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Once’t upon a time, two bros — let’s call ’em “Boyd” and “Gary” — decided to buy a couple BB guns and start shootin’ birds in the backyard. Thought it was fun, so they invited some friends to do it — but then it got old. They needed something more excitin’.
All the dudes went out and got their huntin’ licenses, bought .22s and started stalkin’ squirrels (which was a little weird cuz one of ’em IS a squirrel). Man they had a time, shootin’ the critters and eatin’ tree rodents ‘n gravy with Velveeta bicuits. But then…they started to dream about elephants. Huntin’ elephants.
All the fellers had seen elephants before, but they didn’t really know how to hunt ’em. All they knew is they needed a lot bigger weapons, a lot more peeps and probly had to go somewhere they’d never been before to git ‘er done.
They couldn’t shake the feelin’ they needed an elephant. Kept havin’ dreams about elephants. Few folks were like, “How ’bout elk? What about bighorn sheep or a nice goat?” Nope. The two bros and their posse wanted a dang elephant. Sounded excitin’. Sounded big.
So they got the guns and ammo they needed (at Bass Pro Shops), traveled to elephant territory and started shootin’. Just a short time later, danged if they didn’t bag a substantial-like pachyderm!
All the dudes were standin’ there lookin’ at its bulky self when someone said, “Okay now how do we eat this thing?”
– To be continued –
HAHAHA! Y’all know MLF has a letter of intent to acquire FLW — which means FLW is NOT bought yet. Gonna hold off on any thoughts about it for now cuz I wanna talk to some folks and think about it some more — plus too many folks these days have too many opinions too fast.
Congrats to all involved, hope the deal goes through. Links to read up on it:
> MLF 1 and MLF 2 — pretty sure the exact same info is on the FLW site.
> BassFan, owned by the folks who own part of MLF so they get some exclusive info. |
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Hank Cherry’s crazy-talk about jerkbaits.
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Hank’s a well-known jerkbait addict, is known to fish them “too much,” and reportedly sleeps with a stuffed jerkbait at night or he wakes up REAL cranky. Okay, not the last one…far as I know anyhow….
Anyhow, in this Bassin’masters post he basically says a lot of what bass-heads think about jerkbaits is false, like:
> The idea that you need to twitch a jerkbait once, twice or three times to get a bite on any given day doesn’t resonate with me. And…don’t buy into the thinking that the length of the pause is critical.
> The important thing about catching a bass on a jerkbait is to get it down to its designed depth and then keep it coming back to your boat. Bass…don’t count twitches and pauses.
> …I also don’t buy into the idea that some jerkbaits should rise, some should suspend perfectly level and some should sink. Every jerkbait I fish with falls when I stop it…no exceptions to this. When I throw a jerkbait I’m trying to make it look like an injured or sick minnow. They sink.
> The only time I want my jerkbait to come straight back to the boat is when I’m trying to get it down as deep as possible. Otherwise I always want them to run a little crooked — left or right makes no difference….
Whoa. Told my buddy Ringneck about it and he was like:
Hank, I’d lock your door man….
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Top 10 baits from the Grand Lake Costa broken down.
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Big congrats to OK’s Curt Warren, who managed to beat a local guy Jason Christie (anyone heard of him? heehee!) by 1-06 to win the deal. Think I’ve heard of or know everyone in the top 10 — sho-nuff hammer fest, tough deal to win, ‘specially with Jason throwin’ everyone intimidatin’ looks….
Sounds like Warren planted his own brush in the lake:
> Warren fished in 15-30′ feet and targeted chunk rock and “green” brushpiles. He plants a lot of brush in the lake….
> “If you bring trees with green leaves on them from your house and sink them, it seems like that attracts the baitfish. Also…if you put in fresh brush and no one knows where it’s at, you have a better chance of catching them.”
Can’t imagine he’s the only one who does it so must look like a bunch of high-powered duck blinds out there at times. Anyhow, he dragged a 3/4-oz Bass X Football Jig (kicker craw) with a Zoom Brush Hog (watermelon candy), and when bass schooled a 1/2-oz spinnerbait (white, double willows). Here what the whole top 10 fished:
Flip plastics = 50%
Crankbait = 30% — All squarebills.
Jig = 30%
20% each = Football jig, Spinnerbait, Flip worms, Hardhead. Both were Larew Hardheads with Biffle Bugs which I believe were designed by some guy named Tommy?
