. Saltwater inshore fishing has always been on my bucket list. I had my first chance about two summers ago in Brandenton. I actually ate and fished in several areas mentioned in the video below.

As good as Michigan is, the diversity, fishing location options, and year round access in the greater Tampa Bay area is almost impossible to beat. Check out the video below as the guys from Reel Time Florida Sportsman go after snook and redfish.

On my bucket list, which is almost all traveling and fishing items, is catching a huge tarpon. The next video is from probably my favorite fishing TV hosts, Cyril Chauquet. Is anyone having more fun than him? His charter lands a tarpon near the end that most of us can only dream, about. Fortunately for me, this tarpon is caught within about an hour of where my new home will be! Enjoy the fun and laughter!

The Top Seven Bass Fishing Lures for 2015

If you're heading out on the water to look for bass, you need to be prepared with the best bass fishing lures. The following list isn't based on advertising dollars or what trendy thing has hit the market recently. It's a list of lures that have produced fish and are likely to continue to produce.

Using a creature bait, Texas-rigged I could target shoreline cover mimicking a frog and quickly switch to mimicking a crayfish in deeper current.

Everyone selling you something wants you to believe that bass fishing is complicated but it's not. Find the fish, figure out what they are likely to feed on, and mimic it. It's that simple. Bass like to eat but they have decent instincts. Using those instincts to your advantage is the secret to lure selection.

Let's get straight to the list of the top bass fishing lures you should be using for 2015:

• Soft Plastic Worm
• The classic soft plastic worm is one of the most versatile lures ever created. It can mimic a worm, leech, minnow, and more. You can drop-shot it, Texas rig it, Carolina rig it, whacky rig it, and so much more. It has proven itself time and time again. In my opinion, a Texas-rigged worm should be a part of every bass fishing kit.
• For more on rigging a Texas rig: 
• Classic Crankbait


• When bass are feeding heavy on minnows, a crankbait that matches up with the forage can produce excellent results. Crankbaits can be used by anyone with success but also allow seasoned anglers to work them in different ways to achieve even better results.
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• Soft Plastic Creature Bait
• My personal favorite, soft plastic creature baits can be used to mimic almost anything in the water. I use the same green pumpkin creature bait, Texas-rigged, throughout the year. I mimic frogs early in the year and in shallow water and alter my presentation to mimic crayfish when needed. To mimic a frog in spring, before heavy vegetation appears, flip a creature bait with a 3/8 oz. or heavier tungsten bullet weight near shoreline cover and allow it to hit the ground. Barely shake it, trying to keep it in place while kicking up sediment. This looks like a frog trying to hide. Pause and repeat if needed.
• Jig and Pig (trailer)
• Although not a personal favorite, this has been widely used by professionals with amazing results. Flip it, pitch it, swim it...it can mimic a frog, minnow, or a crayfish(it's most popular mimic choice).
• Spinner Bait
• Spinner baits produce fish on their own but are best used as a search bait. Running a spinner bait over different depths and structures can help you locate places where bass have schooled up. If you catch a bass or just miss one, cast a soft plastic into the same spot to target schooled fish.
• Soft Plastic Tubes
• Tubes are another versatile plastic that can look like different things depending on how you fish them. Texas-rigging is probably the most popular option and can easily mimic a crayfish, frog, or minnow. Adjust the color to reflect what you are trying to mimic.
• Lipless Crankbait
• Lipless crankbaits are similar to regular crankbaits but I like to keep them separate. They have a different profile and can be really effective for bass feeding on minnows. I find that they work excellent for smallmouth, particularly in currents. Try a lipless crank in a metallic finish the next time to try for smallmouth bass in a river. In stained water, try gold, in clear water use silver.
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That concludes our list. If you see something that belongs up here or if you have questions, tips, or comments, let me know in the comment section, Good luck out there!

Early Spring Bass Fishing in Northern Waters

I once had a trip in April where I went to a small bay along the edge of a private lake. It had reached 70 degrees that day and the woods and water were teaming with activity. I had told someone earlier in the day, as we were driving into the back woods to play airsoft, that the small bay would be a great spot to try fishing on a day like today. When things ended early, I realized I still had my rod and a few lures behind my truck seat so I figured I'd give it a try. I nearly skipped the bay and went to the main lake before reminding myself of the advice I had given my friend.

