As I'm putting this together, Trey McKinney, Cory Johnston and Drew Cook – who are 1-2-3 in AOY – are all in the top 10 on BassTrakk at Champlain. Not surprised at all and very cool.

Speaking of cool, real excited to get this on my Ultrex pedal:

That's of course a Coolfoot, and I had to get the one that reminded me of Eddie Van Halen's guitar paint lol. TW has 'em or the Coolfoot site has more options.

Never had a need for one in NJ, but TX is a different story! Also hoping it levels up the heel lip on the pedal. Anyone ever sand that off?

Alright let's get to it!

Gitcha Blaster video fix here:

Zack is your newest MLF Bass Pro Tour AOY and beat Jacob Wheeler to do it. Nothing against Jacob of course, just that he's won half of the 8 BPT AOYs so far and is the winningest guy ever on the BPT so it's a big deal.

Zack has had one of the best seasons we've ever seen, especially in the FFS era. Oops I should say "is having" one of the best because he's also 2nd in the NPFL points going into the last one, which will be in Sept. More on that below, here goes:

1. Did you wake up every day this season, take 5 deep breaths and exhale greatness? 😁

> "Uh, I guess?"

[Lol!]

2. Since you are now Captain America, in your opinion is Jacob Superman or Thanos? 🤔

> "Not Superman [laughs]."

Did it feel good to beat him?

> "It felt really good. He's obviously always a contender for AOY and always a contender for winning an event. He seems to always be in the top 10, so I think makes it that much more sweet knowing he had a solid year.

> "I think overall it was one of the best years he's had as far as finishes goes...if I did the math right on it.... So it definitely means a lot – means a lot to me, knowing I beat him in one of his best years.

> "I understand he has a lot going on in his life with his wife [fighting cancer], and obviously we are thinking about them. But when he shows up to fish, he fishes every day to win. So I know he didn't cut any slack...."

3. What percent of your fish this year do you think came on a bladed jig?

> "Probably like 90%."

How is that possible??

> "Everywhere I go it seems like they bite a bladed jig for me. It was amazing."

Do you know – are you doing anything differently than the other guys?

> "I don't think so. I just feel like I've gotten really accustomed to throwing one a lot.

> "Different colors for different conditions, different trailer combinations for those situations – I've been able to piece it all together to make it work."

4. Can we expect any Captain America baits from Hag's anytime soon?

> "Yeah there will be a whole assortment of baits coming out [he helped design]. I can't say exactly when, but they're in the works for sure. "

5. What about the Dardanelle NPFL – how do you feel about that one?

> "I'm excited about it. It'll be a little bit of a tough time to fish it, but I grew up over there – I spent 13-14 years over there before I moved to OK so I know it really well.

> "Obviously it's the AR River so a lot's changed, but I know the basis of the place, what to look for, where the best stuff is usually at. So I'm very excited to get over there and start looking around."

Had to ask him more Qs about it, here we go.

How important is the exact right trailer for getting bites, and when do you change them?

> "I threw 2 different types of trailers all year. All I did was change colors throughout the year based on bladed jig color and based on the water color. And sometimes I changed it day to day depending on the wind or water color....

[Here's his 2 trailers, both pics from this year.]

> "...I would change the contrast of the color a little bit, and it seemed like it helped generate more bites if the water cleaned up or got dirtier.

> "I tried to keep my colors as natural as possible with a matching trailer, and just offset those colors based on water conditions."

Can you give us an example?

> "At Erie...I was throwing a threadfin shad color with a natural translucent shad color trailer that matched the skirt material really close. That was when the water was really clear. That was my initial setup [from] when went up there to pre-fish.

> "The water was much more dingy when I went back. I felt like the skirt material on the bladed jig had enough color [contrast]...but the trailer was very translucent. So I changed the trailer to one that had a little more color in it – a little darker-colored back...so it would stand out a little bit more [he used the same color, just opaque/darker instead of translucent].

> "I try to gradually add more color or contrast to the bait and trailer as the water gets dingier. Or if the water cleans up I try to go to more translucent colors...."

