One quick thought: Rick Clunn retiring opens up a legends exemption on the Elites. I believe several folks are waiting for that spot. Wonder how that gets figured out....

Betting you know that already but of course gotta mention it. Here's some of what they said – which is probably stuff you've already heard of or thought about:

> Starting with the 2025 season, the NPFL will prohibit the use of real-time imaging units –commonly referred to as "live forward-facing sonar" – during official practice and competition. Other sonar (e.g., 2D, side imaging, 360, et al) will continue to be permitted. The use of future technology will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

> The 2025 NPFL Championship will be conducted using 2024 rules. It's only fair that the anglers who qualified for the Championship be allowed to compete under the same rules under which they qualified.

More from their announcement:

> ...there is no way to make every stakeholder happy where a technology policy is concerned.

> Every sport has equipment rules to protect the players and the integrity of the game. As examples, Major League Baseball does not allow aluminum bats so as to protect certain players on defense and to preserve the game's legacy. Tournament bass fishing is not different...in its need to protect the integrity and appeal of the game.

> ...we do not want competitive bass fishing to become a technology arms race where anglers stare at a screen, targeting pixels and losing their connection to the fish we love so much. FFS is changing the ways that anglers approach competition and...reducing the methods and baits that anglers use to compete.

> It must be more than an expensive video game.

My 2c thoughts

1. Regardless of the NPFL's journey to arrive at this point – which I believe was at a way different place a few months ago – in my 2c it is the best business decision for NPFL ownership, as I have said at least a couple times in the BB.

Why? Because it should mean they'll get more big-name fishermen, which has already helped their "profile"/perception, and will help them in other ways beyond just making for a more compelling watch. Like:

• More sponsors probably paying more attention
• More sponsors maybe wanting to reach the NPFL's non-FFS audience, however big it gets
• Possibly NPFL pros rolling out new non-FFS baits on that trail
• If more "name" guys fish it, that possibly elevate the NPFL's "status" among bass-heads
• Etc

I could say more and might end up being wrong (all good!), but that's how it's looked to me.

2. I expected B.A.S.S. to take the lead here – because they are the origins of tournament bassin' and the 800-lb gorilla. I don't mean lead with a ban, just thought they would be first to announce what they are doing.

Either way, whenever B.A.S.S. comes out with somehting, it should still be the most important announcement.

3. NPFL announcing their position before B.A.S.S. and MLF says a lot, in my 2c. Nevertheless, B.A.S.S. and MLF obviously have much bigger footprints – so we wait on them.

3 more deals

Based on my own talks with folks, the majority of electronics companies don't care about a FFS ban...right now anyhow.

I have to say this again: In my 2c FFS is not the biggest issue in bass fishing. More on that (again) in a future BB.

For whatever reason I couldn't get this outta my head so:

😁

Kyle has been putting in his time and broke out this year with a Toyota win (Champlain), then a 2nd (St Lawrence) and a Toyota Northerns AOY win. How did he do it up north? With some new baits and...let's find out. Here's 5 with him:

1. How does an Okie make a run like that up north?

> "[Laughs] Man I've been up there quite a bit over the last few years, and I think I've just put in so many hours particularly on the St Lawrence River and Champlain that I finally got in tune with both bodies of water.

> "Not to mention I'm so passionate about smallmouth. Ever since I was a kid, when my dad would take me out in a canoe on the Elk River...[a smallmouth] was extra special compared to any other fish I caught.

> "So it's a passion of love, joy and respect for the fish, but also [a mission to] have success on 2 of the greatest bodies of water we have in North America."

2. Do you consider yourself good with FFS and how important was that in your run?

> "Yeah I consider myself good at it. Drew Gill's a buddy of mine and I'm not Drew Gill by any means, but I've spent a lot of time [learning] how to use it.... I think I'm above average with it.

> "Anytime we spend the time to learn to use the tools we're given, I think it helps a ton. [Sonar, baits, weather, etc] – whatever it is, the more time we have to learn what the fish do, I think it makes us a lot better.

> "Up at the St Lawrence, it was really key for my deep fish...able to target them better, slow down and have the confidence I need.

> "[For his] shallow fish I put together a pattern with the help of FFS. ...shallow current with broken spots of grass – you can visually see that with your eyes...FFS came into play watching my jerkbait come over that in the current and seeing how many fish were reacting to it.

