Welcome to the BassBlaster, your daily email about all things bassin’. Take a sec to forward this Blaster to a bassin’ bud, willya?

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Today’s Top 3

1. Highest-tech bobber ever?

Just the fact that there’s folks out there thinking up better bobbers cracks me up. Guess those bluegills can be tough to catch….

> …Frabill’s high-performance Titanium Spring Bobber. Examine the properties of this precious metal and you’ll immediately realize that it’s the finest spring bobber on the market,

> “Any old spring bobber can show ‘down’ bites. A good angler can usually feel these on his rod tip anyway. But few wire indicators can transmit those ultra-subtle ‘rise’ bites. Frabill’s Titanium Spring Bobber does this better than any indicator I’ve seen-perceptibly rising and straighteningwhen panfish inhale and swim slightly up. I’d bet that ‘up’ bites outnumber ‘down’ bites atleast 3 to 1 [in ice fishin’].”

2. Gotta qualify for the UCF bassin’ team.

There’s so much interest in college bassin’ and teams don’t field 11 or however many players, so you gotta fish school derbies to qualify. Cool! U of Central Florida example:

> The school’s 2012 bass team qualifier began with a three-part series in October. After placing second in that tournament and a Nov. 10 tournament at Florida’s Lake Toho, he is tied for first place in the standings. He will compete next Saturday in the final tournament at Butler Chain of Lakes.

> Earning one of four spots on the Reel Knights Bass Team will qualify him to fish in at least one collegiate tournament, with an opportunity to move on to the national championship.

3. Wingate’s Lunker Lodge renovated/reopened.

Yep, one o’ the rocks on which B.A.S.S. was built (sorta), Wingate’s on the shore of Lake Seminole:

> Manager Gale Goodman sent word that Wingate’s Lunker Lodge has reopened….

> Back in 1950 Jack Wingate opened a fish camp on the soon-to-be-shores of Lake Seminole in the southwest corner of Georgia. While he was waiting on the last 2 feet of water to fill the 38,000 acre impoundment, Jack looked to the future and began the development of what was soon to be considered one of the most historic locations in outdoor sports, Wingate’s Lunker Lodge.

> For the next 17 years Jack and his regionally successful lodge hosted dignitaries from every facet of political life. Then, in 1967, a new venture presented itself. Ray Scott came to Lake Seminole, and with the help of Jack and some of the best bass fishing in the world, brought new light to that sleepy little corner of Georgia….

Here’s Jack and some dude:

Btw, BassGold shows that the Feb. 22, 1968 tourney on Seminole was won fishing brush on main lake drops with a TX-rigged worm. How cool is it to know that!

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News

1. Man helps kid catch fish of a lifetime, gets punished.

Helps a kid make sure he lands a sailfish from a FL pier, then gets banned by the nanny jackwagons:

> The fight should have ended when the sailfish went around the end of the pier, which had been damaged by Hurricane Sandy and was closed for repairs. A gentleman who jumped over the fence – he was later banned from the pier – safely guided the fish around so Hobbs could fight it from the other side.

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Tip of the Day

Luke Clausen: Deciphering Bluffs

Not in the poker sense:

> If the bluff ends don’t produce in the afternoons, Clausen will also work a worm along the main bluff, fishing it as a fall-bait. He targets any irregularities, whether they create shade pockets or not.

> Remember that cracks above the water will be there underwater too. And if there’s an area of the bluff where rock has fallen, that rock will be along the bottom of the bluff. So use clues above water to guess what’s below.

> “I’ll fish pretty fast along the main bluff in the afternoon with a worm, or if I see shade, the buzzer,” he said. “I throw to whatever breaks up the bluff, because that’s where the bass sit and congregate. It could be cracks, a little point, the corner of a little crack, or anything else.”

> And a last word of advice from Clausen: Don’t forget the river. “A lot of times you’ll have to go up the river to find bluffs, but that’s not a bad thing. Those can be some of the best bluffs for a buzzbait, especially when you get a little water color up the river. River fish seem to use bluffs as much or more than lake fish, especially in fall.”

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Quote of the Day

I’m not going down to practice. I’m going to wait until the official time.

– KVD on the Bassin’master Classic, in a Q&A on Bassmaster.com. Also said:

I have been preparing mentally and getting some equipment ready that I might be using. And I’m really excited. Grand is one of the best lakes I think we could be going to at that time of year. It’s a fantastic fishery.

And to this question: Do you know any hot spots on Grand Lake? He said: I know lots of them, but I’m not telling!

Guy who asked the question: JVD.

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Shot of the Day

Uh, we’re thinkin’ this is one o’ those op-tickle ‘lusions, but if not I’m packing the truck and we’re GOING…somewhere.

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