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Alright please give you a big bass-head welcome to Pitbull Tackle! Makers of what in my 2c are the best braid cutters, the Braided Line Cutter 2.0. I like ’em so much I am actually afraid of losing mine lol.
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Other than that, this cool underwater IG vid (click the pic) of the Googan Thicc Jig with a chunk made me realize I probly move my bait way too fast and possibly way too much. I love underwater vids for this kinda reason…and I also like how opaque that jig looks – because craws are opaque!
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Today’s Top 5
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“You never know when God will put a fishing buddy in your life.”
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Great line from a great story about LA’s Jason Kay, just a regular bass-head, deciding to take 13-yr-old Jordan T. bassin’. Jordan was just fishing on the bank at the time, and Jason got permission from his mom to take him on the boat. They are now fishing pards:
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Jordan looks pretty stoked! Jordan I feel that way every time I’m in a bassin’ tub too, it never gets old! (Okay a 90-min 1-way boat ride with a pro gets old lol.)
Some good news for ya before THE weekend of good news! ✝️ |
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MLF is banning MaxScent???
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Okay you probly know by now MLF is NOT banning MaxScent – not today anyhow – BUT it is banning Live sonar, flyovers, divers, salt, garlic, meatballs, chicken parm, anyone who disagrees with Boyd Duckett, and all forms of pirate metal including the band Running Wild:
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Heard there was only 1 vote against the pirate metal ban…name rhymes with “toyed.”
HAHAHA! Just messin’.
I loved the whole ban idea for April Fool’s – big props to Berkley, MLF and Gunpowder. If you haven’t seen the pros react to it (vid), it’s money – they didn’t know it was a joke! Boyd’s a good actor….
Gotta say the biggest bassin’ April Fool’s joke that still hasn’t been beat (or even equaled) is when back in the early BassFan days we said Paul Elias snagged a wallet during practice and it was Jimmy Hoffa’s – which got picked up everywhere as legit news lol! That’s right, we were fake news first! Okay not really but….
Almost forgot – here’s that prototype Rapala OG squarebill Ott used: |
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HAHAHA for real that’s it! If you scratch ‘n sniff that pic it MIGHT get clearer….
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5 Qs with Kevin VanDam.
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Don’t know if you get to see it much, but Kevin has a great sense of humor…which I kinda wasted because I only asked him 1 fun question…because he’s KVD and we all need what’s in his brain man!
1. Do you miss Zona or has this been a much-needed break?
> [Laughs] “No, we still have our moments together, that’s for sure. The hardest part is we’re on different schedules tournament-wise, and that’s been the hardest part of us getting together and causing trouble. We still manage to get in trouble a few times though.”
[Equation for that deal goes like this: Zona + [anything/anyone] = trouble. Hahaha Z you know it!]
2. Why don’t you fish any of the Big 5 tourneys?
> “It’s really just a time thing. A the point in my career I’m in, with all the other things I have going on work-wise and business-wise, I just wouldn’t be able to physically do it time-wise.”
3. Where you at on forward-facing sonar?
> “I’m dying to get mine from Humminbird, their Live version. I’ve been using Mega 360 for over a year and it’s incredible in itself, but to have both…. We’re all looking for any advantage we can, and if you’re not utilizing forward-facing sonar you’re going backwards right now – just a fact. Mega Live is really close…I’m pretty confident when we get it it will up the game, from what I’ve seen.”
[Oooooooo that sounds good!]
4. Are shallow fish harder to catch than deeper ones or vice versa?
> “I think deep fish are more affected by pressure than shallow fish are. By boats and interruptions, noise, things like that. Shallow fish are easier to catch.”
5. Is there any situation where most guys are fishing Chatterbaits that you’ll fish a spinnerbait or crankbait instead?
> “Bladed jigs have been really strong over the last several seasons and I think they really shine in grass-related situations…very efficient for it. But squarebills and spinnerbaits fish that same zone very efficiently as well. Myself and I think lot of anglers…we’ve seen quite a bit of spinnerbaits in the last 2 years and still a lot of squarebills.
> “So there’s not one right answer as far as saying this is the best bait this situation. They all have their strengths and they all have their place, just like no 2 bass are exactly the same….
> “I am throwing a Strike King Thunder Cricket a lot more than I ever thought I would currently.” |
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First Cali teener in a while?
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Believe so? Either way 15-yr-old Braeden S caught this outstanding 15.12 from Lake 3 of Santee Lakes in San Diego County, CA on a Rat-L-Trap on 6-lb line!
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Love the quote from Western Outdoor News – can’t link it, it’s at wonews com:
> “The whole experience was amazing because I got there after baseball practice and wasn’t expecting much. I took this one cast that was kind of an ‘angry’ cast because I couldn’t get bit. Then I felt like I hooked a log and it was on!”
