BassBlaster

17 lber caught in Cali, Bertrands TRock baits, Sick fishing truck

 

Today’s Top 5

Where’d the g-g-giants go?

Okay not Mercer’s personal fishes he keeps in captivity for his TV show (hahaha!), I mean the high-teens and 20s fish. TX’s ShareLunkers (13+ lbers) have slowed down. In CA, seems pretty rare now to hear of fish that breaks 15. Not many out of Japan. What up?

One theory: Florida-strain genes have been watered-down over time thru interbreeding with pathetic, skinny, normal-sized northern-strain largies…which we love anyhow. My 2c:

> I do think the genes coulda gotten watered down. Because if you can’t grow world records on fatty trout in Cali’s mild climate, something ain’t right. So if the genes are watered down…time to re-stock?

> The bigs are out there, but guys don’t fish for them as much. I mean…who wants to fish all day for 1 big bite…that may not even be a big fish?

> Have we hit the upper limit for largies? Are high-teens and 20s fish always gonna be ultra-rare even if we hook ’em up to a freakin’ trout/crayfish/Big Mac IV??

BUT a dude did just catch a 17-02 Lake Kaweah, CA G-G-GINORMOROCEROUS:

Click the pic to see the vid. Slammed it on an Eco Pro U-Rig with 4″ Keitech Easy Shiners (silver flash). Couple theens:

> Wait — Keitech makes baits other than the Swing Impact Fat?? lol

> Best thing about the vid is the dog licking the largie. Looks like bass taste better to dogs than watermelon does to otters:

More swoll-belly ditch melons.

Kickin’ it off with this 12-06 buttah-swolled blunderbuss ketched in Badin Lake, NC by Bennett Pridgen. Said he got it on a jig in 14′ in the Lake Forest area and:

> He wouldn’t reveal the size or color of his jig. “The fellows need to figure something out themselves.” [HAHAHA yeah they do! Or…no they don’t cuz we have the interwebz!]

Lookit this one — fish looks like it’s already mounted! (Can anyone ID that bait?)

Check this 26.5″-long largie caught somewhere in TX, no weight tho?

How ’bout this dude crackin’ a big on a SpoolTek swimbait? Fave comment on the post: “That’s a governor Chris Christie size bass right there brother.” HAHAHA not yet it ain’t!

Josh Bertrand’s 2nd place TRock pattern and baits.

> “I was targeting balls of shad. If they were under 20′ I’d fish the swimbaits under the balls. If they were deeper than 20′, I’d drop the dropshot into them.

> “The crazy thing was they were so related to shad that it didn’t matter what structure the shad were on. Some were open water, others were pushed back into banks back in creeks.”

> 4″ Berkley Havoc Beat Shad (smoke/black and purple flake) on a 1/4-oz head, 7′ medium Abu Garcia Premier Spinning Rod, 30-size Abu MGX spinning reel, 8-lb green Berkley Nanofil to 6-lb Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon leader.

> 3.8″ unnamed swimbait on a 3/8-oz head on 7′ mh Abu Villain 2.0 casting rod, Abu Revo ALX reel and 10-lb Berkley Fluorocarbon.

> Dropshot: 3″ Berkley Gulp! Alive Minnow (emerald shiner) on #1 Berkley Fusion 19 Dropshot Hook, rest the same as the Beat Shad.

What up with Bertrand and all the saucy stuff?

He’s got that Gulp! bait sauce going, betcha didn’t know he dyes his beard…

…with buffalo wing sauce — here’s his recipe:

…and now he’s using hot sauce on his boat too??

Not sure where all this sauciness is coming from, but he did text me this pic of his cat a while back:

[Listen kids, the only part of this I’m fibbin’ about is those hot sauces. Do NOT stick those on your face!]

Rest of the T-Rock Top 10.

B.A.S.S. posted the top 12 baits (but it’s 24 slides) — I’m just breaking down the top 10 cuz the math is easier thataway:

Swimbait (on jighead or underspin) = 50% (Keitech = 40%, 30% were on underspin)

Crankbait = 40% (Wiggle Wart = 20%, SPRO Rk Crawler = 20%)

Randy Sullivan (6th) Wiggle Warted and changed to translucent colors after the fish were hitting short:

Jerkbait = 40% (SPRO McStick =20%, Vision 110/very similar = 20%)

Wobble-head jig = 20% (Trailer: Strike King Menace =10%, Biffle Bug = 10%)

10% each = Carolina rig, spinnerbait, spoon, dropshot, lipless (Strike King Red Eye Shad which was used 2x if you include 12th)

Calling out the 8th-place finisher, only guy to use a spinnerbait, named Ricky something:

News

1. Z and Hack goin’ live Squatchin’!

BASSquatchin’ that is, down at a certain re-zort in LA that’s known to have fat fish. Next Tues March 14 8 am-noon (EST? CST?)…so I guess plan not to work durin’ that time. Yep, B.A.S.S. is rampin’ up the vids cuz they love your eyeballs!

