Hope you have a great weekend and get out there and set some dang hooks! It's like 80 degrees here so I hope to get out tomorrow afternoon or Saturday...gonna try my hand at some finesse cranking, but if they ain't on it it'll be the JackHammer and jig for me again! 😁 Maybe that new BOOYAH Finesse Covert too or a Roboworm! God bless ya!
|
|
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.
|
|
"Morning dawn" and other Roboworm juice
|
|
With Anthony Gagliardi's win at Murray, that's now 2 tournaments this year won dropshotting a "morning dawn"-colored worm – in the Southeast. Not sure if Anthony's was a Roboworm but Joey Cifuentes won with a Robo at Seminole and I think Pat Schlapper (4th at Seminole) fished one too.
Crazy how a color made for deep, clear Cali fisheries catches 'em all over the country, and...it's pink! Not exactly a highly-fished color. Wanted to know more about it, so called Robowom ops manager Mark Taylor – here's 5+ with him:
|
|
1. Where did "morning dawn" come from?
> "'Morning dawn' in [the current] form came from us, but originally in CA in the '80s and '90s everything was hand-poured. In clear-water, deep-water reservoirs, everything was hand-poured and small differences made the difference. There was a color in northern CA that was specifically for spotted bass that was similar to 'morning dawn,' but [was more red and] didn't have any neon in it...didn't have that [color] depth we have in it.
> [Roboworm color genius Mike Brakebill] changed it up and put that blue neon in there, and lightened up the red which turned to pink. We had so many iterations of it til we dialed it in – it was kind of more on the red, and we kept lightening it up til...that neon [blue] which makes the pink look neon.
> "It just lights up that worm and that's the whole key to that worm."
2. Why do you think it catches so many bass all over the country?
> "I wish I knew. I really think its more of the effect of the worm, almost like it's glowing."
3. How 'bout the purples like in the margarita colors – why do those work so well?
> "All those are kind of offshoots of some of the basic hand-poured colors that we just modified and changed to our liking...'70s, '80s, black, greys and purples. ...we started experimenting with different dyes and flakes and neons.
> "Like 'Aaron's magic' [👇] is similar to a staple on the West Coast, the green weenie worm. We added a bloodline to it because our process is a 3-color pour and no one was doing a 3-color worm like that. We just took staples and took them to another level.
|
|
> "Purple is a well-known [worm] color and we just put the Roboworm spin on it – just improved on an already winning formula."
4. Why do you guys use brown so much?
> "That's probably because it was such a staple of the hand-poured scene of the '70s and '80s. That was kind of like the base color.
> ...'margarita mutilator' is purple and brown, and one of the most popular jig colors is purple and brown so it's definitely mimicking that."
5. Aaron was colorblind. What was it like working with him on his colors?
> "He knew. It would be like his version [of a color] but he would know. Whatever he saw it as, you would still be able to explain it just in conversation: This is the red, well okay add more, add less. Obviously shad colors, pearls [he knew] – so he knew the gist of it....
> "Some of the subtle differences in our stuff, obviously Aaron was a huge influence. He'd call me driving to a lake...15-hour drives...we'd talk colors, then he'd get to the lake...pre-fishing. The conversation would start out on one color, and as he was fishing and he was always observing and seeing bait and water color...while he's pre-fishing he'd come up with a worm, just like that.
> "'You know if we just try take that morning dawn and we just need a little more shad color' – so that's how we got 'Aaron's morning dawn' [👇]. Literally talking to him while he's fishing. That's how in-tune he was – on the lake, telling me every little color, then me and Mike would fine-tune it and send it to him, then [Aaron would comment and repeat] til we got all these formulas exactly right.
|
|
> "Mike is a genius with it all. He'd be able to put it together exactly as Aaron wanted."
Bonus Q 1: Have you guys ever tried yellow or another "shunned" bass fishing color?
> "Absolutely. We're always experimenting, always trying to innovate. There's a million colors we could throw out there, but we do a lot of testing. Sometimes things take a few years for the right time and lake to present itself for our pro staff and all fishermen...it takes a while to use them in different scenarios and make subtle tweaks and differences."
Bonus Q 2: What are some other good-selling colors besides "morning dawn" and "Aaron's magic"?
