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5 Qs with your Elite AOY winner Brandon Palaniuk.
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(^ Great shot from Daiwa shooter Casey Yoern.)
How hard is it to win AOY? Once in a while it looks easy, like when Seth Feider won it and what Jacob Wheeler is doing right now. But no matter what it looks like, you know and I know it's the ultimate fishing award, the Top Grinder award, the "if I'd lost that 1 fish it wouldn't have happened" award, the Giant Hydraulic Sledgehammer Go Smash award.
After tripping at Oahe, Brandon had to have a good tournament at the last one to take it home. And he did – barely, as this real good Steve "Ain't and Ain't Never Been" Wright post shows: "AOY decided by a 1 1/2-lb bass."
Here's 5 with the 2-time AOY champ:
1. How does this one feel vs the last one [2017]?
> "I'm a firm believer that every win, whether an Elite win or now an AOY win, they all have their own their own special journey attached to them, or special set of circumstances, or story line that is the base of that win. So each one to me is equally special in its own way.
> "The other part of that is that I believe every time you win again, you just further prove that every previous win before that wasn't just luck."
[I was like, "Uh Brandon, none of them were luck man!"]
> "This one is just really satisfying, and gets me one step closer to winning 3 of them."
2. Would you rather win AOY by 1 bass or 10 bass?
> "I think it's a culmination of every bass. Every one of 'em is important. I don't know what the point gap was I won by this time – I haven't looked yet – but the first AOY I won was by 14 points. That's less than an average of 2 places per event, and lot of times 2 places isn't even a whole fish. It'd be like a fin of a fish.
> You could say the 7-lber that ate my jerkbait at Chickamauga at the end of day 3 gave me 17 or 20 more places that I won by.
> "One bass becomes incredibly important, but AOY isn't decided in a 1-day shootout. It's the culmination of 9 weeks across the country."
3. You said you felt like Brandon Lester was a Sasquatch on your shoulders – is that because of the way he looks or the way he...smells?😁
> "I would say it'd have to be more of his aura, you know – the way that he carries his bass fishing skills of weight around. He does have a pretty solid Sasquatch beard though."
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4. Did you ever change anything fishing-wise after fist-bumping the Aaron sticker?
> "I felt like every time I did it I'd have another level of confidence. Like a calmness, I guess.
> "Especially day 2 [of the last one]. I didn't have a bass til like 11:00, when...I caught the first one and hit that sticker, I felt a calmness – it's all going to work out alright."
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5. Do you really see fishing as a math equation, and if so what's the answer?? Here in NJ I think it's...zero. 🤣
> "Yes, and there's not one single answer because nothing in fishing is black and white. There's too many sets of variables. That's why spending the most time on the water in every situation possible is important."
[I said, "Man that's kind of a ripoff you can't give us an answer if it's a math equation!" I was messin' around but he said this...]
> "My goal for that is so that every mathematical equation I see on the water, every set of variables, is as easy as when someone asks what's 2 + 2 – you don't have to think about it. It's almost like muscle memory.
> "Because when you do that, then it frees up the amount of cognitive ability in your brain to be able to focus on the moment and what's happening...can actually focus on those variables what's happening throughout the day or throughout the week.
> "You don't think about what baits you're going to pick up, you just do it. You don't have to run through a set of variables in your brain – you just see it, and pick up a rod and do it."
[That reminded me of playing guitar, where after some point I'm not thinking about what my fingers are doing, they're just doing it and my brain can get creative. He said...]
> "100%. That's where I think Aaron lived in his fishing in a lot of his career. That's also why he was considered 'The Natural.'
> "It's similar to when you learn how to throw a baitcaster. When you first learn, you have to think about where you put your thumb, pressing the button, how much pressure you're going to put on it, when you release...but anymore we don't even think about it. Just do it thousands of times a day...brain is processing that but we don't have to stop and think about it."
