BassBlaster

Make baits TURN AROUND?? Huge melons n mako derps! Bad carp in Gville

Guessin’ I’m not much of a bank fisherman no mo. Went out to the lake, first cast got hung in a tree (in the air), lost my spinnerbait (but flipped it back), then wiped out on some rocks I was climbin’ over so bad about half a dozen peeps were ready to call an ambulance. TW backpack flew up in the air and made a pretty loud crash. Still sore, but my wife and kids got a belly laugh outta the deal so I guess there’s that…. Time for a dang boat!

Don’t think “social distancing” is real effective with fishermen. Was talking to another bank dude and we both fer sher could see what the other guy had rigged up hahaha!

Good news is I’m hearin’ lots of folks are out fishin’ — good! Otherwise we’d all be stuck home doin’ this — my Lab Lucky:

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Today’s Top 5

Skippin’ thru the ditch melon patch!

This-here’s is a 15-pounda caught outta a private 70-acre GA lake, 28″ long and 23″ around! Dude had already caught a 7.5 and a 9.5 before this thing hammered the 3/4-oz double willow spinnerbait he was a-chuckin’ — lawdy:

‘Nother 15! This one was 15.22 lbs — (28″ long, 25″ girth — caught off a bed at Camanche, CA by a dude named Steve Dollard:

Btw all you swimbaiters, the CA DNR stocked “lightning trout” at Camanche so Sharpie accordin’ly:

Jason A didn’t get a weight on this healthy blimp but it was 25.25″ so a DD fer sher. Caught in AR on a 5.8 Keitech Fat (pro blue/red pearl) on a VMC Swimbait Jig Head:

Alan B caught this 10-10 on Lake Austin, TX, fooled it with a DEPS Slide Swimmer 250 (OG flash trout):

BPTer Justin Atkins stuck a fork in this 10-08 Forker — the current BPT beeg feesh record — sight-fishin’ with a Berkley Bottom Hopper worm (gp), 7′ M Abu Fantasista Premier Rod, Abu Revo Premier Reel, 8-lb Berkley Fireline Ultra 8 to a 10-lb Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon leader. Said the sunrise silver lens Costas were the deal:

That barely beat the 10-04 caught by Jason Christie whose Fork melon was fooled by flippin’ a YUM Christie Critter (gp purple), 7′ 4″ XH Falcon Expert Amistad Rod, Lew’s Hyper Mag Reel (8.3), 25-lb Sunline Power 2C FC fluoro:

Here’s how Jason worked a BOOYAH Pad Crasher for a 9-lb bite at the BPT:

Ty W spanked this 10.53 with Falcon Lake, TX guide Jimmy Steed usin’ a 1/2-oz Davis spinnerbait (white/chart) with a 4″ paddletail trailer (white):

Didja know you can make baits TURN AROUND??

If you ever get the chance, have a convo with Gayle Julian of Jewel Baits. Or better — let him talk and just listen. Dude knows so much about baits it’s amazing. Other peeps do too, same deal with them, just listen and learn….

Anyhow, at the Classic Gayle talked to me at length about lots o’ stuff, but what jumped out was this: You can make MOVING baits turn around. Not talking about hard swimbaits and glide baits, which you probly know you can do. Talking at least one crankbait — the Rapala DT Series — and everything in Jewel’s Gem series (specifically made for Keitech 3.8 Fats) includin’ the new Jewel Jolt-X spinnerbait which is kinda how we got on the subject.

You know what the DTs are, here’s the Jolt-X which comes in red, white n blue:

Anyhow, Gayle kinda casually says something like: “All Gem Series baits, when it stops, if you throw your line at it, it turns around.”

I’m like — what??

He ‘splained that if you throw slack (sorta) at it — the Gem Series stuff being pretty much neutrally buoyant with the Keitechs — it’ll turn around and face the fish:

> I crank it back, give it a quick pull, then throw the line at it and it turns 180 degrees.

Lol! My mind was seriously blown man…don’t think I ever knew about this? Anyhow, he related a way-back convo with now-retired Rapala bait designer Mark “Fish” Fisher. Was when the David Fritts co-designed Rapala DT Series cranks came out. Fish sent him a box of DTs, Gayle fished ’em and then called him and was like, “They’re good cranks.”

Kinda sorta sounded like Gayle expected more — Fish asked him if he figured out the secret to ’em. Gayle said no, so Fish explained that if you throw your line at ’em, they turn around.

WTHeck! I can’t wait to try this!

Are “they” in Guntersville?

Mark Menendez — who’s at the front line of the whole Asian carp deal — posted this shot during Classic practice…Lee Livesay with a mega-size bighead carp:

Heard from a couple guys they thought they saw the bad carp on their ‘lectronics too. Not sure if that’s solid, not necessarily the end of the world, but dang hope everyone at Gville is ON it man, dang.

“It’s okay fish. It’s okay.”

That’s this little gal reassurin’ our favorite feesh:

Love it! After they saw the vid, Boyd and Gary over at the MLF thought about requirin’ their peeps to say that too, but drew the line at the whole fish-huggin’ deal…heehee!

Check these mako shark derps!