10% each = Buzzbait, Bladed jig (Jack Hammer), Shakey head (magnum).
Shout-outs:
> Most often mentioned sot-plastics: Zoom.
> Jason had YUM make the tinfoil color for fishing plastics around shad, which he did it this time (Christie Critter).
> Former pro angler and pro rodeoer Cody Bird (5th) has been showin’ out over the last year or 2.
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Pointless debaiting: Do you understand what goes down?
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Like to think BassBlaster bass-heads are solid folks who see things straight, so hopefully this ain’t for you — or maybe it’s actually news to you. Talkin’ ’bout watching pros on Live, any trail…motivated by junk Seth Feider got online for using a few different cranks at St Clair. Surprised this is still a thing but guess it’s either the #interwebz or maybe some folks actually don’t know what’s up so:
Fishing
1. On Live, you are not seeing what the pros do all day long, including what they’re fishing all day long. Some folks make assumptions based on a couple minutes of video here and there. That’s not realistic. Think of your own fishing days — clip 2 minutes outta that and….
2. Unless you’re IN THE BOAT (not even observing from a nearby boat) with that pro all day, you really don’t know what went on all day. Believe me — talkin’ as someone who’s been doing this for 2+ decades, who’s been in those boats (and spectator boats) many a time, all dang day! If you don’t wanna believe me, marshal a few times and check with your buds vs what they see on Live.
The Biz
3. With very few exceptions, pro fishermen can only talk about sponsor baits. We all know — their sponsors know too — they sometimes use baits made by companies they’re not paid by. All you have to do is look at what they have tied on at the launch. It’s no secret, and it’s okay.
4. Talkin’ ’bout ’em in the media is different. Pros — ones you’ve heard of — have been fired by companies for being honest about non-sponsor baits, and all pros know that. Doesn’t mean bait companies are “mean” or think that only their baits are the shizzle. It’s just: Would you be cool with paying someone who talked up your competitor’s product? Pretty sure…no.
5. Live video doesn’t change the fishing biz or the paid-endorsement biz. So Live is just a way for us spectators to enjoy a tourney, learn more and “be out there too” a little. Pretty dang sure Live isn’t there so we can feel superior because we see stuff a pro can’t talk about but we can…and btw the pros don’t hide anything on camera so there’s no deception anyway.
6. The vast majority of pros — maybe all of ’em:
a) Believe strongly in the baits made by the companies they represent and fish them most often.
b) Use the baits they say they use, tho at times not only.
c) Truly wish they could tell us regular bass-heads everything they use…except the real secrets…which they have!
The bassin’ biz is what it is — I think it’s it’s friggin’ fun and great — so for folks NOT in the biz to act like it “should be” something else is, honestly, naive. If they were in the same position they’d do the same, no doubt.
And…
If anyone sees something on Live and has an urge to post about it, no biggie, just maybe check yourself about motivation. Do you just want to inform or is there something else?
If any dude saw something, we all did. We all have eyes and can see what’s what — for the moments we’re shown, which ain’t the whole day! And once again, the pros hide nothing, the cameras hide nothing. So what’s the big deal?
Talking bad about any pro for playing the game by the rules is at best uninformed. Someone on the internet posting like they don’t know the bassin’ biz — all 50+ years of it — or that they’d take a bullet in the same stich…I doubt it.
So my 2c: Just dig what the pros are willing to share, understand the context, and KEEP ON LOVIN’ BASSIN’ for what it is man — including the pros, who in my opinion all deserve love and admiration…even Ike…and maybe even Boyd (heehee!).
That’s what I do anyhow…. Just 1 bass-head’s 2c, hope this helps give you some perspective, peace out on this’n.
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Would you fish a meat pop?
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This @zappu_official Japanese jig setup…
…is this to a bass:
If you haven’t had one of James Overstreet’s meat pops yet you’re missin’ out. Don’t think he ships….
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News
1. Brent Chapman says fishing’s like the NBA or the NFL.
Interesting perspective:
> If you don’t figure out in the first couple of hours that it’s going to be a high-scoring and fast-paced game like in the NBA, it could be a grind-it-out type of day like in the NFL.
If you’re a Redskins fan, you get 1 bite every couple years…lol
2. Good David Fritts post.
Talks about his tough year — some for personal reasons — and how wild it was to look back on all he did for the Bassin’ Hall of Famousness. Yeah man, you did a bunch AND gave us a lotta great crankin’ baits, thank you!
David also did a lotta that bassin’ stuff while sittin’ down….
