Sorry not sure what happened to the email subject line in the last one so sending it again just in case!
It's the orchestra of fall festivities! The baitfish swim around over there, the sun and wind move 'em to and fro, the bass get busy chasin' and we get after them – gotta love it! Here's part 1 – the 1st movement – of the fall baits 'n such symphony. Hope you dig it. As always featurin' stuff made by the fine folks that bring you the BassBlaster but not only. Also not every possible thing that can work or help this time of year....
If you ever want to listen to a seriously amazing orchestra, here's John Eliot Gardiner's Beethoven's 9th played on "period instruments" – meaning of the era when Beethoven created that music. Incredible and one of my fave pieces of music ever. I used to blast it all the time.
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Reminder: If your email program cuts off the bottom of this email, click "View this email in your browser" up top to see the whole thing. Sorry bout that – email programs keep changing stuff.
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Gitcha "brass" instruments! (hard baits)
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Are there any types of hard baits that DON'T work in the fall? I mean you might not be cranking super-deep divers or real wide-wobble baits, but crankbaits work! So do lipless cranks, topwaters, jerkbaits, etc. – in this section gonna focus on jerks and lipped cranks.
CRANKBAITS
Rapala BX Brat 06
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The "06" runs to 6':
- Built with a balsa inner core and a copolymer exterior so balsa action with the durability of plastic.
- 2" long so a smaller squarebill to match fall forage size and it helps with pressured fish.
- V-cut belly and semi-flat sides, 2 VMC black-nickel round-bend trebles.
Here's a bunch o' Rapala pros talkin' 'bout why they like it – check Jacob Wheeler at 2:12 not just straight reeling it:
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Yo-Zuri 1-2 Punch – Topwater and Cranking
Brandon Card:
> "This time of year I love to fish shallow isolated wood on flats in creeks. Some of the wood is visible and some of it is under the surface that I find with my Humminbird 360. I look for stumps, brush and logs shallower than 5'.
> "2 of my go-to baits for this technique are the 3DR-X Pencil (bone) and the 3DR-X Crank SR (ghost sexy shad). The Pencil works great in mornings and on calm days with a fast-walking retrieve. At only 75mm I throw it on on spinning tackle with 15-lb Yo-Zuri SuperBraid. Long casts are key when fishing shallow flats to avoid spooking fish.
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> "After making several casts to isolated targets with the Pencil, I will switch to the 3DR-X Crank SR. This small crankbait is great in shallow water and deflects off wood very well. Using a medium/fast retrieve with 12-lb Yo-Zuri T7 Fluorocarbon, I will make multiple casts from different angles to trigger bites."
Clent Davis:
> "Fall means small baitfish here in the South, which means small baits for more bites. 2 of my favorites are the 3DR-X MR Crankbait and the 3DR-X Pencil.
> "Colors are pretty simple for me. I usually go with 'ghost sexy shad' in most conditions except for when I get water with some color to it this time of year which is a rarity – I love the fire tiger for dirtier water.
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> "Usually when cranking you want to be in contact with bottom, but I've learned with the introduction of active target the last few years that I can follow baitfish around and catch bass suspended by just reeling this crankbait through the schools of baitfish.
> "I always have a backup ready, which is where the 3DR-X Pencil comes in. Fall usually equals schooling fish and there's no better bait than the Pencil. Most of the time the faster I work it, the more bites I get. But you'll have to try various retrieve speeds to see what works on that given day.
> "I almost always throw the pencil in 'bone' unless you have really clear water, then I'll usually throw 'prism ghost shad.'
> "I throw the crankbait on 10-lb Yo-Zuri T7 fluoro, and the topwater on 30-lb Yo-Zuri SuperBraid."
Berkley Dredger
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Yep of course the Frittside is a must-have, but David Fritts told me the Dredger is "underrated." David Fritts! So we might wanna listen. The 8.5 size gets to 8-10', that color is "honey shad" which is one of David's faves.
Reminder that he now fishes his cranks on braid...!
Bill Lewis MR-12 (or MR-6)
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The Mark Daniels Jr-designed MR-12 gets down to 12' – that color is "silverado." A few reminder deets:
- Compact body with a weight-transfer system for easier and longer casts.
- Tight wiggle, low-pitch knock, slow rise.
- Mustad Triple Grip trebles.
