BASS SEASON 2014 is NOW OPEN!

Yeah, its been a litte quiet around here this past winter, but with Bass Season now in full swing things will really start to pick up.  Like many of you I have some lofty goals for this season, and hope you will read along as I share my achievements and the odd failures. Here is what I hope to achieve in 2014

Goals:

1) Fish 10 different lakes

This year a trip and lake counter will be added to my posts. My goal is to fish at least 10 different bodies of water, with 1-2 new lakes added in that I have never fished previously (or at lest not in the past 10 years)

2) Fish all 3 Days of the Kingston Open

As you know this year I'm fulfilling a bucket list event, by fishing in the Kingston Canadian open. This is a 3 day event, but there is a cut, and only anglers who make the cut will get the chance to fish on day 3.. my goal is to be on stage at the end of day 3 and not watching from the stands

3) Make it 7 straight years catching at least 1 or more 5-pound fish

If you have read this blog for any length of time you should have noticed the small thumbnail images on the right hand side that include dates.These are the 5lb+ fish I have caught over the past few season and if I'm able to land one in 2014 it will make it 7 straight seasons with a 5-lb fish under my belt

4) Learn to fish swim baits 

each season I make it a goal to learn a new bait or technique, this year will be the year of the swim bait, both hard and soft. Believe me there will be some trail and error here but bear with me as I try to advance my skills and knowledge.

alright, enough talk, its time to get fishing

Site News: Team Split BassJunkies is now BassJunky

Sorry it has been a bit quiet around here lately, it is the usual calm before the storm that leads up to switch over from bass fishing season to ice fishing season. But there is one change that took place that I though was worth mentioning...

After 3+ years of tournament fishing (and a 7 year friendship), Dustin and I have decided to sever our fishing partnership. Like any marriage it got to the point were our differences on and off the water made it no fun to fish together, and if fishing is no fun, you know something is wrong. I wish Dustin all the best in his future endeavours and also warn any future partner that he man eats nothing but boiled eggs and protein bars while in the boat, so nose plugs are a must.

Please Note: As part of our split Dustin has also decided to part ways with Dobyns Rods, he will be fulling joining Team Ardent for 2014

This change means very little to the BassJunkies website as a whole (other then it being now grammatically incorrect), The only contributions Dustin made to the site were the very sporadic "Dustins Corner" articles 5 in total  which can be found HERE. 

As for me, I'm currently weighing my options for 2014, I have some great ideas lined-up that will not only  keep me on the water, but also keep me learning and more importantly having fun.. Stay tuned

Please Welcome: BlackWater Fishing Line (Toray)

With 2013 Bass season now in full swing, Im happy to announce that I will be joining the Blackwater International Fishing Line team. Blackwater strives to bring the highest quality fishing line from around into the word to the North American market, starting off with 'Toray" an extremely high quality line that has been all the rage in Japan for years, but only used by a small number of  American anglers smart enough to give it a test drive.. who then tried to keep it a secret... not anymore

Toray like other Japanese imports (SunLine) focuses on using the highest quality fluorocarbon lines that are designed to be super strong, highly abrasion resistant. yet still make long smooth casts.  Thanks Blackwater, Im excited to get my rods fully spooled up, and start casting

Check out Tackle Tours review on the entire family of "Toray" lines found HERE

Spring is Here!.. Baseball, BBQ's and Crappie Fishing

That's right, Spring is officially here, and although Bass Season (in Ontario) is still months away, I  officially have "spring fishing fever"

Spring for me, means crappie fishing, and plenty of it. As of March 21st, the trunk of my car becomes a storage locker for Crappie rods and gear, and each day on my lunch break or on my way home from work I begin the process of stopping to make a few casts at my favourite crappie hole. A few casts is all it will take, if they are there, you can quickly fill a bucket, and if there not, oh well at least you got to cast and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Spring all so means that my early May Bass trip to Lake Erie (NY) is just around the corner, it means it is time to start re-spooling rods and loading up on gear before most fisherman are even done prepping for the walleye opener

Pike, Walleye and Trout are also on the radar for Spring fisherman, it is amazing the watch the back roads and streams line-up with anglers looking for that spring trout run. In my home town in Peterborough On, 10,000 kids will sign up and fish in the annual GreenWing trout Derby.. yes 10,000

Outside of fishing, Spring means Baseball and BBQ season are also in full swing, there is nothing better then watching you team hit the field while holding a BBQ'd jumbo hotdog (and probably a beer)

So I say "Welcome to spring"  and I will see ya on the water

Holiday Shut-Down

If you are reading this then the world did not officially end today as scheduled (or predicted) by those trusty Mayans. (Damn what am I going to do with all this water, beef jerky and batteries?)

