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Yep it's crankin' weather! 😃 Hope this helps you get after 'em!
Got 1-2 more boxes of baits to donate to HS/youth from folks not in wealthier areas. If you coach or whatever and could use some miscellaneous stuff, pls lmk.
This Blaster brought to you by the Saga album "Worlds Apart." Real good sorta progressive Canadian band.
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Gitcha Blaster video fix here:
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If your email program cuts off the bottom of the email click "View this email in your browser" up top to see the whole thing. Sorry bout that – email programs keep changing stuff.
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How Banks Shaw caught 'em at Eufaula and more
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Banks dang Shaw! The MLF Bass Pro Tour rookie has won 3 tourneys so far this year, the most recent being the Eufaula MLF Pro Circuit last weekend. The other 2 are the Wheeler Pro Circuit 2 tourneys ago and an Okeechobee Toyota.
On the BPT he's 9th in the points after putting together 3 top 5s out of 5 tourneys so far, including a 3rd at the last one, on Beaver. You could say he's fishing pretty good! Maybe because – he doesn't have to go to class? 😁 More on that below, here we go:
1. How did you catch 'em at this Eufaula?
> "My main deal in the mornings without FFS was a Z-Man Baby Jack in 'golden shiner' with a 4.25 Rapala CrushCity Freeloader in 'gizzard shad'. I was pretty much targeting any kind of isolated structure, whether it was a chunk rock bank in an area where there wasn't a lot of rock, or like a small, isolated rockpile off the bank.
> "...I was mainly targeting this one area because I noticed a gizzard spawn was going on, and the fish were a little bit better size.
> "I caught a few fish each day [doing that] to settle me in...calm me down. After that every day I turned my FFS on later in the day.
> "I was throwing a 3/16-oz VMC Tungsten Jighead 3/0 with a 5.25 Freeloader in green shad. ...just targeting offshore brushpiles, stumps, rockpiles – any kind of structure in 15-25' range.
> "The 3/16 – it seemed like those fish didn't want to come up and play the cat and mouse game [like with a] really light head and hover it above 'em and make them come after it. I was throwing a heavier head because they kind of wanted it coming straight at their face.
> "They would react quick to it. They wouldn't want to follow it too much."
The Baby Jack – why that size and color?
> "...the profile is the same size as a regular JackHammer. The only thing different is the smaller blade [which] therefore gave it a more subtle vibration [and] a subtle roll to the Freeloader...seemed like it worked a little better.
> "...where the water was a little cleaner...what I was fishing around...one general area of the lake, down the lake...cleaner water [so] I could get the fish's attention a little easier vs being in stained water where I'd have to hit one right on the nose.
> "It seemed like they wanted something a little bit more subtle.
> "As far as the color 'golden shiner', it's always been my favorite color. I threw around a white with a silver blade and it was catching fish, but...the gold blade and the 'golden shiner' color worked well for me...a confidence deal."
[The rest of his gear:]
> Baby Jack: 14-lb Sufix Advance Fluoro, 7:1 reel, 7' 4" MH Mod F 13 Fishing Oath Rod.
> Minnow: 10-lb Sufix 832 Braid (high-vis yellow) to 10-lb Sufix Advance Fluoro, prototype 13 Fishing spin reel, 6' 10" ML F 13 Fishing Myth Spin Rod.
> Why a 6' 10 rod: "It's just my go-to all-purpose jighead minnow rod."
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2. What % of your fish was with FFS?
> "I only weighed in I think 2 fish without FFS.
> "It seems like if you're gonna win...you're gonna have to catch some without it...with the format we have.
> "It was weird because I was thinking the shad spawn would be a lot better, and FFS was better than I thought it was gonna be."
3. Why no urchin?
> "...I kept it honest...just because I figured you'd be kinda dumb not to...with how great the urchin-style bait's been producing.... But for some reason the fish out there were just not about it.
> "You could definitely get some bites on it, but for whatever reason it seemed like your more traditional-style baits were working better – I think because those fish have not been super-pressured yet.
