Deets on the inaugural nationwide BassBlaster Ditch Melon Derby are coming in the next BB, but you can already find it on the FishDonkey app. There's a no-FFS opportunity – and also FFS. Both or either. And you can win something without winning too. Just $20 'n get out 'n fish wherever!

The Irish gal is away – I'm thinking of randomly moving her stuff around the house, then telling her I told her where it was weeks ago! 🤣 Probably not though. My funny ain't my wife's funny, especially when it comes to "her" house!

Welcome to bassin' June, let's roll!

Ish Monroe won the BAM Pro-Am on the Cali Delta (Sacramento Delta) with 62.79 lbs and he did it the way he loves to fish = all power, no finesse.

Here's how he caught 'em, starting with the baits he caught the most on:

> "Every day was a little bit different, but I want to say the ChatterBait."

> 1/2-oz Z-Man JackHammer (B Hite's hot craw) with a Missile Baits Spunk Shad (rotten tomato, a Fisherman's Warehouse-exclusive color), 20-lb Daiwa Samurai Fluoro, Daiwa Tatula Elite Reel (7.3), 7' 4" MH Daiwa Tatula Elite Brent Ehrler Bladed Jig Rod.

> "...inbetween rocks and grass...a little trough and there were some stumps that were isolated in those stretches. I was winding it and covering water."

> River2Sea Phat Mat Daddy Frog (yellow head), 55-lb Daiwa Samurai Braid, same reel, 7' 4" XH Daiwa Tatula Elite Series Ish Monroe Frog Rod.

> "The key stuff was duckweed mixed in with tules and pennywort. No consistent depth. But I did catch 1 big one in open water."

> Punch rig: Missile Baits D Bomb (rotten tomato), 5/0 River2Sea New Jack Flipping Hook, 1.5-oz Anglers King Weight, 70-lb Daiwa Samurai Braid, Daiwa Tatula Elite Pitch/Flip Reel (7.1), 8' H Daiwa Tatula Elite Ish Monroe Punch Rod.

> "I was punching anything that looked punchable – whether it was hydrilla chopped up, hydrilla pushed in a corner, pennywort, hyacinth, green bushy trees...."

> R2S Whopper Plopper (yellow head), 50-lb Daiwa J-Braid, same rod and reel as for the JackHammer.

> Why a glass rod for the Plopper: "I never set the hook. When they eat it, I just keep reeling so if they miss the bait I never pull it away from them. The rod loads and the braid puts the hook in 'em...."

> Why 'yellow head': "Yellow-headed black birds are on the Delta."

[There you go, starting matching your local birds for topwater!]

> He fished the JackHammer and Plopper on low tide, and punched and frogged on high tide.

More

> "The reliability of my Yamaha...I was literally running 80-100 miles total a day. And also my Bob's Machine Shop Jack plate. That was hugely important because [where he fished was] so sketchy to get in there.

> My [Lowrance] Ghost trolling motor – it's quiet. And the C-Map tides on my Lowrance unit allowed me to gauge whether I was able to get in and when I needed to get out of the area. Because if I waited too long I might not have been able to get out."

1. How many spinning rods were in your boat and how many minnows were tied up?

> "Zero and negative 100."

[Hahaha! 🤣]

2. Why did you run so far and how much fishing time did you have?

> "I had probably 6 hours of fishing time but only 2 hours of a window each day that the fish were really biting.

> "Two reasons [he ran so far]: One was to get away from the seals and sea lions that have infested the Delta. ...those 600+ lbers eat a third of their weight every day of fish. They have really demolished the Delta ecosystem for bass.

> "And to get away from people. The only other guy I saw was a a Delta local – that even includes fun fishermen. I didn't see fun-fishermen, I didn't see anybody."

3. Why were red colors the deal?

> "Crawdads. There's lots of red crawdads in the Delta that look exactly identical to that [Fisherman's Warehouse exclusive soft-plastic] color. I was matching the hatch.

> "Every time I've ever seen crawdads on the Delta, they are identical to that."

4. What's the level of competition at BAM and WON vs the top pro tours?

> "To me it's actually harder because you have guys like Hunter Schlander [2nd], Christian Ostrander [3rd] – even though he's fishing the Opens [too] – he lives on the Delta.

> "This year I've fished the Delta 7-8 days at the most, and 5 of those days were just in this tournament, You have a whole lotta guys that are locals and they spend a lot of time on that Delta. Logan Huntze [4th] who caught that almost 13-lber – he beat me at a Toyota Series 3 years ago."

[Also bear in mind that a lot of West Coast sticks are not going to fish pro back East just because of the distance.]

5. What do fishermen need to remember about power techniques?

> "That power fishing's not dead. I weighed 90 lbs doing it at the WON Bass on Clear Lake, I just won the BAM Pro-Am, and I'm still making money fishing tournaments power-fishing...not using FFS as much."

Follow-up: Do you think FFS is "overrated" or anything like that?

> "I think it's over-focused-on. I use FFS. I love ActiveTarget, I catch fish with it, I have used it in tournaments this year and have done well. I just think that most of these tournaments are won because that is so much the focus.

