BassBlaster

Special post-Classic edition: funny stuff, baits

By (mostly Jay)

Posted on February 26, 2014

Welcome to Jay Kumar's BassBlaster, your daily-ish email of the best o' bassin'!

Tx muchly to B.A.S.S. for slingin' me into the War Room ag'in. Always a blast to work with the best in the biz…and Bowman (hahaha just kiddin' man!).

Today's Top 4

1. Howell's story.

Don't know if you heard Randy Howell's story at the weigh-in of how the Big Man directed him to those day 3 fish. Can believe it or not, but lemme remind you of this-here:

HE CAUGHT 80+ LBS OF BASS IN ONE DAY ON ONE SPOT WHICH HE DIDN'T EVEN PLAN TO FISH.

'Splain that. Btw, is this the first flat-top to ever win a Classic?

2. Best Classic emceeing ever.

Been to about 20 Classics. Seen every B.A.S.S. emcee there ever was, in person, including Ray Scott riding in on a circus elephant…awesome.

On the way home Monday hit me that B-ham was the best I've seen. Congrats Davey Mercer, you killed it.

Btw, ever wonder how Dave knows those facts and stuff? He reads brail through the weigh-in counter thingy:

Seriously! Mercer also can read Japanese…sorta.

3. Classic baits.

Lipless cranks were the #1 bait used at the Classic, though lipped cranks were coming on strong by the end. Here are the top lipless cranks mentioned by name by Classic competitors (I interviewed every guy every day):

Strike King Red Eye Shad

Here 'tis in chili craw:

Rat-L-Trap

Everyone calls this "Rayburn red" but it's really red shad. People use "Rayburn red" to mean a lot of things:

XCalibur XR50

Royal shad:

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Top lipless colors were various versions of crawfish (light red to red to orange), white, off white/crappie and bluegill-ish, and that royal shad.
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Rapala DT-6

Not a lipless, but the Rapala DT-6 also was key for several folks includin' someone named Howell. Here's bluegill:

4. WTH is up with Gville anglers?

Guys draggin' A-rigs across spots after Classic competitors moved on
Guys fishin' spots and tellin' pros about catchin' double-digit weights before they got there
Guys fishin' around competitors and movin' in on them

WTH??

Yep, public lake, but also no big deal not to fish for a weekend. It's the Bassmaster Classic, for cryin' out loud!! Which the bad eggs fer sher knew.

Wish I had a pic of these folks. Wait…I do:

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More from the Classic

1. BFHOF highlights. Few highlights of the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame induction, awesome as usual but kinda got off the rails at the end: > Emcee Tommy Sanders was crackin' wise half the time, and since I was the only one chucklin' I'm assumin' the zingers zinged over the heads of most. > Blake Honeycutt's dad made him cast a long way into a galvanized bucket and get it in 4 outta 5 times before he'd take him feeshn. Hardcore back then! > Posthumous inductions are rough. Don't think I was the only one wishin' those folks were up there in person.
2. The Zona factor. Z's Awesome Feesh'n Show airs with none other than Randy "flat iron" Howell the week o' the Classic. Ko-inky-dink or…? *|FACEBOOK:PROFILE:152313681470315|*

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Quote of the Classic

Where's Roland Martin? Where's Bill Dance?

– Guy at the ramp.

This "can't make this stuff up" Classic story goes like this-a-here:
> Guy walks up at the Gville ramp, older dude, long beard, overalls (yep). Says, "I'm here to see the anglers."
> Happens to be standing in the midst of a bunch o' them and is told so.
> Looks around, confusioned, says the above statement.
> Turns out he thinks classic (small c) anglers are gonna be there, not Classic (big C) anglers.
> Guy left disappointed.

One o' MANY stories de hilarios del Clasico.

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