BassBlaster

Cliff Pace and other BPT baits, Dog paddle bait, Stick with white chartreuse

What up bass-heads! This is the only Blaster of the week so have a great 4th and catch you some feesh! Will also have just 1 Blaster next week because it’s ICAST week so stay tuned for all the great new stuff — can’t wait!

>> If you’re getting the BassBlaster for the first time it’s cuz a bud signed you up!

Today’s Top 4

Cliff Pace’s BPT #8 winning baits.

If you thought Cliff Pace wasn’t lighting up the scoreboard on the Bass Pro Tour, you were right — til the last 3: He finished 7th in #6 on Table Rock, then 23rd at #7 on the same lake, then 1st last week on 3 different WI lakes. Here’s his winning baits, full pattern info is on the BassBlaster website:

> “Day 1 I ran to what I thought was the best area and decided to cover as much water as I possibly could. Other competitors were in there but they were fishing slow [finesse-fishing] — I fished fast for the 1st period using 2 different crankbaits: my own Black Label CBS 1 (red craw, 1= 2″), and a Jackall Aska (squarebill, brown craw). I covered as much water as I could to catch the aggressive fish…enabled me to have a really good round.”
> Crank setup: 7′ MH Temple Fork Outfitters Pacemaker 704 Rod (not a glass rod), Savage Gear Finezze Reel, 15-lb Hi-Seas fluoro.
> “After that, I fell in with everyone else’s finesse-fishing approach…did catch some swimming a jig and even flipping some willows. The swim-jig was a 3/8-oz [signature] V&M Pulse Swim Jig (b/b) with a V&M Wild Thang Craw (b/b), and my flipping bait was a V&M Flat Wild (gp, 1/4-oz Elite Tungsten weight, 5/0 Mustad Straight Grip Pin Hook).”

> Swim-jig setup: 7′ 3″ H TFO Pacemaker 736 Rod, same reel, 20-lb Hi-Seas fluoro.

> Flip setup: 7′ 6″ XH TFO Pacemaker 767 Rod, same reel, 20-lb Hi-Seas braid.
> “When things got real hard in the 3rd period — really no wind — I switched to…a Jackall Yammy Fish (gp fish) rigged on a 1/8-oz Boss Screw Cap head (1/8)…like a Ned Rig mushroom head with a screw-lock keeper. When I’m fishing shallow docks and whatnot I can skip, that bait never gets out of line or gets messed up.

> “…fished shade, boat docks, isolated cover. The main thing was doing it from a distance, really long casts. The fish had so much pressure so I kept my boat further away [than other guys]. I felt that with longer casts and light line I could get more bites than the other guys.”

> Ned setup: TFO Pacemaker 6103 Spinning Rod, Savage Gear Spinning Reel, 15-lb Hi-Seas Grand Slam Braid to 6-lb Hi-Seas fluoro.

> “[Green Lake] was totally different…gin-clear water. …I knew it had a population of both [species]…felt like I’d have better odds of finding a group of smallmouths. …can catch quality [largemouths[ but you need to cover a lot of water. I felt like maybe the smallmouths spawned first and [post-spawn] had a chance to get grouped up.

> “I started fishing offshore in 22′ [rock]…dropshotting a Jackall Crosstail Shad (black winnie) on a #2 Mustad TitanX Wacky Neko Hook and 1/4-oz Elite Tungsten dropshot teardrop sinker.
> “That dried up at the end of the first period. We had a big system come through…. When they let us back on the lake, I fished a Jackall Rerange 110 jerkbait — matte white and one I scraped all the paint off and made clear. I used those 2 baits for the remainder of the day on wind-blown main-lake flats in 8-12′. …getting reaction bites….
> Jerkbait setup: Same rod and reel as the crankbaits, line was 12-lb fluoro.

4 Qs with the Freshmaker Pacemaker.

Hahaha! Those commercials were the WORST. Anyhow, in my experience Cliff is an ultra-straight shooter so lobbed him a few MLF BPT Qs:

1. How are these tournaments different vs a 5-fish one?

> Cliff: “After a season of this, I think the main difference is these events are far more difficult to win than a 5-fish limit tournament. The reason why is we used to have like a safety zone — in a 5-fish limit event, when you went to a normal lake you knew that with 12 lbs a day you were going to get paid. And if the first day you caught 18, you’re pretty much going [to make the cuts] after that point. If you can wrap up a 7-8 lb lead going into the final day — like when I won the Classic — it takes a lot of stress off you. But in this format, you’re never safe.

> “When every single one you can catch counts. It puts stress on everything…there’s stress in every aspect of this. You can never let off, you can never be safe.

