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Know a basser who needs some love – someone who’s had a real rough time? Asking because for years I did this thing where we gave away 1 high-end rod/reel combo to someone who really needed a lift up. Not sure what happened but restarting it. If anyone comes to mind, please just respond to this email to nominate someone ELSE (not yourself please). Not asking for private details, just enough info to understand. All will be kept confidential. Few things:
1. This for sure ain’t about me or Abu Garcia, who is kind enough to partner on this. We don’t want any praise or whatever for it. This is just to support a bassin’ brother or sister who can use it.
2. Every time I’ve done this, it’s been tough to narrow it down to 1 person. I’m sorry it’s not more than 1. All I can do right now.
3. Almost forgot: It’s a 6′ 10″ ML Abu Fantasista Premier Casting Rod ($299.99), and an Abu REVO MGXtreme Reel (8.0:1), RH ($499.95), so a real nice combo.
Lmk, thank you! |
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Today’s Top 5
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3 swimbait Qs with Brandon Palaniuk.
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Is BMP Fishing crazy about swimbaits or have swimbaits made him do crazy things…like fish swimbaits in major tourneys? Number D, Alex! Here we go:
1. Will you fish more swimbaits this season?
> “That’s dependent on…what type of conditions we are provided at the times we go. Really the fall and the spring are my 2 favorite times to fish ’em. Last year it seemed like every place we went in the fall was really tough. …grinder tournaments…are good times to fish them. That 1 big bite can separate you that much more.
> “This year, I can look at the schedule and say there’s several places where the Arashi Glide or something can come into play. …in practice I’ll keep it as honest as I have in the past…whether it gets more play on tournament days depends on that week’s conditions.”
2. How did swimbaits come to be such a big part of what you do?
> “…I was introduced to it super early. I’ve been doing it a lot longer than I would say a majority of the guys on the Elite Series.
> “…where I’m from [ID] and then when the swimbait thing started taking off, some guys around my house started building baits. Through the local tournament scene and stuff I got introduced to that and kind of instantly saw its potential and what it was able to do. That compounded over time…gaining confidence in it because I spent so much time with it in so many different situations.
> “The other thing is, locally they’re usually 1-day shootouts. So you’re kind of going all-out – not trying to save anything, just fishing for 5 bites. It’s a different mindset. I would go out to get 5 bites for 25 lbs vs guys that had 15 bites for 14-15 lbs.”
3. How does someone put down a bait you know will catch fish, like a jig or Ned or whatever, and pick up a giant swimbait?
> “Leave everything else at home. Literally when you go to the lake, leave everything else at home except a box of swimbaits…you’re either forced to get off the water or forced to fish that bait in the same areas and situations you would fish other baits. That’s what I started doing at a really young age.
> “…in my mind if there were multiple fish in an area, [a swimbait] would give me the best opportunity to catch the biggest fish in that area. Throwing a swimbait was the best way to do it. And the more you do it, the more you see certain things happen that are only able to be explained by the bait you’re throwing.”
That last sentence is the deepest, where the hard-won secrets are.
His fave swimbait rig: Storm Arashi Glide (Oikawa Mesu), 20-lb Seaguar Tatsu fluoro, Daiwa Tatula 300 Reel (7:1), 7′ 9″ H F Alpha Angler Wide Glide Rod. Here’s a YT vid of Brandon talkin ’bout that rod. |
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How to cast a swimbait.
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If you don’t already know how, ever think about it? I wondered if it was just a bomb/depth-charge cast like the saltwater guys or was it more like a regular bassin’ cast. Brandon:
> “It’s more of a lob than like a whip cast.
> “If someone’s just starting out, [depth-charging] will happen. If you’re…casting way past your target, that’s not an issue. But a lot of times I cast it around dock pilings, laydowns and overhanging brush. In those situations I try to land it quiet…want that element of surprise.
> “Your equipment will help with that – the right rod and reel to have control over those heavier baits. The biggest thing is allowing it to load up on your backswing. The backswing is just as important as the forward swing.