MDJ says this time of year his fave color is "green gizzard shad" and he fishes it on 12-15 lb Seaguar AbrazX fluoro, a Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris Platinum Reel (6.8) and a 7’ 2” MH Favorite Brian Latimer signature Sick Stick Rod:
> "This time of year burning the bait is a big deal for suspending bass."
👀 been hearing more about burning cranks through suspending bass/bait the last year or so.
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Tight wobble + hunts, comes through veggies well, known to perform in colder water. Norman has cool colors and that one is "olive blue" – looks like a good shad/bluegill combo imitator to me. Also:
- Made from the mythical/must have/old school butyrate plastic
- Dull thumping sound
- 1/2-oz, dives to 4-6'
JERKBAITS
Berkley Stunna 112
Hank Cherry designed it, which is enough to use it, but fwiw whether in pro boats or my own I have never seen a day where it hasn't caught a fish...which is making me wonder why I don't throw it more lol. Little more:
- Maximum darting action and easy 180-degree head turns and side flash when jerked
- Dual brass weights and a tungsten weight transfer system
- Ultra-sharp Fusion19 hooks
Check "silver dolla" for clear water/blue sky days:
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A "best seller" on Tackle Warehouse for a reason – because bass-heads ketch 'em on it. This is a good shallow-water jerkbait – gets 3-4' and floats. For a natural color it's hard to beat "moss back shiner" ^.
DO NOT forget the slack when fishing jerkbaits! Here's Brandon Palaniuk with a great, quick explanation of how to do that:
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That's "pearl shad" – info about fishing the deep version from MLFer Brazton Setzer in this YT vid:
> "I've found myself through the years where I reach for the little bit deeper-diving jerkbait probably more than I do the 110 and that's just because I like to get it down a little bit deeper and to me you can work it in a couple of different ways. You can just barely pop it and it has a nice real subtle action, or you can really rip it and with the bigger bill it gives it a real rerratic action. So you can really tune it to what the conditions are...."
Here's the link to the regular 3DB SP 110....
Lunkerhunt Impact Distress 6F Jerkbait
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Floating, smaller size (3.5" = 89 mm) so it's good for rivers or any shallower water. That color is "silver side" and is 1 of 7.
Talkin' Lunkerhunt colors, gotta call out this one – "blue cheek" in their Lunkerhunt Impact Slash 6S Jerkbait:
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Some hammers swear by this hook because:
> ...Hayabusa's silky smooth NRB (Non-Reflective Black) Fluorine Coating for dramatically enhanced hook-setting performance...also camouflages the hook....
> Built from top-quality Japanese high-carbon steel...constructed using an exclusive forging process which ensures dependable strength against flexing out and losing fish.
> ...center-balanced eyelet provides lures with a stable swimming action, while also delivering optimum hook positioning to help you put more fish in the boat....
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Gitcha woodwinds! (soft plastics)
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A machine-molded (if that's the right term) swimbait the same shape as a Scottsboro and swims just like a Scottsboro for way less $? No-brainer. I use 'm, they swim as advertised. "Rainbow shad" above looks so dang good in person!
YUM FF Sonar Minnow
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Interesting take on the ribbed swimbait:
- Ribs don't go all the way around the bait equally (a little flat on top)
- Different-shaped tail
- Tight body roll
- Floating plastic that is UDSP (Ultra Durable Soft Plastic) so it doesn't get torn up
- Comes in 3.5" and 4.5" and 6 colors ("smokin shad" ^)
Reins Rockvibe Shad Swimbait
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Looking shaddy and like the ribs/rings. From TW:
> "...meaty body that tapers down to a ringed tail section, and allows its paddle tail to create a huge action as it's pulled through the water. Perfect for a range of applications, it's a bait few bass in the US have seen."
Comes in 3" and 4", above is "clear baitfish."
Berkley MaxScent Lil' General Worm
I kinda look at this as a "MaxScent delivery system." How 'bout "blue pearl black hologram" or "gobyashi" on a Ned head or the erratic-falling Berkley Fusion19 Snap Jig(head) such like:
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VMC's Neko Hook got a big buzz right after it first came out because it got a rep for keeping 'em pinned. This one Jacob Wheeler uses for dropshotting and threads the bait on there )does not nose hook) so....
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- End of movement 1 (of 2) -
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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'!
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