Seen a bunch of posts about negativity related to Easton's Classic win. Quick reminder that the majority is always silent.

Let's be super generous and say 5,000 people are out there shoveling dirt on this and whatever the next thing is. That leaves somewhere between 500,000 and 1.5 million hardcore bass fishermen (literally the other 99+%) not doing that. Or more.

So please don't overvalue the negative Nancys.

Social media magnifies junk, which is what that stuff is. I mean, who gets up every day to post crappy stuff about people? Are such people normal/okay or not? So why would anyone give that any credence?

If you respond to them or talk about them, it just fuels them because that's how they get their kicks.

I am not talking about rational differences of opinion. I am talking about people being jerks. You all know what that looks like.

Brandon Palaniuk said in a recent post:

> We all want bass fishing to be great, but if you want it to be great you can't do things that tear it down.

Agree and WE do want it to be great (or really it just is great, regardless of what we want), but the Nancys could care less.

Anyhow, to the younger cats who overvalue social media comments – as the Goodfellas said: "Fuggetaboutit!" And maybe block 'em. They are just mosquitos.

Changing gears: Yesterday BPTer Justin Cooper grabbed at a bass that had 1 crankbait treble in it...and got the other one in his hand. That grab was flat crazy – and might be a good reason to not wanna fish for 6 figures lol. I'll take my dang time with those coated ultra-sharp trebles!

At Redcrest as you read this, stoked!

Ever hear of him? Well if you fish out West you have. Can't really help it because it seems like he's been winning everything out there – most recently the WON Bass Shasta Open in Feb.

Had to know what keeps this guy on top, so the BB's Andy "jade" Greene gave him a call and hit him with 5 Qs:

1. Why do you think you're winning so many tournaments?

> "For one thing, I've been doing this a long time. I've been fishing pro/am events out West since 2003. I have the experience on these western lakes and understand them.

> "But the biggest thing is that I fish the moment. I don't get sucked into dock talk. I rarely practice, but when I do, I usually have better events when I have terrible practices. I eliminate a lot of water with terrible practices and settle into an area and just fish during the tournament, rather than running all over the lake.

> "I practiced 2 days at Shasta and had a terrible practice – then I won the event."

2. Like everywhere, the West Coast is real competitive. What are you doing different than most guys?

> "I'm very observant. I use every tool to my advantage. I'm always aware of my surroundings, my equipment, my electronics. I watch the fish in an area and see where they're going, how they're moving.

> "When I started in 2003, I didn't know anything but I loved to fish. I strictly fished off instinct – things just felt right so I did them. I still try to incorporate that to this day.

> "Over the years we get too locked in and have our blinders on. I fish what's in front of me. Fishing history – even history from practice – works against us. I just put the trolling motor down and fish. And I'm okay to do something different every day of a multi-day tournament. I just let the day happen, let that moment happen.

> "I don't let things rattle me. I stay even-keel and focus on what I'm doing. I try to fish clean – not make mistakes...get every fish that bites into the boat.

> "To win is a whole different deal than just cashing checks. I can be my worst enemy by putting too much pressure on myself – thinking I have to produce, have to catch fish and win for my sponsors. It can emotionally drain me.

> "I'm a man of faith. I just let God take the wheel and let's go."

3. What techniques would you say you're real good at?

> "I like to do it all. I'd rather power-fish than anything. I love flipping and punching. I don't get to do it often, so I'm excited when I get to fish the Delta.

> "I love throwing squarebills in the fall. As a kid, my favorite technique was throwing a swimbait, and I still use it in my arsenal.

> "I just enjoy catching fish, and I try to stay versatile."

4. What do guys have to do well to be able to win or place high consistently in the West?

> "You've got to work on your mental game. That's #1. Accept and understand your abilities. Don't get rattled if you have a tough practice or lose a fish. Have a strong head-game. Stay focused.

> "I've got a lot going on. I sell boats at a dealership [Complete Marine in Phoenix]. I also sell insurance. I'm the father of a blended family with 8 kids. I try to have a work/life/fishing balance. I didn't have that early on. I was only focused on fishing. You've got to have balance."

5. Have you ever competed out East and would you consider doing that, or are you good where you're at?

> "I'm good where I am. I've fished out East. I've made numerous FLW [MLF] championships. I fished the FLW Cup in 2009 and got a chance to fish for a million bucks – not many can say that.

> "But I have no desire to fish full-time. I'm very content, and I'm happy to focus on what I do now – my kids, their sports, selling boats at the dealership. I'm 45 years old and well-vested in the marine industry. Maybe I'll run my own dealership one day."

