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Here's part 2 (of 2) of ICAST new stuff! Will have some more next week too because I ran outta time to get to it all. Gotta shout out our intern Brett Jolley, a fisherman at East TX Baptist U, for doing a good job helping at ICAST. Some of what's in here is his stuff.
I said I'd talk about "systems" in this one but outta time and space...or space-time. 😁 Coming soon!
This is my last Blaster (for now) from the great state of LA. The Kumars loved our time here, thank you Monroe/West Monroe and Ouachita Parish folks! LA might actually be a possible permanent move for us. Almost can't believe the Irish gal (wife) likes it. We're heading back to our FL rental, but who knows where we'll end up. Interesting times...
Hope you and yours are well and have a great bass-filled weekend!
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If your email program cuts off the bottom of the email click "View this email in your browser" up top to see the whole thing. Sorry bout that – email programs keep changing stuff.
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Not a lot of new ones in this category but they're good. As always, in no particular order but in this case #1 is #1! 😁
1. Z-Man Tungsten Chatterbait Elite EVO
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You might think it's yet another version of a ChatterBait and you'd be right! BUT – Mr JackHammer addict himself, Stephen Browning, told me he thinks that for whatever reason this bait "gets bit more" than a JackHammer and thinks it'll be "the best bladed jig ever." I was like:
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😆
Luke Clausen said the tungsten version "stays down better" than the JackHammer. Also:
- Hits hard (tungsten duh!)
- A little different action than the JackHammer = trailer will move differently
Interesting factoid: Z-Man says it's 96% tungsten, a "purity" never been done before because tungsten is so tough to melt.
Available in 3/8 and 1/2, see it only in 3 colors right now on TW, available in Sept, $16.99.
2. Buckeye Spot Remover Finesse Jig
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Spot Remover head has proven itself, I assume the jig will too. Comes in 1/8, 3/16 and 1/4, 6 colors, much smaller-diameter silicone skirt for easier movement, 2/0 hook. Quick IG vid on it here. Available in Sept.
3. Great Lakes Finesse Matte Finesse Jig
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Can we doubt anything by GLF at this point? One of the hottest bait brands in fishing for a reason, and even though there's plenty of finesse jigs, I gotta assume this one is GLF good.
Comes in 1/8- and 3/16-oz, round head, of course it's matte (6 colors – 1 of 'em is all black! 👀), ultra-thin skirt strands, 1/0 Gamakatsu hook, oversized keeper. Available now on TW.
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There's way more than normal in this category because of the whole jighead/minnow deal that's causing all the tackle companies to innovate and also round out their offerin's. So a lot of new terminal tackle – which is not just for FFS. Here's some that caught our eye.
1. VMC RedLine Tungsten Swimbait Head
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Couple sticks named Connell and Wheeler put a minnow beatin' on the bass and the other MLF fellers with this head earlier in the year, and guys like Patrick Walters love it too. One reason is the RedLine hook and the fact that it comes in 1/8-3/4 with 1/0, 2/0 or 3/0 hooks.
2. Buckeye Freestyle Head
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Swimbait head designed by Brent Ehrler, deal is it has 2 places you can put a treble – on the bottom or on top for open water or crawling it on the bottom. 1/8-3/4, good colors, screw lock, pretty cool. As you know Brent is a finesse Jedi. IG vid with him explaining it here, already for sale on TW.
3. Berkley Fusion19 Hybrid Jighead
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Deets:
- Ballast weighting keeps everything upright/tracks true
- 90-degree line tie
- High-def detail and 3D eye for max realism
- Ultra-sharp double-conical point for easy hook sets
- Conical bait-keeper
- 6 weights in 2 hook sizes each (1/0 to 5/0), 6 colors
Part of their growing bait systems...👀
4. Strike King Fluorospin Underspin
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Do we need an underspin that uses fluoro to attach the blade? If you fish pressured water or clear water, man it can't hurt. And college/Opens phenom Easton Fothergill pointed out that one benefit is if the fish comes at it from the bottom, it's maybe easier for it to get the hook with that fluoro there than if there's wire.