> “At the same time, you can never be totally out of it. You can make those huge come from behind runs and win — like what Bobby [Lane] did to me [on the final day]. He closed to within 5 lbs [after being about 20 behind].

> “You have to constantly adapt with the fish. It’s very difficult to fish one of these, put one rod in your hand and fish all day. If you’re doing one thing and that stops, you better find something new [etc].

> “Also the water gets beat up more. You can’t catch a good bag and back off a little bit. You used to have a good area that could last 3 days [in 5-fish derbies] and now it evaporates in the first 5-6 hours. You constantly have to find more fish. So it’s being adaptive to the conditions and finding the most fish.”

2. How ’bout winning — does winning one of these feel any different?

> “Winning on the other formats and winning here are all very satisfying and fulfilling. …not more than winning the Classic, but right there with it. At this point in my career, it means more than winning [a 5-fish] event [for the above reasons].”

3. Before the Bass Pro Tour started, a lot of folks thought it would be a Ned Rig deal or whatever — I’ve had some fun with that too. What has bait selection really been like?

> “You gotta fish the body of water the way it fishes. If you look at the 5-fish limit tournaments we’ve had, a lot of them have been won with a spinning rod. If you look at the events we just fished, lakes where power techniques were applicable, it dominates. Lakes where finesse fishing was necessary, it dominated. And it’s all weather-related. You’ve got to fish the conditions in any format.

> “Say you just fish for little ones — you can’t win one of these tournaments just fishing for 1-lbers. It can’t be done — it hasn’t been done — unless you’re on a body of water with all 1-lbers. You have to have quality and quantity. That’s a huge difference [vs] 5-fish tournaments where all that mattered was quality.

> “You could go to FL and throw a wacky worm around, and catch 100 1-lbers, but don’t expect [winning] to play out like that. That’s not what really happens.”

4. Back when FLW had cuts and weight-zeroing, after a while the guys who fished that format didn’t like it and wanted it changed, which it was. What do you think about those things on the BPT?

> “I’m kind of torn on that, but I don’t think you could [have] this format and not have cuts — because different anglers are fishing different days. If it’s slick calm [one day] and blowing 40 [the next day], how is that fair [if weights are not zeroed]? …this format is…structured to be as fair as possible.

> “Are there times anglers wish their previous day’s weight counted? Yeah absolutely. But you also have the ability in [the BPT format] to know where you’re at in the standings. They didn’t have that on the FLW Tour, so you didn’t know until check-in where you were at. Here [on the BPT] you know that live.

> “…know where I stand, and it allows me to make educated decisions throughout the process. We know what we’re up against every minute of the day, and I know exactly where I’m at in the standings.

> “This MLF format is the hardest, most-difficult format ever in bass fishing, Until you live it, you don’t understand. It is a whole different world…stressful and your comfort zone is taken away from you…. It will test your abilities.”

Bobby Lane and Brent Ehrler BPT baits.

Hope to have Casey Ashley’s and Brandon Coulter’s baits in the next Blaster:

2nd: Bobby Lane

> “On Winnebago Lake I used the bladed jig with a [3.5”] Berkley Grass Pig Jr (gp watermelon), and also a black and blue jig with a [3″] Berkley Craw Fatty Jr (b/b).

> “On the second lake I used the bladed jig with the Grass Pig Jr and the black and blue jig with the Craw Fatty to catch largemouth and big smallmouth.

> “On Green Lake, 95% of my fish came on a 4” Berkley Powerbait Maxscent The General (black and gp) wacky-rigged on a #1 Berkley Fusion Hook and 5/16-oz Flat Out Tungsten Weight…6-10′ of water, scattered rock.”
> Bladed jig setup: 7′ 3″ MH Abu Fantasista Premier Rod, Abu Revo Premier Reel (7.3), 17-lb Berkley 100% Fluoro.
> Jig setup: 7′ MH Abu Villain Rod, Abu Reel, 15-lb Berkley 100% Fluoro.
> Dropshot setup: 7′ M Abu Veracity Rod, Abu Revo MGXtreme Spinning Reel, Spiderwire Stealth Smooth Braid to 10-lb Berkley 100% Fluoro.

3rd: Brent Ehrler

> “Championship round jerkbait was a Lucky Craft Lightning Pointer (flake flake gill), Daiwa Seth Feider Jerkbait Rod [6′ 9″ ML], Daiwa Tatula 100 Reel, 10-lb Sunline Sniper fluoro.
> “Dropshot was my dropshot rod [7′ 1” Daiwa Elite AGS Rod], Daiwa Tatula LT Reel, 12-lb Sunline Xplasma Braid to 8-lb Sniper, Eagle Claw tungsten weight, Gamakatsu G-Finesse Drop Shot Hook with a Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm (938 color, light crystal clear belly).
> “Neko rig was the same rod and reel, Daiwa Neko Worm, Eagle Claw Nail Weight and best of all the brand new Gamakatsu Stinger Hook.

