Have
you ever wondered just what life is like on the
Bassmaster Elite Trail? Not only what happens
during the tournament, but what the pro’s do to get
ready for the next stop in between tournaments.
Well then we have something for you. Join our
newest Big Bite Elite Pro Russ Lane as he blogs, and
fishes his way through the 2010 Bassmaster Elite
tournament year. You will get a firsthand look at the
ups and downs that go along with fishing the top bass
fishing circuit in the nation.
Keep tuned in as Russ tells us just what life is
like out on the trail.
1/12/2012
"Right
now I'm in the
middle of getting
organized and
prepared for the
2012 season to get
started. There's a
lot more that goes
into getting ready
for a new year than
most would realize.
One of the big jobs
is getting my new
921 Phoenix/Yamaha
rigged for
competition. I have
to coordinate with
several companies
for it to all come
together. I have to
get Phoenix and
Yamaha on the same
page so that the
engine will be
shipped at the time
that the boat is
about to go into
production. Talks
with Atlas
Jackplates,
Humminbird, Minnkota
and Deca batteries
are vital to get
their equipment to
the factory on time
as well. I have to
get the owners at
Big Bite aligned
with Phoenix on the
timing that the boat
will be ready for
pick up so that they
can take the truck
and boat all the way
to Michigan to apply
the wrap. The folks
at ATS Printing in
Merrill MI do such a
great job designing
wraps with all of my
sponsor logos. That
is why we take it
all the way up
there. Today I just
got a big box full
of Abu Garcia reels,
Winches for
cranking, Premiers
for casting various
types of baits and
the new MGX Magnesium's
that I'm going to
use for flipping. I
will be spooling
them up with Sunline
and locking them
down on the new Wild
Black Carrot Stix
rods that I just got
in. I keep around
25-30 rods in my
boat so it takes a
while to get them
all ready to go. One
thing that I do is
go over each event
on the schedule for
the year and try to
determine what baits
and colors I'll need
before I order them
from my sponsors. I
have boxes full of
Spro Lures, Buckeye
jigs, Big Bite Baits
and even some new
Boomerang fishing
tools that have to
be organized before
I get started. It's
a big job to get
everything in it's
place but I seem to
get a little better
at it every year. I
use Bassminder's
Tackle Labels to
help me get my boxes
organized before
they go into the
boat or storage.
There are also
things like
scheduling shows,
ICAST and even the
Bass Classes that I
teach for the year.
Booking hotels is my
least favorite thing
to do but I try to
get all of that done
before the first
event. Helping with
sponsors to design
new baits and tools
is something that I
love to work on this
time of year. Right
now I'm working with
Buckeye, Spro and
Big Bite on some new
baits for the near
future. I just
wanted to give you
some insight on what
I do this time of
year while I have a
break from
tournaments. It is
still a busy time of
year even though I'm
not out on the water
as much. Remember,
all you need is 5
big bites!.. Russ Lane
12/26/2011
"Christmas
came early for me
last week on the
23rd. I had an
awesome few hours
fishing on Lake
Guntersville, but it
wasn't the fish that
I caught that made
me smile the most.
Back in June I got a
FB message from a
guy up in North AL
that said he had a
23 year old friend
that was recently in
a horrible accident.
His name is Elliot
and he loves to
fish, he has lost
both of his legs
from the accident.
He asked me if I
could send him a
text to try and
cheer him up a
little. So I did, I
told him that as
soon as he got well
that he and I would
go fishing. We
talked back and
fourth over the last
few months and he
seemed to have such
a great attitude
about things. I've
met a lot of people
that have had some
tough luck in their
life and Elliot
seemed to be handling
it better than most.
I wanted to make
sure that when he
was ready to go that
it would be as good
a fishing day as
possible. When he
let me know a couple
of weeks back that
he was doing good
and was itching to
go fishing I knew
right where to take
him.
Guntersville! The
Big-G has been one
of the hottest lakes
in the country the
last few years and
the new AL-Rig
technique has made
it that much better.
We talked on the
22nd and after
looking at the
weather forecast I
said tomorrow is the
day. Elliot, his dad
and friend all met
me the next morning
and what happened
over the next
several hours was
pretty amazing. We
caught 10 fish on
the AL-Rig with
Buckeye swimbait
heads and Big Bite
Cane Thumpers that
weighed from
4.5-7.5lbs each. Our
best 5 easily
weighed over 30lbs!
At one point we had
all caught a fish
except for Elliot
and he was doing
everything right. I
wanted him to catch
one of those 6 or
7lbers so bad. And
then it happened, I
looked back and
Big-E was bowed up!
We were all
hollering and cheering
him on to get that
fish in the boat. He
got it in and it was
a a big ole fat
6lber. I don't know
who was grinning the
biggest, me or
Elliot. Just when I
thought the day
couldn't get any
better Big-E did it
again. But this time
it was one over
7lbs! What an
awesome day! Later
when we got ready to
leave they all
thanked me for
coming up and going
fishing with Elliot.
I'm the one though
that should have
been thanking them.
I was all smiles on
the drive back home.
Best Christmas
present ever!
.. Russ Lane
10/28/2011
"Last
week was the final
tour event of the
year for me and man
was it a wild one. I
finished 3rd at the
FLW on Lake
Guntersville and
discovered a
somewhat new
technique that I
believe will be one
of the hottest new
bait systems on the
market. If you
follow tournament
bass fishing and
have been living
under a rock for the
last week then you
may not have heard
about it yet, well
it's called the
Alabama Rig. It's
basically a smaller
version of some of
the popular salwater
umbrella rigs that
are used for
trolling multiple
baits at once. The
A-rig is much
smaller and lighter
so that it can be
casted with 5 of
your favorite baits.
I used it to catch
bass that were
suspended 10 ft from
the bottom in up to
30ft of water. This
scenario is and has
always been the
toughest situation
to catch fish in.
Usually when I see
the fish suspended
like that on my
graph I will pass
the spot up all
together and look
for another type of
structure. I had my
A-rig rigged up with
5 1/2oz Buckeye
JWill swimbait heads
glued to 5 matching
BigBite CaneThumpers.
The whole set up
weighed more than
6ozs so I had to
throw it on an 8ft
XXHeavy Carrot
Stick/Abu Garcia
Revo Premier and
60lb Sunline FX2
braid. I have to
admit, this was the
goofiest looking
thing that I've ever
seen at first. When
I would lob it out
about 20yrds from
the boat it would
make a splsh about
like Peter T doin
his best version of
the cannonball. I
figured out that if
I counted it down to
about 10ft and
reeled it at a slow
but steady pace,
they would CRUSH it!
The bites on this
set up told me that
the fish were
completely fooled.
Truly one of the
most amazing things
that I've ever seen
in bass fishing. It
was not until the
3rd day of the
tournament that I
got one of these
rigs and figured out
how to use it. The
first 2 days I
caught only 12
keepers with the
best ones weighing
29lbs, the last 2
days wich is usually
tougher, I caught 87
keepers with the
best weighing 44lbs!
Crazy. Heres the
deal though. I
believe that the
A-Rig is just
another tool to use
for when the
conditions are right
to use it. The
Buckeye heads and
Cane Thumpers seem
to be the perfect
baits to use with
it. Although, I will
be experimenting
with Warmouths, Jerk
Minnows and also a
new swimbait that we
at BigBite have
started working on
too. Get you some
Cane Thumpers and
Buckeye heads and
one of these rigs
and go Jack'em Up!
