Been taking a little time to explore the Dallas guitar scene. Wow I forgot how many musicians – and ones I like – are from TX! Stories about Billy Gibbons, Doyle Bramhall II and more. Lotta fun. Bought a Les Paul, gonna start playing a little...after June lol! Let's git after it!

Believe it or not, Bobby had never won a big tourney in FL til last weekend. Sounds crazy because he's from there and FL can be a tough nut to crack for a lot of guys. His brother Chris won the Kissimmee Chain BPT in '23, but Bobby hadn't gotten a 6-fig check there til Sunday.

Here's how it went down for him. Full meal deal is on the BB website – this one is shortened.

Going in and practice

Bobby's practice was extensive. He pretty much checked out every lake and wasn't going to commit to anything til he found better stuff. Here's what he found at the end:

> "I ran to Apopka to a place...a lot of fish there last year, but I got locked out. The beautiful thing about MLF is we don't have a scheduled weigh in, so I knew I'd have a lot more time there than I've had in the past – 5-6 hours to fish as opposed to 1.5-2 hours....

> "I got down there, got to my first area, I've got my MaxScent General with a hitchhiker on it – my very first flip was a 6-lber...3 more [good] bites in that area. I was like, Good Lord, I've been fishing 30 minutes and I've already done what I've done in Harris and Griffin.

> "I ran to a stretch of pads...a bunch of locals in front of me, maybe half a mile in front of me...I decided not to go there. I kinda fished in that area a little bit and had a few more little bites.

> "I decided to run to the west side of lake to fish a stretch of cattails I like. That's when I saw the giant fish kill...catfish, shad, some bass....

> "I fished a few more places...run over to this [area] and check what's going on. 2-3 locals are there and they are cracking 'em. I had that General on, pitched to the first reed clump and that's where I ended up winning the tournament.

> "...in 15-20 minutes I had 5-8 bites without moving my Power-Poles much at all and I was pretty stoked about it. As I'm going down the bank, Jacob Wheeler is coming up the other side. So I knew he was gonna find it."

He checked some more lakes and areas after that.

Tournament

> "The first morning I'm boat 62. That means anyone going to Apopka will be in front of me. That lock holds 3 boats and it takes probably 20 minutes to lock 3 boats through. So that made my decision for me – I'm gonna start in Harris because the wind is going to blow out of the south.

> "...Alton Jones Jr is about 20-30 yards in front of me and my brother was about a half mile down. Well we all found the same fish....

> "30 minutes into the 2nd period, Jacob Wheeler has been catching them...I don't know where he's at but....

> "I left with about 30 minutes left in the 2nd period. I go to Apopka and arrived at the spot..Wheeler was there. We had a few words...'Hey give me some space,' no problem, all good.

> "I knew I'd be first through the lock the next day. I caught plenty to keep myself in the top 10 and make the Knockout Round...no shortage of bites.

> "...the Knockout Round, about 6 locals were in there and out of nowhere they all left. So I'm like, Hey this could get good. I caught what I needed to catch.

> "I got to practice a little bit. I knew on championship day I was going to be dealt with a big wind and said, 'Well all my eggs are in 1 basket. I can't go to Griffin because the wind's blowing, I can't go to Harris...so I'm just going to go back.

> "I ran to that area and it was literally whitecaps over whitecaps. I knew later that afternoon from my Windy app that there'd be a shift in the wind at 1:00-2:00. I'd fish anything I could until the wind shifted – maybe I'd still have a shot....

> "I just went to work [on the south end where the wind wasn't as bad]. My 2nd or 3rd flip was a 5-08....all the other guys are catching them too. I fished around there for quite a while and caught nothing. At the end of the 1st period I was not in good shape at all – 12-13 lbs.

> "...the 2nd period, I said, 'I'm gonna run up there and see what it looks like.' I started on that pad patch...."

> "I decided to give it a try on the back side [of his main area]...at least try to catch a little bit. I caught a 4-lber...okay they're biting. I caught another one not too long after that, then got up into my so-called honey hole...caught a 5.5, then I caught a 2-lber...I can't believe these fish are biting in these windy conditions, on the bottom.

