BassBlaster

Melons of the week, Give your baits some anxiety, Topwater prop baits

By (mostly Jay)

Posted on February 21, 2019

Today’s Top 4

‘Oversized load’ ditch melons of the week!

How’s ’bout this @aftcofreshwater shot of a 13-07 ketched by Tyler Mahaffey at the big G (Guntersville, AL) on what I believe was a 3/4-oz Rat-L-Trap (Rayburn red):

@siddiqi_fishing smashed this 12+ state fair-winnin’ melon I THINK in Cali somewhere since it’s on the @calcoastfishing Insta page:

B.A.S.S. scribbler Mark Hicks says this Toledo Bend melon is a 10+ but I might need to call Trip about that one…(@aupshawfishing shot):

French scientists say molting crayfish have anxiety so…

This post is on Psychology Today, which I thought would only be about human beings? Didn’t even know crawfish had a psychology:

> “We suggest that this critical period [molt] of a crayfish’s life generates an emotional adaptation that forces the animal to stay in protected areas.”

Maybe they just need a nice massage, man. I hear Drew Benton gives a mean bait massage….

What? Wait — critical emotional period?? Uh…how ’bout the critter somehow knows its armor is gone and it can’t move around right?

But…guess we could try moving jigs and soft-plastic craws like they have anxiety:

Due to excessive Mountain Dew consumption, Seth Feider fishes every bait like that and he does pretty dang well so….

Hold on — also make your worms jump around because:

The Crazy Snake Worm Invasion You Haven’t Heard About

> Named for the way they writhe and leap off the ground like snakes on a hot plate, crazy snake worms are an invasive species on the move through the eastern half of the country. Originally from Korea and Japan….

They look like nightcrawlers but act like this-here:

More high-finishin’ Elite baits.

Gitcha some chicken-fried Elite goodness:

3rd: Keith “XD” Combs

> Strike King 3XD in a variety of craw colors. Strike King 5XD in “herring.” Fished the 3XD 6-8′ on rock and clay points, 5XD was 8-12′ same cover.

> 12-lb Seaguar InvizX fluoro, Shimano Curado K Reel, 7′ M Shimano Curado Cranking Rod.

> Shakey head — Strike King Finesse Worm (gp) on 1/4-oz Owner Shakey Head. Fished the shakey 6-20′, same cover.

4th: David “Doomsday” Mullins

> Rapala DT6 (demon red, changed hooks to #5 Owner ST-36s), 12-lb Sunline Sniper fluoro, 5.4:1 reel, 7′ 3″ Doomsday 47 Series Cranking Rod. Isolated rock on pockets and points in 2-7′.

> Megabass Vision 110 (wakasagi, same hook change), 12-lb Sniper, 7:1 reel, 6′ 10″ Doomsday 47 Series Jerkbait Rod. Main-lake points in 4-10′.

5th: Todd “South 40” Auten

> “I mainly fished 4-8′ on main and secondary points. Main bait was LiveTarget Yearling Baitball Crankbait (50, olive pearl). Also the first 2 days I fished a 1/2-oz Zorro Baits Bozza Bug Jig with a Zoom Speed Craw (both gp). Caught some the last day on a custom-painted red craw wood crankbait.

> “Douglas Outdoors rods, Daiwa reels, 10-lb Bass Pro fluorocarbon on spinning gear and 12-lb on casting.”

How Brent Ehrler fished the Conroe BPT.

Brent finished 4th throwing a bunch o’ baits. Few of ’em’s below, here’s a little bassin’ con-Zen-tration first:

> 3/8-oz Boss Spinnerbait (white/chart, Gamakatsu trailer hook, CO and IN blades, both gold), 7′ 3″ MH signature Daiwa Tatula Elite Multi-Purpose Rod, Daiwa Tatula 100 Reel, 20-lb Sunline Sniper fluoro. “Fished it in 10″ to 3′ around lily pads and wood. Tried to flare it here and there. The water was so shallow, I caught a couple waking it and saw bites like it was a buzzbait.”