.. Russ Lane
10/4/2011
"The
fall is one of my
most favorite times
of year. The weather
is getting cooler
hear in Bama and
most of the
fishermen are in the
woods getting ready
for dear season.
This leaves the lake
wide open and the
fish start biting
like crazy. They go
to chasing shad and
just about anything
else that moves
around in shallow
water. The key this
time of year is the
bait. A bass's
number 1 priority
this time of year is
to hurry up and get
fat! Fat enough to
last them throughout
the winter. There is
no spawn this time
of year to worry
about so its all
about the food. Find
the food, find the
bass. There are
exceptions, but for
the most part shad
is a dominant forage
for the bass. Most
of the shad go way
back in the back
ends of creeks and
on top of very
shallow wide open
flats. The 2 things
that these 2 areas
usually have in
common are slightly
stained water and
stumps. In the fall,
when you see stained
water, stumps and
shad, you are about
to get bit. Buckeye
spinnerbaits and
Spro shallow cranks
are an obvious
choice, but I want
to tell you about 2
different soft
plastic rigs that
will get you a few
more Big Bites on
these shallow shad
eatin bass. The Cane
Thumper is a
5" slender
swimbait that can be
awesome if rigged
and fished
correctly. I like it
when the sun is high
and there is little
to no wind. I fish
it similar to how I
would a crankbait
and try to make
contact with the
stumps. On bright
sunny days the bass
will hold tight to
the stumps waiting
to ambush a passing
shad. Hit the stump
with a steady
retrieve then pop
your rod up high
bringing the Thumper
to the surface. The
key to getting the
most action is in
the rigging. I use a
5/0 Gamakatsu 60
degree jig hook and
I attach it with a
screw lock. Anywhere
from 1/8 to a 1/4 oz
tungsten bullet
weight in front will
be heavy enough to
keep it down. Don't
peg it! When you pop
the Cane Thumper off
a stump the weight separates
from the bait and
the bait suspends in
place for a moment.
This is when most of
your strikes will
occur, so be ready.
I use14-16lb Sunline
Shooter flourocarbon
and a good stiff 7ft
Carrot Stix rod with
an AbuGarcia Revo
7.1. You will see
most of the fish eat
it, but don't set
the hook
immediately. He wont
spit it out, reel
down make sure he's
got it and the cross
his eyes! Check back
in a couple of days
and I'll tell you
about the rig that I
use on cloudy windy
days when the fish
are roaming and
really aggressive!
Fish to win! .."
Russ Lane
8/23/2011
"The
PAA/Neely Henry
event was a pretty
good one for me last
week. I made sure
going into that
event that my
mindset was on
winning. I've had
that mindset since
the halfway point of
this years Elite
season. My worst
finish since then
was a 25th way back
at Lake Murray and
I've gotten stronger
at every event since
then. The last 2
events I've had the
opportunity to win
finishing 7th and
6th. I try and make
sure that I do all
of the little things
that I can to put
the odds in my favor
as much as possible.
From changing line,
adding new hooks to
crankbaits as soon
as they need it and
keeping the baits
and equipment that I
have the most
confidence in my
hands at all times.
Last week that setup
was a 7:1 Revo
Premier, 7 1/2ft
Carrot Stix rod,
25lb Sunline
Flourocarbon and of
course the Big Bite
YoDaddy! It's August
and yes there are
always fish out deep
in the summer time,
but when it gets
late in the year
those deep fish can
get extremely hard
to catch. To me,
it's always a good
idea this time of
year to make sure
you know how to at
least catch a few
fish shallow early
in the morning
before you get out
the big crankbait
and go to the
ledges. And that's
exactly what I did
last week. In
practice I played
with a few different
topwater and shallow
crankbaits, but I
had a good idea
those aggressive
fish would shut down
before the end of
the tournament. I
tried flipping a
YoDaddy around docks
and found a solid
pattern. I added a
jig skirt to the
line in between the
YoDaddy and the
weight. If you
haven't tried this
yet you should. When
you shake or pop the
bait with your rod
the skirt flares and
gives it a little
extra appeal that it
is needed sometimes
to make a lethargic
fish react. I've
noticed that this
really works well in
the hottest part of
summer and in the
dead of winter. In
both seasons fish
usually prefer a big
bait too. I was able
to catch a few good
fish by mid day
flipping docks with
this setup and that
was a big key for me
to be able to go out
to the deep ledges
where the better
fish live late in
the day. Overall
finishing sixth with
a great chance of
winning is about all
anyone could ask
for. I could not
have finished nearly
as high without
those few shallow
fish each morning.
Try bulking up some
of your plastics
with a skirt and see
what happens.
Sometimes it's the little
things that help you
get a few more Big
Bites!!!!!!"
Russ Lane
8/10/2011
Since getting back from ICAST I've been super busy
trying to catch up on sponsor requests and getting ready
for the upcoming PAA event on Neely Henry. I've had a
few sponsors that needed photos for their websites and
advertising so early last week I went to Lake Jordan to
catch a few picture fish. I hadn't been there in a while
but I figured them out pretty quickly. I caught about
15lbs in about 4 hours of fishing with 3 really nice
fish to use for pictures. I would tell you how I caught
them but it might tip off a few of the guys of how to
catch them at Neely Henry next week. Neely Henry is one
of the other lakes on the Coosa Chain and it fishes a
lot like Jordan. Anyway, I met up later with a
proffessional photographer later in the day and we took
575 pictures. Out of all of those, it was narrowed down
to 75 photos to be edited.(I need a ton of editing too!)
Probably only 20 of those will actually ever be used!
This past weekend my old team partner Chris and I fished
the Marbury Bass Classic on the AL River. This was a
fundraising tournament for the Marbury High School
baseball team. Whenever my schedule allows, I try and
support some of the local fundraiser tournaments. We had
a great day too. We won with 14.65lbs. There were 97
boats and all of the guys that I came up fishing local
tournaments with were there. It was good to see everyone
again. These guys are the reason that I'm a professional
fisherman today. They are some fierce competitors! We
caught a few fish early swimming a Buckeye Mop
jig/YoDaddy trailer around shallow cover. We got a few
keepers around mid day flipping shallow wood with a
YoMamma and a YoDaddy including a good 3lber that Chris
caught. The last couple of hours the current started so
we went to the ledges and caught a couple of big ones on
the Spro BigDaddy Crank. We had a blast! Its always good
to fish a fun local tournament with Chris and jack'em
up! Well next week is the PAA Neely Henry tournament and
I'm ready to go. I'm feeling the momentum gaining
and I want to get a big win before this year is over.
This could be the one...
7/17/2011
Jill and I just got in from the ICAST show and we are
wore out! The show opened every morning at 9am and
lasted until 6. I did tons of interviews, product videos
and even filmed one commercial. After the show closed
each night it was a race back to the room to shower up
for dinner with sponsors and their customers and then
hanging out with friends in the casino at the Hilton. It
was a marathon of promotions and PR! I spent time in
everyones booth including Boomerang Tools, BassMinder
Products, Buckeye Baits, Carrot Stix, AbuGarcia, Sunline,
Spro/Gamakatsu and Big Bite Baits. From what I saw last
week, the fishing industry is in great shape and all of
my sponsors are doing even better. I've got the best
group of sponsors in the industry and if you were at
ICAST you would have seen why. We all had the coolest
most innovative new products in the show. Please go to
all of their websites and check out what is new for next
year! Big Bite introduced a few new baits that got everyone's
attention. The 8" Finesse Worm is one that I'll be
adding to my arsenal. It's a longer, bulkier version of
the 6" worm that is still small enough to get
plenty of bites, but large enough to get the Big Bites
that I need. Also, Kriet designed a new drop shot worm
called the Shakin Squirrel. It's a small
streamlined worm made with super soft plastic and comes
in colors that no other manufacturer can make without
hand pouring the molds. It will get bites under the
toughest conditions. Big Bite is always working on
bringing us new products that will give us an edge on
the water. If there is any type of bait that you would
like to see, then let me know on Facebook or RussLane23@att.net.
