The following has more twists, turns and examples of questionable behavior than most soap operas.

Angler Rodney Ply and his friend Chad Whited took to Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas for a little fun on Feb. 18. That fun turned to excitement when Ply landed a freshwater striped bass that weighed more than 68 pounds. Ply’s fish was so large that it not only shattered the state record by more than four pounds, it also qualified for a $100,000 prize. Ply had entered Mustad Hook's "Hook-a-Million" contest where state record fish qualified for a $100,000 winning, and $1 million for world record fish. Unfortunately, none of this came to pass because…well, there are a lot of reasons. [ Read Full Post ]

When bass are holding tight to cover, short, accurate casts and nearly noiseless lure presentation are critical for more hookups. If you practice, the underhand roll cast will quickly become a favorite when you need to snake a bait under limbs and high boat docks. “It was a real important cast for me at the Southern Open on Toho in Florida a couple years ago,” says Swindle. “It was too windy for the overhand cast, so I sneaked in behind some cover, threw a lipless crankbait, and won the Open.” [ Read Full Post ]

Over the last few years, micro-guides have become a fixture in the fishing rod market. They are advertized as helping anglers cast farther and manage line better than conventional guides. Most rods equipped with micro-guides are high-end offerings that come with a hefty price tag.

All Star, a perennial leader in the prosumer rod category (professional series rods built specifically for consumers), just introduced their Academy Sports Micro Series of casting rods. 

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