Just a reminder to us all that the folks who were hit by Helene in GA, NC and TN still need a lot of help. If you're going to send $$, please be careful where you send it since even some % of legit-looking stuff is a scam. Incredible that people do that kinda thing.

If anyone knows legit – legit – places to send money or stuff, please email me back and I will make it known. Thank you.

Maybe not micro but it looks that way to me. Seems like the official name is "ultra-finesse." Always makes me think how myny record freshwater fish – bass and trout – are caught on really small baits relative to the size of the fish. And hey – when the 2.75 Z-Man Finesse TRD came out it looked really small. Now?

More ultra finesse info from Z-Man and bass yakker Marty Hughes:

> "Small baits have put me on a lot of tournament-winning bites. ...anytime the bite gets tough, my first move is often to slow down and scale back to ultra finesse baits."

> This Sept, Hughes earned AOY honors at the NE State Kayak Bass Fishing Championship, catching 132 smallmouth bass while casting a tiny crayfish imitation half the size of a standard Ned rig.

> "A lot of our NE lakes have really tough bass fishing because we've got so many super-skilled anglers all working the same handful of lakes. One unbeatable fact about downsizing...unlike traditional baits, the micro stuff is almost immune to fishing pressure."

> While fishing the kayak championship at Lake McConaughy..."schools of smallmouths stationed in deep water along the dam. Some of the fish were periodically moving up to feed on baby crawfish in the shallow riprap.

> "...Z-Man Micro GOAT – a 1.75-inch twin kicker-tail bait with a ribbed, slightly-flattened body. ...Hughes swam the morsel on a 1/15-oz Micro Finesse ShroomZ Jighead...employed a loop knot. Frequently, he would let the bait hover and then "soak" in place between rocks....

> "Unless you want to catch loads of other fish, though, you can only do this for bass when hordes of panfish aren't around. But when bass are zoned into small forage – which happens way more often than we realize – these little 2-inch baits become hero fish-catchers."

He also said the ElaZtech plastics mean the small baits hold up to many bites and they stay out of rocky snags better. Also:

> ...the legendary Ned Kehde downsizes his offerings, shifting from classic finesse baits to the next scale of micro. ...scaling back from his usual finesse rigs to morsels barely exceeding 2", Kehde and friends have continued catching over 10 bass per hour—this on some of the heaviest-pressured reservoirs near Kansas City.

> Kehde has long advocated the use of tiny 1/16-oz jigheads with #4 or smaller hooks. "I've never had an issue hooking even big bass with this jig...."

> This fall Kehde has continually posted glowing reports while casting both a 1.75" Micro TRD as well as a "radically shortened" (3") 'junebug' Finesse WormZ, each affixed to a 1/15- or 1/20-oz Micro Finesse ShroomZ Jighead.

> Vibrant baby blue (self-painted with fingernail polish) and fire-engine red jigheads remain Kehde's favorite colors.

Vibrant baby blue?? Interesting....

Guessing it happens all the time there, but I came across this one. If Google translate is right, that's Mamoru Kagiya who won at JB Iruka using 2 baits: a 17mm (1/2-inch) Koike dice-type bait (top) and a 1.5" Jackall Eilse strolling bait.

Dang the biggest bait was just 1.5"?? I bet the Hibdons area already fishing craws that small...😁 Gitcha micro on peeps!

Random deal – check this bladed jig trailer used in a tourney there – anyone ever try that?

That's one of Ott DeFoe's fave colors – "rootbeer craw" and that's a Rapala DT8. Don't know about you, but my first reaction was, Man that's old school. I kinda like this one better – "olive green crawdad":

But I need to point out there's a significant gap between Ott's ability to catch bass and my own so...😂

One of my fave cranks this time of year (fwiw!) is the DT8 in "live river shad":

It's got the sexy shad colors plus pink, and can pass for a pale just about anything (in my mind anyhow). Not sure about TX yet or where you live, but back in NJ that olive green color was the deal in the fall.

