No 2nd BassBlaster last week means we did lose power/internet in FL. BUT not because of the hurricane – it was a tornado. One of those tornados you might have heard about ripped through our little FL town. Supposedly it was an F3/F4 (they only go to F5, I believe) a mile dang wide with 155+ mph winds. Scary deal – unlocked a new fear for my wife.
What it looked like during and after:
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For my fellow Jesus followers, my wife and I read verses and spoke over the property and our vehicles for 2 days before it hit. I was 100% sure we would be okay even while it was on top of us, and was literally elated after it passed. Praise God man wow!
Heard afterward that a bunch of people in town were praying. No atheists in foxholes and I guess that's the closest pretty much all of us will ever get to being in one.
By the time the hurricane got to us on the east coast of FL, it was nothing. Walked the dog during it. Obviously not the case for folks on the west coast. Hope everyone was okay. Heard we lost a few folks from a different tornado on the east side. ✝️🙏
Few reactions from our experience:
- Enduring yet another tough thing with my wife was amazing. Love that gal (currently we're having trouble getting along tho lol – tired/grouchy).
- To the German guys who invented the chainsaw – thank you.
- People helping people is great. Better than great. Lived in that neighborhood for months and hardly met anyone til they all came out after the tornado.
- Think about this: One normal day. That's all people want/wanted after that deal.
- Made me think of displaced folks in refugee camps in war-torn countries. New level of sad for 'em. Can't imagine raising kids in that environment.
- Folks in Helene areas still need help too.
One more thing: The pastor living next to us had a 4' x 2' piece of concrete literally dropped next to the front door. Could easily have been a missile. Amazing.
More later about the move to TX (where we are now). For now let's git to bassin'! God bless you and thanks much for readin'!
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If your email program cuts off the bottom of the email click "View this email in your browser" up top to see the whole thing. Sorry bout that – email programs keep changing stuff.
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Did you know Zack finished 6th in the MLF Bass Pro Tour points? Behind Jacob "Thanos" Wheeler, Drew "Lepomis" Gill, Alton Jones "not really Jr" Jr, Dustin "beat Jacob at his own game with his own baits" Connell and Michael "Top 10" Neal. I mean, that's pretty dang good! Here's Zack talkin' 'bout it:
1. A win, 2 top 10s and 2 top 20s – happy with it or not?
> "Oh I'm extremely happy. Obviously if I could get everything I want out of a year, I'd want to win every one of them, but that's very hard to do. I finally got my first win – I'm extremely thankful for that – so yes I'm very happy."
2. You ended up just about where you were in 2022 in the points. What happened in '23?
> "A lot of close calls. Literally one bite away from making a Knockout Round, which can change the whole outcome of the tournament. One crucial cull at pretty much every tournament...we had the 5-fish format then.
> "So if I had just made that 1 more cull and gotten in the Knockout Round, then the whole outcome of my year would have been a little different."
3. What were the biggest techniques and baits for you this year?
> "The things that really stuck out for me this year – and it pretty much goes for everywhere we went – were a Yo-Zuri 110 Deep Jerkbait...a very good tool for me this year along with the Omega bladed jig.
> "I caught pretty much 50% of the fish at Lake Eufaula [OK], the tournament I won, were on [them].
> "When we were Scoping – using ActiveTarget – I was throwing the jerkbait a lot. Events when I didn't so much use ActiveTarget or FFS stuff, I relied heavily on that bladed jig. Even up north I caught them on a jerkbait minus a few key fish on a frog."
4. Why do you like a jerkbait for FFS and not the jighead minnow?
> "Don't get me wrong, I have a minnow and I throw it some. But I don't tend to get out in the middle of places as much as some of the guys utilizing the minnow.
> "A lot of my fish are shallower. I tend to get in places in 15' or less, seems like – bays, back ends of creeks, the middle parts of creeks, timber, a lot of flats with stumps – vs roamers and chasing bait balls.