Harris Chain

First the Harris Chain, where 17-yr-old Dylan Quilatan put the smackdown on 'em – 83-08 including a dirty 33 on day 2 to win...by 13 lbs over FL's Bobby Bakewell.

> Fishing a large flat in Lake Beauclair, Quilatan mined the area for 3 days, as well as in the 2 BFL events he fished over the previous weekend, 1 of which he won.

> "There were post-spawn fish coming out, new fish every day, but there wasn't that many. There were 2 different things going on, or 2 different size grades. There was 1- to 3-lbers chasing threadfin, and I could catch those on a Neko rig pretty easily. They'd either be singles or they'd be schooled up on a shell bed or a grass patch, or they'd just be a single fish in a bait ball.

> "...4- to 10-lbers that were doing something different every day too. Those fish key in on gizzard shad, and some of them I could get to bite the Neko. ...I tried on every fish because I have a 100% hookup ratio on a Neko.

> "...if I couldn't get them to bite that, then I'd throw a swimbait, and that would really get their attention. But every day was different, whether they were set up on isolated patches of grass, or they were set up on a grass edge. Whether they were just sitting on silt, or if it was sand, if it was 10' or if it was 7'.

> "I fished around boats the whole time, but I don't think anybody was as analytical as I was about all the baitfish and how fish were setting up. I think they were just putting their trolling motor down and going....

> "All the dumb fish in that lake are relocated to Harris or Eustace in a tournament. So all the big fish in there are super smart. They're super educated. So I'm...taking my time."

He Neko'd an XZone Deception Worm with that Ryugi Talisman Hook. For the bigger fish he used a 7" No Live Bait Needed K-Tail on a 3/4-oz head. Often he made multiple casts and read the fish's body language.

Here's the Top 10's Harris baits broken down:

Bladed jig = 40% – Z-Man JackHammer 30%

Neko rig = 30% – Big Bite Baits Nekorama

Jerkbait = 30%

TX-rigged worm/Senko = 20%

10% each = Big soft swimbait, Crankbait, Flip plastics, Lipless (BOOYAH One Knocker), Swim-jig

If we classify the Neko as a moving bait (boat moving) then it's overwhelmingly moving stuff, which is kinda wild in FL?

Shoutouts

1. Bobby Bakewell fished a different lake each day and averaged 23+ per day.

2. Kyle Cortiana (5th) was burning his JackHammer (with a 5" YUM FF Sonar Minnow on the back):

> "On day 2 my co-angler didn't have a fish. I said, 'Dude...just burn it. I want you to reel as fast as you can reel it.' He caught 3 in 10 minutes."

Chickamauga

Well, well well, college angler Dylan Nutt won this one too, after winning the last one (Pickwick) in the same division. MLF said this win:

> ...boosted his MLF winning percentage to an outlandish 27% – he's won 4 of the 15 MLF events he's entered in...back to Abu Garcia High School Fishing in 2021.

That's crazy. Good crazy, but still crazy. How he won this'n:

> Nutt had made hay for 2 days with a True Bass FF Minnow on a 1/4-oz Scottsboro Tackle tungsten jighead, an orange Berkley Frittside and an unnamed jerkbait, fishing a hard-bottom staging area at the mouth of a spawning bay.

> "It dried up on me – I couldn't get a bite there (the final day) maybe because of the dropping water. It dropped maybe 2' during the tournament. I had to fish around on new water, which wasn't really working very good. I caught that 4-lber right before I ran back in."

Let's check the Top 10's Chick baits broken down:

Jighead minnow (bigger ones) = 90% – True Bass FF Minnow, 5" and 6" Deps Sakamata Shad 20%, Rapala CrushCity Freeloader 30%, 6.5" Ignite Nicotine Minnow, 5.5" Hog Farmer Spunk Shad, Zoom Super Fluke

Jerkbait = 40% – Rapala PXR Mavrik 110, Megabass Vision 110+2

Bladed jig = 20% – both Z-Man JackHammers

Swimbait/Glide = 20% – Clutch Eco Glide, Clutch Baby Boss Glide, Taddo EON Glide 7

10% each = Crankbait, Lipless

Shoutouts

1. The other (another?) Nutt finished 4th: Carter Nutt.

2. Lake Johnson (6th) was looking for "floaters" – fish 2-3' under the surface no matter how much water was under 'em. He pinged and fished a glide.

3. Fisher Anaya (7th) had just 6 hours of practice and was one of the guys pinging a Freeloader:

> "I put the trolling motor down and just trolled and looked for any sort of stickup or something they could stage on going into spawning bays. That's basically what I ran all week."

I think it was the Rapala guys at the Classic who told me that young man is a stick.

