BassBlaster

Secret Trap color, Two 30+ limits, Meat Series a no go??

Today’s Top 4

Gitcha secret ‘Trap color down-lo here!

At the recent Rat-L-Trap-only Rayburn derby, 3 of the top 5 peeps caught their fish on this color:

Ever seen it before? Me neither. Nope, ain’t not called “Santy Claus” — it’s “retro red.” Bill Lewis head man Wes Higgins be sayin’:

> “It’s a throwback color we just brought back. It was replaced by rayburn red zombie (532) a few years ago, but guys were requesting this older version since it has broader stripes that are spaced apart.

> “The original was called ‘red shad white stripes’ (SY8WH) and was a little different in that it had white skeleton bones on top of the red. We couldn’t find that old pattern so we just swapped it for the white crawfish print. Turns out the fish like it just fine.

> “We’re running about as many as we can right now and don’t even have it on the website. We’ve been letting all the local stores around Rayburn, Toledo and Guntersville do the sales on this one.”

If you reeeeeeeally can’t find it, contact Bill Lewis HQ by email or at 318-487-0352 and they’ll hook you up with a dealer.

Couple 30+ limits in TX.

That time o’ year already for our deeper-South bros, so here we go:

Brian Shook and John Iles weighed 31.92 for 1st, and Harold Allen and Matt Loetscher were right behind with 30.72, at the Rayburn Bassin’ Champs:

Not much of a pic but…. Baits:

> Winners: “…we used a 6th Sense 500DD crankbait and put about 15 lbs in the boat.” Staying on the move, they switched again to a Carolina-rigged Strike King Game Hawg and caught their kicker, 7.5 lbs, plus another 5-lber…. At this point it was 10:30am and they had around 25 lbs.

> “The bite really slowed down for us after that. We didn’t catch another fish until 1:30.” Staying in the mid-lake area, focusing on deep brush piles 25-30′ deep….”

> 2nd place: They targeted a deep ledge. Harold [used] a 3/4-oz Santone Jig with a Paca Craw. Matt chose…a 3/4-oz Stanley Jig with a Cajun Crackin’ Craw. “We sat in one spot, and with our Minn Kota Ultrex Spot-Lock trolling motor, we didn’t have to touch the trolling motor all day. It kept us in our zone.”

The previous weekend Harold and Matt won the TTT at Toledo Bend with ALMOST 30…28.74 lbs:

[Can’t link the website because there’s a problem with the domain.]

> “We fished spots that had some wood, not only on the bottom, but also hanging off the drop. Right now, the fish are either going to be right on top of the drop, or where it eases off. If you can find some cover off the side of the ledge, that’s even better. Some of our fish were right on top of the ledge and some of them halfway down the sides of the drops.”

> Allen committed his day to a 3/4-oz Santone Jig (black/blue) with a craw trailer (junebug) while Loetscher used a 3/4-oz Stanley Jig (brown) with a Cajun Lures Craw (gp).

> “We would work our baits fairly fast until we hit some type of structure and then we tried to bump that structure several times. When you bumped it or pulled your bait over, you’d kill the bait and let it go right down in there. That was the deal — working hard, slow and thorough.

> “Color didn’t seem to matter — the main thing was size. The wind was so bad we needed a pretty heavy jig to get into the cover and stay in it.”

Asked Harold “the legend” what was up — said he’s back to listening to the Vinnie Vincent Invasion again, first album. Got him stoked…hahahahahahaha!

Back to the 30s: Chris Woehl and Chris Clements weighed 30.75, beating 197 other teams on LBJ — and everyone after 110th didn’t weigh a fish. Sounds like it was a zoo, boats waiting in line to fish spots and such:

[Dang same deal — can’t link the website cuz it’s got an issue, sorry!]

No bait info but #stout!

Updates on some stuff.

From bass-heads:

Giant fat stickworms

Bass-head Pete Gentry: “I wacky-rig it mostly with a 4/0 or 5/0, O-rings also…. I did TX-rig it this summer on Toledo Bend with a 7/0 grip-pin hook!”

2. JR Martin said: “I catch more fish on a magnum trick worm than any other size worm for straight-tail designs. Caught a few spotted bass on the [10” Strike King] Bull Worm on a shakey head. They will force it down!”

Similar YUM Mighty Worm is 10.5″.

Kid who said he had a “Texas-rigged wacky-rigged worm”

I figgered it was a typo but BB reader “Fresno John” sent this pic and said he does it:

Looks like something Brent Ehrler might use…and not tell anyone about….