As always, keep checking in for more updates on Life in
the Elite Lane.
7/11/2011
Even though the Elite Series regular season is already
over, I've still been very busy lately. Last week I was
doing some filming up in Michigan. The smallmouth were
up shallow and smokin topwaters and Big Bite Jerk
Minnows. It was allot of fun and the show should be
great. I also just checked into my hotel out in Las
Vegas where I'll be working at the ICAST Show. This is
where all of the major and upcoming companies come to
showcase their new products for the next year. It's cool
to be able to see some of the new tackle before it hits
the shelves. This week Spro will be unveiling my new
crank bait, the BigDaddyCrank. It should be on the
shelves at Cabelas, Gander Mountain, Bass Pro and many
other retailers in the coming weeks. I also hope to go
over plans for some new and exciting baits with Big
Bite. We came out with the YoDaddy earlier this year and
it has been a big hit. We also find out this week who
the 4 guys are that will be voted into All-Star Week. No
matter what happens, I appreciate everyone's votes. This
is just an opportunity to make a sizeable donation to
The Make a Wish Foundation that I may not otherwise be
able to afford. Keep checking in and I'll let you know
what's going on in Life in the Elite Lane.
6/21/2011
"The
Elite Series regular
season is now over
and even after all
double qualifiers it
looks like I'm going
to barely miss the
Classic. I've never
had a season where I
lost so many
"game
changing" fish.
If I could have
landed half of the
fish I lost at
Wheeler I would have
easily won instead
of finishing 7th. Oh
well, my fishing is
as strong as ever.
I'm making all the
right decisions and
throwing all the
right baits that you
need to win. The
rest is out of my
control. We've got
Opens, PAA's and a
couple of FLW events
left this year to
get it all turned
around. There is one
event left that I
really want to be a
part of but I'm
going to need your
help to get me
there. It's the
Bassmaster All-Star
event here on Lake
Jordan and the AL
River. To get me in
you have to log into
Bassmaster.com
everyday and vote.
If I win the
All-Star
event then I will
donate $25,000 to
the Make A Wish
Foundation. So come
on and help me make
this season a
success while making
someone else's
dreams come true.
Jack'em Up!"
Russ Lane
6/7/2011
"The
first 2 practice
days are complete
out here on the AR
River. I practiced
till dark, got a
bite to eat, took a
shower and it's
already 11:00
o'clock. I've got to
be up at 4:00 to be
on the water by
6:00. I worked
so hard in the 100
degree heat that my
legs are having some
awful painful
cramps. I
jumped up from the
bed around midnight
last night and it
felt like my leg was
about to break in
half. Getting a bad
cramp right now as I
type. Well I could
sleep in and rest my
legs tomorrow or I
could ignore it and
get right back out
there..... Pain
heals but glory lasts
forever... I'll be
on the water at
daylight. 5 Big
Bites!!!!!"
Russ Lane
6/2/2011
"Sorry
it's been a while
since my last blog.
This season has been
a blurr since the
Classic in Feb. I've
been outside
reorganizing the Big
Bite truck and boat
for the last 2 Elite
Series events
starting next week.
First up is the
Arkansas River which
should be some great
shallow water
flipping. Sounds
like a job for the YoDaddy. The last
event is Lake
Wheeler. This is the
one that I've been
waiting on all year!
With the new format
of winning an event
and you're in the
Classic, this is my
best opportunity to
do so. We've already
got 95-100 degree
days here in Bama so
by then it should be
an offshore
tournament. Like
most TN River lakes
you first have to
figure out the
productive depth and
then try and find as
many schools as
possible. 3 rods, my
new Spro Big Daddy
Crank, a Buckeye
Football Jig with a
YoDaddy trailer and
a big Kriet Tail
Worm. We've still
got a shot at the
Classic and a win so
I'm excited and
prepared for the
next 2
weeks.
I
also want to tell
you a little about
what I was doing
last week. I went to
Troy AL with several
other pros to the
Outdoors Without
Limits event. This
is an organization
that takes injured
or less fortunate
people and give them
an opportunity to go
fishing and hunting
and just have an
awesome experience
in the outdoors. The
main goal is for
everyone to leave
with a smile. I
fished for 2 days
with a 20 year old
young man named
Clifton Brady. He
was in a 4-wheeler
accident in his
early teens that
changed his life
forever. I was
nervous when we
first got out on the
water but when Big
C, as I called him,
reeled in his first
fish on a Big Bite
finesse worm I knew
we were going to
have a blast. He
laughed the whole
time and so did I.
I
also for a brief
moment met a 22 year
old good lookin
dude, named Chase
Free. He was in a
wheel chair. I've
talked to him on
Facebook some and
his story is
shocking. 2 months
ago Chase was on the
way back home from a
hunt where he was a
volunteer himself
for Outdoors Without
Limits. He was in an
accident that for
the moment has him
paralyzed from
the waist down. This
is a kid that was
doing volunteer work
at the young age of
22. Later I learned
that he had a 94 mph
fastball too and was
supposed to go
overseas to an ALL
Star game. These are
games that gather
some of the biggest
prospects for the
major league scouts
to get a better look
at. He was scheduled
to be there in June.
I hope to get on the
water with him soon.
Life is full of
surprises some good,
some not so good.
Take a friend, a
child or even a
stranger fishing
whenever you can.
You never know when
it may be your last
chance. Jack'em Up!!"
Russ Lane
4/7/2011
"This
blog will be a
little short but its
a quarter til 10:00
and I gotta get some
sleep for tomorrow.
I've caught all of
my fish on the Big
Bite YoDaddy! Thanks
to Scott and Dennis
at Big Bite Baits
for giving me full
input on the shape
and design needed to
give me the
confidence bait I
have been looking
for. Most folks know
me as a cranker
because I don't
usually have a flip
stick in my hand. I
have the absolute
best setup for a
flipping rig that
you will ever see:
7:1 Revo Premier
spooled with the
deadliest braid on
the market, Sunline
FX2 braid. Pair them
with an 8ft Carrot
Stix and a YoDaddy
with a Gammakatsu
5/0 Straight Shank
and i know that i
have the best setup
for flipping that
money can buy! I may
not be the best
flipper on tour but
when i'm forced to
do it, my whole
setup all the way
down to the YoDaddy
gives me an
advantage. Thanks
again to all of my
sponsors and especially
Big Bite for giving
me the tools I need
to compete at this
level. I'm the last
man in the cut here
at Pickwick and
there is no where to
go but up. Ill let
you know if i Jackem
Up!"
Russ Lane
4/3/2011
"I've
had a couple of
weeks off before I
leave out for
Pickwick and Toledo
Bend this week. You
know, I was bummed
when I got back from
the Florida swing
and was sitting
around thinking what
I needed to do to
straighten myself
out. It was obvious,
I just needed to go
launch the boat at
Lake Jordan with no
preconceived ideas
of how to catch them
and just have some
fun. Well for three
days in a row, thats
exactly what I did!
