What is Justin Hamner doing?? I mean, he goes out and wins the Classic, and instead of takin' it easy, doing trophy tours and autograph sessions, he's kickin' tail – and is now 2nd behind Trey "shot outta a cannon" McKinney. What up? Had to find out so here we go.

But first, here's Justin's list of finishes going back to the end of last year when he started really rolling:

Wheeler, AL -- 9

Murray, SC -- 16

St Johns River, FL -- 55

Harris Chain, FL -- 26

Grand Lake, OK -- 1

Fork, TX -- 3

Toledo Bend, LA -- 14

2023

St Lawrence River, NY -- 8

Champlain, NY -- 21

St Clair, MI -- 17

After his Classic win he said that when he quit his lawncare biz and could focus on fishing full-time is when it starting clicking for him. Let's see what else is up:

How Hamner won it and the Top 25 Classic baits!

1. Why are you fishing so well and not just out being in parades and kissing babies with the Classic trophy?

> "Well, it started off the beginning of the season...fishing free and no worries, and that whole deal kind of snowballed into the Classic. After the Classic it's even more free.

> "...I definitely have a lot more work that I have to do [being the reigning Classic champ], but from a fishing standpoint it's way more freeing already being qualified [for the '25 Classic]. I can take those risks a little bit more. It bit me day 1 on the St Johns River – I went crazy and took a big gamble – but that's part of it."

2. Would you say that Patrick Walters is a good or bad influence? (They're roomin' buds.)

> "Both. It depends on what. Fishing-wise he's a great influence. Everything else is terrible. [Laughs.]

> "He's one of the best fishermen I've ever met. I think he's gonna go down as one of the greatest fishermen of all time, I really do."

Foller-up: How about when it comes to wardrobe – shorts specifically? 😁

> "He's a terrible influence. If I have to see more thigh...it's disturbing. We need more cold-water tournaments just so he can wear more long pants."

[Lol!]

3. What's the best thing so far about being the Classic champ?

> "Being able to truly provide for my family, Like I've never been able to. And I got to take my daughter to Disney World. That was by far probably the biggest highlight of all this. It was pretty special."

4. What exactly is your sonar setup and why?

> "I'm using everything Garmin. For LiveScope I have the LVS34 – LiveScope Plus. I have it on one of those Fish Obsessed zero-degree mounts. It's more precise – I just think you get a clearer picture.

> "When you have the normal Garmin mount [it's mounted] to try to get away from that trolling motor so you're not getting any interference. But I think it gets stretched out a little bit...not a straight cone. At a distance is when you can tell a little bit.... With that zero degree mount it's straight the whole way so it's definitely more precise.

> "I do have the saltwater transducer, the 63 [62? the one he used in the Classic, along with the LVS34]. I haven't been running it recently just because in FL it was in the way, getting caught up in the grass. I'm definitely gonna have it for the last 3 tournaments.

> "I'm running that into a 12-inch Garmin EchoMap Ultra 2...going back and forth between Perspective Mode and Forward Mode.

> "...in Perspective Mode I can see probably 150'. In Forward Mode, which will be big-time for Champlain, I can see 300-350'. The only problem is you don't have the detail. It's nowhere near as detailed. It's more for seeing something out there – a ball of bait or whatever – then go in that direction and get the detail thru the 34 [LVS34 transducer].

[His FFS is on a Garmin GPS 8616.]

> "I think the wiring harness is one of the biggest things. I use the Bass Tank Power Harness. Whatever you do, don't rig your electronics without a wiring harness – just to get the clarity and no interference.

> "[For batteries] I'm running independent lithiums – X2Power 125 amp-hour lithiums. That's just to stay at that consistently high voltage. AGMs and lead-acids slowly trickle down [in voltage] through the day, but with lithiums I'm running at 13.1 volts all day long.

> "I am running 2 of those 125-amp lithiums just for electroncis. For a starter I have a separate battery which is an X2 AGM. And I have 3 36s for the trolling motor."

5. Where did the hatred of the Carolina rig start? 🤔

> "When I was growing up, that's all my dad threw – and me. Literally it didn't matter what time of year or where we were fishing, we were throwing a Carolina rig, usually with a chartreuse pepper lizard. That was it.

> "At the time I loved it. But when I started fishing shallow grass, throwing frogs and swim-jigs and stuff, I thought: I'm never dragging on this point again.

