BassBlaster

Christies have lost it? Super villain bassin, Good shallow summer spots

Today’s Top 5

Are we really making bass smarter?

Exhibit A:

HAHAHA! Love that shot. Anyhow, “smart” being a relative term because there’s NO WAY a marble-brained critter could ever outsmart the top of the food chain…right?? Check it:

> Bass that had been caught 4 or more times were designated High Vulnerability parents and were spawned to produce a line of High Vulnerability offspring.

> “Controlled fishing experiments clearly showed that the High Vulnerability offspring were more vulnerable to angling than the Low Vulnerability offspring.” In fact…throughout the 20-yr experiment the separation in catch rate between the 2 groups grew larger.

> The consequence of high angling vulnerability…males guard the eggs and fry. Those more vulnerable to being caught were hooked and pulled off the nest long enough for bluegills and other predators to gobble up their progeny.

> “In the wild, the more vulnerable fish are being preferentially harvested [or maybe just caught?], and as a result the bass population is being directionally selected to become less vulnerable.” That could explain why bass fishing on the same waters can seem to grow more difficult over time.

Innerestin’ though I still think that in pretty much every lake you can’t catch all the bass, even all the High Vulnerability ones… Couple more things:

> Study was by David Philipp of the U of IL who’s a long-time bass-studyin’ expert.

> Check this line: “The study has been used as a basis for opposing regulations that permit fishing, particularly bass tournaments, during the spawn.”

Hadn’t heard that some states don’t allow spawn fishing so we can have easier fishing when it’s over??

Just saw this in a post by Elitist B-Rock Mosley:

> …I went to Pickwick Lake — on Wed — and just about every ledge had 3 to 4 boats on it. Everyone has a right to enjoy the resource, but all this pressure educates the fish.

> I think the major effect this has on fishing is that it makes the windows of opportunity very narrow.

Sounds like the window of opportunity is when you can get on a ledge!

Has the Christie clan lost its dang mind??

Maybe? Didja see the semi-announcement from BOOYAH about the new Covert Series Spinnerbaits:

Unless I’m nuts, sounds like the Christie clan — Jason and the 2 dudes he learned bassin’ from, his dad and uncle — are givin’ up some of their spinnerbait secrets. Gotta put that in context:

1. Y’all know that bass-heads don’t give up the juice, with rare exceptions (and often regretted lol).

2. Several pros are super-secretive about stuff (some aren’t at all), and Jason is on the far end of that “ain’t tellin’ it all” spectrum. He shares a lot, but not, you know, family stuff.

3. A LOT’s been forgotten about spinnerbaits, so maybe this series will bring some of it back, which would be good.

Whole deal sounds like it could be very cool — but it’s also kinda worrisome. Just in case Jason’s losin’ it, better gitcha lawnmower back and anything else he’s borrowed….

Had to include: Check this 2 species double Jason got on a BOOYAH Streak deep crank — sportin’ his “never take it off” signature AFTCO hoodie:

Asked him once if he was gonna wash that deal and he never answered, so I figured we were done….

Top Guntersville Elite baits.

2nd: Chris Zaldain

Just a matter of time before Zaldain wins one (another one), here’s his stuff:

> “Most of my fish came on a 6” straight-tail worm (red bug) rigged Neko-style on a #2 Trokar Neko Hook.” 1/16th oz Eagle Claw Pagoda Nail Weight, 12-lb Seaguar Tatsu leader to 15-lb Seaguar Smackdown Flash Green Braid, 6′ 11″ Megabass Destroyer Addermine Rod.

> “My big fish came on a large flutter spoon (chrome) designed by Yusuke Miyazaki [Steez Spoon?]. I originally saw this spoon on social media and when I saw Yusuke in the parking lot on day 2 I asked if he had any. He gave me 3.

> “I chose the spoon because there were patches of dead eelgrass floating everywhere. It was hard to make long casts with anything without getting the bait fouled up. I needed something I could short-cast or pitch to the open water ‘lanes’ and flutter vertically along grasslines to the schools of fish. It pulled a reaction out of the schools of fish that no other lure could.

> “I weighed a couple key fish on the Megabass Big M 4.0 crankbait (ayu). It’s a large knocking oversized medium-runner that dives to 12′. I threw this when the yellow bass were schooling around my main spot.”

> Rod for the spoon and mag crank: 7′ 8″ Megabass Destroyer Mark 48.

3rd: Matt Arey

> Baits: “Strike King 8XD, prototype hand-tied football jig, Lunkerhunt Lunker Stick (leech) with a 3/32-oz Titan Tungsten nail weight.”

