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Big congrats to all the Classic competitors for fishing the greatest bass tournament there is.
Quick comment: I'm sure they said it on Live (I didn't see any of it), but if it didn't rain like crazy the night before day 1, it would've been all about shallow largemouths. And it almost was anyway.
Other than that, Robert "Bee" Gee was on the $$ when he said the fishery is way better now than it was in 2023. Incredible it improved that much in 2 years.
Alrighty then, here we go. Oops one more – it's St Patty's Day today so don't forget to spool up some Thin Lizzy! 😁🍀🇮🇪 "The Boys Are Back In Town" might be a good one for the Nutts, but it's hard to beat "Jailbreak"!
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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 Dylan Nutt smashed 'em to win the Classic
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Who is Dylan Nutt? Half the Nutt brothers who have been tearing up Southeast tourneys like sharks with laser beams attached to their heads:
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😁 Of course Dylan won the Classic, and his brother was half the team that won the College Classic. Amazing.
Alright here's the deets on how Dylan won the Big Show – it started with a solid month of pre-practice, which is not unusual for these college-age guys for pretty much any tournament.
Going in and practice
> "...I spent a ton of time up here pre-practicing and I caught a lot of fish...had some really good days. I kinda had a gameplan going from then.
> "A lot of the places I was catching fish then I was catching fish in practice. I had a pretty good gameplan going.
> "It was an area of the lake I liked better than the rest. It seemed to have bigger fish in it. I just hunkered down in that area and grinded it out.
> "It just seemed like it had a lot more habitat and spawning areas – a lot more spawning flats in that one area.
> "The rest of the lake is just kind of like a river. It seemed like you could find some good smallmouth in those areas but the largemouth weren't as prevalent. You could catch plenty of largemouth there but they were small – 2-lbers."
When it rained a ton the night before the tournament:
> "I was very worried if the water was going to get dirty in some of my main areas. I did have 1 area I was never able to fish because the water got so dirty in there. If I would've been able to fish in there I would've had a really big bag. I would've maybe been able to back up that day 2 on the last day.
> "...the rest of them stayed pretty clean and made it good for me.
> "I just feel so blessed."
Tournament
> "Day 1 I caught them right off the rip off some flats. I had about 18 lbs pretty quick. BASSTrakk had me about 16 but I was sandbagging a little bit.
> "I caught a ton of fish that 1st day, but after [the early bite] I didn't get many good bites til late in the afternoon...pretty good lull that first day.
> "...11:00 til 1:00 I didn't catch much and I made an adjustment...went back after some smallmouth and ended up culling up to that 19 lbs."
He said that area was bars in 1.5-8' with brushpiles, stumps and "little rough spots where they'd be sitting," all current-related.
> "Day 2 I had a really slow start. I started in the same area and had about 12-13 lbs at 10:00. I went to a couple stretches where I'd been catching smallmouth, and from 10:00 to 11:00 I caught 20 lbs of smallmouth. I really caught the crap out of them in that 1 hour of fishing."
Those were mostly floaters off steeper banks, laydowns and docks:
> "It was a deal I'd gotten on the first day of practice – catching some fish that were floating, swimming up and down the bank. Day 1 I didn't catch any that were swimming. ...that cold night I think tucked them to the bottom. It got warm again and they started swimming around.
> "Then after that...I knew I needed to go and try to find some big largemouth. I went into an area that had a lot of flats in it – a lot of rock and structure in that creek – and I went in there caught a 4.25 right off the rip. A smallmouth....then I just trashed 'em for the rest of the day.
>"...several over 4, I caught a 5, a 6.25 and a 6.75...on one single rock. It looked like quite a few more big ones were down there – I'm talking 6-8 lbers. My second cast I had some huge ones follow me – like an 8-lber. My third cast, the smallest one in the group comes up and eats. It was a 6.25, which put me at 26-11. Then got a little tough on me for the last hour."
Several guys were in that same bay including Drew Cook, Patrick Walters and I think Yui Aoki.
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> "Day 3 I started right off the rip targeting smallmouth on those steeper banks. My second cast I catch a 2.75 and my 4th cast was a 4.75. I had 19 lbs pretty quick....
> "I went back to my largemouth area and went 3-3.5 hours without catching a good fish. So then I went back smallmouthin' and caught quite a few nice ones in the last 2 hours of the tournament.