Anyways, now that the world is safe I can take this moment to wish you all a happy Holiday or Merry Christmas (whichever you prefer). I hope the jolly fat man is good to you and your family, and once I crawl out of my food and booze coma I promise I will be back and continue to write.

Thank you all for reading, and I will see you in 2013

Bass Season 2012.. Comes to a close (Ontario)

This time of year we are all calendar watching, there is only 21 days left until the world ends, or 31 days till  the year ends (you know, in case the Mayans were wrong) and in-between those dates you have Christmas, and Boxing day.. so November 30th may just seem like yet another day on the calendar, but not to us Bass Fisherman in Ontario, as Nov 30th marks the end of the 2012 fishing season.

2012 was a good year on the water, not only did Dustin and I complete our second full season as tournament anglers, but we also added some new events in the mix (like the Quinte Bass Champs). We expect more of the same in 2013 as we continue to branch out and wet a line in new events, testing the water so to speak. When not in a tournament I spent the season on my home lake (Dog Lake) as well as various lakes I have fallen in love with over the years. Although we call this "fishing for fun" the competitive grind is always there as I constantly try to improve my own skills or beat up on a friend.

2013 is just around the corner and like 2012 I hope to start my season super early by crossing the boarder and doing some May fishing in NY state on lake Erie as well as other lakes. When back in Canada it looks like we all might get some extra time as the Ministry of Natural resources is kicking around the idea of opening Bass season 1 week early.. hey it's only a week, but I'll take.

Yes today is a sad day, and the void left can only be filled by the fact that ice fishing is just around the corner. I hope you keep checking in with us over the off season, as I don't plan to slow down any, there will be bass news, product insight and of course ice fishing

thanks for reading

BassJunky

Site News: The Frog Pond hits 10,000 Views

This past February I decided I didn't have enough on my plate, between work, tournament fishing, and writing the Bass Junkies blog, so I decided to added another task into the mix.. Bass Junkies Frog pond (review blog).. yes my love for frog fishing got the best of me and over the past 10 months I have reviewed 40 frogs currently available to anglers.  (as well as a few frog fishing specific items like line, hooks and so on)

Yes it is hard work to keep two blogs up and running, but I feel my hard work has paid off, and I'm proud to say that the Frog pond has reached it's first milestone.. 10,000 site views. The timing couldn't be better, as the Frog Pond is set to close for the season in the coming weeks. Unlike BJFA the frog pond will be only be open from March thru November. With ice on the lakes it becomes harder and harder to review new frogs (except on how well they bounce).

Don't fret, during the off season there will continue to be site updates, and you always have this blog to fall back on. I have some good things cooking for 2013, so stay tuned frog lovers

In the meantime be sure to check out the latest frog reviews.. still a few more to come as well as a year in review!

Site News: Dustin's Corner

You might have caught this on the BJFA facebook page, but if not, here it is again.

BassJunkies Fishing addiction welcomes Dustin Lemmon (Dobyns & Ardent team member) to our list of contributors. Dustin will be writing a new segment called "Dustin's Corner" and will be giving his own unique insight into products, events and happenings around the industry.

Dustin and I have been tournament partners for the past few seasons, and those who have seen us on the water know that we don't often agree on much.. which should make for a great second perspective when it comes to product reviews.

Dustin's Corner will be introduced in the coming days starting with blog on his Top 5 baits from the 2012 season. As always I will chime in and let you know where and when I agree or disagree.

So Welcome Dustin to the BassJunky family, and let him know what you think of his contributions

P.S: Dustin will not be overly happy with this 2-3 year old pic I chose to introduce him, but thats just the kinda guy I am

P.P.S: If you would like to contribute to the BassJunky blog, please use the contact info on this page to get in touch. We are always interested in adding more options and insights

Celebrating 50,000 Views with a contest: Signed Dobyns Hat

Damn, this is a milestone I have been excited about hitting. 50,000 views is something I thought would take a couple years to hit at least, and Im excited and honoured that it took just over 1 year to reach this feat.

In honor of the 50,000 views I wanted to run a little contest. A couple months back Gary Dobyns was nice enough to provide me with a couple signed Dobyns caps. These hats have been signed by both Gary and Richard Dobyns and one of them is up for grabs...

Here is all you need to do..

1) Like the BassJunkies Fishing Addiction Facebook page (Here)
2) Like the Dobyns Rods Facebook page (Here)
3) Post a pic of you and a fish you are proud of to the BassJunkies Facebook page (Here)

If you have already liked both of the above pages, jump right to step 3 and post a pic. This is not a popularity contest, all you have to do to enter is post the pic. All names will be placed in a draw and the winner announced the first week of Novemer

It is that easy!

