BassBlaster

Detroit River bassquatch, Alton Jr’s fave colors, 15 mins between casts??

LOT of talk ’bout the Elite boys gettin’ mentally pumped for this week’s dropshot fest by listenin’ over and over to Morgan Wallen’s “Up Down.” Looks like the tune was hammered out on a dock so….

Meanwhile Seth Feider was listenin’ to Cinderella’s tune “Shake Me” but was shakin’ his rig 2x as fast as the drummer was hittin’ the hi-hat….

This is all true…possibly….

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Today’s Top 5

Now we know where ‘Squatches go?

That’s from the Detroit River, MI. Not sure if ol’ Squatch is sleepin’, hibernatin’, deceased or what, but either way don’t go lookin’ for it — bet a UFO has taken it away by now….

Serious for a sec: REALLY hope that’s not a person…spooky….

Few bigs caught!

Heeeeeeeere ditchy, ditchy, ditchy! Biggest melons of the week in yo face! (Mine too….)

Winnin’ this episode is a 14 (weighed on a certified scale) caught by @tylerray__ in SC on a Zoom Trick Worm (red worm):

Next up is this 12.56 caught by @cole_anders0n in northwest AR on a 7″ Big Bite Suicide Shad (blue gizzard):

Andy M spent an hour after work throwin’ a Toad Island Swimbait Rat in a local cattle pond, and got him a 12.25! 25×20″ of watery melon — nice! Dog looks a little intimidated hahaha!

Here’s Cal Climpson with a 7.87-lb “small”mouth at the Renegade Bass Tour Thousand Islands Open our of Kingston, ON. Believe it or not, the next 2 big fish that day were both over 7 too, ‘ccordin’ to JP DeRose who hipped me to this. JP said you needed an avg of 4.83 lbs to finish in the top 10:

Alton Jones Jr’s fave soft-plastic colors.

Little bit different than Ish’s — these are YUM Bad Mammas, which he throws on a 4/0 straight shank flipping hook:

> Black blue shadow — Black/blue is one of the most famous big-fish colors there is and for good reason. Black blue shadow is a great bluegill imitator and is my go-to anytime I’m flipping grass, whether in FL, NY or here in TX.

Hole up — b/b is a good BLUEGILL color?? He said:

> Typically when I fish b/b it’s in heavy grass or under a mat with a heavy weight, and I think the blue in it really pops as the bait falls fast — it helps cause that reaction bite. It looks like a bluegill darting in the grass.”

> Green pumpkin purple flake: This is hands down the best all-around color I have ever thrown. I’ve had success fishing from coast to coast, north to south, and all 3 species of bass.

> I think the biggest reason is how simple and natural the color is. Almost anywhere you go, something that the bass are feeding on has green pumpkin in it. Whether the forage is gobies, bream or crawfish, this color will flat-out catch them. It’s safe to say this is my confidence color.

> I think the purple flake just adds a subtle flash that is “eye catchy” to bass and triggers more strikes.

> Cali 420 — This is my go-to color in the fall. Many places — especially up north — you’ll see that crawfish get a lot of red coloration in their body and pinchers during the fall months. Cali 420 has a large amount of red flake that matches that perfectly. This bait also really does well in super dirty water.

I was all, You sure about that black/blue deal? And he was like:

“Most people think you..downsize, but that doesn’t make your fish any bigger.”

– Mike “Bull Shad” Bucca talkin’ some truth in this very cool vid:

Vid gives me confidence in spendin’ my coin on his baits. Check TW’s Bull Shad collection here and the Baby Bull Shad here.

Met Mike once (maybe 2x?) — he’s just a regular bass-head (a dang talented one), which is great.

Just derpin’ along….

TONS of derps comin’ in…this a summer thing or just more folks feeshn? Here’s some, goin’ clockwise from top L:

1. Hall of Fame feeshn scribbler Stevie Quinn sent in this pic with some juice about derps: “Seeing how you coined the term ‘derp’ for what also has been known as a ‘pug-nose’ bass…. I recall first hearing about this genetic anomaly back in the late 1970s from a graduate student in fisheries at Cornell University.” Hahaha derps have been studied at an Ivy League school! That’s Jeremy B in Steve’s boat with a Lake Minnewawa, MN prefish specimen.