> "I lost 1 pretty big one, then 2 casts later I caught a 4.25. Then I went somewhere else and caught another 4-lber and...another 4.25. They were on the bottom – one of them was floating.
> "I was very calm and collected. God had me very calm all week. I knew that whatever was gonna happen was meant to be. I wasn't very stressed out or anything. ...very calm this week that I've never really felt in a bass fishing tournament.
> "I give all the credit to God – He kept me so calm."
He said that once he caught 'em he knew Drew Cook would have to catch like 25 and Easton Fothergill would need 27. But either way he wasn't stressed about it.
Baits
> Not yet released 6.5" Berkley Lab Series Minnow (shad color) on a 3/16-oz tungsten jighead with a 3/0 hook, 8-lb Berkley X5 Braid (crystal/white) to 15-lb Berkley GinClear Fluoro, Abu Zenon X Spin Reel (3000), 6' 10" ML Abu Fantasista X Spin Rod.
> "I definitely think [that Lab Series bait] made 'em hang on longer and probably made me get some more bites.... I definitely noticed that as soon as I rigged one up I got a bite pretty quickly...."
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> Why that rod: "It's got the perfect action as far as using a jighead minnow. I've played with some of the other rods that they make.... The Fantasista 6 10 ML has such a good taper to it. Some of the other ones are lighter on the tip and are good for some lighter minnows, but for the minnow I was throwing, that Fantasista has the perfect action."
[I don't see the 6' 10" ML available on TW but it is on the Abu site here.]
Electronics
> "I was using a Garmin 8616 with LiveScope...34 transducer.
> "I had a Lowrance up front for my mapping [and] side scan. My Lowrance at the console was really important in pre-practice because I was doing a lot of scanning...I would mark some rocks or a brushpile or something like that in pre-practice."
Shoutouts
> "I want to give a huge shoutout to all my family and all my friends who showed up, and everybody watching at home. I haven't even begun to start looking at all the text messages I've gotten. I need about a week just to sort through them.
> "And all my sponsors – I wouldn't be able to do it without all of them.
> "...a huge shoutout to the Morgans. My buddy Jackson – his mom let me stay at her house for that whole month I was up here as well as practice. She made things very easy for me.... They're great people and I wouldn't have been able to do it without them."
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5 Qs with your new Classic champ
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I don't know Dylan and have barely talked with him but will give you my 2c: well-spoken, professional, respectful, confident, good sense of humor, good discernment, bold Jesus-follower. And obviously he can fish lights out. He must have solid parents.
Here's an opportunity to learn a little more about him.
1. You fish so many tournaments. Before you won, did the Classic seem different or really just another one?
> "Man I'm not gonna lie – it just seemed like another tournament."
[Hahaha that's why I asked! Just another tourney = no nerves! And he's on his way to practice for the Wheeler MLF Pro Circuit this week.]
2. Would you care if a tournament was no FFS?
> "No.
> "I fish the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit right now, and we're limited on LiveScope...to 3 hours a day. At the Harris Chain, the first tournament of the season, having that 3 hours of LiveScope honestly hurt me. I caught all my [weighed] fish without it.
> "At Santee Cooper, the first 2 days I caught 'em [his weighed fish] LiveScoping because I didn't catch any bigger ones without it. The last day of the tournament I caught 4 of my 5 bass without LiveScope and I had another good finish there."
[He finished 17th there and 16th at the Harris Chain.]
> "I could care less man, with or without it. I just love bass fishing.
> "To be honest, all the haters just keep me going. That's why I'm doing it – so I can keep having haters. If you ain't got haters, you ain't doing nothing good."
[He was joking, but I'm sure he doesn't appreciate the "un-love."]
3. How do we know that you and your brother don't just take turns in these events? 😁
> "[Laughs] Man I'm gonna have no response on that one because we might be taking turns."
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[If you didn't know, his brother was half the team that won the College Classic!]
4. Be honest – do you get school credit for fishing at UNA? 🤔 Or is everything there just pass/fail? 😁
> "Everything there is just pass/fail.
> "They excuse me for fishing, but I don't get credit for fishing."
[Not sure if he was messin' on some of that or...?]
5. Who's the pro fisherman you always wanted to be like?
> "Jordan Lee. He has a brother just like me and man I just looked up to him a lot. He's a funny dude and I just like him.
