Favorite Informative Bass Fishing Youtube Channels/videos 2025

Captain America reply :

Alright. Cabin Fever is REALLY setting in. Lakes are still frozen, and I am just itching to do some open water bass fishing. What are some of your favorite informative youtube channels or videos about bass fishing? Anything pertaining to ice out is gold, but any good information will do to feed my addiction (for now). Looking more for informative content vs just watching people catch fish. I have enjoyed BassResource and InformativeFisherman. What do you guys got?

Dtrombly reply :

Tacticalbassin and Bassresource are my favorite "informative" channels, for sure.

Chefster reply :

Tactical Bassin. Lynn dollar has tons of old tournaments uploaded. Big bass dreams. Mikey balzz. Mike long is starting to put out some content. Brandon palaniuk has a good series.

scaleface reply :

I like to watch Scott Martin practice for tournaments .

MassYak85 reply :

Another vote for Tactical Bassin, Bassresource, and Informative Fisherman. Tactical is the only one of those three I watch religiously though. Also KeepinItReelFishing, that guy is a must watch for Northeast anglers. Tackle Advisors also has some amazing reel reviews and teardowns and gets into the nitty gritty of reel maintenance.

nascar2428 reply :

Another tactical bassin fan here.

BuzzHudson19c reply :

Fluke and Bamabass

MIbassyaker reply :

I used to watch more of them than I do now. These days, the only ones I make much time for regularly are Bassresource, and Tactical Bassin, although I'll go down the rabbit hole sometimes and watch any of the others, if I see something interesting. I do wish KeepinItReelFishing was more prolific -- his analysis and reviews are outstanding.

I also like some of the content from FLW and Bassmaster channels, especially FLW circuitbreaker and the old Bassmaster Classics recaps.

Fish the Mitt reply :

Beings I'm from the tundra that is Michigan, and my bass boat runs a little funny on ice, I've peeked a time or two on various fishing channels on the interweb - namely YouTube.

Bass Resource

LakeForkGuy

LunkersTV

TacticalBassin

Flair

InformativeFisherman

KeepinItReel

1Rod1Reel

Zona

(Bolded equates to most watched)

...and of course, any I see on the infamous YouTube rabbit hole - if I don't start out watching videos on various jig techniques, and end up watching drunk bar brawl compilations... ????

MIbassyaker reply :

On 2/7/2018 at 11:50 AM, SemperBass said:

...and of course, any I see on the infamous YouTube rabbit hole

I have since discovered I was wrong, but for awhile I thought I had found the actual bottom of the hole:

(sorry)

NorthwestBasser reply :

1. Tactical Bassin'

2.***

3.BigBass Dreams

4. Lake Fork Guy

5. Fishin' with Flair

Granted, i start watching these once my eyeballs start to bleed from reading everything on Bass Resource, haha

Edit: oops! Guess I wasn't supposed to mention that one, sorry Glenn!

Edited February 7, 2018 by NorthwestBasser
Apology, lol

Gundog reply :

*** is good for underwater views of baits. A local one for me is Pocono Outdoors Guy. Bass365 and BassResource are on the list as well.

Vilas15 reply :

drscholl14 reply :

Tactical Bassin for sure, Lake Fork Guy, Mark Zona's channel has some good stuff on it now and then, Same with Iaconelli. Brandon Palaniuk is making a concerted effort to get big on YouTube and had a really cool half hour video recapping each of his Elite Series events.

Scarborough817 reply :

Tactical, bassresource, lake fork guy and keepinitreel

Hawkeye21 reply :

Being a kayak fisherman I like to watch videos from Greg Blanchard and Chad Hoover.

Being from NE Iowa and fishing both Iowa and Minnesota I really love watching Another Fishing Show. I just recently found them on YouTube and they are my new favorite show. They are two friends from Minnesota who have some fun doing a different types of fishing and meeting people. The one guy is a videographer and has done video for a lot of other show so he knows a bunch of professionals so he has interviews with them. He's done camera work for MLF.

Choporoz reply :

Another couple votes for BR and Tactical Bassin.

And one that hasn't been mentioned: Fat Cat Newton

YoTone reply :

if im looking for specific answers to a technique i'll usually enter the topic name followed by KVD.

Brown Town reply :

Tactical Bassin

BamaBass

LakeForkGuy

bagofdonuts reply :

I don't know about informative, but the absolute best for giant fish and explosive top water action is Gong Lei. You should check him out.

All Day Fishing reply :

I would also have to say Tactical Bassin and Bassresource. Also really like LFG, BamaBass, 1Rod1Reel, MillikenFishing, YoutubeFishingVids

DogBone_384 reply :

Tacticalbassin

All Day Fishing reply :

On 2/8/2018 at 4:47 AM, bagofdonuts said:

I don't know about informative, but the absolute best for giant fish and explosive top water action is Gong Lei. You should check him out.