> "There's certainly regional-specific colors.... I know Jared Lintner's a huge fan of another of Aaron's colors 'Martens madness.' And I think Brent Ehrler, when he was on the FLW Tour I think he won a few tournaments on 'Martens madness.' They both talk about using that on a flip shot [aka Bubba shot].
|
|
> "Original colors like 'black grape' are still solid for us, 'oxblood light red flake' is huge for us which is like a nightcrawler color. Another top seller is 'bold bluegill.' That was one of Aaron's absolute favorites with that chartreuse. I don't think there was ever a time when he called me up to make an order when he wasn't requesting 'bold bluegill.'"
|
|
Bonus Q 3: A lot of guys love the Robo Rebarb Hook – why is that hook so great?
> "All the [Rebarb] hooks have those barb keepers, that was the original, and the key to that is it's just a little bit smaller than everybody else's keeper so it does not tear up the plastic...tucks right up into the worm and is not seen.
> "It also does not affect the action of the worm with extra weight...light wire and medium wire are lighter gauge than lot of the hooks out there, so it keeps [the bait action] completely natural. It does not weigh down the worm...allows the worm to undulate even when you're not imparting any action.
> "And that style shank was Aaron's favorite [O'Shaughnessy]. He'd want that style of hook even when he fished a jig...everything."
|
|
Belated huge thank you to Mr Harvey Stump 🙏✝️
|
|
Not sure how I missed this, but in Dec 2021 the co-founder of Roboworm, Harvey Stump, passed on. Not only does he deserve a big shout-out because he co-created one of the most important bassin' baits of all time – in fact the #8 Tournament Bass Bait of All Time – the story behind it is amazing.
Here's some of it, written by Harvey's son and current Roboworm owner Greg Stump (both below) on the WON Bass site – sorry can't link it:
|
|
> After marrying his wife Elizabeth...they drove to CA with their life savings of $500. Mom and dad both worked at Hughes Aircraft Co while dad earned his master's degree in electrical engineering from UCLA. He used his gift to become one of the top semiconductor engineers around, creating new and unique products that helped revolutionize the electronics industry.
> In 1959, he borrowed enough money to start Semtech Corp, where he created state of the art electronics for NASA and the military. Semtech went public in 1962.
> While enjoying his early retirement and fishing bass tournaments in the '80s, Harvey saw an opportunity. He was constantly frustrated that he was unable to find his favorite fishing worms. The stores were always sold out of these multi-colored wonders called "hand-poured" worms.
> One day dad came to me with a bag of used hand-poured worms and said, "Son, if someone can build a machine to make these, they would have themselves a business!" He somehow knew I would take his comment as a challenge.
> I had become an engineer and happened to be working my first job at Hughes Aircraft Co, the same place he'd started. It took me about a year of tinkering in my garage, but I came up with a crude prototype of a worm machine that had potential. I called him up and said, "I think I figured out how to make your worms!"
> After seeing the machine, he immediately convinced me to quit my job and go into business with him. We each put in $15,000 (all I had at the time) and started Roboworm Inc. He designed the worms and made the molds, and I designed and built the robotic machines.
> The first 5 years of Roboworm was a struggle. The machines and molds were much harder to make than we thought. No money was coming in, and I wanted to give up many times,
> In order to sell our product, my father and I had to vigorously (and successfully) compete in fishing tournaments and give thousands of bags of worms away for free, and eventually we started to sell Roboworm products. We hired a professional fisherman, Mike Brakebill, to create new colors and run the production line....
Thank you Mr Stump and good job Greg! Hey Hall of Fame board members – I hope Harvey is on the ballot next year, and also hope we can get more folks in there before they pass on. Not complainin', just suggestin'....
|
|
Probably heard of it, maybe not fished it, kinda a mini Carolina rig brought here by our Japanese bassin' bros. Good post on it at Game & Fish, here's a few excerptin's – quotin' tourney angler and AZ's Liar's Korner Tackle owner Courtney Copley:
> "The free rig is just a new and better way of the...TX rig, but the line slides through the wire loop of a heavy drop-shot sinker much easier than a TX-rigged slip sinker, giving the worm a unique action as it settles behind the heavy weight on slack line."
> ..the "secret sauce"...is to allow the weight to drop on mostly-slack line so the sinker can separate properly and slide away from the soft plastic.
> ...Copley will lower his rod tip to impart the slack line approach, allowing the weight to descend vertically. Once on bottom, he maintains just enough slack in the line to allow the worm to suspend above the weight for a few seconds, then aggressively pops the rod tip to shoot the weight from the bottom a couple of feet to start the soft descent of the worm all over. The rig is worked back to the boat with this aggressive lift-and-drop manner.
> ...blend of power and finesse tactics as it allows an angler the benefit of covering water quickly with the aggressive lift-and-drop retrieve, yet also features the subtle action from the soft plastic....