> "There's several others I've looked up to...Seth Feider, Matt Robertson. The way that Matt carries himself I really look up to...not a lot of people go out there and are completely themselves."
[Agree! Wait – Jordan's funny?? 😆 Just messin' J-Lee!]
Bonus Q: Why are you always thanking the Lord in what you say and in your posts?
> "Man because I would not be here without Him. He put me on a path in life a long time ago. Everything I've done in my life has led up to this point and I truly wouldn't be here without Him."
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What is the Berkley Lab Series??
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About that minnow he was using: I know what it is and why it's all that, but can't say anything about it yet. What I can say is it's part of a new Berkley line of baits called the Lab Series – which may or may not be named after BB King's favorite amp:
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😁 Okay probably not! Also have this pic:
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I will add:
1. Who in their right mind fishes a new bait in the biggest tourney in bass fishing? Unless they are 100% confident in it.
2. Dylan is a minnow expert and he chose this new minnow to fish vs all the rest. So...?
3. As you should be able to tell from the packaging, the bait is not a "prototype." They exist already – name, packaging, etc.
4. Even if Dylan didn't win the Classic on a Lab Series bait, I bet when you learn the deets on 'em you will want to try them. So save your loose change 😁...unless you don't like soft-plastics and catching fish hahaha!
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ALL the Classic baits mang!
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Here you go! Any errors are ours on this end and apologies if you find any – we were all moving fast!
We asked the guys what ONE bait caught most of their fish (a few gave more than 1). Pretty much everyone fished multiple baits and the fish changed every day, so this is kind of a snapshot of how they were fishing.
2. Trey McKinney
> 5/16-oz 6th Sense prototype jig (pb&j).
> 8-12' laydowns and rock.
3. Yui Aoki
> 4" D-Style Virola minnow (wakasagi) on a 5.8gr jighead, 12-lb Daiwa J-Fluoro, Daiwa Airity JDM Spin Reel, 6.5' Daiwa JDM Spin Rod.
> 4" D-Style Geelacanth (invisible) on a free rig with a 3/0 hook.
> Caught largies and smallies in 5-10'. Main spot was a break with wood on top, but the key deal was it was on a color seam where dirtier and clearer water met.
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4. Easton Fothergill
> 6" and 7" minnows (shad color) on a 3/16 jighead, 22-lb Xbraid Upgrade Braid to 15.5-lb XBraid V12 Fluoro Leader, Lew's Custom Lite Reel (300), 6' 10" M Lew's LFS Spin Rod.
> Mostly or all smallmouths on rock in current, 5-25'.
5. JT Thompkins
> Megabass Vision 110 Jerkbait (sexy pearl), 12-lb Seaguar Tatsu Fluoro, Seviin GF Reel (8:1), 6' 10" M XF St Croix Legend X2 Rod.
> Deps Sakamata Shad (biawku wakasagi), 1/4-oz Outkast Radar Love Jighead, 18.5 Almight Sunline Braid to 12-lb Seaguar Gold Label Fluoro Leader, Seviin Spin Reel (2000), 7' 1" MF St Croix Legend X2 Spin Rod.
> 1-6' points with rock.
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7. Drew Cook
> SPRO McDart and other jerkbaits (matte shad and other colors), 16-lb Sunline Sniper, Dobyns Champion XP 705CB Rod.
> Also a swim-jig with the new SPRO Surface Swimmer and wacky-rigged new SPRO Wacky Snack Worm.
> More largemouths than smallmouths but the smalls were bigger – isolated wood and rock in 0-5'.
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10. Wesley Gore
> Megabass Vision 110 (mat TN shad), 16-lb Sunline Shooter, Daiwa Zillion Reel (7.1), 7' MH Hammer Elite Series Rod.
> Nomad Design Prowler Flipping Jig (ring in) with a Zoom Z Hog (gp), 22-lb Sunline Shooter, Daiwa Tatula Elite Reel, 7' 3" XH Hammer Rods Elite Series Rod.
> 1/2-oz War Eagle Double Willow Spinnerbait (spot remover) with a Zoom Split Tail (pearl), 20-lb Sunline Shooter, Daiwa Tatula SV 150 Reel (7.3), Hammer Select Bladed Jig Rod.
