Sorry this one's later than normal. Spent 1+ hours shoveling 6-8" of wet snow today because my snowblower bricked. I'm taking it as a sign – I'm outta snow country! 👍🤙 Hope you're not dealing with that, let's go bassin'!
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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 Drew Gill caught 'em at the Rayburn Invitational
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Drew is a rookie on the Bass Pro Tour and just won that deal, which MLF says makes him the youngest Invitational winner so far (21). Got with him to find out the deets, and ended up being blown away by what he knows about bass and how he thinks about fishing. That's in #2, here we go:
1. How did you catch 'em at Rayburn?
> "I caught all my fish this week in the 7-14' depth range, fishing some main lake pockets.
> "I had a pretty poor practice. I had none over 4 lbs the entire practice so I had to scratch [the initial gameplan]. We had a really warm night – it was 62 at takeoff the 1st day. Really warm, muggy and cloudy. And this time of year, whenever that happens they start moving...you need to get on the front of edge of it.
> "I thought, If I find this bite it won't be in a 4-mile long creek. I'll fish main-lake pockets and make it more manageable. When the first fish come into pockets, 3 fish will roll into an area 200 yards long [a small pocket], so I'm probably going to run into them.
> "...main-lake pockets and deep water adjacent...sand basin, hydrilla on the side.
> "...Damiki rig the 1st day. They didn't want it reeled over their heads. They didn't want to feed up. I opened the bail [it fell to the bottom and one] ate it. [Based on that] the 2nd day I made a switch to a Neko rig, and as soon as I did that I caught every single fish I saw the last 2 days. A 100% bite ratio and 100% land ratio. All had to do was find 5 big ones...."
His baits:
> Damiki rig: 4" minnow-style bait (shad/pro blue) on 3/16-oz head ball head with a 90-degree line tie.
> Neko rig: 6" Big Bite Shaking Squirrel Worm (gp) along with several other worms, #1 Roboworm Rebarb Hook, 1/8-oz Neko weight.
> Both rigs: 7' 6" ML F Ark Invoker Tour Spin Rod, Ark GS5 Spin Reel, 18-lb braid to 12' of 12-lb Sunline Sniper fluoro.
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2. How did you fish the Neko?
> "If you just dropped it, they didn't have enough interest to follow it to the bottom. ...throw out there and you had to shake it every couple feet to keep their focus. And as soon as it got to the bottom they would hit it.
> "That concept of shaking that Neko worm every couple feet as it falls to keep them focused on it is something I learned fishing for spotted bass and smallmouth on highland reservoirs. There it's 30-35' of water so it's a longer process...to keep reminding them it's a living thing. If you keep them committed the entire time, they just keep gaining speed and as soon as it hits the bottom they take it."
[Obviously without FFS there wouldn't be any way to know how the fish was reacting to that bait, meaning there'd be no way to know whether shaking it did anything.]
3. How did you use your electronics?
> "For me it was 2-fold. The first part of it was I used my charts [Lowrance C-Maps] extremely heavily...to look at the topography of areas I was fishing and pick areas where the basin of the lake swung as close to the front of the shorter, flatter pockets. I didn't want steep V pockets....
> "I was using FFS [Garmin LiveScope] to catch all my fish – every single fish I caught. I was essentially using the contours of these flatter basins to make it really predictable to where the [bigger] fish would swim through. They would follow that hydrilla edge...one pass to catch every big fish in that area. I used FFS to scan up and down those edges to hunt those big fish.
> "The fish were outside of the hydrilla. This was key to getting them to bite – they were on the edge of the hydrilla. I had to keep [the Neko] outside of [the grass]. They wouldn't eat a dropshot, which befuddled me. And a Neko rig in the grass would get so far down they couldn't find it. You'd see them looking for it. I had to get them to follow it out into the sand, and if they did that they ate it every single time."
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5 Qs with Drew and his fascinatin' answers
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Fwiw I've talked to every top bass pro since like the early '90s. Of course they all know a ton and are all amazing. That said, Drew said stuff in our brief-ish conversation that I've never heard before. You're about to see what I mean.
I can't tell yet if this is unique to Drew or this is how this new group of fishermen think. But either way, amazing stuff and I bet you'll learn things like I did. Shout-out to MLF's Joe "D" White whose post on Drew inspired a couple of these Qs.
1. Why does everyone say you're an FFS wizard or ace or whatever – what do you think they mean?
> "I think generally speaking [it's] not as much that this guy [Drew] fished offshore in every tournament and catches them offshore on LiveScope all the time. ...when you look at the track record I have with FFS, yes I have the Table Rocks and Guntersvilles suspended-bass tournaments. But I have top 10s at Kentucky Lake when they were spawning, Eufaula, OK, Lacrosse, WI, the Harris Chain in 3' of water [he gave more examples].
> "People have seen the way that I've used it – I use it shallower than most. I fish around the bank a lot. I just use FFS to do it because it makes me so much more efficient.