> “Rock and sand mix in 6-8′.”

Would you fish this dog-paddle bait??

Check it out, from @lurenews:

Here’s how it works — pretty dang ingenious:

ICAST News

1. New Yo-Zuri 3DB 1.5 Squarebill and Mid-Runner cranks.

Coming out at ICAST, developed with their pro staff includin’ Brandon “Thanos” Cobb. Of course they come with Yo-Zuri’s unique details and sick finishes:

Here’s a quick vid on ’em, check out how the Yo-Zuri folks make sure they get the deets from the guys:

Tackle Warehouse has ’em for pre-order: squarebill here, Mid-Runner here.

2. New Bill Lewis crank: the SB-57 squarebill.

Mark Daniels Jr was a-feeshn it last week at BPT #8 so they outed it:

3. Check the Missile 2-tone Ned Bomb.

4. Sunline has new Christie- and Hite-designed lines.

> Power2C was designed to Jason’s specifications to meet the demands of shallow water, heavy cover angling. As a premium fluorocarbon, it features extreme abrasion resistance against wood, boat dock cables and rocks. It also features the perfect shock absorption to overcome wicked hooksets on big fish with heavy action rods at short distance to ensure no breakoffs….

> …premium fluorocarbon [Stealth FC] designed for easy and smooth casting, with the perfect amount of stretch to insure proper hookups with vibrating jigs. [Brett] also wanted a camouflage line to insure less visible in clear water situations. Stealth FC features colored fluorocarbon in repeating green and smoke colored sections to reduce visibility for even the most line-shy fish.

5. Humminbird now has Mega 360 imaging.

Here’s Mr. Otter DeFoe talkin’ it:

6. Strike King has a KVD 2.5 wake bait.

7. Northland Critter Craw sounds innerestin’.

> The Mimic Minnow Critter Craw [minnow craw??]…arms float upon rest, and when ripped, these same appendages wobble outward, NOT inward, to avoid common tangling problems seen in many craw designs today.

8. Yakima has new rod storage rack stuff.

News

1. Sounds like Derek Remitz will be okay.

So great to hear. Former Elite pro who was in a serious wreck:

> …Derek’s family said he’s still in the intensive care unit. They said he’s doing well, but when the wreck first happened they didn’t know if he was going to live or die.

News vid at that link interviews his family. GoFundMe page for Derek — sounds like he’ll be out of work for a while — is here.

2. OK FLWer Kyle Cortiana okay after his truck was hit.

Sounds scary, glad he’s okay — from the FLW site:

> …according to law enforcement and witnesses, a man driving another vehicle was merging on the highway when he lost control and crossed traffic, slamming into the side of Cortiana’s truck. The impact sent Cortiana’s boat, which was in tow, hurtling through the air over a concrete barrier wall into a traffic lane that was closed for construction. Cortiana’s truck collided with the wall on the opposite side of the road….

3. Crazy Eddie Evers won the BPT AOY.

Edwin wins everything…what up with that? Edged out Jeff Sprague, who had himself a year too.

4. David Dudley won his 4th FLW AOY.

Pretty dang #stout, big congrats to him.

> “…I’m 43, and over the last probably 5 years I’ve still made the Cup, but it’s like, ‘Have I peaked out? Am I cresting going the other way?’ So I think for this one it separates me from the pack. The other thing is confidence, confidence to say, ‘You know, I ain’t that old. I still got a little bit in me.’ It’s more for my soul than anything.”

5. Casey Scanlon got his first FLW Tour win…

…at Champlain, more on that in the next Blaster. Congrats mang!

6. Sounds like Ott DeFoe got Arby’s?

7. What Butte des Mortes means.

2nd lake the BPTers fished last week, means “Hill of the dead” in French. Not sure what the heck the deal with that is….

8. Bassmaster says St. Lawrence is #1 for bass.

#2 is Guntersville, which I guess is the #1 largie lake.

9. CA: Ever heard of Phil Jay?

Sounds like he has passed on, but according to the writer of this post (part 1, part 2) on SDFish.com, the dude had an interesting past including this mind-bender:

> Two men down here (in the South) were battling to establish the first major bass tournament organizations. One was insurance salesman Ray Scott, who was in the process of forming Bassmaster, and the other…employed Phil Jay.