> 10-15' fishing bait balls, 0-5' fishing laydowns. A variety of water colors – jig color "looked real natural in all of it."
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11. Kyle Welcher
> Rapala PXR Mavrik 110 Jerkbait (natural shad), 12-lb Sunline FC Crank fluoro, Lew's reel, 6' 9" M Khaotic Rod.
> Mixed species on 6' rock. Also caught 'em on a minnow and a wacky rig.
12. Chris Johnston
> HideUp Judy Fish (shad color) on a 4.4g Gamakatsu Horizon Jighead, 16-lb Seaguar JDM PEX8 Braid to 8-lb Seaguar Tatsu fluoro, Daiwa Tatula 300 MQ Spin Reel, 7' 1" Daiwa Tatula Elite Ehrler Dropshot Rod.
> Smallmouth in 15-25' and always on structure. Largemouth shallow flipping a CJ Flip Jig in 3' or less.
13. Fisher Anaya
> 5.25 Rapala CrushCity Freeloader (green shad) on a 1/4-oz head, 15-lb braid to 14-lb Sufix Advance Fluoro, 6' 9" 13 Fishing Myth Minnow Shaker Rod.
> Mostly smallmouths on hard spots in 20-25'.
14. Paul Marks Jr
> 4" Zoom Winged Fluke (reservoir and sexy shad) on a 1/16-oz Gamakatsu Horizon Head, 15-lb Seaguar Smackdown Braid (flash green) to 12-lb Seaguar Tatsu fluoro, 6' 6" M Gamakatsu Efreet Rod.
> Mostly brown fish on rocks in 2-10'.
15. Jay Przekurat
> Strike King KVD 300D Jerkbait (pro blue), 12-lb Seaguar Tatsu Fluoro, Lew's Custom Pro Reel (7.5), 6' 8" Lew's Custom Lite Rod.
> Largemouths, mostly floaters relating to bait, 0-15+ feet.
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16. Tyler Williams
> 3/4-oz Greenfish Tackle Little Rubber Jig (T bug) with a 3.75 Yamamoto Flappin Hog (gp), 16-lb Gamma Fluoro, Bates Hundo Reel (8:1), 7' 7" H Duckett JW Select Series Rod.
> Largemouth on 10' docks.
17. Tripp Berlinsky
> 6.25" Rapala CrushCity Freeloader (albino shad) on a 1/8-oz VMC Redline Tungsten Jighead, 10-lb Sufix 832 Braid to 12-lb Sufix Advance Fluoro, Lew's Hypermag Spin Reel (2500), 6' 10" Mag M G Loomis NRX Spin Rod.
> 8" Nichols Flutter Spoon, 20-lb Sufix Advance Fluoro, Lew's Speed Spool RX Reel (8.1), 7' 6" HF Lew's LFS Rod.
> Edges of banks with structure in 2-10', and 25-40' edges of ditches with hard bottom.
18. Brock Mosley
> 3/8-oz Z-Man Tungsten EVO Chatterbait (chart/white) with a Yamamoto Zako, 17-lb P-Line Tactical Fluoro, Ark Gravity 7 Reel (6.4), 7' 6" MH F Ark Invoker Rod.
> Bill Lewis Hammer Flat (Rayburn red), 15-lb P-Line Tactical Fluoro, Ark Gravity 7 Reel (6.4), 7' Ark Invoker Pro Crankbait Rod.
> 0-5' on docks.
19. Alex Redwine
> Strike King KVD 300 Jerkbait (matte pro bone).
> Shallow wood and docks in 7' and less.
20. Noah Winslow
> 6.75 Beast Coast Seduce Minnow (dying bait) on a 1/8-oz tungsten jighead, 10-lb braid to 12-lb P-Line Fluoro, Shimano Twin Power XD Reel (3000), 7' 6" ML Shimano Xpride Spin Rod.
> Mostly smallmouths on gravel and flat bottom in 10-15' with current. Also fished a football jig.
21. Patrick Walters
> Megabass Vision 110 Jerkbait (various colors) with #6 Gamakatsu Round Bend Nano Trebles, 16-lb Sunline FC Crank fluoro, Daiwa SV Reel (8.2), 6' 10" Daiwa Tatula Elite Walters Rod.
> Mostly largemouths but a few brown ones on shallow rock, 6' and less. He fished a bunch of baits.