We have a new Bassmaster Classic champ, we learned a bunch, here's the juice! 🧃 ➡️ The rundown for Episode 14 of the Abu Garcia REVO and Humminbird/Minn Kota Top 5 Tips, Techniques and Trends of the Month!

1. Easton is the Beastmaster 🦁

2. Power ruled the Classic 💪

3. Trey McKinney fished alone again 🤯

4. The Gill zones 🧃

5. The new Baby JackHammer 🎯

Baits 'n stuff in this episode:

Abu Garcia REVO Reels

Humminbird depthfinders

Minn Kota trollers and anchors

Strike King Finesse Worm

Ryugi Heavy Guard Hook

Humminbird MEGA Live 2

Rapala CrushCity Freeloader

Rapala CrushCity Mooch Minnow

VMC Hybrid Swimbait Jighead

Megabass Vision 110+1 Jr

ChatterBaits

Berkley MacScent Meaty Chunk

Berkley Power Tube

Z-Man JackHammer

Z-Man Baby Jack JackHammer

That time!

1. 16-lb behemothman melon caught at TX's OH Ivie

Bass-head Cullie Beveal caught all 16.39 lbs of it and – get this – it's only the 20th biggest bass ever caught in TX. Wow!

2. 15-lb donkulous melon caught at Bussey Brake, LA

Deets from LA Sportsman:

> In 3 days last week [Leyton Lindsey and Nyklas Glass] landed 6 double-digit largemouths.... On Ma 24, Lindsey boated a 12.84-lb lunker – he followed it up the next day with an 11.02-lber. On Mar 26, he caught bass weighing 10.25, 10.86, 10.44 and 9.54 lbs.

> But it was the monster that Glass caught, 15.08 pounds, 26.25" long, 24" in girth, which got a lot of attention.

> Almost all of the bass they boated were spawning, and they were caught on junebug or plum apple-colored Zoom Ol’ Monster worms, Googan Lunker Logs and NetBait Ions....

3. New Poway, CA lake record ditch melon: 14-08

WON posted it was 26" x 26" and caught by Jed Dickerson off the bed on a Mission Fish swimbait. Imagine seeing that fish on a bed! 🤯

4. 11-lb tourney melon outta Ross Barnett, MS

Finn N caught that tub o' melons on a BUZZBAIT (epic!) at Ross Barnett, MS – in a team tourney, last bite of the day and they won the deal. Congrats!

1. Brent Ehrler explains why troller reverse is good (IG vid)

Feature in the new Garmin Force Pro troller. Says you can go in reverse and not lose your FFS sight picture.

2. Jason Christie's fave BOOYAH Flash Point colors are...

..."copper shad" for clear water and "pro pink" for dirtier water:

Check 'em at TW.

3. Carl Jocumsen got Yeti

Apparently a little initial mixup because in Australia bigfoots are called YOWIEs...okay not really on the mixup part...😁

4. Mark Daniels Jr: When to throw a Hammer Trap vs OG 'Trap

IG video. Says the Hammer Trap hits a lot harder ("hammer") so fish it in muddy water, on windy days and for pressured fish.

Will add that the first and only time I fished this bait was on Gville with Matt Becker, the water was clear and we caught 'em...though Guntersville is an exceptional lake!

Check Hammer Traps on TW:

5. KJ Queen likes a punch skirt instead of a swim-jig

> ...swim it through vegetation and structure [and] it gives off a lot slimmer and different profile than your standard swim-jig.

He likes the Queen Tackle (weighted) Punch Skirt with a Zoom Baby Brush Hog, a rig he calls the "Hairy Hog."

6. Logan Parks got Yokohama tires

7. Mike Surman likes the Yo-Zuri 3DR-X's tight wobble

In cold fronts. Short version: Slow baits down and keep them near the bottom. Use a tight-wobble crankbait like the Yo-Zuri 3DR-X Flat Crank (👇) or 3DR-X Shad.

8. Bill Taylor getting HOF service award

Well-known and highly-regarded former FLW TD.

9. MN: House bill would allow year-round bass fishing

I think that means catch/keep but not sure. Maybe now that Easton won MN realizes they have something up there...? 😁

10. OH: Here's your top 10 largie lakes

According tot he DNR, not including Erie:

• Nimisila Reservoir
• Mosquito Creek Lake
• Mogadore Reservoir
• East Reservoir
• Appalachian Hills WA
• Wingfoot Lake
• Alum Creek Lake
• Kisr Lake
• Rocky Fork Lake
• Spencer Lake

11. IL youngster may have caught state smallie record

He was fishing from the Chicago shore (a Lake Michigan bay) for salmon with an orange Hot ‘N Tot and this happened:

Didn't weight it but it was 24" long and the state record was 22.25".

