Had some tech difficulties again 😠 so pardon the later than normal send!
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THE Clunn, aka Ricky the Kid (he knows I'm just messin' and of course big-time respect him), is amazing. Does any bass fisherman not believe that? Of course not. Found myself being amazed that at age 76 he's still doing the pro tournament grind, and it is a YUGE grind. Physically that's legit amazing. But we're talking Rick Clunn here....
Anyhow, it was a good excuse to call and ask him some Qs – here 5 with the most fascinatin' dude in bassin':
1. Physically how are you able to still do this at the highest level?
> "Well it's mostly...I'm genetically fortunate. ...forward-facing sonar has taught me is that I don't have to make 200 casts to a day to win a tournament. That's the old Rick Clunn and Kevin VanDam approach...eventually put it front of 20-25 fish that want to bite. You need a lot of youthful energy to continue that on a daily basis. Now I don't have to do that...doesn't require as much physically.
Follow-up Q: What about cumulative injuries?
> "Yes, at the St Lawrence River the Covid year I broke my back and I'm slowly recovering from that. I was fortunate there was no spinal cord damage, but it did crush several vertebrae...now requires me to keep those vertebrae healthy. The problem is they do fatigue in a day's time...so I can make it through 2/3 or 3/4 of a day with out fatiguing too badly.
> "...yeah it's going to affect me physically, but what fascinates me is how it affects you mentally. It's the mental part I can't back off on. I can back off on being more energy-conscious physically, but I still can't back off mentally.
> "...what makes you fit for tournaments...tournament days are different than practice – they're more stressful. ...that stress level is affecting your body more than anything.
> "If you're catching fish consistently, endorphins are kicking in [and you feel better]. The longer there's a dry spell, you tend to feel it more."
2. Could you enjoy just fishing for bass or do you need the competition?
> "I truly have to have the competition. I noticed that the first time I ever fished a bass club tournament...the late '60s. My enjoyment went up tremendously when I realized that competition forced me to learn and push that learning curve to a different level. The learning part is the magical part about bass fishing or any fishing.
> "Something is driving you...every day is different, and every day to unlock the puzzle you need to do something different.
> "Modern man is just a different version of zombies...no senses left. We don't smell, we don't taste, we don't hear, we don't listen, we don't feel...[so] at least [he'll] go to highest level [of bassin'] and use those senses at those high levels.
> "...would you do that if just threw out a cork and waited for a fish to pull it under? I wouldn't, I don't know about others."
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3. Do you still prefer crankbaits without rattles like you used to a few decades ago?
> "No that's a function of what I thought the fishing pressure was doing to the behavior of the fish. Back when I was doing that, nobody was realizing that fishing pressure had become the #1 variable in controlling the behavior of the fish – over even weather. Intuitively I realized I had to do things to offset that [pressure]...just one of the steps I took."
4. How is the Ichikawa RC Flat Shad different from other flatsides, and do you fish it in warmer water too?
> "I do. ...my early beginnings of fishing a flat-sided bait was in cold water. I liked fishing flatsides because I could get them deeper and keep them deeper because they didn't have the buoyancy of a fatter bait.
> "I tended to fish them in a sweeping motion, not in a stop and go motion. ...when I was fishing in winter it was in TX, but still it was relatively cold. I liked to sweep it down with the rod and slowly reel it back through...hold it in a suspended position.
> "To me the only difference between that and a fat-sided crankbait in the summer is the buoyancy."
> About the RC Flat Shad: "I did the same thing with that that I did with the old Lucky Craft squarebills – I aligned the bill with the flat part of the head to get more depth...don't need to have big long bill. A lot of companies now have gotten better with the bills.
> "The one thing you have to add...is the hook, for any bait...their hook is far superior to any hook on the market. All hooks are sharp now, but the thing with the Ichikawa is it has a strong point.
> "Most other [trebles] aren't strong...hits rocks and it gets dull, or you catch a big fish and it gets bent over. ...sharpening a knife – if it's sharpened incorrectly, it can get incredibly sharp but if you hit it hard, [the edge] bends over. Hooks are the same way. They can lose sharpness in so many ways quickly. But the Ichikawa [is sharpened properly so it's] very sharp and has a very strong point."