> "Out of nowhere [his official said], 'You are 1-09 from taking the lead.' I said, 'Excuse me? You gotta be kidding me'.... I think I can do it.

> "The wind got harder, it was starting to rain – 'Okay now's the time to tighten it up and get moving, doing what you love to do. Use your Power-Pole Move and your Power-Poles and make good decisions. Understand that everyone else is dealing with these same conditions. And leave your bait in there as long as you can and make sure it's on the bottom.'

> "...with about 1.5 hours to go, a front blew through and the wind did exactly what it was supposed to do...lay down. It got calm in there, it got quiet. I caught a 5-10, a 4-08, a 4-02. I was able to fish easy now. Nobody was out there that day – zero locals."

More about how he fished

> "The water temp hadn't dropped yet. So these FL fish will still bite as long as the water temp doesn't get too far out of whack.

> "What I mean by keeping it on the bottom...the area I won the tournament was a hard bottom. So it didn't matter what weight I used – it wouldn't sink through the muck. That's a big deal here in FL.

> "...I would leave it in there. It looked like I was yo-yoing, but in reality I was shaking my braid so the bait would move on the bottom...on slack line kinda. Just keep it there as long as you can. They're there, they're spawning, they see it...they can't resist it. Sometimes they'll follow it off the bed and will pick it up a foot from where your initial pitch was.

> "I just really tried to keep my bait down there as long as I could. Then they kinda told me how they wanted it.

> "I think that area and the area Mark Davis was in was so good because they eradicated all the grass in Apopka couple years ago...hurricanes or spraying...definitely took a toll on the grass. So those Apopka bass had nowhere else to go.

> "I caught 90% of my fish in buggy whips, another 10% [not the final day] in cattails.

> "Most of Apopka...ranges from 1.9' to 2.5'. This area where the rock was was 3.1-3.6'."

Baits

> 6" Berkley MaxScent General (b/b with blue tip and straight black). "I probably went through at least 50 bags of those things.

> "MaxScent is important all the time, but especially when you get changing conditions. Cooler temps, warmer temps, the fish get real finicky. I missed my share of fish, but not as many as everybody else. I think what happens is they actually taste that MaxScent.

> "[With a non-MaxScent bait] they might hang onto it and you set the hook and they're not there. With MaxScent...they get it in their mouth and get it good...[hooked] in the hard spot of their throat. Let's face it, it's just proven itself over the years...."

> 4/0 and 5/0 Berkley Fusion19 Heavy Cover Flippin Hook, 1/4-oz Epic Tungsten Weight (3/8 and 5/16 when the wind picked up), 50-lb SpiderWire DuraBraid, Abu Garcia REVO Premier ("I chose it because it has tons and tons of drag to get 'em out"), 7' 6" H Abu Fantasista X Rod.

Electronics

> "...Lowrance electronics...the biggest thing for me was my 2D. ...run my boat through those shallow areas and watch my graph. If it went from a high yellow red – which was a muck bottom – to an inch [wide]...it was hard bottom, let's fish it. 2D was the deal."

Shout-outs

> "Of course I gotta mention my boat and motor. I'm running a Phoenix 21 XE this year which with my Yamaha SHO 250 got me all the way to Apopka and back during the event.

> "...all my sponsors that support me. And I want to thank God for keeping me healthy, and my family...that day was an awesome special moment for the Lane family."

There's B-Lane in his pre-hookset pose lol! Here's a few with him:

1. Did you ever think you would win a big one in your home state?

> "Yes."

2. How mad were you that Chris was doing better than you early on? 😁

> "Very disappointed – not disappointed. ...me, Chris and Justin Lucas, we all room together. Chris...said he had a few small bites in practice and he starts the event out with a 6-13. I was like, Oh yeah, here we go!

> "I expected him to do well. He's one of the best pad fishermen around. I wasn't disappointed at all. I was actually happy for him because we do pull for each other."

3. After you won Redcrest by a whisker at the last second, was it your goal to win the next time by at least 15 lbs?

> "[Laughs] That never even crossed my mind. I've been hungry for a while and I've been close...it was just meant to be. I will take any win any way I can get it. If it's by 10 lbs, if it's by 1 oz, if it's by whatever."

