Jan 14th: Kevin VanDam KVD’s Complete Cranking System. Learn from the best in the world as Kevin VanDam unveils every part of his setup for fishing crankbaits. The 7-time BASS Angler of the Year winner will share years and years of trial, experience and success with his tackle and equipment that has evolved into his complete crankbait system.
Power Fishing in Cold Water. A lot of anglers think when the water gets cold, a slower approach in deeper water is required to catch bass. KVD is here to say that is not entirely the case. The 4-time Bassmaster Classic winner explains why he still power fishes in cold water and shares what lures and techniques he uses to catch more bass when the temperatures drop.
Jan 14th: Bryan Thrift Practice The Right Way. Bryan Thrift shares his strategies for how he goes about practicing for events and finding fish fast when he only has a short amount of time and a lot of water to cover. It’s a topic that is vital to the success of all the greats.
Bryan Thrift’s Run & Gun Strategy: Targeting Aggressive Bass. It’s no secret that the majority of Bryan Thrift’s tournament success has come fishing a style known as Running & Gunning. Bryan unpacks his winning strategy for fishing specific targets to go after aggressive bass and maximizing time to put as many fish in the boat as possible.
Jan. 14th: Bill Lowen Swim Jigs. Bill Lowen is regarded by many of his peers as the best swim jig fisherman on the Bassmaster Elite Series. The swim jig is one of Lowen’s favorite tools to find bass and catch big ones. This class will equip any angler to add the swim jig to their arsenal.
Limit Getters. Bill Lowen is known for being one of the most consistent professional anglers and always seems to have a limit when it’s time to weigh in. In this class, Bill shares tips and techniques on how he can always catch bass, regardless of how tough the fishing is.
15th: Mike Iaconelli The Punch Shot Rig. This offseason, Ike took a trip to Japan to learn about the hottest trends in Japanese bass fishing. He came back with a number of new and exciting techniques, but there is one that he is very excited about and is adding to his arsenal: the punch shot rig. Mike will share what this rig looks like, how he fishes it and why this new technique is a great new way to catch big bass.
Soft Plastic Jerkbaits. The soft plastic jerkbait is an amazing tool and one of Mike Iaconelli’s favorite for putting tons of fish in his live well in the late summer and fall. Ike shares tips and
15th: Seth Feider Cold Water Smallmouth Strategies. Some of the best days for catching smallmouth can be when the water temperatures drop. Seth Feider shares his approach for finding smallmouth in cold water and some of the unique lures and techniques to catch them.
Smallie River Monsters: How to Catch Giant River Smallmouth. Seth Feider has proven he targets trophy smallmouth bass in rivers. This class will give an angler a better understanding of where to find bigger smallmouth bass in current situations and how to catch them.
15th: Mike McClelland Spinnerbait & Buzzbait Versatility. There was a time when spinnerbaits and buzzbaits were two of the most commonly thrown baits in bass fishing. Mike McClelland is someone who never set them aside. In this class, Mike shares why these two baits are some of the most versatile in his tackle box. He will talk about each lure’s versatility and tricks he uses to catch more fish with each.
Tough Times Winter Fishing. When winter sets in, an angler has to change with the falling temperatures to keep catching bass. Mike McClelland teaches how he handles fishing in the middle of winter and what techniques and patterns he looks for to catch more bass.
Tulsa, OK: Saturday, January 21st and Sunday, January 22nd:
21st: Gerald Swindle Positive Mental Attitude, the 2017 Edition
Ball Head Jigs & Finesse Jigs
21st: Gary Klein Bass Fishing 101: Developing an Understanding
Soft Plastics: The Right Rig for the Right Situation
21st: Fred Roumbanis Completing the Sensory Triangle: Staying in Tune with Bass
Giant Baits for Giant Bass: Going Huge for a Kicker
22nd: Mike Iaconelli Ledge Fishing and Wacky Jigheads.
22nd: Ott Defoe Fishing Highland Reservoirs: Winter & Prespawn. Ott DeFoe cut his teeth on fishing the Highland Reservoirs of Tennessee. These types of bodies of water span across the country and catching bass in them consistently when the water gets cold can require a unique approach. Ott talks about fishing Highland Reservoirs in the wintertime through the pre-spawn period and shares what he looks for and the tools he uses to put fish in the boat along the way.
Keying in on Baitfish Spawns. After bass complete their yearly spawning ritual and the water warms up a good bit, an awesome phenomenon takes place. Their prey starts to spawn, and it offers them the chance to bulk back up and recover from their own spawn. In this class, Ott explains when different types of baitfish spawn and how to take advantage of these opportunities to catch the big bass capitalizing on their moment.
22nd: James Watson James Watson’s Fall Topwater System. James Watson won two big-time tournaments the last two falls, and everybody knows he did it throwing topwater. James has a very specific system he uses every fall to consistently catch big bass every year during a transitional season when fish are constantly on the move. He lets the cat out of the bag in this class, sharing every detail in his Fall Topwater System.
Fishing Docks Year Round. A lot of our students saw the 2016 Major League Fishing episode where James Watson put on a clinic fishing a marina dock. It was entertaining, but also incredibly educational. In this seminar, James shares his strategies and offers some unique and uncommon insight for how to catch fish around docks year round.
Boxborough, MA: Saturday, January 28th and Sunday, January 29th
28th: Chris Lane Master Topwater Class
Equipment Equation: Rod + Reel +Line Equals
28th: Ish Monroe Heavy Pressure Flipping
Clear Water Power Fishing
28th: Chad Pipkens Offshore Structure Fishing for Smallmouth
Cadence: Finding the Right Rhythm to Increase Strikes
29th: Pete Gluszek Making the Decision: When to target Largemouth or Smallmouth.
Fishing IN the Wind
29th: Cliff Crochet Lessons Learned with the Cajun Baby. Cliff Crochet shares some of the biggest lessons he’s learned on tour from which both the tournament fisherman and recreational fisherman can benefit.