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5. What is your opinion on forward-facing sonar advancing bass fishing advancing along a technological track?
> "Buck Perry really tried back then to find where big fish went when they left shallow water. He was right with one huge exception. He said bass when the bass left the beds they went deep. They did go deep, but did not go deep: They're out there in deep water but they're not deep – most of them. They're suspended.
> "...even back when guiding we could see suspended fish on our down sonar, but they were the hardest to catch. But forward-facing sonar has shown that the behavior of these bass is like a striper once they leave the nest – they're chasing bait. They will be where the bait's at...at the depth the bait's at. So they will be suspended.
> "...fishing for these suspended fish was difficult, and we always played this game of counting down our baits...terribly inefficient with that.
> "Now with forward-facing sonar...to me the biggest benefit of this technology is that it's taught us the behavior of these fish that we really didn't understand. As bass fishermen we formed a lot of assumptions and false theories about what they did. There's no doubt forward-facing sonar has been a huge educational tool.
> "Technology...I don't think you can ever criticize the advancement of accurate information. ...the accuracy of the data now is of tremendous benefit. And now we have to use it correctly.
> "There's a lot of neat things there that go beyond catching fish. [Elite rookie and Rick's kinda neighbor] Cody Huff – he doesn't want 2,000 casts a day, he just wants 200 but every one of them is in front of fish."
What else he said
> Reliance on Live sonar "gives up some of the aesthetics of fishing [like] I love it when I make a good cast."
> "3 years of fishing against these young 'no-names'...what I've found out is that they're the best we've ever seen. They're so far more advanced. They're so so good – they do things that no other anglers have ever done. They're not specialists. They're truly what we talked about 25 years ago, that the future of tournaments would be you had to be versatile.
> "They just freakin' amaze me. They have a college mentality. They do their homework. They don't leave a rock unturned...they tell me what I did 35 years ago in detail, and I can't even remember it. It wasn't even printed."
I had to cut out some stuff for space but man everything Rick says is interesting!
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A few more forward-facing sonar perspectives.
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You have Rick's now, now here's a few more:
Hank Parker
He was talkin' on "the world's slowest-growing podcast" – 😆 that's what the host, Chris Wells, calls it. It might also be THE BEST interview ever with Hank Parker – I highly recommend a listen. I learned a lot about Hank, competition and B.A.S.S. history:
> "The older you get the more you tend...to resist change. But I can honestly say about 10 or 12 years ago, I really took a change of heart. ...when side imaging came out, it was so radically different and it changed everything. And now here we go with Mega Live and so everything is changing all over again.
> "It's so much innovation and it's almost an overload. So what I've tried to do is step back, accept it as a challenge – let's learn this technology, let's have fun doing it, and let's not let it try to intimidate us. And the old way is not the best way if there are some innovative things that'll help you catch fish."
I sent this next part to my kids:
> "My whole life in bass fishing, my philosophy was 99 is not a good number if 100 is achievable. So don't you slack off and then blame it on something else. If you give it 100% every single time, that's the best you can do – win or lose you walk away complete because you did everything you could do."
When you year Hank's story, that will mean a whole lot more to you....
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John Soukup
Opens and NPFL angler, The Bass Tank co-founder and known forward-facing sonar expert, also talkin' to In-Fish:
> "I will identify areas of the lake where I can LiveScope the best, and then I will look and see if the bites are possible.
> "Incorporating that style into your practice period is different, and one factor is water clarity. You need cleaner water for fishing a jerkbait with Livescope and an environment where the fish will stay in one general area without moving too much."
> ...he will target places where the fish are coming to, and will locate high-percentage areas that will hold fish throughout multi-day events. "3 common areas are bridges, marinas and ditches/bluffs. ...given anglers a huge advantage is in timber.
> "...LiveScope simply puts us around more fish and you can tell the size of the fish without catching it."
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Ever look at how green and big bank veggies are when trying to decide where to fish?
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Fascinatin' stuff from long-time outdoor scribbler Larry Larsen on the Game 'n Fish site:
> It is always wise to compare the height and color of the same type of tree on different shorelines or on the same flat. Taller and/or darker green trees (those getting adequate sunlight) usually suggest a more fertile area and abundant bass.
