Enlightened bass anglers will likely enjoy a new book by Joe Kinnison titled “Next-Level Bass Fishing.” Printed by Skyhorse Publishing, this 197-page book has ample color photos and it does just what the title suggests, walks an angler through the skills, techniques and behaviors needed to take fishing to the next level.
I couldn’t help but be reminded of my younger brother Dana, once an enthusiastic, successful tournament angler who was (and still is, a little) a poster boy for impatience. Many have heard the counsel that “patience” is a virtue in angling. For leisurely minnow and worm danglers like me, who fish more to relax, that may be true. For bass diehards, it’s hogwash. Kinnison notes early, “To a bass angler, patience is an insult.” Steadily catching full, heavy bags of fish isn’t a result of luck, patience, deception or gear, it’s something else, namely positive personal qualities, Kinnison argues.
The book then takes you through soup-to-nuts bass fishing, from preparing to fish, to reading structure, understanding water and fish behavior, the importance of versatility, technique, gear selection and much more. What makes it particularly interesting is he presents the information using a diverse collection of dedicated anglers, showing how they approach fishing and where they seem to excel in specific areas. The writing weaves together these anglers’ approaches to the game while bridging to the broader lesson about why what they do can make you a better angler.
Included among the sources is Virginia’s Christiana Bradley, who is almost exclusively featured in the chapter about fishing “focus.” Bradley has juggled the challenges of having a full-time job while fishing professionally as much as she can. Kinnison gives considerable space to Bradley’s approach to reading the water and sight fishing. Other pros highlighted in the book and some of their emphasized strengths include Tyler Carriere and underwater structure; Brandon Palaniuk, fish physiology and lure presentation; Destin DeMarion, topwater frog fishing and productive originality; and Pam Martin-Wells, versatility, fish behavior and lure selection.
If you’re looking for a “Bubba caught a bass” book, this isn’t it. Instead, it’s a tightly written, well-woven juxtaposition of techniques and personalities, including some wonderful anecdotes to underscore a point. The paperback book sells for $19.99 at www.Skyhorsepublishing.com