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Forgot to say last week since I sorta never know what date it is (other than my wife's birthday of course lol) – THANK YOU families of folks who have passed on in the line of duty and the folks who served with them. They and you are loved and appreciated big-time. Bless you.
This weekend I spent time organizing tackle. Did I want to fish? Heck yeah I did. Could I fish without getting the new stuff organized? Not really. Cuz it's my job too mang! Gettin' there...
Flat clam for 2 days at the local dead seas. Went to one of 'em to swim the dogs both days. ONE bass boat out there each day, if that tells you anything. Okay no whining – let's go!
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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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"...I and some others are beginning to think that the fish can get conditioned to either the sound or vibration, and appear to get a little more wary over time."
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That's Gary "they fired me at Phoenix cuz I'm never there 😁" Clouse, talkin' 'bout – yep – forward-facing sonar in a Bassin'master post. More:
> ...after 3 days of constant bombardment [on the Elites], they get harder to catch. I realize that intense fishing pressure would cause that even before forward-facing sonar was introduced.
> With the new sonar, the easy ones are going to be caught. But the more wary ones – oftentimes bigger, older and wiser – are more difficult.
> We can visually see the fish's reaction on our screens, how it differs from the beginning of practice and how it changes as the week progresses. The fish tend to move away from the boat, or move up or down when the unit is deployed.
> For that reason, I have learned to extend my forward distance on my Garmin LiveScope to 80' or more. It's my opinion that the sound and or vibration coming from the sonar can be more intense when it is close to them.
> I'm no biologist; I base this on what we've been told about how a bass picks up pressure and vibrations along its lateral line. They can either feel or hear that thing pulsing.
> So I set my distance around 80' and mess with my gain somewhere around 69.... That seems to work best for me, and I think it gives me a chance to catch more fish that I see.
Does this mean anything bad about forward-facing sonar? I don't think so. Does it mean that it will continue to evolve? You bet. Is this yet another proof that bass were designed by God to be the ultimate freshwater gamefish – meaning they ain't never gonna be easy? Dang straight! 😀💪
Maybe take a moment to thank the Lord that you love to bass-fish, not carp-fish:
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"Everybody wants the success – they're willing to trade morals for success."
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Before you jump to any conclusions, Seth says he feels 99% of the guys across both leagues play the game straight up, and he also talks about rule violations vs rule grey areas vs trying to get away with something known to be wrong. Sounds like the biggest concern is a guy getting waypoints.
Seth also says he'd like to see tougher enforcement/consequences. For whatever it's worth, I agree with him that a blatant rule violation should of course be punished, and a severe one should be punished severely. But a couple 2c:
- Rules are still changing as the sport changes, and surprisingly not everything can have a well-written rule. Maybe one example: Could someone intentionally foul-hook a fish using forward-facing sonar? Is that happening? (I doubt it?) If it is happening, can there be an enforceable rule against it?
- While I get why Seth can't stand guys going after the grey areas, that is how we have the rules we have in the first place. Roland Martin, Hank Parker, Larry Nixon and many others pushed wherever they could...to gain an advantage and to win, not to "cheat." That will never stop – ask the guys who play poker with Larry! (😆 Larry!) Not saying it's apples/apples to right now tho....
I do think that big PUBLICITY of violations would discourage others from doing the same thing. I wish on the one hand that was a bigger deal for the leagues, and on the other that when a rule violation gets announced, peeps/fans didn't act like the world is ending or bassin' "is full of cheats." It's just competition, and it's bass fishing which as we all know is ultra-cool!
As always, just my 2c, and I have to underline that I am just an observer – guys actually fishing at the pro level are gonna be way more passionate about it. I would be too!
Thank you to Dave and Seth – full Seth interview is here. Dave, once again – please stop pushing out so much good content, it's taking up too much of my time...😅
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Spotted at the Rayburn 'Yota and top 10 baits breakdown
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Anyone else fish a pink spinnerbait there? Or anywhere?? I think Jimmy Houston used to back in the day.
Here's the top 10 baits breakdown from the recent Rayburn Toyota – good info in the full post, props to the Savage Prince dudes:
Big-worm TX rig = 20%
Crankbait = 20% – both 300DD (bleu-treuse shad)
Frog = 20% – Scum Frog Trophy Series Popper Frog, BOOYAH Poppin' Pad Crasher
Soft-plastic swimbait = 20%
10% each = Dropshot, Carolina rig, Jig, Spoon, Jerkbait (new/not out yet Rapala jerkbait fished by Cody Huff), Big shaky head deep, Punch rig, Flip plastics, Swim worm, Glide bait.
Shout-outs
1. Again gotta shout-out Alec Morrison for cleaning up by a Yota-record 24 lbs with a 7" and 10" Reins Bubbling Shaker Worm.
2. Matt Reed (6th) talkin' his punch rig:
> A punch skirt with a 3/4-oz tungsten weight and a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver made Reed feel like he was fishing in the early 2000s as he targeted matted hydrilla under the surface in 12-13'....
> "Fishing with that punch skirt is all we used to do for about 7 months out of the year on Sam Rayburn. You couldn't compete any other way when the hydrilla was really at its best here."
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Greatest fishing invention you've never heard of? The El-Piscatory!
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Lol how 'bout that pose! First line on the website page says, "Put the fun back into peeing on a boat."
Bahahaha! Has doing your biz on the water ever been fun?? Personally, and I think you agree, I feel it's just a distraction from fishing....