Comes in 1/8-1/2, available in Nov on TW.
5. All Terrain Tackle Scope TG Tungsten Jighead
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Is this the first company to have an all-tungsten jighead that's colored/painted? The benefits of a tungsten head, but you can customize your rig more – instead of having the shiny silver head like everyone else. Not sure if it's new but it was at ICAST and new to us! Already on TW....
6. Buckeye Hover Rig
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More Japan-style finesse coming here, weight distribution keeps your bait level, so far seems more for FFS and a tightlining-type presentation. 1/16, 3/32 and 1/8, already on TW.
7. Queen Tackle LS Tungsten Rollin Strollin Jighead
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The obvious feature on this head is what looks like a 180-degree line tie – first of its kind? The reason for it is the minnow-shaking craze: Getting the bait to have a "rolling" action is key in some cases because fish are wise to a regular hopping minnow.
If this design can really make any minnow roll like a DEPS Sakamata Shad, it's definitely going to be a tool for the box.
$9.99 a pack, not on TW yet but looks like they are on the Queen Tackle site.
Honorable Mentionin's
1. Great Lakes Finesse Stealth Football Head – True finesse football head, 1/0 fine wire Gamakatsu 604 hook, 4 sizes 1/8-3/8, all matte colors.
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2. Gamakatsu G-Finesse Stinger Dropshot Hook – Brent Ehrler-designed, has a welded wire keeper:
> "This new hook is just what I wanted to thread a soft-plastic bait all the way up on the hook on a dropshot rig. The keeper holds the plastic in place and the Stinger design made from Tournament Grade Wire can't be beat."
Comes in 6, 4, 2, 1 and 1/0:
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3. Gamakatsu Worm 34R Hydroll Hook – Had this in a previous Blaster, it's a hook with a swivel line tie:
> Designed by Japanese angler Takeru Tomimoto for use on Lake Biwa...compact, narrow-gap hook features an integrated swivel reducing line twist and provides a snag-free effect to fish baits in heavy cover more effectively. ...allows anglers to embed half of the swivel into the soft-plastic, adding weight....
Only in 5/0 and 6/0.
4. Gamakatsu Horizon Head LG – More info:
> ...designed for mid and deep strolling and features a Tournament Grade Wire (TGW) hook with Nano Alpha finish. Like the original Horizon Head, it also features a unique, elongated keeper which promotes a balanced horizontal presentation when retrieved or falling.
> The LG version features a larger-gap hook with a focus on the hook tip angle and a center of gravity to produce a rolling action on the retrieve.
1/8- to 1/5-oz and 1/0, 2/0 and 3/0.
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Coolest rods, reels, lines
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This category is also getting a lot more interesting now with FFS-driven finesse and not really finesse techniques. Leadin' 'er off with a crazy affordable range of good reels even though I reeealllly wanted to lead off with the new Abu REVO...😁
1. Abu Garcia Max Spin Reels
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These reels start at $40! 🤯 And go up to $100 – $20 at a time (4 models)! 🤯 And the combo is only $120! 🤯 I didn't get to fish with them but did mess with 'em and they seem good.
Abu main man Andrew Wheeler told me that one reason they design the super high-end stuff – like the Zenon Spin Reels – is so they can figure out some stuff and then flow it down to less-expensive reels...which is exactly the case here.
To my eyes these Max reels look a lot like those high-$ Zenons, though obviously when it comes to materials and stuff like ball bearing counts, they are not the same. Still, the Abu Garcia Max X Spin Reel is $40 even up to the 4000 size = #stout – and I thought it felt, spun and stopped great.
The Max SX Spin Reel is $60, the Max Pro is $80 and the Max Elite Spin Reel is $100.
That Max ELITE Spin Combo I mentioned at $120 – you can get a 6' 10" ML or 7' M rod and a 2500- or 3000-size reel. Tough to beat!