> Dropshot using heavy line with a baitcaster around wood and docks in 2-5′ — 6″ Roboworm Fat (margarita mutliator), 2/0 Gamakatsu Offset Worm Hook, 1/4-oz weight, 16-lb Sunline Sniper, Tatula 100 reel, signature 7′ M-MH Daiwa Tatula Elite Finesse Rod (“it has AGS guides so it’s really light…”).

> 7/16-oz Boss Mini Flip Jig (b/b “because the water was dirty”), Yamamoto Flappin’ Hog (black/blue flake), 7′ 1″ H Daiwa Tatula Elite Skipping Rod, Daiwa Tatula SV, 20-lb Sniper. “I was skipping it around docks. The biggest fish I weighed came on that.”

> 3/8-oz Jack Hammer (gp or white/chart) with a matching Yamamoto Zako trailer. “I threw both colors every day. When it was more stained I used white…better clarity I used gp. Green was around seawalls and docks, white was around lily pads and wood. I caught more on gp than white.” 20-lb Sunline Sniper, Tatula 100 Reel, signature 7′ 4″ MH Daiwa Tatula Elite glass bladed jig/crankbait rod.

_____

Waitin’ on a little more info from David Walker (5th) and didn’t get with Boy-duck-ett (3rd) possibly cuz he’s like this most of the time?

Boyd don’t give no slack so he ain’t gittin’ none…and besides everyone who knows him says he’s a big teddy bear…not really….

News

1. BPTer Ish Monroe gets Go RVing.

Ish wants everyone to know this does NOT mean he’s a senior citizen…lol Ish congrats mang!

2. Elitist Bill Lowen gets Mossy Oak.

3. Elitist Chad Pipkens gets Tactacam cams.

4. Elitist Caleb Sumrall gets SPRO, Gammy.

5. Elitist Garrett Paquette gets Big Bite, AFTCO, Sunline.

No link 🙁

6. Elitist Drew Benton fished Lanier with a kidney stone.

Dang that sounds brutal.

7. Great db profile of Elitist Harvey Horne.

Learn ya some about a working man. His story reminds me of so many of the “old guys,” who were just blue collar dudes before they became famous…which Harvey hasn’t done yet but you know what I mean.

8. Did Greg Hackney conk out?

Guessin’ they called for a timeout and Hackney didn’t know whether to just take him a nap on that fresh-smellin’ carpet or drop that’n in the ~~well~~ water, so he done ~~passed out~~ paused…or somethin’.

9. BPTer Jeff Sprague gets Elite Anglr apparel.10. BPTer Roy Hawk gets McCoy Rod Shields.

Check ’em on TW.

11. FLWer Larry Nixon declined a MLF invite.

I think he’s talkin’ ’bout the BPT but not sure:

> “…at my age I felt it was best to stay right where I was…. I have the utmost respect and appreciation for how I have been treated at FLW and it’s home for me. I do like watching MLF, I watch them all mainly on my phone…there is some real drama and excitement there….”

12. FLW rookie Hunter Freeman gets Salmo.

Salmo’s a Euro bait brand. No link 🙁

13. 1st MLF field set based on 1st 2 BPTs.

I think I got that right.

14. MLF BPT #5 is at Smith Lake, AL.

Lewis Smith at Cullman, AL, Apr 30-May 5. Lee bros grew up right there….

15. LA: 2 30+ limits weighed at Toledo Bend Bass Champs.

Didn’t see any good pics 🙁

16. AL: 29+ lb limit at Pickwick.

Don’t know the tourney or baits, but here’s Michael Lindow and Shane Cox with their collection o’ pond mules:

17. AZ: FLW will have 3 in a row on Mead.

Costa, college, high school. High-schoolers maybe will have a tough bite….

18. TX proposes several bass reg changes for ’19-20.

Few are:

> Conroe: 16″ min length to 14″.

