BassBlaster

Fish the crayfish rut, How to read grass, Derby Plopper mania

By (mostly Jay)

Posted on October 17, 2017

Today’s Top 4

Fall crayfish rut (or run) is on?

From a post on the Texas Fishing Forum:

> The fall mating cycle is the most intense, and often is completely ignored by fishermen. The fall mating period is made up of all the adult crayfish looking for love and all the young crayfish trying to survive.

Huh. Had no idea, which surprises me. Also:

> The young crayfish remain with the female until they begin emerging from their hideouts in the fall.

> …you will have all these young crayfish out on their own…. These small crayfish are very active [and] they’re growing and molting quite often so colors are changing. Bass associated with aquatic vegetation are going to be preying on those vulnerable crays to beat the band.

Beat the band? What band? Very tough to beat the OU marching band, here bangin’ out some Van Halen among other excellent rock n roll:

But groove-wise you can’t beat bands like Southern and Alcorn.

Back to bassin’ — dude also traps crays before derbies to get a line on colors:

> I have caught individual crayfish in different color morphs as well as specifically black and white to pink ones on Amistad.

Black/white and pink crays?? My world is spinning right now….

Plopper mania at Ozarks Costa.

[Email said the Costa was at Table Rock but it was at Lake of the Ozarks!! Doh!] Docks and brush were the deal at Lake of the Ozarks — who woulda thunk it — and MO’s Andre Dickneite won it by 2.5 lbs with 48-04. 8 guys from MO and 2 from AR in the top 10, so sounds like if you weren’t in the know you weren’t at the top.

Andre won it fishing a V&M Adrenaline Flippin Jig with a Strike King Rage Craw (both b/b), and a TX-rigged Zoom Magnum Trick Worm (red bug, on a 1/4-oz weight). As you’ll see from the top 10 baits breakdown, most guys fished a jig but this has to be the most Whopper Ploppers ever in a top 10:

Jig = 60% — most often mentioned jig was a JaKKed Baits DoKK RoKK, which I’m pretty sure was invented by…

…#GeorgeLynchRules — and the most often mentioned trailer was Strike King (Rage Craw and Rage Chunk). All jigs were some version of gp except the winner’s which was b/b.

Whopper Plopper = 50% — 3 were loon (basically black), 1 was bone, 1 was custom-painted by Fall Creek Lures. Here’s the custom-painted one, fished by Jeremy Lawyer (8th):

Buzzbait = 50% — and if you didn’t have a Horny Toad on the back of it I guess it wasn’t working.

Worm = 40% — TX-rigged, Zoom Magnum Trick Worm = 20%.

Crankbait = 30% — Strike King 6XD and 2 squarebills.

What the Tickle Tackle boys say about Ploppers.

Have I said before that Matt Allen at Tactical Bassin’ reminds me (in a good way) of that guy Bobo on the show (Not) Finding Bigfoot? Both dudes know their stuff and have a low-key Cali way of tellin’ it.

Anyhow, speakin’ of the Whoppin’ Plops, in a new-ish Tickle vid Matt breaks down all you need to know about fishin’ Ploppah-style:

Stuff that stood out to me:

> Smaller fish are caught on the biggest size…which I’d never fish anyhow.

> He likes monkey butt…the COLOR monkey butt hahaha! (Maybe Bobo likes it too? You know, a bigfoot might be a big monkey….okay I’m done!)

> The right reeling speed is when the bait sounds the loudest.

> Add Owner Hyper Wire Split Ring and SPRO Power Swivel in case gunk weeds get in the back joint and the body starts to spin instead of the tail, which will crush your line. He likes Owner 3x trebles too.

> When fish are killing the Plopper, throw a red one for bigger bites.

What if a crazy rule negated a fish catch (and a win)?

Hear what happened to the Jets on Sunday? Scored a touchdown, but it was somehow called a fumble…even though the guy never fumbled it?

Even more amazing, instead of the Jets getting 6, the ball was given to the Patriots!

That’s one reason I’m not a fan of treating our fish like kittens. Stay with me here: What if a guy was fishing under some crazy fish-handling rules, and he was boat-flipping a derby-winning fish — maybe a career- and financial-solvency making fish — and the fish accidentally hit the windshield or came off and flopped on the carpet or whatever, and he was penalized for it. Should he lose?? Should someone else win because of that?

C’mon man. Seriously…that would be nuts.

I dig some of what the MLF is doing, but definitely not the fish-kitten part. Have I said that before? lol

News

1. We lost Andy “Cooch” Cuccia.

I didn’t know him but he was a highly-regarded West Coast bassin’ brother:

(I used to put “RIP bassin’ bro” at the end of these but ain’t likin’ it now so if you have a better phrase, please hit me back with it.)

2. Elitist rookie Jamie Hartman won $123K this year.

Pretty dang stout, but after expenses and stopping at places like this on the road…

…the equation looks more like this…

3. Chapman thinks no-info rule will change things.

> “…I think you’re going to see a big change in how some people end up in the tournaments. What’s been the big, overwhelming deal the last few years is the amount of info guys are acquiring. I’m not faulting them because it was legal to do, but it got ridiculous.

> “A lot of guys, that’s how they function. It doesn’t always help them, but a lot of times it does.

