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Lay your rod down to get a bite?
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Share a few times that one technique my son resorts to when he's not catching any on a soft-plastic is to lay the rod down in the boat. I'd say about 50% of the time when he picks it up again – after multiple minutes – a fish is on or gets it. Crazy. Thought of that when I saw this recently from Clark Wendlandt on Bassmaster.com:
> Maybe you made a cast with a crankbait, you got an itch and stopped cranking to take time to scratch that itch. When you pick up your retrieve, one has it.
> Or you make a long cast and get a backlash. After you get it picked out and begin to take up the slack, a fish is swimming off with your lure.
> Here’s a strange one that happened to me on Kentucky Lake. I was fishing a jerkbait with the usual jerk, jerk, pause cadence and I had to take a quick bathroom break.... When I picked up the jerkbait rod to resume working it, a bass had grabbed it. Even though I had been fishing that bait slow, I knew then that I needed longer pauses.
So here's the things I'm wonderin':
1. How much do we fish too fast? (But do any of us fish as fast as KVD??)
2. How many things do bass eat that aren't moving at all (or barely)?
3. Animals have different and finer-tuned senses than we do. So can fish sometimes tell somehow that a bait is connected by a "wire" to some other energy source (us)??
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Top row
- Last minute went to a pre-Classic Academy Outdoors deal at Lake Lanier for 1 reason: Never been on Lanier before and wanted to catch a big spot, which I don't get to fish for. Was hoping for a 4 or 5 but will settle for that PB 3.4-lber.
- Was in the boat with Atlanta Hawks hoopin' legend Dominique Wilkins, good dude. He had some funny stories which I can't share but will share this: Real tall people have a higher center of gravity and ain't as steady in a boat; his hands are YUGE; and he can fish! Also was good to hear that he doesn't push his kids in athletics – but no surprise they're good at hoops! The boat we were in was Tucker Smith's – one half of the team that won the $1 mil in Johnny Morris' tournament. Tucker is a sho-nuff stick. More on him below.
- Ran into Justin Martin of Duck Dynasty fame, also a good dude and a brother in the Lord. Hangs with Jacob Wheeler and some other bass guys and seems like a good bass fisherman but prefers crappie.
Middle row
- Got to chat with some good folks and BB readers at the Expo. Meet John, his son Wesley and his bud Liam. Good talk at the Bass Chaplain's booth, good to see a lot going on there.
- Greg Hackney being interrogated by the mean B.A.S.S. guys 😆 in the media area in the arena.
- Matt Robertson had his own dang booth at the Expo! C'mon Matt!!
Bottom row
- What can I say – me 'n On Em doing our annual Classic pose off. Matt is literally up for anything.
- Say yo to a bunch of our bassin' bros from Japan! They work hard and do a great job. Wish we could understand each other better – they understand English a lot better than vice versa.
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Eye-openin's from fishin' with Tucker Smith.
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First of all, Tucker is a humble young man (soph at Auburn) – good to see since he just won half a mil and I think won 3 HS national championships. Secondly, he radiates fishin' confidence, which is great.
That said, here's a few observations from fishing with him – we were fishing deep to real-deep structure only:
1. He has 100% confidence in his electronics and knows how to use 'em.
a) His new Nitro – he got it after he won the half mil – had 15" Humminbird and 16" Garmin (LiveScope) screens on the bow and a 15" 'Bird on the console (hope I didn't get that 15 and 16 backwards!). Gotta say: It was real easy to see stuff! The main point is, he could've had any setup he wanted and chose that.
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b) He had no waypoints for Lanier so we were prospectin'. Running down the lake Tucker seemed to have one eye on the lake (hardly any boats on the lake, all good) and one eye on his electronics, and his right-hand thumb was changing his 'Bird's screens and settings as we were running. I was amazed at how well he knew his electronics, how much info he was processing, and how important his electronics were to his fishing and his THINKING about fishing.
2. He can process a bunch o' simultaneous info, and sees more stuff on his electronics than I do.
3. LiveScope gives him confidence both ways – meaning what he sees tells him if a spot or area or fish activity is good or not. Might seem like "duh," but because I have LiveScope what that means to me is that his LiveScope + electronics are an extension of how he fishes – his fishing style – rather than a separate thing that shows stuff, if that makes sense.