HAHA his videos are unreal! He fishes everywhere, it is no joke!

drew4779 reply :

On 2/7/2018 at 11:55 AM, MIbassyaker said:

I have since discovered I was wrong, but for awhile I thought I had found the actual bottom of the hole:

(sorry)

This is my new favorite thing!

shovelmouth83 reply :

bassresource, Tacical Bassin, lake fork guy.

FishDewd reply :

Oh god where to start? 618fishing, RideAlongFishing, DEBO'S Fishing, Rapala, Chris Bulaw, Alex Rudd Fishing, HawkeyeBassin... of course, BassResource. there's so many channels I follow lol. I'd have to do a long look through my history to find them all.

drscholl14 reply :

On 2/7/2018 at 11:56 PM, Hawkeye21 said:

Being a kayak fisherman I like to watch videos from Greg Blanchard and Chad Hoover.

Being from NE Iowa and fishing both Iowa and Minnesota I really love watching Another Fishing Show. I just recently found them on YouTube and they are my new favorite show. They are two friends from Minnesota who have some fun doing a different types of fishing and meeting people. The one guy is a videographer and has done video for a lot of other show so he knows a bunch of professionals so he has interviews with them. He's done camera work for MLF.

Another Fishing Show is CLASSIC! Those guys are super nice guys too. Gregg is the cameraman that KVD hooked in the arm with a crank, double trebled, and a bunch of MLF anglers came over and tried getting it out. One of the funnier videos I've seen. The show is a little less serious than others but definitely entertaining. There's great another local show that I've gotten to fish with called Northwoods Angling but they aren't really a bass show. Just giant fish. Catfish, sturgeon, gar, etc. They just fished with Jon B and AP Bassin a few weeks ago.

Bankbeater reply :

Bass Resource is what I watch the most. Sometimes I just do a search on bass fishing, and then start watching the results in the order they popped up.

Pro Logcatcher reply :

Lake fork guy, 1rod1reel, Bassresource. I also watch BlacktipH, but he is an ocean fisherman.

LOTR88 reply :

I agree with what many have already listed, Tactical Bassin, FLG, Scott Martin.

*Hootie reply :

I've lately been watching the old Bassmaster Classics. Like looking at the ancient, (for now) tackle they were using.

Hootie

ClackerBuzz reply :

Small Waters Fishing, Bass Fishing Jersey, Arkansas Fishing, FishDeltaTv, Jeff Little, MajorLeagueFishing, Jay Kumar's BassBlaster and Michiana Outdoors are a few not mentioned.

ZebcoZak reply :

Bassresource is by far the best educational channel in my opinion. I like Bassresource for technique videos and Tactical for gear videos more specifically.

I actually fished with 1rod1reel here in Columbus a couple times before his channel exploded and he moved out of state so I like to keep up with him and see what he is up to. He isn't nearly as educational but since I know him it is nice to see him succeed. I have never met a more passionate fisherman than Mike. Incredibly skilled and more intense and focussed than anyone I have met on the water. There is a reason he usually outfishes the person he is with in his videos. The dude is legit.

FishDewd reply :

1rod is entertaining for sure lol. But he also seems like he would be a bit annoying to fish with irl. I like peace and quiet when I go fishing. The whole zen thing, you know...

SlappinKraken reply :

The webinars by Josh Douglas and Seth Feider are great informational videos.

ZebcoZak reply :

On 2/11/2018 at 12:55 AM, FishDewd said:

1rod is entertaining for sure lol. But he also seems like he would be a bit annoying to fish with irl. I like peace and quiet when I go fishing. The whole zen thing, you know...

Haha. Yes I see what you are saying. He is an energetic fella, thats for sure.

bowhunter63 reply :

Tatical Bassin,Lynn Dollar,Bassmasters ,FLW and *** .

burrows reply :

I watch a bunch but lately I been liking the videos that test reels and break them down I really enjoy those. I don’t have any favorites and I wouldn’t really mention any channels by name on this site personally unless they are affiliated with bassresource.

JoshFromBolo reply :

One of the most informative and underrated is a fellow named The Fishin Pastor he is a priest in cali and has a lot of juicy videos on fishin.

Smalls reply :

Tactical for sure. My favorite thing about Matt Allen is that although he does the great majority of his fishing in Cali, he makes sure to tie in how we can use this info up north.

Sometimes I get really sick of watching informative videos and hearing “shad, shad, shad, shad, shad”. My fish don’t eat em, cause we ain’t got em.

bassh8er reply :

Uncut Angling puts out by far the best content in my opinion.

