Encourage you to encourage someone. Just a few encouraging words are incredibly powerful. Notice something about someone and give them a good word(s). Their spirit will be lifted and probably yours too. And EVERYONE needs it, no doubt.

For my Christ-following brothers and sisters, some peeps say that the Holy Spirit is "our comforter" by "coming alongside" and encouraging us. Personally I believe it – partly because I have seen and continue to see how damaging lack of encouragement is, and for sure how bad discouragement is.

Just encouragement for ya! Also encourage you to go fishing, even if it's just for an hour or 2. Ketch one for me man! This fall/winter I hope to make up for my dry spell.... Thanks for readin'/watchin'!

Of course you know Ben is one of the most influential bass fishermen (period) right now. And far as I remember, he's the only "YouTube stah" to ever qualify for the Elites – a huge feat in itself, plus it only took him 1 trip through the Opens to do it.

This season he finished 28th in the Elite AOY points – real good, but amazingly that was the second-LOWEST finish for an Elite rookie. 🤯

I was curious about what his first Elite experience was like so here we go. But first, gotta point out that you don't get to be where he's at just by luck, and he co-owns 6th Sense and develops a lot of baits for 'em.

So to run that down: YT teacher, huge following, Elite angler, tackle company co-owner, bait developer. In other words, he's got a lot more going on under the hood than you might realize.

1. How was fishing the Elite Series relative to your thoughts or expectations going in?

> "In a lot of ways it met and exceeded my expectations, as far as how cool and prestigious it was to be able to launch my boat next to the guys I'd been looking up to forever. I don't think there was any chance that I would have an idea going into it how that would really feel.

> "It really was special for me competing against those guys.

> "It definitely got exhausting both from some of the individuals within the Elite Series and the media outside the Elite Series trying to create drama, and trying to really tarnish what myself and some of my other companions in my rookie class have accomplished – and what we accomplished during the season. So that part of it was no bueno."

Follow-up: What was easier and harder than you expected?

> "From a fishing standpoint I'd say it was probably easier to finish up in the top half of the field than maybe I expected, but it was so hard to crack into that top 15 and top 10 range. It was harder than I thought it would be, for sure."

2. Did you end up fishing differently than you thought you would?

> "I definitely had to fish differently as the year went on after I had a couple really bad finishes. At Harris Chain I had a really low finish [100th] and then at Murray I just had a terrible day 2. I was in 10th after day 1, bombed day 2 and ended up 80-something [85th].

> "With finishes that low, I didn't want to miss the Classic on my first Elite season. It was a goal of mine to make it. So I ended up having to fish I guess a little more conservatively.

> ...[not] spend a lot of practice time trying to find something super special, unique and different, and unfound. [Instead he spent] a little bit more time in practice trying to find the obvious patterns – what a lot of guys were going to try to do – but try to find above average-quality fish doing similar things."

3. Since you have an income stream outside of tournament fishing, do you think that allowed you to fish more free than guys who don't?

> "It should have, but I'm such a competitor and such a fan of the sport and of Bassmaster and the Elite Series – for my entire life – it didn't feel like I was able to fish free a lot, and not have pressure. Because I'm so competitive and put a lot of pressure on myself all season.

> "That's one thing I would like to be able to do more...take the pressure off myself and try to enjoy it a little more. Try to have more fun."

4. Did that level or style of competition give you any ideas for new baits?

> "Ooo that's a good one. I don't know if it was the level or the style as much as just how fast fishing is changing with how the fish are reacting to different baits. It's been that same way for like the last 3 years, I would say.

> "The fish are getting conditioned and changing so rapidly. You constantly have to stay on top of what they're doing that moment.

> "...if you fish the same body of water with a lot of tournaments, if you fish a smaller body of water with a lot of tournaments – you can see the fish changing every 6 months even.

> "So I think just overall fishing pressure has caused a lot of the baits we're working on right now to come into fruition."

5. Seems like you're a guy who likes to master fishing techniques. What's next on your list?

> "One thing I'm going to work a lot on...is Neko-rigging. I've caught 100s of fish doing it, but I'm always big on placing hooks and weights in different places on baits to give them different applications and different movements in the water that the fish haven't become so accustomed to.

> "So...different ways of hooking plastics and weighting plastics that are similar to a Neko rig is what I'm going to work on a lot...."

Remember when Andy Montgomery said there's actually FEWER shallow fish now, at least on the major tourney lakes? He mentioned John Cox feeling the same way so I called him and asked. Here we go:

1. Andy Montgomery says even with all the guys fishing offshore, seems like there's fewer bank fish, at least on bigger tournament waters. True in your experience or...?

> "100%. You know what's happening, all those fish coming in – my best spots up shallow, 2-3 boats are in front of them picking them off beforehand. So when they come to the bank, they're smart – they were just caught minutes or hours ago."

2. Wheeler, VanDam and other guys are saying there's no doubt that FFS and the pressure from it is wearing out the deeper fish. Will that ever help bank-beaters?