Again thank you for reading, and I hope to see some great pics of your fish

Quiet Week Ahead

It is about to get pretty quiet around here for the next week and into the long weekend. As of today I will be embarking on my annual late august fishing trip and cottage getaway that will see me hit 5 or more lakes over the next 10 days. The boat and the canoe are all packed and loaded, this trip will see me break out all my Dobyns rods and a fly rod or two in search of some monster bass on lakes I will and will not name.. I think I have a tournament in there somewhere as well

While it may be quiet now, don't fret i will be back with a ton of photos and more product review for the month of September.

Enjoy these last few weeks of summer, I know I will.

Posts Coming your way in early September:

Fear & Loathing: Limerick Lake

5 Lakes Trip & Pics

Top Water Action: Poppers

Top Water Action Walking Baits

Post #200 - Boy are my fingers tired!

Anyone getting sick of these milestone posts yet! lol

Sorry guys, but when I started doing this back in April of 2011 I never knew that I would enjoy it as much as I do, and I never dreamed that people would read it as much as they have been.. 200 posts and over 40,000 readers later! This has taken a passion of mine an allowed me to put "pen to paper" so to speak. I enjoy sharing with you my experiences on the water and my thoughts on products and trends, and although Im sure we don't always agree, I appreciate you taking the time to read

again, thanx for reading and I hope you stick around for the next 200 posts

Happy Canada Day.. Now go fishing!

I just wanted to take a moment to wish all of my fellow Canucks here and abroad a happy Canada day. I hope you get to spend the day similar to how I will be spending mine.. On the water and with family and friends.

This weekend is shaping up to be a great one, a kids fishing derby on saturday (yesterday) and then off to take me niece and nephew fishing on Sunday (today). I see a BBQ or two in my future, then on Monday I  am off to Jacks lake to get in some pre-fishing  for a tournament I have coming up. I think we will put in a nice 8 hour day, then home for one more BBQ before the work week kicks back in on Tuesday

As you can see it will be whirlwind weekend, but that being said, it will be filled with the things I love, Family, Friends, Food & Fishing.. the 4F club

again, Happy Canada day, and remember "Fish life to the Fullest"

BassJunky

Opening Day - Bass Season 2012

(2011 Season Opener Photo)

well it is finally here, Bass Season 2012 (in Ontario anyways). I will be starting this season off right, fishing in back to back tournaments, (starting today), I will be fishing in the 140 boat Quinte Bass Champs event hoping to take home at least one of the $1000 hourly prizes.. following that up with a trip to Weslemkoon on sunday to kick off the BBTS series. Hoping to improve on last years results

In between the two events  I may even spend a quiet evening casting with friends at a Lake X in search of some peaceful top water action.. this weekend will be fish filled to say the least

I will be posting pics and info to my twitter feed all day long both days, so be sure to check it out if you want to see some of the craziness surrounding the Quinte Bass Champs event.Like you I have been patiently awaiting this day since the season closed late last fall. So Im going to stop typing and get my ass out on the water to take advantage of every minute the 2012 season has to offer

Hope to see ya on the water

BassJunky

Off to NIX 2012: Toronto Tattoo Convnention

NIX 2012: June 15th - 17th

Well, it's that time of year again.. convention season, and probably not the kind of conventions you are expecting. I will be taking the next few days off the water and heading in to the big city.. Toronto... for some work and some play, as I will be working the Eikon Tattoo Supply booth at the 14th Annual NIX tattoo convention. This will be my 3rd trip to NIX and my second time working the show.

So it will be a bit quiet around here starting on Thursday (today) but should be back to normal come some time on Monday, .. well that honestly depends on how much "work" and how much "play" we actually do.

Anyways, if you have never had the opportunity to check out a Tattoo Convention up close and personal, now is your chance, the Toronto show is top notch with some amazing artists from all over the world (Including a few you may have seen on TV)

here is a link to the shows website, if your in the neighborhood come check it out

http://tattoos.com/nix/

Site News: Facebook Page

It's a lazy Sunday morning, and I don't feel much like typing. We spent a great Saturday night  with a great group of friends celebrating the 60th birthday of a fellow angler... But since this is my duty, I will fire off this quick note to give you an update on the site.

If you have not noticed already, I have designed a Facebook page to help get the word out, and to easily share posts, information and most importantly fish pics.. click on the Facebook badge on the upper right hand side of this page, and click "like"

or if you prefer direct links.. click here


For those of you that also check in on the Frog Pond, I have made some changes there as well. Just some minor layout switches as well as a new category for Frog Line and Frog hook reviews. We are now 18 reviews in, and you will continue to see at least 1 review each week as we move through the summer.

thanx again for reading

Off to Erie.. in search of monsters

It may get a little quiet around here for the next few days while I head off to lake Erie in search of some monstrous small mouth bass that  have haunted my dreams for years

This is a special trip for me, not only is it my first time on Erie, my first time chasing bass on the beds, but I also get to fish with a group of anglers that I admire. These guys (although very old) have been very supportive of me and my fishing.