I poked my way through the cattails and started to fish. I caught a 10" bass first, nothing special but it beats nothing. Then nothing on the next cast, then, on four of the next five casts, I managed to catch four fish that all weighed 4+ pounds!

This bass measured in at nearly 23"

Spring bass fishing has long been one of my favorite fishing activities. When you hit it just right, it can produce some of the best bass fishing there is! Like that incredible trip, being at the right place at the right time can make all the difference.

Bass season may not be open where you are and you want to be careful targeting them off-season. But if you have the opportunity to get out and do some catch and release bass fishing this spring, I highly recommend it.

That bay I fished was special in the spring because it had a dark, muddy bottom. With the sun out, the dark mud warmed up and the various insects were very active. This attracts other fish and frogs that feed on the insects, which attracts the bigger predators, like bass. These areas exist in many bodies of water, bass are a warm water fish so look for areas where the water temperatures would be higher. Shallow flat bays, muddy slack water, shallow back canals with good sun exposure, etc.

My favorite way to fish these areas is to work a creature bait along the bottom. I use a Zoom superhog with a 3/8 oz. tungsten bullet weight, Texas rigged, in a color that matches the area. Green pumpkin is my go-to. On this trip, black neon was the perfect presentation in the black mud with 20 lb. Power Pro braid and a palomar knot (see video below from videofishingknots.com).

The goal was to make the creature bait look like a frog. I'd cast it to an area and let it hit the bottom hard and then barely wiggle it. Just enough to kick up a cloud of mud and make it look like a frog trying to hide. Bass find it very a-luring!

So get on out there this spring and look for a warm spot and match the prey that's out there.

5 Tips For Spring Pike Fishing

Northern pike are a top predator and can offer some of the most exciting fishing available in northern waters. While pike are targeted throughout the year, spring offers some of the best pike fishing excitement of the year. Below you'll find 5 tips to help you lure in a few more pike this spring.

1. Choosing a location:

Pike are predators who seem to really appreciate the cooler water more than other species. During the spring you'll find pike staging for their spawning season in shallow flats, back canals, and in slow-moving creeks and rivers. Slower moving sections of a river where the water gets a little deeper are excellent holding areas. Slack water along the edges of quicker current make great ambush spots as well. Spot number 1 in the photo below isn't likely to produce fish as it's shallow and the water is moving quick. When the water turns the bend, spot number 2 is a good spot to find a pike or two hiding in the slack water near the faster current. A little further downstream the river slows a bit and gets deeper, working the edges spot number 3 can produce several pike, including some larger fish. Spot number 4 is the best bet though. The water here is still deeper but features broader flats on either edge and slightly slower current. Here the pike can easily ambush fish as they exit the faster water directly upstream.

Pike fishing spots on a river

On my last trip, spot number 2 produced two pike, spot three produced 3 pike, and spot 4 produced 6 pike and a few others that got off or broke my line. Which brings us to the next tip. Lure selection. 

2. Choosing a lure

There are a wide variety of pike lures available at local tackle shops or online. My favorite spring and fall pike fishing lure is a large spoon. This spoon from Blue Fox is an excellent option, especially considering the price. Firetiger has always been my best producer. Mimicking the natural forage is important though, in stained water, the gold and silver lures really attracted the pike. Big, flashy, and wobbly usually does the trick.

28" Northern Pike caught on a large gold spoon

3. Presentation

Be aggressive! It's that simple, work the bait erratically or quickly near the surface. Create commotion, that's what the pike find alluring.

An aggressive retrieval provoked an aggressive strike from this small pike.

4. Pick the right line

A swiveling steel leader is a wise investment, unless you don't mind losing a few spoons. Pike teeth are sharp and they cut regular lines easy. I tend to use heavy braid but mono filament in the 17-20 lb. range works well in rivers where submerged rocks and vegetation make extra strength a necessity.

5. Enjoy the trip!

A bad day of fishing is better than a good day of work, so enjoy it!

Sharing some time pike fishing with my daughter....priceless.