> "In the spring of the year when the bass are moving up shallow, it can be one of the deadliest tactics I've ever used. It's almost mind-blowing the size of fish we've caught the past couple of springs with this rig."
> Copley prefers a 1/2-oz Woo Tungsten Dropshot Weight and a #2 light-wire Gamakatsu EWG Hook. The light-wire hook is key....
> ...Copley mixes it up, with Fluke-style baits being a consistent choice due to their subtle fluttering action on the fall. ...the Z-Man TRD CrawZ...actually rises away from the lake bottom on slack line. ...[also] a floating soft-plastic tube that works in a similar fashion to the TRD CrawZ.
|
|
My 2c on someone else's forward-facing sonar fears
|
|
Dude on LouisianaSportsman.com, seems like he's a salty guy. Highlighting it because panic, fear and negativity are never good reasons to do anything in my 2c, especially when it comes to governments/DNRs/fish and game commissions – so I am trying to encourage level-headedness and patience on this whole FFS deal. Excerpts:
> ...a strong argument could be made [the fishing industry folks] have done their job too well, and fishing as we know it...has been permanently transformed, and not necessarily for the better.
That is his "thesis statement" – what he will attempt to prove.
> ...a decade ago...anglers had to read water and correspond that with their knowledge about how changing seasons affected bait and fish migrations in order to have success on the water.
> Now, however, with...forward-facing sonar...anglers don't have to cast and hope for bites to prove their hypotheses correct. They need only look at their electronics.... There's no more wasted time spent casting to barren water.
Hold up: 10 years ago anglers didn't have any electronics? They were just casting and hoping? And now anglers don't have to read the conditions? C'mon man. Say that to Denny Brauer and Kevin VanDam 10 years ago and you never woulda made it outta the parking lot in 1 piece! 😁
> The most obvious is the exponential increase in efficiency that could lead to significant overfishing. Fish that historically held in areas ignored by most anglers are now discoverable and catchable.
"Could." Maybe. Maybe sometimes in some water bodies. Maybe it will lead to significantly more catch and release! Let's see what happens. With every leap in fishing, the same fear statement has been made yet so far all is good.
He says "new" areas were ignored by "most" fishermen, meaning not all of 'em? If more folks have cottoned on to certain spots, that's happened over the entire history of fishing due to many different factors, the dropshot being one, Power-Poles, side scan, TV/live coverage, etc. A pretty long list.
> Those are fish that formed a reproductive base, adding annual progeny that was supplemented by fish in more obvious areas that somehow escaped harvest. Now that they aren't living unmolested lives, what type of impact will that have on spawning success rates? The answer is surely not zero, and shrinking fish populations lead to less angler success, which, in turn, leads to lower angler enthusiasm. That's not good for the industry.
|
|
Wow that's about the most negative spin on it possible. There's literally zero evidence to support that, and it's quite a leap to go from speculation to "shrinking fish populations" and "less angler success."
Maybe there will be a negative effect at some point, but not yet – and will it be permanent or temporary? Just like some folks think bass lakes get "fished out," no they don't – the fish just move and/or get harder to catch.
Let's not forget – even though he might not be talking about bass, some bass are getting wise to forward-facing sonar.
> What has historically made [tournaments] so attractive to so many anglers is their equity. A skilled angler in an aluminum jonboat could feel confident in his chances against a guy in the finest Ranger. But that's no longer the case. If you can't afford forward-facing sonar, you're wasting your time and are donating money every time you fish a tournament.
This time he is obviously talking about bass fishing, and he's obviously off the mark. Before FFS, what were the electronics setups on both rigs? Did the guy with every other form of sonar have an advantage? Sometimes. How far did you have to run to get to the fish? What are the conditions and what techniques are you fishing? Who is John Cox? 😁
> This isn't fishing – it's playing a video game, and it gives an insurmountable advantage to those who can afford the latest electronics. If it's not a game-changer, why does EVERY professional tournament angler use it?
> ...tournament organizers...need to recognize the overwhelming advantage the technology gives to those who can afford it, and implement methods for leveling the playing field.
It IS fishing, it's not a slam dunk all the time, you need to learn how to use and get good at it AND change your fishing because of it, and every pro does not use it. Not sure Todd has ever tried to use it – if not, he should!
|
|
As I've said before, I agree that local and regional tourney trails can and should do something about it, maybe til the technology becomes more affordable which it will over time.
Bottom line from me is: Let's wait and see what happens rather than panic, and like a couple BB peeps have suggested, if local tourney trails have "classes" – FFS guys fish vs each other and non-FFS guys fish vs each other in the same tournament – that issue is solved.