> “A lot of times, with too short of backswing, trying to roll the bait like a lighter lure, the bait will want to helicopter more and you won’t have the control and accuracy you will if you allow the rod to load up….
> “I even underhand-pitch swimbaits a lot. The best way to do that with heavier baits is make sure the butt of the rod is locked up against your forearm…extension of it…. That will give you the power to be able to land that bait softy and accurately.” |
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3 S-Waver Qs with Ish Monroe.
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WTHeck is up with the River2Sea S-Waver? I ain’t a big swimbait guy (yet?) but dang that bait seems to ketch ’em. Lots ‘o guys – includin’ Brian Los Carpenteros at my local lake – catch good ones on it…like big ones. And then Ish goes and posts this pic:
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Some spot! So after all that, I had to get the juice:
1. What makes the S-Waver good?
> “It’s one of the most inexpensive glide baits that works. You’ve got the Roman Mades, the Triple Trouts…but man they’re expensive. The S-Waver is reasonably priced and has one of the best actions out there.”
2. What makes it so good in cold water and post-front conditions?
> “It’s the natural action of the bait. If you wind it fast, it swims like a fish. But if you wind it slow, it has this long wide glide to it that for some reason seems natural to the fish.
> “168 [$18.99] and 200 [$45.99] are the 2 sizes I use the most. The 168 lands me more fish, but the 200-size gets me more bites and more follows.”
3. Why is that bone color so good for a big, slow swimbait? Why isn’t more of a fish color better?
> “Bone is is my #1 and [rainbow] trout is my #2, and they’re pretty close to being about the same bite-wise. Bone is that natural white pale-looking color, and when you get that light reflecting off it, it must be natural to ’em. It probably reflects the light and the conditions around it, and blends in.”
Bonus Q: What’s your throwback bait for follows?
> “They won’t hit a throwback bait. When want that bait, it’s all they want.
> “I literally had a fish this year follow it 5 times from the same rock…. I threw a Senko, a dropshot, an A-rig, a spinnerbait and even a jerkbait over there, and nothing. I came back, threw that S-Waver over there and it followed it but wouldn’t eat it. I still haven’t found a followup bait that makes them trigger on it.
> “…when you do get bit on it, it’s the fish to win tournaments. If you’re not throwing an S-Waver, you’re not fishing for the bites to win tournaments.”
200-size gear: 8′ H signature Daiwa Tatula Elite Swimbait Rod, Daiwa Tatula 300 Reel (7:1), 20-lb Daiwa J Samurai Fluoro.
168 size: Either his 7′ 4″ H or 7′ 9″ H signature Daiwa Frog Rod with a Daiwa Tatula 200 Reel (7:1) and the same line. Rod: “I have not picked a favorite yet. The 7′ 9” has a little softer tip…but I’m more accurate with the 7′ 4″…. |
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Ever baptize your boat?
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Not sure if you noticed there’s a Ewok in his boat and he still hasn’t learned how to tag folks:
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3 sketchy bassin’ bidness ideals.
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From @badideaboating on the IG, all are self-explanatory:
Couple new hitches…makes me wonder whether these folks have any friends who tell them the truth: |
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This is kinda genius for those tight ramp lots: |
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News
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His trip to the hospital for Covid that led to his diabetes diagnosis literally saved his life. Amazing.
2. Good post from Johnny Crews about ‘lectronics.
Def worth reading. Few highlights:
> Electronics sponsorships may not be all that lucrative, even for pro anglers. They often only amount to discounts….
> More electronics don’t guarantee that you’ll catch more fish. I’m betting for me that they do make it more likely.
> I’m using the Garmin for the Panoptix LiveScope, the Humminbird to take advantage of the Mega 360 Imaging and the Lowrance for the maps and 2D Sonar. …mainly using the Humminbird for the Mega 360. The 360 is key because I want to know where any cover is around my boat as soon as I drop the trolling motor. Nothing else does that better.
