Saw that On Em "Matt" Robertson is now offerin' "OFF 'EM" hats – bahahaha! Was gonna order a few to wear to my daughter's sports deals (peeps would have NO idea lol), but Matt's outta stock! 🥺
Got a lead on a couple good/not as bad NJ lakes so hopefully will have a chance to get back On 'Em this weekend. Hope you do too!
This Blaster's a lil loaded, hope you enjoy. Brought to you by Van Halen I and II, and the most incredible geetar tour de force ever: "I'm the One." 🤯 If'n ya really wanna be smoked, check the iso guitar track – DANG! (I play it real dang loud over actual speakers that move air and ruin hearing – no puny "earbuds" for rock 'n roll! Like to FEEL the music, not just hear it...and good habits are hard to break man hahahaha!)
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Chris Jones talks fall swim-jiggin'.
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You know Chris – won an open on a prototype BOOYAH Mobster Swim Jig and then came close to winning the Classic on the same bait. Says he's got it on the deck 365/yr, so here's how he rolls with it in the fall:
> "This time of year, just getting into the fall, I'll throw the 1/2-oz and change trailers depending on how fast I'm reeling it or what depth I want it in. When the water temperature is in the low 50s, I'll switch to 1/4-oz if I'm fishing it in a shallow range, and maybe put a bulky trailer on – that way it makes me slow down....
> "...1/2-oz and a big, bulky trailer on there will slow it down a lot too. Now I might have no trailer at all if I want it to fall faster and the bait [shad] is smaller.
> "What I look for say on Lake of the Ozarks, a lot of guys throw a Plopper, a spinnerbait or Chatterbait. I'll go behind them with the jig. It's a little more finessey because [it's smaller and] I can get it in places they can't get. I look for places to fish where other guys can't.
> "You can take our swim jig with that mouse head design and can skip it under boat houses – anywhere you throw a conventional jig – and swim it out. That mouse head is one of the best skipping heads. I've used this jig for years...skipping it and swimming it around boathouses....
> "If it's a clear body of water and you skip it into a boat stall, it's only a reaction bite. So you want a fast fall [meaning] no trailer. There's no action to it – you impart the action. Like a Fluke. A Fluke doesn't have any action. You make it erratic with your rod and reel, not with a trailer.
> "...2-3 isolated laydowns. I can cover so much more water with a swim jig than if I'm flipping those places.
> "...big grass flats off a main river channel or the main lake. Guntersville for example – you can chunk and wind, just crank it. That's a great way to catch 'em.
> "I just have confidence in it. It's the best bait imitator for clean water there is. It's like throwing a spinnerbait, Chatterbait and jig all in one."
This time of year he says he likes 2 colors: "Shorty Small" (chart/white) and "The Cleaner" (white):
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More deets
> "I throw a 1/2-oz just about all the time. The only exception is if it's really dirty water or if the water's cooling down and I want to slow it way own."
> Trailer choices: "I almost always use the YUM Craw Chunk and Spine Craw [for a] paddle-flapping trailer. In the fall, if it's a halfway clear, I use the smaller 3.25" YUM Pulse [swimbait]. I keep it simple and let the fish tell me what they want."
> "With a swim jig, 90% of bites you're gonna see them either flash on it, come out and get it, or eat it. If I have 2-3 in a row miss it, it's either the trailer, [the jig] color, or you need to speed it up or slow it down – or make it smaller, more compact."
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Why are we not fishin' this rig??
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Or should I say flippin'? Check it, guess it'd be called the VMC Tokyo wacky football?
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Gitcha knowin' Alex at Tackle Tour.
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Know about TackleTour.com? Probably, but if not you might dig it, especially if you're into the fine deets of stuff (aka, tackle nerd!) and swimbaitin'. Here's a quick 5 with Alex Mei, real good dude who runs the show while somehow managin' to be a NoCal tech exec who fishes his brains out...mostly with swimbaits:
1. Is swimbait fishin' an addiction and if so isn't the most healthy thing just to avoid it?? 😁
> "It is absolutely an addiction. It's an affliction and it is the best kind of sickness, honestly. You can go deep with it. It's just another way to catch fish, but there's so much artistry and personality involved in these baits. The first time you catch a fish on a custom swimbait, and especially a rat, you're gonna be hooked."