Ott talks gives a bunch of juice in a video about cranking this time of year, including: Rapala OG Tiny > Rapala DT6 > Rapala DT8.

Here's the rundown for this month's Abu Garcia REVO Top 5 Tips, Techniques 'n Trends of the Month in Bass Fishing – Episode 10:

1. Can you really use FFS with a crankbait?? 👀

2. Why is no one talking about the loop knot! 🤯

3. TRD jig trailers is a growing thing ↗️

4. Sparse skirt strands now key? 🤔

5. Small hard swimbaits...🎯

Baits 'n stuff in this one

Abu Garcia REVO Reels

Bill Lewis MR-12 crankbait

YUM FF Sonar Minnow

YUM FF Sonar Jighead

Rapala CrushCity Freeloader

Rapala CrushCity Mooch Minnow

VMC Hybrid Swimbait Jighead

Seaguar PEX8 Braid

Seaguar InvizX fluoro

War Eagle Jiu Jitsu Jig

YUM Craw Chunk

Berkley PowerBait Jig

Berkley MaxScent Meaty Chunk

Beast Coast Fishing OW Sniper Jig

Z-Man Finesse TRD

Berkley MaxScent Lil General

OSP Rubber Dice

RAID 1 Way Hybrid Dice

95mm Geecrack Supaku Swimmer

95mm Berkley Magic Swimmer

51mm Baitsanity Simplebait BFS Minnow Glide: Not available yet

...or a solar flare or that alien mothership takes out our 'lectrical system, tripped over this on IG:

Cool account but I'll have to take his word on that deal! 😁

1. Clark Wendlandt is retiring

As Z said in the comments on that post, Clark did it the right way no doubt. I'm guessing it wasn't an easy decision – never is. Bless you Clark and don't go far man!

You might not recall but he won 4 tour-level events and 4 AOYs – 3 FLW and 1 B.A.S.S. Pretty dang good!

Word is he's joining Scotty Suggs in that PhD program in fashion design...🤣

2. Mike Iaconelli has new signature rods 'n reels

I have one of each of the old models and I gotta say – they are good. Truly wonder if Abu has anything "bad" at any price point. The Ike reel I have I put a drop of oil in and it now casts a hundred thousand million miles! It's my walking bait reel.

Here's a little more on the new versions, and they look like they're still a sparkly purple/green, that color combo inspired by all the people's bruises who have ever been in a boat with Mike driving lol. Mike drives like he has no nerve endings and doesn't understand how any body does!

> In addition to the 2 casting [rod] models, the new IKE Signature series includes 5 spinning rod options in the Finesse Series: a jig head/skipping rod, dropshot/wacky, all-purpose finesse, long dropshot, and a long-cast special.

> The Ike low-profile casting reel features an 8+1 stainless steel ball-bearing system along with a Carbon Matrix Drag for smooth, effortless casting. ...available in both right- and left-handed retrieve along with 2 gear ratios....

> The Ike spinning reel includes an 8+1 stainless steel ball bearing system, a lightweight aluminum frame, and a machined aluminum braid-ready spool....

Looks like the IKE rods and reels are all $150 on TW.

3. AL: New NetBait Blip Minnow won the Wheeler ABT

Walt Roberts and Robert Greenberg won it with 21.76. Robert is the owner of NetBait and Walt is the national sales manager for American Baitworks which owns NetBait. Sounds like it was do or die on NetBait lol! Congrats to 'em, few deets:

> They decided to run upriver toward the dam and targeted a specific spot that is not at the dam itself. "It's an obscure area off the bank that I learned about when I lived here," Walt explained. "This one is so obscure that I wasn't too worried about someone else fishing it. We caught 12 fish in the first hour and a total of 25 throughout the day."

> ...caught all their big fish using a new product from NetBait called the Blip Minnow, which is infused with BaitFuel.... Robert used the 4" Ion [stick worm], also from NetBait...rigging it wacky-style...with a new 7'4" Halo Spinning Rod.