3. Seth Feider thinks St Clair forage has changed.
> “…forage has gone from gobies — where the tube and the dropshot was really strong — to where they’re eating more perch and shiner minnows now. That’s probably why it’s more of a crankbait, jerkbait, spybait kind of place now.”
Find that very interesting. Does the whole goby deal have a half life? Does this give us hope when it comes to other invasives? Not sure but really liked a smallie tourney not dominated by finessin’. Nice change.
Btw Seth’s on StrayCasts TONIGHT. Head to StrayCasts.net.
4. Pro Phoenix boats for sale.
Elitist Drew Benton is selling his 2019 721, 4-stroke 2019 Mercury 250 Pro XS, Lowrance ‘lectronics and a lot of other stuff.
FLWer Josh Douglas is selling his 2019 21PHX, Evinrude G2 250, also Lowrance and other stuff.
5. Zona says he fishes big baits shallow for big fall smalls.
Poles down in 3′ and less, fishes a big Sexy Dawg walker or a Thunder Cricket bladed jig. Sounds counterintuitive, don’t doubt it tho.
No link 🙁
6. Great Trait Zaldain post for the gals.
I think it was for gals (sorry if not) — here’s part of it:
> Handling the boat, towing, those are all much more simple than you’d think. Anyone can do those with the right instruction. If I can, you can. The tough part is finding and catching the fish. The getting there, the equipment, that’s not the hard part and I hope to help more realize that.
Greatest part of that to me was the realization that some ladies need to know that. Good job Mrs Zaldain…and please support your hubby’s mustache.
7. AR: Big Bass Bonanza is this weekend.
8. MN: Some folks want lead feeshn tackle banned.
Over loons again, like in NH. Hate hearing that any wildlife could suffer like that but…here’s something that stood out:
> In 2015, [MN] released a study of more than 130 loons that had been found dead over the course of several years…. More than 11% of the loons had died of lead poisoning.
Okay — what up with the other 89%? Should we maybe focus on that?? Maybe a little cynical of me….
9. How you know when you’ve got a hot bait (series).
Just in from Yo-Zuri:
The new Yo-Zuri 3DB baits have already acquired:
– Top 5 finish at MLF RedCrest (Zack Birge)
– Top 5 finish at the Bassmaster Elite Series event on Lake Tenkiller (Brandon Card)
– Top 15 finish FLW BFL Gator Division Super Tournament (Theron Asbery, Yo-Zuri marketing manager)
Not bad for just being introduced in July at ICAST…. 3DBs aren’t just cranks but here’s those cranks (and more Yo-Zuri cranks) at TW.
10. 10,000 Fish Shimmer Swimmers now on Tackle Warehouse.
Lookin’ pretty sweet:
11. I vote yes on this 5.5″ craw.
Tackle HD was axin’:
> Wiggle Wart: When Bill and Gary Storm designed this unique crankbait, they were looking for a unique name. They found it when their mother kept calling her grandkids “wiggle warts” because the youngsters were always on the move.
Not sure if this was her, either way she can call me whatever:
> Senko…this lure gets its name from the Japanese word translating to “flash of light.”
Looked — “fountain pen” (the Senko shape) is this in Japanese: “Man’nenhitsu.” Guess Senko works better….
Too bad we don’t have the Fropwater Spinnercrank anymore…or maybe that’s what the Whopper Plopper was gonna be called?
16. KY: International Asian carp tourney this weekend.
Wow there’s an idea — increase tourism and get rid of the carp. Love it, hope it works.
17. GA: Snakeheads found in private pond.
Uh oh.
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On BassBlaster.rocks right now…
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Tip of the Day
How Stetson Blaylock fished his shakey at Tenkiller.
In case you think a shakey head is just for shakin’:
> “What I like to do is cast it way up on those flat points and drag it real slow.
> “It doesn’t stand up, but…when it hits those rocks it has kind of a pop to it….”
He was catching smallmouths on that rig, with a 5″ YUM Dinger:
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Quote of the Day
“Learn the waters and the places that fish like to go.”
– Amazingly deep statement (for real) by VA college bass-head Landon Siggers. I mean, what else is there? And learning where fish like to go — no doubt. In other words, not where we wish they went hahaha!
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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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Sign up another bass-head!
If you’re forwarding every Blaster to other bass crackheads, tx much — or you can email me the addys and we’ll take care of it! We’ll never send spam or sell the list or anything else crazy….
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