> "I feel like I'm very efficient with a jerkbait and can utilize it really quick. It's just personal preference. I feel like I'm really good with it. I don't feel as efficient with a minnow as with a jerkbait."
Foller-up: Do you have a favorite color jerkbait?
> "I pretty much used 3 colors...'gizzard shad,' 'ghost sexy shad' [below] and 'ghost pearl shad.' Those are my 3 go-tos. I just rotate through them til I see how they react to one, and then kind of stick with it."
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He fishes them on 10-lb Yo-Zuri T7 Fluorocarbon, an Ark Gravity G8 Reel (8:1 – "I like everything fast for picking up slack") and an Alpha Angler Slasher Rod.
> "...I really just would go off the response from the fish. My cadence would vary from fish to fish. I can't say I stuck to anything in particular. I literally let the fish tell me what they wanted, whether it was faster or slower – like a cat and mouse.
> "I hardly even cast with it unless I saw a target or fish that I felt like was the right fish to be throwing at."
5. What's your favorite bait to fish right now?
> "Topwater, a Yo-Zuri 3DB Pencil. I use the smaller one, the 4-inch version [the 100] because it's not as rough on you slinging it all day long, and you can fish fast...covering a lot of water.
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> "I really like it...whether it's sunny, cloudy, raining, bluebird skies – I'll put that in my hand and run as much isolated cover as I can. Usually by the end of the day I put a decent bag together.
> "...small piece of wood on a flat...shallow brushpiles, things like that. That's what I try to target this time of year. By no means do I catch the most fish, but usually a couple decent ones.
> "'Bone' is my go-to – with an Alpha Angler TopHammer, straight 30-lb Yo-Zuri SuperBraid (dark green) an an Ark G8 8:1 Reel."
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"That's like saying pros shouldn't be allowed to skip docks because it's too easy."
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- B.A.S.S.'s Bryan B. Brasher making a good FFS-related point. Full deal:
> If your opinion of FFS is based on what you've seen the pros do with it, you're thinking about things from the wrong angle. That's like saying pros shouldn't be allowed to skip docks because it's too easy. Go try anything you see them do, and then tell me it's easy.
Of course that doesn't address every issue around FFS, but in my 2c it's a good analogy.
Also, I have to say: Bryan is known to make a good point every so often. I was gonna say every couple years, but then his wife said it's more like once every 5 years so...🤣 Good deal Brasher! 🤙
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Some cool baits 'n stuff!
Part 1
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Tackle Warehouse got a pile of new stuff in that I "had to" surf through 😁 – here's some that I want or just thought were interesting – no particular order. This is part 1, more comin' Thursdee!
1. Abu Garcia Zata Tact-Z Casting Reel
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Tackle Warehouse exclusive. Zata is a legit reel in my 2c, this one is 7.1:1, looks very sexy and:
- 30% off for active or retired military personnel, and first responders
- A portion of proceeds benefit Heroes on the Water....
#stout
2. 1/8-oz Buckeye Buzzerk buzzbait
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Just in time for little shad! Love the small buzzbait deal. Yep I want the "peenk juan":
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8. 6 new colors of Megabass Vision 110s
Anyone fish these baits? 😁
9. FMTC Tracer Shad
Interesting:
> ...realistic baitfish profile and flat-sided construction that makes it deadly for targeting roaming predators using FFS. Featuring a through-wire resin body...with 2 magnum-sized rattles that vibrate erratically as it swims through the water column.
Comes in 1/2, 3/4 and 1-oz, all are 3.5" long:
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Couple crazy tourney ideas
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Driving long distances causes lots of stuff to go through my mind such like this stuff. NOT saying these are good ideas, just floatin' 'em...you know, like a rubber ducky...😆
1. No FFS = points?
Too late for '25 but there's a lot of ways to slice the FFS pie, including nothing to do with FFS itself. Awhile back I was half kidding when I said tourneys could ban spinning rods or jigheads less than 1/2-oz or 8-lb line, etc. Wouldn't stop FFS from being used of course, but sure would make things different.