> Lowrance and Humminbird both have a live view coming out soon. I have an Active Target system on order with Lowrance. I have already seen it on the water, but I am going to put it side by side with the Garmin to know exactly how good it is in the real world. Humminbird won’t have their live system out until our season is around halfway over so that’s not for me this year.
3. Good post from Rick Clunn on connecting with nature.
We all know bassin’ does that but he explains it real well. I was like, “Rick are you Tarzan?” He didn’t say but doesn’t this look like him? |
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4. Brett Hite tips for the JackHammer StealthBlade.
> “…expect to feel the same deep thumping vibration of the original JackHammer. But the motivation behind the StealthBlade is almost the opposite – a tighter, higher-frequency vibration that plays just as powerfully to bass in cool water, clear water, and in high-pressure and bluebird-sky situations. It’s a little like throwing a Shad Rap….
> “The cool thing with the StealthBlade is you don’t need to twitch your rod to make the lure hunt. Just speed up your retrieve and stop. That’s enough to give the lure that nice erratic action which can be a magic move, at times.
> “A buddy who’s a well-known tour angler just texted me to say he’d boated over thirty good ones down on Guntersville while everyone else was throwing the original JackHammer. On that lake at this time of year, that’s a huge deal.”
Dang it Hite! Time for me to get on Tackle Warehouse again…. |
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5. Jared Lintner: How to see big motor data on your Garmin (IG vid).
6. Few guys get new X2Power batteries.
AGM batteries from Batteries Plus. Elitists Justin Atkins, Gussy Gustafson, Carl Jocumsen and Hunter Shryock, and MLFer Brent Ehrler.
7. FL: Meet some MLFLWers this Sunday.
New Harvest Church in Clewiston. Gitcha bass ‘n church!
8. Opens Classic qualifier Chris Jones gets Bushnell.
I think this is the first Bushnell deal in pro bassin’? Maybe I’m forgetting one?
9. Dave Mercer/Luke Dunkin: How to tell a bass is big.
Big eyes and triple chins? Sounds more fun than a scale…?
10. Definition of amateur for Johnny Morris $1 mil tourney.
> Has not competed as a boater/pro in a MLF Major or BASS Elite Series event within the last 2 years immediately preceding the BPO event being entered
> …have not ever paid an entry fee greater than $2,500 [and]…do not have lifetime earnings greater than $100,000….
You also need $100K in liability insurance and must own one of these boat brands – Tracker, Ranger, Nitro, Mako, Sun Tracker, Triton, Tahoe – BUT the rules don’t say (yet) you have to fish from that boat.
Polygraphs will be given to all 1st- and 2nd-place teams (in qual rounds) and others. Anyone who passes will get an autographed pic of Trip Weldon.
Okay I made up the Trip part….
11. LA: Huge day at Caney recently.
25-boat tourney, MLF-style derby, 4 fish over 10 lbs including a 12.40 and 11.59, 10+ fish or over 7 lbs. One guy caught a 12.40 and an 8.19 fishing a red Rat-L-Trap: |
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Tx to bass-head Todd R for the tip!
12. AL: Kids hospital charity derby on Gville Apr 17.
13. New Googan Contender swimbait.
5 colors, 2 sizes (4.5″ 2/3-oz and 7″ 1 3/4-oz), slow sinking, rotating hook hangers, rubberized matte finish: |
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Not on TW yet but at the link ^…looks good:
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Inventor of the Teckel frog among others, he’s always messin’ around: |
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Pretty cool deal!
15. New ‘The Common Angler’ book.
Obviously it’s not about me then – lol kidding. By long-time fishin’ writer Jack Wollitz:
> …challenges and joys of everything from bass tournaments to family fishing outings…from the casting decks of Rick Clunn, Wade Boggs and a number of great anglers….
> “Tournament fishing is one part Izaak Walton, one part Daytona 500, one part Baryshnikov ballet, and one part Ali vs Foreman heavyweight slugfest.”