> "I was fishing it because it had the 3 ingredients I was looking for on those shallow flats. All FFS did for me was solidify those spots. It did help me see whether 5 fish were after my jerkbait or 1...."

3. Since Casey Smith won the last event, that means you could only win the Toyota Northern Division AOY if you finished 2nd, which you did. Did you know that going in??

> "Man, I'm a [former] civil engineer...for 14 years...so I'm a math guy. So yes I knew it was definitely a tight race. Casey was only 2 points behind me [going into the St Lawrence]. Ben McCann had a great 1st day and he was right there too....

> "[After day 1 at the St Lawrence] I'm gonna have to darn near win this thing because one or both of these guys are gonna keep putting it on. So I knew...even in the weigh line, if he beats me by 2 places we go to a tiebreaker. And the tiebreaker is total weight for all 3 events. ...I didn't know how much he had, he didn't know how much I had. I knew it would be tight because all our finishes were pretty close to each other."

[Kyle did the math afterward: He weighed 177-12 over those 3 events and Casey had 177-02. Crazy close!]

4. Far as I know, you're the first guy to give that new BOOYAH Flash Point jerkbait a real tournament workout. Is it legit and what do you like about it?

> "It is legit and I like a lot of things about it. The first thing I like is the [BKK] hooks. I'm a jerkbait fanatic, and every jerkbait I've ever thrown I change the hooks. I'm constantly changing hooks, trying to find the ones I trust the most.

> "I've been catching them [at the St Lawrence over the years] on a jerkbait, and man you're lucky if you get half of them in the boat to be honest. Maybe 2/3 on a good day. ...you're pulling on those hooks in that current, trying to fight a fish that's already strong...hooks [often] bend out or pull out....

> "The first one I hook [on the Flash Point, a 5.75 in practice]...I was horsing him [intentionally]. The first 2 hours I caught 24 lbs on a single jerkbait and I didn't lose a single fish. They were munching that day...perfect conditions for it. And all my hooks were ticky-tacky sharp. None of them had to be bent back out [or sharpened].

> "I'm a Megabass 110 guy, have been my whole life.... But for the tournament I tied on the Flash Point. It was a done deal – I had confidence because not only did they not come unbuttoned, for whatever reason it just made them mad.

> "I like to throw [jerkbaits] crosscurrent...at an angle. All of a sudden [smallmouths were] peeling off the bottom...can be from 20-25'. The Flash Point gets pretty deep. Standard ones get 8-10', deeper ones get to 12'.

> "[Typically he'd be twitching a different jerkbait and] they'd come up and take a look, and I'd work it a little more [to get them to bite]. These fish were not hesitating on [the Flash Point] at all. Either it's the way the bait rolls, the blade on the head – something about the whole combination makes them mad and they commit to it.

> "All I really need in a jerkbait is that it makes them mad and the hooks keep them pinned. 100% it's legit."

5. Do you think that blade on the head makes a difference?

> "Yes. I don't know how much in dirty-water situations because I've only got to play with it in clear water so far. All you have to do is throw it by the side of the boat...start twitching it and you get that blinding flash like you would from a spoon.

> "There's no way a fish doesn't see it, and it triggers that instinct of bait.

> "It's geared to suspend at a 40-degree angle nose down...that blade is flaring left, right, down toward the fish – the fish are seeing it.

> "[On FFS] I can find it really well, but I would have to have 2 jerkbaits side by side [to know if you can see it better than another brand]. I think the theory behind it makes sense. I need to take the time to learn a little bit more about the technology behind my [Lowrance] ActiveTarget 2 – about how it reads and the return it gets....

> "The second [a smallmouth] sees the jerkbait, he brightens up [on FFS]. That fish gets brighter immediately when it's interested. It's weird. The second he turns bright, he's gonna come up 10-15' to look at the bait every time.

> "I'm not sure what gives a brighter return other than he's moving...I wish I knew more about it."

Baits from his last 2 Toyotas

St Lawrence River

> Shallow fish: BOOYAH Flash Point (gp sexy shad, pro blue), 12-lb fluoro, Kistler Series 1 Reel, 7' M Kistler Helium Rod.