> "Still, every tournament, if someone in the top 10 is using a Carolina rig, I get a sinking feeling my gut because I know a text [from dad] is coming."

[Hahaha get him dad!]

Bonus Q: When you walk into your house from the road, is it a rule that now "We are the Champions" has to be playing? 😁

> "Yep. I actually give my wife a little bit of a heads up when I come down the road. I want it to be hitting right at the peak of the song. [Laughs]

> "No – that would be so cool though. I would love that. I think it's the Barbie theme song actually, what's playing every time."

Justin's YT channel just kicked off with a Classic win vid – give him a foller!

If there's a backstory to this deal, it appears to be that someone(s) managed to push through the AL state gov't the idea of a huge "birthplace of bass fishing" tourney that will help publicize, promote and fund AL bass fisheries. I think.

Press release was issued on this deal, no contact name or phone # (I did get a name), but I talked to a couple pros whose names you'd know to get a little perspective on it off the record.

Highlights of the press release:

> ...meet a new organization...a group that refers to itself as Unified Pros, a nonprofit with no ownership....

> ...Unified Pros and the state of AL will launch its first tournament, the Ultimate Angler Championship – October 5-11 – on Lake Guntersville...with a guaranteed 1st Place payout of $500,000...a total of over $1 mil in cash payouts.

> The team's concept was driven by passionate pro anglers and other industry folks looking for a way to unite and raise bass fishing to an entirely new level for "the love of the game." In combination with the state of AL – as well as local partners City of Scottsboro, Jackson County and state leadership – the group also wanted to raise awareness of the state's healthy bass fisheries and help raise funds for conservation, ultimately to fund grants for federal-matched dollars for conservation grants.

> ...Ultimate Angler will be open to qualifying college anglers, amateurs and pros. United Pros also modeled the tournament after AP college football, essentially creating a bass fishing version of an FCS game, the first and only champion crowned across multiple leagues and tournament trails.

> The other thing that separates United Pros' inaugural event from other tournaments is that it will not be sponsor-driven. All of the money is being underwritten by the state of AL, Jackson County and the City of Scottsboro.

That's it. Few more deals:

1. $500K for 1st in the UA Championship, 2nd is $130K, 3rd $80K, 4th $70K, 5th $50K and it goes all the way down to 100th.

2. No entry fee but at $500 fee (I think annual?) to join the nonprofit. It's possible that the membership – maybe along with the state of AL? – will own the nonprofit.

3. You will have to qualify for the tournament through sanctioned trails, a model that has worked for Bassmaster, Bass Pro Shops and even lil ol' BassFan back in the day. Peeps MIGHT first qualify for regional qualifiers to get to the big show – I have conflicting info on that. A list of sanctioned trails is on the website but it's: all B.A.S.S. and MLF trails, NPFL, TAA (that $5K entry Lanier event that happened earlier this year), ABA Top 150s, WON Bass and the AL Bass Trail.

https://www.theultimateangler.org/

4. 5 fish and no FFS. 360 was not mentioned.

5. It is not supposed to be a competitor to B.A.S.S. or MLF, and no word yet on TV possibilities.

6. Not sure what this means:

> Through collaborative partnerships with esteemed organizations such as the Major League Fishing Anglers Assn, Bassmaster Professional Anglers, National Professional Fishing League, NFL Professional Players Assn, MLB Players Assn, NBA Players Assn, and Professional Golfers Assn, we aim to create Pro-Pro events that bring together professionals from various sports disciplines in unique competitive formats. These events will not only offer major payments to winners but also serve as platforms to raise awareness for outdoor activities and conservation efforts.

All I got for now. Interesting deal, props to whoever made it happen including the AL legislature (though legislatures = tax $!). Let's see what happens....

(That line reminds me of the old Marvin Gaye tune. Dude had an amazing voice no doubt.)

We have B.A.S.S. and MLF – 2 big, national tournament organizations like we've always had.

At some point the anglers got ticked and started the Professional Anglers Assn, which had its own touring angler-level tourneys – and then the PAA sorta morphed to become MLF which then swallered up FLW.

So then we were back to 2 national tourney organizations again.