Can pre-order a copy at fayettevillemafiapress.com – sorry can’t link it. Believe all pre-orders will be signed.
16. AR: Reminder on new drain plug rule effective Jan 1.
> …requiring all boat drain plugs to be removed before and during trailering of vessels to and from access facilities on lakes, rivers and streams.This includes plugs for livewells….
> Fishing tournament officials may submit a request to the AR Game and Fish Commission…for written permission to allow for the transport of fish to an offsite weigh station. All tournament participants must be given a copy of the permit.
17. Great Lakes: “Sterile” grass carp are reproducing.
Bad but no surprise because if I remember right, the test for whether a batch of grass carp (or any fish) is sterile is done to just some of the fish, not all:
> “The problem is, we now have reproduction of grass carp in both the Sandusky River and Maumee River, with the Sandusky River being what looks to be the largest culprit for reproduction.”
18. CO is now negative for all invasive mussels.
19. Toyota CEO says lots of EVs will be bad.
Big statement considering Toyota was out in front on the whole EV thing:
> “The current business model of the car industry is going to collapse. The more EVs we build, the worse carbon dioxide gets…. When politicians are out there saying, ‘Let’s get rid of all cars using gasoline,’ do they understand this?”
Apparently Elon Musk said something similar…ruh-roh GM….
PSA
Genius – anyone else do it? Terry Brown from Wired2Feesh: |
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On BassBlaster.rocks right now…
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Two more teeners! New baits and tips! How to slow down
Note: The TackleWarehouse links in this email are affiliate links, meaning if you go through them to make a purchase I might earn a commission…at no cost to you. Click here if you want to learn a little more about links in the BB.
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Tip of the Day
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Guessin’ the guy in this War Eagle vid got the fish to follow but it didn’t bite, so he pumped/dropped his bait and caught it. Seen it done (sorta similar) with a swimbait but not a spinnerbait – posted by @war_eagle_custom_lures from @carpersfishing: |
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Quote of the Day
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“Some of the sounds kind of start like the first 10 seconds of Motley Crue’s ‘Kickstart My Heart.'”
– What?? US Army biologist Christa Woodley talkin’ ’bout what they’ll play through a new anti-Asian carp speaker array being dropped along Lock and Dam 19 in Keokuk, IA:
> A 3-year study will help scientists determine which sounds are most effective.
Checked and it does not appear Zona had anything to do with this. Gotta throw out one of my fave Crue memes: |
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Shot of the Day
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Might be the only time this year I post a basser with red nail polish – @sarah_the_closer_parvin on the @yozuri_bass page, believe that’s a Yo-Zuri Rattl’n Vibe:
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Random
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> He was out fishing in the Gulf, and his depthfinder goes from 400′ to 200′ to 20′ like in a minute. He thought maybe a whale was coming up under him, unusual that far up in the Gulf, or maybe it was an unmarked sandbar and he was off course….
> …[he goes] onto the deck, he looks and there’s this black shape coming up under him, and then it breaks the water and it just starts hovering over him. He’s in a big boat and this thing is way dwarfing his boat….
Dude talkin’ who investigates weird stories, mostly in FL, on the Sasquatch Chronicles podcast. Apparently when that boat captain dude was telling the story he looked scared and his hands shook. The investigator guy said that USOs (S=swimming) pretty much always become UFOs.
‘Nother tidbit from that deal: An orange farm set traps because they were losing fruit. Thought it was rats. They caught…a 6-INCH tall man covered in hair and speaking a strange language. WTHeck??? Gets even weirder from there… |
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Ya got me!
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Jay Kumar’s BassBlaster is a daily-ish roundup of the best and funniest (sometimes worst) stuff in bassin’, 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’!
Check out BassGold.com! (It’s FREE!)
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Use the best stuff mang!
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Check these out!
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National Professional Anglers Assoc.
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Gitcha BassBlaster social at these links:
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