Bonus Q: What does it take to win vs finish high?

> "...this event, when I put my boat in the water [every] morning at the crack of dawn, I had a gameplan to look at every single place I could in the Harris Chain. To figure out which lake was biting. I really wanted to look at everything I could.

> "When I won Redcrest...I looked at every single creek in that entire lake. I was the first one in and the last one out. That's what it takes. You're not gonna just go out there and win.

> "It's time on the water. Learning everything you can.

> "If you see a blip on your graph in the middle of the lake, spin the boat around and fish it. If you see a reed patch 300 yards away, take the time to run over there and check it. Every single bite counts and you never know where that big one's gonna be....

> "That's what's made the difference for me on my last 2 wins – dedication."

2nd: Mark Davis

> 6" Yamamoto Senko (junebug and black), 5/0 BKK Siren Worm Hook, 1/8- or 1/16-oz tungsten weight, 20-lb flouro, 7' 2" H Phenix M1 Rod.

> Maiden cane reeds in 3'.

3rd: Matt Becker

> 5" Yamamoto Fat Senko (bruised shin), 3/0 Trokar TK-135 Monster Flippin Hook, 3/16- and 1/2-oz Epic Tungsten Flippin Weight, 50-lb Seaguar TACTX Braid.

> "I was flipping reeds and pads for spawning fish. I fished multiple lakes, but Apopka and Eustis were the best for me. Key was fishing extremely slow and methodically in areas where I knew fish were. Depth I would say was 2-5' – I had my transducers turned off."

4th: Terry Scroggins

> Zoom Mag Finesse Worm (junebug, redbug, South Africa special), 3/0 Spearpoint Fury Flipping Hook, 7/16-oz Revolution Outdoorz Weight, 65-lb Bass Pro Shops XPS Braid, 7' 8" XH Mudhole MHX FP 936 Flipping Stick.

> "I caught every fish flipping – pencil reeds, cattails and lilypads in 2-3' of water."

5th: Fletch Shryock

> New/not out yet Big Bite Baits FAFO (Flip Around Find Out, creature bait he co-designed) in "hematoma" and "1099" colors, Trokar TK135 Monster Flip Hook, 1.5-oz pegged tungsten weight, 40-lb Vicious No-Fade Braid, Ark Gravity G8 Reel (8:1), 7' 11" Ark Tharp Series Guntersville Special Punching Rod.

> "I targeted matted vegetation on a spawning flat on Lake Griffin. With a warming trend and a full moon, I was reluctant to commit fully to punching, knowing many bass were spawning around the reeds and lilypads. But after period 1 on day 1, I knew plenty of bass were still in the mats. Rather than overthinking the spawn cycle, I committed to punching vegetation the rest of the week."

The AL DNR announced that Billy Goat Hole Boat Ramp on on Dauphin Island will be closed for renos lol! Can you beat that? Lemme hear 'em if you think you can!

1. Randy Howell got Yamaha

They were looking for an angler with a flatter top than the top of a cowling...lol!

2. Scott Canterbury got Livingston Lures

3. Check Dave Mercer's 1st Bassmaster podcast

I haven't listed to it yet Dave, but I will!

4. You can now stream B.A.S.S. derbs on Roku

5. LA: Props to 2 bass-heads who rescued a man...

...who they saw still seatbelted in his car as it was floating! According to the post on outdoorlife.com.

6. TX: This 14.78 just caught at Alan Henry...

...is the same exact fish the same guy caught 2 years ago in Feb – in the same location! Back then it weighed 13.22 lbs.

Dude should get to name that fish, it likes him!

7. TX: Deets on that 14.05 caught at Lady Bird

Caught from the shore, the guy saw her spawning and tried for 3 hours with a Fluke to get her to go the day before, then 3 hours the next day and she finally bit. Caught her on a spin pole with 20-lb braid. 6 hours on one fish, dang!

