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Today’s Top 4
1. Finesse jigs, topwaters rule PAA Rock event.

The beeg weener at the PAA derby on Table Rock this weekend was FLW pro and MO rez James Watson. Used topwaters – a Super Spook, Zoom Horny Toad, Deps Buzzjet – and a War Eagle Heavy Finesse jig. Mostly tops on days 1-2, then mostly the jig on day 3:

> “You flip that finesse jig up there on floating walkways, the shallowest ones without much water under them, and the bass will take it from there.”

> Shane Long, 2nd, fished in 0.5-4′ with a finesse jig, key was shade. Casey Scanlon, 3rd, fished a popper and frog in shore pockets and behind boat docks.

Those deets and more in BassGold soon.

2. What’s a heavy finesse jig?

That War Eagle Heavy Finesse Jig was designed by Andy Morgan, FLW pro from TN who got the idea from MO:

> Morehead recounted fishing with legendary angler Jackie Davis in the Ozarks many years ago when Davis “spanked” him with one of the…jigs. “I took it home to Kentucky Lake and started using it on TVA lakes.”

> “I pour my own. It’s a 3/8-ounce head with a trimmed down skirt and a small heavy-gauge hook.”

That resulted in the War Eagle version, which is for fishing cover/structure like rocks and can take big hooksets. Has a 3/0 Gamakatsu flipping hook, a “hole-in-one” skirt, and comes in 3/8- and 1/2-oz. Check it on the War Eagle site.

3. Bye, bye froggie!

Great shot, not sure where it originated:

4. Chernobyl tadpole bait?

From some Russian fishin’ website – lookin’ more like it’s from Transylvania:

Guy who posted the pic…

…said this about it:

> Пишут, появился (новый ?)воблер. Гибрид какой

Hahahaha! That’s a good one, comrade!

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News

1. FLW now allows less help, no jackpotting.

2. TN: Old Hickory bass too small?

> They aren’t saying Old Hickory doesn’t have its share of big bass, but they’re not catching them. They want to know why.

> “People that normally fish on Old Hickory are going to Kentucky Lake, they’re going to Chickamauga Lake and others,” said W. Scott Morris, a longtime bass angler from Mt. Juliet. “That’s where they’re spending their money because that’s where they’re catching the bigger fish and catching numbers of them.”

3. IN: Nation forming high school clubs.

4. Ricky Green fundraiser.

You can now donate online too.

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THIS is why you should be using this shaky head:

Buy ’em here!

Tip of the Day

Couple o’ swimbait options.

Swimmie-baits ain’t all about A-rigs folks!

> Most anglers simply run swimbaits along at 1 to 3 feet with a steady retrieve. The paddle-tails provide all the action that’s needed, and fish slam the baits hard enough to hook themselves most of the time.

> Sometimes effective is to “stroke” the swimbait on a jig head. Let it sink to bottom at the outside edge of the weeds, jiggle it a bit, and if you don’t get a strike, pull it up off bottom about 3 feet, then let it glide back down. Continue until you come off a ledge – it’s a good way to pick up a big kicker fish now and then.

> You can nose-hook them on a size 2 hook and fish them on dropshot rigs around brus piles, docks and riprap, simply shaking the rod to activate the bait – it’s almost like fishing live minnows.

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Quote of the Day

No matter how hard I have ever tried, I can’t get a dinner roll to act like a donut.

– Awesome line from bassmaster.com’s don barone, who used the dinner rolls to “prefish” for the Toyota Bonus Bucks derby this weekend on Wheeler.

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Shot of the Day

Shows you don’t need a $60,000,000,000 bassin’ rig to impress the ladies. That’s ALL it shows, fellas!

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