> "On average, the average size of fish around the bank is bigger. So if I can find a way to be more efficient catching them...stuff that you can't see with your eyes or being way faster at fishing these areas...that's where I really separate...."
2. What % of your FFS fishing is a minnow bait/Damiki rig?
> "10% maybe."
3. Is there any bait that dominates for you?
> "Yes. That Neko rig. On MLF I have like $320,000 in winnings and that Neko rig has accounted for roughly $200,000 of it. That bait dominates.
> "Jerkbaits, hollow-body swimbaits, topwater...I catch them [using FFS] a ton of different ways. If you're putting it in a pie chart of what I use, a Neko rig is probably 60%, 8-10% is a Damiki rig, and the remaining 30% is a combination of topwaters, swimbaits, a jig and a big worm – a big dragging-style presentation.
> "It doesn't matter how cool a technique is, bass get wise to it."
[He added this about the myth of having FFS = wins:]
> "It's the same 10-12 guys annihilating them on LiveScope every tournament. If there's not a skill factor, they wouldn't." [Meaning wins and high finished would be more widely distributed.]
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4. You said you've focused on what the fish tell you, not what bass fishing history has said. What are some things you've found out that are contrary to conventional bassin' wisdom?
> "Outside of 2.5-3 months of the year, bass feed up. 95% of the year. The only exception is directly around the spawn [both sides] and the early fall...when they prefer to fish down most of the time. That's not every fishery....
> "You saw how much a jig and shakey head played [last] fall. They're so dominant that time of year. In the fall we used to throw a topwater til our arms fell off...til we figured out deep fish are catchable if you figure out how to catch them.
> "Bass are sight-feeders, and their best opportunity to catch something off guard is coming beneath it – by the way their eyes are positioned on their head.
> "We always viewed them as an ambush predator, but that's not really true. They're a chase and kill predator that like to have something to relate to. Whether they follow it to the bottom, follow it out, follow it up, whether they track it 60' and then eat it....
> "If we view them as chase and kill predator...that will change the way we fish for them."
[He went on for a little bit, couldn't fit it all here. One thing that stood out was he mentioned how he feels that when bass eat off the bottom, they prefer to eat on certain bottom types – rather than being on, say, hard bottoms for other reasons. To me that's another example of him thinking about bass and bass fishing completely differently.]
5. You also said FFS observation has made bass "pretty predictable." What does that mean?
> "That's a general kind of statement. Through the ability to watch fish behavior every day all day, we can make bass predictable. They have a set of core systems for how they live. The more we watch how they interact with their environment, the reasons they interact with their environment...you recognize the way they set up.
> "The more situations we see, the more factors we take into consideration...the more changes we see between places [different lakes]. ...enough scenarios with enough different concepts over time, eventually we recognize all the little rules and details bass rule their lives by. Then we can predict their attitudes and actions....
> "Obviously we've only had access to this information for the last 2-3 years. I'm just excited to be able to watch them a few more years."
Pretty cool eh? Our conversation was longer than that, but that's the meat of it. What I got from it about Drew:
- He said stuff about bass and bass fishing I've never heard or thought of before. (Are you listening Rick Clunn? 😁)
- He seems not as focused on baits or techniques, but on learning what the bass are telling him and almost completely rolling with that.
- Believe he said he's really only been focused on bass fishing since 2018 – meaning he doesn't have tons of bass fishing "how to catch 'em" stuff stuck in his head. He's sorta a blank slate and approaching it that way. How someone can do that with all the videos circulating now is interesting.
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"So many people are better at fishing. That's why we tend to lean more on finesse."
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- Jason Christie talkin' on Bassmaster.com. Interesting perspective on the whole finesse deal, possibly implying that the fish themselves have gotten wiser – because we RELEASE 'em!
Here's what he says about how Grand Lake might set up for the Classic:
> "Right now, the water is warmer than it's ever been at this time of year," he said in early January. "But we have one big blast coming, and we don't know what will happen after that.
> "One big blast won't hurt it, but with those steep hills, once the core of the lake gets cold it takes a lot to warm it up. I've seen fish start spawning here the first week of March, but also as late as the last week of April."
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Top 5: DC is back! How FFS played so far, Non-FFS wins too
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Here's the #SeaFoamWorks Top 5 in Bass Fishing, Episode 78!
1. Dustin Connell won a bunch in '22, none in '23 and won the first one of '24. How?
2. Another new CrushCity win! Rapala's new soft-plastics brand is walking the walk!
3. Scott Martin goes all the way home at the Big O, very cool story
4. How FFS has played in the 2 major tournaments
5. We had a couple non-FFS wins too!
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Gotta shout out this 38-07 limit from Rayburn 🤯
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Z-Man confirmed that and said:
> ...it may be beneficial to stretch their Jerk ShadZ or Z-Toos [to shed some salt], making them more buoyant for a slower rate of fall, which can also help make them sink slower and remain more visible on the sonar screen. Sometimes bass also simply want a slower drop speed....
> You can also stretch just the head or the tail, to make those sections of the bait more buoyant.