Way north bass guy reply :

On 2/18/2018 at 4:53 AM, Smalls said:

Sometimes I get really sick of watching informative videos and hearing “shad, shad, shad, shad, shad”. My fish don’t eat em, cause we ain’t got em.

Amen to that brother!

I guess the closest thing to shad around me would be smelts, and they’re defenitely a different forage still.

th365thli reply :

TacticalBassin. No other youtube channel breaks it down in detail like them. In a sport where people can be secretive, he has no qualms detailing what he does. Shows that he has confidence in his ability.

I'll watch a ton of other youtube channels for fun, but if I really want to learn something or trying something out, I go to TacticalBassin. They may not be as helpful for northern anglers, but for the west coast they are the real deal.

Also curious, who are we not allowed to mention? Is it even possible to let me know?

Munkin reply :

On 2/9/2018 at 6:31 AM, *Hootie said:

I've lately been watching the old Bassmaster Classics. Like looking at the ancient, (for now) tackle they were using.

Hootie

Do you have a link as I love watching the old TNN Bassmaster shows.

Allen

*Hootie reply :

On 2/18/2018 at 7:10 AM, Munkin said:

Do you have a link as I love watching the old TNN Bassmaster shows.

Allen

I don't have a link, but they are all on youtube. Just type in bassmaster classic. I especially liked the very first classic, I believe it in 1972. It was won by Bobby Murray, Lake Mead Nevada. It is narrated by the old Green Acres character, Eb Dawson. Enjoy.....

Hootie

burrows reply :

Yeah I seen those bassmaters classics on YouTube cool to watch how much the sport evolved from that very first classic. They all had to use the same boats trip out.

Boomstick reply :

If I am trying to learn information about a new technique, I will usually start with TacticalBassin, their videos are so information packed and informative and you often get very different perspectives from Matt and Tim as well which just cements them as my goto channel. And of course the bassresource channel has a lot of great stuff. Then you may find videos on how to fish a certain bait with various pros on various channels like *** which can also be helpful.

Chnanels like LakeForGuy, JonB, LunkersTV, 1rod1reel, Flair, etc can be worth the watch as well although they do a lot less informational type videos, more documenting their fishing trips.

slonezp reply :

On 2/7/2018 at 11:55 AM, MIbassyaker said:

I have since discovered I was wrong, but for awhile I thought I had found the actual bottom of the hole:

(sorry)

What led you here?

jmiller22 reply :

I watch the same youtubers that everyone one else has said, but i would also recommend watching Benjamin Nowak. His videos are fun and very informative.

burrows reply :

On 2/19/2018 at 11:39 AM, slonezp said:

What led you here?

That Yodeling channel featured on the good mythical morning channel, well at least that’s where I first seen it.

i don’t even watch bass fishing anymore once I discovered this channel this is all I watch

Paul Roberts reply :

Just found a new one I like: SBFishingTV.

crankbait2009 reply :

Bassresource would happen to be my favorite

burrows reply :

I just seen the bushings reel battle on a reel that shall remain nameless against a 50$ Jdm shimano great review.

puddlepuncher reply :

Tacticalbassin I love Matt and Tim both great guys and always make me feel better about my tackle addiction. Tim's garage has more gear than my local Bass Pro Shop.

Youtubefishingvideos Cornell is just a good guy and he's caught everything from Tiger Muskie to Bowfin. Kind of guy I'd like to fish with

Here's a sleeper that I guarantee most of you will love NDYakAngler. He doesn't use music or any crazy edits. Just fishing and the sounds that come with it. Catches smallies like no one else.

Last but not least Tackle Advisors for anything equipment related. Amazing detailed videos. So much better than the other equipment clowns on You tube.

NYWayfarer reply :

For informational purposes, Bassresource all the way.

On 2/27/2018 at 1:59 AM, Burro said:

I just seen the bushings reel battle on a reel that shall remain nameless against a 50$ Jdm shimano great review.

I have seen the same review. He actually did several reviews on this reel. I sensed the reviews became jaded once he received replies he didn't like from the company in questions "internet troll squad"

While I agree their response to his review was uncalled for he could have taken the classy way out and remained un-biased for the validity of his reviews.

burrows reply :

On 3/1/2018 at 10:21 PM, NYWayfarer said:

For informational purposes, Bassresource all the way.

I have seen the same review. He actually did several reviews on this reel. I sensed the reviews became jaded once he received replies he didn't like from the company in questions "internet troll squad"

While I agree their response to his review was uncalled for he could have taken the classy way out and remained un-biased for the validity of his reviews.

I agree somewhat, he seemed to get pretty upset with them and I think he overreacted to them when they were simply explaining to him how the brakes should be set.

