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Confidence means a lot to a tournament bass fisherman, and Oklahoma pro Edwin Evers said his was sagging a bit after a couple of tough events earlier this year. A win last month at BASSfest made Evers feel much better — and with a renewed sense of confidence, he went out and claimed his second victory in a row in this week’s Evan Williams Bourbon Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River. With a four-day total of 77 pounds, 10 ounces, Evers became the first angler to win back-to-back events in the 10-year history of the Elite Series. He cemented the victory with a Sunday catch of five smallmouth bass that weighed 17-8. Evers said the victory at BASSfest — and the automatic berth into the GEICO Bassmaster Classic that came with it — played a major role in his New York strategy. “Last time we were here, I went upriver every day,” said Evers, who chalked up his 10th career B.A.S.S. victory at Waddington. “But I didn’t think I could win there. I felt like this year coming back, everybody was going to try to go that way and get as close as they possibly could to where Brandon Palaniuk won the last time we were here (in 2013). So I went the other direction, and it was hard.” Evers said he fished extremely long days during practice, taking advantage of a northern sun that often stays out from 5 a.m. to almost 10 p.m. But despite the long hours, he only got seven bites the first day of practice, four the second day and seven the third day. He said he stuck with his decision, partly because his Classic berth is already in the bag. “It made it a lot easier to do what I did this week, because I was not getting many bites,” Evers said.

Edwin Evers' son signs autographs just before dad's big win.

Things can happen fast at Kentucky Lake. Whether it’s first thing in the morning on the first spot of the day or in the waning moments of the afternoon, there are periods of time where the fishing can be absolutely unrivaled. During these feeding frenzies, it’s not uncommon to hook fish on multiple casts in a row. While most competitors who’ve fished Kentucky Lake in the past say the schools aren’t as numerous or voluminous as they’ve been in previous years, there are still opportunities to get groups of fish fired up. Timing is a big part of the equation. Luck accounts for the rest. Tim Horton had two occasions today where he caught three fish within five casts. Brett Hite had a four-cast sequence that netted him four keepers this morning. Brandon Lester said he had 19 pounds in four casts this morning, including a double on a crankbait. Edwin Evers also had a memorable sequence this morning, capped off by an 8-pounder that catapulted him into the lead after 2 days of BASSFest. It anchored his 27-02 stringer that made him the only angler to crack the 50-pound mark at the halfway point. “I’m super-excited,” said Evers, who has 51-02 heading into the off day. “That 8-pounder was a blessing. That goes a long ways.” Read more: http://www.bassfan.com/news_article/7270/evers-catches-an-8-becomes-firs...

When you get right down to it, we don't catch bass on lures or live baits. We catch them on hooks — single hooks, treble hooks, even double hooks. Without hooks, we simply don't catch bass. Which is why it's so surprising that otherwise good anglers don't put more emphasis on the hooks they use. For me and most of the Bassmaster Elite Series anglers, hooks are a big deal. If you’re an experienced bass angler, you know that you need to match the hook you're using with the application or method you’re fishing. Mismatched hooks are a sure way to lose fish — if you can even get them to bite. A lot goes into my choosing the right hook for the job, and I carry a lot of hooks with me when I fish a tournament. Few things are more frustrating than not having the right tool for the job, and hooks are among the most important tools an angler uses. Today's hooks are mostly a lot better than the hooks that were available on the market when I was just getting into fishing. Back then, every serious angler carried a hook hone or whetstone with him just to sharpen hooks as they were used throughout the day. Today's hooks are much sharper and much stronger than those of 20 or 30 years ago. In fact, they're so much sharper, that it usually makes more sense to throw away a dull hook than it does to try to sharpen it. If you take a premium hook out of the package today and run it over a hone a few times, you haven't sharpened it — you've dulled it! About the only time I try to sharpen a modern hook is when I've noticed something very minor that I think I can quickly and easily fix with just a couple of passes over the sharpening stone. Maybe I detect a burr or some little thing like that. If it's something more, the solution is simple. Throw that hook away and get a new one. Since today's hooks are almost all very sharp, it's usually other qualities I'm looking for when selecting a hook. One of the big factors is diameter. Basically, I want hooks that are thin and strong, but those two qualities are typically at the opposite ends of the spectrum from each other. Thin hooks are not the strongest, but they penetrate well on the hookset. Thick hooks are very strong, but it takes more to get good penetration. Generally, if I'm using light line or making long casts, I'm going to use a light, thin-diameter hook. If I'm using heavy line and fishing close, I can get away with a thicker, heavier hook. But there are exceptions to this general rule. Single hooks With soft plastic baits and jigs, we're generally using single hooks, and since most soft plastics don't come with hooks, it means we get to match the baits up with the hooks of our choice. No room for excuses here! I do a lot of pitching and flipping — close-range fishing with heavy line in heavy cover. For that kind of application, I want a really stout hook that won't bend or flex much. My choice is the Mustad Denny Brauer Grip Pin Max Flippin' Hook, and most of the time (about 90 percent), I'm using a 4/0 model. What I like about that hook is that it won't bend. A big reason for lost fish when flipping and pitching is that your hook "gives" just enough to pull free in heavy cover. It doesn't happen with this hook. Now I want to tell you something about my hook selection when flipping and pitching that may surprise you. When I'm pitching and punching heavy cover, I will drop down a size or two (my favorite size is 3/0) because the smaller hook will penetrate the cover better and is less likely to catch on something when I'm trying to pull a bass out of the mat. Most guys want the biggest hook they can get for this method, but not me.