Bassmaster Eat-Meat Series won’t fly??

Went down to B’ham, AL and made the pitch of my life about how B.A.S.S. should have a new series where fishermen keep fish and call the whole deal the Bassmaster Eat-Meat Series. Said if they didn’t jump on it I’d take it to the MLFers but…dang B.A.S.S. didn’t want it! Even with these custom hoodies:

HAHAHA! But seriously, the MLFers SHOULD do this! Move a little back to the center line yo!

No idea where all this came from…possibly a Dorito-caused brain incident. Did see the Ike Live crew sportin’ these tho:

Eeeewwwwwwwwwwww…. Who thinks this stuff up??

News

1. Ike gets Ram Mounts.

Mike will also be getting someone else to wear a second jersey on stage because he’s now run out of his logo room on his own. Np cuz south Jersey bass-heads all strangely look like him:

Not sure why folks look so similar there but I’m thinkin’ whatever it is, no one wants to talk about it…. Pretty sure I could figure it out with a bunsen burner, some Smelly Jelly and a gift certificate to DQ….

2. Check Jason Christie “live” (recorded FB Live vid).

Answers some fan Qs.

3. J-Lu gets Molix.

Joinin’ Ike Miaconelli and Carl Jocumsen on the Mo’ licks pro staff.

4. Bill-Lo gets Drake, now on a really big team.

> This marks Drake’s first partnership with a professional bass angler.

So I texted him and was like, “Yo yo yo Drake why you all up in our fish biz-ness?” And he was like:

Guess Drake is in the waterfowl biz too….

[Hey, if you wanted 100% normal you wouldn’t be readin’ the Blaster!]

5. Randy Howell gets Prym1 camo.

Wonder if they will make his granny hat look a little cooler?

6. Jared Lintner in a Ranger/Merc.

After years of Skeeter/Yammy.

7. Gerald Spohrer gets Specialty Welding and Turnaround.

8. Shin Fukae gets SPRO.

9. FLWer Casey “Sunshine Band” Scanlon gets…

Boater’s Insurance Agency, an independently owned and operated marine insurance agency.

10. MA: Bunch o’ Elites at New England Outdoor Expo.

Ish Monroe, Chris Lane, Cliff Crochet, Mark Daniels, Fred Roumbanis, Paul Mueller. Also someone named Pete Gluszek. Word is yaks will be available for transport to/from the parking lot:

11. Gator Guards/KeelShield gits some pros.

Elitists Brandon Card and Hunter Shryock, and FLWers Matt Arey, Brian Latimer and Casey Scanlon.

That’s a couple times now I’ve seen B-Lat referred to as a “rising social media star.” Wonder if there’ll be a crossover someday between pro angler and social angler?

12. Dee Thomas inviting everyone to his baptism.

How awesome is that! Feb 4:

> “I want you all to come, whether you like me or not. This is the most important moment of my life and I would like to share it.”

Dee invented flippin’ so you could say he’s the #godfather of it….

13. Day 1 Classic boat order.

Here’s the top 5:

1. Master Chief
2. John Marston
3. Link
4. Mario

5. Solid Snake

Oops nope that’s from the list of the best videogame characters of all time, sorry. Strangely, there is some crossover….

14. Spain now part of FLW International deal.

Said they did the deal in a “tapas bar,” but I didn’t hear it thataway and felt like Evers when he heard it:

Almost had to call my pastor, but then they spelled it and I was like, “Ohhhhhh okay…yeah.” Then I said, “You might want to not tell that story again.”

Because FLW people tend to not have the same sense of humor as me, I will say that I made that up as a J-O-K-E!

15. TN: Kentucky Lake bassin’ news.

> …Elite tournament was approved for $95,000 — $75,000 of which will be TRRA money and $20,000 of which is being funded by the state Dept of Tourism.

> …the organizers of a Kayak Bass Fishing tournament that has been in Henry County the last couple of years have said they expect more than 750 kayakers for this year’s event in July. “They’re hoping to turn that into a rotation, with the national championship being held here once every 3 years and open tournaments here in the other 2 years.”

Also the Inn at Paris Landing is being demolished in August and:

> …the new inn, to be completed in 2-3 years, will have only about 65 rooms, about half what the inn has now, and that the price for those rooms will likely be in the $200-a-night range. Paris Mayor Carlton Gerrell said the restaurant at the new inn is likely to have a different concept from the current one, with no full-time buffet offered.

No buffet?? Do they not know that bass-heads love them some buff-ets?