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2. We know swimbaits can catch 'em everywhere, but where do you see the main concentrations of swimbaitin' outside of Cali right now?
> "We see a lot of swimbaiting from all over the US. ...very strong in the West, the entire West Coast. A lot of our readers come from the Delta where there's a lot of swimbait action. ...then we see a ton of swimbait action on the East Coast too. NY and all the way to FL, then of course TX, OK, the Midwest. Some of the best swimbait makers come from the Midwest, NY, L.A. [Los Angeles] and especially the Delta region here."
3. What's your fave category of swimbaits?
> "Definitely topwater wake baits and especially rats. I love 2- and 3-piece rats, both resin and wood. There's just something hilarious about winding back a rat, having that knock-knock-knock, and a big ol' bass winds up and casually crushes it. I love it.
> "A lot of people think about rats only as nighttime baits, but they're also great daytime baits to fish around shallow structure or open water. If it's got a white belly on it, fish will hit it, even in the middle of the day."
4. What would you give up first, your NSX or your rat collection??
> "Ooooo that's a tough one. I'd have to say the NSX. I love cars, I love going fast, but I tell you what – swimbaiting is definitely an addiction and it's hard to give up this drug."
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[I have no idea, but gonna bet Alex has more $$$ in swimbaits than vehicles, which is sayin' somethin'!]
5. Do electronics play a part in your swimbait fishing?
> "Yes absolutely. Similar to other fishing, it's not so much to find the fish you're actually targeting. It's to look for baitfish and structure. Understanding structure is really important in swimbait fishing.
> [Example:] "Sit on a point or alongside it, and cast toward deeper water. The fish will actually chase the swimbait back in...like it's chasing a baitfish toward a wall, there's nowhere else for it to go, and that's when they hit it.
> "Shore [swimbait] anglers have that down. The fish chase it in...like to smash swimbaits moving up to shallow water because they know [the bait] has nowhere else to go."
That's pretty dang interestin'! Wonder if the same strategy would work with topwater on points? Or am I late to that party....
Bonus Qs
Is swimbaiting for bass like fishing for muskies – 1,000 casts for 1 fish?
> "It depends on the type of swimbaiting you do. Most people think of swimbaits as a giant lure. But you can use small ones for lots of bites too. Lots of guys will go all day and sling for that one big bass, but it doesn't have to be like that."
What's your favorite swimbait stuff?
> "I love the stuff from Illude. I think he does a fantastic job building baits that are fun to fish, with just an incredible amount of craftsmanship in them. They swim perfect, they sound perfect and the airbrush work is incredible. They're fishable works of art.
> "For setups, a lot of guys love using round reels. I love large low-pro reels...braid with a fluoro leader, and a 7' 6" to 8' XH rod. That gives you the muscle to launch the bait and the strength to guide the fish back in – and with a rat [you can] keep the fish high and out of the structure...."
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Mike Iaconelli's fave jig color is...PB&J??
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Okay we all know that gp and b/b are the pros' color choices 90+% of the time – but not for Mr. Different, my NJ homie Mad M-Ike-And-L-E:
> "I get asked all the time if I had to pick one bait to tournament-fish with what would it be Answer: 1/2-oz PB&J Missile Jigs Mini Flip Jig!"
WTHeck? Obviously Mike fishes all over the country, but gotta tell you that color ain't exactly a Jersey thing – more like Ozarks/Jewel country. So I asked him about it:
> "It's interesting – there's something special about the brown/purple color. It's really good in all color water, clear to dirty. I think it's a good imitation of craws and/or panfish.