One is a local legend that not only was the host of a long running fishing TV program, but he also is very active in the community, running a large Canada/US Walleye tournament (in it's 32nd Year). The second member of the team was my fishing partner in my first ever money finish in a tournament. He was saddled with me last minute without ever laying eyes on me, we hit it off and cashed a paycheck along the way. The last guy on the tip has been teaching my this fishing game for 10 years now, he took the live bait out of my hand and taught me how to be a bass angler, and then he taught me how to be a tournament angler.

I'm very proud to have received the invite this year, and cant wait to get out on the water. We will be spending 2 days on Lake Erie and 2 days on Chatauga Lake, another fabled bass lake. so I'll Talk to ya when I get back, I'm hoping to have some fish tales to tell (and pics to back them up).

I'm also told that being the rookie the expectation is that I will also land a nice walleye.. all previous rookies have succeeded in this area, fingers crossed

Turning 1 today.. Thanx for Reading

Yep, thats right it has been 1 year already, and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for checking in from time to time to see what's on my mind.. in this short 1 year span I have written close to 170 articles, and well over 20,000 of you have checked in to read them.

Wether you agree or disagree with what I have to say, I appreciate you all giving me the opportunity to say it. I have lots planed for year #2, with some great new product reviews and of course another season of "fear & loathing on the Tournament Trail".

In case you missed it, I did start up a second blog called the "frog pond" this one is solely dedicated to Frog Fishing product reviews, it is still new so bare with me, but I hope it will take off soon.

Special thanx to my sponsors, they sure make life easier on the water.. if you have not checked them out as of yet, but sure to give them some FaceBook love


Eikon Device

Dobyns Rods

El Grande Lures

Numa Optics

The Rod Glove

Optimum Baits

IMA Lures

thanx

BassJunky

Introducing the Frog Pond.. an all Frog Review Site

In case you have not found it yet, I wanted to make you all aware that I started an all new site that is 100% dedicated to product reviews and more importantly.. 100% dedicated to Frog fishing reviews.

The "Frog Pond" will give more in-depth reviews of products that have been spotlighted on this blog. Rating each one on Quality, Castability, Presentation, Hook-Up Ratio as well price and availability. My goal is to not only review the products but also supply you with info on where you can buy them (at the best prices)

Products will continue to be reviewed on this site, but for those looking for more then just a high level recap, be sure to check out the Pond. Products reviewed on the Pond are all products I have personally used on the water, no guessing or dribble you have heard spouted 1000 times.  I do need your help though.. The Frog Pond is interactive, I need your help finding the new frogs as they become available, I check multiple sites on a regular basis, but can use a hand. If you have or know of a frog you want reviewed, please contact me at

bass.junky@hotmail.com


If you are interested and want to learn more about the Frog Pond.. check out the below links.

Welcome to the Frog Pond (explains how the site works)

Product Review: Scum Frog (the sites first review)

The Frog Pond will be updated at a minimum of once a week, be sure to check back and see if your favorite frog has been added.

100th Post, 9,000 Views.. Thank You

Wow, another season flew by too fast. In my part of the world there are only days remaining in the 2011 Bass season and then we put the big sticks away and pray for ice. Over the course of this season I have been able to share with you  00 posts.. well 99 if you don't count this one. I have had the opportunity to share my successes, my failures and some personal moments along the way. I thank you all for checking in to see how I'm doing, as this blog thing would get pretty boring quick if I didn't know there were guys out there reading them.

100 posts in, i think most of you can see where I'm coming from and where I'm going. You can expect to see a lot more of the same over the next 100 posts and the 100 after that. I will continue to test out new products as I buy them and share stories of my time on the water. (not to mention the occasional rant).

In the near future I will be posting my top baits list from the 2011 season, then it will be full fledged ice fishing talks. Once the Spring hits, Crappies will be on the brain again, and of course next summer Bass Season will be the hot topic. I hope you keep checking in over the winter months, as although things will slow down a bit on the bass front, there is a lot of fishing to be done.

thanx

Out of Office - Alberta Bound Tattoo & Art Festival

For those who check out this site on a regular basis (thank-you), I just wanted to let you know that I will be away from the keyboard for the next 6 days.

Im away on officially business, also know as having a blast at the Alberta Bound Tattoo Convention. This is an annual event and the company I work for a a major sponsor. The event has some of the worlds best tattoo artists all in one spot.. over 200 in all. This will be my second year at the show and as long as an Air Canada strike does not ruin my day I will be in the air by noon tommorrow

If your in the Calgary area be sure to drop by and check it out. if you are looking get ink, there is no better time or place

check out the details... here!