Tournament saturation is driven by measurable growth. Black bass tournament frequency rose 124% in 14 southeastern states between 2002-2004 and 2009-2011, averaging 41,939 events annually.1
Just when you thought you had seen every way to rig an urchin-style bait, our lure technology lab developed something new—the paper clip rig!
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Photos By Shane Durrance B.A.S.S.
Pickering, Ontario pro smashes Patrick Walters’ St. Lawrence record with a 109-9 pound total, a Century Belt, and a 2027 Classic berth. Here’s how he did it.
What had been a stage for cheers, trophies, and checks only hours before was now a graveyard of bass, reportedly numbering 75 to 100.
Unlike a tube or creature bait, an urchin-style bait has no directional action. Fall, drag, or suspend it, and the legs flare 360 degrees. Bass don’t eat the body; they inhale the silhouette.
Yen ASHI 33mm and Hideup Coike 33mm side by side.
LEFT: Yen ASHI 33mm • RIGHT: Hideup Coike 33mm. Both 33×15mm, 42 legs at 50mm. Note ASHI’s 1mm center hole for Qwik Rig and Coike’s original Fullcast TPE.
The Shoals Youth Bassmasters launched from First Creek on Wheeler Lake on a steamy morning to go fishin’ for a trophy. At the end of their final 2026 season on September 19, the temperature reached a hot 98 degrees during the picnic and awards, with a heat index of 103.
SYBM Division Winners.
September on Pickwick and Wilson is that in-between bite where summer ledges are emptying out and the creeks are loading up. If you catch the shad right you can have a career day.
The Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation State Championship will be held on Lake Martin, October 29-30th. The road to the BASSMASTER CLASSIC starts here. And for Alabama anglers, this is the one that matters most. Think of it like this: Martin is the gatekeeper. You have to beat Martin to move on.