> "I like to blend in the color of the trailer. I like cinnamon purple or green pumpkin for the PowerBait Baby Chigger Craw. In fact, I usually use the Crazy Legs Chigger Craw – then I can choose to either leave the long antennas on (if I want a larger, more action-filled profile) or I pinch 'em off for a smaller, more compact profile.
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> "This is basically the same jig I used to win the Bassmaster Elite on the Delaware River and an MLF Cup up in Maine!"
Warning: The jig is made by John Crews. That is all. 😁
Will plug Mike's last 2 shows (far as we know) again:
- 8:30 pm EST Mon, Sept 27 with UFC Fighter Jim Miller
- 8:30 pm EST Mon, Oct 4 – LPGA Tour Professional Marina Alex
Don't worry: If he ever gets too big for his britches (he's come close lol), we'll make sure he knows it. Jersey takes care of its own if you know what I mean...😤
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Call me crazy but I think that thing would get ATE!
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Ever seen that look in Kevin's eye when he's sandbaggin'? Don't think it was there this time so:
> "Whether it's grass, rock, or sand I don't want my crankbait digging into the bottom for smallmouth. Smallmouth usually live in somewhat clear water and love to feed by looking up. That's why cranking in the fall is so effective, you use their aggressive nature against them by burning a tasty-looking meal over their heads. They can't resist it."
Looks bigger than my house, more tackle than most stores + James Hall's garage, and clean, like you could eat, play cards and sleep on the floor. Amazin'!
Lot more common than we hear about:
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Weirdly Guy doesn't seem to have aged but Matt...? 😁 Just messin'....
She's still a stick!
> ...been professionally fishing for roughly 35 years. "It's been a job. But it's a passion that I enjoy. I've been fishing since I was a little bitty thing. The drive to compete, it doesn't matter how old you are.
> "I definitely couldn't do what I do without a good support group: the good Lord, my husband, my friends and family, and not least of all my sponsors."
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At Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, where the HOF is located:
> The 2020 induction class features Steve Bowman and Jay Yelas along with posthumous inductees Bryan Kerchal, Ron Lindner and James Heddon. Gene Gilliland, Trip Weldon and the late Jason Lucas comprise the 2021 class.
Dang it, snuck up on me. Maybe I can still make it.... Luckily my ol' bud Bowman's been callin' me EVERY DANG DAY to make sure I'm comin'...hahaha NOT!
Guillermo Gonzalez won it – should give confidence to anyone:
> "...I made a conscious decision to avoid those popular spots, even though they were probably holding fish. One of these areas looked especially promising. It was a good-sized shallow flat, and just as I hoped, I had the area completely to myself."
Congrats to him. Guess they don't like round #s for prize $$ in 'yak tourneys??
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😁 Every dolla helps!
Seems like sometimes they just want those legs man:
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Did I say that already? I got the 7' 2" M since I'm still on the M vs MH for me – really like it so far.... Okuma is uppin' their bass game which is why it's in the BB mang!
Haven't heard of 'em before but:
> The inspiration for Ledgerock Lures came from our dear friend, mentor and fishing legend Guido Hibdon. Ledgerock Lures is a wholesale fishing tackle company on Table Rock Lake offering a unique line of soft plastic lures.
This D-Claw does remind me of Guido liking more-realistic craws:
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Need that in a T-shirt!
That's a deal I really wanna be at just cuz it's a first and I LOVE the whole college recruitin' for bassin' thing. Good luck to 'em!
On TikTok:
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L to R:
Sounds like at least 3 of 'em are bass-heads includin' Danny Suggs:
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MN-Fish is all about getting a unified voice in front of the MN state gov't = needed in every state!
Dang wonder how much? MJ = "weed"....
17. Asian carp updatin's.
IL: Guy who sold 'em for lobster bait now making 'em into liquid fertilizer. Can't link it, at: wgem com
Sounds like they're lookin' for a way to get rid of a bunch of it.
> Blue tilapia, an exotic fish, has exploded at Silver Springs over the last 2 years to 88% of the total fish population. "This is a troubling trend because blue tilapia compete with native mullet and gizzard shad for food and bass and sunfish for nesting areas."