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Here's what he fished on the upper Mississippi – basically all topwater:
> Main bait: Storm Arashi Top Walker (discontinued, "pro blue"), 40-lb Seaguar Smackdown Stealth Grey Braid, Daiwa Steez A Reel (7.1), 7' M Alpha Angler Top Hammer Rod.
> "...on eelgrass to sand transitions. Anywhere you'd have a sand flat or drop that transitioned to the outside of the eelgrass. I think lot of the bait was using the eelgrass...and the best places were where you had that hard transition stick out a little further on those grasslines. Everything was largemouths."
> Terminator Poppin Frog (Carolina pumpkin – "that color was night and day better than anything else even thought they were eating shad"), 50-lb Seaugar Smackdown Stealth Grey Braid, same reel, Alpha Angler Zilla Rod.
> "When the baitfish would sometimes get pushed into the grass further.... It seemed like if the wind pushed into the calm places it would move the baitfish into the little eelgrass patches, or days 2 and 3 the water came back up a little bit which seemed to push a lot of the bait back up into the grass – day 1 it sucked it out. You could see fish busting bait in the grass."
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2nd-5th Upper Mississippi Elite baits.
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4th: Brandon Lester
> "Day 1 I caught them mostly on the popper because it was sunny and slick." BOOYAH Boss Pop (moonphase shad), 30-lb Vicious No Fade Braid, 6' 10" M Mustad Instinct Brandon Lester signature Rod.
> "Days 2 and 3 I caught them on the Spook and the worm."
> Heddon Super Spook Jr (bone, replaced hooks with #4 Mustad Round Bends, feathered treble on the back), 7' 2" M Mustad Instinct Brandon Lester signature Rod.
> Neko rig: Berkley MaxScent Magnum Hit Worm (plum), 3/32-oz Mustad TitanX Tungsten Nail Weight, #2 Mustad TitanX Wacky Neko Hook, 6' 10" M Mustad Instinct Brandon Lester signature Spin Rod.
> "Last day I caught them on the frog. SPRO Bronzeye 65 (natural red), 50-lb Vicious No Fade Braid, 7' 2" H Mustad Instinct Brandon Lester signature Rod.
> "I fished grass edges and sand the first 3 days. The grass was a mix of coontail and eelgrass in 1-4'. The last day the water had come up a little and got dirty so I pushed in further and the first mat I came to once the water got clean was loaded – that's where I caught the frog fish. It was all about making the right adjustments every day."
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5th: Bryan New
> "Junk fishing 101!"
> Day 1: 3/8-oz ChatterBait (gp) with a Zoom Z Craw Jr (gp magic), 20-lb Sunline FC Sniper fluoro, 7.3:1 Abu Revo STX Reel, 7' 2" MH Fitzgerald Frog Rod.
> Day 1: Zoom Magnum Swamp Crawler (gp), 3/64-oz G7 Screw Weight, G7 Wacky Band, #1 Gamakatsu G Finesse Weedless Stinger Hook, 12-lb Sunline SX1 Braid to 12-lb Sunline FC Sniper, Abu Revo MGX Spinning Reel, 6' 10" Fitzgerald Shakey Head/Wacky Worm Rod. "Rock jetty with a bare spot in the grass."
> "Day 2 and 3 depression in the grass with bait." Texas-rigged Zoom UV Speed Worm (gp), 5/0 Gamakatsu Round Bend Hook, 1/4-oz weight, Abu Revo STX Reel (7.3), 7' 1" MH Fitzgerald Swim Jig Rod.
> Keitech Fat, 5/0 1/4-oz Gamakatsu Spring Lock Spinner Swimbait Hook, 18-lb Sunline Shooter Fluoro, Abu Revo STX Reel (7.3), 7' H Fitzgerald Stunner HD Rod.