All that said, props to the dude for giving us his 2c, all good, let's see what happens.
|
|
1. Sounds like Dustin Connell's fave jig trailer is...
...the 3.3" Googan Bandito Bug Jr.
2. Chris Zaldain gets 9 mpg towing with the new Tundra.
According to that post ^. New Tundra is a hybrid V6 with twin turbos. No V8 option available.
3. Does Brandon Coulter have a new podcast?
I think so and looks like the first one has the ex-bassin' D-lineman and "tackle addict" Brian Robison.
4. MLF BPT rookie Nick LeBrun speaking in TX Apr 22.
East TX Fishers of Men derbE at Toledo Bend.
5. Bruce Holt, Glen Andrews join Ike going into Hall of Fame.
Love and miss Bruce – amazing man who encouraged me a bunch when I was a long-haired Yankee Bassmaster writer. He passed on in 2021.
|
|
> He was involved in the fishing industry for nearly 45 years...best known as the quiet yet influential force that helped catapult G. Loomis to the forefront of the fishing rod category.
> Throughout his 34-year tenure at G. Loomis, Holt wore many hats, ranging from heading up sales and marketing prior to Shimano's acquisition of the company in 1997, to a nearly decade-long stint as its executive director.....
> He identified and supported many upcoming anglers in the pro ranks, including Ricky Green, Greg Hackney, Luke Clausen, David Walker and Mark Rose.
> About Glen: ...Andrews, 93, played a key role in helping outline the rules that all bass tournament anglers still adhere to today. An accomplished tournament angler, guide and lure-maker from Lead Hill, AR, Andrews parlayed his experience and reputation into the role of rules chairman alongside Ray Scott for the first All-American tournament at Beaver Lake in 1967.
> Between 1962-1966, Andrews won three MO State Championships, an AR State Championship, was a 2-time runner-up in the World Championship and a 2-time World Championship winner. Despite his success in that span, he never made a single dollar in prize money.
> ...was the first man to market what is now known as the Texas rig, referred to in the 1960s as the Andrews Slip-Sinker Worm.
> Andrews has been called the "best bass angler to ever live" by the likes of fellow Hall of Famers Bill Dance, Bobby Murray, Jerry McKinnis and Ray Scott. Dance and Murray also count Andrews among their early mentors.
Outstanding. Wonder if Hall of Famer KVD will tell Ike at the induction that he's now part of the community? 😆
6. WI: Sturgeon Bay tournament nonsense still going.
Recap, hopefully I get this right:
- Out of the blue the city of Sturgeon Bay made a rule that would limit all bass tourneys held on the bay before Jun 30 to be catch/immediate release only.
- That would kill the Sturgeon Bay Open and possibly other tournaments, which if they did not come to town would hurt local businesses.
- It was/is being fought, partly because the city has no authority to regulate fisheries.
Observations:
- Why that authority deal doesn't squash the whole thing I have no idea.
- Yep, the Open (and other tourneys) has been held there for years with no issues and the smallie fishery is still insanely good. So this is much ado about nothing.
- Yet another example of standard catch/release tournaments coming under fire for zero actual reason – in this case no acute issue and thus no data.
- Unfortunately some "rocket scientists" like this former WI DNR biologist are stuck in la-la land:
> "I believe [the in the boat catch/weigh/release format] should also include the month of May, and actually to have [the] greatest impact should be required throughout the entire year."
Does that guy even go outside if it's raining out?? Shoot let's just stop fishing and pretend the last 50+ years of bass fishing never existed man. In fact, let's punish everyone for all that success! 🤪
7. TX: Fork Bass Champs 1,500 anglers only weighed 2 overs.
> Only 2 fish outside the upper end of the lake's slot limit were brought to the scales. The biggest was a 9.34-lber.... The remaining hours [big fish derby] were won by fish under the slot limit, all in the 2-lb range.
> TPWD fisheries biologist Jake Norman...believes prolonged drought and low water on the lake from 2010-15 negatively impacted spawning success and recruitment for consecutive years. This resulted in multiple poor year classes of bass. The same thing happened again in 2020-21.
Believe the Elites have done better than that there tho?
8. CA: Here's the field for the Western Bass Shootout.
3-dayer starts tomorrow on the Delta. Only guy that surprised the heck outta me to see on that list is Alpha Angler's Jake Boomer...? 😁 He STILL thinks one day he will beat Palaniuk! 🤣 Just messin' (sorta), good luck Boomer!
