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Today’s Top 3
1. Ike’s winning baits.

Won the 2-dayer (1 day canceled) Lake Erie Open this weekend with:

Bait #1

> 80% of his fish came on a dropshot with an Ike-designed Berkley Havoc Flat Dawg (watermelon silver red), 3/8-ounce VMC pencil drop shot weight, 1/0 VMC Ike-designed wacky hook.

> “That bait is designed to be a shallow water stickbait, but in practice I found it’s a killer drop shot bait,” he said.

Berkley’s website has all of 2 small sentences about it (doh!), so here’s what Tackle Warehouse says:

> Unlike other stick baits, the Flat Dawg has two flat sides. This allows it to catch more water on the fall, slowing its descent and accentuating its action. It also features a slightly crooked tail that produces increased vibration.

> Also covered with a number of small pits which give it a unique texture the makes bass hold on longer, the Berkley Havoc Ike’s Flat Dawg is available in a range of proven colors for any fishing situation.

Bait #2

> When the fish weren’t eating the dropshot, he threw a Rapala DT-14 crankbait (smash), especially when the lake was flat. He targeted the tops of the humps when the fish moved higher in the water column.

“Smash” is one of the Ike’s Custom Ink colors – faded, fine sparkles, pearly finishes. Dig it:

Btw – is Ike sucking his thumb here??

2. Gotta point out…

…Ike won fishing ‘ZACTLY how BassGold said that tourney would be won: dropshottin’ and crankin’. Shazam!

Remember, BassGold is a TOOL – a durn good one – not a magic bullet. Not like this tool:

More like this one:

3. Dude wins 2nd EverStart this year…

…which FLW somehow neglected to mention in the writeup (BassinFan did tho). Anyhow, guy is Bryan Schmitt of Deale, MD. Won the Chesapeake Bay EverStart yesterday with 52-04, and in late June won the Potomac River EverStart with 52-08.

His wife had a baby 2 weeks ago – Mrs. Schmitt and her mom must be super cool…or super mad!

Fave lines from the story:

> “We had a baby on Sept. 1 and I honestly felt a little guilty coming here. But hopefully my wife will be a little happier now.” [A LITTLE guilty?? A LITTLE happier?!]

> Schmitt said he targeted bass all week…. [GTHO! No wonder he won!]

Hahahaha!

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News

1. Fishing now being used in recruiting?

Catfish?? You want a top prospect, take ’em out bassin’.

2. HI: Molasses spill killing fish.

Guess anything in water that ain’t water is bad….

3. Canada: 1 derby raises $1.2 mil.

$12,500 per person to enter….

4. A generation is growing up not knowing a delicious experience.

– From an article about how WI folks are keeping and eating all the nice walleyes, which means bass are “taking over,” and want more, bigger wallys stocked.

Asked the only logic expert I know about that and got this back:

5. Ricky Green fundraiser.

You can donate online.

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Why you should try this, from a BassBlaster reader: I like the fact that MegaStrike is a sponsor. I won a tube on the Texas Fishing Forum one time and now I swear by it! It’s great stuff.

Buy ’em here!

Tip of the Day

Joe Balog dropshot tips.

Balog is a northern stick:

> Balog’s dropshot rig consists of a No. 1 Gamakatsu hook tied to 6-pound fluorocarbon using a Palomar knot to make the hook stand straight out from the line with the point up. Balog usually leaves about an 18-inch tag line when he ties on the hook.

> Balog adds a spherical 3/8-ounce sinker designed for drop shotting. The sinker has a clip…in the case of a snag on the rocky Lake Erie bottom, the line can be pulled free from the sinker.

> A 4-inch Yamamoto Shad Worm [pictured], Jackall Crosstail Shad, Gulp! Goby and a 5-inch Strike King worm are Balog favorites.

> An 18-inch leader between hook and sinker is his standard, but on occasion he will use a longer leader. “My sonar unit will tell me where the bass are suspending, and when to make the switch,” he said.

> “Because you’re targeting specific structure, like a big boulder that’s 2-3 feet higher than the rest of a rockpile, it’s critical to have quality sonar equipment to pinpoint the spots, and a sensitive spinning rod to feel the subtle bites, which are usually a mushy feeling, not a hard strike.

> Balog likes to check out bass structure with an Aqua Vu underwater video camera to get a clear picture the rocks, rubble and dropoffs, and the smallmouth bass suspending around them.

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Quote of the Day

His boat is bigger than most cars, and it has more tech gadgets than the Batmobile.

– Newbie fisher gal’s first time on a bassin’ boat.

Makes me wonder whose bassin’ rig out there looks the most like it could be in the next X-Men movie. Anyone have a nomination?

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Shot of the Day

Weird angle makes a massive smallie look like a big bluegill – awesome shot at full size.

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