Today’s Top 5
Have to call out that sack. Wasn’t normal — wasn’t even abnormal. Wasn’t “what the lake can do.” Wasn’t anything that makes any kind of sense.
Edwin thanked God for winning. I think that’s cool because I get that now, but either way is there any other explanation for catching 29-03 when the conditions in no way supported that and 50 of the best fishermen in the world never came remotely close to that weight??
Luck? No. Fishing hard? Everyone was.
Remember he also didn’t lose a fish that day, and almost everyone lost fish every day. He was throwing 3-lbers back when everyone else would’ve killed for one.
Guess what Randy Howell weighed the last day to win the 2014 Classic: 29-02. He also gave it up to God for that one. Ko-inkydink?
Always come away from the Classic with some thoughts doing the ricochet upstairs:
> Stoked for Evers, and feel bad for Jason. At some point Christie and Faircloth will raise that trophy. Others too (Hack, Aaron) but those come to mind.
> Don’t think I’ve seen Edwin that at ease before. After day 2 he was playin’ me for a fool in the staging area…while Jason was doing geography and math in his head. Gotta be easier to come from behind. This pic of EE says it all for me:
> Been proven repeatedly now that there’s no hometown jinx in multi-day prespawn derbies…and even multi-day derbies anytime the conditions are stupid tough (eg, Delaware Reever). Stick a fork-ed stick in that.
> Fix the Super 6. I get that production has to be done ahead of time, but Jason basically had no time on stage the last day in front of a hometown crowd. Why not bring up Edwin last since everyone knew he won?
> The B.A.S.S. folks (even Bowman) work crazy hard to pull off one of the greatest free shows on Earth — for sure the greatest fishing event on the planet. They love it too (mostly). #stout
> I did ask Chris Lane if he was just happy to be there per what he said before the Classic. Gave me a look that was half laugh and half that crazy Lane look him and his brother have sometimes.
> Bassin’ Fall of Fame dinner was great again — open to everybody, you should go. Billy Murray was/is great, and Gary Yamamoto’s story was real innerestin’. Most words I ever heard from that shy dude. Plus Tommy Sanders hosts it every year now.
> Thanked BP already but will do it publicly here: Tx for the stage shout-out about the BassBlaster and BassGold mang! #extrastout
> Weather Channel dude live at the launch had a fly rod. So much for bein’ one o’ the guys.
> Funniest line: A young dude washing competitor boats in the staging area was one of a few folks doing the star-struck stare at Hackney. I asked the kid why he liked Hack. Dead serious he said: “He likes <pause> to catch <pause> the fishes.” Then he said something about shrimp and chock-lits.
> High-school weigh-in had haircuts from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. These kids are mixed up man!
> Post-weighin Ozzy concert Sunday night was off the hook man! Cool to hang with NJ homie Zakk Wylde. Casey, had no idea you were such a big fan man! #metalmayhem Wish they served up Perry Mason tho….
Misc thoughts:
> This was the Wiggle Wart Classic. Most guys cranked, and almost everyone threw that bait or one based on it. All were either red craw, natural green crayfish or phantom green craw.
> As slow as the guys were fishing, a few local sticks said most weren’t fishing slow enough.
> How ’bout Aaron fessing up about the Luhr-Jensen Speed Trap? Was shocked because that’s one of my favorite cranks ever, and not too many folks know about it. A little proud of myself too for stumbling on the same killer bait as the mighty A-Ron. (KILLS him that everyone else knows about it now.)
> How ’bout the resurrection of the spinnerbait? Lots of people thought it was dead, but it ain’t. Gonna do a piece on it for Bassmaster.com soon, stay tuned.
> Shimano stuff: The Curado 70 is sick. Put one in your hand and you’ll know what I’m talking about in like 1 second. The $99 Caenan is the best-feeling lower-end Shimano I’ve seen. Geared to college and high school kids (vid), which is a cool idea.
His son was asked on stage how it felt that his dad won the Classic, and the little guy said, “Buy my dad’s pecans!”
Okay not really. He said: “Willy cool.”
Don’t think we have a Willy on the Elites so maybe it’ll stick?
Back in the day I used to call Evers “the total package.” That didn’t stick but he is mang!
BassGold is my deal, but I need to point it out because it friggin’ works!
Remember in the last Blaster: BassGold showed that most March tournaments on Grand are won on shoreline rock and (secondarily) wood with these baits in order of most wins to least: spinnerbait, jerkbait (conditions took that out), jig, crankbait, plastics.
That spooky or what? #tatonkastout
‘Less you can’t wait, don’t sign up for BassGold yet — wait a few weeks for the new better, easier version with the app. Still works as-is tho.
News
Still not sure if it’s pronounced “huk” or “huke” or “hick,” but I like “hick” the best cuz that’s what we all are yo!
3. TX: Toyota Texas Fest tix now on sale.
Formerly known as the TTBC.
4. Smallies getting crushed in Chesapeake tributaries.
That system has a lot of bass but lots of chemicals and runoff too. Sux.
5. Collegiate Bass re-gets Big Bite.
6. Rapala mobile fishing game adds Grand Lake.
With the free-swinging Freedom head that also allows different hooks to be made. The Freedom stuff is out of Canada so it’s a little too nice to everyone — but Mercer can fix that….
9. Gitcha this pre-loved Ranger 178VX…
…at Angler’s Port Marine:
Tip of the Day
Just a quickie from a guy who committed to one bait the whole derby:
> The thing I like most about a spinnerbait is that it’s a “big fish” bait. My two favorite times of the year to throw a spinnerbait are the spring and the fall when the water’s in that 50-65 degree range. It can be coming up or going down….
> If I fish in some off-color water, or some really cold water -under 60 degrees -I’ll go to Colorado blades. That’s when I want to slow roll it and really feel that vibration of the blades.
> When I go with Colorado blades, I use multiple combinations of sizes. I go from a No. 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 size blade, all the way up to a 4 in the front and a 6 or 7 in the back. And if I’m seeing a lot of big shad, I like waking a spinnerbait with one big Colorado blade.
Quote of the Day
I’m not surprised about the weight, but I’m surprised that it came from up there.
– Jason talkin‘ ’bout Edwin’s day 3:
> “I know that the Elk River has been the only clear water on the lake for the past two months, and I know that everyone who has been fishing on Grand has went up there and thrown Alabama Rigs and stuff like that. Without anybody telling me, I just know how the fishermen around here think. The guys who are committed to the Alabama rig, that’s where they go.
> “I just didn’t think that it would be won out of there with all the competitors and all the pressure from locals in January and February. But you know what? He got the perfect day for the Elk.”
Shot of the Day
After the Classic was over, JO said he wanted a “ber” or “burr.” Still trying to figure out what that is.
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, sell the list or anything else crazy….
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