BassBlaster

Dial in your Ned Rig, How LiveScope won Norman, Fall froggin’?

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Yep Eddie Van Halen passed on Tues. Crazy — didn’t know that when I sent the BB that day. Posted about his passing on social, all I’ll say here is:
– The guy was incredibly gifted musically — duh but I’m talkin’ like Beethoven and Bach gifted, along with a 100 mph jazz swing and shuffle. Talkin’ as someone who has spent literal decades micro-analyzing his stuff fwiw.
– He fearlessly pursued his vision. With joy!
– He changed the music biz and the guitar/gear biz by running after that vision.

– His work ethic was off the dang charts.

Been sad a little. For some reason I always had this vision in my head that I’d bump into him and his bro Alex on the street and give ’em a big hug, pray for ’em too right there. Not sure why I thought that. Anyhow, I just really appreciate and am grateful for EVH and the band…just as much as I appreciate you. For real. Just feeling thankful man.

MANY a BB cranked out to Van Halen crankin’, includin’ this one! Anyone out there want to paint up some cranks with EVH stripes lmk…I’m serious.

Other than that, forgot that having a boat in the driveway is rough. It’s like having a dog — always wants to go out and be played with. Feel like I should be in it every day but I’m not and it hurts man! (wah)

Really hoping Hurricane Delta doesn’t hit the US. Please stay safe peeps….

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

Today’s Top 5

Should this be a deal at every crowded ramp?

Lol — from @thequalifiedcaptain. I mean, doesn’t have to be for beer. Could be for $, for baits (MaxScent only on the Great Lakes?), whatever. Personally I think it shows outstandin’ entrepreneurship.

Dial in your Neddy los Flanderos.

Posted by Z-Man. Gotta ask again — WTHeck is a regular Ned Rig TRD/stickworm fragment supposed to look like?? Vienna sausages maybe? Only thing I could come up with is these saltwater eel things:

Guess we should maybe Sharpie some eyes on the rear of the TRD to see what happens? For now I’m stickin’ with craws…if I have to Ned…with casting gear!

Norman ‘Yota baits breakdown.

GA’s Troy Morrow won a tight one with just 32-03 over 3 days, fishing for deep (up to 40′) spotted bass. Sounds like he’s a big-time ‘lectronics nut. How he fished:

> …primary lure all week was a shakey head…Zoom Finesse Worm on a 3/16-oz Gambler Giggy Head…. “They reacted to the shakey head much more positively than the dropshot. I would watch them follow a dropshot down and they just wouldn’t run it down like they would a shakey head…generally the bigger fish were more interested in the shakey head.”

> …also threw a 5/8-oz Southern Hook Southern Spin underspin with a Zoom Boot Tail Fluke to single rocks and stumps as deep as 30′. A Carolina rig also….

Here’s what the full top 10 feenishers feeshed — and yep, docks played big-time #becauseNorman:

Jig = 60%

Shakey head = 30%

Plopper = 30% — Whopper 90s = 20%, Berkley Choppo 130 = 10%

Buzzbait = 20%

Jerkbait = 20% — both Megabass Vision 110

10% each = Underspin, Carolina rig, Lipless crank, Wacky rig, Popper, Dropshot, Spinnerbait

Shout-outs:

> Some dude named Bryan Thrift finished 3rd cuz it’s against US law for him to finish outta the top 10 in a tourney.

> Former Elitist David Williams was 6th and former Bassmaster Tour pro Chris Baumgardner was 9th.

> Most often mentioned plastics brand: Zoom.

> 1 of David Williams’ baits was a TrueSouth V-Twin Buzz buzzbait — shoutin’ it out fuz in the News section below an ABA winner used it on Pickwick. Bait’s gettin’ some…buzz?

Check what Troy Morrow said about LiveScope.
Yoda hit you with this again:

Props to MLF’s Rob “Ray-Bob” Newell for a-gittin’ some deets from T-Roy:

> “I’ve had a LiveScope for about 2 years and have spent hundreds of hours on the water with it, learning what I’m looking at, learning what fish look like, and more than anything, observing fish’s attitudes and reactions.

> “I can tell how spooky the fish are, how aggressive they are, if they are feeding or if they are just sitting down there sulking. I can watch their reaction to my lures and see how fast they follow it down. After a while, I learned what looked right and when to stay and what looked bad and when to leave.

> “In the old days I might only fish about 15 or 20 places per day because I felt like I had to fish so slow and thoroughly. But with LiveScope I’m much more efficient. I can fish double the number of spots because if they’re not there, spooky or not acting right, I just move on.

> “…1 thing I noticed immediately is if I caught a fish, a lot of the times the rest of the fish would leave. Knowing that kept me from wasting time on unproductive water.”