A new friend of mine
from KY, Tim Foster,
came down on
Thursday and Friday
and we absolutely
had a ball. Tim
wanted me to help
him learn how to
figure out what the
fish are doing
quickly. He is a
business man and doesn't
get as much time on
the water as he
would like so he didn't
want to waste any
time trying to find
fish before he
actually started
doing some catching.
We caught a handful
of nice largemouths
flipping the
YoDaddy(Hematoma)
around the bank
grass right off the
bat. Tim even caught
a 4lber behind me on
a Kriet Tail Lizard.
This was fun and
easy, but I told Tim
that hypothetically
if this was practice
for a tournament
that he should look
for a backup pattern
in case the weather
or fishing pressure
changes those
shallow largemouths.
So we put away the
flipping sticks and
put on a Spro Little
John deep diving
plug and a Buckeye
football jig with a
YoDaddy trailer. The
first few places we
tried we didn't get
bit but it didn't
matter to me, we
were having fun and
were just pretending
that we were
practicing for a
tournament. We kept
looking out deep and
finally we hit a big
school of giant
spotted bass. All
3-5lbers! After that
it was on big time,
we found about 5
more places that
were loaded with
them. It was a
blast, they were
crushing the Spro
crank and you could
get a bite on almost
every cast with the
Buckeye/YoDaddy jig.
He wanted to learn
how to go out and
find fish quickly
for his local derby's
back in KY and that's
exactly what I had
showed him. Until I
got a call that
evening from my best
friend Chris I
didn't realize that
I might have learned
as much the past 2
days as Tim did.
Chris said,
"Hey man,
there's a 40 boat
tournament on Jordan
tomorrow, wanna fish
it?" We
smoked'em, 19lbs and
1st place, and more
important we had a
blast! I realized
then that in
practice and the
tournament the most
important things to
remember are to keep
an open mind, go out
relaxed, have fun
and keep my
confidence baits in
my hand. If you do
this, I guarantee
you'll get more Big
Bites in your local
tournaments!"
Russ Lane
3/25/2011
"We
are back home from
the recent FL swing
and not a minute too
soon for me. The
Harris Chain and the
St. Johns fished as
small as any bodies
of water I've ever
been too. One thing
I have always
struggled with and
usually stayed away
from is fishing in a
crowd. Sometimes in
FL the fish get
bunched up in really
small areas and you
almost have to be
there to be
competitive. The
smart thing to do is
to work really hard
in practice to find
a pattern or an off
the wall type deal
to at least have a
decent tournament.
The problem is
though usually you
are taking away an
opportunity to win,
and that ain't my
style. We've got
Pickwick and Toledo
Bend coming up next
and these two events
should be a lot of
fun. These lakes are
huge and there will
be big schools of
fish all over that
guys will have to
themselves. I'll be
looking for places
to catchem on Spro
crankbaits and a
Buckeye jig with a
YoDaddy as a
trailer. I've got
confidence on these
lakes with these
baits so I'll be out
for blood on the
next swing. 5 Big
Bites a day is all
it takes!"
Russ Lane
3/8/2011
"Last
night I arrived here
in Tavares FL where
we're about to start
the 1st Elite Series
event on the Harris
Chain of Lakes.
Today I went to get
supplies for the
week, played with my
tackle in the Big
Bite/Phoenix/Yamaha
rig and really just
took it easy. Over
the last month or so
according to
Internet fishing
reports and local
tournament results
there have been some
huge bags of fish
weighed in. I'm
still a little
skeptical though
even after reading
about some 30
something pound bags
being brought in.
Temperatures have
been very warm here
for at least 2 full
moons. That means
that there should be
a ton of fish that
have already spawned
and could get the
early post spawn
blues. Also the next
full moon is not
until we get to the
next event, plus
they are forecasting
east winds in the
tournament. Don't
get me wrong, there
will be some big
bags weighed in, but
I believe that the
key to winning this
week will be
consistency. An area
where I can catch
15-17lbs a day
should put me very
close to the top.
That's my goal
anyway. Jack'em Up!"
Russ Lane
2/22/2011
"Ok,
I'm through pouting
now. Back home and
getting my mind back
on track for the
regular season. Like
everyone, I've had a
handful of bad
tournaments in my career,
but at least I know
what I did wrong in
this one. Usually
after a bad one you
leave scratching
your head and
wondering what just
happened. In this
Classic the problem
was simple, I just
didn't trust my
instincts. When the
conditions tell you
to go, YOU GO! Never
second guess your
instincts. Sometimes
even though you
don't get bites in
practice, you have
to trust that the
changing conditions
are going to send
the fish your way.
The winning spot was
the most obvious
place to win that
tournament that I've
ever seen for when
the conditions would
get right. Practice
was cold and the
fishing was really
tough. I let getting
a few bites in one
area completely
throw me off my game plan
of staying in
Catouatchie Creek.
The area I started
in did not have the
potential to win and
deep down I knew it.
After a fog delay,
an hour long run and
a few missed
opportunities it was
too late to make the
adjustment. On day 2
I made the move,
caught a great bag
of fish and even had
a 7lb 12oz fish that
was the biggest of
the day. A little
redemption felt
good, sorta. Lesson
learned and it wont
happen again any
time soon. The cool
thing is that I
caught a bunch of
fish that day on our
new Yo'Daddy! The
deal was swimming it
on a 1/4 oz weight
and flipping it into
the holes in the
grass. When you're
around'em, they will
eat it! I've got so
much confidence in
this bait. I'm
looking forward to
the first couple of
Elite events in
Florida with this
bait. Flipping and
sight fishing could
be the deal and you
can't have a better
bait in your hand
for those
techniques. I'm
gonna Jack'em Up on
the Yo'Daddy!!"
Russ Lane
2/10/2011
"It's
that time again!
Time to put the
huntin stuff away
and start another
season on the 2011
Bassmaster Elite
Series. We've got
some new venues and
some that we haven't
visited for several
years. I'm excited
about them all and
have a couple that
I'm really looking
forward to. But
before I get too far
ahead, there is one
little ole 50 boat
tourney that's bout
to get kicked off
next week that I
can't wait to get
started. It's
BASSMASTERS CLASSIC
time! You would
think after 6 years
on the Elite Series
with 4 Classics
qualified for, Big
Daddy would be a
little more relaxed
and laid back about
this one. Nope, I'm
as pumped up about
this LA Delta
Classic as I was at
Lay Lake last year.
The Bassmaster
Classic to me is the
pinnacle, the top of
the heap, it's the
World Series of bass
tournaments. You win
this one and lives
will change. Not
just the anglers
life, but his family's
life. The sponsors
that stand by you
from year to year
will reap the
financial benifits
that they so
deserve. I'm also
excited about this
Classic because I
have a new sponsor
in Phoenix Boats.
Powered with the
Yamaha SHO, this is
the slickest ride I
have ever been in.
And finally after
months of work, Big
Bite Baits has
created the
confidence bait that
I've been wanting.
It's called the
YoDaddy!, named
after the Yomama
which everyone knows
has been a favorite
of mine. The
YoDaddy! is designed
to be used as a
flipping bait, a
Football jig trailer
and a swimming jig
trailer. When you
can take a bait like
this and fish it in
so many different
ways then you begin
to get confidence in
it. The YoDaddy! is
my confidence
bait.... If you're
attending the
Classic Expo in New
Orleans, please stop
by the Big Bite
Baits booth and ask
to see the YoDaddy!