8. Berkley is going craw cray-cray!

Last week (?) they came out with the Johnny Cox co-designed Crick Craw:

This week they came out with the new Crud Craw and Stank Bug, both of which are purple-package MaxScent:

I don't know what's going on but am gonna find out! 🦞 Other than that, my only Q is: Does crick crud stank? 🤣

9. TX: Winner gets $20K in Toledo Bend charity tourney

Saturday, Mar 8, the 2025 Despino's Tire Fishin' For Kids Bass Tournament. Weigh-in at Cypress Bend Park.

10. VA: The top lakes for trophy largemouths are...

...none. 😆 Just messin. here's your top citation largemouth lakes based on '24 catches. Length citations are 22+" and weight cites are 8+ lbs:

11. New 5" size of Megabass Magdraft

12. SPRO bringing Taku's Nories Bite Powder to US

Not on TW yet....

13. GA HSer signed with Emmanuel U

Congrats! 💪

14. DC: New tariffs will increase aluminum reel prices?

That's what the ASA (fishing industry trade assoc) says – tariffs on the aluminum content in reels.

15. MN: Mille Lacs committee meeting is tomorrow

> The Mille Lacs Fisheries Advisory Committee will meet 6-8 pm, Tues Feb 18, at Izaty's Resort (8383 Izaty's Rd, Onamia, MN) and via online videoconference. The agenda will cover winter creel survey updates, an update on the multi-year plan discussion with the 1837 bands, an update on the fall night ban, and a discussion on regulations for 2025.

16. FL: Lake Tarpon water quality has improved

Headline of the Day

Hornyhead chubs are cooler than their name implies

I think anything named "chub" has a tough time sounding cool!

Winter/cold water hair-jiggin' sloooooow

From NY's AJ Slegona on the MLF site:

> Slegona typically slings hair on any sort of hard offshore winter spots ...from 15' to 35' deep, his spots might be a rubble pile, a patch of boulders or the end of an old stone wall.

> A cast-and-drag approach...it's almost impossible to fish the bait too slow. "What took time to learn is how finesse you've got to be about it. It's an ultra-finesse technique. You've got to be super slow and super sensitive because you're fishing real deep water.

> "I almost let the line drag it toward me. You can't ever fish it too slow."

> ...6-lb Vicious Pro Elite Fluorocarbon and a M or ML spinning rod with a soft tip to present the jig. ...he feels like the extra stretch compared to a braid-and-leader setup is actually advantageous when playing the fish.

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Vicious_Pro_Elite_Fluorocarbon/descpage-VPF.html?from=bblst

> Slegona relies mostly on a 3/16-oz ball-head jig with synthetic fibers made by Crafty Rabbit Jigs. "They have all different types of hair, but I go toward the full synthetic. It has a more natural movement I think, and it is a little more buoyant under the water.

> "I just stick with black. If they don't eat a black one then I won't catch them. And I put just a little piece of worm on the hook to bulk it up and make it cast a little farther."

Not the same post or deal, but check how this fly fisherman – who fishes the float n fly – ties his jig-flies so they look like shad:

"I'm one of the most competitive people you'll ever meet, but as soon as I weigh my fish in, I just want to help people."

- Elite rookie Easton "EFG" Fothergill talkin' on the Bassmasters. Also said:

> Helping other anglers will be a big focus of my career. I'm looking forward to using my platform to teach younger anglers and other anglers in general.

Love hearing that and bet you do too.

Here's you a new way to get your sponsors in a shot peeps! 😁 I kinda like it – no way you can big-eye the fish! 🤙 Posted by @pwclubfishing on Insta:

Alright all you rock 'n blues guys, check this if you haven't seen it already: Joe Bonamassa at the Royal Albert Hall in London 10 years ago. I'm not a fan of medleys, but this one is outstanding. Joe's great and so is the band, and Joe pays tribute to a bunch of Les Paul players in it. Amazing.

Quick story: Bud of mine is in the music biz and many years ago he told me to check out this kid playing at a bar in the daytime in NJ. My bud knows what's up so I went. Turned out to be a very young Joe Bonamassa, and the kid RIPPED!

In another life – between BassFan and the BassBlaster – I had a guitar tone blog and interviewed Joe. Seemed like a solid dude.

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.