In the last less than a year, there's been 4 top-level deals that have happened or have been discussed:

1. The above Ultimate Angler tournament
2. The non-profit Touring Anglers Assn tournament on Lanier this spring with likely more coming
3. Another big tour-level deal I heard about that hasn't gotten off the ground (yet?)
4. That Master Cup Fishing deal announced last ICAST that didn't happen

That much big-tournament activity outside the 2 leagues is unprecedented in the history of bassin'. What's driving it? My 2c:

1. Partly FFS and how that has become sort of a dividing line for tournament anglers.

2. Partly a little dissatisfaction over entry fees vs payouts at the top level, which has always been an issue – and if you do the math you will see it's really no better than it was and actually is worse. Not good!

3. Partly access to $$$ that is not from the fishing industry. That much non-fishing $$$ hasn't been there before.

4. Maybe some other stuff I'm missing – pls lemme know what you got.

Whatever the case, whatever happens, it's an interesting time.

Used to be that you 100% needed largemouths to win at Champlain, or at least when the bigger trails fished there you did. That's because there's no gobies in Champlain to make the smallmouths ultra-bulbous...yet (the state thinks gobies are on the way).

But last weekend's MLF Invitational there – day 3 got canceled – I believe was won with all smalls. Congrats to AL's Jacob "Sky" Walker for winning the deal by 2 lbs over TN's Nick "the new Doomsday" Hatfield:

> "Throwing a 5- or 6-inch Deps Sakamata Shad in the silver shiner color on mostly a 3/16-oz Owner Range Roller Head.... "It's identical to the alewives, and it looks like the smelt."

> ...Walker had his boat in 20-35' most of the time but caught fish throughout the water column.

> "I run my LiveScope at 80' because I can really see a fish and really decipher where the fish is. It's a big deal with how you present a bait.

> "I would sit on a group of fish and wait until I knew I could get a good cast on a 4-lber. When my trolling motor was in the water, very rarely was I not looking at fish. I had to really be patient and understand that if there's a group, there's a big one in there...."

Seems like some bass fishing has gone from finding schools, to groups, to 2-4 fish, to singles or singles in groups. Amazing. I'm still in the "gimme a bite!" phase. 😂

Largies did play a bit in this deal, but sounds like it was mostly post-spawn smallmouths around bait. Here's a quick breakdown of what the Top 10 fished:

Damiki = 80% (most guys fished 2 different baits) – Deps Sakamata Shad 30%, Scottsboro Sniper Shad Pro Series, Z-Man Scented Jerk ShadZ 20%, Raid Fish Roller, Yamamoto Scope Shad, Big Bite Baits Scentsation Slim Minnow, Big Bite Baits Jerk Minnow, Strike King Baby Z-Too, Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm

Wacky rig = 20% – both Yamamoto Senkos

10% each = Big hard swimbait, Jig, Ned rig (Berkley MaxScent Lil General), Dropshot (Berkley MaxScent Flat Worm), Shakey head (Zoom Trick Worm on a Buckeye Spot Remover Head)

Shoutouts

1. These BPT characters finished in the top 10 – not surprised!

2. TX's – I mean NY's – I mean TX and NY's Alec Morrison got 3rd...outside of TX! 😁

3. DELAWARE's Kurt Mitchell is from Delaware and came from Delaware and went back to Delaware and finished 4th! 🤯 Delaware representin'! Even more amazing, he fished homemade glide baits called War Panda Baits Nasty Nuggets: 💪

4. Here's a pic of a prototype/new? Yamamoto swimbait with the tail cut off that TN's Jake Lawrence (10th) fished when he ran outta Shad Shape Worms:

John E Crews has food on the brain:

Laker Howell (Randy's son) apparently has come outta the closet about one of his issues:

Lol on that last one, he actually lost a bet with his dad! Good job Randy hahaha!

1. Fred Roumbanis is doing okay after his wreck

Hit by a drunk driver, boat totaled, but had a good tournament at the Chowan. Take er ez Freddie!

2. John Cox likes the sound the Swamp Lord makes

Says in that IG vid ^ that when it lands on a mat it makes a "belly flop" sound. Strangely, I imagine that John would make that same sound when landing on a mat...😁 Love ya Cox, just messin' man!

Check ya the Lords before they sell out on TW....

3. Here's that popper Seth Feider was fishing at Wheeler

The Storm Arashi Cover Pop I believe in "bluegill".

4. Dean Rojas likes a popping frog when...

...the grass is almost topped out or there's a thin layer of it on the surface to call 'em up. Do not doubt a word Dean says about froggin'!

And he's selling his 2023 Blazer 650 Pro Tour (Zuki, Lowrance, Poles + Move).