> ...Z-Man is able to constantly manipulate the Elaztech formula to match the bait application, including changing the durometer (softness or hardness) of the material, etc. It's why you'll notice Z-Man baits are softer and perhaps more lively in the water.
And btw, looks like a heat gun might be just as good at straightening out soft-plastics as boiling, and faster (IG vid).
3. Elitist Jake Whitaker gets Bill Lewis.
4. Shoutin' out the latest Jesus Ott Jennie vid (YT).
8 minutes but you will get the meat in the first part of it. Love that they do these deals.
5. Greg Hackney says it's Fat Bass Tuesday and is rollin' like this.
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Of course he is. Hack ain't right, never been, never will be...😁
6. TX: Meet some Elites this SUNDAY Feb 18...
...6pm at Siloam Baptist Church, Many LA.
7. TX: 3 ShareLunkers caught on Mon, Feb 5.
> ...Aaron Suess of Gardner, KS got the day rolling at OH Ivie with 13.87-lb ShareLunker 654, followed shortly thereafter by Alec Morrison of Peru, NY who submitted 13.82-lb ShareLunker 655 at Sam Rayburn. Ben Milliken...capped the day with 13.15-lb ShareLunker 656 from Lake Naconiche.
> Millikin's fish was the first Legacy Class entry from Lake Naconiche since Larry Mosby's 13.06-lb...on Feb 28, 2017, and only the second overall.
Aaron caught his on an A-rig he saw with FFS, Alec caught his and a 12 in practice for the Rayburn Invitational (no bait mentioned but I assume FFS) and Ben caught his on a 6th Sense Juggle Minnow and a 1/16-oz jighead with FFS and skinny spinny gear.
8. TX: New DD lake record largemouth for Dam B/Steinhagen.
> Hunter Brocato, 18...caught a 12.48-lb, 25.25" largemouth bass on New Year's Day. That fish broke a 32-year-old record which was set in 1992 when Henry Smith caught a 12-lb bass at Dam B.
Said he caught it on a Brush Hog so I assume no FFS?
9. Learn ya about the legit amazing Vexus trailers (YT vid).
> "We believe that the trailer itself could be the most important options for the boat you are purchasing...."
Heck yeah it is. The Vexus trailer is a 10 outta 10 – which is a BIG deal. If you watch or listen to that vid, you will get an idea why, but until you put a boat on one you won't really know!
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10. Garmin LiveScope can now see 1,000' down. 👀
Of course we don't need it but interesting:
> Powered by Garmin RapidReturn sonar technology, the [Panoptix ] PS70...the fastest live sonar at 1,000' on the market today provides a smooth, video-like view that updates a minimum of 10 frames per second – 6 to 8 times faster than the leading competitor at 1,000' depth.
> LiveVü Down – Anglers can see small baitfish and target game fish in real-time up to 1,000' below the boat, while the wide 120-degree beam angle covers huge areas of water.
> RealVü 3D Historical – Historical scanning technology helps find fish and build a map of the ocean floor while the boat is moving. It shows the entire water column in 3D, from the bottom to the surface and all fish in between. The True Motion 3D sonar returns feature follows the vessel's course over the ground.
11. Keep an eye on...
MD enacts emergency striper regs
> Targeting of striped bass will be prohibited from Apr 1 to May 15 eliminating the MD Striped bass trophy season.
Bear in mind that:
- The Atlantic saltwater striper fishery is REGIONAL, not state-specific. For ex, striper fishing in NJ this fall (striper run down the coast) was very good. Pretty sure stripers don't even know what states are....
- It appears we have forgotten what was once taught in biology – populations rise and fall naturally. So unless anything unusual is happening (pollution, crazy commercial fishing pressure, etc) ups and downs should be normal.
As always, I may be wrong, just my 2c.
Headline of the Day
Tharp tickled pink with return to B.A.S.S.
Why is it always pink? Can it be purple? Does purple imply the tickling has gone too far? 🤔😆
Line of the Day
Bonito Lake [NM]: Closed until further notice by the City of Alamogordo due to fire damage.
A lake closed due to fire damage?? Sounds pretty...dry?
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"I thought I knew about deep-water bass. I knew nothing."
- Zona talkin' in I believe his latest show on the Outdoor Channel and maybe you can find it elsewhere. Here's the contest and yep it is related to FFS:
> "It's a lake that I grew up on fishing tournaments...we won a lot of tournaments on this lake [including in 20-35']. And that was deep for largemouth....
> "What has happened with Mega-Live and Live sonar...has taught us there's a whole new world out there."
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Yep that's a bike on the bottom! Not sure how it would ever get there but it's a great way to tell what side imaging is showing. Believe the black bike on the left is the sonar "shadow" of the bike that is under the boat. If I got that wrong pls lmk! Posted by @humminbirdfishing on IG:
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Plant stroller enables "plant parents" to take their green buds on walks
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If that's legit...wow. Next we'll see "emotional support plants" on planes...probly already have!
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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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