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You know how each generation is better with tech than the previous one? That's what I saw. Hope that enlightens you, and if you're wondering if you have to have forward-facing sonar, I've got 2 words for ya: John Cox. 😁
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Classic baits' n stuff launches!
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Last few years the Classic has become almost as big a "new stuff" reveal time as ICAST. Here's some of the stuff that came out this Classic, in no particular order:
1. Ooooo Abu has new Zenon casting reels! 👀
Very cool even though they're $$$. Very cool in my 2c because I guess that means they have to be better than REVOs and I love me some REVOs. L to R here's the Zenon MG-LTX ($499.99), Zenon MG-X ($399.99) and Zenon X ($299.99):
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> Zenon MG-LTX (8.3 only): Abu Garcia’s lightest and most compact low-profile baitcasting reel ever made...combine the new SLC spool concept with hybrid ceramic bearings to create the ultimate finesse baitcasting reel. Weighing in at just 4.5 oz...perfect for casting lightweight finesse-style baits with ease....
> Zenon MG-X (6.8 and 8.3, 5.1 oz): ...delivers lightweight handling and significant weight reduction without sacrificing strength and durability. Designed to cast finesse-style baits like a dream, the IVCB-4 braking system offers limitless adjustments in casting control by using a unique four brake block configuration with an external adjustment.
> Zenon X (6.8 and 8.3, 5.5 oz): ...high-end compact performance...fits into the palm of your hand...suited to throw anything from lightweight finesse baits all the way up to heavy jigs.
Honestly a little scared to try one out, might love it too much!
2. The new Z-Man SMH Shakey head system.
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Bait systems – Z-Man does 'em better than anyone so here's the debut of the SMH shakey head system. Launched with the SMH WormZ and SMH Jighead. Here's Brian Latimer, who helped develop it, talkin':
> "Starts with a substantial but slender head and torso, ideally shaped for easy hook penetration. Gradually it slims down to a wispy-thin midsection that helps activate the worm's bulbous [he used Mercer's favorite word!] football shaped tail – kicking and undulating continuously as the angler shakes the line." When you stop shaking...the tail levitates, hovers and exposes itself to the slightest underwater currents.
> "...it's mind-blowing how something this soft and energetic could also be durable and resilient enough to last 3, 5, 10 or even more bass per bait. And then, that you can rig and re-rig that same worm so many times without tearing its head. Or that the tail won't get nipped off by small, nuisance fish...man, that's such a big deal."
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Well this should be a hit ! Check "Aaron's morning dawn":
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2 blades on a jerkbait! Okay not the jerkbait part, but it is a 2-bladed buzzbait....
AJ's Juice and AJ's Spicy Avocado which is weird because I thought he was allergic to avocados? Or maybe it was Colorado? 😁
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> ...proven to be 25% stronger than conventional braided lines made using gel-spun polyethylene...provides maximum abrasion resistance....
> ...made thin and strong while still maintaining the same easy management and castability [of] the Spiderwire brand.
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1. This week's St Jude pro jersey auctions.
Sounds like still in Moline New City Lake and maybe in Eureka, Howard and Madison City lakes:
> It is believed the virus has been spread by boats still wet from infected waters.
🤔
Shout-out to the E3 Bassmasters. These look like a sump pump and an industrial vacuum got in a fight:
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> In 1992 the lake was choked down with an abundance of hydrilla.... The decision by the LA Dept of Wildlife and Fisheries was to release...grass carp into the lake.... "Too many carp were introduced...and within a couple of years Caney became like a big bathtub with virtually no cover for the fish.
> "We planted 'tape grass,' a type of grass that can be controlled and does a good job of providing cover. Also, we have noticed that hydrilla is returning to the lake and that certainly provides what is needed to help produce bigger fish."
Even though it's the biggest fish he's caught, on Toledo Bend:
> "If I hook a fish, I let him run and play and jump. If I get a fish in the boat, it's okay, but if I don't, it's okay, too.
> "It jumped twice. The first time, my young partner said it was an 8-lber. The second time she jumped, he said it was a 10 and to get it in the boat. It really didn't last long enough to be exciting."
Well okay then.