Makin' it sound like some kinda major criminal deal lol:
> ...swift action by inspectors and conservation officers prevented zebra mussels from entering the province. The ministry said a boat contaminated with invasive zebra mussels was intercepted on Aug 30 at a watercraft inspection station by Moosomin near the Manitoba border.
> It was determined by conservation officers that the owner was an Alberta resident who recently purchased the boat in Manitoba.
I mean, could it get any sketchier than that?? 😱 😂
> The company has "aggressive plans" for future acquisitions nationwide in the next 6 to 18 months. It hopes to acquire 2 to 4 or more in the next year.... "There's no ceiling to how large our platform can get." To accelerate its growth, TopSide is offering a $75,000 finder's fee to those who connect them with a marina they end up buying....
Has the iPad-looking deal on the dash and a V6 – 3.5L EcoBoost, 440 hp, tows up to 9,300 lbs:
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> Basically the MRC found that Nielsen's national TV ratings (and local people meter and set meter markets results) weren't up to snuff in terms of accuracy of measurement, and thus were not suitable for use in negotiations between media buyers (representing advertisers) and sellers (the networks selling commercial time).
Headline of the Day
Not sure what to make of that deal...but I believe it! Hahaha IN peeps! 😁
Line of the Day
Guess if your children are diehard bass-heads??
PSAs
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Just a reminder, if you're a deer hunter might wanna sign up for the DeerBlaster! It's just 1x/week of the best of the deer huntin' webz. Latest issue here, sign up here.
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On BassBlaster.rocks right now...
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> Color is a part of picking the right lure. Most hardcore frog anglers will tell you that black and white are the colors to fish. I like natural colors.
> I also trim the skirt tails on my frog so that they flair out more when it’s sitting still in the water. The trimming makes it easier to walk too. I trim both of them at an angle in so that the longest strands are to the inside.
> My tackle is pretty much the same as other anglers. I want a long H-action rod, and I want my reel spooled with 65-lb Seaguar braid.
> The 2 best places to fish a giant frog [he likes the Megabass Big Gabot] are at the mouth of a creek, or at the mouth of a cove, backwater or cut. My experience says that the giants don’t go back into the real shallow water...prefer the outside where the water is deeper and an escape route is nearby.
> I walk my frog slowly and carefully. The best cadence I’ve found is to snap your rod 3 times and then pause for several seconds. It’s L-R-L-pause all the way back to the boat. Don’t get in a hurry. Slow and easy is what’ll get you a bite.
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"...Denny Brauer, a flipping rod in hand, is methodically dropping a black hair jig into tiny pockets in the lily pads."
- Had to read that 3x to make sure I got it right...a BLACK HAIR JIG! What up with that Denny?? In TX??? He's down there actin' all MN and whatnot...lol.
That's the one 'n only Bob Cobb talkin', and for those who don't know Bob was the original editor of Bassmaster Mag, and the original producer and voice of The Bassmasters TV show. He is THE MAN!
Here's a lil more from that FB post, which is about Bassmaster camera dude Beau Anello. Tx to bass-head Johnny G for the heads:
> There were tournament anglers that proved camera shy and waved them off. [Bettin' they didn't want their spot outed!]
> Roland Martin: "When you get out of the marina, turn right on the Rim Canal and run until you see the first cut-through to the big water. Head straight into the rising sun and run at 5,000 RPMs for 12 to 13 minutes. That's my Ranger with a Mercury motor fishing that outside weedline. You can't miss us. There some bedding fish locked on the beds. Will make for good TV!"
Hahaha gotta love Roland! Smart!
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There's a "bass head" for ya! 😳 Is it a whole bass? Do they have gators in Japan or some other thing with sharp teeth?? 😬 @japanimporttackle pic:
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Little snackin' ideas for ya – might be outta bounds for some:
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Bottom R: Currywurst at a McDonald's in Germany 🤢
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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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