4. TX: Toledo Bend is fishing "fair"...

...which means it's out-dang-standing compared to almost any other lake!

5. IN Federation stocked 3K bass in Monroe

With support from TinCup Whiskey, Luke Foli and Safe at Home testing kits. #stout

From this IN DNR dashboard it looks like the last time the DNR stocked any species of bass anywhere was 2011? If so, I sure hope they're doing a boatload of habitat work instead....

6. KY: KY Christian U is building new boat shops

7. Abu Garcia and TW are stepping up for vets

> In honor of Veterans Day, 100% of proceeds for the month of Nov of the Zata Tact-Z 7.1 casting reel will be donated to Heroes On The Water. HOW is a 501(C)3 Nonprofit that provides recreational wellness experiences for veterans, first responders and their families through kayak fishing and outdoor wellness programs.

Just put one in my TW cart...love 'n hugs to ya vets!

8. Frank Scalish just went full pink/purple

Looks purple to me but they say it's pink so...and what about that eye! Feels like Frank might be having an acid flashback? Or paint fumes got to him? Or his cat Larry licked a toad??

Lol! Anyhow that's a One Knocker Spook, and that color is "a translucent bone...with pink accents" – "makes this the perfect color for clear or stained water."

Strangely...I want one. Maybe that cat is hypnotizing me man....

9. IA: Zebras found in Saylorville Lake

Headlines of the Day

Baitfish aplenty, not many bass

Sounds like NJ lol.

If you want to catch a heavy musky in PA experts explain why you should be fishing now

No thank you I want to catch a light one...😆

Ancient Tadpole Fossil as Big as a Hot Dog Found in Argentina

Do they not have bullfrogs there? Cuz I've seen some that big!

Brits warned about gruesome river creature that they should kill 'on sight' by stabbing in brain

A crayfish. Good luck hitting that brain the first 10 stabs hahaha! #BBbrain

Line of the Day

Growing controversy prompted two major bass fishing circuits, and 12 states to restrict live sonar technology.

Say wha?? 🤔

Doh!

1. Looks like I did get some of the math wrong on the Elite payouts. Not the differences between 2025 and 2024, but the overall #s. Here's what it should look like according to a numbers man – thank you Walt J!

2. Also the last Shot of the Day of those chart/blue soft swimbaits – they are not Gancraft. They are 10ftu by Ken Iyobe – a special color of Headbomb Swimbait for his retail store in Japan. Thank you to some guy who shoots photos named Seigo 😁 for the heads up!

PSAs

1. Reminder that the TW Black Friday sale is already on mang! 🥳

2. Looks like someone makes a gas can that a) isn't super annoying to use with that emissions nozzle deal and b) is actually easier and cleaner to use because the fill hose comes outta the bottom. No affiliation with it, just fyi.

Easiest braid to fluoro knot?

Uni to uni as shown real quick by Chris Bishop at Yo-Zuri. I really like the doubling the braid deal:

Lies he's using are Yo-Zuri SuperBraid to Yo-Zuri Top Knot fluoro, but bass-heads would use Super Fluoro Leader.

"Everyone sort of talked in the bag line, but there are always sandbaggers."

- Dang straight! One of 'em's named...KVD! 😁 That's Martin Open winner Bobby Bakewell talkin' on the Bassin'masters.

Hahaha derps are back!!

Got a bunch to ketch up on. Here's GSM Fishing head man Crispin "I already bought you" Powley and Jeff Hodges from the mighty TW. They went after our derp friends with a 5" Senko in color 926 = "dark gp/purple amber laminate."

Congrats on the feesh of a lifetime fellers!

Ever hear of Blake Whiten? Me neither, but this young dude can sing and has a voice that's older than he is! If you're a country picker type you might dig it.

Here's an IG short of him pickin' and singin' on a dock with a bud – which is why I clicked on it – and here's your options to listen to the whole tune.

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.