Lol I’ve made more ‘n a few angry casts…but never caught a DD doing it…or ever! Congrats Braeden! |
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Quick baits breakdown from the Texoma ‘Yota.
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Props to pastor Evan Barnes to win a tight-ish one by 3 lbs. He led every day, LiveScope played – few deets from the MLF site:
> …targeted brush in less than 10′ of water with a Duo Realis Apex Vibe painted by Curry’s Customs and a Black’s Custom Lures Widow Maker A-rig with three 1/4-oz heads from Motivated Fishing and 3.3″ Keitech Fat swimbaits in the crystal shad color.
> “…at least 3-4 fish this week I would not have caught without LiveScope. It was very difficult to get the fish to bite. You could see them everywhere, they were on every brushpile, and you could throw an A-rig out there and they wouldn’t bite. But every once in a while, you’d get one to track it, and one of the big ones I caught this week, I watched it track it, and finally I shook it right in her face and she grabbed it.”
> His best smallmouth stretch didn’t seem particularly special, it wasn’t very deep, and it was rocky, but the fish were largely just there. With his boat in about 8′ of water and casting into 4′ of water, Barnes thinks the fish may have been spawning. Whatever it was, they really wanted a 6″ Megabass Mag Draft in the albino pearl shad color. …on the final day he added an Owner treble as a stinger.
A-rig = 50% – YUMbrella Flash Mob Jr 20%, Keitech Fats 30%
Crankbait = 40% – Strike King 1.5 20%, Frittside 10%
TX rig, various plastics = 40%
Bladed jig = 30% – all JackHammers
Shakey head = 30%
Swimbait = 20% – both Megabass
10% each = Spinnerbait (War Eagle), Lipless, Jig
Shout-out:
Gotta call out Tommy Dickerson who fished a gp Zoom Magnum Trick Worm on a 5/16-oz Gambler Giggy Head on boat ramps – only pattern – and finished 8th. Amazing to do only that and finish that high. |
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News
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…of any fluoro he’s used:
> “Low memory makes the line easier to manage, especially in cold weather, and makes knot tying much easier….”
Interesting. The big deal with Gold Label is the high strength to smaller diameter, but that stuff on top sounds eggzellent.
Btw I often have low memory as well, but it makes me harder to manage…lol.
2. Cory Johnston hasn’t won yet but…
…this is pretty dang #stout:
> Through 27 career B.A.S.S. events, I’ve finished in the top 10 on 12 occasions.
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Might’ve gone down something like this – Alton Jr talking to shooter Garrick Dixon:
> Hey let’s do one of those bent rod shots. > Okay. Hook a fish and I’ll… > Dang would ya believe it it’s a 10-lber! > Okay…[click,click,click] > Shoot it’s just a dink in some brush. > Yeah figured…but we got the shot for your Insta!
HAHAHA just messin’! That’s a Kistler so it won’t bend ‘n crack…I mean Geecrack?
4. MLF Pro Circuiter Kyle Cortiana on BassEdge Radio.
5. Country dude Luke Bryan posted a hook in his finger (wah) and….
> Instagram placed a “sensitive content” warning on Bryan’s video.
> “I leave your a– for 2 hours and this happens…damn baby,” Bryan’s wife, Caroline Bryan, commented.
6. AL: Auburn shortens suspension of bass team.
Now they can start competing as of Apr 22. Shorter is better, maybe not best, glad folks said stuff and they listened (had to)!
7. Did you know Alpha Angler’s Jake Boomer is fishing the NPFL?
Finished 24th at the first one. Jake’s problem is one we all share: He loves to fish too much. Good luck in the next one man! |
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Does that fall look amazing or what! Pee Wee Football Jig with I believe the new Jewel Versa Craw. From an Insta vid where Bull Shoals guide Del Colvin explains how that jig kills in tough conditions. That underwater vid sold me man….
9. I like the fire tiger without the stripes!
Check the FishLab Bio-Minnow in “firetiger” stuck in a bucket: |
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Color’s not on TW yet but is on the FishLab site.
10. Lunkerhunt is getting more into backpacks ‘n bags.
Interesting and makes sense for them since I’ve heard from several fishermen that they like Lunkerhunts’ style. Here’s the stuff TW has – I’m digging the Lunkerhunt LTS Avid Backpack in green: |
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11. New BUFF spring stuff is out!
Here’s a couple deals, for real – if adult-sized, I need one! |
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13. Innerestin’ info from Academy CEO interview.
> Academy published its 2020 fiscal year results March 30, boasting 416% growth in net profit and a 157.2% increase in net income.
> “Whether, ultimately, the internet gets to be 30%, 40%, 50% (of commerce)…the (brick-and-mortar) stores are still going to be around because of the experience.”
> Hicks said the company now has 15% online penetration, which is defined as total e-commerce merchandise sales, including buy-online-pickup-in-store purchases, divided by total company merchandise sales.
