Later this week it’s going to turn miserable cold in most of the country. A lot of anglers will put their tackle away and wait for spring. If that’s your thing, so be it. But I have another idea. Why not spend the cold, snowy months improving your knowledge of the sport? That way, when spring arrives, you’ll be in a position to catch more bass.
One way to do that is to sign-up for one of our The Bass University seminars. We have five scheduled this year — Edison, New Jersey; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Rosemont, Illinois, Boxborough, Massachusetts and Columbus, Ohio. The dates range from the second week of January on to the middle of February.
We have a first-rate group of speakers. There are too many to name each one here but I assure you they are culled from the very best in the country. Each of them is an expert in the field he’ll talk about. The classes offer every attendee a chance to talk to them, hear their theories, learn how they work specific baits under specific conditions and have his or her local water questions answered in detail.
We’ll also have tackle on display so that you can see exactly what we use when we’re fishing big tournaments with a lot of money and pride on the line. Contrary to what many fans and recreational anglers think almost everything we fish with is readily available at major tackle shops such as Tackle Warehouse.
But, even if you don’t fish tournaments, these classes are for you. Knowledge is the key to catching more bass regardless of where or how you fish for them. Actually, that’s true of all species of fish.
I don’t want to sound like I’m preaching, and I know I’ve said it before, but if you want to get better you should learn more about black bass and about how to make your lures as well as your presentations more efficient. Don’t kid yourself. There’s a reason why some anglers consistently catch more bass than the others. It’s not luck. It’s knowledge and skill.
Our sponsors read like a Who’s Who of bass fishing. We have top rated tackle and equipment companies, local fishing organizations and, of course, B.A.S.S. I’m especially proud of the B.A.S.S. involvement. It’s the premier bass fishing organization in the world. This is where it’s at. Having them onboard is special.
I know I sound like I’m really excited. (I can get that way sometimes, you know.) There’s a reason for that. I am. We’ve worked really hard to make these seminars available to almost everyone, affordable, entertaining and useful. We — the people, companies and organizations involved — want you to catch more fish and have more fun doing it.
As a part of The Bass University we also have a series of online TV classes that are very specific and detailed. For a fee you can have access to them, watch them anytime you want and as many times as you want.
I suggest you check everything out at www.thebassuniversity.com. From there you can make your own decision.
Mike Iaconelli’s column appears weekly on Bassmaster.com. You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter or visit his website, mikeiaconelli.com.