Here's a new thought: How about something like guys who don't use FFS gain 1 place in the standings? Or 2 lbs? Or something. Crazy, but at the top level that would be a huge deal.
Not saying it's a good idea, just maybe a little different way of thinking about the whole FFS thing – if it continues to be such a big advantage.
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😁
2. Opens off-limits change?
If I have this right, the MLF Invitationals have a 30-day off-limits (before practice starts) while the Bassmaster Opens have 14-16 days. Not sure if that's changing for '25, but if not – does that short off-limits favor younger guys?
What I mean: If you're older and have a family and kids, are you going to run straight from one tournament, camp out on a lake til the off-limits hits, then mess around on other local lakes til official practice starts? Probably not. Which I gotta say makes it even more remarkable that Cody Meyer – who has a young family in IDAHO – qualified for the Elites without doing that (far as I know).
Is it "bad" or "unfair" if the off-limits favors younger guys or guys without families? I mean, if I was single and wanted it bad – and could afford it (another factor) – I'm sure I would do the same thing.
Is it "bad" if most of the guys coming out of the Opens are younger?
Not saying the way it is is bad or that the Opens off-limits "needs" changing at all. Just raising it – and to me this is another factoid that shows that for the younger guys making it, it ain't all about FFS.
Either way, just a crazy idea...while driving....
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1. Greg Hackney says fall is the second spawn
Not the spawn part, the shallow part.
> "...especially in shallow fisheries, those fish have a tendency to get on the exact same cover that they do pre-spawn."
One of Hack's problems is that he makes too much sense...but only when he talks...😂 Love ya Hack!
2. Fun factoid: Johnston bros oldest in Elite top 10
Checked because if Jordan Lee was the oldest I was gonna have some fun with that, but Chris and Cory (1989 and 1985) are the oldest. JLee and Justin Hamner are tied for 2nd oldest in the top 10, born in '91.
3. Why Browning and Feider like the Tungsten ChatterBait
Z-Man Tungsten ChatterBait Elite EVO:
> Stephen "JackHammer" Browning: "I also feel like tungsten can give anglers more confidence because you really feel it working the rod.... With traditional lead-headed ChatterBaits, it can be easy to miss certain bites, especially when bass 'push' the bait and you fail to detect it. The Tungsten EVO alerts you to these subtler strikes...."
> Seth "I'm on"Feider: "The blade is super dialed so it starts up quicker than almost any other ChatterBait."
4. Larry Nixon loves the Yamamoto Hula Grub too
Finally me and Larry have something in common! 🤣 Good story in that IG vid, probly on his FB too. Here's the Hulas on TW – regular and the new 2.5 size.
5. Dean Rojas' SPRO frog rods are available
7' 0" MHF - Bronzeye Pop Frog
7' 2" HF - Bronzeye Frog
7' 4" HF - Bronzeye King Daddy Frog
Dean knows! TW has 'em.
6. Next year's northeastern NC Elite is first in 4)+ years
> ...Pasquotank River and Albemarle Sound on Apr 10-13...first visit to the area since the North Carolina Invitational in 1981.
Here's the top 10 finishers from that tourney:
1. Basil Bacon (he won $11,700)
2. Rick Clunn
3. Larry Nixon
4. Guy Eaker
5. Ricky Green
6. Roland Martin
7. Jack Chancellor
8. Gary Klein
9. James Parker
10. Johnny Adams
7. Here's your latest 9 Elites
Congrats to 'em! Few thoughts:
- Easton "phenom" Fothergill got the AOY.
- Cody "old man" Meyer is 41 – 2x as old as some of the other qualifiers, and Easton said he has always looked up to him.
- Dakota Ebare was a rising star on the MLF BPT, quit and made it to the Elites – that fast. Dude can feesh!
- The Canadian invasion continues with Evan "king" Kung, who I think used to be a beekeeper:
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😁 Just messin' man!
First guy out was AL's Matt Adams. Martin Open winner Bobby Bakewell ended up 11th in the points.