22. Brandon Palaniuk
> Megabass Vison 110 and 110+2 with #6-8-6 BKK 71 SS Trebles, 12-lb Seaguar Tatsu Fluoro, Daiwa Steez CT SV Reel (8.1), 6' 10" M F Alpha Angler Slasher Rod.
> 5-6' on docks.
> Unnamed minnow on a 1/4-oz 3/0 BKK Hyperlatch Round Ball Jighead, 18-lb Seaguar JDM PEX8 Braid to 12-lb Seaguar Tatsu Fluoro, Daiwa Exist Spin Reel (3000), 6' 7" M Alpha Angler G-ShAAke Spin Rod.
> Deeper docks with fish 5-10' down suspended around them. Fish were using them to stage before moving into spawning pockets.
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23. Andrew Loberg
> 3/8-oz Beast Coast Fishing Tungsten Lil Magnum Jig (gp) with a G-Ratt Dixie Flip (gp), 15-lb P-Line fluoro, Bates Salty Hundo Reel, 7' 4" MH Grass Roots Jig Rod.
> Green and brown fish, brush and rock transitions in 1-15'.
24. Dillon Falardeau
> 1/2-oz D-Style Spinnerbait (chart/white with orange CO blade), 15-lb Berkley Trilene 100% Fluoro, Shimano Chronarch MGL Reel (8.1), 7' 3" MH Dobyns Champion Extreme HP Rod.
25. Caleb Hudson
> 17mm HideUp Coike (gp pepper/blue flake), #3 Gamakatsu Treble, 3/32-oz nail weight, SPRO 8X Lime Green Braid to 12-lb Seaguar Tatsu Fluoro, Shimano Vanquish Spin Reel (3000), 7' M Ark Sniper II Spin Rod.
> 5-15' fishing for floaters on docks and brush.
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26. Cory Johnston
> 5" 6th Sense Shindo Shad (not sure what color – like green ayu but lighter), 3/16-oz BKK Hyperlatch Tungsten Ball Head, 16-lb Seaguar JDM PEX8 Braid to 8-lb Seaguar Tatsu Fluoro, Daiwa Exist Spin Reel, 7, 2" ML Daiwa Steez Spin Rod.
> Roamers in 25'.
27. Logan Parks
> Berkley Stunna 112 Jerkbait (pro blue), 15-lb Berkley GinClear Fluoro, Abu Garcia Zenon MG LTX Reel, 6' 10" M Mod Abu Veritas Tournament Edition Rod.
> Berkley Dime 6 Crankbait (spray tan), 15-lb Berkley GinClear Fluoro, Abu Garcia Zenon X Reel (6.8), 7' 6" MH Mod Abu Veritas Tournament Winch Rod.
> 3/4-oz Berkley Power Blade Spinnerbait (E2 magic), 17-lb Berkley GinClear Fluoro, Abu Garcia Zenon X Reel, 7' 4" MH Abu Zenon Rod.
> Crankbait and spinnerbait: Chunk rock banks and bridges. Jerkbait: Brush on bluff walls.
28. Casey Scanlon
> 3/8-oz BPS Chatterbomb (chart/white) with a BPS minnow (white), 17-lb BPS XPS Fluoro, BPS Johnny Morris Signature Series Reel (7.3), 7' 3" MH BPS Pro Qualifier Rod.
> 1/2-oz Trophy Bass Co Spinnerbait (Ozark flash) with a BPS Speed Shad swimbait, 20-lb same line, same reel (6.8), 7' 1" Johnny Morris Signature Series Rod.
> Docks and isolated laydowns in 0-4'. Couple on a jerkbait off stumps.
29. Lee Livesay
> 3/8-oz 6th Sense Jigsaw (chart/white) with a 6th Sense Jigsaw Minnow (chart), 20-lb Sunline Sniper, 7' 3" MH 6th Sense Team Six Rod.
> Shallow wood, 1'. Also fished a spinnerbait.
30. John Cox
> Berkley Frittside 5 flatside (honey shad), 15-lb Berkley Trilene 100% Fluoro, Abu Zenon Reel (6.4), 7' 1" M XF Fenwick HMG Rod.
> 3' ditch with rock and wood.