I think you'll be
excited too."
Russ Lane
1/11/2011
"Well
here we are in the
middle of Jan and if
you are a die hard
fisherman like I am,
you're starting to
get impatient.
Spring isn't too far
away, but we've
still got cold water
and air temps for
several weeks to
come. If you live in
the South where the
lakes never freeze
over there's no
reason why you
should sit around
and wait for perfect
conditions. I like
to go out a few days
this time of year to
get all of my
equipment in order
and hopefully catch
a few fish to curb
the winter anxiety.
If you understand
what is actually
going on underwater
this time of year it
really is easy to
know what to do to
catch a few fish.
The water is very
cold, 35-45 degree
range and that makes
the bass and the
bait extremely
sluggish. They are
not in the mood to
chase and are
looking for a place
to feel
comfortable.
It's time to put
down the crankbaits,
jerkbaits and
spinnerbaits and
sloooow doooown.
I've caught some
huge bass this time
of year on a black
and blue Buckeye Mop
jig with a Yo'Mamma
as a trailer.
I know what you're
thinking, when it's
tough I need to
downsize. WRONG,
this is the time to
offer up a big meal
with an ultra slow
presentation.
Normally you're not
going to go out and
get a bunch of bites
anyway so why don't
you try and fish for
a few Big Bites? I
pull off the small
pinchers in the
middle of the
Yo'Mamma then
seperate the claws
so that they will
spread out on the
fall. With the bulky
living rubber skirt
and the
modifications to the
Yo'Mamma, this jig
will glide on it's
way down. I throw it
on a 7' Carrot Stick
Heavy rod/Abu Garcia
Revo Premier and use
20lb Sunline Shooter
Flourocarbon. The
vast majority of the
fish will be on any
type of rock you can
find in 5-10ft.
Mostly main lake
points, channel
swings or just
inside the mouth of
major creeks. Also
try and fish rocky
areas that are in
direct sunlight for
most of the day.
Rocky hard bottoms
hold heat and it may
only take a degree
or two to make a
bass feel more
comfortable. You
don't want to put a
lot of action into
this bait. Just a
slow steady drag
while keeping in
contact with the
bottom is what will
trigger a strike.
There's something
about the big bulk
of the Mop jig skirt
with the bulky body
and separated claws
of the Yo'Mamma that
the big'uns just
can't stand. Don't
sit around waiting
for the perfect
conditions, go out
and give the fish
what they want. You
won't believe how
hard they hit this
bait!"
Russ Lane
12/7/2010
"This
past weekend I drove
down to New Orleans
and looked around
for a few days.
Since the Bassmaster
Classic will be in
late Feb I didn't do
very much fishing.
The conditions will
obviously be
different and the
fish that time of
year should be in a
late pre-spawn to
early spawn phase.
Over the years I've
learned that you
stand to do much
better in a
tournament if you
are able to fish
with baits and
techniques that you
enjoy and consider
to be your
strengths. My
absolute two
favorite techniques
are flipping matted
vegetation and
winding some sort of
crankbait. From what
I saw in the LA
Delta, there will be
three particular
baits that I'll have
on the deck of my
Phoenix 721. A
Spro Aruku Shad 65
lipless crankbait, a
Big Bite YoMamma and
the new flipping
bait that we have
been working on at
Big Bite. I
saw tons of areas
that were set up
with hydrilla,
milfoil and matted hyacinths.
Some of these areas
had clean water,
some dirty, some
were very shallow
and some were deeper
than others. Some
were in narrow
canals and other
areas were huge wide
open lakes. A
few of the areas
were at least a
hundred mile run by
boat and some were
only 5 miles away.
When practice starts
for the Classic on
Feb 11th, I'll have
to consider all of
these variables and
include the current
weather conditions
when deciding where
I want to
fish. Due to
fishing pressure and
extremely long runs,
this tournament may
not be won in the
area that has the
most and biggest
fish. You've got to
find the right
scenario for a 3 day
event with 50 of the
best fishermen in
the world. I
believe that I've
discovered several
areas that have the
potential to produce
all three days of
the Classic. One
thing is for sure,
I'll be cranking my
Aruku Shad and
flipping a YoMamma
until I get'em
figured out!"
Russ Lane
11/5/2010
"This
is that crazy time
of year for a
professional angler
when your job turns
from chasing down
green fish all over
the country to
sitting behind a
desk and taking care
of the business side
of the job. You say
what? Russ Lane
sitting behind a
desk like a normal
human being? No way!
Yes, that is where
I'll be for the
majority of the next
couple of months,
stuck behind a desk.
Some of the desk
work is not very
fun, like doing year
end media reports,
scheduling next
seasons tournaments
(hotels and
registration),
coordinating the
sale of this years
boat and Yamaha
engine and
finalizing next
years sponsor
contracts. Not all
that interesting,
but a vital part of
Russ Lane Fishing.
Then there's the fun
and exciting part of
the desk job. I've
talked about this in
several of my blogs
this year and now is
when the ideas and
brainstorming on new
bait designs become
a reality. New baits
with Big Bite and a
crankbait that I've
always wanted with a
company to be named
later. This is
tedious work to say
the least. Exact
drawings to scale
have to be made with
measurements down to
the millimeter.
Shape, weight and
density all have
performance
influences when you
add H2O turbulence.
(I thought I would
impress you with
some words that I
heard when I was in
college that I don't
really know the
meaning of.)
But, since I can't
even spell
aeronautics
engineer, these
effects can only be
seen through trial
and error.
I've fished enough
plastics and
crankbaits over the
last 20yrs that I
know exactly what I
need to be
competitive on the
Elite Series. When
all of the desk work
is done and I have
tested the
prototypes then I'm
extremely confident
that I'll have a few
more baits that will
give me an advantage
against the best
fisherman in the
world. If
these baits can do
that for me, think
what they will do
for you! Jack'em Up!"
Russ Lane
10/19/2010
"...I
won"
Russ Lane
10/18/2010
"Today
was supposed to be
about a little fun
fishing with a
couple of friends
and relaxing at Lake
Jordan. After
catching a 4lb spot
on our first stop of
the morning I
realized that some
time today there
would be no more
"relaxin easy
goin fishin"
and a tournament
would break out in
the Big Bite Basscat!
3 and 4lb spots were
chasing shad all
over the lake and
every time a school
would come up it was
a mad race to see
who could catch the
first one!
Between Stan, Chris
and I we must of
caught 30 fish today
on all kinds of
topwater baits. It's
good to be able to
go out when the fish
are easy to catch
and just have a
great time with
nothing on the line.
Tomorrow I'm headed
over to West Point
Lake with Scott
Montgomery of Big
Bite Baits. I've got
an Elite event there
next May so I wanted
to just ride over
and take it easy you
know, just look
around. Scott said
he wanted to tag
along since he has a
tournament there
coming up in a few
weeks and maybe we
could play around
with some of the new
baits that we're
working on.
I'm kinda wondering
if, well, maybe
another tournament
will break out
tomorrow? I'll let
you know who wins..."
Russ Lane
10/13/2010
"I
really wanted to
have a great finish
at Seminole
especially since it
was the last event
of the year. With
only a day and a
half of practice I
just wasn't quite
able to get into the
flow of practice and
the tournament. You
ask, "what does
that mean?"
