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Today’s Top 3

1. B.A.S.S. dumps ‘Federation’ name.

This was a long time coming, after the split that resulted in the FLW-backed The Bass Federation and the B.A.S.S. (formerly BASS) Federation Nation.

> “We consider the term ‘Federation’ to be a bit outdated, while ‘Nation’ better fits our organization in this era of social networking.”

Not sure about that logic, but for sure having two groups using the Federation name wasn’t great. Props to B.A.S.S. and its ex-Fed for moving on.

2. Ranger going tin.

> Ranger Boats announces the launch of an all-new aluminum series of boats for the 2013 model year. The new operation includes two series of boats, the fishing-specific Tournament Series and ultra-versatile Apache Series. Both are scheduled to debut in January.

> The all-new Tournament Series will consist of three models [two geared to bassers]. The RT 178 is a 17′ 8″ bass configuration…. Rounding out the Tournament Series line is the RT188, an 18′ 8″ bass design rated for 115 hp.

Seriously thinking about getting serial number 1….

3. Study: aggressive male bass easiest to catch.

Hold on now, don’t laugh. Science-types get paid big bucks (ok, not so big) to study this stuff. Course they could just fish and find out the easy way:

> In a study of fish dads [yep, “dads”] in experimental ponds, largemouth bass from a lineage known to be an easy target for anglers proved more diligent at babysitting than did hard-to-catch males. Fish that were swift to strike at lures that anglers jiggled in the water also readily attacked nest intruders.

> Such good parenting paid off: Those easy-mark males tended to raise more youngsters than hard-to-catch males in the same ponds.

> “Does that mean that bass populations are imminently in danger of becoming too hard to catch and at the same time totally inefficient at reproducing? Not really,” says study coauthor David Philipp of the University of Illinois. “Does it mean that we are impacting populations of bass in ways that we never envisioned and don’t understand well at all? Most certainly.”

Dave is a heck of a bass researcher, but gotta ask this: Does it matter?

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News

1. PA DNR says Susquehanna is sick, DEP says no.

The Susquehanna River used to be one of the best river smallie fisheries in the country. But it’s in danger of going under with bass changing sex, getting spots and lesions, and who knows what else. Does that mean the water is messed up? Uh, yeah, unless you’re the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), aka the folks who sit on thumbs:

> “We believe the science supports our conclusion that the river is sick and impaired,” said John Arway, executive director of the PA Fish and Boat Commission. “I am not sure why its taking DEP longer to reach that conclusion.”

> “Right now, the science doesn’t support [that] designation,” said Kevin Sunday, a DEP spokesman.

Did we mention fewer young of the year are surviving too?

2. B.A.S.S. signs Livingston Lures…

…but are the baits illegal in derbies?!

Not that all B.A.S.S. members fish derbies, but I believe electronic croaking sounds and LED lights are illegal. But hey, if a blinking light helps me salvage a bad day I…might use it….

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BassGold Update

50 new patterns in…

…put by staff, not including those being entered in by BassGold members. Now about 4500 patterns o more than 400 lakes, and counting….

Tip of the Day

How Chapman, Ike prefish the Classic.

Brent:

> While I’m out here, I’m not looking for a magical spot or winning pattern. Instead, I’m trying to break down the lake into areas that I can focus on during the official practice days.

> Those days are short and time flies when you know you have to put the whole puzzle together for the biggest event of the year.

Ike:

> I’m not going to be fishing. I’d say that only about 10 or 20 percent of my time will be spent holding a rod and reel. My time will be spent looking at my electronics.

> That’s especially important on a manmade reservoir like we’ll be fishing. The reason is because structure matters more on them than it does on natural lakes or rivers.

…which fyi is one reason all lakes and rivers are classified by “water type” in BassGold.

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Quote of the Day

Fishing on Saturday was particularly tough with the fish stuffed with termites brought on by hot, calm, sultry conditions.

– Yep, termites – from an article about an Aussie bassin’ derby/stocking party.

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Shot of the Day

Love seeing the tape measure with this one. A supposedly 9-and-change caught from a FL pond.

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