31. Tucker Smith
> 5" Yamamoto Hinge Minnow (sexy shad) on a 1/8-oz Picasso Tungsten Ball Head, 15-lb braid, 12-lb P-Line Shinsei 100% Fluoro, Shimano Vanquish Spin Reel ("3000 size casts better and has a faster gear ratio"), 6' 10" ML G Loomis NRX Spin Rod.
> Main lake points and rocks in 15-20'.
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32. Bob Downey
> 1/2-oz Z-Man JackHammer (white) with a 4.25 Rapala CrushCity Freeloader (green shad), 17-lb Sufix Advance Fluoro, Seviin GX Reel, 7' 2" H Mod St Croix Legend Glass Rod.
> Docks in 1-4'.
33. Chase Clarke
> 3/8-oz Greenfish Tackle Sinewy Jig (AL craw) with a Big Bite Baits Chunk (gp), 17-lb fluoro, Dobyns 734 Champion Rod.
> Largemouth in 3', also smallmouth in 30' on bottom on a small minnow.
34. Taku Ito
> Handmade Mittel Crank flatside (white/black back), 12-lb Seaguar Tatsu Fluoro, Shimano Calcutta Conquest, 6' 8" Nories prototype glass rod.
> Largemouths in 7' on big rocks. Also caught suspended smallmouths in 21'.
35. KJ Queen
> 3/8-oz Queen Tackle Flipping Jig (blue grape) with a Zoom Big Salty Chunk (flipping blue).
> Largemouths on stumps and rocks in 2'.
36. Bill Lowen
> 7/16-oz LurePartsOnline BL Signature Finesse Jig (rootbeer) with a Zoom Super Chunk (rootbeer), 22-lb Seaguar Tatsu Fluoro, Ark G7 Reel (7:1), 7' 6" Ark Invoker Rod.
> Largemouth in 3' or less. "The fish were extremely shallow."
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37. Emil Wagner
> Berkley Stunna Jerkbait, 10-lb Berkley Trilene 100% Fluoro, Abu Zenon Reel (8.3), 6' 8" M Fenwick World Class Rod.
> Smallmouth and largemouth, rock in 15'.
38. Cooper Gallant
> 2.75 Great Lakes Finesse Drop Minnow (goby) on 1/4-oz BKK Ball Jighead, 10-lb Power-Pro Braid to 10-lb fluoro, Shimano Vanquish Spin Reel (2500), G Loomis IMX Pro 872 Spin Rod.
> All brown fish, rock and stumps in 8-20'.
39. Shane LeHew
> Berkley Stunna 112 Jerkbait (table rock), 12-lb Berkley GinClear Fluoro, Abu Garcia Zenon X Reel (6.8), 6' 10" M Abu Garcia Veritas Rod.
> 4-10' sand and rock.
40. Justin Hamner
> Megabass Vision 110 (TN shad), 14-lb Sunline Sniper, Daiwa Tatula Elite Reel (8.1), Halo BB Series Jerkbait Rod.
41. Will Davis Jr
> Black Label Hi Roller Minnow on a 3/8-oz Davis Bait Co Scoper Jighead, 10-lbs BPS XPS Braid to 12-lb BPS XPS Fluoro, KastKing MegaJaws Spin Reel, 7' 4" ML F FX Spin Rod.
> Random floaters, both species.
42. Pat Schlapper
> Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver (tramp stamp), 4/0 Gamakatsu Flipping Hook, 22-lb Sunline Shooter, 7' 4" HF St Croix Victory Rod.
> Largemouth 2-6' wood.
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43. Cody Meyer
> Evergreen Flat Force 4 squarebill (cold shad), 18-lb Daiwa J-Fluoro Samurai, Daiwa Tatula Elite Reel (7:1), 7' Daiwa Tatula Elite Omori Cranking Rod.
> Largemouths in 1-2'.
44. Austin Felix
> Megabass Vision 110 (pro blue), 12-lb Sunline Crank FC fluoro, Daiwa Tatula Reel (7.1), 6' 9" M Airrus Vicious Twitcher Rod.
> 4" Z-Man Scented Jerk Shadz on a 3/8-oz Tree Shaker Dream Stroller Jighead, 16-lb Sunline Almight Braid to 9-lb Sunline Shooter, Shimano Twin Power Spin Reel (2500), 6' 10" M Airrus Super Adapter Spin Rod.