> "It seemed like you could get almost every fish you saw to bite a worm where you would throw your urchin-style bait, like on a dock, a shallow stump, a brushpile. I just wasn't catching too many big ones up that shallow, and the jighead minnow was working a lot better for me out deep."
4. Since you've been winning so much, I gotta think for you it's different than just everything lining up for a magical 3-4 days. What does it take for you to win?
> "It seems like whenever everything goes right for me in a tournament and I win...the fish are changing up – and I feel like I might be pretty good at adjusting to the conditions and getting ahead of the fish. Being where the fish are going to, or how they're switching up.
> "...I feel like a lot of guys that don't make those adjustments. Like after practice, they have one pattern or a few areas or spots in mind and they're dead set on it – it's hard for them to get out of what exactly they saw in practice and try new stuff.
> "Especially when you only have 3 hours of FFS, it's hard for a lot of guys to gamble and run new water. I feel like I'm good at doing that."
5. Be honest – does anyone on the bass team to to class at the U of North AL?
> "Uh – I definitely don't [I cracked up lol!]. Some guys do, and whenever we have a class with no other choice than to do in-person class we're definitely gonna go. But if we can do it online, we're definitely not gonna be in class.
> "I'm a senior right now and that's why I've been stretching it out. This fall I'm going to have to take some in-person classes – I've been holding out as long as I can because the spring is so busy. There's no way I can thinking about graduating or doing 3-4 in-person classes."
Lol props for being honest! 🤣 Love it! Guess dad and mom are cool with it – I would be if it were my kid! Makes me kinda wish I could do college over man dang.
Here's the UNAL hooky crew (get it??) from the Eufaula tourney:
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Why Carter Nutt cranked to win the MLF Pro Circuit on Douglas
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Alright when a young dude does not FFS for a win and instead catches 'em "old school" because he chose to fish that way – well first of all it shows he knows how to catch 'em beyond just FFS. But the big question is why. In this case, why Carter did it since FFS is supposed to be all that + a bag of chips + a super-size Coke. 😁
The BB's Brett "mostly" Jolley got with Carter to ask some Qs about it.
_____
When Carter won the Pro Circuit event on Douglas Lake, TN a couple weeks ago, I wanted to ask him about the offshore crankbait deal because a lot of folks peg him and his Classic-winning twin bro Dylan as FFS/minnow guys.
Come to find out that if there's an offshore bite anywhere, Carter's got 2 or 3 plugs on the deck. Here's 5 cranking Qs with him.
1. Why did you feel like the crankbait was going to dominate over a "traditional" FFS bait, and were you still catching any on a minnow?
> "When you're fishing offshore schools, a crankbait is a really good way to catch the better-than-average fish – they tend to bite it a lot better than other baits, and you get bigger bites on them.
> "I caught some on a minnow during my FFS period, but they were being kind of weird to it. They really, really were liking a crankbait.
> "It seemed like if you could get on a school that was a little bit fresher, you could get them fired up on a plug and catch them every cast."
2. When you're graphing offshore, what makes a school look "crankbait-able" vs one you'd rather fish another way?
> "Depending on how tightly they're grouped up.
> "If they're grouped up really tight, that tends to mean they're not as messed with and they're ready to bite.
> "If they're real scattered out or something, I probably would drag something through them or go to a minnow.
> "If they're real scattered on a place, that's a big tell that they've been previously messed with, or they're going to be a little bit harder to catch just because they're more scattered out.
> "I'm usually going to stop if there's a lot of fish [regardless of how the school looks], but you want them to be set up pretty tight."
3. Why did long-lining play such a role and what does it do for you that regular casting can't? [I think long-lining is allowed on all MLF trails?]
> "Because [of] how deep they were. A lot of the schools were between 25' and 35' of water, so you really have to long-line [to be] super productive with the crankbait.
> "Really, the reason for the long-line was to get down into the schools better. A lot of times it's very hard to get a crankbait to 30' of water without long-lining.
> "[I had to] throw a big crankbait the whole time – a 25' diving, oversized crankbait."