> “That’s not how I was brought up fishing — whatever happened to doing it on your own and figuring things out. The networking that some of these people have is crazy, and now they’re going to have to do it themselves.”

Also said he’s been guessing low on the weights needed to do well and needs to stop that.

Reminder to buy a ticket to maybe win his 2017 boat here — proceeds go to Folds of Honor and the Kansas Food Bank.

4. Chad Pipkens on BassEdge Radio.

5. FLWer Billy Mac’s fishing elbow pain cure.

6. Here’s what the Vikes’ Brian Robison’s doing in his free time.

Setting his bassin’ derby dates that benefit k9s4cops.org:

Hey wait — it’s the middle of the NFL season dude! Free time?? B-Rob, don’t be postin’ any non-football stuff because, you know…#contract #focus #playoffs and such….

7. No more tunnel-hulls and jet drives in Opens.

Doesn’t say why but I’m thinkin’ maybe…sponsors? Or maybe Ott’s been winning too much $$$? Hahaha! Either way not too big a deal.

8. AL: Gville frog bite about to be on.

> The next few weeks are historically the best of the year for froggin’ at Guntersville, as water temperature drops enough to allow the fish to be comfortable in the shallows and the mats are in prime condition. The bite is likely to continue until the first big cold front….

9. TX: Cancer benefit derby at Hubbard THIS WEEKEND.

10. TN: What Chickamauga hype/derbies did for the county.

> They also collected $690,108 more in sales tax in 2016 than they did in 2013. And because of the income they were receiving, they were able to purchase a property and market it to industry. Nokian Tyres will be making a $360 million investment and, along with it, bringing 400 jobs.

Grove, OK also killing it from bass-head $$$.

11. MS: Hammer Rods offering bassin’ scholarship.

Scroll down at that link to see more deets:

> …will award a $1,000 scholarship to a Mississippi high school graduating angler pursuing full-time enrollment in a 2- or 4-year college with plans to continue competing at the collegiate level.

#stout, hope other companies jump on that too.

12. TX: Monticello power plant being taken offline.

Guess it’ll change the lake?

13. WI: Sturgeon Bay meeting might have some haters?

Public meeting is tomorrow. Incredible how locals could feel that a fishery of that size could ever be affected by tourneys but maybe that’s the case. Bass-heads, please be patient with people who are not yet addicted to bassin’! (Only a matter of time tho…#globalwarming)

14. WON Bass gets’ 2-yr Bassin’ Cat deal.

No truth to the rumor that the circuit name will change to MEOW Bass….

15. OH: Too much algae in Erie’s western basin.

Locals looking for federal help.

16. NE: New Episcopal rector likes bassin’.

A good sign for that church! Because, you know, the Big Man seems to have a soft spot for fishermen….

17. Rapala Fishing Pro coming on PS4 and XB1.

Gitcha couch tater on!

Jason Christie fall baits giveaway!

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaang son! Lookit that pile o’ baits! Bunch o’ juice right there, Bassmaster Elite pro Jason Christie’s favorite YUM and BOOYAH baits for catching fall bass — including, of course, the new BOOYAH Flex squarebill and spinnerbaits, plus the all-important “tin foil” color of YUM Christie Critter…and more!

Click the pic to get to the link on FB!

Btw, John C. from MI and Cliff A. from NC won the two Storm Searchbait 360 giveaways, still waiting to hear back from a possible winner of the Brandon Palaniuk/Alpha Angler rods giveaway….

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Tip of the Day

Don’t just flip the edges of grass!

Elitist Jared Lintner has flipped more grass than you have hairs on your head. That goes double for my balding dome and infinity for Dave Mercer, who has less hair than a ping pong ball (I’m catching up to you Dave!). Anyhow, here’s just a teeny-tiny bit of Lintner’s grass-flippin’ expertise — was kinda news to me, maybe for you too:

Quote of the Day

Here’s my rule of thumb — 1 bite’s luck, 2 bites is a pattern.

– M-Ike Ike-onelli talkin’ at the MLFers Pokegama Elite. Hey Ike, gotta take it from me man, for some of us 2 or even 3 bites is STILL luck hahaha!

Shot of the Day

Lovin’ this shot cuz I love bass-feeshn in the rain. Fish are bitin’, peeps be scared of gettin’ wet, more fish for me. Raise your hand if you’re a rain basser too:

Random

“It feels great, dude. It’s [bleep] awesome, man.”

– Jax Jags kicker Jason Myers after missing 1 out of 3 FGs on Sunday against the Rams. Said that cuz some reporter asked him how it felt to miss. [derp] How ’bout in our sport:

> “Hey [Elite angler] how’d it feel to jump off that 5-lber at the boat and then lose by 4 lbs?”

LOVE to hear Swindle answer that one hahaha! (But, uh, you know I’d rather you won it G-man. You know what I mean….)

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Jay Kumar is the guy who created BassFan.com, co-hosted Loudmouth Bass with Zona, was a B.A.S.S. senior writer and a whole lot more in bassin’. Jay Kumar’s BassBlaster is a daily-ish roundup of the best in bassin’, and is the #2 daily read on any given day in the wide world o’ bass.

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