Are you just fishing down the bank like everybody else? Is your retrieve different? Or depth?

> "I don't think I'm doing anything different as far as the retrieve or presentation goes. I think it's more along the lines of changing colors often, really fine-tuning what I feel like they want to bite more.

> "Because you can go down the same stretch of bank throwing straight gp and not get many bites, and turn around and come through it with a variation of a shad color and go back through there and catch a dozen.

> "So being open to trying different things in practice – and really fine-tune the bite – helps me. Because I'm throwing it around the same stuff everybody else is: docks, riprap, laydowns, grass. All the same stuff, but just being real adaptive to the color change."

_____

He said these color subtleties might get him 15 bites a day vs 10-12, which is a huge difference on the top tours regardless of format.

His bladed jig gear is 16- and 20-lb Yo-Zuri T7 Premium Fluoro, an 8:1 reel and a 7' 5" MH Alpha Angler Mag Rebound Rod. He told Alpha Angler about the rod:

> "It simply lands more fish with a ChatterBait."

The fact that he caught 90% of his fish on pressured public lakes on a bladed jig helps my confidence (along with Takahiro doing the same thing) – BUT probably means I'm not getting better at other techniques anytime soon lol!

First of all, the 3 letters are gonna be re-ordered to B-L-F so they will align better with MLF. Second, no sonar or digital mapping whatsoever will be used. Also no "foo-foo" snacks: Paper maps and Vienna sausages only. Smoking and dipping will be permitted, and even encouraged.

Alright I made that up 😆 – here are the changes for 2027, which are significant. Although MLF didn't say, I assume some of the context here is a serious decline in BFL co-anglers – and also a decline in BFL participation generally – ever since FFS came out.

New team/solo format

> ...anglers may compete alone or with a teammate, allowing partners to share expenses and compete together throughout the season.

> Boyd Duckett: "The BFL format has...evolved over the years, from boat-on-boat draw, to boaters and co-angler, and now team/solo. This latest evolution makes it easier to compete with a friend to share expenses, or fish solo to protect your hotspots, while offering more money...."

> Regular-season tournaments...a $500 entry fee and a $22,000 1st-place award, including a $7,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus, at 150 boats. 20% of the field will earn a paycheck, and the minimum 1st-place award is guaranteed at $10,000 regardless of field size.

> ...the 2027 BFL season will return more than 91% of entry fees to anglers based on an average field of 150 boats. When Phoenix MLF Bonus awards are included, the total season payout rises to 101%.

New championship structure

> The circuit will feature 20 divisions organized into 5 regions, with 5 1-day qualifying tournaments per division.

> Tournament winners and the top 30 teams in each division will advance to 1 of 5 no-entry-fee All-American Championships.... Each winning team will receive an All-American limited-edition Phoenix powered by a 250-hp outboard valued at $120,000.

> Each All-American-winning team will also earn advancement to 2 of MLF’s premier championships. The team captain will qualify for REDCREST and compete for a top prize of $300,000, while his or her teammate will advance to the Toyota Series Championship to compete for as much as $235,000....

> Teams must compete together in at least 3 of the 5 divisional tournaments to be eligible for an All-American Championship. The Team of the Year in each of the 20 divisions will receive $2,500, and anglers from the top 30 teams in each division will receive priority entry into the Toyota Series.

Couple wrinkles

> Current year Bass Pro Tour, Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit, NPFL and Elite Series pros will not be eligible to compete.

> The 2027 season will also feature unrestricted use of forward-facing and 360-degree sonar.

_____

One guy's 2c fwiw

1. Team deal in particular I think is (or could be) great.

2. BFL regular-season entries this year are $200 for anglers and $100 for cos. So higher next year.

3. The 5 All-Americans idea I think is good in that more guys get to compete in their regions, but seems to take away from it as a premier event. Let's see how it plays out.

4. "No pros" I think is good. We did the same thing way back in the day with the BassFan Army events because amateur should mean amateur, and the pros are just better.