16. TX: Salvinia battle never ending at Fork.

17. NC: Does High Rock have too many nutrients?

18. Bassin’masters College Series gets Mossy Oak.

#camowars

19. TX: E TX Baptist bassers minister in Brazil.

Cool. But…it maybe could have something to do with peacock bass? [chin-scratch emoji]

20. LA: HS fishing growing in northern LA.

Laissez les bons temps rouler yo! That’s Cajun for “the cheese is burnin’ on the grill, home-slice!”

21. Check Kistler’s 20% off sale.

While they got the inventory, I guess. Use the code: 20FOR20

22. New Crestliner Bass Hawk tin tubs.

> Available in an 1850 and 1750 model — in both side console and dual console configurations…18′ 9″ of onboard space on the 1850, and 17′ 9″ on the 1750.

23. New Yammy GM.

> Yamaha Marine Group announced today a newly-formed Marine Power Sales and Marketing team. Mark Tracy, formerly OEM sales division manager, assumed the title of general manager effective Jan 8, and now oversees the OEM and dealer sales and marketing divisions for the marine group.

24. Fishing Tackle Retailer now managing The Fishing Wire.

Ken Duke continues on his strategy to take over the bassin’ world and challenge Johnny Morris for total domination of the universe as we know it. Not takin’ sides but many super villains have 1 thing in common:

Just sayin’…. (Told ya Mercer! #luthor)

25. Tackle Warehouse Fantasy Fishing is on.

Sign up here, prizes list here.

Doh!

> Re: FLW membership, which was news to me, 1 bass-head said: “For several years now, FLW has always had 3 levels of membership: The subscriber membership (magazine only), competitor membership, and the high school membership. Competitor membership members have always gotten the many discounts offered by the organization.”

> Was gonna have the list of recent beeg giveaway weeners today but ran outta room so next time….

Tip of the Day

How wind helps cut down a lake.

First of all, in any team tourney it’s always key to know the wind direction so you’re not downwind of your partner, if you know what I mean…. Lol, seriously, here’s former pro bass-head Rob Kilby on what the wind helps you do:

> “…when a strong wind is blowing it cuts down on the amount of water I have to search for fish. If I pull into a bay, for example, and the wind is blowing against the bank in half the bay, I only have to work the windy side to find feeding bass. In this case the wind has helped me eliminate 50% of the bay….

> “Another example of how wind helps eliminate water is when it’s blowing from a certain direction or angle across selected points. If I establish a pattern that such windy points hold bass, I only have to work those few points. This keeps me from running all over the lake to find bass.”

> …advises fishing with the wind rather than against it because a boat moving with the wind has less “slap,” and thus allows anglers to have a more quiet approach to areas holding bass.

> Kilby prefers fishing with the wind until bass are located. Once he catches a good bass from a spot on a wind-swept bank or point, he holds the boat with an electric motor or even anchors until he thoroughly fishes the entire area hoping to locate a feeding school of bass. Many times a limit can be caught in short order from such a windy spot….

Quote of the Day

“There are top-tour level guys that are convinced that if they fish a deep-diving crankbait, they’re going to lose fish.”

Keith Combs callin’ out some Elitist wusses…lol just kidding. Rest of it:

> “I don’t lose any. It’s all about getting your equipment dialed in. Don’t accept that fish are going to come off on a crankbait….”

YES! If I have one bassin’ resolution this year it’s: Don’t listen to Jeff Kriet. No wait — that’s my resolution every year (hahaha Kriet! love that dude). But seriously, it’s to get my gear dialed in to a) my hookset, which is Mr. Universe powerful (lol), and b) the amount of time I get to fish.

That second one is super-important — since I don’t get to fish as much as I need to, I OVERREACT to bites. I react too fast. Sounds a little counter-intuitive, but I talked to Hackney a while about it in a Squatchin’ blind one time and he absolutely believes it too so….

Combs also said:

> “I want a glass rod because it slows my reaction time down….”

See? In that Bassin’Fan post he also talks about why he digs the Strike King 6XD…required readin’….

Shot of the Day

Here’s an odd angle — from Lake Biwa, Japan. Don’t see it much, thinkin’ for good reason:

Ya got me
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of the best, worst and funniest in bassin’, as curated by me — Jay Kumar. I started BassFan.com, co-hosted Loudmouth Bass with Zona, was a B.A.S.S. senior writer and a bunch more in bassin’. The Blaster is the #2 daily read on any given day in the wide world o’ bass so thanks for readin’!

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