> “All fished in 14-17 ft of water on hard spots [shells and rock].”

> Line: Crank = 12-lb P-Line Tactical Fluoro, Jig = 17-lb same line, Worm = 10-lb P-Line braid to a 10-lb flouro leader.

4th: Caleb Sumrall

> “Missile Baits D Bomb (candy grass) in matted hydrilla and gator grass mats. Wind-blown mats were key.”
> 5/0 Gamakatsu Super Heavy Cover Flippin’ Hook, 1.5-oz Kajun Boss Outdoors tungsten weight, 60-lb Sunline XPlasma Braid, Daiwa Tatula SV TW Reel (8.1), 7′ 10″ H moderate Kistler Z Bone 5H Rod.

5th: Matt Herren

> “Used the Reaction Innovations [new] Spicy Beaver (gp) with a 3/4-oz Elite Tungsten Flippin’ Weight in the milfoil [5′ mid-lake]. 7′ 6″ Kistler Z Bone Rod, Daiwa Tatula Reel, 50-lb braid.

> “The Spicy Beaver is new and has a very active flapping action.

> “3/8-oz Dirty Jigs Matt Herren Flippin’ Jig (gp) with a gp trailer on docks. 7′ 6″ Kistler Z Bone Rod, Daiwa Tatula Reel, 20-lb Gamma Edge fluoro.”

_____

Important note: Neither of those Matts was punched during the making of that tournament.

Cracked myself up on that one….

Bassin’ shots most likely to be at super villain HQs.

It’s all good til you mistakenly arrive at The Syndicate’s oil tanker secret HQ and the walls close in (@sweetwatertv shot)…

…or you find yourself docked at Dr. Evil’s underground base (@boatersmarineinc shot):

[big eyeballs emoji]

Head-scratchin’ bassin’ shots.

@mysterytacklebox posted this shot which is NOT Photoshopped. Looked at it 5x before my eyes/brain could figure it out:

@simmsbass shot — high-flyin’ boat-flippin’ with a dropshot? If so that’s gotta be a dink…or maybe 12-lb line?? Then again, I thinkJordan Lee rolls that way…?

Looks like this dude is a little too in love with/fooled by the Yo-Zuri 3DB Crayfish…? Don’t see that in a tackle shop every day…or do you:

News

1. We lost Jonathan Henry.

Former FLW Tour pro and Gville guide. Didn’t know him but heard he was a great dude. Bless you bassin’ brother.

2. Why Jay Yelas left B.A.S.S. way back.

In case you forgot or never knew, was on the Bassin’masters site recently:

> In 2001, ESPN took ownership of B.A.S.S. and made sweeping changes, some of which went against his personal convictions and beliefs.

> “It’s like anyone having a full-time job, and the work culture and business model change, and you just dread getting up and going to work in the morning. It was time to find a new place for me to work.”

Never thought of it that way….

3. Freddy Roumbanis likes frogging docks.

I’ve actually heard him say things like, “Dang these froggin’ docks” and “Why can’t I get a froggin’ bite around these docks?” so there you go — from the MLFers site:

> “A lot of people just don’t think about throwing a frog around a boat dock but I love to do it. You can throw a frog so far back into and underneath the dock without getting it stuck like a jig would. You should be able to see the fish when they are around a dock and if they’re there, throw a frog around them and watch it go to work.”

Fred only fishes frogs with fur (regular and poppin), which resemble nothing in nature so go figger.

4. TX: 92,000 ShareLunker fry stocked this year.

5. LA starting HS bassin’.

173 schools! #stout

> Bass fishing has been accepted by the Louisiana High School Athletics Association as a trial sport, with 173 schools…telling the organization that they’d like to see fishing made official.

6. Diggin’ this ‘Trap color.

About a year old but new to me:

> …bright belly shad…comes in a matte finish that gives it rich tones in low light.

Tackle Warehouse has it.

7. More real than real?

Crazy-looking — Karl’s Bait and Tackle Shimmer Shad, I think it’s new?

8. The most vile Tokyo Rig.

Got some Tokyo Rigs, haven’t tried ’em yet:

That’s a BioSpawn VileBug.

9. Shoutin’ out Jewel Special Ops Jigs.

Yep it’s a cool name for some good jigs, but also:

> Jewel is proud to be partnered with such an amazing organization [Special Ops Survivors: specialopssurvivors.org] that gives back to families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Each jig in this series is dedicated to a specific fallen hero.

#stout for sure. Check the jigs here, and a huge THANK YOU to all our military folks. Yep, they’re ours.

