“I’ve been a Bassaholic for 30 years and decided to give big bait (swimbait) fishing a try in February. I struggled for many days throwing the big baits…wondering what I was doing wrong. I ran into John and shared my frustrations with him…he smiled and explained big bait fishing is an art. After hearing John explain just a few theories in a short time I knew I had to learn more and booked a trip. Best decision ever!! What an epic day we had. My goal of the trip was to LEARN…sticking the fish of a lifetime was not on my mind. John explained bass behavior and swimbait concepts the entire day and boy did he put me on the fish (I knew that big bait fishing wasn’t a numbers game…a no bite or one bite day is very possible.) However, I quickly realized how far off I was with my swimbait technique and approach. John was patient, fun and willing to answer all of my big bass behavior questions. He explained every approach and technique we applied. And then….it happened…my personal best GIANT largemouth ate my swimbait (right in front of my face and only due to the set up and approach John showed me.) What a day and what a moment!! I immediately realized I would have never caught that fish how I had been fishing swimbaits…heck, I wouldn’t have been remotely close. I learned so much with John and had a blast doing so. If you’re interested in swimbaits, targeting big bass or just fine tuning your current fishing skills John is the man. My only regret is not booking a trip with him earlier in my swimbait fishing journey!”

On Saturday February 13th, 2016 we hit the water with one goal in mind. That goal was to learn how to find and catch trophy sized fish. Peter Haskin of Escalon has fished for bass for most of his life. Catching a double-digit fish was a dream, and at 8:56am in the morning his dream came true.

We started the day tossing over-sized baits that would appeal to only the largest fish in the lake. We made a couple stops and had a bit of activity. Our hopes were high and the fish seemed to be responding well to our approach.
As we drifted quietly to our next spot, neither one of us knew exactly what was about to take place. The first cast Peter made he hooked a nice one. It put a bend in the rod, came unbuttoned and left us with a just swirl on the surface. Knowing we would have very few opportunities we were slightly disappointed. That feeling didn’t last long.

Two casts later, I looked off in the distance and noticed a huge shadow. The moment I realized it was a fish and was tracking our lure, it hit! Peter swung and hooked into an absolute giant. The fish buried down and refused to come up. Peter kept constant pressure and worked the fish right into the net. We did it! That is a fish of a lifetime!

We carefully placed her in the livewell and gathered our composure. After weighing her at 11.02-pounds and taking a few photos we released her back into the lake. It was great day on the water and an amazing fishing Xperience.

As one glowing orb vanishes from the sky, the next appears. The once vibrant yellow sunset of pink and orange brush strokes quickly diminishes as the dark of night consumes the sky. On most days, this would signify the end of our fishing trip, but not on this occasion……. READ MORE