> Day 4 – "Hard spot on eelgrass edge with bait, smallmouth and largemouth." Heddon Saltwater Spook Jr (bone, #2 Gamakatsu 2x Trebles with a hand-tied feather), 30-lb Sunline Xplasma Braid, Abu Revo STX Reel (7.3), 7' H Fitzgerald Stunner HD Rod.
> Zoom Super Fluke (pearl white), 5/0 Round Bend Hook, 16-lb Sunline Shooter, Abu Revo STX Reel (7.3), 7' 1" Fitzgerald Swim Jig Rod.
> Carolina rig: Zoom UV Speed Craw (watermelon magic), 3/0 Gamakatsu Round Bend Hook, 5/8-oz weight, 18-lb Sunline Shooter to 16-lb Shooter, Abu Revo STX Reel (7.3), 7' 3" MH Fitzgerald Stunner HD Rod.
> "I was putting Baitfuel on all of my plastics and it was definitely a difference-maker. The stuff is legit."
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Nina Wood was as much a part of this whole deal as Forrest.
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Did you know that? If you've been around long enough you probably did, but if not then maybe not. To make that clear: Nina was a bassin' biz pioneer too. Pretty huge statement, pretty dang l – so we owe her too.
Got with her grandson, Keith Daffron who's now at the top of Vexus Boats, to talk about her.
1. Nina seemed like she was in the background at Ranger, but played a key role or roles there over the years. How would your describe what she did?
> "...it's a definite that without Nina there isn't a Ranger Boats. Forrest couldn't be who he was for as long as he was without the foundational partner that Nina was to him.
> "The role she played – spouse to a founder and a co-founder herself – she's the one who stood there and took the risk with him. In May 1971, with the [Ranger] plant a pile of ashes and no insurance, she could have said, 'Well we tried, now let's go get us a regular job' but that's not what she did."
2. One thing she did was ask guys to come on and be Ranger pros. Do you know how she made those decisions – what she looked for in fishermen?
> "You've gotta think back long enough to realize that our industry wasn't mature. She was really the first pro staff manager in existence in the industry. She had this knack of finding character within people. She was a great judge of character.
> "...lots of stories...the hand-written letter than Denny Brauer wrote them that changed his life and theirs too because she saw something in it. She still has the letter at her house.
> "That's what makes [the bassin' biz] so cool – those opportunities still exist, those letters still get written. You just hope that someone like Nina is at the other end of them."
3. The Wood family work ethic and customer service is legendary in this business, and is also 100% American. How did Nina influence that?
> "I think it starts with her generation. Both her and Forrest were 1932 models, born in the height of the Great Depression. I believe coming out of that they had a natural tendency not to take anything for granted...just my observation....
> "A result of not taking anything for granted is it makes everything that much more important – whether it's a relationship with someone or the product produced or the income from the product produced. All of that was never taken for granted."
4. Anything else you'd like all us bass-heads to know about your grandmother?
> "Certainly there's a lot that's already known, but as I thought about what you and I might talk about...it's really hard to summarize because she was so dynamic in so many different ways.
> "I've been extremely fortunate that she's my grandmother, and that word 'mother' keeps coming to mind. She had this motherly nature she applied...to anglers [and others]. Sometimes it was tough love like, 'Hey Parker your boat didn't break, your engine did – let's get that right.'
> "In the community, preschools are named after her here – because she mothered so many people directly or indirectly. She defined what a mother can be when done correctly. I know that she was that way for me – constant support."
Keith also mentioned that she was the oldest living member of the Flippin First Baptist Church. I asked him if I could mention that, which made him think of this:
> "I've said this a lot since she passed: It's impossible to fill the shoes that Forrest and Nina had. Nobody will ever do that again. But is possible to follow the footprints they left.
> "The footprints they put in the ground tell us what success looks like, whether that's family, business, community – it really doesn't matter. Their footprints went in the right direction."
Amen to that, and both of them and Ranger have inspired me over the years – as a bassin' fan and also in the bassin' biz. If you want to know how to do something right and treat folks right, there's the shining example.