Follow-up: Is that something you did every cast?
> "[Over the deeper schools] I would go back and forth over the schools every cast.
> "Some of the places I was fishing that I really caught them well, I didn't have to long-line because the fish were a little bit shallower."
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4. What does a typical offshore crankbait rotation look like?
> "I prefer a couple different crankbaits, and they all have different scenarios where they are the best.
> "Honestly [it's about] showing them something different. Sometimes you'll be throwing one crankbait, pick up another one and catch a fish on it.
> "Usually when I'm offshore fishing, [if] me and Dylan are fishing a tournament, we'll have like 30 rods on the deck and show them everything."
[The tell that makes him pick one crankbait over another is...]
> "...if they're biting it or not.
> "I like all kinds of different crankbaits. One that I like is a [Berkley] Dredger 25.5 – it's just something different. A lot of crankbaits that dive 25' are a lot bigger than that one, and it's something different."
5. Are you trying to grind bottom and dig a ditch, or more count rocks with the crankbait?
> "It's situational. I want to be coming down through there quick, making noise...something big coming out [and they're] either gonna bite it or get out of the way.
> "I want to get more of a reaction bite out of the fish vs trying to drag it on the bottom and trying to coax them to bite. The fish are getting more and more pressured, and there's different things you can do to get a couple more bites."
Carter's cranking setup
> Berkley Dredger 25.5 and other deep crankbaits, 12-lb Berkley GinClear Fluoro.
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Some cranking 🧃 from the Tom Redington podcast
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I guess I'll say that I'm not a big fan of pods – because there's too many, most are too long (for me) and any juice in there is too hard to find. But I do have a few faves, and when I can make time to listen to 'em they do not disappoint. One is by former FLW Tour pro Tom "code" Redington.
Tom's pod is 100% fishing info – no wasting time jacking around. And since Tom was/is a good fisherman, he knows what to ask to get to the juice. His deals are long – too long for me so I skim 'em – but maybe good for long drives or commutes.
Here's a few highlights from 2 of his recent shows, with deep-fishing masters Jason Lambert and Mark Rose. Both are 100% worth a full listen if you do any deep fishing, ledges or not. For that matter, all his shows are worth a full listen. Great stuff.
Jason highlights (he's now retired)
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> "The fish don't live on soft bottom, they live on hard bottom [including grass]. Anything that creates a current break with a hard bottom [including clay]...puts bait there.
> "It's comfort and it's dinner table."
> He ran a split screen on both screens at the console. Right: 1/3 is down, the rest of is it side. Left: map and 2D.
> "As long as you know where they're at, there's absolutely no reason to catch 'em in practice.
> "...if you catch a 3-lber, they're all 3-lbers. I promise you that's not true.
> "Every first cast I ever made to any school of fish [regardless of school size] was with the biggest, nastiest bait I had on my deck. That big [bass] didn't get big because they weren't aggressive...they eat.
> "Typically your big bass will bite that bait the first cast into that school."
> He tried to make casts so that when fish that were fired up came up with a hooked fish, they still had that ledge underneath them – so they would go back down and eat. Meaning if they were in the middle of nowhere, they wouldn't eat anymore.
> "I wanted it making a mud trail when it came across the bottom."
> He always used a 6.3 reel. No faster. He would click the bail every 6-8 turns to keep the bait in contact with the bottom.
> If you have a bow in your line, the bait will track where the line is. So he always made sure it was straight to the bait before retrieving.
> LiveScope just saved him time finding fish. He fished the same once he did.
Mark Rose
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> "...constant pressure on these lakes now so they don't gang up like they used to.
> He says the deep bite and the same baits for it – after the spawn is over – he can still catch fish every year.
> "There were big fish in all those schools. So many times a guy would say, 'Man I had a school but nothing but little ones. I caught 'em on a dropshot every cast.' And I'm thinking, That's why....
> "We've seen like with glide baits...those [bigger] fish want a bigger profile.
> "[A crankbait] will work harder for you than any bait you own. ...create strikes down there. A worm is a visual bait a fish has to come up to...whereas a crankbait has drawing power.