They however acted just as bad with their comments making them look pretty bad you would expect a company to be a bit more classy and be open to criticism I mean you don’t see other company’s troll on ppls videos just because they got a bad review?

NYWayfarer reply :

On 3/1/2018 at 10:30 PM, Burro said:

I agree somewhat, he seemed to get pretty upset with them and I think he overreacted to them when they were simply explaining to him how the brakes should be set.

They however acted just as bad with their comments making them look pretty bad you would expect a company to be a bit more classy and be open to criticism I mean you don’t see other company’s troll on ppls videos just because they got a bad review?

I would say we agree totally, not somewhat.

I wouldn't expect classy from said company after all their is a reason we can't mention them by name on this site. That being said I still enjoy their products. Their customer service dept has been good to me. I got a same day response from them for an issue and some questions I had.

Abby reply :

I just found Benjamin Nowak and NDkayakangler and both have made me jump to chasing smallies now.

burrows reply :

On 3/1/2018 at 3:59 PM, Maverick said:

Last but not least Tackle Advisors for anything equipment related. Amazing detailed videos. So much better than the other equipment clowns on You tube.

Tackle Advisors, that guy grew on me I have to say his sense of humor was annoying but now that I’ve continued to watch his videos I find him to be amusing but also very informative. There is no one doing what he does on YouTube his videos are good addicting and I see his channel growing in the future. I can watch reels being opened up and dissected all day long. This guy knows what he’s doing I wonder how long this guys been tearing down reels and putting them back together again.

puddlepuncher reply :

On 3/2/2018 at 11:19 AM, Burro said:

Tackle Advisors, that guy grew on me I have to say his sense of humor was annoying but now that I’ve continued to watch his videos I find him to be amusing but also very informative. There is no one doing what he does on YouTube his videos are good addicting and I see his channel growing in the future. I can watch reels being opened up and dissected all day long. This guy knows what he’s doing I wonder how long this guys been tearing down reels and putting them back together again.

I watched him do a tear down on a $20 Berkley spooling station and even he knew it was madness, but it's what he does. He posts fishing videos as well. I only trust reviews and feedback from experienced fishermen.

I don't quite understand the obsession of casting distance and what reel casts 2 feet further than the other without regard to all around performance. Watching someone cast in a field with shifting winds, no thanks.

burrows reply :

@Maverick if you’re talking about “ Reel test” well I think they are both different type of channels and I enjoy his videos because he’s more of a collector a jdm Novelist and bfs fanatic I like his point of view and he’s got great videos. Where else can you see and review first hand jdm reels in English? As for feild tests you might not like them but that doesn’t mean other ppl don’t and both channels do field test by the way I appreciate both channels.

puddlepuncher reply :

@Burro I'll be honest I'm kind of biased, my kids watched him until I saw some of his responses and the language he used. They aren't allowed to watch that channel anymore. Yeah they both do field tests but TA rarely does and when he does it's more focused on all around performance. Agreed on the JDM videos all being in Japanese they're interesting but couldn't tell you for sure. lol.

Next time you watch a RT video outside, notice the sound of the wind whenever it kicks up those are the casts with the wild variables.

ThatDudeThere reply :

I was loving reel test reviews, but his gulping and swallowing always bothered me, until I just couldn't do it anymore. I did find tackle advisors thank the Lord. I have been a researching madman though, and finally ordered all 3 rods and reels. Thanks to everyone here!

Joshua Vandamm reply :

Just saw a documentary, The Nature of Fishing: the spawn.

it blew my mind. Check it out.

puddlepuncher reply :

Check out this channel, I dig these videos.

https://www.youtube.com/user/jurgenjons/videos

A-Jay reply :

On 3/6/2018 at 9:48 AM, Joshua Vandamm said:

Just saw a documentary, The Nature of Fishing: the spawn.

it blew my mind. Check it out.

I agree ~ and now meet the creator - our own @Paul Roberts

A-Jay

senile1 reply :

On 3/8/2018 at 12:27 AM, A-Jay said:

I agree ~ and now meet the creator - our own @Paul Roberts

A-Jay

Yes. Paul's channel, The Nature of Fishing, is top notch and very informative. If you want to know the "why" of bass behavior this one covers it in great detail.

LadiMopar reply :

On 3/6/2018 at 9:48 AM, Joshua Vandamm said:

Just saw a documentary, The Nature of Fishing: the spawn.

it blew my mind. Check it out.

Paul Roberts (a member here at BR) and his "Nature of Fishing" channel is my favorite information packed channel.

Also really enjoy Chad Hoover, Bassresource, The Bass College and because I'm in the Northeast "Keepin it Reel Fishing.

Joshua Vandamm reply :

On 3/8/2018 at 12:42 AM, senile1 said:

Yes. Paul's channel, The Nature of Fishing, is top notch and very informative. If you want to know the "why" of bass behavior this one covers it in great detail.

