Getting some good info on the troller recommendations, thanks! If you've got any, please send it. Working on post-spawn bait goodies and that survey I mentioned to maybe get some baits into your hands...stay tuned!
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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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How Drew Benton won the Murray Bassmaster Elite
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Congrats to him on his second Elite win – first one was 5 years ago on Lake Travis, TX. This win was interesting: When a bunch of guys catch 'em in a major tournament, usually it takes something special or different to win. But for Drew, that wasn't really the case. Most of the fish he weighed were spawners, which lots of guys were on – but not necessarily right away. Here's what went down.
Practice
> "I tried to do the herring spawn deal and point deal a little in practice. I think the weather conditions kind of messed that up for us the first couple days. I couldn't make it work, my roommates couldn't make it work. So I just started going up looking.
> "The first day of practice I could've had probably had 30 lbs off beds. So I spent the next 2 days just looking and marking fish.
> "What I learned was they were pulling up and doing their thing, and leaving really quick – a day or day and a half, tops. By the 3rd day of practice the big ones I saw were already gone...I had to find new ones."
Tournament
> "I found 5 [bigger ones] to start on the first day of the tournament, and out of those only 1 of them was still on the bed. [Another] one was about 20 yards away and I caught her on a wacky rig. So it was just a matter of hunting down new ones quick. I've never seen a place where they do their thing and leave so quick.
> "After 2 good days, on day 3 I was running low on fish. We had clouds and wind, I fished through some of the areas I'd been fishing and caught some I had marked. I really spent too much time on those fish because they were too small, but I was afraid I wouldn't be able to see later in the day. I should've put the trolling motor on high and not stopped til I found a good one.
> "The first 3 days...saw guys in the area, but most everybody in the tournament did the point thing in the morning. I didn't have that figured out, so I just went to bed-fish. By the time they showed up [to bed-fish], I was done."
He had 14 lbs the 3rd day:
> "I was in the bag line talking...Brock Mosley was telling me he saw a bunch of fish down towards the dam on riprap banks and points on the lower end, and thought the shad were spawning down there. We were taking off at 7 so the sun was already up and the shad spawn thing is kinda over quick, but he said the fish were still up there, he just couldn't make them bite.
> "I didn't have anything to do in the morning so I thought I would see if I could figure things out.
> "The first place I got to [on day 4], I had a Bagley Pro Sunny B squarebill tied on. I started fishing riprap and caught a 4.5 and a 4-lber – those 2 kinda got me going in the right direction.
> "I started figuring them out...relating to shade lines, Anywhere a tree cast just a little bit of shade on the bank, the fish were using that as cover to ambush the shad...or you had to have a more steep bank so you could have a little bit of shade line.
> "...narrowed it down to 3 different points that had shade on them...just bounced back and forth between those points, and every time I made a pass I would catch one.
> "I left outta there with two 5s, two 4.5s and a 4. It was about 11:40 – all the shade went away and I stopped getting any bites. I decided at that point I just needed to find one big one sight-fishing and that would give me a shot."
He ran back up sorta near where he'd been sight-fishing before:
> "I found a 6-lber on a bed, caught her at 1:30 and put the trolling motor on high again. About 20 minutes before I was due in, I threw a topwater...had big fish follow it out...pitched out and [caught] a 5-lber and culled one of those 4.5-lbers out. Thats what gave me 26.5...."
Baits
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> Main bed-fish rig: Big Bite Fighting Frog (gp watermelon red laminate), 4/0 Owner Wide Gap Worm Hook, 3/16-oz Elite Tungsten Weight, 20-lb Seaguar InvizX fluoro, 7' 3" XH Phenix MBX Rod.
> Dropshot: "Whenever I found [a sight fish] that was finicky, I had a dropshot rigged up. I caught that 6-lber on it the last day." Big Bite Scentsation Cliff Hanger Worm (double purple), 1/0 Owner Cover Shot Hook, 3/16-oz Elite Tungsten Dropshot Weight, 15-lb Seaguar Smackdown Flash Green Braid to 10-lb Seaguar Tatsu fluoro, 7' 1" M Phenix Feather Series Rod.
> Bagley Pro Sunny B squarebill (olive shad), 15-lb Seaguar InvizX fluoro, 7' M Phenix X11 Cranking Rod.
> "3 other baits I weighed key fish on were 1 on a wacky-rigged Big Bite Scentsation Trick Stick (gp purple gold flake), 1 on a Vixen walking topwater (shad), and 1 on Scottsboro Line Through Swimbait (Mullins madness).