Deep fish:

> YUM YUMbrella Flash Mob Jr A-rig with 3.5" boottail swimbaits (shad) on 1/4-oz jigheads, 17- and 10-lb fluoro, Kistler Chromium Reel, 7 10 H Kistler KLX Rod.

> Dropshot: 3.25" Great Lakes Finesse Drop Minnow (spicy melon, smelt), #2 Trokar Pro-V Drop Shot Hook, 3/8-oz Eagle Claw Drop Shot Weight, 10-lb braid to 8-lb leader, Kistler Spin Reel, 7' ML Kistler Helium Rod.

> "The [deep] fish were set up on shoals and big boulders, current breaks.... If I saw a school on an isolated boulder or grouped up tight, that's when I'd throw a Drop Minnow – the 3.25" [new bigger size]."

Lake Champlain

> Day 1 – 5" YUM FF Sonar Minnow (JC natural, sight minnow colors), 1/4- and 3/8-oz jigheads. "I did use GLF Drop Minnow (spicy melon) on a dropshot but it was the 2.75 because it was before ICAST. I caught some on a jerkbait too but I didn't have the Flash Point yet."

> Days 2-3 – "It was all Sonar Minnow and the big deal was I made a change. I saw some gold-colored shiners...got coughed up in my boat. I switched over to 'Tenkiller gold' and 'ayu.'"

[He said he's currently going through his day 3 Champlain video and halfway through he's caught 55 fish for 175-12. 🤯]

FYI good YT vid on that BOOYAH Flash Point here.

- Sounds like FFS – but it's from a 2017 In-Fisherman post about side imaging. Full deal:

> Today's sophisticated electronics with side-imaging have changed [Jason] Christie's approach to deep cranking. In the past he'd crank down miles of ledges and flats until he found fish, but now he scans structure with his electronics to find schools of bass. "Now I don't make a cast offshore unless I see fish," he says.

Is that different from FFS? A bit.....

Jason says in that deal that his fave deep crankbait is a Bomber Fat Free Shad in "citrus shad" – no doubt one of the best deep crankbaits of all time, and Jason still fishes it. That bait is only $3.99 on TW but that color is back-ordered....

Gitcha latest update, intel and laughs 😁 with the Abu Garcia REVO Top 5 Tips, Trends and Techniques in Bass Fishing, Episode 8! 🎯

1. Homemade dice baits

2. Hover dice

3. Pressure ➡️ adjustment

4. FFS IS conditioning fish!?

5. L and ML rods cool now?

Baits 'n stuff mentioned in this one:

Abu Garcia REVO Reels

OSP Dice Rubber

Geecrack Cue Bomb

Big Bite Baits Scentsation Quarantine Craw

SPRO soft-plastics

Daiwa BLX Spin Rods

Abu Garcia Spin Rods

Fenwick Spin Rods

VMC RedLine Hooks

End tune is VH's "Amsterdam" live 👊

1. Matt Becker and Spencer Shuffield won the MLF team deal

Won it on Presque Isle Bay in Erie – of course pinging a minnow...NOT! 😁ChatterBait and flipping a tube in offshore milfoil 7-8' with bait.

2. Frank Talley is done with the Elites

Not sure how I missed it (sorry Frank!):

> Fishing has been my life for almost all of it. Fishing through Bassmasters has held my heart for the past 7 years. But 7 years ago I didn't have grandchildren, I didn't have the life I do now. And after 7 years I have made the hard decision to focus fully on my family and my business.

> This doesn't come easy but I'm ready to be home more for my family which has always been my priority in life.

He had 4 top 10s but one of them was a win – the 2020 Elite at Guntersville. In my 2c Frank is real good people. Bless you man!

3. How Bryan Thrift uses his integrated electronics (YT vid)

First of all, he uses them very quietly – because Bryan doesn't get loud...😁

Okay talkin' Minn Kota/Humminbird's One-Boat Network – which in my 2c will be/should be/is a huge advantage for Johnson Outdoors vs the other electronic folks in the 'lectronics wars but time will tell!

4. Mark Menendez likes to upsize his spinnerbait blade

> Most tandem spinnerbaits come with a #2 CO blade on the wire and a #4.5 willowleaf blade on the swivel. I like to change the willowleaf blade to a #5 because it gives the bait a little more lift in the water. This helps me to slow the retrieve down, and it gives a bait a little different profile.

