PRO STAFF

Pro staff fishing tips from our handpicked Megabass team. Find that edge while on the water with our pro staff’s time tested fishing strategies.

Magdraft Freestyle Rigging Techniques

Magdraft Freestyle Rigging Techniques

How do you fish and rig a FREESTYLE swimbait? Professional Angler Chris Zaldain has been wildly successful with Megabass swimbaits on Bassmaster Elite tournament trail, notching multiple top-finishes and heavy bags. Take a seat in Chris’ boat as he breaks down the Magdraft 6” and its new sibling, the MAGDRAFT FREESTYLE. Chris shares two of …

Magdraft Freestyle Rigging Techniques Read More »

Chris Zaldain Bassmaster Classic 2019

Chris Zaldain Bass Master Classic 2019

ZALDAIN GOES AGAINST THE CURRENT FOR A CLASSIC-BEST LIMIT Faced with an 11-pound gap to make up after Day One of the Bassmaster Classic, Chris Zaldain was amazed by the 20 pounds that Ott DeFoe brought to the scales. He’d followed a “false clue” on Day One that led him down an errant path to …

Chris Zaldain Bass Master Classic 2019 Read More »

Pre Spawn Jerkbait Fishing

Pre-Spawn Jerkbait Fishing

Each year, we learn more about the potential of the jerkbaits and refine our understanding of lure selection for every season and situation an angler will encounter. Jerkbaits have many different strike triggering qualities, including profile, color, action, water displacement and sound. At various times throughout the year, each one of these qualities can mean …

Pre-Spawn Jerkbait Fishing Read More »

How to Fish the Megabass ONETEN+2 Jerkbait

How to Fish the Megabass ONETEN+2 Jerkbait

Megabass expands their jerkbait lineup with the VISION ONETEN+2, a new class of jerkbait that delivers the tournament-proven ONETEN action in the 12-foot depth range using 12lb fluorocarbon. Professional bass angler Chris Zaldain explains why getting deeper can mean more bass in a lot of situations. For one, bass often suspend off the edge of …

How to Fish the Megabass ONETEN+2 Jerkbait Read More »

Megabass Sonic Side Flat Sided Crankbait

Megabass Sonic Side Flat Sided Crankbait

Flat-sided crankbaits catch bass all year, but they’re at their best during the prespawn period when water temps are cold but starting to warm. Professional bass angler Randy Blaukat details when and where to target bass with flat-sided crankbaits and how to fish them to catch quality prespawners.

Zaldain Goes Deep for Swimbait Spots

Zaldain Goes Deep for Swimbait Spots

As Chris Zaldain left Palatka, Florida for the seven-hour drive to Lake Lanier, he experienced a bit of déjà vu. The road took him through Atlanta, up into the Georgia foothills, and he felt himself being transported “back to Northern California.” That told him much of what he needed to know and informed the choices …

Zaldain Goes Deep for Swimbait Spots Read More »

Fall Transitions

Fishing the Fall Transition Bass fishing is an art and a science. Each year, our knowledge of the sport increases exponentially with new products, technology, and time on the water. However, one aspect remains the same; bass behavior and locations always change with the seasons. Understanding these underlying seasonal patterns are critical to becoming a …

Fall Transitions Read More »

Target Fall Bass with the Spark Shad Swimbait

Professional bass angler Chris Zaldain nails it when he says new school grubbing is a finesse swimbait rigged on a ball head jig. Unlike grubs, anatomically accurate baits like the Megabass Spark Shad closely mirror baitfish in appearance and motion while allowing anglers to cover the water column with speed and efficiency. Although they work …

Target Fall Bass with the Spark Shad Swimbait Read More »

Late Summer Frog Fishing

Hollow-belly Frogs have been catching bass for nearly 50 years, but for much of that time, many anglers thought they were relegated to fishing in Florida around lily pads. However, about 20 years ago, some Western bass anglers began dispelling that particular myth. Tournaments started getting won with huge weights in California, particularly at Clear …

Late Summer Frog Fishing Read More »

The Importance of Motion

When most anglers pick up a lure off the shelf or from the tackle store pegboard, they’re looking at limited clues about its effectiveness. Does it have a paint scheme that resembles the local forage or otherwise triggers reactions? Does it share the general profile of their quarry’s favorite meals? Some will even shake the …

The Importance of Motion Read More »

The Right Equipment for Throwing Big Swimbaits

Heavy baits need to be fished on rods rated for heavy lure weights, but with a taper that allows for imparting fish-triggering moves. The rod needs to be mated with a reel up to the tasks of quick line pickup and robust gearing for maximum winching torque. Line choice can vary between heavy monofilament, fluorocarbon, …

The Right Equipment for Throwing Big Swimbaits Read More »

How to Fish Swimbaits on the Bottom

A good portion of bass feeding activity takes place on or near the bottom; crawfish and all sorts of baitfish make use of the lower water column for cover, shade, cool water and feeding opportunities. A jig and swimbait are two lure categories that produce big-time results in this zone. California native Chris Zaldain has …

How to Fish Swimbaits on the Bottom Read More »

Casting Big Baits with Oliver Ngy

With more and more anglers casting big swimbaits, mechanics can be key to success. Come along as Oliver Ngy breaks down his casting mechanics when throwing big swimbaits. He covers the overhead “bomb” cast, the “roll” cast and also touches on skipping these big swimbaits under docks and structure. Suggested Setups: F10-711X ONAGER Baits: MAGDRAFT …