The whole description is good 'n funny so here's some of it:
> We set out to design the ultimate pee jug for crowded boats. Don't laugh, we all know how hard it can be to go while standing in a rocking boat. There's also another thing, "privacy."
> The El-Piscatory pee jug was designed to over come the shortcomings of most current boat pee jugs.... Just check out these features:
> Stability: The El-Piscatory has a weighted bottom so it doesn't slide around or blow over.
> Privacy: It has a grab handle for one-handed use, so you can stand and go while staying covered up.
> Ergo Design: The design of El-Piscatory is designed for ergonomics with a perfect size for all.
> Cleanliness: With the grab handle you can easily lean over and rinse with one hand.
> ...perfect for other uses such as bailing water [and] mixing drinks that need shaken not stirred. [😆]
> All joking aside, this is a great tool for the boat that keeps you on the fish longer and keeps your line in the water longer. We would not have made such an investment in the design and molds if we didn't believe this is a great product.
OutSTANDING! And..."it's just $19.99!" Get one here...and this company – based in Mountain Home, IDAHO (not AR) – is also looking for a marketing director fyi. Sounds like the "successful candidate" better have a sense of humor!
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New Rapala soft-plastics, New forward sonar rod? Sea Foam Top 5 in Bass Fishing, Ep 51!
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Is Jacob Wheeler Thor and is KVD the Hulk? Just how many Top Secret baits does Rapala have? A 24-lb winning margin, a new forward-facing sonar rod and why we should fishing a Tokyo Rig – in this week's @seafoamworks Top 5 of the Week in Bass Fishing, Ep 51!
Top 5 of the Week
1. Wheeler wins again
2. Rapala Top Secret stuff outed
3. First win is by 24 lbs??
4. Alpha Angler has a FFS rod
5. Why fish a Tokyo Rig?
Hope you enjoy it peeps!
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Why don't we hear more about Kyle? Dude's a legit hammer flyin' "on the deck" (did I get that right military peeps?) and under the radar....
2. Bernie Schultz's take vs Caleb Kuphall.
Interesting post. I have no opinion on whatever happened except to say: In the internet age folks gets all riled up about whatever and then a week later it's forgotten. I mean, remember that time Gussy kicked and strangled that swan??
Just messin' about Gussy hahaha! 🤣 #neverhappen
3. Garrett Paquette is posting his Humminbird settings...
...and screens from the derbEs he fishes, pretty intereting if you run Birds.
4. New Biffle Bug color: Okie dokie.
Junebug with blue and black flake. Tommy says it's good for dirtier water:
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I was like, "Tommy that's filthy man!" He's like, "No it's just for dirtier water." I said, "No I mean the bait color!" He's all, "It's just dark. With some black flake." 😂 I made that all up – but I could see it happenin'! Love Hall of Famer Biffle...
Also gotta shout out the new YUM Finesse Worm colors. First, YUM has been rolling out some really good colors. Second, I love "Elder's magic" but that "dirt purple" and "mud fleck" I think are sleepers....
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Just kidding, those are their Sculpins, come in 3" and 4" and have a curly tail too....
6. AL: Troy U signs 3 to bassin' team.
7. GA boating safety bill passed.
> ...enhances safety requirements for those wakesurfing and wakeboarding by:
> Requiring operators to stay at least 200 feet away from any moored vessel; any wharf, dock, pier, piling, or bridge structure or abutment; or any shoreline adjacent to a full-time or part-time residence, public park, public beach, public swimming area, marina, restaurant, or other public use areas.
> Riders engaging in towed watersports must wear a personal flotation device.
> Prohibits wakesurfing and wakeboarding between the hours of sunset and sunrise.
8. New luxury pontoons START at $225K! 🤯
Dang!
PSA
The TW Memorial Day sale is on til sometime tomorrow!
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More on that Reins Sliding Football Head...
...that Rayburn 'Yota winner Alec Morrison fished deep with a 10" worm. Who knew it was designed by David Walker – from peppercustombaits.com:
> The sliding design of the head allows for the bait to have a unique action and any type of plastic will work.
> Walker will also rig up a magnum sized shaky head with a larger weight and bigger worm for fishing offshore ledges. "You can use a much bigger hook than most shakey head jigheads and still get that same look. ...you can use whatever brand of hook you like, any size you want and can use a variety of different plastics."
> The football jig...is great for fishing offshore, but it has some major drawbacks according to Walker. "Since the hook is molded into the weight, there is a big problem with fish jumping and throwing the hook."
> "...if he wants the look of a jig he will just simply add a punch skirt between the weight and hook. You get the same look as a football head but it is much more weedless since the soft plastic is Texas-rigged."
> ...Walker says that on a Carolina rig it is perfect. "There is a concave section that holds the bead perfectly and doesn't break it. I have never broken a single glass bead and with regular tungsten weights that is always a problem....
> "The line passes through the weight at an offset and that gives your bait a great action. The football shape is much better for feel than a bullet or egg shape when you are Carolina-rigging. You get a much better grip and feel with this shape and the tungsten helps you feel everything."
Check it on TW:
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"Deep down I thought I would do it 2 or 3 years, spend all my money and say I tried it."
- Jason Christie talkin' 'bout going pro. More from that post:
> "When I started I did not compare myself to the [Kevin] VanDams and the guys like that, I just wanted to go fishing and try it and say that I had done it.
> "Now it is just weird – honestly, you sit in the recliner and you look up at all of the trophies and it is weird because it just happened. Even though it has been 15 years it feels like it happened overnight."
Btw Jason's new fave color of One Knocker Spook is..."progill":
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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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