> “More than 95% of our total annual sales involved our stores….”
> Last Sept Academy said it had goals to open 8-10 new stores a year starting in 2022, and those goals haven’t changed. …looking at smaller footprints that might not carry as much product…signs will be posted directing customers online for more options….
14. FL: Herbicide chemical glyphosphate found in manatees.
So maybe it’s not the best thing to be spraying on lakes? Excerpts:
> Glyphosate wasn’t…originally intended as a weed-killer. The Stauffer Chemical Co. patented it in 1961 as a descaling agent to clean out calcium and other mineral deposits in pipes and boilers of residential and commercial hot water systems.
> “We’ve got dead open water where we should have emergent marshes. There should be frogs and grass shrimp and snails and dragonflies and aquatic snakes, and there’s just nothing.”
15. MT: Bird folks upset at DNR killing birds around bass hatchery ponds.
List includes Canada geese:
> Although geese don’t eat fish, they scare spawning bass off their nests.
16. KS: Tilapia are being raised in KS?
Hopefully nowhere it can flood.
17. ND: Folks who obtain moss balls with zebras could get jail time?
18. OK DNR says not enough data for a bigfoot season.
> “Our position is there’s no scientific data to warrant a season.”
Headline of the Day
Crawfish field tours starting up again in Jeff Davis
Gotta be the easiest $$ ever made…? Btw to get more in touch with the bass, you might wanna be eatin’ these “spicy crayfish” flavored tater chips.
Line of the Day
Match the Chicago team to rainbow trout, coho, flathead catfish, smallmouth bass.
Read it 3x, no idea what it means. Maybe code??
PSAs
Okay I was skeptical – twice – of this thing, but there’s no dang cabin storage in a Toyota Tundra so I needed something in the bed (under the cover) for straps and whatnot. So I got one.
First I was skeptical that YETI could make a plastic box that would be way better than any other plastic box. Turns out they did. Notably NO CRACKING or BREAKING or failure in sub-freezing weather. Big.
Second, I was skeptical it could hold enough to be worthwhile…but it does: |
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Really love the rubber feet that do not slip in the bed, even in the cold. YETI stuff is spendy – from everything I’ve seen it’s worth it.
Sea Foam Marine PRO, at TW and I think at or soon at the Wally: |
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3. Can your trolling motor do this?
One hand on one knee deploy – one reason I dig the MotorGuide: |
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On BassBlaster.rocks right now…
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> Lowen and top Pickwick baits, Learn from your swim jig, Released fish tougher?
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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From a juicy Bassin’masters post, just a few excerpts:
> He’s already put a 1/2-oz spinnerbait on one rod, a Christie Critter on his flipping stick, a shakey-head worm on a third rod and a Rogue on still another.
> “The first group of bass that come in tend to spawn shallower because the warmest water will only be in the first foot or so of the water column. We’re talking 58-60 degrees or cooler, depending on the area of the country you’re fishing. If the winter has been really cold, bass may start spawning sooner, in 52- or 54-degree water.
> “This is when I’m using that 1/2-oz BOOYAH [Covert] spinnerbait, moving down the shoreline and casting well ahead of the boat. With a spinnerbait, I can cover a lot of water and work different depths. I’m concentrating on flat, protected coves where the fish are actually spawning but I can’t see them. If I know those bass are getting a lot of fishing pressure, I’ll usually start flipping that Christie Critter to any available cover I can find.
> “My feeling is the bass realize it’s easier to guard 3 sides than 4 so they’re going to locate against some type of object if it’s available. I’ve seen bass spawn on ladders in the water, in discarded tires and certainly in openings in vegetation. These are all things to look for when you first pull into a potential spawning area.”
A lot more good stuff in that post. |
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Quote of the Day
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“I was his biggest fan when he was competing, and now he’s my biggest fan.”
– Scott Martin talkin’ ’bout his dad, the legend Roland “Son” Martin. Says he wants to win a Classic and hand the trophy to his dad since that was the only thing Roland never won. Word is Roland just rented a place on Hartwell for the next 6 months, and Scott just bleached his hair…kidding…
Very cool. Having Roland as your dad I bet is a lot to measure up to if you’re gonna measure, and so far Scott’s lookin’ like he measures! |
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Shot of the Day
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Not sure who our bassin’ bro is who caught this 13+ on Fork, but it is one of the BEST big-bass shots I’ve ever seen hahahaha! Love it! Tx to Kelly L for the heads:
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Random
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> “I was sitting at home with my dad and my grandfather calls him and says, I’m not sure how to tell you this but there’s a monkey on my porch.'”
Here it is: |
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Okay but…how weird is this quote from the KY DNR:
> “KY primates are considered inherently dangerous wildlife….”
KY PRIMATES?? Like what?
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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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Gitcha hands on the best stuff!
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Check these out!
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