LOL

Nice. He’s a bass resource admin/employee?..Or member

J Francho reply :

On 3/8/2018 at 2:04 AM, Joshua Vandamm said:

LOL

Nice. He’s a bass resource admin/employee?..Or member

Yes, Paul Roberts: https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/profile/11958-paul-roberts/

MIbassyaker reply :

On 3/6/2018 at 9:48 AM, Joshua Vandamm said:

Just saw a documentary, The Nature of Fishing: the spawn.

it blew my mind. Check it out.

Oh wow -- that was wonderful. Paul just earned a sub.

burrows reply :

flyingmonkie reply :

I can't believe I never put two and two together! Bravo, @Paul Roberts, The Nature of Fishing is arguably the most underrated bass-specific channel on YouTube.

Also, @A-Jay has some great videos of his sweeeeeeet ride on. Stubbled upon them a while back researching some of the newer aluminum boats. Diggin' that Pro-V man...

Paul Roberts reply :

Gee.

(That's a darn poor emoticon for, "Gee, thanks folks".)

Happy -relieved- to see that other fishers can sit through my nerdy "lecture format" intros. That's been my biggest concern. How boring is this, really?

Early on, when I shot my very first on-the-water videos, I wanted to do it vlog-style -and still will here and there. I like that format, being on-the-water with someone on their waters. But I found myself saying all sorts of things all day long -ofttimes just mumbled- that wouldn't make sense, that had whole bodies of work behind them, or that might contradict what people in other regions and waters see. What a bear to edit! So, I thought I should just lay it out first in a clear concise format, then take you fishing.

Which is the opposite way vlog-style fishing, and fishing in general, really tends to go: We experience, and THEN we make sense of it all, picking, choosing, and refining our lessons of the day. I've come to joke that I start writing and re-writing history as soon as I leave the water. I guess I have a lot of "knowledge base filters" to run everything through, before I can pull together a coherent narrative.

That doesn't mean I'm entirely flying by the seat of my pants; I've done this kind of thing -sans video- for some time, and things do come around again and again. So I have some idea of what to expect. But seasons are more predictable than weeks, hours, and moments -those conditions and circumstances that require adjustments.

Now, all that's from my -the fisherman's- side of the fence. Then there is the fish's side, and that's what really has me intrigued. If I have an "angle", a focus, that's it. And I have been doing my best to get at that for... decades. YT or not, that's what I do. I just plain want to know what the heck is going on down there.

the reel ess reply :

Chad Hoover Kayak Bassin', Bass Resource and Brian Latimer are the ones I watch the most. I try to get my instruction from a wide variety of sources then adapt it to mostly fishing from a kayak in small places.

LadiMopar reply :

On 3/9/2018 at 12:37 AM, Paul Roberts said:

Happy -relieved- to see that other fishers can sit through my nerdy "lecture format" intros. That's been my biggest concern. How boring is this, really?

Can't speak for anyone else Paul but it's the "nerdy lecture format" that, pardon the pun, "reeled" me in.

What are those bass doing? And why do they do it? Always a great question in my mind, even as a kid (which was a day or two ago) so I really appreciate the opportunity to hear what you have to share...and to peek under the water and see what you have discovered!

Keep up the good work!

Joshua Vandamm reply :

On 3/8/2018 at 12:42 AM, senile1 said:

Yes. Paul's channel, The Nature of Fishing, is top notch and very informative. If you want to know the "why" of bass behavior this one covers it in great detail.

Why is just natural history. It’s the what I think it critical. No Better way to find and catch em than knowing what they’re probably up to any given time/season

On 3/9/2018 at 12:37 AM, Paul Roberts said:

Gee.

(That's a darn poor emoticon for, "Gee, thanks folks".)

Happy -relieved- to see that other fishers can sit through my nerdy "lecture format" intros. That's been my biggest concern. How boring is this, really?

Early on, when I shot my very first on-the-water videos, I wanted to do it vlog-style -and still will here and there. I like that format, being on-the-water with someone on their waters. But I found myself saying all sorts of things all day long -ofttimes just mumbled- that wouldn't make sense, that had whole bodies of work behind them, or that might contradict what people in other regions and waters see. What a bear to edit! So, I thought I should just lay it out first in a clear concise format, then take you fishing.

Which is the opposite way vlog-style fishing, and fishing in general, really tends to go: We experience, and THEN we make sense of it all, picking, choosing, and refining our lessons of the day. I've come to joke that I start writing and re-writing history as soon as I leave the water. I guess I have a lot of "knowledge base filters" to run everything through, before I can pull together a coherent narrative.