> "I would love to see 25% of the guys fish with FFS, 25% of the guys finesse-fish without FFS, 25% power-fish and another 25% doing just off the wall whatever. You wouldn't probably see that that the tournaments are dominated by FFS. But when 80% of the field is doing it, what do you think is gonna happen.

> "If you go to a tournament and 80% of the people are flipping, most likely the tournament is going to be won and dominated by flipping.

> "My focus is being good at what I'm good at. I'm going to continue to do that. If I'm gonna get beat, I'm gonna get beat at what I am the best at and it's gonna be hard to beat me overall. Everyone has their [strength]...you gotta stick with that."

Yuge congrats to TN/IL's Matteo Turano who won it by 3 and change with 56-11 on Lake Hamilton, AR. Still one of the toughest roads in bass fishing, just to get there let alone win.

Calling out the jig/minnow because I THINK this is the first one won that way? Paul Marks Jr won last year and said 80% of the fish he caught on Cherokee, TN he was not looking at. Emil Wagner won the year before on Hartwell, SC and didn't Scope. The 2022 and '21 AAs weren't won Scoping either.

Either way, here's how Matteo caught 'em:

> "It seemed like I could catch fish on a variety of different techniques and all types of spots. In practice I caught one 5.5-lber on a jig and minnow, and that kind of gave me some confidence in it. ...I just stuck it in my hand and just went to town.

> "All my big fish, I believe they were fry-guarders which is really weird. I actually have a lake back home where big females will guard fry, and there are a lot of little fish in that lake and just a few giants. That place reminds me a lot of this place.

> "...I just put the trolling motor down until I see a big one on LiveScope, and then I try to catch it. I'm passing over lots of little fish, and it gets very mentally draining. ...that's what I was doing the last 3 days, just moving really slow."

> ...used a few minnows on a Buckeye G-Stroll Head, with either a 7' 6" ML or a 7' 7" M Phenix K2 Torzite spinning stick.

Keep your eyes peeled for Matteo. And maybe point your interference transducer at him if he's fishing the same hole...😆 Just kidding!

Shoutout to this dude who finished 6th and has been having a heck of a month:

1. A pro I was talking to recently

> "Fishing is outdoors. Fishing is not computers."

2. Elitist Cody Meyer

From Bassmaster.com:

> I've become proficient enough with LiveScope that I can see the bass and consistently get a bait in front of them. Unfortunately for me, that's just not good enough anymore. Now you've got to be absolutely precise about where you cast the bait and the way you bring it.

> Some anglers are so good at Scoping they can not only discern bass from other species, they can also tell the size of the bass. If they need a 5-lber to cull, they don't waste time throwing at a 4-lber.

> I have to turn LiveScope on, stare at that screen and try to learn what the more advanced Scopers are seeing and doing.

> I've fished several other bass tours and can tell you for certain that the most talented Scopers compete on the Bassmaster Elite Series.

3. Tenkiller Bassmaster Kayak Series winner Kristine Fischer

> Targeting floating docks sitting over 15-45' of water, Fischer skipped 5, 6 and "7 shad-colored swimbaits (including a 6" Berkley CullShad) under those docks to generate her biggest bites.

> She used sidescan to locate docks with baitfish underneath before turning around and making long skips to the backside of the particular dock.

> In practice, Fischer discovered some issues with her FFS, and she was unable to use it during the tournament which she felt turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

> "Some of the bigger bites were way under the dock. You almost had to hit the back of the dock. I didn't turn it on once. I think that helped me. Sometimes when you have it on, it distracts you. I just did my thing around the banks and docks."

> She also flipped a Berkley [MaxScent] Crud Craw around flooded bushes she came across during the day. "As the water dropped, I pulled out to the mid-creek areas and anywhere I had a steeper bank with flooded bushes I would flip.

> "I also threw the big swimbait there and would crawl it through the flooded bushes. I got a lot of big bites doing that and had a lot of followers."

1. USA Bassin' team got gold, silver and bronze in MX

Here's your winners – Team USA finished 1st-5th out of 54 teams:

Was Matty Pangrac a ringer?? 🤔😁

Joey Cifuentes said they were catching as many 6-lbers as they wanted to – BUT the Sabine was way more fun. Okay I made up the 2nd part of that HAHAHA!

2. OH Bassin' HOF will have TEN inductees!

Take that Bass Fishing Hall of Fame! 10 speeches should only take 5 hours! 🤣 Okay, here's the list and big congrats to 'em:

Fred Arbogast – Arbogast baits founder

Homer Circle – Sorta the first bass writer and a great guy (my 2c, I got to talk to him a bit)

Steve Clapper – Tourney angler who won at the tour level

Nick Creme – First plastic worm!

Glen Lau – Maker of the legendary "Bigmouth" movie

George Polosky – 4 OH Bass Federation and OH Bass Circuit points championships

Frank Scalish Sr – Former pro who now paints baits and is the star of BTL 😁

Joe Thomas – Former pro and current TV host

Larry Williams – Stud competitor: "...qualified for numerous Bassmaster Classics and 2 Red Man All-Americans. In 100 Bassmaster events, he achieved 17 top 10 finishes and won 6 Red Man tournaments in OH and MI."