5. The unrestricted FFS puzzles me. If MLF wants guys coming back into the BFLs, why change from the 1/3 a day norm for all MLF tourneys? (Will it stay 1/3??)

😁🤙

6. However it plays out, good to see MLF still isn't afraid to change things up. And in my 2c, the BFLs clearly needed something done. Maybe not all of that, but something.

Let's see what happens man!

Ready or not here comes Episode 142 of the Sea Foam/Sufix Lines Top 5 of the Week in Bass Fishing! Check the rundown and thanks much for watching!

1. FishLab NEKO minnow 🤯

2. Giant Bucca Brand jerkbait 🤯

3. 15" NetBait ned bait?? 🤯

4. Wurm Wacky Wavy Ned Man 😁

5. The Siege Frog 👀

Sea Foam Marine PRO

Sufix line

#1

FishLab Neko Flex Shad

#2

Bucca Brand El Toro Jerkbait: not available yet

BOOYAH Flash Point Jerkbait

#3

15" NetBait Finiki Prop Shot

#4

Wurm Wacky Wavy Ned Man: don't see it online?

#5

American Snakehead Customs Siege Frog

1. Banks Shaw is the youngest-ever MLF $1 mil winner

Wos that was fast! It was Drew Gill, who is also 23. Jacob Wheeler got there when he was 25.

2. 2 cool things from Johnny Cox's Vexus AVX2100

From a deal on the Bassmaster site. First here's his ultra-complex bow screen setup – 1 Humminbird Apex! 😁🤙

And check his color c-lection of Berkley Frittsides: 👀

3. Here's Justin Atkins' Frittside colors...

Those are Frittside 5s and 5 Jrs. Twice as many boxes as John and he's also got twice as many Apexes:

4. Chris Zaldain fished with NASCAR guy Denny Hamlin

5. MLF announced the 2027 Bass Pro Tour field

50 guys, same as this year. 5 come up from the Pro Circuit so the 5 who are out are Fletcher Shryock, Greg Vinson, Colby Miller, Dylan Hays and Dean Rojas.

6. New Montevallo coach Clent Davis on the Rapala college pod

7. New 4" Frog Factory Ploppit

Sorta a Ribbit body with a plopping tail:

> Freddy Roumbanis: "I wanted a frog that we can burn and turn, and that covers water with a natural fleeing motion. There are many times bass in super-shallow water need to chase horizontally and attack from behind. It takes a subtle, natural movement for them to lock in and attack, and the Ploppit does just that."

I saw it in person at ICAST – consensus was a 3/0 hook max, maybe 4/0. It is on TW but not available yet.

8. New 4.3" Bill Lewis Spit Stik

> Mark Davis: "The Spit Stik is a topwater that has a unique action that fish haven't seen before. It's a topwater that walks as well as a topwater that spits water. It's something I've never seen before, and it's something fish have never seen before.

On TW but not available yet.

9. Berkley has new bait collections for different techniques

Called "Haul of Fames" – check 'em at TW.

10. 3 cool deals about the new Lunkerhunt Rumbl Frog

1) Nose is hand-tied to the line tie so that the frog won't slip down the hook.

2) The belly of the hook is shrink-wrapped to keep water from getting inside the frog.

3) Has an internal rattle.

Comes in 1.75" (3/8-oz) and 2.25" (1/2-oz). The Rumbl Frog is one of Lunkerhunt's new higher-end Black Series baits and is available on TW.

11. New KastKing Al-Ti Reel now on TW

Also gotta mention that Jacob Wheeler is still using the $100 KastKing Skeet Reese Icon Reels.

12. Gitcha leech on with the Tackle Max Sucker Punch?

Comes in 4" and 5". Only see 'em on the Tackle Max site.

13. LA: 2 lakes starting drawdowns in Sept

Grand Bayou – To control giant salvinia, Sep 8-Jan 4:

> When the lake is lowered, boaters can still access the reservoir from Grand Bayou Resort on the southwestern side of the Highway 784 bridge.