2. Gary R caught his at Cordell Hull Lake, TN on a Strike King Rage Craw (gp).

3. That’s Joe B on Norfork, AR who ketched this’n on a Berkley Pit Boss (gp). His bud Greg P said, “Because of the upper lip it didn’t measure as a keeper by 1/8 of an inch.” Too funny….

4. Tim K’s trip from London, England to ON was better than he ever could’ve imagined thanks to a slerp he pulled outta the Rideau Chain on a Storm Arashi Spin.

Winnahs!

2 this week, they don’t actually WIN anything but….

Draven E in IN. Here’s the story from is pawpaw: “Attached is a picture of my 14-yr-old grandson…. He caught this “derp” in a Fishers of Men Tuesday night tournament on West Boggs Lake…and he wanted me to share it with you. He wasn’t quite a legal keeper, but he gave us a good laugh.” THAT is what it’s all about man! Caught it on a Zoom Trick Worm (black emerald) stuck on a 1/4-oz Chompers Shakey Head:

Derek F was on Okemah Lake, OK just mindin’ his bassin’ bidness when he got this tremendous bite (under bite lol) on a 3/8-oz Heavy Metal Fishing All-Purpose Jig (crazy craw) with a YUM Christie Craw (gp):

News

1. Help a bass-head pastor if you can.

Nathan Pirtle — got this note from a bud of his:

> Nathan is a buddy of mine from Pickwick and he’s a dang good dude. 31 years old, married with 3 kids and is a youth minister at a church. Just got diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma (cancer) and he’s selling his boat to be able to afford treatments and gas and bills.

Doesn’t sound like they have a GoFundMe page so hit the FB page and see what you can do. Lots of folks are donating stuff that they are selling to help with the bills…think I will scrounge around in the tackle room and see what I can send….

2. KVD’s picks for fishin’ the Redcrest.

He’s not fishin’ it but has won an MLF there. Plus he’s KVD….

3. BPTer Stephen Browning on Bassin’ Edge Raid-o-ee.

4. Why Elitist Chaddeus Pipkens fished better with 1 arm.

Well obviously cuz he could only use half his brain…kidding:

> “….when you’re basically competing with one arm, you sort of lower your expectations, and that took a lot of pressure off me. I fished a whole lot freer and ultimately better.”

Innerestin’, makes sense, stoked for him…and his hair….

5. Couple Flanderz rigz tiddybitz from Brian Latimerz.

> Regardless of water depth or the type of bass I’m after, I use only one color FattyZ: gp blue flake. It’s that good.

> …employ a “pull set”…. Hammering the hook home will do no good — it’s better to lean into the fish and not give it any slack. That ensures the needle-point tip of the [Power Finesse] ShroomZ gets started into the fish’s mouth…. Just pull into the fish, and let it fight against the rod.

Since h’s lovin’ that Fatty, was gonna suggest he change his nickname from B-Lat to B-Fat but then I thought maybe would not mention that….

6. Did MLF get Venmo?

Check it:

If so, an interesting get — I never saw anything official on it….

7. TN: Boone bass should boom when water comes back up…

…after the dam repair is finished.

8. Rapala Varsity Bass Ep 2 (vid).

“Attack of the Clones.” Okay not really, it’s Noah Ezickson and Connor Walsh of Wake Forest U on Guntersville.

9. Geecrack tryin’ to crack the US market.

Launched a few baits at TW:

> The preliminary lineup of baits have all been infused with Geecrack’s proprietary SAF material,…comprised of a blend of salt, amino acids and shrimp flavors. These are said to not only attract more fish, but once they bite, the natural texture and flavors keep them holding on longer.

> “All these lures have been tested on Japan’s famed Lake Biwa, one of the most pressured waters in the world. If they are going to work there, they are going to work anywhere.”

This-here’s the Bellows Gill in “bug bomb:”

Couple notes:

> Japan brand, TW says “the Geecrack motto is ‘No enjoy, no fish.'” Word!

> Think I got a note from someone at Geecrack, can’t find it, pls resend….

10. Special edition Platinum Power-Pole.

For any bass-head who has to have it all…and the funds to git there….