> Leupold Packout sunglasses: "People ask me all the time my take on lens color. For freshwater, any kind of amber- or copper-color lens is best, and Leupold makes a great copper-color lens that allowed me to see contrasts in the bottom real well."
Electronics were not a factor.
Shout-outs
> "I've run this PowerPole Move trolling motor for the first 3 events of the year, and I can say that it's so quiet I can really get a lot closer to these fish on beds before they spook off. That allows me to see exactly what they are before they scoot off. In the past, with other brands of trolling motors, they hear you coming a lot sooner. It's definitely an edge how quiet this trolling motor is."
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5 Qs with Captain Comeback
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1. Was it your plan all along to lie in wait like a cheetah and then catch everyone from behind? 😁
> "[Laughs] No."
2. How much of the fire in your belly was having a bunch of young boys at home who already eat more than 10 adults?
> "[Laughs] That was a big part of it. I needed to catch 'em to feed all those young'ns."
3. From the beginning of the season you've finished 68th, 22nd, 4th and 1st. Where do you go from here?
> "Guess I gotta win this next one too! No, I'm a momentum guy and usually once I get going – sometimes it takes me a bit to get going – usually I can put a string of good finishes together."
4. What's the closest bass food to Antler Boost?
> "I would say it would be like gizzard shad. Or if you get out West you could say rainbow trout, something with a lot of protein in it. If you go up north, it's the goby."
5. What in your opinion is the best Bagley crankbait?
> "In my opinion it's the Sunny B. It's a small-profile crankbait with a real tight, subtle action – so it gets a ton of bites on pressured bodies of water. I always have it tied on because no matter where it is I can pick that up and get some bites on it.
> "In the spring I like 'crawfish' or 'cooked craw.' This time of year I like either a bluegill or a shad pattern."
Here's "blue olive shad," comes in shallow and medium versions:
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2nd-5th Murray Elite baits
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Did not get Kyoya Fujita (3rd). Tried after Seminole where he finished 2nd, not sure about his English yet, working on it...but either way a 2nd and 3rd in a row is 👀!
2nd: Hunter Shryock
> Berkley Choppo 105 (white), 50-lb Spiderwire DuraBraid, Abu Garcia Zenon X Reel (8:1), 7' 4" MH Abu Garcia Pro Series Justin Lucas Topwater Rod.
> "Fished it in 2' of water or less. Performed best on shade lines, where shallow blueback herring eaters would hide out in the shade. Used the stock Berkley Fusion19 Hooks that are really good at hooking and keeping the fish pegged.
> "This bait accounted for all of my weight on day 1 and key bites throughout the remainder of the week. It also clued me into the docks as well because groups of fish would swim out after I ran the Choppo past a dock. So then I started to slow down and get out the wacky General."
> Wacky rig: 5" Berkley MaxScent General (gp), #2 Neko-style hook, 15-lb Berkeley X5 Braid to 10-lb Berkley Trilene 100% Fluoro, Abu Garcia Zenon 30 Spin Reel, 7' MH Abu Fantasista X Spin Rod.
> "The weather changed each day, ultimately hindering some of the Choppo bites, so I had to resort to finesse-fishing the same shade lines and shallow docks with a wacky worm. The 10-lb Trilene was probably the most critical part of the entire week because I battled fish around dock posts every single day and never once broke my line. This was critical for my success.
> "My biggest key was being patient when the fish were wrapped around the post and not putting too much pressure on them. Just keep the line tight and let them wear themselves down, and they will eventually swim back towards the pressure."
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5th: John Cox
> Wacky rig around beds: Berkley MaxScent General (baby bass), 1/0 Berkley Fusion19 Finesse Wide Gap Hook, 8-lb Berkley FireLine to 10-lb Berkley Trilene 100% Fluoro, Abu Revo Spin Reel, 7' MHF Abu Pro Series John Cox All Purpose Spin Rod.
> Around herring fish: Berkley Powerbait Jerk Shad (watermelon seed), 4/0 Berkley Fusion19 Wide Gap Hook, 8-lb Berkley FireLine, Abu Zenon Spin Reel, 7' MHF Abu Pro Series John Cox All Purpose Spin Rod.
> When herring fish would bust: Berkley Cane Walker (perfect ghost?), 30-lb Berkley X9 Braid, Abu Zenon Reel, 7' 4" MH Abu Pro Series Justin Lucas Topwater Rod.