9. CA: Clear Lake bassin' will be epic this year?
> Clear Lake is nearly full and, once the storms have ceased, bass fishing is expected to be epic due to the flooding of new areas that will introduce new food sources into the lake.
This post says "bass are everywhere" and guys are catching 10-25 per day. Just remember to have your quagga sticker....
10. AR: 12-04 largie caught by teen crappie fishing.
Not the first time and won't be the last a huge bass was caught on some kinda crappie bait:
|
|
11. Tommy Akin is now working with Bait-Pop.
Long-time/now former Strike King PR/media man Tommy Akin is now helping out Bait-Pop, that gel you put on your bait to see it better on sonar. Tommy is dang good people, and since he's gettin' a little up there in years I asked him, "Hey Tommy does this mean they're coming out with Bait Pop-Pop?" 😂 Just messin' brother!
The OG Bait-Pop bass formula is on TW, but more flavuh flaves are on their website...including something called "monkey milk"...?
12. See bottoms better with new Garmin Navionics Vision+ maps.
> Now available with 120% more relief shading coverage to deliver intricate and clear bottom structure detail.
|
|
13. Mustad has a new AlphaPoint line of hooks.
> Made of high-carbon alloy wire, which reduces flex for harder hooks and provides faster penetration, each AlphaPoint hook features a point that is 4.8 times longer than the wire diameter, making it slimmer and stickier than the UltraPoint.
> "We developed the new AlphaPoint line to grow business in the technical fishing and soft-plastic spaces, particularly in the freshwater bass market."
14. GA DNR loses lawsuit, part of Flint River now private.
> Last year, officers with DNR's Law Enforcement Division...would not issue citations for fishing without permission...at Yellow Jacket Shoals because DNR considered the Flint River, and in particular Yellow Jacket Shoals, to be a navigable river open to the public. These statements prompted [landowner] Four Chimneys LLLP to file a lawsuit asserting the right to control fishing in that section of the river.
> As part of the Final Judgment and Order, the landowner does not contest or oppose the public's ability to float through and enjoy this section of the river. However, because the landowner owns the riverbed to the center of the river, the public does not have the right to fish on that property.
Headline of the Week
The Potential for Outdoor Nature-Based Interventions in the Treatment and Prevention of Depression
Okay a little further back than a week but I just stumbled onto it. Note that the study did NOT consider tournament fishermen, I assume cuz they're at a high risk of depression and anxiety...lol!
I need me one of those "nature-based interventions"!
|
|
Soft-plastics: Do you pay attention to density?
From an older Bassmaster.com post on soft-plastics – a little basic but got me thinkin' beyond just color:
> [Gary] Klein credits Gary Yamamoto with getting the density and sink rate just right with the Senko.... YUM's Dinger has a similar shape and design, but it is made from a more durable plastic than the Senko, Klein claims. It holds up better to strikes and skipping presentations.
> Whenever Klein skips or pitches a TX-rigged bait into dense cover, he selects a lure molded of a dense, tough plastic that will withstand some abuse.
> Klein's favorite flippin' baits are [the] Pit Boss and Berkley's PowerBait Chigger Craw. The Chigger Craw is the denser and the more durable.... "They're both great baits for TX-rigging and as jig trailers. But when I'm punching mats, I can catch 10 bass on a Chigger Craw to 4 with a Pit Boss."
|
|
"Going in I thought I had a shot at winning the dang thing. I don't know what came over me. The moment somehow didn't get too big, nerves never got to me, and I kept my head on straight."
- NJ B.A.S.S. Nation Classic qualifier Louis Monetti talkin'. I made sure to talk to him for a little bit at the Classic, before it started, and I did walk away thinking he for sure didn't seem to be wide-eyed. Level-headed...which as you know is RARE in NJ peeps! 🤣
Here in NJ he would be called "Big Lou" or "Sweet Lou" – gotta ask him which he prefers...
|
|
This @wildlures shot just looked strange to me – how big is that fish vs the swimbait size? Is it a homemade swimbait? Is he fishing outta one of those small rental boats that are big in Japan? 🤔
|
|
Could this kinda tech ever be used in fishing? Soft-plastics with holes? Crankbaits with holes?? 😱
|
|
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'!
|
Sign up another bass-head!
|
If you're forwarding every Blaster to other bass crackheads, tx much – or you can email me the addys and we'll take care of it! We'll never send spam or whatever....
|
|
Gitcha hands on the best stuff!
|
|
Gitcha BassBlaster social at these links:
|
|
|
|