BassBlaster

Insane 40-lb limit story! New baits outed, Boat positioning and casting tip

By (mostly Jay)

Posted on February 18, 2020

Today’s Top 4

A 40-lb limit??!!

Can you weigh a 40-lb limit in a bass tournament? Possible answers:

a) I wish!

b) No. Not even from one of Billy Dance’s lakes.

c) Maybe if you were Edwin Evers and some major title was on the line?

d) Is this a trick question/am I being punked?

e) That’s like asking if you can get 15 touchdowns in a football game.

f) All of the above? None of the above?

As you probly know, it happened. Dude named Anthony “I keep my hooks so” Sharp (top right in pic) from a small town named Village Mills, TX — coincidentally where the John Travolta movie “Phenomenon” was filmed — showed up the Rayburn BFL weigh-in stage with not 1, not 2 but 3 SACKS for 5 fish so heavy it took 2 grown men with bad backs to lift ’em!

Okay I made some of that up, but Anthony really weighed 40-06 in that deal!!!! Seriously messed up at least 1 of those Village Mills aliens:

Lol! Here’s you some deets from the FLWers:

> …pretty classic offshore area — a flat section topping out in about 20′, with a drop that went down to about 40′.

This literally blows my mind:

> “We blasted off at about 7:15, and I made a 15-minute run up the lake,. At 8:35, I called Mr. Callihan [the TD] and asked if I could use my co-angler’s livewell because I couldn’t fit all my fish in one livewell. So in about an hour I was done.”

Believe he meant Brad Callihan, who I’m pretty poz has never gotten a call like that before! He was probly all, “Are you jacking with me right now Anthony? Cuz I’m a busy guy.” Hahaha!

> …tossed a Carolina rig with a 1-oz weight and a Zoom Baby Brush Hog in gp magic with the tails dyed chartreuse.

> “On my 2nd cast I caught one that I told my co-angler was about 6 lbs. Then I fished a little while, and my next fish was about 5 pounds. I got a bite about every 10 or 12 minutes for the first 3 fish, and I was fan-casting around the bow of my boat, kinda in the middle of the flat spot.”

> After catching a short and then another 6-lber, Sharp picked up a Strike King 8XD in chartreuse and blue.

> “I probably threw it 15 or 20 minutes, and I caught one that was probably 8 lbs, and I caught one over 9. So I put my rod down and told my co-angler, ‘That’s it. I think I’ve got high 20s right there.’

> “I don’t know what I was even thinking. After I sat there about 10 minutes in the boat, letting him fish the area, I thought it would really be cool if I could cull that 5-lber. I made 3 more casts with that crankbait and caught my biggest fish, and that was all before 8:45.”

IN-SANE. Dang man wow! Huge congrats to him — bet everyone at that weigh-in will be tellin’ that story for the rest of their lives. Meantime some facts for the rest of us:

1. It IS legal in all states — but still inadvisable — to fish something other than a Baby Brush Hog on a Carolina Rig.

2. Strike King XDs go with Rayburn like Gambler baits go with Okeechobee. All the blame for the XD deal can be laid at the feet of a guy named Phil “my livewell” Marks.

3. 40-lb limits are literally rarer than bigfoot sightings so don’t be surprised if the men in black show up at the next Rayburn weigh-in. Or prolly they were there….

Other than that, how many bass peeps have ever:

– Called the TD to say our 5 fish couldn’t fit in 1 livewell?

– Thought even once about culling a 5-lber??

Should mention that 2nd place had a “mere” 19-01….

2nd-5th Eufaula Bass Pro Tour baits.

2nd: Bryan Thrift

> 5/8-oz prototype Z-Man Chatterbait (white/chart) and Fluke trailer (chart pearl), 7′ 3″ H Fitzgerald Stunner Rod, Abu Revo Stx Reel, 20-lb P-Line Tactical Fluorocarbon.

> New Damiki BTC-60 squarebill (blue back duck and red craw), 7′ MH Fitzgerald Thrift signature series squarebill rod, Abu Revo Winch Reel, 12-lb P-Line Tactical Fluorocarbon.

> 1/2-oz black jig with Zoom Big Salty Chunk (brown gp blue), Fitzgerald signature series skipping rod, Abu Revo Stx Reel, 20-lb P-Line Tactical Fluoro.

> “I was fishing points and hard-bottom places in 3-5′, and fishing docks.”

3rd: Ott DeFoe

> Rapala DT6 and DT10 (red craw and custom pumpkinseed color), and the new/not yet out Rapala OG Slim (shad color).

> Bass Pro Shops Cranking Sticks — 7′ 6″ MH for DTs and 7′ MH for Slim. 12-lb Bass Pro Shops XPS Fluoro for the DTs and 14-lb for the Slim, Johnny Morris Platinum Reels (6.8) with Reel Grips.

> Fished brushpiles in 4-10′.

4th: Alton Jones Jr

> BOOYAH Covert Series Spinnerbait (double IN blades, blue chartreuse) with a 3.5″ YUM Pulse swimbait (phantom shad), 7′ MH Kistler Helium 3 Rod, 17-lb Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon.