We're all so privileged to have known or known about the Wood. Lord please keep blessing the family, especially during this time. 🙏✝️
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"...I'm sitting...listening to a woman who is representing an aquatic herbicide company, SeaPro, telling the audience that milfoil beds...deplete all the oxygen and fish tend to avoid those areas. I'm thinking, is she for real? Does she really know what she's talking about?"
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- VT bass fisherman and guide Gary Longley talkin' 'bout how these herbicide companies do more harm than good:
> As a long-time tournament competitor and even longer-time US Coast Guard captain and guide, I have never seen milfoil take over a lake to the extent that a dangerous herbicide should be used. The lakes that are in VT...introduced the chemical to are barely called fisheries anymore.
> My guide service on these herbicided lakes has fallen to zero as my customers are not interested in catching small and very few fish. And please don't tell me that I don't know what I'm talking about, as this past weekend I spent both days on Lake St. Catherine, a heavily herbicided lake, competing in 2 different tournaments and seeing seasoned anglers bring in itty bitty bags of fish or giving up early and just going home.
> One tournament director wants to change his year-end championship on St. Catherine to a non-herbicide lake because he's afraid no one will show.
Preach on brother! Gotta speak up! 💪👊
My personal 2c is that biologists can't really know what's going on without being out there every day or close to it. Seen it in saltwater, hunting and of course bassin'. This also is why I never believe game population forecasts btw...seen it be wrong or not apply everywhere many times.
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1. Jay Przekurat won Elite ROY...
...and finished 10th in the AOY points. Pretty dang stout! Interesting stuff:
> From watching his father Jason, a renowned walleye tournament angler, Przekurat learned quickly that a calmer, steady approach to tournaments would be the way for him to succeed. That ability to center himself and focus on the task at hand is what helped him navigate the 2-tournament setback.
> "I think it carries through when you are like that. When it comes down to a fishing day, there's so much stress that comes into it. There are so many things to be thinking about, but when you relax and don't worry about those things, good things seem to happen."
Not sure if it's more or less stressful to troll baits for wally-eyes?? 😂
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2. Cliff Crochet helped raise $$ for FL bass for LA.
3. Skeet Reese will only fish the Bass Pro Tour next year.
No more Pro Circuit even though he did well this year, sounds like he's tired physically.
4. Stephen Browning selling his 2022 Triton TRX 20 Patriot.
5. MLF Pro Circuiter Kurt Mitchell on BassEdge Radio.
6. 2023 Elite schedule is out.
Feb 16-19 – Lake Okeechobee, FL
Feb 23-26 – Lake Seminole, GA/FL
Mar 24-26 – Tennessee River @ Knoxville
Apr 20-23 – Lake Murray, SC
Apr 27-30 – Santee Cooper, SC
May 11-14 – Lay Lake, AL 👀
Jun 1-4 – Sabine River, TX 😬
Jul 27-30 – Lake St Clair, MI
Aug 17-20 – Lake Champlain, NY/VT
Aug 24-27 – St Lawrence River @ Clayton, NY
7. MO: Evangel U adds bassin'.
💪 Says tourney fisherman Brayden Rakes is the coach.
8. SC: 9/11 Murray tourney is to get vets fishing.
Inaugural Guardian Classic Veteran Fishing Tournament, held by For His Glory Outdoors.Like that name!
9. How 'bout the Super Spook in the custom "super man" color! 😍
Love it:
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10. Rapala international says sales will be down this quarter.
Vs last year, which it's bound to be anyhow because of the "covid bump" but:
> Weathers were also abnormal in all key continents, which caused further pressure to the season. Secondly, the whole sport fishing market is globally impacted by the difficult macroeconomic outlook with the impacts from low consumer spending when energy prices are rocketing, and inflation is high.