> "I don't know. If it's in like a place where guys aren't Scoping – I guess if you had something that the guys Scoping were not able to fish, and the fish were able to go out and not be caught in the winter, I think you could do well on the bank. It would open it up and those fish would be fresh coming in.

> "I didn't realize how many fish came from the deep in those shallow spots. ...a lot of the places you could see bottom, so I knew they're not there and then some move their way in.

> "...everybody's getting so good at it...some of my best spots, I watch the guys out front just stroke them and then they would never come to me."

3. Have you had to make any adjustments due to all that pressure?

> "I have. More just like mental adjustments, knowing that I might only get 5-6 bites that day. I feel like that's more the goal. ...I just have to keep my head down and I might not get the bites.

> "Not everywhere but 80% of the season this year was like that. My best day I might have caught 10-12 fish."

Bonus Q: If you had to recommend 1 bait for early fall, what would it be?

> "I'm probably gonna go with with the [Berkley] Choppo or the Cane Walker just because they're so fun to throw.

> "For the Cane Walker really like the 'perfect ghost', and I like it in 110.... For the Choppo, I like the 90 – the smaller one, not the fatter one the original one, in 'ghost bluegill.' That one gets a ton of bites.

> "...if they're following the Cane Walker and they're not eating it, you can send the Choppo by them and they get get less time to look at it."

His topwater gear: 20-lb Berkley X5 Braid, Abu Garcia Zenon MG-X Reel (8.3), 7' 2" MH Mod F Fenwick World Class Rod. "Any of [the Fenwick "levels"] will work. I was shocked at how good the [lesser-priced] Elites and HMGs are...."

If you didn't see my breakdown about this in the latest Abu Garcia REVO Top 5 of the Month video...

...here 'tis in reading words. Gonna start with Cory "bad to the bone" Johnston, who won the St Lawrence dropshotting in significant waves on Lake Ontario.

His rod was a 6' 10" LIGHT F Daiwa BLX Rod. Not M, not even ML, fishing for big smallmouths that you would think need to be controlled more than your everyday largemouth. Why?

> "For one, they got nowhere to go. I'm not gonna get them wrapped around anything out there.

> "...light-action rod because the [#2] dropshot hook is so small...it doesn't pull the hook out of the fish's mouth. When you're fighting the fish, the pulling is absorbed and it doesn't pull the hook out. No need to have a stiff rod when you're dropshotting for smallmouths.

> "I only use a L-action rod when I'm dropshotting. When I'm using minnow baits, I use more of a M action so I can put a little more meat to them."

Interesting. Then I got on the phone with Mike Welsh (left) at Abu Garcia and Tyler Schmidt at Fenwick:

Got some good stuff from them, Tyler talkin' about Pure Fishing pros:

> "...definitely the growing trend with FFS. ...various lengths of rods – the shorter 6' 8" style, and the longer 7' 4" and 7' 6". They're all turning toward a ML action with a more moderate taper...allows anglers to work the minnow more effectively without changing the vertical depth of it.

> "If you're using a jighead-minnow and only casting 20-40', we typically see anglers trying to stay in that 6" 8', 6' 9", 7' range. But...longer casts they are using the 7' 4" and 7' 6" rods to get a little more accuracy and more hook-setting power.

> "[In big-water situations, guys are also] using longer rods with very light action to counteract the higher waves...bob around but keeps the minnow [or dropshot] in a much tighter depth range vs a stouter rod that would pull the bait up in the water column.

> "...keeps the bait in the target depth range longer and more accurately...softens action in waves.

> "...fighting fish...certainly a concern [with a lighter rod] but with today's hook technology, many have nano coating and are surgically sharp – so penetration of the hook is a little less of an issue than it was 5-10 years ago. They're able to keep the fish pinned.

> "Guys are also...using [reel] drags vs fighting fish with the rods."

Also said:

> "We are re-launching [Abu] Veritas rods this year and have a couple unique actions...that are actually dedicated toward FFS."

On the shorter end they mentioned 6' 9" ML F Abu Veritas LTD spin rod. There's also the 7' 1" MF and the 7' 2" ML Mod F in the standard (not LTD) Veritas lineup.

Reminder that most of the Veritas rods now mirror the lengths/actions/powers of the really good, pro-level Abu Fantasista X line. The also have a few actions that are like the prior Veritas line and the Winch series is now standalone.

On the Fenwick side, a rod that a bunch of pros are using now is the 7' 2" ML F Walleye Rod in the HMG [low/mid $100s], Elite [low/mid $200s] and World Class [low/mid $400s] "levels." Reminder that for the new Fenwicks, all the lines have rods with the same actions just different levels of components.

