Gitcha more baits 'n such right here! Don't know 'bout you but I'm a crankin' foo this time of year so gonna start there. Soooooo many good and 😍 crankbaits man. Be real curious to know who's got the biggest collection. Know one dude who's got a bunch, lotta rare ones, here's how he makes sure they're safe:
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Hahaha nobody's gettin' those things!! 😂 Seriously tho – gotta think some folks have in the thousands? Carolina peeps??
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Crank the bank and steal some basses...from the bank! 😁
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Did Ott DeFoe fish anything other than this bait this year? Did he WANT to fish anything other than this bait this year? 🤔 Did pretty dang well too, and were it not for one Jacob "what I won another one?" Wheeler we'd all be talkin' 'bout Ott's season.
Anyhow, you probly know the deal with this bait:
- OG = Ott's Garage, aka his east TN bassin' laboratory with a secret entrance (oops)
- Flat-side, circuit board lip, bigger-than-normal VMC trebles
- Dives to about 6' on 12-lb fluoro
Here's Seth Feider talkin' fishin' it in the fall:
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Seth says it's easier to cast than most flatsides, and bigger hooks help keep 'em on and almost make the bait neutrally buoyant especially in the colder water. Here's his gear:
- 7.1 Daiwa Tatula SV TW Reel because he feels like he has more control of the bait and the higher speed makes up for his caffeine-fueled boat speed 😁
5 new Ott colors Rapala intro'd this year:
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Lookit those! 👀 "Threadfin shad" on top, "blueback herring" on bottom and they're Frittsides! And they're...not at Tackle Warehouse til Nov 4. 😭 But that's THIS WEEK! 😅
Not sure if this bait was tied for the hottest or the 2nd-hottest crank this year, but who cares it ketches 'em, and those deals for sure look like baitfish! The HDs have other realistic forage finishes too.
In this vid Josh Bertrand says: "It's got that special action and vibe that a flatsided crankbait's got, but you can fishy it like a normal squarebill...." I saw him fish this crankbait in July and FL and he was ketchin' 'em then so....
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Aw yeah it's lipless time again! Open water, the bank, yo-yoing around structure and/or deeper water, flats, around schoolers – maybe the most versatile bait we've got this time of year. The Hard Knockers are solid and consistent, and the finishes have gotten a lot better the last couple years.
As good as they are, the BOOYAH One Knockers have been ketchin' the tar outta 'em in tourneys in the spring so...🤔 Above is a chrome/black Hard Knocker, below is a "crushed bone" One Knocker:
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How shallow you gonna go? If it's around 6', check the MR-6 crank (threadfin shad ^). If you're up around the shore and junk, it's the SB-57 (chartreuse shiner ^). Either way Mark Daniels Jr designed 'em both so you're gettin' some tourney-tested good stuff! Reminders:
> SB-57: Super-thin walls, fast wobble, hunting action, hybrid-coffin circuit board lip, subtle one-knock, floats up slower to stay in the strike zone, Mustad Triple Grips.
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The Square A was one of the early squarebills and was made to float up fast from structure, kinda like a wood/balsa bait does. The bill has "chamfered corners" which helps it crawl over stuff. Note: This bait has a wider wobble. Comes in 2 sizes: 1 5/8" (1/4-oz) and 2" (3/8-oz):
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6. More crankin' options.
Soooooo many good ones – here's some:
Norman Speed N – I'm actually gonna grind this on rocks, see what happens.
Hardcore Crankbait 2+ – 2-7' depth range makes it attractive for this time of year... and the purple back/chart is VERY attractive...😁
Nishine Chippawa RB Slow Float – All Nishine baits are sick, this one's sorta a cross between a flatside and round-body...like James Hall at Bassmaster magazine – HAHAHA Hall! (Just makin' sure he's payin' attention.)
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Well, Jason Christie SAYS he fishes double-willows and designed some into the Covert Series, but you ever seen him fish one?? It's always IN or CO blades! Anyhow, word is the double IN version is good around baitfish...add a small swimbait trailer like the 3.5" YUM Pulse for bulk for easier casting and to give it a little less thump from the blades....
Here's Jason talkin' 'bout why and when he likes IN blades:
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Does Jason look like he's playin'? Does he EVER look like he's playin'?? Don't make any jokes about spinnerbaits with him, take it from me...😆
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If you like to/got to burn a spinnerbait this time of year, the Screamin Eagle was built for that. Has a smaller profile, almost like a 1/4-oz, but it's 1/2-oz (can also get it in 3/4). Lots of shad-like colors – that one's ^ tough to show, called "aurora" – and btw Jason fishes it this time of year because he likes burnin' 'em.
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What do you think about this deal? Seems truly new...or at least I don't remember seeing one til now. Willowleaf blade is attached with 3 rings and a coupler, giving it an erratic side-to-side hunting action. The head is also free-swinging:
- Mustad hook, wire keeper
- Hand-tied premium skirt
- 3/8- or 1/2-oz
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Cool short YT vid, says when he learned to fish bladed jigs he had to realize they were more like a crankbait than a spinnerbait. The right rod – 7' Shimano Curado glass rod – and right line are key for him. He likes 17-lb Seaguar AbrazX fluoro...but Keith also seems to use a little bit heavier line than most so ymmv....