That doesn't mean I'm entirely flying by the seat of my pants; I've done this kind of thing -sans video- for some time, and things do come around again and again. So I have some idea of what to expect. But seasons are more predictable than weeks, hours, and moments -those conditions and circumstances that require adjustments.

Now, all that's from my -the fisherman's- side of the fence. Then there is the fish's side, and that's what really has me intrigued. If I have an "angle", a focus, that's it. And I have been doing my best to get at that for... decades. YT or not, that's what I do. I just plain want to know what the heck is going on down there.

Paul, The nerdier the better for me! LOL (BSc focus on fish biology).

It was very enlightening and well shot!

...question re: mate selection. Did you observe any correlation based on size? i.e. do larger females tend to pair with larger males?

thanks!

senile1 reply :

On 3/10/2018 at 7:11 AM, Joshua Vandamm said:

Why is just natural history. It’s the what I think it critical. No Better way to find and catch em than knowing what they’re probably up to any given time/season

I agree the what is important and goes hand in hand with the why. But knowing the why allows us to predict the what and is why we study environment and structure. For example if I know the bass in my waters begin to migrate to deeper water basins (the what) at a certain cold temperature range (the why), then when those cold temperatures are experienced (the why), I can predict the what before I even go to the lake. Knowing the why allows me to eliminate unproductive water.

senile1 reply :

@Joshua Vandamm, I should add that just because I am able to make a prediction on what the bass might be doing based on normal bass behavior under certain conditions doesn't mean that prediction will always be right. That is where it is important to pay attention to the what when you get to the lake as you stated, because the why that we are aware of might mislead us on occasion and cause us to miss some other variable that is affecting the fish. The why and the what are kind of hand in glove, so to speak.

Paul Roberts reply :

Thanks for the encouragement, LadiMopar, and Joshua. Yeah, I'm a fish nerd. Encouraging to know there are others out there that value seeing fishing as much from the fish's perspective as from our own. That's the really cool stuff in my mind. And, I'm a die-hard fisherman too. My questions aren't, tell me what to do; It's tell me why! Why does that lure work, or not, in that particular situation? What are the parameters that define that situation, and why do the fish respond that way. Interestingly, there are patterns to much of it. Otherwise, I'd find something else to do.

Joshua, more on my take on the "Why" vs the "What":

The "why" is what I've come to call "exportable knowledge". If I tell someone what to do: Go to this particular place at this particular time, throw this particular lure, and retrieve it in this particular way... that's pretty limited. If I can tell them Why that location, timing, and presentation, I've given them a whole lot more. And it's exportable -able to be applied to many other scenarios. Maybe or maybe not directly, but it gets them asking the right questions, which are much more flexible than pat answers. "Give a man, or woman, a fish..."

Granted, the what is a heck of a lot easier to get at than the why. Many, if not most, of those why's are simply not available, or accessible, to us. But, there is a HUGE body of work in many fields of science, and observations by managers, anglers, and divers that collectively have and continue to provide a tremendous amount of insight into not only the what's but the why's that underlie those what's. I feel that all those sources have been enormously valuable to me in my understanding of not only what's going on down there -the behaviors- but the why's that underlie those behaviors.

Joshua Vandamm reply :

On 3/10/2018 at 7:52 AM, senile1 said:

@Joshua Vandamm, I should add that just because I am able to make a prediction on what the bass might be doing based on normal bass behavior under certain conditions doesn't mean that prediction will always be right. That is where it is important to pay attention to the what when you get to the lake as you stated, because the why that we are aware of might mislead us on occasion and cause us to miss some other variable that is affecting the fish. The why and the what are kind of hand in glove, so to speak.

True. It’s the old all important

why + what = where

formula ????

On 3/10/2018 at 8:18 AM, Paul Roberts said:

Thanks for the encouragement, LadiMopar, and Joshua. Yeah, I'm a fish nerd. Encouraging to know there are others out there that value seeing fishing as much from the fish's perspective as from our own. That's the really cool stuff in my mind. And, I'm a die-hard fisherman too. My questions aren't, tell me what to do; It's tell me why! Why does that lure work, or not, in that particular situation? What are the parameters that define that situation, and why do the fish respond that way. Interestingly, there are patterns to much of it. Otherwise, I'd find something else to do.

Joshua, more on my take on the "Why" vs the "What":

The "why" is what I've come to call "exportable knowledge". If I tell someone what to do: Go to this particular place at this particular time, throw this particular lure, and retrieve it in this particular way... that's pretty limited. If I can tell them Why that location, timing, and presentation, I've given them a whole lot more. And it's exportable -able to be applied to many other scenarios. Maybe or maybe not directly, but it gets them asking the right questions, which are much more flexible than pat answers. "Give a man, or woman, a fish..."