8. MO: Ozarks Big Bass Bash $100K on a tube
MO's Bryce Rieder won it with a 7.05:
> ...[flipped a dock with] a tube bait from Crock-O-Gator Bait Co...4/0 hook with a bullet weight.
9. New NetBait BaitFuel B Bug colors
In both the 3" and 4" sizes – blown out, sprayed grass, mud bug, big texan, party gill, bruised craw:
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They're on TW already.
10. Patterson Leeth now with Megabass
From Simms to Megabass – that was fast! I sense Palaniuk fingerprints on this.... Patterson is heading up marketing for 'em. Congrats!
11. How to improve your Humminbird MEGA imaging
Great post on the 'Bird site that explains why it might look this or that way (not because the water is cloudy) and how to "fix" it with some explanatory vids. Way too much info for me to even excerpt but an easy read/watch. How it starts:
> MEGA Imaging operates on the megahertz frequency range, which means it provides the highest level of detail and clarity compared to any other imaging sonar out there. This level of detail means that it can pick up the smallest particles and objects in the water. When the water is dirty or filled with particles, the imaging returns will pick these tiny objects up and display them on your screen....
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12. AR State U-Mountain Home teaches boat-building
Marine Manufacturing Program. Started last year with 7 students. Great to hear.
13. Yamaha offering free "coverage protection"
Several years depending on hp, for new outboard purchases.
14. Study: No difference between circle hooks and J-hooks
Using bait for striped bass:
> Why...we have a few ideas. First, there isn't much difference in the gap width...between modern circle hooks and J-hooks, whereas older circle hook models used to have a much narrower gap. Also, the earlier studies relied on chunked menhaden for bait, and many of our fish were caught using live mackerel.
15. NPAA conference Jan-2-3 in WI
Sessions will include teeth-chattering, ice hole drilling and 2 on 2 hoops with a frozen burbot. 🤣 It ain't cold in the building man! Good stuff at those deals, registration is limited, check it here.
16. SIMMS parent company sold to investment firm
SIMMS is under the Revelyst holding co, which was owned by publicly-traded Vista Outdoor Inc and soon will be owned by Strategic Value Partners LLC which has offices in Greenwich, CT and London. Deal is for $1.125 bil.
17. New Sportsman's Warehouse VP of performance marketing
Ryan Carroll, reports to Susan Sanderson, SVP of marketing, ecommerce and loyalty. He has worked at Mercedes-Benz, Macy's, Carnival Cruise Line, Peloton, Office Depot and Planet Fitness. Doesn't say whether he fishes and hunts.
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Fall tippin's with Cliff "firetiger" Pirch
From an older Bassmaster.com post:
> ...it’s easy to hold on to that topwater bait too long. There are some windows when it will continue to work, but after catching a lot of fish on a topwater during late summer-early fall, you have to make that transition to subsurface moving baits....
> ...I’ve found a few dependable ways of catching those baitfish-related offshore fish. One of my favorite ways to run them down, if they’ll play the game, is with a big shad crankbait. This presentation lets you make long casts to cover large amounts of water really fast and trigger those aggressive fish to bite. ...also works with a spinnerbait or even an Alabama-style rig.
> ...a dropshot can be one of your most effective baits for offshore fish. Not only can you drop to fish on the bottom, you can use it to catch suspended fish if you can get it up into the school. ...just by dropping straight to them I’m able to get that bait right in the strike zone.
> I like a 4.5" Straight Tail Roboworm, and my favorite colors are 'morning dawn,' 'morning sunrise' and 'hologram shad.' [None of those are white – "hologram shad" is half white.]
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"I felt like I was fishing for yesterday's fish instead of looking for tomorrow's fish."
- CA Elitist Bryant Smith talkin' on the Bassmasters 'bout his sophomore season. Don't know about you, but I would settle for TODAY's fish...even the ones on sale...😁
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Jay Kumar's BassBlaster is a daily-ish roundup of the best (sometimes worst) and funniest stuff in bassin', hand-picked 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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