Well, when you go to
a hydrilla lake in
the fall of the
year, it is almost
automatic that the
tournament will be
won flipping matted
hydrilla. 95%
of the Open field
knew this so with a
week of practice for
most, everyone was
practicing on all of
the obvious places.
Now I'm going to get
in depth. My first
practice day was
Tues, which was
right on top of a
major cold front.
Major cold fronts,
strong winds and
Florida strain
largemouths mean you
are lucky if you get
a bite at all.
Around a dozen
flipping bites on
obvious places
during a cold front
with stable weather
on the way for the
tournament, to me,
meant that I was
well on my way to a
great finish. The
very most important
variable in
tournaments is
fishing pressure. My
mistake was, I
didn't factor that
into my limited
practice time. The 3
"obvious"
areas that I got
bites in were
destroyed by other
competitors. I
should have spent my
day and a half of
practice looking for
more obscure or out
of the way areas to
flip. One good
area to yourself
will almost always
beat three great
areas that you have
to share. This is
one of the
"secrets of the
pros", so don't
tell anyone! I got
most all of my bites
last week flipping a
bait that most
people wouldn't
think of. 4 fish
over 7lbs in 4 days
(2 of which were my
fault that I lost
during the
tournament) were on
the new Cane Thumper
swimbait. See image
below for my
rig. I had it
rigged with a 1oz
tungsten weight and
a 5/0 Gamakatsu
straight shank hook
on 65lb Big Game
Braid, 7'6"
American Rodsmiths
flipping stick and a
Abu Garcia Revo. The
Cane Thumper was
designed to be a finesse
style swimbait, but
it also has the
perfect profile,
size and action to
make a great
flipping bait. Pick
up a bag or two at
Academy and I think
you'll like it."
Russ Lane
10/4/2010
"The
Toyota Classic was a
great tournament for
us. I finished 10th
after having a
really tough
practice. As soon as
the weigh in was
over I jumped in my
truck and drove till
I got tired. After 9
more hours of
driving today I
arrived in
Bainbridge GA for
the BASS Open on
Lake Seminole. As
soon as I checked in
the hotel I started
getting the Big Bite
boat packed and
organized. After
that I returned a
few phone calls, got
a bite to eat and
now it's 11:00.
Since I made the
final cut in TX, now
I only have a day
and a half to
practice for the
Open. It's the last
event for me this
year so I really
want to finish up
strong. Just got a
wake up call for
5:00, good night...."
Russ Lane
9/26/2010
"We
just finished up our
meeting tonight for
the TX Toyota
Classic. The biggest
names in the sport
are here this week
so the competition
is going to be
tough. I think the
fishing Is going to
be a little slow the
way the conditions
are setting up. No
chance of rain and a
cool front on the
way means high
pressure and bright
skies. Looks like
flipping docks or
even some offshore
cranking to me. One
things for sure,
we're in TX so there
will be some big
fish weighed in this
week. No matter what
the conditions I'll
be fishing for Big
Bites in this one."
Russ Lane
9/2/2010
"Here
at Big Bite we're
still working on a
few new baits to
help me and you
become more
successful on the
water. If done
correctly, this is a
slower process than
you may think. We
want these baits to
be the total
package! A bait has
to have the right
action for it's
application, the
profile needed to effectively
penetrate the target
cover and perform
efficiently with the
hook for an optimum
landing ratio.
Even though I've
been busy the last
couple of weeks,
this has been a fun
time for me. Time
away from the water
is good for my game.
The fire is already
starting to burn so
when I get on the
water for the Toyota
Classic in a few
weeks I'll be ready
to Jack'em Up!"
Russ Lane
8/29/2010
"Several
people have asked me
this question,
"are you
enjoying your time
off?" Of course
the answer is
"yes," but
I wouldn't exactly
call these last 2
weeks a
vacation.
Don't get me wrong,
I'm not complaining
at all, but I've
been fairly busy
working lately. The
whole purpose of
"Life in the
Elite Lane," is
to give my readers a
glimpse of what it
is truly like to be
a professional
angler.
Since I got
back from Charlotte,
I've had several
projects in the
works. One is that
I've started working
on a deep diving
crankbait with an
extremely successful
company in the
industry. I'm
honored that they're
trusting me with
total input in the
design. I've
always had an idea
of what the perfect
all around plug
would be like and
now I get to own
one. We'll be
announcing our
partnership very
soon.
Also,
I've been working
with a company that
has developed a tool
for anglers that
everyone will want
to have on the deck
of their boat when
they see it. Have
you ever misplaced a
pair of cutters or
pliers and lost
valuable time
looking for them?
This is just one of
the problems they
have eliminated.
Hopefully I will be
able to tell more in
the coming days."
Russ Lane
8/16/2010
"It
doesn't always work
out like that, but
this time I was
right. The Floatin
Toad got me several
Big Bites over the 3
days at Lake Norman.
It's late summer and
by now those fish
that live on boat
docks have been
slammed all year
with jigs and
plastics. I could
take the Floatin
Toad, skip it under
there and buzz it by
the pilings. They
would crush it! A
few good ones each
morning on the toad
and some crankin
fish later each day
lead to my sixth top
10 this year! Just
remember, it
sometimes may be
obvious to everyone
where the fish will
be, but you may have
to do something
different to get
them to bite.
Jack'em Up!!"
Russ Lane
8/8/2010
"The
last time I fished
Lake Norman was my
rookie season in
2005. The
first day of the
tournament we had
blizzard like
conditions with a
high around 20
degrees. They were
eating the paint off
of a shallow running
crankbait. I
think I finished
15th, one place
behind VanDam.
Next week will be
totally different of
course with temps in
the 90's and high
water temps
too. I'm
looking forward to
this PAA event
because the fishing
will be really tough
and that means that
if you can figure
out one little deal
to generate a few
"Big
Bites", you can
really do
well. I've
already qualified
for the Texas Toyota
Bass Classic so I
can fish comfortably
and not have to
worry about
points. One of
my favorite things
to do in the late
summer is fish
topwater.
Maybe skippin a
Floatin Toad under
docks could be the
deal? We'll see!!"
Russ Lane
8/2/2010
"This
was a week that I'll
never forget. Of
course I was blessed
with my first Elite
Series win after
getting my rod taken
from me and letting
the winning fish
jump out of my hands
and back into the
water. It was also
great to see friends
and family that I
haven't heard from
in a long time.
Thanks so much to
everyone for the
support this week.
Thanks also to the
sponsors that chose
to stick with me
through a couple of
rough years till I
got things
straightened out.
Losing the AOY in
the final moments
stung a bit, but now
I know it can be
done. A near
Classic win and AOY
title in one season,
I just needed a few
more "Big
Bites."
This week I'll start
working with Big
Bite on a few more
baits for our
lineup. I'm
excited to help
design the baits
that I'll be
competing
with. Next up
is the PAA event on
Lake Norman so I'll
be letting you know
what's going on
there. Jack'em Up!"
Russ Lane
7/29/2010
"Hi!
It's Jill - The blog
will come from me
today because Russ'
schedule is so
hectic, he hasn't
had a minute to
spare. His phone
hasn't stopped
ringing for the past
2 weeks. They
haven't had a break
since this whole
thing started last
Wednesday. He's
still very much
excited about the
win on Lake Jordan
last week; but at
the same time, he
has to climb down
off of the cloud and
get ready for the
river:) It's
going to be tough
because of the late
start - but more fan
friendly - and
that's really what
the sport is
about! Even
though we are at
home, it still feels
like he's off at a
tournament.