> There's been times when I...go to a 5XD when they were on the bottom in 18' of water, just come over the top of them because they wanted to come up and swipe it.
> He likes a 6.8:1 reel – "you want to get as fast as you can and not wear that shoulder out too bad. I switched to 7.5:1 a lot of time and I believe it made all the difference...."
> Using 2 split rings will help if you're losing fish. He's using braided split rings too now.
> Tip he got from Aaron Martens is to trim your jig skirt upside down.
> He winds a football jig as a search bait, which he said he learned from Tom Monsoor.
> He loves a Carolina rig for rockpiles and humps, particularly for smallmouths.
> You want less-vertical diving and more-horizontal diving/swimming baits for natural lakes and grass. "Don't ever think it's got to be digging on rock."
> Even with FFS he is looking for the biggest schools he can find because he knows big fish are in there too.
_____
Both guys talked about scroungers and mentioned the Strike King 6XD – still one of the best deep-diving cranks ever. A Phil Marks masterpiece.
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A couple cranks that are selling like 🔥
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I firmly believe that bass fishermen will out the good stuff. Yep sales are helped when places like Wally-Mart carry something, but if that something doesn't do a thing, fishermen aren't gonna fork over their hard-earned $$$ for it anymore.
So when stuff keeps selling, that means it works – which is why I always keep an eye on the Tackle Warehouse best-sellers.
Here's 2 cranks FYI that sell real well. Is it a ko-inky-dink that they're both 1.5 squarebills? 🤔
1. Bill Lewis ATV Squarebill 1.5
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Not sure what ATV stands for but I think it's Apple TV? 😆 Okay we all know what it stands for and I believe it's become Bill Lewis' #1-selling bait or maybe lipped bait. Either way the 1.5 size is a TW bestseller (also comes in 1.0 and 2.5 which I believe have different body sizes).
The deal with this bait is it was designed by Mark Daniels Jr and former Bill Lewis head man Wes "Lee" Higgins (now with GSM) to be an all-cover bait – hence ATV. Mark wanted a bait that would be good with hard cover and grass, and that's what this bait does.
All squarebills and all 1.5s are not equal in that way. Some are amazing with 1 type of cover and not so much others. Some have that shake to get the grass off, and some don't. Some bills help a bait come through wood great, not so much grass. Some baits are less durable for fishing hard cover, etc.
Anyhow, this bait is an ATV – anything anywhere. It's basically the body of the Bill Lewis SB57 Squarebill with the do-all 1.5 lip. Believe the Tactical Bassin' boys love this bait as well.
2. Yo-Zuri 3DB 1.5 Squarebill
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I'm amazed when someone doesn't have a couple Yo-Zuri crankbaits in their [whatever bait type] box. Because they're JDM quality, JDM colors and JDM deets at a USA price point. No idea how they do it.
Anyhow, there's always something a little different about Yo-Zuri baits, which means it's not something fish have seen a whole lot of. In this case the lip is a little different for a different hunting action and making it less snaggy. It also has those Yo-Zuri "wave-motion" ribs on the belly for more and different vibration/displacement – plus sharp hooks and the COLORS are a 10.
Real interesting that 'matte brown crawfish' ^ is the #1-selling color in this bait, with 'matte red' 2nd. Shad patterns do pretty well too.
Check 'em at TW here.
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Merc's new Boost feature sounds pretty cool
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Believe it's a first-ever thing for any motor but pls lmk if not. Will be standard feature on some Verado, ProXS and Racing motors as of this quarter, but also can be retrofit to compatible existing Merc outboards from 175 to 350 hp. Some deets from Boating Mag:
> Boost's technology can generate a 5-21 % increase in midrange acceleration and zero to top speed performance....
> "The system engages automatically when the engine's throttle position exceeds 97% below 5,000 rpm and when the throttle is advanced rapidly enough to trigger activation of the feature."
> Boost is active only during midrange acceleration and does not enhance hole shot, peak hp rating or maximum speed. "It is available from 4,000 rpm upward while the boat is on plane."