> “I was throwing a 3/8- and a 1/2-oz depending on depth. The 1/2 was used on outsides of docks, and the 3/8 was used on the inside of docks and shallow bank grass.”

5th: Dustin Connell

> 1/2-oz vibrating jig (white/chart) with Googan Baits Saucy Swimmer (white), 7′ 2″ MH Favorite Hex Rod, 20-lb Seaguar InvizX fluoro.

> 3/8-oz Googan Baits Swim Jig (b/b) with Googan Bandito Bug (b/b), 7′ 2″ MH Favorite Summit Rod, 50-lb Seaguar Smackdown Stealth Gray Braid.

> “I was fishing rock transitions going into pockets and any wood in the water, 2-4′. The first half of the pockets were key.”

Bait stuff that came outta the first couple tourneys.

No particular order:

1. Bryan Thrift’s prototype Z-Man Chatterbait: “We’ve been working on it for a few months, it has a big blade and thumps like crazy.” Here it is again:

2. Stetson Blaylock finished in the top 10 at the St Johns Elite fishing the new (out this summer) BOOYAH XCS 100 Squarebill in “citrus shad.” If that sounds like the old Xcalibur bait…yep it is:

3. At Eufaula Ott DeFoe fished his custom flatside crank used in the ’19 Classic, sounds like Rapala’s going to come out with it (at ICAST) and is calling it the “OG Slim.” Here’s ’tis…lip purposely concealed in the pic:

4. Is Johnny Crews coming out with the first bait designed specific-like for the Tokyo Rig? Called the “Quiver,” he used it on a Tokyo Rig at the St Johns where he finished 2nd — almost the first major win on that rig. Says it’s also designed for Neko rigs. REAL good idea, plus John’s surprisingly smart (lol) with this Missile Baits deal so…only issue is the name doesn’t seem Missile/bomb-related:

5. Am I nuts or are Bomber cranks coming back? Not that they’ve ever left but you know what I mean…. Cliff Prince finished 4th at the St Johns and fished a Bomber Fat Free Shad and Bomber 7A…

…and that 14.36-lber Blake Cockrell caught at Lake Alan Henry, TX recently was rumored to have been caught on a Fat Free Shad.

What’s wrong with this picture?

Adrian Avena at Eufaula:

Here’s what I see:

1. Fisherman is out of the boat and bass is “in” the boat. It’s unclear whether the fish is “releasing” the fisherman?

1a) Fisherman appears confused about the natural relationship of man to fish.

2. Fisherman is wet…and it’s not raining.

3. Required flat-brim headwear is missing.

3a) Fisherman appears to not be wearing neon green. #violation

4. Banana not just in the boat but also displayed prominently like fisherman is sticking his tongue out at the well-known bananas/boats bad-luck deal.

5. Banana appears to be laughing at fisherman, but not sure if that’s “wrong.” I mean, I’d be laughing at him too if I was there….

5a) Do bananas laugh?

If you see anything else, lmk….

News

1. Matt Lee did something new in pro bassin’.

Far as I know anyhow — here ’tis:

Pretty sure there’s also a hamster and a chicken in there somewhere…have fun cleanin’ that truck man!

2. OH: Paul Mueller and Zona are talkin’ feesh this weekend.

Fin Feather Fur Outfitters in Ashland, OH. Both dudes like bass and panfish so….

3. Jacob Wheeler gets Igloo.

Kinda makes sense but I believe there’s only one pro who actually lives in an igloo and that’s of course Gussy “Jeff” Gustafson. Here he is fishing outta his yard on that Discovery show “Canadian Ice People”:

4. NC: Gerald Swindle, Timmy Horton at Greensboro show.

Feb 28-Mar 1:

> Swindle will be giving seminars on Friday and Saturday, Horton will be speaking on Saturday and Sunday.

5. Stetson Blaylock on BassEdge Radio.

6. Win a feeshn trip with Andy Morgan.

Aka the Goat. Lure Lock contest.

7. BPTer Zack Birge gets Bully Dog…

> …”performance technology products in the automotive technology space….”

8. Bunch of guys get Humminbird/Minn Kota.

Elitists Patrick Walters, Greg DiPalma, Garrett Paquette, Buddy Gross, Ray Hanselman, Lee Livesay, Luke Palmer, Mike Huff, Bob Downey, Brad Whatley, Bill Weidler, Ed Loughran, Wes Logan and Chris Groh.

All good choices except for 2…okay maybe just 1.

Kiddin’ heehee!

9. BPTer Code E Meyer stopped at Lanier and…

…this:

I was like, “You catch those things the same way you fish in Cali?” He’s all, “Tell me why that’s any of your bizness.” And I’m like, “Well…I guess there’s the Bassb…never mind man….”

10. FLWer Chad Grigbsy gets FVP for title sponsor.

Sounds like an auto and boat parts company.

