Welcome to the BassBlaster, your daily email about all things bassin’. Take a sec to forward this Blaster to a bassin’ bud, willya?

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Today’s Top 3

Testing out this 3-day a week schedule for the hunting season. Let me know how you like it, good or bad.

1. What Randy Blaukat has gone through.

Wow. Check this:

> Lost major sponsor

> Got divorced

> Tornado hit his hometown of Joplin, MO

> Mother diagnosed with cancer

> Puncture wound meant couldn’t use left hand

> Mother suffered stroke

> 11th-hour loss of replacement major sponsor

Naturally his fishing has suffered. Randy’s a great guy. If you can find a way to show him your support, please do.

2. This crap still happens?

> …an incident in late September that unfolded while he and another angler were kayaking with a black friend, Oral, during a float-fishing excursion on Big Walnut Creek (OH).

> Merz spotted two fishermen on the opposite bank and did what just about every fisherman would do in the same circumstance. “I asked how it was going.”

> The response, which was both profane and racist, advised Oral to get out of their sight.

> The men later questioned the third member of the kayak party, who had lagged about 150 yards behind, about…where they had put in and where they intended to pull the kayaks out.

> Merz made the decision to call it a day. He was afraid, he said, that the two might vandalize their vehicles while the three kayakers fished.

3. TX man catches record…goldie.

> Metroplex angler John Wiseman was having a slow night fishing Lake Tawakoni when he brought in an unexpected catch.

> Wiseman said…his dough bait of Big Red [gum? chew?] and Wheaties started attracting big buffalo carp. “I caught a 41-pound Bigmouth buffalo, which is the lake record,” he said. “Three days after that I went back again. I hadn’t caught a fish for about three hours when he hit and I didn’t think much of it.”

> “It was 7.24 pounds — the previous record was like 5 pounds. The game wardens came out and took a look at it a couple of days later and confirmed that it was a goldfish.”

> “While it’s prestigious, it’s hilarious,” he said. “You live your whole life wanting to catch a record and then you catch a damn goldfish.”

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News

1. TBF acquires NBAA trail.

Interesting:

> The Bass Federation, Inc (TBF) announced today it has acquired ownership of the nation’s fastest growing local/team fishing circuit, the National Bass Anglers Association, (NBAA).

> “We’re excited to announce NBAA Tournaments, Inc. has been acquired by a new leadership group,” NBAA current owners, Jim and Jenny Sprague, stated.  “We began a search for the right owners for a “new” NBAA over a year ago.  NBAA is ready to ‘go national’ and we’re proud to announce NBAA will now be under the leadership of TBF.”

> The National Bass Anglers Association, (NBAA) has individual members in 36 states and 86 division directors running divisions in 12 states.

2. Outdoor Channel merges with Intermedia Outdoors.

Also interesting. One way to look at it is that Intermedia/Outdoor Channel now has Major League [Bass] Fishing and BassFan.com.

3. TX looking for Hall of Fame nominations.

By Dec. 31. Some great folks in there already, but a lot more room for bassers….

4. TX: Bass not good in Brownwood and Coleman.

5. Win a chance to go to the Classic.

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Tip of the Day

Terry Scroggins: Spinning finesse tips.

> I’ll throw it anywhere and anytime the fishing is tough. If you’re struggling to get a bite, you better start thinking about how to catch them with a spinning reel.

> A 6’ 8” medium heavy spinning rod is about the only finesse rod you’ll need. Use 10-pound braid as your main line, and simply tie various leaders as needed during lure changes to that 10-pound braid. You can fish that same spool of braid for 6 months, and all you ever have to change is a few feet of fluorocarbon leader. Swindle taught me that….

> I like a 1/8-ounce shaky head tied to a 6-pound fluorocarbon leader, tipped with a trick worm in either green pumpkin or red bug.

> If I want to leave a bait in one spot for a long time, I’ll use a dropshot, and it’s not always a vertical presentation. For example, I might be dragging a dropshot super-slowly across the top of a point.

> For dropshotting, I use a 6-pound fluorocarbon leader, a #1 dropshot hook tipped with a 6” finesse worm, and a 3/16-ounce weight.

> My third finesse setup is a splitshot rig: 12-pound mono leader with a #8 clamshell-shaped weight crimped on the line right next to the hook – holds my trick worm much like a Texas rig.

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Quote of the Day

Even with a single-hook Alabama Rig, it’s going to get won on it….

– Randy Blaukat from the above article, talking about if a single-hook AL Rig will be allowed at the Classic. Say wha?

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Shot of the Day

A 17-lber from the bank?! Believe it…or not.

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