2. Is Barone the only guy who can…

…talk about robots giving birth, cellists, plumbers, getting set on fire, the Vietnam War and, oh yeah, bass fishing in one article??

Rhetorical question. Amazing. Seriously.

3. MO: Thieves stealing lower units on Ozarks.

But leaving electronics:

4. NC: New fish attractors in Sutton Lake.

5. DC: New Interior Secy overturns Obama lead ban.

On federal lands.

6. Gotta shout out the Genie.

Believe this is the first high finish for YUM’s new-ish Genie worm — which I’m shouting out because it’s different and cuz Al Lindner swore a worm that looked a lot like that was a sho-nuff fish-ketcher:

Btw that’s FLWer Barry Wilson at the Seminole Costa, who cast that rig to bright spots hoping to hook up with spawners.

7. New Costa Sunrise Silver Mirror lens.

> …ideal for low light situations, great for any sight casting applications and Costa’s most versatile lens for changing light conditions.

> The Sunrise Silver Mirror allows 30% light transmission versus the typical 10-12% and does this successfully while maintaining a 99% polarization efficiency – making it the highest light transmission of any polarized lens on the market.

> “The Sunrise Silver Mirror sharpens contrast all day but performs best under the toughest low light conditions making it ideal for dusk and dawn performance and cloudy fishing days. The mirrored finish also helps deflect harsh light away from the eye to ease eye strain and help reduce eye fatigue.”

I have a pair: #score

Only worn them driving so far, but can tell for sure that they have a lot of contrast. Watch out Jersey bedders!

8. The KVD Hydrowave is finally on TW!

Here’s the scene inside Tackle Warehouse when it happened: KISS was there!

9. Comin’ soon: 4″ StutterStep.

Will only be on TW:

10. And gitcha Irish on!

My mom’s off the boat Irish so I guess I “have to” get one of these:

11. New Shimano reels.

> …Chronarch 150-size MGL and Tranx 300/400 size baitcasting reels. The new lightweight Chronarch reels feature Shimano Magnumlite spool, while the Tranx reels can easily fish big deep-driving crankbaits….

12. Guess Honda concept outboard is for real.

> For design inspiration, the group looked across the portfolio of Honda’s product lineup, from current marine outboard motors to automotive products like the Acura NSX Supercar, to the Honda Jet.

> “The inspiration for the design of this engine was driven by the feeling you get when at the helm of a powerful boat on the water – the rush of excitement, the exhilaration and freedom, the feeling that hits you immediately with the boat at full throttle and the water and air around you.”

> To be imaginative and forward thinking, Honda designers created a concept engine that was taller than conventional marine engines.

Uh…ok?

Headline of the Day

This stupid-looking lure will help you catch a lot more bass

Guess:

Rig of the Week

Been sufferin’ lately…with a little truck envy. Would love to pay cash for a new Ford Raptor or Tundra, customize it so Palaniuk gets jealous and drive over stuff like I’m a monster truck dude…but ain’t got the coin. So I called Elitist Britt Myers who has every dang cool truck mod in the world cuz he owns CS Motorsports. Asked him to send me a little somethin’ somethin’ and here we go:

> Check out this Tundra we customized not too long ago. We tricked-out this bad boy with all the latest: a 7″ BDS Suspension Lift Kit, custom A.R.E. Rod Pods and a Topper EZLift motorized/lifted A.R.E. Z-Series truck top with custom-installed tent — to name a few. Perfect for that weekend getaway with the boys or that out-of-town tournament.

Okay maybe I want TWO trucks. Feel like this dog:

Quote of the Day

Don’t worry about trying to be sponsored or getting sponsored. Those will all happen, those will all come in due time. The best thing you can do is fish every day.

Advice from a pro walleye angler to an aspirin’ pro. Dang straight. Whenever I get asked the “how do I get sponsors” question, I say: win. Fish a lot and win. Been in the biz for a while, just going by what I’ve seen. How do you think this guy got Wonder Bread?

Shot of the Day

Ran outta space for giant melons up top so here you go, Danny Quinn of Rapala with a NICE feesh from Bienville Plantation, FL which just opened up some new lakes to bassin’ [!!!] — which is why I’m a-gonna go there. But DQ beat me to it…and suspiciously didn’t invite me…which ain’t cool…but Hack and Z didn’t invite me either. Maybe I need a new deodorant?

Said he caught that on the new 4.5″ Storm 360 Searchbait (Houdini color), which you can se RIGHT THERE MAN! THERE IT IS!! lol

Random

New Hater dating app…

…surprisingly not invented by an internet bass fisherman….

Sign up another bass-head!

If you’re forwarding every Blaster to other bass crackheads, tx much — or you can email me the addys and we’ll take care of it! We’ll never send spam, sell the list or anything else crazy….

Use the best!

Git on these yo!

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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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