Don't really do investigative stuff anymore, but I think I figgered this'n out! Also in this Sea Foam Top 5 of the Week in Bass Fishing:

1. KVD's Sexy Shad 2.0

2. Flash Point seems legit

3. Less FFS is happening

4. Expert skipping shortcut

5. The Plopper sound

Baits 'n stuff mentioned or shown in this episode:

Sea Foam Marine PRO

Strike King 6XD (sexy shad)

Strike King Chick Magnet (sexy shad 2.0)

Strike King KVD Elite Jerkbait (sexy shad 2.0)

Yo-Zuri 3DB Jerkbait 110 (ghost sexy shad)

BOOYAH Flash Point Jerkbait

Bass Brakes

Daiwa Tatula Elite baitcaster

Lew's Pro SP Skipping Reel

Lew's Andy Montgomery Skipping Rod

River2Sea Whopper Plopper

Berkley Choppo

Heddon Spin'N Image

1. Next year's Toyotas schedule is out

2. Ever hear of the Rapala CrushCity The Jerk??

What the – only available in Canada?? Looks really good in this video by Canadian fish man JP DeRose...where he says among other stuff that more salt in the belly section helps it have more of a keel:

Got onto it when Canada's Jamie Bruce finished 10th at the Leech Lake Bassmaster Open with it:

3. TN: B.A.S.S. will be filming at Bethel U next week

> Bassmasters will be doing a film on and our bass fishing team. They will be interviewing several of our team players and highlighting our legendary program here on campus.

Wonder if John "Kentucky Lake" Garrett will make an appearance....

4. FL: "Human waste" part of the Okeechobee problem?? 🤮

> ...combatting harmful algal blooms in Lake Okeechobee requires managing both phosphorus and nitrogen, and that human waste played a role....

> In urban areas like the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee river watersheds, human waste is a major source of these nutrients." [They mention the Orlando area as well.]

> Findings show key changes in Lake Okeechobee's algal conditions over the years. Nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratios, microcystins, and Microcystis cell counts in the lake are now higher than in previous decades.

5. 25% off all Bill Lewis baits til Sept 18

On TW. Personally I would be looking hard at the sinking and suspending Scope-Stiks, any of the lipped cranks but personally I like the MR-12, and maybe that Zig Zag (Front Runner).

6. 20% off Z-Man goby baits

On the Z-Man site:

7. New Buckeye Su-Spin

Comes in 1/4-3/4 and is on TW.

8. Limited run Bass HOF color Jitterbugs

Colors designed by each of these guys:

9. Randy Bowers new Suzuki head of dealer sales

His title is: national dealer field sales dept manager. Internal promotion. He reports to Brandon Cerka, GM sales and marketing.

10. Randy Moss invested in a new salty league...

...with some other sports guys. They're investing in a saltwater fishing deal and not bass fishing? Someone needs to put together a deck and ring their doorbell! Or maybe that already happened?

11. That Sharrow prop is now made for 40-200 hp

They start at $2K!

12. They make fire blankets for lithium batteries?

Yikes. Maybe lithiums should come with ejection seats...😁

13. MO DNR removing invasive carp on the Lamine River

PSAs

Offer deets on the 'Bird site, but here's a summary:

> Get $500 back when you purchase a qualifying SOLIX or HELIX model by Sept 15, and submit your receipt by Oct 15. Exclusions apply.

SOLIX offer info here, and HELIX deets here.

Also I think I keep forgetting to mention that the Rapala PXR Mavrik 110 jerkbait now comes in a Deep version – but TW says it won't be in til mid-Dec:

Mike Surman: When it's too choppy for topwater

> If the wind has too much chop on the water for a topwater, I go to the Yo-Zuri Rattlin Vibe. It can be worked in a lot of different ways, but a "stop and go" retrieve will really trigger bites in the fall.

> The depth of water you are fishing will determine the length of your stop in retrieve. Usually in 4' of water or less, this pause will be only a second. The deeper the water, the longer the pause.

> The Rattlin Vibe will start to glide and fall during this slight pause. That is when you get 90% of your strikes.

> This may only be a 'tick' or thump, and your line will go slack. This is why I use Yo-Zuri T7 Fluorocarbon line.... My favorite is 15-20 lb...depending on how I want the bait to glide and fall. The heavier the line, the slower the fall.

Reminder that that bait also comes in a 3/16-oz Mini version too, which can be key for the fall...or in general like over veggies.

"Soon as I get in my boat, I discover my steering controls, reel handles and Mirage Drive had all been slathered with KY Jelly lubricant...."

- Hahahaha so great! 😆 That's Aussie Jack "Pawpaw and" Gammie talkin' 'bout his kayak – the Mirage Drive is pedals – on the final day of 2024 Hobie World Championship, which was in June on St Clair. His bud, US yakker Ryan Lambert did it – even though Jack was in 2nd going into that day. Love it!

Jack had never caught a smallmouth before, and hadn't caught one in practice til Ryan gave him a green pumpkin Z-Man Big TRD on a Z-Man NedlockZ EWG Jighead:

Just a "perfect day" shot – calm water, not too hot, giant fish (on a YUM Dinger stick worm), yer best bud in the boat – posted on YUM's IG:

How herring fish farts caused confusion during Cold War



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