Granted, the what is a heck of a lot easier to get at than the why. Many, if not most, of those why's are simply not available, or accessible, to us. But, there is a HUGE body of work in many fields of science, and observations by managers, anglers, and divers that collectively have and continue to provide a tremendous amount of insight into not only the what's but the why's that underlie those what's. I feel that all those sources have been enormously valuable to me in my understanding of not only what's going on down there -the behaviors- but the why's that underlie those behaviors.

Paul, Certainly true. As a researcher, I’m a why/how guy. As a fisherman it’s what where and when all the way! LOL

Anywhoo the question above, re: mate selection and size

On 3/10/2018 at 7:11 AM, Joshua Vandamm said:

...question re: mate selection. Did you observe any correlation based on size? i.e. do larger females tend to pair with larger males?

I’d be very interested to hear about, since what we see from the bank are typically males during the spawn and fry guarding cycles. If you ID a large male it’d be useful to know if there’s a good chance there’s also a large female close by.

Thanks again ????

Paul Roberts reply :

On 3/10/2018 at 9:02 AM, Joshua Vandamm said:

True. It’s the old all important

why + what = where

formula ????

Paul, Certainly true. As a researcher, I’m a why/how guy. As a fisherman it’s what where and when all the way! LOL

Anywhoo the question above, re: mate selection and size

I’d be very interested to hear about, since what we see from the bank are typically males during the spawn and fry guarding cycles. If you ID a large male it’d be useful to know if there’s a good chance there’s also a large female close by.

Thanks again ????

Agreed, fishing alone isn't much of a sampling method, in terms of the why's.

Sorry... forgot to respond to that question. I can't really say. I've not seen anything that like that, that stood out anyway. Then again, my observation waters here in N CO do not tend to produce really out-sized females that might make such a thing more noticeable. Although the females here can get larger than the males, they are not substantially larger. And, the waters that produce large females also produce large males too. I think I can say that the largest females I've seen were generally with average sized males. I've had a couple ponds that produced uniquely large males. I only knew they were males bc they were with good-sized females, of equal size, on beds together.

I do remember a particular male that drew a crowd of females -the largest in that little 3acre pond. He was about 17 inches, the females 18 to 20. That pond had a shortage of males that year -likely fishing mortality. But this one male drew so much female attention that it really stood out. There was another big male on the other side of the pond that did not draw the big crowd. He did spawn however, with an 18inch female. His nest failed though as he was caught repeatedly (evidenced by hook bruises) and then was gone -likely kept. What did the attractive male have going for him? There's some good research that showed that scent -possibly a pheromone- was important in attracting spawning females, as scent was more important than even vision. However, the attractive male I mention had another thing going for him. He held a great site, beneath the largest overhanging tree on the pond. It's a tree that attracted the large bass in the pond all year long.

I've not found too much on mate selection in bass in the literature, although I haven't looked specifically. There are some studies that have suggested that pairing -or close association with mates- can occur well prior to the spawn, even under the ice. Whether this is a social bond, or due to the fact that bass tend to group by size, is an open question.

Best I can do at present.

HoosierFisher reply :

TacticalBassin, BamaBass, SBFishingTV, YouTubeFishingVids, Bassresource, Scott Martin, and LFG are the ones I watch the most. Although LFG is a "Googan" now.

burrows reply :

I just unsubscribe to anything that is not teaching me crap all theses videos that I been watching I realized I was wasting my time. A lot of pros are making videos you just got to look for them they’re barely starting to catch on with the you tube scene so they don’t have a ton of subrcribers but they are getting there. These are the videos I’m focusing on because even if they are entertaining like Scott martins channel he’s still a pro and one way or another your gonna pic up some good info here and there. The pros are like a decade behind on picking up on marketing themselves on social media specially you tube.

I watch bass resource videos that Glenn has put up because he’s teaching you something not all bass resource videos are Glenn teaching techniques but I do watch the ones that do teach because those are the type of videos you go back to watch over again to get a certain technique down at least from a perspective of someone that knows more.

Paul Roberts reply :

Glenn, I don't see anything wrong with your BassResource videos. You've put together an extensive reference library of fishing education material. You have a friendly easy going, approachable style. Looks to me like you are pretty well centered in the fishing education niche.

That said, it appears to me that to get really BIG on YT, one must be a YT channel first, and a (fishing) channel... somewhere else down the line. Each of us must decide on where we want to put our valuable time. (The Pro's burros mentions are already plenty busy.)

burrows reply :

deleted

Edited March 11, 2018 by burros
Cheesyness

burrows reply :

Forgive my cheesyness

Joshua Vandamm reply :

On 3/10/2018 at 10:42 AM, Paul Roberts said:

Agreed, fishing alone isn't much of a sampling method, in terms of the why's.