5. Brent Chapman is finding alien stuff on his screens

In KS. WTHeck?? His wife says he's taken to pacing the house and muttering about all kinda weird stuff...like injecting marshmallows with egg salad...🤣

6. Cool Bass pro Shops vid about Skeet Reese's journey

7. Grae Buck: Another reason to use an Aqua-Vu cam...

...is that you can idle around or drift and see fish, and don't have to burn 'em by hooking 'em to check the size (IG vid):

Check the Aqua-Vu stuff on TW and on the Aqua-Vu site since TW doesn't carry it all.

8. Shaw Grigsby's 2023 Triton 21 XRT is for sale

Lowrance and Power-Poles, ask him to bless it too!

9. Here's your Bassmaster Elite AOY Top 10

1. Trey McKinney -- 560

2. Justin Hamner -- 501

3. Cody Huff -- 474

4. Jacob Foutz -- 473

5. Chris Johnston -- 470

6. John Garrett -- 460

7. Jordan Lee -- 460

8. Wesley Gore -- 460

9. JT Thompkins -- 451

10. Jay Przekurat -- 448

10. Real pretty new Yo-Zuri topwater color

Called "gizzard shad" and I believe will come in all 3DB topwaters:

11. Check this "new bullfrog" color Snagproof Smashmouth Frog

Man I like it! Check 'em on TW and I believe that's the 7' 2" H MF Halo BB Frogging Rod.

12. This might be a genius idea?

New KastKing deal for ICAST. Theme song might be "IIIIIII'm the bait in the box..." Name that band in 3 letters!

13. Gambler has a new hollow FFS swimbait

In 3.5 and 4.5:

> ...hollow body construction provides a slower rate of fall, allowing anglers to utilize heavier hover hooks without compromising the lure's natural appearance.

14. Work at Vexus and you will build boats and fish

Sounds pretty dang good! Cool post on the Vexus site about a multigenerational boat-building fam that started off with Forrest Wood and Ranger. Gonna take a look at their help wanted ads...😁

15. John Clark is the new GM of Skeeter Boats

Internal hire, was asst GM, been at Skeeter since 2006.

16. David Neill is prez of Rapala Canada again

> Neill will be reporting to Marcus Twidale, president of Rapala USA.

17. GA: Invasive mystery snails found in Lanier, more lakes

18. MD releases "guidance" for striper fishing in warm water

> ...daily advisories will be issued from mid-June until Labor Day based on temperature forecasts, guiding anglers on the best practices to ensure the fish's survival.

> Red for temperatures 95 degrees or higher. This advises against fishing after 10 am. Yellow for temperatures between 90 to 94 degrees. This recommends extreme care and keeping fish in the water during catch and release. Green for normal conditions. This encourages proper catch-and-release practices.

> These advisories will be visibly signaled by flags at state parks with boating facilities.

Personally I think that is nanny state insane but ymmv.

Headline of the Day

The endangered Nashville crayfish likes sunbathing in the summer...

Can't blame 'em!

PSA

Rough idle? Bad gas? A can of Sea Foam Marine PRO should take care of it:

Good FFS fishing intel from Champlain winner Jacob Walker

> "A lot of times, I think if your bait is too close to them and you come over their backs, it spooks them.

> "How many times does a bologna sandwich hit you in the face? It never happens."

[Lol love it! But hey – if someone threw one at you it could? 🤔]

> "Most of the time I try to present my bait first very high and get an initial reaction to get them to come up and eat it. If it's too high and they don't see it, I'll make a cast closer to them but maybe 5 or 10 feet to their left or right.

> "I'm very patient – I don't just see a fish and bomb on it."

"...there were big ones out there, but there wasn't really much bait. So they weren't really in a good mood – you had to throw by 100 of them to find 1 that was gonna bite."

- Innerestin' quote from Jake "Saint" Lawrence who got 10th at the Champlain Invitational and is 1st in the points. The point being it ain't just about seeing 'em on the FFS. It first has to be right – and bear in mind he's talkin 'bout smallmouths!

Real cool post from Humminbird using 360 – where you throwing first? I said F2...because I'd be throwing a jig (or maybe a worm) and draaaggin' it down that wood to E3:

Fish the Size of a Human Fingernail Is as Loud as a Jet Engine

Apparently still not as loud as the pistol shrimp? Some fish live in the city I guess!

Fishers of Men Tournament Trail

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Contact Chris Wells the Bass Chaplain

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