10. Alpha Angler’s Jake Boomer caught one!

Okay he caught 2:

Had a little parade at the office and such…HAHAHA! For real, Jake finished 10th at the Wild West Bass Trail derby on the Columbia Reever, believe he was on top of the standings at one point but then was late for takeoff because he got to talkin’ ’bout rods…. Okay not really but could happen…probly has already….

Be findin’ your new fave rods at Alpha’s website.

11. Quick look at the new Ford Tremor pickup.

For 2020. Sounds pretty sick for all you Ford fans, but…still won’t be big enough for Skeet Reese who rolls like this:

Pre-ICAST leakage

1. Sufix Advance Fluoro

Got this in the mail, ruh-roh Raggy:

2. Lunkerhunt Finesse Series baits

Gitcha Ned on with the new Finesse Worm, Finesse Craw and Finesse Swimbait. #1 thing to like — no weird names! You know what they are! #genius Check the video, they look really good in the water, such like:

3. Strike King coming out with LINE.

Tour Grade line — mono, fluoro, braid and KVD’s Top Secret Formula. You can’t buy that last one but you know it exists!

4. T-H Marine Scale

Believe it’s the same as the Accu Cull? Looks like it anyhow:

5. SPRO Wameku Shad 70 lipless crank.

Innerestin’ part, besides the fact that it was co-developed by hammer Shin Fukae:

> …a very high-pitch knocking sound that is very distinct, and different from other rattle baits currently on the market.

6. ‘Bird/Minn Kota overhauling a vet’s boat during ICAST.

Heck yeah! #vets

Line of the Day

With 3 new teams in the local area alone, the growth of this sport is showing to be exponential.

– Post talkin’ HS fishin’ in MN. Been a long time since I did any pre-calc or whatever, but thinkin’ going from 0 to 3 is not exponential…?

2c

1. Tackle spending up, angler numbers flat.

Both are good news. Re: the latter, have said many times that any enthusiast activity that can hold its own (participation) — particularly an outdoor one when there’s so much indoor stuff now and so many more ways to spend time — should count it as an achievement. The NFL and MLB do so….

“Growing” the sport is popular phrase (has been for decades) — maybe it could happen, but you gotta put it in perspective.

2. One mo’ reminder on the BassBlaster survey — click it and thank you!

Tip of the Day

Great hot-water shallow bassin’ spots.

From an older Bassin’masters post featurin’ David Wharton, a Rayburn hammer and former pro who we lost too soon in 2012. Lucky for us, his generous wisdom is still with us:

> Vegetation: “…it doesn’t have to be thick, heavy hydrilla like we have on Rayburn and Toledo Bend. It can be something as simple as scattered pondweed, lily pads or small patches of shoreline wiregrass. Regardless of the species of vegetation, it will attract and hold bass.”

> “It’s important to remember where you catch bass doing this, because you can probably return to the same spot later and catch more fish there…. Something in that particular spot has attracted bass, and it will continually replenish itself.”

> Backs of creeks: “…I mean going back so far you can usually make 1 cast completely across from bank to bank, and the water will seldom be more than about 4′ deep. When you travel this far back in a creek on most lakes, you’re probably in water that doesn’t get fished that often.

> “Is it reliable? Absolutely, and it works everywhere. I know anglers who have qualified for the Bassmaster Classic just by fishing this pattern on different lakes around the country.”

> “What I like to do in situations like this is slow-roll a small spinnerbait along the bottom and bounce it off the stumps and laydowns.”

> Bridges: “It’s important to remember that an entire bridge — every piling or abutment — will seldom be productive.”

> “Years ago I used to fish a spot under the Hwy 147 bridge that crosses Rayburn. I caught a lot of bass there, but not around any of the pilings, which never produced much for me. Instead, I found a hump right in front of one piling where the bottom rose from 20′ to 12′, and it had some of the piling’s brush around it. Those are the kinds of features that truly make a bridge a good place to look for summer bass.”

A LOT more good stuff in it. Read the full deal here.

Quote of the Day

“It’s common for anglers to catch several species…from a spot that’s not much bigger than an ordinary size bathroom.”

Hank “yes they are biting a jerkbait” Cherry talkin’ what to my knowledge is the first bassin’ spot analogy that mentions a bathroom. Congrats Hank!

Reminds me of these pit stops out west where I guess they’re more civilized (or shy?) than us easterners:

Shot of the Day

Sick shot of Elitist Drew Benton doin’ his best rocket/firework impression with some Seaguar Smackdown Braid. Looks like some hangry casting:

Ya got me

Jay Kumar’s BassBlaster is a daily-ish roundup

of the best, worst and funniest in bassin’, as curated 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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