45. John Crews Jr
> 3/8-oz Z-Man JackHammer (white) with a 4.5" Missile Spunk Shad (frosted purple), 18-lb Sunline Sniper, Seviin GX Reel (7.3), Cashion Chattergrass Rod.
> SPRO Little John squarebill (spring craw), 10-lb Sunline Crank FC, same reel, Cashion Squarebill Rod.
> Isolated rock in spawning areas.
46. Trey Schroeder
> 3/4-oz Tackle Max Football Jig (pb&j) with a Yamamoto Double Tail Grub, 22-lb Seaguar Tatsu Fluoro, Daiwa Steez A 100 Reel (7.3), 7' 5" Daiwa Steez AGS Rod.
> 15-25', small rock patch, current break. Switched to the football jig after they kept denying a jighead minnow.
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47. Kyoya Fujita
> 5" Jackall Bital Minnow (wakasagi) on a 3/16-oz Keitech Tungsten Jighead, 20-lb Daiwa Japan-only braid to 12-lb Daiwa Japan-only fluoro, Daiwa Exist Spin Reel, 6' 5" Daiwa Steez Spin Rod.
> 10' rock and floaters.
48. Brandon Lester
> 3/8-oz 4x4 Single CO Spinnerbait (chart/white), 17-lb Vicious Pro Elite Fluoro, 7.1:1 reel, 7' MH Mustad Instinct Brandon Lester Signature Series Rod.
> Isolated rock. Single CO blade for dirty water after rain – slows bait downs and the hard thump helps them find it.
49. Kyle Norsetter
> 2/8- and 1/2-oz Z-Man JackHammer (chart/white) with a Z-Man Razor Shadz (white), 20-lb Sunline Shooter, 7' 6" MH Mod F Fish Xtreme Rod.
> Shallow largemouths.
50. Seth Feider
> Rapala OG Rocco crankbait (classic craw), 12-lb Sufix Advance Fluoro, 7.1:1 Daiwa Tatula 100 Reel, 7' Daiwa Tatula Glass Cranking Rod.
51. Nick Trim
> Yo-Zuri 1.5 3DB Squarebill (chart/black back), 16-lb Yo-Zuri T7 Fluoro, Shimano Metanium Reel (6.2), 7' 4" MH Fitzgerald Stunner HD V2 Cranking Rod.
> Main-lake docks where the docks reached a drop/breakline in 5-8'.
52. Bryant Smith
> Strike King KVD 300D Jerkbait (pro bone), 15-lb Seaguar InvizX Fluoro, Lew's Custom Pro Reel, 6' 10" MF Alpha Angler Slasher Rod.
> Largemouths on wood in 5-10'.
53. Bryan New
> 4" D-Style Geelacanth (gp) on a free rig with a 3/16-oz weight and 3/0 Gamakatsu 34R Hook, 16-lb Sunline Sniper, Ark G7 Reel (7:1), 7' 3" MH Ark Cobb Series Do All Rod.
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54. Caleb Kuphall
> Do-It Molds Sparkie Jig, 20-lb Vicious Green Label Fluoro, Piscifun Alloy M Reel (7.5), 7' 3" MH F St Croix Legend Tournament Rod.
> 1/2-oz Z-Man JackHammer (white), same line and reel. 7' 2" St Croix Legend Tournament Heavy Rippin Chatter Rod.
> 1-3' on docks.
55. Laker Howell
> Yamamoto Uni (gp).
> Brushpiles in 12'.
56. Wes Logan
> 3/8-oz Z-Man JackHammer (white) with a Zoom Z Craw Jr (white), 18-lb Sunline Shooter, Ark Gravity 7 Reel (6.4), 7' 2" M Ark Wes Logan Signature Series Rod.
> 2-4' in main-lake creeks, isolated wood and rock.
57. Chris Miller
> Berkley Frittside 5 crankbait, 12-lb Berkley GinClear Fluoro, Abu Garcia Zenon X Reel (6.4), 7' 3" MH Mod F Fenwick World Class Rod.
58. Bryan Schmitt
> Missile D Bomb (bruiser flash), 5/0 Hayabusa FPP Straight Flipping Hook, 1/4-oz tungsten weight, 20-lb P-Line Tactical Fluoro, SPRO MG Reel (8.1), 7' 1" H HideUp Series Macca Rod.
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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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