Abu of course makes great stuff but they have put a lot of effort into making really good stuff that's affordable, highlighted by that J-Lee Series that Jordan actually fishes with. As Ratt would say, that's "Way Cool Jr." 😁 [First saw that band in a little venue in NJ – opened for Krokus.]
2. New/redesigned Abu Garcia Veritas rods
These are #2 because it's kinda following the same trend for Abu as #1.
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Few big deals here. The biggest to me is that their actions now match the VERY good Abu Fantasista X Rods – which to me shows more of the Abu system. They're also cheaper, back to $100 retail. Better and cheaper – how often does that happen?? 🤯
Abu is also releasing a limited-edition Veritas LTD series (here's casting, here's spinning) with titanium guides. The rods are a little lighter and "crisper," and a little more expensive at $130.
Veritas casting and spinning rods – plus $300 combos – are already on TW. Also available in BFS casting and BFS spinning.
3. Abu Garcia REVO Premier LP Baitcaster
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😍 Gen 5 of these great reels (in my 2c), some specs:
- More ergonomic design
- EXD designed into it
- New braking system gets up to 20 lbs of drag
- 10 stainless steel ball bearings + 1 roller bearing
- Alloy frame
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95 mm straight carbon fiber handle with oversized knobs
- $300 at TW, will ship soon
A little more on that EXD deal: If you know Revos, you know that the purple version was the EXD and it was AMAZING. Cast a country mile and smoooooth. Well...if that same deal is back with these reels, which it is, look out.
Psyched and a little scared to fish with 'em lol – don't want to "have to" replace some of my reels.
There's also a new REVO X BFS reel...if you like fly fishing but don't like fly fishing rods...😁
4. KastKing iReel 2 baitcaster
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Gitcha tech nerd on! If that's you, then this reel is you. A lot different in this one vs the first iReel including a lighter weight, being able to take the side plate off to charge it (charge lasts a long time) rather than the whole reel and some more stuff.
But the big deal is you can tune the reel with an app, which also comes with 6 presets for different bait/technique types – like skipping. Watch out Andy Montgomery, I'm comin' for ya! 🤣
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What do you call a braid that's not really a braid? Well, I guess you call it...braid! 😁 Talked to Berkley's Chris Pitsilos (^) who knows more about fishing line than any "A I" – he says this is "thermally fused braid." I think meaning it's braid material, just not braided.
He couldn't say more than that because it's Ultra Top Secret, but here's what you get with it:
- More casting distance (cuts through the air – it's thin but not ultra-thin)
- Higher sensitivity
- Less drag in the water (faster sink) because it doesn't open up like braid does/can (cuts the water)
- Way less wind knots
- It will cut veggies
- No color fade
Chris called this "the Maserati of braids" and it's priced accordingly: $29.99 a spool. Available in Nov, 4-17 lb, 3 colors: low viz green, crystal and flame green.
He added that because it's fused, water can't get in it so it can't freeze – so it's good for cold weather/water and ice fishing.
This line is part of Berkley/Abu's FFS Science system (in my 2c – they didn't say it like that).
6. Sufix Revolve Ultra Thin Finesse Braid
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A new ultra-thin braid – gonna let Jacob Wheeler do the talking:
> "Line has been underrated for years, and to be honest it's one of the most important parts of my arsenal. Revolve Ultra Thin Finesse Braid gives your baits more action and less line drag in the wind. And to me, that can be the difference between getting bit and not."
Available in 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 lb, low-vis green and neon lime, 200-yd spool is $22 on TW.
7. Seaguar Pounce Bass FluoroLeader
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Seaguar says Pounce is "highly abrasion-resistant" and almost "bulletproof." So I had to know how it compares to my fave Seaguar fluoro mainline, AbrazX. Word is it's stiffer and tougher than AbrazX with real good knot strength. Interesting – sounds like it'll be good for braid/fluoro flipping and other cover techniques.
