My Bait Shop Blog

Happy Holidays and End of Year Wrap from John Holtz

by Keith Bell December 21, 2019

Hey all! John Holtz, My Bait Shop Pro-staffer, and man on a mission to catch AS many fish as I can before the lid goes on! My goodness gracious it has been a productive fall! I think I have caught more big fish this fall, than I ever have! I have got to give credit where credit is due, the variety of lures that I have been throwing thanks to My Bait Shop is the reason for this season… If ya know what I mean!? But in all seriousness, as the end of 2019 grows near, I am thankful, I am humbled by the outpouring of support, and I am so excited for things to come!

2019 saw a very solid tournament year, despite crazy weather, high water, and general horrid fishing conditions throughout the Midwest...Click "Read More" to continue.

Posted in Pro Anglers

Lure Mysteries Episode 5: "A Case of Musky Fever"

by Keith Bell December 19, 2019

Webster's dictionary defines "Musky Fever" as: "a serious and sometimes fatal medical condition in which the frontal lobe of the brain swells and sends impulses to the body focusing on the singular purpose of pursuing the Esox masquinongy, commonly referred to as a muskellunge or musky. This condition is usually more prevalent in males but not exclusively and tends to be more common in men over age 40. Risk factors include owning too much fishing gear, weekend fishing in states such as Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and some Canadian provinces. Despite much research there currently is no cure for this condition. Treatment plans include...Click "Read More" to continue.

Posted in Lure Mysteries

Lure Mysteries Episode 4: "A Modern Indent Should Hold the Clue"

by Keith Bell December 09, 2019

Lure Mysteries 4: "A Modern Indent Should Hold the Clue"

For this episode of Lure Mysteries we are going in a little different direction. So far none of the previous lures have been identified and I am almost positive today's lures will be solved by someone out there fairly quick. Heck I might even remember the identity of these lures myself. I feel like the name is on the tip of my tongue but after several days, I give up so I present them to you....Click "Read More" to continue.

Posted in Lure Mysteries

Lure Mysteries Episode 3: "A Piece of the Puzzle"

by Keith Bell November 21, 2019

Lure Mysteries Episode 3: "A Piece of the Puzzle"

This week's episode of Lure Mysteries is a "lure" I've had for a long time. Dating back to a large lot of lures I bought back in the 1990's. It was a rather large lot and included a lot of variety and some really old lures. At the time I purchased this lot I was rather new to the hobby and was convinced this lure was only missing the back hooks or was a piece of something really old.....Click "Read More" to continue.

Posted in Lure Mysteries

A Shout Out to Our Own Pro Angler John Holtz

by Keith Bell November 14, 2019

My Bait Shop Angler John Holtz in Bassmaster Magazine

Did you happen to see the article on John yesterday? If not check it out as featured on the front page of Bassmaster.com. It is titled "Daily Limit: Fan of fishing personalities". Should also be in next months issue. We couldn't be prouder of John and the story.....Click "Read More" to continue.

Posted in News, Pro Anglers

Lure Mysteries Episode 2: "Two Little Ducks Went Out One Day"

by Keith Bell November 14, 2019

"Two little ducks. Went out one day. Over the hills and far away. Mother duck said Quack, quack, quack, but only one little duck came back." Well that was the way it was supposed to go, at least according to the story and Mother Goose when we questioned her and Mother Duck. Only it didn't go down that way.......Click "Read More" to continue.

Posted in Lure Mysteries

Fishing Fall Patterns for Bass

by Keith Bell November 11, 2019

My Bait Shop Pro Angler John Holtz

My Bait Shop Pro Angler John Holtz takes us fishing and gives us tips on how to fish fall patterns using crankbaits. John takes us largemouth bass fishing on a November day and uses some great lures such as Rapalas, Bagley's, Storm and more. Check out how John did and pick up some great tips along the way.

Posted in Pro Anglers, Videos

Lure Mysteries Episode 1: "The Case of the Hotcubbie"

by Keith Bell November 07, 2019

Lure Mysteries Episode 1: The Case of the HotCubbie

Welcome to our newest addition to My Bait Shop, Lure Mysteries. Each week we will bring you one new lure that we have been unable to identify through our research. Some of these lures have been researched heavily in books, catalogs, forums, etc and some a little less. We will post pictures and what we know of the lure and ask that if you can help solve the mystery or add any information that might help, please comment below this post. Now on to Episode 1, The Case of the Hotcubbie.

We purchased the Hotcubbie in a very large musky lure lot in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. This lot included a lot of brand name lures but also some prototypes and some smaller, "garage production" type companies that never made it big time. The Hotcubbie is 5 1/4" long and appears to be very well made and not a prototype by any means. It has "Hotcubbie" written on one side and what appears to be the makers signature on the other side. I have tried to alter the photo of the signature the best I can but cannot recognize the name......Click "Read More" to continue.

Posted in Lure Mysteries

Fishing the Arbogast Jitterbug

by Keith Bell October 21, 2019

My Bait Shop Pro Angler John Holtz takes us fishing and gives us tips on how to fish the classic topwater bait, the Fred Arbogast Jitterbug.

Posted in Pro Anglers, Videos

Kansas Bassmasters Stop 1

by Keith Bell March 27, 2019

My Bait Shop Pro Staff Larry Patterson and John Holtz fished Stop One on Sunday March 25th. With cold (45 degree) but stable water conditions we had a great practice day! It seemed that any and all jerkbaits we threw would catch a fish. Sunday came and everything changed. Stocton Reservoir began to release large amounts of water as the water temps cooled. With falling water (now 42-43 degrees) the fish were much harder to catch.

Proving you have to always pay attention, a mistake turned us onto the key to success.

Posted in Pro Anglers

LJ Fishing Update - Larry Patterson

by Keith Bell February 16, 2019

Now that Christmas has come and gone, all my New Years resolutions have been broken, the ground hog didn't see it's shadow and the Bass Master Classic being only a month away can only mean one thing, The lakes are thawing and the big bass will be moving into their pre-spawn areas.

My Bait Shop lures have arrived, Rods and Reels are clean, new line on and I'm ready to hit the water and those Bass won't stand a chance this year (only if that were true). Being a die hard worm and jig fisherman, it's been hard for me to break away from my comfort zone from these types of lures. The worm and jig have been my go to bread and butter lures for years. I've always had confidence in their fish catching abilities.

Posted in Pro Anglers

New Year Resolution

by Keith Bell January 15, 2019

Here we are 2019! Christmas has been packed away, toasts have been made to Auld Lang Syne, etc., etc.. If your anything like me New Years was brought in by some yahoo shooting off a big firework, me saying a not so nice New Year’s greeting to him, rolling over and going back to sleep! I know I am a party pooper when it comes to this time a year. This melancholy mood probably has a lot to do with where I live, and the lack of fishing I get to do! The ice is too thin to walk on, yet too thick to get a bait through. This is also a time of year I tend to “go into my head” a lot… As my wife can attest, that is a scary place to dive into. I find myself doing a lot of tackle prep, rigging and re-rigging, and working on the boat. I do all this to be ready first chance I get. While doing the odds and ends I find myself thinking about fishing trips past and anticipation of the next cast.year begin.

Posted in Pro Anglers