> …1 of the amazing things about LiveScope is watching a fish eat a lure on a long, deep sink. “If they race down to it while it’s sinking and the fish looks like it has passed your lure, it already has the bait.

> “I also learned if a fish followed it all the way to the bottom and just sat there, I would deadstick the bait…sometimes as long as 30 seconds…eventually the fish would eat it….”

Only downside is too much use of LiveScope can do this to the fishes:

Just a rumor….

Would you fish this swimbait.

I’m not a big hard swimbait dude — not even a little had swimbait dude lol — but I WANT THIS BAIT! Here’s what the folks who made it (I think?) — @rugged.thumbs — say about it:

> The RT Duck was built for fall topwater fishing.

> This was my solution to a few of my traditional topwater lure problems. The RT Duck is solid resin so it will never take on water and turn into a submarine.

> The 2 feet/blades make a buzzbait type sound on the retrieve.

> I was always upsizing my topwater hooks so I spaced out the hook hangers so that 1/0 Gamakatsu trebles won’t hang on each other.

> And yes bass eat ducks.

Makes it in different colors, but I’m partial to that white farm duck look….

News

1. Gussy and Kennedy were on ’em at Santee.

In practice. First here’s Gussy’s boat:

Dailed in lol! Now Steve, who was on ’em but:

He said: “I caught 3 and missed several more.” Best be throwin’ that white jig then Steve!

2. Alton Jones will have no bait sponsors in ’21.

Intentionally.

3. One time a fish gave Clark Wendlandt his bait back…

…after he broke it off. Put it right on the front deck. Crazy. IG vid at link.

4. Learn ya about Doomsday “David” Mullins.

Good donny barone post on him. Love the sleeping in the truck part — cuz soooo many of these guys have done that to make it, which shows love and faith…to me anyhow. Keep goin’ Mullins!

5. Tim Horton cranks shallow around juvy shad cuz…

…this:

> “Consider the shad itself…it has to swim to breathe. It needs to be able to flush water through its gills. It also has to move to filter-feed. So it has to be constantly moving. The air bladders of young shad are not well developed. As these fish grow older, they can go deeper. But the ones hatched in July or August pretty much stay along the surface.”

Squarebill time! He likes the Azuma Square Boss, designed by Matty Reed.

6. Elitist Drew Cook can make baits levitate!

Mystifying:

7. B-Rad Hallman is selling his loaded ’17 Phoenix.

Phoenix 920 ProXP with 250 Merc ProXS, Ultrex, Garmins.

8. FLW pro B-Rad-Lee Dortch fishes shrimp for basses.

Gulp! Shrimp — cuz if you’re not fishin’ Gulp! in any kinda salty water you crazy, which I say from experience:

> “It’s basically a fall-of-the-year type of deal. Your shrimp and your crabs start migrating up the rivers….”

MY shrimp and MY crabs? No one ever told me I had some! Send ’em up here….

9. BFL happenin’s.

Grand 2-dayer won on top over 12-20′? That’s what it says — Whopper Plopper, buzzbait and also a jig. Dude named John Pilcher won it.

10. ABA happenin’s.

Pickwick 2-day regional won with a buzzbait. Props to Rusty White Jr of TN:

> “I just kept my head down and my bait in the water. I threw a RW V-Twin buzzbait [has 2 blades] by TrueSouth Custom Lures — that’s the only lure I used the entire weekend. My trolling motor batteries went down both days, but I was able to nurse it and just kind of roll with the current.”

11. DC: ACE Act passed by both houses prohibits lead tackle ban.

America’s Conservation Enhancement Act has a lotta stuff including wetlands protection:

> …prohibiting the EPA from regulating the use of lead fishing tackle for a period of 5 years.

Good!

12. Win Bass pastor Chris Wells’ Nitro Z-18.

Raffle you a chance to win….

13. Check this Bubonic-painted Googan lipless.

Suh-weet:

That’s a Googan Klutch btw.

14. And check this Nishine color.

Believe it’s “purple back alewife” — Beatour M5 crank:

15. And check this new ’21 ‘Trap color: “young sunfish.”

Don’t care what age it is it looks good!

16. T-H Marine 45th sale week 2: Outboard gear…

…which doesn’t mean for your outboard, just what they’re callin’ it. 20% off — check it here.

17. New Suzuki gizmo collects microplastics from the water.

Interesting:

> …designed to be installed on outboard motors. The device is designed for easy installation under the cowling of selected Suzuki outboard models 40 hp and up. It works by filtering water after it has passed through the engine’s cooling system and before it is returned….
Only heard good things about ‘Zukis….