> My partner and I confirmed that the taller plants held the most and biggest fish. Those rushes were growing in more fertile soil, which attracted the entire food chain, from algae and minnows to crayfish and sportfish. Many anglers in that tournament fished the shorter rushes and failed to locate many bass.
> While one of the keys to success is noticing the height of the vegetation relative to other similar communities on the same body of water, color is also a factor. If a group of plants is dark green, that generally indicates the plants are growing in soil that offers a good amount of nutrients. Lighter green vegetation is often in need of more nutrients.
> The bass are always more abundant in the areas with a high nutrient base and dark-green plants.
Is this John Cox's secret?? 🤔
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Could tungsten putty become a thing?
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Fly/trout company TSS Fish debuted the clearly-named Tungsten Putty at ICAST:
> Tungsten Putty won't damage the line when applied like splitshot can.
> ...putty works well with hard baits too. Extra weight will aid in casting on windy days and can help diving lures attain greater depth. TSS Tungsten Putty can be used to quickly adjust the weight of a jerkbait so that it suspends indefinitely and continues to do so as water temperatures change....
Does that really mean it'll stick/hold together in cold water?
> "Tungsten is much harder than lead. It's 1.7 times denser than lead which gives you more sensitivity. You can feel every piece of the bottom."
Available in 4 colors – red, grey, green and brown.
Wasn't aware til I checked that TW has 2 other tungsten putties already, including a Googan one which shows this:
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Maybe this deal's a thing for some folks already? 🤔 If not for you...wheels turnin'? Mine are!
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1. Kevin VanDam likes to fish 2 places this time of year.
Talkin' northern lakes:
> "This time of year the bass are firmly in a summer pattern, and on northern lakes, it's all about the grass edges. If it's tall and matted, you can fish right through it with soft plastics, but I'll also look for the deepest grass I can find. The grass will grow as far as the light penetration and the last grass will grow as deep as 20 feet or more if it's clean water."
> "I use my Lakemaster card and search for those big flats in that 10-20' zone – that's where they're going to be set up on this time of year."
> "...shallow docks on the opposite end of the spectrum. The shallower the better. It's 2-3' at most and some of the best docks are the ones that are in a foot of water and you have a hard time getting to with your trolling motor. ...fish gravitate to those shallow docks because it's the only shade. You'd think deeper docks would be better, but shallow docks are usually better."
2. Real good vid with Gerald Spohrer and Todd "O" Kline.
Grundens sponsors 'em both, invited Tod to show up and fish LA without even meeting G-Spo first, ended up a good, entertaining, informative 13-minute vid – with bass fishermen but not about bass fishing. Both guys are good on camera. I dug it, you might too:
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Lil tip for ya is whenever you see Gerald yell, "Crawdad!" 😆 You'll know what I mean when you watch the vid....
3. Scott Canterbury jersey St Jude auction.
4. That Spencer Shuffield FF sonar video again.
Shoutin' it out because he drops a lotta juice in that deal.
5. FL's Scott Siller won the NPFL on Sandusky Bay/Erie.
3 days, 66-09 with a 26-lb day 1 brown fish bag. No bait info but says he drifted his bait with the wind. Word is too much Black Rifle Coffee had him too jacked up to dropshot...😁 Congrats!
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6. Al Lindner is fishing the outside edges of rice fields??
> "The area I live in has a lot of lakes with wild rice all around 'em, and right now it's harvest time. This lasts about 3-4 weeks. It can be difficult to fish, but big bass like to live in it. When harvest time is on, a lot of the bass leave this cover and move to the edge and slightly out, you can finally get a bait to 'em."
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7. Tomorrow Humminbird's Jeff Kolodzinski will be at it again.
Every year he does a 24-hour panfish marathon to help military families. #stout
8. Country stah Jacob Bryant used to fish tournaments.
> "I'm big into fishing. I actually used to do tournament bass fishing, but now I enjoy going out on the boat with some buddies and wetting a line when I can. Some of the best memories I've made were out on the water."