First here’s an actual mako:

@hughroth_ lucked into this’n:

Elitist Chris Groh smacked a mako derp too:

Non-mako. but FLWer Todd Castledine was pretty durn stoked about this derp he lucked into in LA. Surprising to hear he didn’t catch it on a Pad Perch which I thought is all he threw? (Lol Todd!) Was on a Strike King Hybrid Hunter (blue craw) — new bait that’ll be intro’d at ICAST:

News

1. IL presses idiot button because of virus.

Closed all state parks and whatever for “social distancing,” which I guess for them means peeps locked down in homes and nixing individual rights? Dang man, come on. Looks like NM did the same dirty deal.

Sorry, fired up. One of the worst things about this whole sitch, so far, is how certain way-down-the-totem-pole gov’t peeps think they’re mini-Presidents or whatever. If your job is to manage parks, stay out of anything else man…my 2c.

2. Zona says fish your fastball.

Inspired by Jerkbait “Hank” Cherry throwin’ fast ones recent-like.

3. MN DNR still mismanaging Mille Lacs?

Not sure that’ll ever change — and once again note taht this is the state’s best-known lake and a mega fishing destination:

> …the DNR said…too many walleyes were taken through the ice during Jan and Feb to allow for any more keepers in 2020.

NO MORE KEEPERS?? 2 months of fishing caught ’em all?? So…guess what peeps will keep instead: smallies.

> Even worse this year for state-licensed anglers is that catch-and-release opportunities will cease in July under a 1-month closure.

No fishing for wallies in a MAJOR SUMMER MONTH. So peeps’ll fish for/keep…smallies. More from here:

> Tom Neustrom, a veteran fishing guide…who sits on the DNR’s citizen advisory committee for Mille Lacs, said he and others believe the DNR over-estimates the mortality rate of walleyes caught and released.

Uh…yeah! Look at the DNR C&R mortality estimates and if you believe ’em, in some ice-out months you’d have to see floaters just about everywhere. C’mon man….

4. Lookit this FishLab Bio Minnow!

Bait’s lookin’ good — fish caught by Adam Day at Lake Skinner, CA on a 6.25″ Bio Minnow with 10/0 Owner Beast Hook:

5. Seaguar apparel sale.

> Take 40% off our hats and beanies and get free shipping! We have also extended the free shipping offer to all of our products on seaguar.com through Mar 31. Use code Classic2020 for 40% off apparel and code FreeShipping2020 for free shipping.

Didja register to win that feeshn trip with Zona yet?

6. MN/WI: Bunch of Asian carp netted in pool 8, 1 in pool 6.

More than 50. NOT GOOD.

7. Sportsmans Warehouse bought 2 F&S stores.

Bought 2 Field & Stream locations from Dick’s, which btw looks like has decided to stop carrying hunting stuff.

SW paid $5 mil “for inventory and assets and will sublease the 2 locations at Crescent Springs, KY and Kalamazoo, MI:”

> In Oct last year it acquired 8 Field & Stream stores in PA (3), NY (2), NC (2) and MI.

8. Little more on MidwayUSA carrying feeshn stuff.

> “Our customers asked for it and we listened. Customers can now choose from a selection of over 30,000 products from more than 100 top fishing brands.”

> …Shimano and Lew’s…Rapala, Strike King, Plano, Daiwa, Okuma, Zebco, Pflueger, St. Croix, 13 Fishing, Megabass, Minn Kota and Garmin.

9. Gas prices falling like rocks.

Hit 99c in KY, might get there in other states, now below $2/gal in 12 states.

#GoFeesh

Headline of the Day

Best crappie times ahead

On BassBlaster.rocks right now…
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Tip of the Day

Byron Velvick talkin’ pre-spawn swimbaits.

Y’all might not recall that Byron was the one who kinda outed swimbaits on the national tourney scene — by winning on ’em mostly. Since then swimbaits have become a staple, notably the Keitech ribbed style in colder water. Here’s a couple more things to think about when fishing ’em pre-spawn — from an older Bassin’masters post:

> …swimbaits are not reaction baits. The very best ones are designed to look and act like local forage. Bass eat them because they’re hungry and think they’re attacking the real thing. The only accurate definition of a good swimbait is that it looks and acts real. Nothing else matters.

> …small swimbaits — make sure you throw them with a matching rod. Throwing a small, relatively light bait with a big, heavy rod will only result in inaccurate casts, backlashes and frustration.

> If your bass are in the pre-spawn mode…they will still be somewhat lethargic. Even more important, the baitfish will be somewhat lethargic. That means your swimbait should be worked slow.

> That may surprise some of you. After all, the bass are feeding ravenously at this time of the year. That’s true, but your bait needs to look natural. If the forage moves slowly, your bait should move slowly. No exceptions.

Quote of the Day

“I was fishing super-shallow, my boat was dragging the bottom and I didn’t have Power-Poles. People were making fun of me…I would trim my motor down to use it as a Power-Pole.”

On Em “Matt” Robertson talkin’ ’bout his win of the Okeechobee B.A.S.S. Nation Regional earlier this year. How great is that! Believe Matt also runs a flasher…heehee!

Matt was talkin’ at The Baitman “Kevin” Baxter on his “Raw” show, which only is audio. Warning: Cussin’ in it….

Shot of the Day

Think this bass thought that Lunkerhunt Gambit swimbait was real? That’s chokin’ it mang!

Ya got me

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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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