Vernon Lake – Sep 15 to Jan:

> ...drawn down every 7 years for maintenance to the dam, spillway and boat ramps, vegetation control, and fisheries habitat improvement (compaction of bottom sediments).

14. NY: New boat launch being proposed for Saranac

15. IA "great lakes" have more shad

Gitcha bait colors in order!

16. WA DNR thinking about buying Selph Landing

Apparently the only public ramp (on private land) on the east side of the Columbia River?

17. WA: All Tapps ramps now closed due to low water

18. DE: Griffith Lake ramp closing til Dec 2027

Spillway reconstruction + tunnel to an alien base...😁

19. Scott Ware new sales/marketing dir for Millennium

Their marine division makes boat seats, including this one which might be the most popular "butt seat" right now.

20. FY Q1 Daiwa US sales up but profit flat

Sounds like tariffs might have hurt profit:

> ...10.2% rise in sales...segment profit was...an increase of 0.6%.

21. KY: Pitman Creek distributors expanding

22. KY relaxed some regs for commercial carp fishermen

So they can figure out the best ways to get rid of those Asian carp.

23. Study shows Asian carp are resistant to carp herp

Dang it!

24. Keep an eye on...

Sportsmen's Alliance allegations of sketchiness by politically-appointed WA Fish and Wildlife commissioners proven true

Doesn't say explicitly but this implies they were not on the angler/hunter team:

> The report confirms that commissioners engaged in dozens of undisclosed, private meetings with advocacy groups actively suing the department. This included direct communications with opposing counsel and coordinated attempts to influence commission business out of public view.

The Sportsmen's Alliance is also warning about animal rights agendas once again infiltrating the US Congress.

Some payment processors are still refusing to serve firearms-related businesses

Here's an example. My only Qs are: Who told them to do that (because it makes no business sense), why are they obeying and what types of companies are next?

State knife-ban cases in CA and MN being fought under 2nd Amendment

Headlines of the Day

Unsettling ‘alien’ bait is reeling in massive fish despite anglers mocking it’s ‘stupidest thing they’ve ever seen’

Why are urchin baits "unsettling"?? 🤪 Classic headline from the British Sun paper/site. Fyi the British intro'd National Enquirer-style tabloid "clickbait" to the world, and they're still running with it!

Idiotic new trend that sees New Jersey visitors FEED sharks so they can pose for photos with them sparks fears of attack surge

Another classic from the urban-dwelling English media – it's about guys catching sharks from the beach! But here's the deal: The sharks are there whether they get fished for or not.

The "fears" are a NJ mayor saying that it's unwise to shark-fish on public beaches during the day – he's probably right!

Jason Christie deep big-wormin' tips

From an older Bassmaster post:

> For any of my big worm presentations, I judge color selection by water color. In clear water, I go with green pumpkin and more translucent colors. In darker water, or under darker skies, I’ll use blue fleck or plum.

> I really don’t think that with a big worm you’re trying to match a color to what they’re feeding on. You just want a color that shows up in 15-20' of water. The water at that depth is pretty dim and a lot of times you can get away with a darker worm than you might think.

> Put a rattle in those big worms. That little bit of noise just makes the bait a little more attractive at that depth. It’s an easy move that might get you a couple more bites.

Jason loves his rattles man!

"...you have to find the sweet spot within the spot. It may be a stump right in the middle of a shellbed, or a brushpile next to a shellbed, or just a rough patch of rock on a shellbed."

- Robert Gee talkin' 'bout fishing in the summer heat for less-active feesh. Says he likes a 7" minnow, big worm (10" Yamamoto Oki) and football jig too. Sounds like a TN River dude!

How 'bout this fat 'n sassy Lake Isabella, CA ditch melon! 😍 The dude with that super healthy-looking 8-lber is Rusty Brown, and that worm is his 13" Rusty Big Worms in 'Rusty’s purple magic'. Lotta Rusty in there – hope the hook wasn't! 😁

New messenger app sends texts by virtual pigeon and sometimes the bird just dies

Some programmer's got too much time on their hands...🤪

Fishers of Men Tournament Trail

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