You've heard about them. Chances are you've even seen one plowing through riffles ankle deep in the land where lower units go to die. It's the jet outboard, and if you aren't familiar with them yet ... you soon will be.

With the popularity of fishing continuing to grow and long lines forming at the ramps of your favorite reservoir, what's an angler to do? You can make the move to finesse baits in hopes of luring an over pressured bass to bite, or you can go where no bass boat dares to tread. That's where the jet boat comes into play. I was skeptical at first, until my friend and fellow pro angler Billy Lowen took me out for a little run. Billy knows the river and tributaries as well as anyone, and when he pointed the bow of the boat towards the "V" in the rapids of a particularly shallow stretch, I'm not afraid to say that I puckered up pretty tight. But true to form, we skated along on plane in water that would barely cover your foot if you were standing in it. Don't get the wrong idea. It's not like you're flying over the water, and treachery can exist around every bend from a boulder or sunken tree, but the jet outboard has now made those bank-kayak-canoe only fishing holes accessible to anglers who just don't want to give up the comfort of front deck casting and bait presentation.

So does this story have a happy ending? Absolutely. The fishing was fantastic and the looks we got from people paddling their canoes were priceless! So the next time you want to check out some un-pressured fish without paddling, kayaking or hiking through mile thick briar patches, take a jet instead.

Good Fishing,
Joe Thomas

When I first heard of the fish kill on Indiana's White River in 1999, the numbers were phenomenal (5 million fish dead). It's enough to make your heart sink if you're an angler. So when local angler Jim Pickett contacted me about a trip on the White in downtown Indianapolis, I thought it would be a great opportunity to take a first-hand look at the conservation efforts underway to restore this great fishery.

Well, I'm happy to report that the White River is making a great comeback. In one day, Jim and I caught a great stringer of both largemouth and smallmouth keepers and found a ton of bait fish and brood stock which means the White River has regained not only a healthy population of large fish but has the forage base to re-stimulate a growing and healthy fish population. Organizations such as The Friends of the White River and others, including the State of Indiana, have established a 6 million dollar trust to continue the restoration and are largely responsible for the amazing comeback experienced by this beautiful river. We can all take a lesson from their efforts when it comes to rivers and streams in your own area. Get involved. Find organizations, both public and private and let your voice be heard. Attend meetings, send emails and most importantly, contact your local and state agencies and let them know that you care about your local rivers and streams. Better yet, if you're really motivated, organize a clean-up day and spend a little time picking up trash and debris that allows seems to find its way onto the river bank.

The White River is back and better than ever. Can you say the same about your local rivers and streams? If not, get involved and do something about it. The fish will thank you.

Small creeks and streams literally flow all over the country. From California to Maine and everywhere in between you’ll find them ... and chances are, that little creek that you drive past pulling your bass rig on the way to your local reservoir is full of hard-fighting smallmouth and panfish that rarely - if ever - see a bait. So the next time you start grumbling about the pressure on your local lake, grab an old pair of tennis shoes and head for that creek or stream and get ready to get rocked!

What you need to know:

For starters, lighter tackle and smaller lures is the way to go, but that doesn’t mean you have to forget everything you know about bass fishing. You call still put to use the buzzbait, crankbait and jig for fast action. But most importantly, you have to use some common sense and really dial in on the right times to go. As the summer months warm the waters on lakes and reservoirs, your local creek or stream will still be much cooler and much more oxygenated than a non-current flow body of water, which essentially means the fish will be more active, and more apt to bite, than just about anywhere else.

Look for deeper pools and channel bends; especially those close to a gravel shore and chances are you’ll find smallmouth. Plus, be sure to fish when the water level has been stable for a few days. Rising water usually turns fish off, and falling water raises stress levels in fish, so they will be less apt to bite. So pick the right time when the water has been stable, usually a day or two after a good downpour, and chances are you’ll find unpressured fish ready to feed.

And it’s perfect for kids, too. With the fast action usually found in pan fishing, you won’t have to worry about keeping the children interested. Just watch your footing and always wear a life preserver when you’re around water with the young ones.

Lake Erie is my favorite fishing location, period! Every year about this time I start daydreaming about those football-shaped smallmouth crushing my jerk bait in crystal clear water. There's something about seeing a fish close in on your bait, stop and consider his next move, and then crush it right in front of you that makes it an incredible experience.

Since I was in my teens, (and that's only a few short years ago), I've taken to calling Lake Erie my "Home" lake. With that being said, I've also experienced Lake Erie at her howling, screaming, rollicking worst! Let me tell you from experience that there's nothing that will make you pucker up faster than 8-10 foot rollers on the shallow western basin. Add in a little lightning storm and you'll soon find yourself getting really small on the floor of your rig while praying that the Coast Guard actually comes out in weather like this to make emergency rescues! Many times I've spent precious days watching the Weather Channel in my hotel room waiting ... waiting ... waiting for those northwest winds to die down so I could hit the water. That was before I discovered a little secret about Lake Erie that has saved many of my fishing trips.

What's the secret? Lake Erie is loaded with bays and marinas protected from the wind, weather, and main lake rollers. And they're loaded with bass! So instead of watching weather radar, I've taken to fishing these protected harbors and having a field day catching fish that most other anglers ignore. Be prepared to catch largemouths predominately, but you'll also find smallies in the spring and fall. Target rip rap banks, sea walls and most importantly, grass beds. I really depend on my Arkie Mirror-Glow spinnerbait when fishing the bays, and I play the current. That's right, there's always current present even on large lakes when the wind blows. It may not be evident on the water's surface, but it's there, and it helps position the fish on structure. And here's another little secret. If the sun gets up, look for boats that have been moored for long periods of time. Some are moored and rarely moved throughout the year and the fish know this. That's why they'll set up in the shadows and ambush your spinnerbait as it flutters by.

So don't let a little foul weather ruin your next trip to Lake Erie. Venture out into the bays and harbors for a great day of fishing. Just be sure not to ding your bait off of one of those big $250,000 Searays. The owners tend to get a little nasty when you do that.

Good Fishing,
Joe Thomas

Sometimes it's a fine line of perception ... between telling you my picks as the best baits for certain situations and your perception of whether you feel I'm "selling" baits. So when I tell you the best baits for fishing clear moving water are made by Lucky Craft, does a red flag go up? After all, most of you know that I'm sponsored professionally by Lucky Craft Baits. Well, you can look at it two ways. When I recommend Lucky Craft Baits like the Slender Pointer 78 and the RC 100 crank bait designed by Rick Clunn, it's because I actually use them. Will other baits work? Definitely! But you if want to know what I use, them I'm going to tell you straight up ... Lucky Craft.  For fishing clear creaks, streams and tributaries, the Lucky Craft Slender Pointer in Aurora Black, American Shad or Chartreuse Shad and the RC Crank Baits, sizes 0.5 and 1.0 are my go-to baits every time. The action is incomparable, and the flash given off by these baits in clear water will motivate a fish to travel a long way for an easy meal. Usually, I'll spool up 6lb Vanish flouro, and fish the baits on a medium to light action rod. I get kidded a lot about using a bait caster when a spinning rig is called for ... but that's just me. So find a clear flowing creak or stream near you, tie on reaction baits, and see if the fishing action doesn't exceed your expectations.