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Real nice compact finesse jig (gp ^). I really like this jig for whatever that's worth:
> ...features a 2x strong 2/0 Mustad black nickel hook that allows you to put more pressure on the fish, and keep them from swimming into sharp rocks and structure during the fight.
> A flexible twisted wire is used for the weed guard and can be adjusted to your preferred angle.
> ...hand-tied skirts, and a hook style wire bait keeper....
I HAVE snagged 'em in rocks – because that's one of my many bassin' talents 😂 – but they are good about not gettin' the snag on so easy.
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Man there's no reason not to have a bunch of Jewel Jigs (I'm talkin' to myself too lol). They're just plain good (that one's "green gourd orange/gold flake"), have proven themselves many a time in tourneys, and for whatever reason folks have really been ketchin the feesh on smaller compact jigs the last couple years.
Couple deals:
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Here's you some deets:
> ...unique 6-sided head shape...ability to come through almost any type of cover...all the advantages of a casting, football, skipping and standup-style jig.
> ...medium-heavy fiber weedguard that protects the heavy wire 4/0 Mustad Ultra Point Hook from snagging.
> ...molded lead and single-wire bait keepe...range of colors that were carefully selected by Fish Head's pro staff [that's pearl white ^]....
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Love that color "violet brim," looks so real to me. Remember all bites in the fall aren't shad! Some are craw bites and some are bluegill bites, which this bait kinda looks like! 😁 Mike Bucca gives it the okay, pretty much all we need to know....
8. Few soft-plastics.
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These are solid-body tubes, which means they're not hollow – HAHAHA duh! For real, it means they sorta look and mostly act like a tube, and should be more durable...actually WILL be more durable because they're made outta Lunkerhunt's new "UDSP" = Ultra Durable Soft Plastic, which also floats. Love to see those tentacles under the water...and love to Carolina-rig that deal....
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Does that look like a shad? Yes it does – to a bass! The Spine Craw has a tight flapping action good for this time of year. Works on basically every rig. Little idea from YUM:
> Bomb the spine craw into a pile of schooling bass with a heavy Texas rig. The quick fall entices bass to run it down like a dying shad.
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4 words for ya: fluorescent shad green soda. That's that color and I'm sure bass'll eat it! Hey BioSpawn, need that bait in "Feider shad" too maybe....
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Things that stood out to me:
1. Keith Daffron is lookin' all burly with a beard. Good look man!
2. "...ideas for tomorrow that are gonna make you want to buy another Vexus." ANOTHER bass boat! So...a man could have 2 bass boats?? 🤯
3. Saw a couple Hoppers in there. They're kinda like those arrows Rambo used – the ones that looked like regular arrows but had exploding tips:
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4. Keith says peeps in Flippin, AR have "magic dust." That's probly true but either way that place is a national treasure.
Like I always say: Lotta good boats out there, maybe test drive a Vexus and see what happens....
Same deal – you like what you like. My 2c is there's no reason NOT to like the Tour Pro, and a couple reasons to really like it like this one, quotin' MLFLWer Blake Smith:
> When you hit as many spots as I do in a day, lifting a trolling motor over and over can be a bear. The Zero G Lift Assist in the MotorGuide Tour Pro makes my job a lot more relaxing.
> ...MotorGuide Tour Pro trolling motor is very solid, amazingly quiet and super lightweight to deploy/stow!
Here's his rig – he realizes he doesn't have enough units and enough screen square footage on the bow and might be DQd for it: 😂
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Here's the deal: Only takes one lift of anything to mess up a back – I know from experience mang! (Hope it doesn't happen to you!)
Good vid by Rye-An from WhyRd2Feesh – he uses Sea Foam Marine PRO in the process, which is the deal. Marine PRO "stabilizes tank fuel up to 2 YEARS." 🤯 🤯
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Boat mounts, yak mounts, lights, they've got it yo! Quick story: Brett McComas, who does Target Walleye which is like the BassBlaster except it's about trash fish (🤣), does a lotta video recording and he says the one deal he loves is his YOLOtek PowerStick. So for whatever that's worth, there you go.
Pay no attention to the spotted bass, just look at the PowerStick to the left lol:
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5. Comfort yer bad bassin' self while gettin' after 'em.
Some stuff in no particular order:
No-brainer for me. Bulletproof, insulated so good for all kinda liquids, manly but also attractive 😁, and cool-lookin'. Kinda like us bass fishermen! 😂 Here's my lineup:
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Yep that's my deck railing that needs to be power-washed lol. Also a PSA for the YETI LoadOut Bucket. $40 seems crazy expensive for a bucket, but so far – and accordin' to the reviews – it doesn't break like all those crappy Home Depot buckets (I hate those things man).
Probly need 2, here's why:
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Can happen without drugs! Revital Outdoors is a high-quality CBD company run by bros in Christ and the stuff works – for many folks, just bear in mind everyone's experience is a lil different.
Heard Gerald Swindle and other pros stash the gummies in their rigs. The gummies are for sure tasty, I just recommend the highest-concentration stuff which in this case are the gelcaps.
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One of the most insanely best BBQ sauces ever made, and it comes outta one of the bassin' capitals o' the world: AR! Plus the company name is Fatboy Happy LLC – lol gotta love it!
Been having a thing for chili dawgs lately – this pic is gettin' me goin' for more:
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- End of part 2 of 2 yo! -
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On BassBlaster.rocks right now...
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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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