He's gone from
daylight until dark.
The kids and I only
get to see him for a
few minutes a
day:( It's all
worth it though!
We'll probably be
tired of him on his
first day off!
Ha ha - just
kidding! Keep
Russ in your
prayers! My prayer
since February has
been for Russ to win
AOY - even when it
seemed
impossible........:-)"
Jill Lane
7/16/2010
"The
last 3 days have
been great here at
ICAST 2010. There
were a lot of
exciting new
products showcased.
Spro has an awesome
new shallow running
crankbait that I'll
be buying a few of
and Big Bite
unveiled a few new
cutting edge baits
that will be must
haves in my arsenal.
The Flying Squirrel,
Cane Thumper and the
Sugar Cane are a few
of the ones you
should take a look
at. Now it's
time to start
preparation for the
post season events
and I'm jacked up
for it. Spooling
rods, organizing
tackle and some
minor boat
maintenance is what
I'll be working on
the next few days."
Russ Lane
7/14/2010
"I'm
sitting here at the
LasVegas Hilton
relaxing a bit
before I head on
over to the ICAST
Show. For those who
don't know, this is
where all of the
leaders in the
tackle industry come
to showcase there
brands in front of
the tackle
retailers. I love
coming here to get
an early look at
some of the hot new
baits for the
season. Everyone
here at Big Bite is
working on new
colors and designs
to keep you and me
ahead of the game.
Check back later for
a full report on
ICAST!"
Russ Lane
7/12/2010
"Jill
and I are about to leave out for Las Vegas. If you
happen to be at ICAST this week come by and see me at
the Big Bite booth! Don't forget to vote for me in
the Toyota Fan Favorites competition. I appreciate
every vote"
Russ Lane
7/2/2010
"I
just finished up pre-practice for the post-season events
on Jordan and the AL River. I did more looking than
fishing, just trying to remember all of the subtle
things that helped me win so many tournaments over the
years on these two lakes. Although, when I did make a
few casts, I got several bites. It's been a few years
since I was in the groove of what the fish were doing at
home but after only a couple of days on the water, I
feel like I could really catch'em good. I'm looking
forward to using some of the new baits and techniques
that I've had success with out on the tour. A Kreit Tail
Worm, Floatin Toad and of course the Yo'Mamma should be
great baits on both lakes. These two events are
going to be allot different than the regular season
events. Only 12 boats on the lake and 2 days of
competition should allow me to have a wide open
approach. With 100 boats and 4 days to fish, you never
seem to have enough fish to last. I don't have to hold
anything back this time! Also, keep checking in after
the post-season events are over. I'll be competing in a
few PAA events, a BASS Open and with a top 15 in the
Elite AOY standings I have automatically qualified for
the Toyota TX Bass Classic in October. We've got lot's
of fishing left so stay tuned...."
Russ Lane
6/21/2010
"I
can't believe it, we made it to the AOY post season
events! I'll be going up against names like Hackney,
Martens, VanDam, Klein and Reese for a shot at the
Angler of the Year Title at home on Lake Jordan and the
AL River. My success this season is all because of
my family and sponsors. Big Bite, Buckeye, American
Rodsmiths, Costa, Abu Garcia, Trilene, BassCat and
Yamaha all make products that I trust and believe
in. My mother and dad are always taking care of
things for me when I'm on the road. Mowing the
lawn, checking the mail, whatever I need, they're always
there. Jill, Jentzen and Jayce, they've done more
for me than anyone will ever know. All of the
little things that they do make my job seem so
easy. These next two tournaments are for you, my
sponsors, my family. Let's get it on!"
Russ Lane
6/19/2010
"What
a wild week so far, wasted 2 long practice days on the
river then we moved to Ft Gibson because of flooding.
One day of practice and these guys are jackn'em up!
19-10 on day 1 and trailed Biffle for the lead by 1oz!
The field is cut to 12 for Sunday and I'm in 9th. Jill,
the kids and I are praying this will get us into post
season action for a shot at the AOY Title. One more day,
a few Big Bites and we'll be there!"
Russ Lane
6/16/2010
Today's
entry comes from Russ Lane's wife Jill: "It's
5:30am and I'm taking Russ to the boat ramp at FT.
Gibson - a lake he's never even seen before. The
tournament on the Arkansas River was cancelled due to
the flooding. Debris, logs, etc... were awful and very
unsafe for the anglers. Great call by BASS:) With
only one day of practice, this is definitely a game
changer! Russ has had to totally rearrange his entire
boat - with my help! Russ sits in 15th in the AOY
standings. Praying that he does REALLY well in this
tournament and makes it to the TOP 12 post season
events:-)" Jill Lane
6/10/2010
"Sometimes
when you know the conditions are changing it is hard to
practice for that. I'm fishing deep but off the river
channel where the water was muddy in practice. Big Bites
were hard to come by then but now the water is clearing
up and the fish seam to be heading my way. 15lbs to
26lbs, let's hope there's more schools coming tomorrow!" Russ Lane
6/5/2010
"Jill,
the kids and I just got into Paris. No not France, we're
in TN at KY Lake for the next to last Elite Series
event. This is my chance to make a big move in the
points to try and make the top 12 post season events.
There's no doubt in my mind that crankin' and a big
Kriet Tail worms will be the deal this week. I'll have
to get 5 Big Bites a day here to have a chance to fish
on Sunday. This is gonna be fun!" Russ Lane
5/23/2010
"As
I expected, I had to share water with at least half the
field this week at Clarks Hill. Most everyone in the Top
25 had at least one school to themselves. So I'm proud
of a 22nd place finish! Sometimes you just have to fish
harder than everyone else. A Big Bite Jerk Minnow caught
the bulk of my weight this week. I'm moving up in the
points and headed to one of my favorite lakes next.
Hoping KY Lake could be the one......." Russ Lane
5/19/2010
"I've
spent the last 3 days at Clarks Hill lookin for schools
of fish and only found a couple. The problem is how many
other guys found'em and I'm boat 40. I'm so ready for a
win, but if I get out of here with a check I'll be
happy. Prayin for Big Bites!" Russ Lane
5/16/2010
"I
guess 26lbs and a 5th place finish wasn't worth air time
on today's Bassmasters show. Just more motivation to
wreck'em this week at Clarks Hill! We're several weeks
later than we usually come here so I'm expecting fishing
to be a little different. An open mind, a few Big Bites,
and we'll get the job done this week...!" Russ Lane
5/09/2010
"I'm
not superstitious or anything but I told Jill 2 weeks
ago that I wasn't shaving until I got a check. After a
check at Pickwick, I decided not to shave until I got a
Top 10. After 26+lbs today and a 5th place finish at the
"Big G," I don't have to look like a redneck
from lower Alabama that fishes for a living. I don't
know if Jill is happier about the money we won or my
close shave??? The last 2 weeks have been incredible!
Now we're sitting 27th in the AOY standings before
heading to Clarks Hill a week from today. Unlike
Guntersville, one Big Bite will go a long way at the
Hill. After a few days rest, I'll be ready to Jack'em
Up!" Russ Lane
5/02/2010
"Yesterday
was interesting at Pickwick. A 45 mile run in 3-4ft
waves, lightning bolts that you could actually see hit
the hill sides and missing a tornado at the Natchez
bridge by only a few minutes was a little stressful to
say the least. Anyways, the fish didn't seem to mind and
another 14lbs was good enough for 10 grand. We're on
Guntersville this week and I'm sure the weights will be
crazy as always. The "Big Bite" will be on fo
sho!" Russ Lane
4/30/2010
"My
Marshall counted 49 fish that I caught today at Pickwick.