> "I was just going down the bank. Everything was 2-4' of water."
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Some good stuff from a loooong post on forward-facing sonar
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On TackleTour.com, let's get right to it – starting with Gary Dobyns. Has anyone seen Gary recently? Couldn't find a recent pic of him (not quick anyhow). He in the witness protection program...finally? 😁 Hope all's well with him:
> Gary: "I just can't stay on 'em. That's the whole deal. Josh [Jones, OK/TX big bass hunter] is so good at staying with the fish. He has the trolling motor on max speed, and he is moving. He's on it, even if that means he has to shoot 90 degrees to the right or left or reverse it 180 degrees.
> "He never turns it down, and he never takes his foot off the pedal. You better hold on tight when you stand up there with him or you're going swimming.
> "...[Jones] really sort of dropshots with [an A-rig]. I'd never have believed this if I didn't see it myself." 👀
> [Josh] theorized that the smaller nature of the crappie jigs worked. So Josh trimmed a swim jig down as far as he could so that the skirt only extended to the bend of the hook, and he fished that jig out in front of big fish with no trailer on it.
> Cali fisherman Ryan White: "Oh no dude. We don't waste time fishing until we find them now. [Casting to miles of shoreline is] a thing of the past."
> He used to fish with a dozen rods all piled on his deck as he relentlessly switched from one bait to the next to crack the day's code. When the bite got really tough, he'd downgrade to 5-lb fluoro and a 1/16-oz dart head with a 4" Roboworm....
> But on this day I noticed he was cannonballing 1-oz jigs. "I don't even carry that light stuff anymore. You need to get down to the fish fast when you see them, or you're just wasting time."
> "...it's about getting it in their face quickly to see how they react. If they swim over to it and look at it, you are going to catch them. You just have to stay on them. Those are the fish that'll bite."
BUT check what Richard "not Gary" Dobyns says:
> "If I can't catch them shallow, then I'm gonna crash and burn. Let these guys educate those fish out there. I'll get them when they come to the bank.
> "I've never seen as many people spooning out in the middle of the lake as I saw on Shasta and Oroville in the last 2 events. Good. I love to see those guys out there. Educate those fish and keep the pressure off the bank. I'm going to run my game shallow and let the chips fall where they may."
> It's working out well so far for Richard this season. In a Jan event, he and his team partner, James Avalos, finished 2nd out of 109 teams on Lake Shasta. And in Feb, they finished 31st out of 112 boats on Oroville.
> "There are always shallow fish. I don't care what lake you are on or what time of year. Bass like shallow water, and a guy does not need 15 grand of sonar to find 'em. All the stuff we learned, growing up still applies.
> "Yeah, there are times when there are more fish out deep. And those are the times those units will help. But I'm not sold that it's going to be necessary. You still have to catch them, and the best way to do that is to fish your strength."
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Sea Foam Top 5 of the Week in Bass Fishing - Ep 46!
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Please subscribe to the BB YT channel, would appreciate it if you did, thank you! Here's the link:
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1. GA: We lost a brother on the Coosa River.
From the post:
> According to GA's DNR, a 38-year-old man was fishing with 2 other individuals when their bass boat began to take on water late Friday morning. All 3 attempted to swim to the river's bank, but only 2 got out of the river.
The man's body was found. Please pray for his family. 🙏✝️
2. Brandon Lester's rod + line recommendations.
To keep it simple – talkin' his new signature Mustad BLF Instinct Rods:
- 7' 6" H baitcaster: 20-lb fluoro
- 6' 10" M spin rod: 10-lb high-vis yellow braid to 6' of 6-12 lb fluoro
BLF stands for "Big Lotta Fun" or "Blue Limes Fever"...or possibly "Batman Lego Film." 🤔😁
3. Sounds like Elitist John Soukup no longer a Bass Tank owner.
Believe it was co-owned, saw John at the Classic manning the booth, hope it was a good deal for all involved. The Bass Tank is an electronics rigging/sales shop in OK.
4. Throwback to when a guy named Todd Walters won on Santee.
Won the co side of the 2016 Costa FLW Series. Who is Todd Walters?
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That was a couple years before Patrick Walters became Patrick Walters but either way...think maybe PW knows Santee a little??
5. NPFL Wright Patman, TX winner DQd for no license.
From The NPFL site which I still can't link but it's at thenationalprofessionalfishingleague com:
> ...Wright Patman winning angler Barron Adams has had his weight over 3 days deemed ineligible for the tournament due to failure to produce a valid fishing license for the state of TX.