12. Here's all the Larew baits moving to YUM

Already said the Scutter Bug and Scutter Bug Jr were the Biffle Bugs. Also moving from Larew – which is gone as a brand – are the Salt Craw, Hammer Craw and Hoo Daddy Jr. Plus YUM also will have 5 sizes of Hard Heads and glass rattles.

Looks like the baits are on TW already.

13. Kistler has a new Jig Head Minnow Rod

6' 9" LM (lite medium):

> ...built for precision casting...fine-tuned for working jighead minnows with precision....

> Cork foregrip for comfortable hand placement to achieve an accurate and effortless cast, ultra-sensitive tip, ideal balance of flex and backbone, lightweight and durable (built with premium KC8 graphite).

14. New Yamamoto Zako color: gp shimmer

I'm thinking...winner:

Available in the Zako and new Slim Zako.

15. KastKing Bait Kapsules are buy one/get one...

...only on their website ^. They got 'em for everything now, even soft-plastic rigs:

16. Didja know the Lunkerhunt double-CO comes in b/b?

If you like to thump dirty water in the spring:

17. Check this bluegill-color FishLab BioBlade

Another real good color for the spring. This bait runs good and that FishLab BBZ Mimic Tail Trailer (comes with it) moves pretty subtle and gives the bait a different look/feel:

18. Didja know Googan makes Mntn Dew-colored baits??

Saw 'em at the Classic:

Never know if something crazy like that might be the deal one day. Reminds me of when I was in college, this one Kmart (I think it was K, not Wal) Mann's crankbait caught 'em every single time. Never could find one again.

19. Cashion will be building more rods for other folks

20. CAN has a 25% "retaliatory tariff" on fishing tackle

I think it's still in effect? It is not apples to apples:

> Reportedly these new countermeasures will remain in place until the US eliminates its tariffs against Canadian steel and aluminum products.

21. Bassin' HOF and AFTCO conservation grants

Available ^.

22. MN: FFS for muskies is turning out to be bad?

Sounds like too many caught too many times, killing fish.

23. TX: New Tyler Bass Pro Shops opening Apr 16

24. TN: New craw species found in the mountains

It's 2-3" long, gp-colored and lives under rocks. Who woulda thunk that! 😆

25. Alumacraft sold

BRP is selling its boat companies and Alumacraft went to Bryton Marine Group, "a family-owned company with operations in Washington state and British Columbia."

26. Keep an eye on...

24 states move to ban climate geoengineering

Posted by HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy – says this about the stuff the planes are dumping in our skies:

> ...geoengineering our climate by dousing our citizens, our waterways and landscapes with toxins.

Yikes. Makes me think of the current Open....

YETI Refuses To Customize Cups With The Word 'Conservative'

Assuming this was just 1 employee being ridiculous....

Who knew: State firearms taxes support anti-gun stuff

These are excise taxes but are not the federal excise tax programs. Wonder if the same thing is done at the state level with fishing gear? Thinking not but anyone know?

Updatin's

Turns out Bruiser Baits already DOES make a Thin Lizzy lizard – how funny is that! 🤣

Luke Palmer: Why fish a paddletail with a bladed jig

From a Bassmaster.com post:

> "I prefer the paddletail over the Fluke-style...I throw a YUM Pulse in the smaller 3-inch size. That's one of my favorite trailers, and I'm probably going to throw it 75% of the time.

> "I like it a lot when you've got slight stain to stained water. That paddletail gives off a little more vibration and it helps slow the bait down...."

> ...give the bait different vibrations in the water. Pretty much all paddletail swimbaits are going to have a much slower thump than the high frequency of the blade.

> The paddletail [also] provides drag which...pushes the bait up...can be fished slower and stay in the strike zone longer.

> "It definitely floats the bait better than the other style of trailer. I primarily throw a 1/2-oz as my go-to size (JackHammer ChatterBait) with that paddletail. If you're throwing it around laydowns or grass, whenever it rips out it seems to flutter more than just dying straight down."

> He's learned that larger swimbait trailers don't work well for him. "It seems like the bigger Pulse really drags the bait – it's got too much tail action and it kind of defeats the purpose of the ChatterBait."

"...after using it, if ­somebody told me I couldn't have it anymore I'd take up bowling."

- FL tarpon fisherman talkin' 'bout FFS. Pretty sure he's saying that bowling is way less fun that fishing...😁

Forget about blurring the background, how 'about this! 😆 Not sure why, but it's kinda genius – I mean, maybe it wasn't even you that caught it? Maybe that way it's not a parole violation?? 😁 Posted by @lake.marina_shiga in Japan:

I Tried Hiking With a Llama. It Was Way Better Than Hiking With a Human.

Apparently they don't know you can have the best of both worlds with Seth Feider lol.

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