11. WV: New Bass Pro Shops will have a boat tower.

Because…why not:

12. Luxury pontoons have runnin’ modes.

> With CZone, functionality and modes can be changed, programmed and updated in real-time…. Additional features of CZone digital switching include pre-programmed, single button click modes such as: “Party Mode,” “Swimming Mode,” “Cruising Mode” and more.

When bassin’ tubs have “flippin’ mode,” “froggin’ mode” and “crankin’ mode” or whatever, I’m out. Don’t want my truck to drive for me neither….

13. New 400/800 watt marine subwoofers for boats.

So peeps can scare every dang fish within 2 miles….

Stuff

1. “Yes I go bass fishing. It’s un-American not to.”

HAHAHA! love it! Dude who answered the “must-answer” Q of “do you bass-fish and what’s your face setup” qualification question on the BB Facebook GROUP page.

2. How many “world championships” are there in bassin’? Answer: not just one..?

Tip of the Day

Could you go 15 mins between casts??

Answer: No. Never. Stop it. But Aa-ronron Martens can, as he says in this Bassin’mastery deadsticking a dropshot tip:

> “It’s one of the hardest things to do. It’s like slamming on the brakes.”

> …been several Elite Series tournaments in which Martens and other pros were dropshot fishing in a cluster. Martens says he has “smoked” the bass deadsticking while his competitors struggled to get bites.

> It’s not uncommon for 15 minutes to pass between casts when Martens deadsticks a dropshot rig. After the weight touches down, he lets the bait freefall to the bottom. He lets it rest there for 10 to 20 seconds before slowly lifting it off the bottom without moving the weight. Then he lets the bait freefall back down to the bottom for another long pause.

> “I only do this when I know right where the bass are.”

> …setup is a 4.5″ Roboworm Straight-Tail Worm nose-hooked with a #1 Gamakatsu G-Finesse Drop Shot Hook…light hook allows the worm to slowly “float” to the bottom, which Martens says is the strike trigger. He goes with a 4-10″ drop line in the spring and a 15-20″ drop line in the fall.

Asked Aaron how he does it, and he says he pretends he is a sloth. He texted me, “Look at this sloth jumping out of his hammock:”

I was like, “He’s not moving.” And he’s like, “Your eyes are now open. To being a sloth. Bro.”

Aaron always tells me stuff that takes me awhile to figure out so….

Quote of the Day

“It’s a river, so you have to adjust to the conditions.”

Todd Faircloth talkin’ ’bout the Redcrest on the upper Miss. Stumped me. Does it mean we shouldn’t adjust to the conditions on lakes? Is he saying it with a smile on his face like he’s jackin’ with us? Or:

HAHAHA! Of course he means:

> “Water levels, current, and water clarity can change from day-to-day, and you have to consider that.”

Pretty sure that can happen in lakes too tho….

Innerestin’ factoid: BassGold.com has proven that water bodies of the same WATER TYPE fish the same no matter where they are in the country given similar conditions. So, for ex, the upper Miss, WI/MN post-spawn (or whatever phase) will fish just like the Red River, LA because they are both what BassGold calls “riverine reservoirs,” in that case meaning lock/dam rivers. Believe it mang….

So much win in BassGold. Hope someone comes along that can make it what it should be….

Shot of the Day

Trophy bass spotted in Fortnite:

Jamey Caldwell sent it in:

> “My daughter was playing Fortnite and came across a LMB sitting on a table in a cabin.” [Suuuuuure bud, “your daughter” was playin’…lol.]

> “I always keep my world record bass next to my ammo cans lol.”

Maybe it’s a sign dude, who knows….

Random

Will there be a red meat “sin” tax??

Insane:

> Meat could be a target for higher taxes given criticism of the industry’s [alleged by some] role in climate change, deforestation and animal cruelty….

> The idea is still in its infancy and faces a lot of opposition from farming groups, but it’s emerging as a trend in western Europe…. If taxes gain traction, it could encourage more people to switch to poultry or plant-based protein….

Pretty sure growing, harvesting, processing and shipping veggie burgers has some environmental impact?? Is this why McDonald’s and Burger King now have veggie “burgers”?

Anyhow, if this is a trend, expect bassin’ club meetings to eventually look like this:

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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