Ron Yurko – qualified for 4 Red Man All-Americans

After that list I'm predicting next year's class will be...1 guy. 😆 Just messin', congrats again fellers!

Serious – hope every state does this because they "should." Lotta amazing folks could get recognized.

3. FL: Push is on again to tear down Rodman dam

Dam will cost "max" $1.6 mil to repair vs $25 mil to tear it down.

4. PA's 8-08 smallie record has stood for 28 years

Where all you PA Scopers at? 😁

5. ABA is having payment issues?

Part of an email ABA prez Morris Sheehan sent out yesterday – could not find a link but here's a way shorter version on the ABA site and here's a news post on it:

> I am deeply concerned about the issue and want to assure you that I am taking full steps to make sure every affected member is made whole. ...I regret the inconvenience and concern it caused. Corrective actions have already been implemented, and I'm working personally with affected members to resolve each matter.

> I also want to speak clearly about the future – American Bass Anglers remains strong, committed, and focused.

6. AL: Montevallo prez leaving after July

> He started the Outdoor Scholars program, which includes a bass fishing team that has won 4 consecutive Bass Pro Shops School of the Year titles....

No truth yet to the rumor that the new prez will make Montevallo bassin' team start going to class...just messin'! Lol I love it – class is overrated mang! 😁

7. Pitman Creek bought another distributor

> ...has entered into an agreement to purchase Sports Specialists of Milwaukee Inc. The date of combined operations will be Jun 23.

> This acquisition expands Pitman Creek Wholesale’s operations in the Midwest and Great Lakes, nearly doubling its presence in the region. It also marks Pitman Creek’s first acquisition since 2000.

8. MB: You can pay $40 or $5 to launch at Pelican Lake...

...after a boat inspection. Not sure if there's bass in there but flagging this deal because the inspection + $ are to "protect" the lake from aquatic nuisance species like zebra mussels. So...the inspection isn't enough?

Hopefully not a trend, but I think I've covered something like this before.

9. MD DNR wants no striper fishing in August

> ...a change from the previous 2-week closure in late July. The month-long closure aims to reduce the heat-related deaths of fish that can happen even if they're promptly released after being caught.

Water temp in the ocean?? I've caught those suckers off NJ in August. Not MD but that water is cold and they're good to go. What up MD peeps? Is the bay water super warm?

Headlines of the Day

Why Chase Briscoe fished with pro angler Kevin VanDam on Luke Bryan's farm

Well, I know who one of those people is...lol.

A Team Won Thousands in a Bass Tournament. Then Their Checks Bounced

Outdoor Life is and has been in the click bait/sensationalism biz. The guy who posted it didn't even talk to anyone involved. C'mon man. maybe one of the better bass podcasts ill get on it...or probably already has?

Heavier sinkers up shallow?

In case you, like me, think it needs to be 100% stealth up shallow, here you go, from Drew Gill. Sometimes I get the impression that Drew was transported here with a mission to be great at bass fishing and a blank-slate mind. And maaaaaybeeeee...that's true? 😁

A small example of what I mean is that before he says what's below, he talks about shade being thrown by UNDERWATER objects...which I honestly never really think about. I see it as structure but not cover.

Anyhow here we go, from the Seaguar site:

> Once he finds bedding bluegill, Gill will use standard finesse techniques but likes to use heavier weights. "I'm going to use a plastic worm in some form or fashion, but want something fast and snappy so I use heavier weights than I normally use.

> "I want something a little more intrusive, whether a TX rig, drop-shot, shakey head or some other way to rig the worm. The heavier weights allow me to get that bass to react when fishing around bluegill beds.

> "This time of year, fishing this way, your average size of bass goes way up. I like to use heavier lines to manhandle the fish because you tend to catch some really big post-spawn fish doing this."

[He's using spin gear with a 15- or 17-lb Seaguar Tatsu fluoro leader.]

> ...likes to stay back on bluegill beds he finds with his [FFS]...50-80' away.... "Fishing at a distance is critical in shallow water because the bass are very mobile this time of year as they roam chasing bluegill, and tend to be very aware of their surroundings."

"I had too much water on my mind."

- CA's Christian Ostrander talkin' after the BAM Delta tourney about why his day 1 wasn't great. I'm sure we can all relate!

The dumbest thing I still do (maybe not in TX?) is: They're biting (or it looks right) but man I want to try that other spot all the way over/down there – so I leave. 🤪

What an almost square smallmouth looks like. @bradybush.fishing said it was 21.25" long and 19" around – and 7.51 lbs. Caught somewhere on the Great Lakes...or maybe one of Bill Dance's ponds lol! What a feesh!

Belgians accused of stealing wind from Dutch turbines

Here we go....

Fishers of Men Tournament Trail

Bass Chaplain podcasts

Contact Chris Wells the Bass Chaplain

CullGear.com - Versaweb

Advanced Angler

StrayCasts crazy web show!

BassEdge Radio

Champion Jigs

Trophy Bass Co.

National Professional Anglers Assoc.