11. CA DNR likes fed decision to remove 4 Klamath River dams.
12. New $7K UK e-bike comes in "bass boat tri-tone blue."
Interesting that bass boat colors are famous enough to get over the pond? Looks nothing like a bass boat color which is why you're not seein' a pic of it!
Headline of the Day
Worm 'burgers' could solve world hunger, scientists claim
No doubt they're the most nutritious thing on the planet! 🤪 Wait til they hear about MaxScent...🤣
PSA
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How to fish the smaller BOOYAH Boss Pop.
Good stuff from PRADCO head man Bruce Stanton...who has been known to catch a fish or two...accidentally:
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😁 Lol just messin' man! Here's his tippage:
> My favorite is to Walk the Dog. With short strokes of my rod tip while intermittently reeling, I can make the Boss Pop dart back and forth with ease. If you’ve ever seen a school of shad or baitfish busted up by bass or other predators, you have no doubt seen a stray shad struggling to swim on the top of the water. Sometimes it will do circles. Sometimes it will struggle on the surface. Sometimes it will just dart around. The 2-inch Boss Pop mimics all of this when you walk it.
> I also like a Pop, Pop, Stop. Sometimes fish will key in on a rhythm. Stopping the lure can trigger a strike, or the re-start of the cadence can trigger a strike. Whatever the reason, starting and stopping seems to work at times. To do this, I lightly and quickly move my rod tip down two times in a row while reeling and then stop. Then I repeat that for the duration of my retrieve.
> In windy conditions, sometimes more of a Bloop, Bloop, Stop will get it done. I love a popper instead of a walking bait when it’s windy. You can do so much more to disturb the surface and draw strikes.... To do this, I move my rod tip down with a little more meaning so the Boss Pop will actually throw some water and create a “blooping” sound in the water.
> On a clear body of water without any wind, I like to Keep the Lure Moving. If they don’t seem to want the lure walking, I’ll keep up a steady pop without stopping. Sometimes fish won’t commit when you stop the lure. If you keep it moving they must commit or their chance at a meal is gone.
Gear-wise:
> A good rule of thumb for any type of lure is that using lighter line will deliver more action. For both the 2" and 3" Boss Pops, I never use more than 12-lb mono. Both Boss Pops feature feather-dressed rear trebles, and these hooks will dance around like a shad tail. But if you use too heavy of line, it will deaden the action.
> For baitcasters, I like a 6' 6" M or MH rod. While a shorter rod can give you more command of the lure, a longer rod will give you much longer casts, which is very important in clear-water conditions.
> For spinning tackle, I like 8-lb on a 6' 6" M rod. On windy days or times when you need to make really long casts, spinning tackle can outperform baitcasters – especially with the 2" Boss Pop.
TW has both sizes of Boss Pop – the smaller one is what Bruce calls the 2".
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"I’m sure he sacrificed a decent number of entry fees because of it."
- Austin Felix talkin' 'bout his dad. Full quote:
> My dad and I have been fishing tournaments since I was 15 years old. He let me take over the trolling motor, drive the boat and make the decisions from an early age so I could grow and learn how to make decisions. I’m sure he sacrificed a decent number of entry fees because of it.
> He was an excellent angler, and still is. He was winning a lot of events when I was growing up. For him to pass the torch to me and let me grow into this, I can’t thank him enough for it.
Very cool but what we all wanna know is – did you learn the plaid jammy pants when fishing deal from him or what?? 😁
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This boat was spotted all alone at a ramp...😬 Kinda hurts, kinda funny – posted by @teamknowfish_tackle on the Insta:
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These states have more 'credible' bigfoot sightings than others, according to bigfoot investigators
Here's the alleged top 10 – ALL good bassin' states: 🤔
- Washington
- California
- Florida
- Ohio
- Illinois
- Oregon
- Texas
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Georgia
Hack, what abut LA not being in there man??
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Jay Kumar's BassBlaster is a daily-ish roundup of the best (sometimes worst) and funniest stuff in bassin', 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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