One of them was a 4lb smallmouth. Sitting in 31st with
29lbs, I've still got a chance to fish on Sunday. I love
the TN River!" Russ Lane
4/25/2010
"Is
lake lanier as good a spotted bass lake as the Coosa
River? Well after what I saw this week, I would have to
say yes! I was working with some outdoor writers over
there and we had a ball. The spots were on bed in full
force and you could see them easily in 8ft of water.
Most of them I caught on a 3inch fighting frog and a
4inch cane stick. I used a 1/4oz weight/ 4/0 Gamakatsu
EWG hook on 12lb Trilene 100% flourocarbon. It only took
a few pitches to catch most of them. Main lake islands
on the lower end seem to be the best areas. We had lots
of 3lbers and several 4s. Scott Montgomery caught one
over 5! Maybe one day BASS will have an Elite event
there. I hope..." Russ Lane
4/19/2010
"Everyone
would probably assume that after a close call for a
Classic win, having the "2nd" biggest fish of
the tournament 3 times, blowing a top 10 at the Delta
and missing $20 grand worth of cuts by less than 2 lbs
total in the last two events that I would be at least
slightly upset. Well you're right! I'm madder than
#^N%$a!!!
Oh
well, things aren't as bad as they seem. I'm
fishing as well as I ever have now and keeping myself in
position for strong finishes. It hurts the pocket
book to not cash a check but you have to look at the big
picture. I'm only 65 points out of the Classic and we
aren't even halfway yet. Lots of fishing left and
it's about time to pull out the big crank which other
than flippin a YoMama is my favorite thing to do.
We've got Pickwick next week and there will be many ways
to catchem there. It's a big lake with several
types of cover and we'll be in the middle of pre-post
and spawn season. I'm not really mad, just wanting
a win more now than ever. A few more "Big
Bites" and my win is coming soon!" Russ Lane
4/15/2010
"It's
5:00 on Thursday morning and I'm on my way to the ramp
for the first tournament day at Smith Mountain. As
usual, the weather man got it wrong. With a cold front
coming in "unannounced" yesterday, the water
temperature dropped 15 degrees. I've found lots of fish
on beds and hopefully I can catch at least 5 good ones.
Well I have to go now, just hit some thick fog on the
road. Looks like a MAJOR fog delay!" Russ Lane
4/11/2010
Big Daddys out on the road again and this time were at
smith mountain lake in va. Sat morning I got up at 3:00
and was on the road by 4:00. Things were going smooth
until I got to Greene county tn. I was about to pull out
of a gas station when all of the sudden someone slammed
into the rear of my boat! As soon as I got out of my
truck I realized what the deal was. There was a mid
twenties woman stumbling around obviously spaced out on
whatever drug she had taken. She had 2 babies in the
back of the car that were just old enough to get out on
their own. One of the babies was headed for the busy
street before I ran and grabbed her. Momma never
noticed! This woman was so fried that she could hardly
stand or talk. If she would have made it onto the road
I'm pretty sure something bad would have happened to
those kids. Thank God she didn't. Luckily for my boat
the damage wasn't too bad. She dead centered the lower
unit on my Yamaha and it bent the prop and skeg a
little. Since yamahas are so bullet proof it almost cut
the front of her car in half. Her car had a lot more
damage than my engine. (aww, I hate that lol!) anyway,
no insurance from her so it was an expensive drive to
smith mountain. I've got plans though on making that up
this week. The weather is great and the fishing should
be even better. Hopefully practice will clue me into a
few "big bites" and maybe this will be the
one." Russ Lane
4/06/2010
"Workin
on tackle and baits this week for Smith Mountain
VA. Feelin good 'bout this one..." Russ
Lane
3/31/2010
"Just
completed an article with bassmasters on my tips for
fishing with spinnerbaits. I love to use Big
Bite's curl tail grubs and fat grubs as trailers on my
spinnerbaits. Check it out at the link
below. Hope they help you land the Big
Bite." Russ Lane
The
"Russ Lane on spinnerbaits" story is located
at http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/fishingtips/news/story?page=b_FT_RL_Spinnerbaits
3/21/2010
"Well
after a disappointing last week in CA, I'm sitting in a
hotel in Sacramento waiting to board the plane tomorrow
for Sweet Home Alabama. Clear Lake was a tough one for
me to figure out. I threw a variety of swimbaits in
practice this week with very little success. On the
afternoon of the last practice day I had a few bites
flipping a YoMamma to floating mats around reed clumps.
I knew that this wasn't a way to win on Clear Lake but
for sure the deal for a good tournament. Besides, I've
had a lot of good tournaments lately on that bait. I had
at least 35 flipping bites over the tournament and givin
the same scenario I'd do the same thing again. There
won't be many tournaments in my career that when I'm
getting that many flipping bites and catching 3-4lbers
that I'll miss a check or even a top 10. You've got to
fish to your strengths when you're struggling but
sometimes it just won't work out no matter what you do.
Anyway, I can't wait to get home to see Jill and the
kids and start preparing for Smith Mountain. The best
way to get over a bad tournament is to go fish another
one. I'll be there runnin and gunnin, searching for my
next "Big Bite!" Russ Lane
3/18/2010
"Once
again the CA weather man has NO CLUE what he's talking
about! About to blast off this morning on Clear Lake and
my plans of early morning sight fishing is out the door
due to the overnight water temperature dropping 5
degrees. I've got 2 areas where I've seen CA giants
swimming around shallow so I'm confident I'll be fishing
around them all day. Hopefully the sun will warm the
shallows and get the big fish rollin'. Pray for five
"BIG BITES!" Russ Lane
3/15/2010
"37th
place at the California Delta was worth $10k, but not
quite what I was shooting for.
I was excited to be in 3rd on the first day of
the tournament and fully expected to have a chance to
win on Sunday. The
big 8 1/2 pounder I caught on the YoMama
really helped me out that first day. Oh
well, sometimes the big adjustments that you are forced
to make don't go as planned. Anyway, it's 7 am and
I'm about to launch the Big Bite boat at Clear Lake for
the first day of practice at the second Elite Series
event. I've got one rod rigged with a YoMama
and one with a swim bait the size of a Nike tennis shoe!
With temperatures warming into the 70's, the pre-spawn
bite should be wide open. All I'm looking for is 5
"BIG BITES." Russ Lane
3/10/2010
"I
am roughing it this week in California. The cabin
I am staying in has no internet service and no TV! The
Delta hasn't treated me well so far this week. Winds
have been blowing 30 mph everyday. I have only had a few
bites each day but I'm still staying positive.
There are a few areas that I still have confidence in.
Praying for less wind and more fish!"!" Russ Lane
3/6/2010
"Jill
just dropped me off at the Birmingham airport. About to
board the plane for Sacramento, CA where we'll start the
first event of the 2010 Elite Series on the California
Delta. I'm
more excited about this event than any other for the
year. Flippin
and crankin should be the deal!
Solid limits on lipless crankbaits and a few
"BIG BITES" on the Yo'Momma is what I'll be
looking for...... I'll be missing the family for the
next 2 weeks but hoping it'll all be worth it.
Check back here on Wednesday night for my
complete practice report.
Good Luck!" Russ Lane