18. NV teen won the BBZ championship.

Congrats to Carter Doren! Can’t tell from the info whether it was a limit deal (I don’t think so?) or what happened, but it went down on Lake Pend Oreille, ID and he fished a dock in 7′ with a Bass Patrol Jig (brown/purple rubber skirt) and Yamamoto Fat Baby Craw (gp).

Very cool they had it:

> 52 anglers representing 47 states and their families came together…. The 2-day event, Oct 2-3, recognizes the support parents provide to their kids. State sponsors provided families with over $91,000 for travel, food and lodging expenses.

19. NYC venture co buys Field & Stream, Outdoor Life…

…among other properties. North Equity is the company:

> North’s investment team has extensive experience in the intersection of technology, data, and media as private investors and operators. North, based in Miami with offices in San Francisco and New York, will continue making strategic acquisitions across the digital-media and technology landscape.

Always felt weird to me that big outdoor properties like that were/still are based in NYC. Just my own feelin’s.

20. MN: Zebras, milfoil found in Orono.

21. MO says noodling can hurt catfish populations?

Something can hurt whisker-fish pops?? Can only think of one thing that could: dang Asian carps.

22. Fish scientists protest need for shark liver oil for Covid vax.

Might be able to get a bunch o’ doses right off the MA coast…just sayin’….

Line of the Day

A 3-foot smallmouth bass was using the wreckage as a nest site….

– WTHeck?? Talkin’ ’bout wreck divin’ in the Great Lakes. If they’re seein’ 3-foot smallies down there, somethin’ is very…good?

Update

Sorta: Some folks thought the triple on a walking bait shot couldn’t be real, but here’s Randy Howell doin’ it in 2012. Thanks much to bass-head Chad C for the heads — great memory man!
On BassBlaster.rocks right now…
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.

Tip of the Day

Randall Tharp loves frogs in the fall.

Not because he’s crazy but because he’s the honey badger (he don’t care). Anyhow, it’s more like ONE frog — deets from the MLFers site:

> “I like the Terminator Walking Frog. With this (heavy cover) technique, I never use a popping frog or anything of that nature. I want the frog to come through the cover easily and be large and visible as I work it over the top.” …reasoning that the fish is not getting a clear look at the frog but hunting its silhouette.

> He will add weight…so that it penetrates the carpet and is easier for the bass to find. “I carry small brass balls, brass Carolina rig weights, to add to the frog cavity, especially when the mat is super thick or when I’m fishing in thick decaying vegetation.” He will normally add 1 to 3….

> “The heavier the frog, the better. You want a frog that really makes an impression on the surface. A weighted frog casts further, too. Another benefit is the extra weight inside the frog increases your hookups.

> “People can’t believe how slow I fish a frog. I feel the thicker the cover, the slower I need to fish. It’s difficult to locate fish out there, but I still feel I get more bites and particularly more hookups when the frog is motionless than when it is moving. When you’re moving the frog, your hookup ratio goes down.”

Quote of the Day

“…[make] sure you’re using a fast-retrieve reel to get their butts to the boat as fast as possible.”

– That’s Elitist Todd Arey talkin’ frowgin’. Wasn’t aware that fish had b*tts, but (lol) I did check the ultimate authority on all things feesh and:

I mean, it’s kinda hard to argue with that man…. Todd also said:

> Don’t give up nothin’ once they bite! The longer you take to reel them in, the greater your chances of losing them.

I feel my chances are pretty good most of the time…lol.

Shot of the Day

Doesn’t this look like Jason Williamson‘s lil daughter a) ain’t scared at all by a fish that looks about as big as her and b) EXPECTS her dad to catch ’em that big? Hahaha love it!

Random

Here in my 2c are the sickest guitar-shreddin’ tunes on each Dave-era Van Halen album — cuz it’s the hardest stuff to play (tho it’s all hard!). Don’t take the drumming for granted — a “regular” drummer, who plays metronomic 4/4, would actually make all this music boring:

VH I — “I’m the One” (that’s right, not “Eruption”!)

VH II — “Spanish Fly”

WACF — “Loss of Control”

Fair Warning — “Mean Street” (and solo in “Push Comes to Shove”)

Diver Down — “Hang ’em High”

1984 — “Hot for Teacher”

Sickest Dave tune you might not have heard — “Me Wise Magic”

THE MAN!
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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1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Bob

    October 12, 2020 at 7:01 am

    Big fan of VH and bass fishin too!!! Nice trib to Eddie!

    Gonna throw some VH in the bass cat.s CD player this Saturday .. maybe that will change my luck …

    Take care and stay safe!!!

    Bob from mentor ohio

    Reply

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