Sorry... forgot to respond to that question. I can't really say. I've not seen anything that like that, that stood out anyway. Then again, my observation waters here in N CO do not tend to produce really out-sized females that might make such a thing more noticeable. Although the females here can get larger than the males, they are not substantially larger. And, the waters that produce large females also produce large males too. I think I can say that the largest females I've seen were generally with average sized males. I've had a couple ponds that produced uniquely large males. I only knew they were males bc they were with good-sized females, of equal size, on beds together.

I do remember a particular male that drew a crowd of females -the largest in that little 3acre pond. He was about 17 inches, the females 18 to 20. That pond had a shortage of males that year -likely fishing mortality. But this one male drew so much female attention that it really stood out. There was another big male on the other side of the pond that did not draw the big crowd. He did spawn however, with an 18inch female. His nest failed though as he was caught repeatedly (evidenced by hook bruises) and then was gone -likely kept. What did the attractive male have going for him? There's some good research that showed that scent -possibly a pheromone- was important in attracting spawning females, as scent was more important than even vision. However, the attractive male I mention had another thing going for him. He held a great site, beneath the largest overhanging tree on the pond. It's a tree that attracted the large bass in the pond all year long.

I've not found too much on mate selection in bass in the literature, although I haven't looked specifically. There are some studies that have suggested that pairing -or close association with mates- can occur well prior to the spawn, even under the ice. Whether this is a social bond, or due to the fact that bass tend to group by size, is an open question.

Best I can do at present.

Thanks Paul! Very insightful, null hypothesis or otherwise...still useful. ????

Nesting ground advantage makes a lot of sense.

The pheromone angle is test worthy if ID’d and isolated... natural attractant? Tho application might produce strange results. ????

cheers!

Joshua Vandamm reply :

On 3/10/2018 at 3:30 PM, Glenn said:

Wow, no BassResource? I need to understand why. While I don't have control of our partner videos, I'm open to feedback on my videos. Let's hear it!

I’m a subscriber. I get a lot out of your videos!

Some guys just put a lot into them. Like tacticalbassin does underwater video a lot. Fish perspective. Seeing how the fish react to different lures is really interesting.

Your vids are more instructive than most imo. Techniques wise it’s probably the best channel. Keep doing what you do!

MichaelCopeland reply :

Watching Bass Resource videos on YouTube is how I got involved with this forum. When I can't go fishing for whatever reason(s), I still watch Bass Resource on YouTube along with Tactical Bassin', Bama Bass, Lake Fork Guy, The Informative Fisherman, Lucky Tackle Box and Keepinitreel. Of course I watch the Pursuit channel and Outdoor channel for Bill Dance Outdoors show, Hook N Look, On The Water with Hank Parker and the MLF tournaments. There's a couple other shows I watch also, just can't think of the names right off hand.

greentrout reply :

Glenn reply :

On 3/10/2018 at 11:53 PM, Paul Roberts said:

Looks to me like you are pretty well centered in the fishing education niche.

WOW!! Coming from you, Paul, that means a lot! Because your videos are unbelievably good!

I'm not worthy!

smithy97 reply :

Tactical Bassin - amazing, informative channel by 2 down to earth guys who want everyone to succeed

Milliken Fishing - Ben is the most hilarious yet crazy smart fisherman on yt

NDyakangler - you can kill off hours of time by watching him smashing giant smallies and staying so humble about it

Bassresource - the first fishing videos I ever saw were of Glenn teaching different techniques, still my go-to for new tactics

Keepinitreel - The most detailed reviews on the interweb, and his devotion to swimbait fishing will motivate you

Those are my top 5

Joshua Vandamm reply :

@Paul Roberts Just 1 other question if you have the time...

I’m unclear on what the females are doing during the spawn (when they’re not courting and laying eggs).

If they continue to spawn with new partners, are they still circling back to guard all their broods? Is there a specific brood they guard more than others in your observations or during a certain developmental stage perhaps? Do they seem to even know which fry are theirs or just guard the ‘zone’ as a kind of team effort? And are they feeding while males guard?

I don’t know if anyone has the answers to all of that, but any insights you have are much appreciated!!

thanks a ton!

-Josh

Paul Roberts reply :

@Joshua Vandamm, it would be best to start a new thread for this question; Going OT (Off Topic) here. Not that that hasn't happened before. I may be the worst at that. Happy to chat.

On 3/11/2018 at 11:38 AM, Glenn said:

WOW!! Coming from you, Paul, that means a lot! Because your videos are unbelievably good!

I'm not worthy!

Thanks, Glenn!

EGbassing reply :

BassResource is my favorite informative channel. But just for entertainment, Googan Squad.

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