9. MN: Bronzeback Blowout on SATURDAY near Mille Lacs.
Sept 10 3-7 p.m. at Rocky Bottom at the Y in Garrison. Not exactly sure what it is, but sounds like some MLF pros will be there.
10. MO: Chompers/Table Rock Bait Co has new owners.
> ...effective Sept 1...transferred full ownership of the business from Ed Larson to Aaron Click and Jarrod Neef.
11. Little MaxScent Lil Trooper lineup.
The Lil Trooper is Maxed, matte and 2.5" – and I sure hope the bass like that "watermelon copper/orange with red" as much as I do! 😁
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12. Check this jig/trailer combo.
Lookin' good! That's Opens fisherman Chad Smith with an unspecified swim-jig and BioSpawn ExoPod Twin Tail Grub:
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Bait floats, check it on the TW.
17. David McCartney new prez of distributor Big Rock Sports.
> With 3 decades of distribution experience, he brings a comprehensive knowledge of warehouse operations, pricing, supply chain, and inventory management.... McCartney spent nearly 30 years with General Parts Inc. (now Advance Auto Parts)....
Also used to be in a rock band called "David McCartney and Wings"...just messin'! 😁
18. 'Lectric boatin' updates.
MO: Vision Marine boat with 2 'lectric outboards hit 109 mph...
...on Lake of the Ozarks.
WV: Pure Watercraft will build an electric pontoon plant.
Pontoons for now?
19. Great Lakes: Some things might be worse than Asian carp?
> "Carp have gotten most of the attention and most of the money in terms of invasive species. But there are many other species that are threatening to come into IL waters."
> Species like the fishhook water flea and the bloody red shrimp – which could be even worse than invasive carp. Many of them hitch rides in the ballast water of ships that come through the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway.
Yes! And therefore those shipping companies should pay for efforts related to 'em, not us!
20. IL scientists using Asian carp as baby perch food.
21. OH: Fewer grass carp found in Maumee and Sandusky rivers.
> So far only 85 grass carp have been caught. Annual catch numbers range from about 150 to 200 grass carp.
22. CO: Big legal battle between fly anglers and wealthy landowners.
Seems like a growing deal across the country. The whole "navigable waterways are public" deal we all took for granted has been disappearing due to some lawyers and judges.
23. WA tribes will get $13 mil in salmon-related "disaster" funding.
> This funding isn't the first time there has been an effort to support the recovery of endangered salmon species: $300 mil were provided for fisheries through the CARES [Covid] Act, as well as $255 mil in the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act.
Headline of the Day
Use the tide when chasing VA's tidal river largemouth bass
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More Woo Daves Carolina rig intel.
The C rig is makin' a comeback so here's a little possibly forgotten intel from one of the OGs of this technique:
> The 2nd change Daves made was to a larger plastic worm. His favorites are 8", 10" and 12" Ol Monster Zoom Worms. "One of the problems we all have with a Carolina rig is that it catches a lot of small fish. I would rather not catch those fish and have to release them right back into the area I'm fishing, so I changed to the larger worm. ...I've proved to myself that larger bass will hit a larger lure."
> ....prefers a surprisingly small hook, either a 1/0 or 2/0 wide-gap Mustad. Smaller hooks allow the worm to fall just a fraction slower....
> ...he fishes it quickly – at least until he feels some change on the bottom. When he detects clay giving way to gravel, for example, or the weight hitting a piece of cover or falling over a drop-off, he immediately slows his presentation dramatically. At that point, he barely twitches the worm along the bottom.
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"We could even take it a step further by imposing a 3-fish limit for all summer tournaments."
- Bryan B. Brasher of Bassmaster be talkin' 'bout bass conservation:
> "...bothers me a little bit because 5 fish has been the tournament standard for so long. But if it means protecting more fish for just a few months out of the year in particularly perilous times, so be it."
Some trails have already done that and I'm sure it's a good idea in real hot places. I personally don't think it's 100% necessary because summer tourneys have been held for decades with no long-term bad effects on bass populations overall, but I do think it's a conversation worth having in some circumstances.
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Lookit this slab-o-chunk melon! Unspecified BOOYAH spinnerbait did the deal – real nice feesh mang!
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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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