> "Bass boats are probably one of the most obvious applications for Boost. But Boost can make a difference in just about any planing hull."
> ...test data for a 21' bass boat with a Mercury 250 ProXS. With Boost, the boat accelerated 14% faster to top speed, reaching that speed 2.8 boat lengths sooner than without Boost.
> Boost is standard on the ProXS 175, 200, 225, 250 and 300; Verado 250, 300 and 350; and Mercury Racing 150R.
> Existing outboards eligible for...upgrades include the FourStroke 175, 200, 250 and 300 (serial numbers starting at 2B529482); ProXS 175, 200, 225, 250 and 300 (starting at 2B529482); Verado 250 and 300 (starting at 2B529482); Verado 350 (serial numbers from 3B266064 to 3B578266); and Mercury Racing 150R (serial numbers starting at 3B547096).
Sounds like OEM tuning? Lmk you read it mechanical peeps!
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Some deets:
> Built around Savage Gear's patent-pending Y-Tube Line Thru technology, both baits feature an enlarged channel with an integrated hook slot that securely locks the top hook in place while also allowing anglers to rig top- or bottom-hook configurations based on conditions and preference.
> Both baits include adjustable chin weights to adjust rate of fall and retrieve speeds.
> Both baits come in 6" ($30) and 8" ($35) and 6 3D-scanned realistic photo-print colors.
> 3D Line Thru Trout Pro has a jointed body with mesh-reinforced joints, wide swimming action and is scent-infused.
> 3D Line Thru Pulse Tail Trout Pro has a solid body, aggressive pulse tail, a tighter more-subtle action, excels at all retrieve speeds, slow sink, removable polycarbonate rattles in tail, also scent-infused.
Both baits are on TW at those links.
12. New KastKing Patriot combos
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Good Hack Attack bait 'n color tips
From a recent BM post:
> During recent tournaments, there were shad and blueback herring spawns going on in the lakes. But when I caught a few fish and saw crawfish in their throats, I knew to alter my presentation to crawfish colors and lures.
> ...in another tournament, the bluegill were spawning, but crawfish presentations provided a better pattern. The bass had three types of forages at their disposal, but they chose crawfish.
> I always look into the throats of every bass I catch to see what they have been eating and select my lures accordingly. I want to be dialed in to what was happening at that moment, not what I thought or saw the day before.
> There have been times when I saw the color of crawfish was different in a given area, and I made the adjustment in my lure color and got more bites.
> If I'm flipping a Strike King Rage Bug and seeing the bass are eating crawfish, I'll keep flipping but switch to the Strike King Rodent because it best represents crawfish.
> If I catch a bass with a bluegill in its mouth, I switch to the Rage Craw because it better represents sunfish.
One mo':
> During a recent tournament, I lost a 4-lber while pitching a TX-rigged Rage Bug around lilypads with braid. I switched to fluorocarbon line and still lost a 3-lber.
> I changed my setup. I had been using a 1/2-oz sinker on the Rage Bug, so I switched to a 3/8-oz sinker and caught the next 6 bites. The lighter sinker slowed me down and allowed the fish to get the bait better.
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"I came in 30 minutes early because I was like, 'I just can't do it anymore.'"
- High Rock, NC BFL winner Jacob "John" Smith talkin' 'bout catching 'em early and then sweating whether he had enough. Full quote:
> "Any time you catch them early in the morning it just leads to a super-long day. I was ready to weigh in. I came in 30 minutes early because I was like, 'I just can't do it anymore.' The good Lord blessed me."
How he caught 'em:
> Smith said he used a newly-released 20mm Queen Tackle Porcupine Ball rigged on a 2/0 Ryugi Talisman Hook as a Jika Rig to target points and docks.
> He hopped the rig along the bottom to entice bass to strike.
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Not sure if this is a DIY Coike or the inspiration for it but if so I can see why the bass might think it looks tasty! 🤣
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Jay Kumar's BassBlaster is a daily-ish roundup of the best (sometimes worst) and funniest stuff in bassin', hand-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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