More Passions, More Opportunities

There is no question about this: Tactical Bassin’ will show you how to fish more successfully, on ANY water. Co-owners, master anglers and "video stars" (lol!) Matt Allen and Tim Little are unbeatable when it comes to guiding or to video content and quality. They are very specific about how they fish, why they fish that way, and they provide online links to the tackle they use.  

What probably impresses me the most about Matt and Tim, is that in person they are just like they are on screen: friendly, happy, funny, humble, extraordinarily knowledgeable and incredible at freely sharing their knowledge and skills. Exactly the kind of guys you’d want to fish with, again and again. Hard to believe, but their wives are just as nice and also excellent anglers! 

Unpaid advocacy: to help Tactical make a living, please buy at least some of your fishing gear online from Tackle Warehouse by FIRST clicking the link on the Tactical website. This helps enable Matt and Tim to stay free of sponsor obligations that cause so many online YouTube bass fishing channels to pimp only sponsored products — whether or not they actually use them. At Tactical Bassin’, you will get the facts, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Full disclosure: over the years, Matt and Tim have donated many products for fundraising raffles at bass club and charity events that I have organized.  

Fishing has been a passion my whole life. After countless trips over six decades, I now consider myself a serious bass angler, perhaps even a bit above average in skills. In my younger days, I enjoyed modest tournament success in pro-ams and clubs. Years ago, I became aware of northern California’s bass fishing mecca: Clear Lake, northwest of Sacramento. For decades, it has been a perennial Top Five American Bass Lake. Finally, I planned a December trip to Clear Lake with two local friends who had fished it before, with Matt Allen, a legendary trophy-bass guide who lived on the lake. So, we made plans to fish with Matt. 

As December approached, forecasts of bad weather caused my wimpy friends to back out! But I persevered and went solo. The weather was indeed crappy — freezing cold, snow and sleet, ice-covered boat and rods, gusty wind. Fishing barefooted in our customary flip- flops or sandals (kindred spirits!), Matt and I had the time of my life! It was awesome. Highlight: a 12.3 lb bass!

I had fished with some darned good anglers before, but Matt was in a class of his own. I was dumbstruck by how little I actually knew about bass fishing in comparison to him! Honestly, even while he was fishing he knew more about what I was and was not doing than I did. Matt taught me about fishing spots on spots, casting lines, swimbaits and glide baits and a thousand other things. He even, eventually, was able to teach me to tie a decent braid-to-leader blood knot.

Since that first trip, I've fished with Matt again and again, as both a client and a friend. In addition to sharing a passion for bass fishing, family and flip-flops or sandals in all weather, we both have a very strong dislike for Wal-Mart — long live LOCAL tackle stores! Oh, the strange ties that bind!  

Through Matt, I also came to know his partner in fishing and co-owner of Tactical Bassin’, Tim Little. Tim is probably Matt’s peer in terms of fishing knowledge and skills, especially finesse fishing and electronics. More importantly, they are the most compatible duo of anglers I’ve ever seen. Their front-deck ballet is amazing.

Their families are the epitome of the "All American Family." Tactical Bassin’ videos and Instagram posts sometimes feature their wives, Cazbar and Tonya, both of whom are accomplished anglers, and their wonderful kids. The wives’ videos are as instructive as the ones that feature Matt and/or Tim. 

Back in 2020-21, the Tactical Bassin' Family moved East. Their new home lake is Chickamauga, but they still fish everywhere. And I do mean everywhere. They moved so they could more easily fish and teach about new waters, where the fishing is often fabulous. East of the Mississippi at least two things are true: (1) there is a hell of a lot more water in which to fish for bass; and (2) the YouTube algorithm$ become much more conducive to making a living.

With Tactical Bassin' gone, Clear Lake isn't quite the same any more. But rest assured, my Bucket List includes more fishing trips at Clear Lake and elsewhere with Tactical Bassin’. So should yours!