> "During the post tournament verification process, it was discovered that Barron Adams had competed in the event without valid fishing license," said Brad Fuller of the NPFL.
> "The League is confident that this was an inadvertent and unintentional rules violation on Barron's behalf, and this is in no way a reflection of his integrity as an angler. Barron is a great person and a phenomenal angler, and we are proud to have him as a competitor in the National Professional Fishing League."
Wonder if the website let him down or what. Happens...because #internet. Either way, tough to lose out on $100K. New winner is Ryan Satterfield.
6. TX: Record year for OH Ivie in '23 ShareLunker season.
2023 "season" of collecting 13+ lbers for hatchery breeding is over and:
> Anglers contributed 18 Legacy Class ShareLunkers from 4 different lakes...but the spotlight shined brightest on OH Ivie in west TX. The waterbody produced a record-breaking 15 Legacy Class fish in 2023, following back-to-back years of 12 each....
7. AR: Tourney fishermen now in charge of AR bass program.
AR continues to do it right:
> Jeremy Risley...started tournament bass fishing at age 12 and was part of a bass club at age 16. He even recounts fishing in 29 events in 1 year while working in Monticello a few years back.
> "I want to be that middle man that helps the agency and the bass anglers work together for the betterment of bass fishing in AR."
A state DNR that actually cares about what their constituents think and want! 💪
8. MD BASS Nation continues to help with the Potomac.
9. TackleTour likes the new Abu REVO SX Reel.
> I thought Abu Garcia's Zenon MG-X was impressive...but not everyone can afford...spend $450 on a fishing reel. The new Revo5 SX inspires much of the same enthusiasm in me as the Zenon MG-X, but is less than half the price. Frankly, I cannot get over the fact Abu Garcia equipped this reel with IVCB-6 brakes!
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10. NY doing more creel surveys this year.
New ones are Seneca, Cayuga, Black Lake, Lake George, Esopus Creek. Ones they do every year are Ontario, Erie, Champlain, Oneida.
Maybe hand them a survey in return...about bass fishing...😁
11. PA: Erosion protection added at Blue Marsh Lake.
12. Kid Casters rods being recalled due to lead.
13. TN: Dude won a bass boat at a Bristol truck race.
Doesn't say why or which one and can't find any pics of it. Winner Keith McGee:
> "I told Derek Bieri (team owner of Vice Grip Garage) this afternoon that we were going to win a boat tonight, and we did it."
14. WA: Shad are latest non-native to maybe threaten salmon.
Line of the Day
[Tyler] Rivet says something else we should all do is remember that fishing is supposed to be fun.
Dang straight! From a Bryan B. Brasher of Brashmaster post with a typo in the headline: "Rivet is all grown up" – that should be GROWED up in bassin' man! 😁
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How A-Mart dropshotted slooooooow for ultra-lockjaw bass
From Bassmaster.com:
> It's not uncommon for 15 minutes to pass between casts when Martens deadsticks a dropshot rig.
> After the weight touches down, Martens lets the bait free-fall to the bottom. He lets it rest there for 10-20 seconds before slowly lifting it off the bottom without moving the weight. Then he lets the bait free-fall back down to the bottom for another long pause.
> "I only do this when I know right where the bass are."
> His most productive deadsticking setup is a 4.5" Roboworm Straight-Tail Worm nose-hooked with a #1 Gamakatsu G-Finesse Drop Shot Hook.... This light hook allows the worm to slowly "float" to the bottom, which Martens says is the strike trigger.
> He goes with a 4-10" drop line in the spring and a 15-20" drop line in the fall.
15 minutes!!!! This is one HUGE differentiator between Aaron and at least me – I just love to fish and do get mad when I don't catch 'em (that's why people from NJ can get mad easily lol), but Aaron absolutely couldn't stand not catching 'em...and 100% knew he could figure 'em out, every time.
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"It was very cool to like be part of a team for once. Getting into tournaments and learning and growing a bunch of new friends on the club as well was awesome."
- MI HS senior talkin', all great reasons for supporting HS fishin'. From a post about HS fishing growing in MI. 💪
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What 14.8 lbs of TX muscle melon looks like, caught with Hill Country Hammer Guides & Outfitters. Peep that sight-fishing platform behind him:
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Canadian bear downs 69 cans of soda (YT vid)
My only Q: Who keeps 69 cans of soda in their car??
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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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