Casting Big Baits with Oliver Ngy Read More »

180515 Zaldain - Megabass Magdraft

How to Fish the Magdraft Swimbait

Professional angler Chris Zaldain has turned to the Magdraft swimbait in 6″ and even 8″ sizes to bring some serious weight to the scales throughout his tournament career. Find out why–and how–Chris fishes this unique swimbait for key bites in various situations, including the areas and cast angles he targets to elicit bites in community …

How to Fish the Magdraft Swimbait Read More »

Megabass-3-ways-to-glidebait-oliver-ngy

3-Retrieves for Trophy Bass

Sure, we all see on instagram that big baits catch big fish…but how do they do it? Trophy Bass Hunter Oliver Ngy shares the three primary retrieve styles he employs on the way to double-digit monsters, utilizing the Megabass I-Slide 262T. When do you use a straight retrieve? When do you employ reel action (sharp …

3-Retrieves for Trophy Bass Read More »

Megabass Zaldain Drop Swim

Drop-Swimming: Use Swimbaits to Elevate Your Drop Shot Game!

If all else fails, you’ve always got the drop-shot…but sometimes they just don’t want that traditional vertical presentation. In those cases, the Hazedong Shad in 3″ and 4.2″ is a limit-saver. Not only can you work the spot with a traditional vertical line-shake, you can also employ a slow, dragging approach to swim through the …

Drop-Swimming: Use Swimbaits to Elevate Your Drop Shot Game! Read More »

Megabass Casting-Angles

Choosing shallow-cover cast angles

When I think of September bass fishing, I think of fishing around shallow targets. Of course, many anglers associate bass fishing with shallow cover, as a bass is an ambush feeder, but the thing that separates the average angler from the expert in dissecting shallow cover is understanding casting angles. One of the first things …

Choosing shallow-cover cast angles Read More »

Megabass Dropshot Swimbait Zaldain

A Swimbait Solution to Dropshotting

Thin, wiggly worms, soft stickbaits and little goby imitators are the workhorses of the dropshotting world, but when California pro Chris Zaldain heads north in the summertime to chase big brown bass, his number one tool on the end of his spinning rod is a small swimbait. There are times when he’ll fish them horizontally …

A Swimbait Solution to Dropshotting Read More »

Finding Brush Piles

Locating and Planting Brush Piles

One of the keys in competitive bass fishing is learning to focus on catching better than average-sized bass. The skill level of anglers has accelerated at such a fast level over the past 10 years that having the ability to just catch a limit keeper size fish will rarely even cash you a check at …

Locating and Planting Brush Piles Read More »

Early Post-Spawn Topwater Fishing

The transition from pre-spawn, spawn, to post-spawn is not an exact science. When it comes to topwater techniques, these periods overlap and are far from definite. Geographical locations, the type of lake, water visibility, localized weather patterns and various other factors all make this unpredictable. One thing is for sure, though: The period immediately after …

Early Post-Spawn Topwater Fishing Read More »

Thoughts on the Spawning Cycle

One of the valuable byproducts of the passage of time is the fact that fishing myths are dispelled on a regular basis. Two of the biggest myths in fishing that have been proven incorrect are the belief that fish get inactive and won’t bite very well in the winter, and the idea that spawning bass …

Thoughts on the Spawning Cycle Read More »

Understanding Late Pre-Spawn Patterns

Without a doubt, April is one of the favorite months for bass anglers throughout most of the country. The fish are moving shallow in large numbers and therefore tend to be easier to catch this time of year than at just about any other time. Depending upon which area of the country you live in, …

Understanding Late Pre-Spawn Patterns Read More »

Top Hook Swimbait Modification for Big Bass

When your big bass targets are holding in shallow weeds, vegetation, or relating to bottom structure, sometimes you need to get rid of that belly treble in order to reduce snags and hangups. Follow along as Oliver Ngy shares his top-hook modifications for the Magslowl 9″ and Magdraft 8″, turning these deadly open-water swimbaits into versatile …

Top Hook Swimbait Modification for Big Bass Read More »

Best Times to Catch Big Bass on Jerkbaits

While you can catch fish on jerkbaits all year, there is a specific window of time on each body of water across the country when you stand the best chance to catch a huge bass. This window varies depending what part of the country you live in, and it may vary from year to year …

Best Times to Catch Big Bass on Jerkbaits Read More »

When Small Jerkbaits Shine

One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen many anglers make is that they get locked into throwing only a standard-size jerkbait like the Vision 110. If they fish it for a while without any success, many simply make the determination that the bass simply aren’t biting jerkbaits that particular day. Often just switching the size will …

When Small Jerkbaits Shine Read More »

Targeting Grass Flats & Points with Swimbaits

Chris Zaldain shares a few key tips to maximize your productivity with the Magdraft swimbait! Head-thumping action (in addition to tail kick) is key 15lb Fluorocarbon line Realism is key, especially in clearer waters Target windblown banks and points Pair with F7-72XX Perfect Pitch or Levante F7-72C To see how Zaldain used the Magdraft 6″ to …

Targeting Grass Flats & Points with Swimbaits Read More »