11. Elitist Chad Morgenthaler talks FL spraying.

Says “you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.” I was like, Did he mean catch bass? With honey?? Not sure but assumin’ there’s a point in there somewhere…lol

12. FL: CNN post says FL has an addiction to herbicides.

Also says spraying is making coastal red tides worse:

> On any given day, helicopters and an armada of airboats fan out across FL’s fresh waters to spray tank after tank of poison. Without the millions of gallons of herbicide poured into rivers and lakes, officials say, the state would be choked with weeds.

Hold on — they know this is FLORIDA right? FL is all about vegetation man!

> But a growing chorus of fishermen and hunters, naturalists and activists disagree. They are convinced that what started as sensible navigation and flood control has turned into a million-dollar-a-month chemical addiction that is killing Florida’s natural state.

> a home builder and angler named Mike Knepper has spent over a year chasing spray boats with a camera drone…. When he captures a state contractor spraying weed killer on live birds or baby alligators, or illegally blowing herbicide across wetlands with the fan of an airboat….

Shoot we even got the bunnies on our side and they’re ticked:

13. Brian Latimer’s Fish School is Feb 29.

MDJ will be there too, maybe others. Better get you a ticket in case Brian only plans on holdin’ it on leap years.

14. AL: Bill Lewis Echo catchin’ them at flooded Gville.

> …the creeks at Guntersville, where areas of flooded woods, buck brush and cattails have been the ticket for some solid fish. He said the Bill Lewis Echo squarebill has been the best bait….

Believe there’s a little derby there soon….

15. MI: To use ramps this year you need to buy a sticker.

2020 Recreation Passport Sticker:

> The yearly sticker fee for non-residents is $34 or you can pay a daily fee of $9. For residents, the fee is $12, up from $11 last year.

^ Post written by Louie “the Legend” Stout….

16. TX: Dude paid a guy to burn his bass boat?

Allegedly to collect on the insurance, post says:

> …the man admitted to setting the boat on fire to help his friend collect insurance money. He was to be paid $5,000 if he made it look like the boat was stolen and set on fire, according to game wardens.

Line of the Day

Life isn’t easy for smallmouth in a stream.

I guess lake smallies have it easy then? And I’m pretty sure that’s a typo — should be “ain’t” easy….

Quick 2c

Thank you bass fishing, or at least B.A.S.S. cuz I think MLF is too new yet for this — talkin’ the Astros cheating mess and what if that was bassin’. If it was, ALL those guys who cheated — some are calling it “organized crime,” which fits — would NEVER be allowed to compete again. Which is the way it should be. But baseball no tiene los cajones, if you know what I mean.

On BassBlaster.rocks right now…

> Jacob Wheeler’s winning baits, 30+ limits! Multiple cast spinnerbaits

Note: The TackleWarehouse links in this email are affiliate links, meaning if you go through them to make a purchase I might earn a commission…at no cost to you. Click here if you want to learn a little more about links in the BB.

Tip of the Day

Bill Lowen: Boat-positioning and casting tips.

Good ones in a Bassin’masters.com post:

> …before you make a cast you should dissect the area. Look at what’s there and develop a plan to fish it properly before you ever pick up a rod and reel. I usually start at the outside and work my way in. That way I don’t spoil water I haven’t fished.

> …it isn’t necessary to stay way off most spots and make long casts. That’s something that a lot of guys believe, but it isn’t true, at least in most lakes and rivers. Getting up close — and staying quiet — is the better option.

> My idea of fishing a log or a laydown is to pick it apart and cover every inch of it. I want to run my lure down both sides of a log as well as hit the top and bottom of it. With a laydown I want to do the same thing and then move inside and fish every limb and fork that’s there. You can’t do that if your boat is in one spot. You have to reposition it.

> If you don’t reposition it, you’ll most likely cross the log or the brush when you cast from one side to the other. And, you’ll only fish part of the other side. That’s a lot of unfished water.

> The other thing is that even if you do manage to get a bite you’re likely to lose the fish and maybe hang your lure. By the time you jerk and pull it free you’ll have ruined the cover.

> The way to solve all of those problems is to take a minute or 2 and reposition your boat several times so that you can make multiple casts and cover the log or laydown the way you should. It won’t take but a minute or 2 to do this, and it’s well worth the effort.

> Once you’re in the right position, make repeated casts to the same spot. It’s amazing how many times a bass will bite the same lure after a dozen casts to the same spot.

Quote of the Day

“I’m not a big fan of fishing memories.”

– Jacob Powroznik talkin’. I was like, “Dude what about the first time your dad took you fishing? And the time you won the Bassmaster AOY deal and were huggin’ it out with Skeet?” And he was like, “Are you serious?”

Hahaha! He was talkin’ ’bout:

> Fishing memories are something we all hear about as fishermen. You know, going back and fishing the same areas with the same baits you did previously on any body of water you’ve fished before, even if it was years ago.

Couple issues with that — first is when you have too many memories:

Then there’s the issue when you have a waypoint but you’re like:

Shot of the Day

Guess on a truly “yuge” bass everything looks obscenely large, like this’n from @backlash_official — check the eye, lip, etc:

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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