Okay it's a little bigger than a shed but Mr Chonky Muffins was all:
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Don't know 'bout you but I wanna! It's the Jewel Gem Blade, which exactly fits Keitechs and other swimbaits. Scenario I have in my head: Pre-spawn or spawners, sinks slow so I can cast it up there and move it slow enough for 'em to get mad at it without it smashing into the bottom:
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Diggin' the "puffy" look of the claws. Haven't fished 'em yet but am gonna!
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Check this 1-2 combo of Hardcore SR cranks – weight transfer system means you can bomb 'em:
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Gitcha protected and pretty! 🤩
Could not find anything on it on the Ranger site or Ranger social? Bass Pro says the boat is "in production" just can't get one til this fall.
About closing the salty bluefish fishery for 2 months:
> GA law allows for the commissioner of natural resources, Mark Williams, to close a fishery for up to 6 months through an administrative order. This law gives the commissioner flexibility in situations like the one affecting bluefish.
Could not find anything that says whether the public was involved – or anyone else, for that matter – in the decision-making. If not, that's a lot of power for 1 politically-appointed dude in my 2c.
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On BassBlaster.rocks right now...
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> A light jig – 1/16- to 1/8-oz – swims slow. Smallmouths follow for a distance, but the casts are so long something is bound to happen to trigger a strike before the retrieve ends.
> Slow retrieves inspire bass to engage in a stealthy, stalking approach. The closer bass get, the more confident they seem to be that the "prey" is oblivious. When the distance closes to inches, the prospect of success must be overwhelming.
> Long casts, 4-lb braid or mono, matching the hatch [forage color] and slow, horizontal retrieves are the foundations of MN finesse.
> ...a cold-water skirt should have uniformly long strands all trimmed to a length just beyond the bend of the hook. Bass that are less active for any reason seem to prefer skirts that don't behave like a Jack-In-The-Box.
> MN finesse calls for 4- to 6-lb mono, fluorocarbon or braid. Most 6-lb braids actually have break strengths of over 10 lbs. The smaller diameter means several extra yards of casting distance...but it also means a faster retrieve as the smaller diameter cuts through water faster.
> For smallmouths on rocky structure, 5' 6- to 8-lb Seaguar fluorocarbon leaders are right. For largemouths around weeds and wood, go with 10-lb.
> ...slow horizontal retrieves on a tight or semi-tight line. When seeing followers that won't commit, try letting the jig fall to bottom at least once during each retrieve. Rest it there for several seconds to half a minute. Followers get jumpy and often pluck the jig off bottom, or strike the moment the retrieve is resumed.
> Pushing the rod tip toward the jig occasionally – causing a brief pause, flare and fall – provides another way to trigger followers.
> ...slow and steady tends to be the answer 8 days out of 10. At slow speeds, a light jig can be finessed off weeds. Heavier jigs fall when shaken free and retangle, and tend to drag filaments and "branches" into others and the plot thickens.
> If the jig drags on bottom, speed up. If it never touches bottom, slow down. If bass are grouped in depths of 18' or deeper, switch to a 1/4-oz jig and follow the same procedure.
> The narrow, pointed nose...allows it to slide through cover and sneak into the strike zone of bass. Because the jig is light and doesn't fall heavily into cover and wrap or stick....
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"...nothing about fishing is honest. You are trying to make a bass think something with a hook in it is a living meal of some kind. That ain't honest, is it?"
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Bahahaha good! Check it:
> The federal government is enacting a new rule restricting the types of service animals allowed on commercial airline flights, allowing only dogs that meet specific training criteria.
> ...growing backlash in recent years to airline passengers trying to bring all kinds of wild and outlandish pets onto planes, including the woman who tried to bring an "emotional support" peacock on board a United Airlines flight...and the "comfort" turkey that was actually allowed to fly on Delta Airlines....
> "For the most part I will say it's dogs that are not properly trained, but we've seen everything from pigs, to monkeys, to hamsters. You name it, we've seen it. This has made many passengers incredibly uncomfortable. It's the incessant barking, defecation in the cabin which happens more times than I care to tell you."
What a dang clown show! 🤣 I'll admit I've thought about bringing a bass on a plane but it seems like too much of a hassle....
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Jay Kumar's BassBlaster is a daily-ish roundup of the best and funniest (sometimes worst) stuff in bassin', 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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