> According to the reporter, a major criminal case involving a professional bass tournament had recently been decided, and the result paved the way for Scott and Bassmaster to take over tournament bass fishing….

> According to his account of the trial’s proceedings, the organization Jay worked for staged a big money tournament in which fish were staked out in advance of the tournament for one team and subsequently secured and weighed as their catch. They received half the prize money with the other half designed as a kick-back to the tournament organizer.

> The middleman who conceived of and arranged the scheme was granted immunity to testify against his employer, who was found guilty and knocked out of business competition with Ray Scott and Bassmaster.

Say what??

10. CO having catch/kill tourney for smallies on Ridgway.

11. NJ DNR says don’t touch Spruce Run water.

Guess algae blooms aren’t just a problem for Okeechobee. Spruce Run is one of my local lakes and is one of the biggest lakes in NJ…which ain’t sayin’ much but….

12. What Lowrance says about its new trolling motor.

> …unique Ghost design makes it the quietest trolling motor on the market. The key to its silent operation is a specially developed brushless motor that’s 30% quieter than today’s top-selling trolling motor — all without emitting electromagnetic interference, which keeps your sonar view clear from onscreen clutter.

13. Could this be your go-to bank bait?

Innerestin’ Q (to me) cuz I never considered a Fish Head Spin could be but who says it can’t? Bet it casts far and should be able to be fished at various depths/speeds. This bass-head’s got a Fish Head Spin (pearl white) with a Gambler Little EZ (ghost shad):

Weedless Fish Head Spin might be better for bankin’.

14. Rapala Varsity Bass Episode 1: Tyler Anderson/Texas A&M.

15. Lookit these 2nd-place TBF HS trophies!

Guess you gotta leave it in the garage? Too big for indoors:

16. 6 steps for keeping your livewell fish healthy this summer.

From T-H Marine, a vid on it too:

Good tips — LOVE the wet towel on the livewell lids deal. Producs mentioned:

> G-Juice
> Oygenator
> G-Force Conservation Cull System Gen 2
> Conservation Cull Weights

17. It’s some weird type of fishin’ but…

…diggin’ the BUFF look, and puttin’ a Lab in a fishin’ pic is always good:

Believe that’s the BUFF UV Arm Sleeves and UVX Mask, both in pelagic camo blue.

18. IL: Survey says…no Asian carp in Chicago waterways.

That’s great, but what about tomorrow or next week?

19. LA: Say hello to a new invasive, the Asian swamp eel.

Gross:

> …was found in Bayou St. John in New Orleans. LA Dept of Wildlife and Fisheries samplings over the past several days have found the eels in multiple locations.

> The eel, a common food in many parts of Asia, is normally found in shallow water and burrows into the shoreline. They normally live in freshwater, but they can also survive in brackish water for short periods of time.

> Officials say the eel’s diet consists of fish, shrimp, crawfish, frogs, and other aquatic invertebrates.

> “If this species becomes established in LA it could be the first population in the U.S.”

Just what we need.

20. IA: Zebras found in Crystal Lake.

Guess it might get even more crystal?

21. KS: Zebras found in Lyon State Fishing Lake.

> “This is the first new population of zebra mussels found in the state in 18 months, which is the longest period of time between new lake infestations since 2006.”

22. Tackle Warehouse is havin’ a July 4th sale!!!

Tip of the Day

5 spinnerbait tips from Jimmy Houston.

Jimmy’s a diehard spinnerbait dude, and like all such spinnerbait dudes he knows stuff that a lot of folks forgot or never learned about these baits so:

1. Start with a spinnerbait that’s heavy enough to cast easily and accurately. If it’s too windy to cast a 1/4-oz bait but you feel that this is the right size and profile for the day, simply trim (or even remove) the skirt from a 1/2-oz bait. If you need a slower retrieve at the same depth, add a bulkier trailer.
2. Keep colors simple. Stick with white/chartreuse for simplicity and all-around performance. Try other color patterns as you grow as a spinnerbait angler.
3. Use an underhand cast. With practice it will allow you to place the lure where you want quicker.
4. To improve your hookup ratio, use pliers to open up the hook bend a little.
5. Always fish the lure within sight. I fish them right at that depth where they just start to disappear, but I can still see the flashes that attract fish.

Quote of the Day

“The Whopper Plopper has ruined me as a bass fisherman.”

– Hahaha! AR bass-head talkin’. Dude also said:

> “I know I can catch more doing other things, but all I want to do is see them blow up the Whopper Plopper.”

Know several folks who share that deal, but they don’t look at it as “ruined,” more like:

Shot of the Day

@lunkerlab posted this’n with the caption: “So you’re telling me there’s a chance we’ll catch a bass….”

Ya got me

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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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