5. Caleb Kuphall renamed the St Lawrence River

Typo in an IG post and it's a good one:

> Now it's on to the St Lowrance River for the last Elite of the year.

Amazing! Lowrance marketing peeps could maybe make that happen? 😁

6. Jesse Wiggins is selling his 2024 Bass Cat Puma STS

Mercury 250 ProXS, all Lowrance, might have to ask him for a free shakey head setup....

7. Alex Wetherell is selling his '24 Nitro Z21 XL

Merc 250 Pro XS, Minn Kota/Humminbird but with Garmin LiveScope too.

8. AL: 7th annual God is Bigger tourney is Sept 14

Logan Martin out of Pell City.

9. TX: Who knew TPWD raises koi to feed hatchery fish

Maybe gitcha orange and white cranks rollin' TX peeps!

10. Yamamoto has a new 2.5" size Hula Grub 👀

Believe it was just 3" and 4". New smaller size comes in 8 colors, 10 per pack. In my 2c the Hula Grub is one of the best stand-alone baits and jig trailers there is. For some reason the fish just like it. Here's a good YT vid with Roy "Fish" Hawk talkin' 'bout Hulas.

11. Berkley Swamp Lords are available at TW

"Bone" is still back-ordered til Oct but looks like the rest of the colors of this summer's hottes frowg are in there:

Here's a YT vid of Justin Lucas running it down.

12. Check RAID's swim-jig swimbait underspin thing

All it needs is a skirt and a treble hook to be every bait! 😁 They call it an underspin:

> ...the Libero Underspin is highly effective in hard-bottom wintering areas where dying weeds, brush, and fallen leaves accumulate and make it difficult to fish a crankbait or blade bait.

13. Bryan Seti new natty sales/marketing mgr at G3 Boats

> Seti will also continue his current role as GM of Yamaha's WaterCraft Division. Within both positions, Seti will leverage 25 years of proven sales and marketing expertise to propel both the G3 and WaterCraft brands.

14. "I won practice" – best podcast name so far?

Name of Precision Sonar's podcast, love it!

15. DC: USFWS grants = $17 mil for Delaware River basin

Says for "restoration" but doesn't look like all of it is for that....

Line of the Day

As the aquaculture industry intensifies to enhance production efficiency and capacity, the risk of disease outbreaks in high-density systems, such as those for largemouth bass, has escalated.

A YUGE reason not to commercially raise largemouths. C'mon FL, fix it!

How Jordan Lee fishes grass

From the MLF site:

> "...I'll either start on the outside edge or where it starts to taper off and become more sparse. That's always a good place to concentrate on. The next thing I'll look for is the thickest grass, the nastiest and biggest mats. A lot of times, that I where the fish are going to congregate."

> As the water cools in the fall..."the bass will go to the thickest stuff.... Those fish that are on the outer edges will start to gravitate to the mats because that's where all of the life is. The bluegill will start moving in because it is typically a little warmer inside of the center of those mats."

> A Texas rig with a heavy weight, frog and ChatterBait are his top picks for fishing vegetation.

> "The key is to be able to make a lot of casts in a day and be efficient, and one of the best ways to do that is by punching with a big weight. That's probably the best way to catch them where there's a lot of grass because you can drop it right in their home.

> "If the water is a little deeper and the grass is sparser, a ChatterBait will let you fish faster and cover much more water until you find them."

"I do a lot of jig fishing around a lot of milfoil grass, rockpiles, some boat docks...I don't do the forward-facing sonar thing that everybody else does."

- VT's Tom Lavictoire talkin', who wins just about every tournament on Lake Champlain including the recent ABA Open. Sounds like he best get with the times...🤣 Just mesin', looks like he's got 'em figgered out!

Wes Strader made a troller pointer for his Move. Very precise, believe it took hm at least a day. Asked if he's selling 'em, no response yet...😆 Just messin'...either way bet it works great!

Smucker counting on Uncrustables in the year ahead

Guess they're counting on fishermen and hunters then! 😁

Fishers of Men Tournament Trail

Bass Chaplain podcasts

Contact Chris Wells the Bass Chaplain

CullGear.com - Versaweb

Advanced Angler

StrayCasts crazy web show!

BassEdge Radio

Champion Jigs

Trophy Bass Co.

National Professional Anglers Assoc.