> Mill Creek: Nix slot and have a 16″ max length limit.

> Alan Henry: No length limit for spots.

19. NY: Could this bill be used against fishing derbies?

Certainly could be in catch/kill ones like walleye:

> …A722 “Provides that it shall be unlawful for any person to organize, sponsor, conduct, promote, or participate in any contest, competition, tournament or derby where the objective of such contest or competition is to take wildlife.”

Guess it depends on how “take” is defined. Also, believe these are being proposed in several states because of the nutcases who run over coyotes with snow sleds…not doing any of us any favors….

20. Zona posted a pic of his new Nitro Z21.

21. Oh snap Vexus’ glass boats will be out in 3 weeks.

Here’s the teaser vid — Keith Daffron says they’re “the most exciting line of fiberglass fishing boats this market has ever seen.” He knows what a big/bold/serious statement that is so…I’ll be sprinting there in Knoxville yo!

22. Looks like BioSpawn is workin’ on something new?

Could it stink more than PowerBait??

23. Kistler’s having a 21% off sale…

…cuz of their 21st anniversary. Not sure how long it lasts so….

24. 15% off Chill Trax foot pads at T-H Marine.

Use code: CHILL

25. Dude caught a 30-sack on a high-rated day.

High-rated by BassForecast…at a 7.8.

26. Gotta shout this out.

YUM had a fun thing around Valentine’s Day — this was my fave:

The YUM pros love that particular bait — here’s them talkin ’bout it, here ’tis on the TW.

27. Top feeshn brands for ’18.

11K anglers surveyed and…didn’t see anything for hard baits, jigs, etc:

> Top fluoro brand: Seaguar
> Top mono brand: Berkley Trilene
> Top soft bait brand: Zoom
> Top spinnerbait brand: Strike King
> Top ‘lectronics brand: Humminbird
> Top trolling motor brand: Minn Kota
> Top scale brand: Rapala

This one surprised me given all the new premium cooler brands out:

> Top cooler brand: Coleman

28. Asian carp updates.

> ME state biologist warned against using Asian carp for lobster bait because of potential diseases. Feel like someone should remind them these carp are born and raised here so….

> If Corps funds are used to build “the wall,” it might affect Great Lakes anti-carp funding. Hmmm…maybe we need a carp wall. Seriously!

Tip of the Day

Brandon Card: How to fish a topwater prop bait.

If you follow the FLW tournaments this time of year, includin’ the BPT #1, you see a lotta guys throwin’ prop topwaters. Lots of guys like the older-school ones like the wooden Smithwick Devil’s Horse and the Cotton Cordell Boy Howdy, but more guys are also throwing newer-school ones like the Rapala X-Rap Prop because they sound and act different.

Well a bait that for-sure will sound different than all the rest is the Yo-Zuri Prop — you can get it in the 3DB finishes or 3DR finishes, which are more translucent. They’ve got everything you want in a Japanese bait (sick finishes, cool features, different sizes) but what stands out for this one is the polycarbonate UV prop.

It’s just a single rear prop but I believe it’s a little oversized and “features counter-rotational, cupped blades…allows it to throw water in front of and behind…providing a bigger target for fish,” says TackleWarehouse. (At $7.99, not crazy expensive either.) The bait also SOUNDS different, which Card likes.

Anyhow, here’s Brandon givin’ you the down-low on how he fishes it:

That straight-retrieve deal is kinda cool.

One more thing: DO NOT think these baits are just for FL, bass-heads with orange beards or even just for pre-spawn/spawn fish.

Quote of the Day

“…it’s like I have two other jobs — Missile Baits and social media — and that’s before we get to my fishing career.”

– Johnny Crews talkin’. John’s made a niiiiiiice career outta sneakin’ up on folks with his quiet demeanor and such. He’s all:

Shot of the Day

Gotta give it to this dude — walkin’ it instead of stuck indoors talkin’ it. @simmsbass shot:

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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