Should be available in Jan 2025.
8. Seaguar Line Bags
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Here's a deal I had zero interest in until it was shown/explained to me and then I was like – wow that's almost a no-brainer. I mean, don't know about you but I have spools of line/leader stuck in my "everything" compartment and it's a pain to manage. These bags make line easier to manage + store + spool = win. More deets on 'em here.
Already on TW, should be available in Sept.
9. Lunkerhunt Frog Rod combo
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I think this is a real good idea for bank fishermen (it's a 2-piece too) or just folks who like spinning gear and want an affordable combo. Handles 30-lb braid and has reinforced bail wire. Not sure on price or availability yet.
Honorable Mentionin's
1. UglyStik GX2 – Can you improve an Ugly Stik and still keep it an Ugly Stik? And what if it looks prettier? Will it be too pretty for On Em Robertson?? 😁 Well, having seen these rods in person, I can say that they're still pretty...ugly. Meaning you will recognize 'em as Ugly Stiks! 😆
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Okay enough of that. It DOES look a little different, it does have better guides and handle material, it does have a more ergonomic reel seat with the blank exposed, it is more sensitive, and the rods are...cheaper?? Just $50! Prolly one reason it won the Best Freshwater Rod at ICAST....
Rods and combos are available Sept 2024.
2. Abu Garcia IKE Signature Baitcaster – I personally don't love the round reel handles on these, but the old version of this reel was good (I have it on my walking-bait bomber) so I'm assuming this one is at least as good. $150.
I once asked Mr and Mrs Ike, "If you go Ike, can you go back?" She said, "Not at this point." 🤣 Just messin' Ikes!
3. Shimano Poison Adrena Spin Rod – Made some casts with the 6' 10" ML XF model, REAL nice. Rod felt like it was floating in my hand. $380 on TW.
4. Daiwa X-Braid Finesse
Main deal is it is a smaller-diameter line made originally for saltwater to slice through current.
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No particular order but #1 is a 100% winner in my 2c.
1. KastKing Bait Kapsule
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KastKing just saved us a lot of hassle and the woven rod sleeve biz with these deals. Completely self-explanatory, but I will add that the hole was designed so it won't nick line, it incorporates a plastic hook for your reel or guide and has holes for drainage/air circ. Genius.
Got a sneak peek of the one they don't have out yet for dropshots and it's good! Right now you can only get 'em on the KK website.
Have to add that KastKing has a load of new, really cool, useful non-bait, non-rod/reel/line products coming. Gonna talk about some of 'em in the near future.
2. BaitFuel Injector Kit
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Looks like they're not available yet but Elastint is dye that works with the Z-Man ElaZtech and other "super" plastics, and yep Sonic Coat is a dye that helps your bait show up better on sonar. Love that the dye guys are innovatin'.
4. BKK OCD Tackle Storage System
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The OCD comes empty ($24.99) and "Fully Loaded" ($299.99). Won ICAST Best of Show for Tackle Management because it solves a lot of problems for storing hooks – hence the OCD name.
With it you might be able to combine a couple boxes into one and it appears there's no way big waves are gonna "re-sort" everything for ya – which as you know can also dull your hooks. It's also waterproof.
The Fully Loaded option is crazy genius because you get about 2x the value that the hooks (48 lacks) would cost purchased by the pack, and BKK "hooks" you by intro'ing you to all their hooks. Each of the compartments comes with 1 pack of the designated hook but it looks like each one could probably hold 5-6 packs, from mosquitos up to 6/0.
5. Lowrance Recon trolling motor
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Interesting that Lowrance would come out with a trolling motor just a couple hundred less than the Ghost – meaning they're both $3K+ – but this one is also significantly different than the ol' Casper. Few interesting deets:
- Brushless, 40 percent more thrust
- Can move a loaded bass boat at 4+ mph
- Remote has a joystick and some other cool features like it tells you were the motor is pointing so you don't have to look at the head
- Wireless pedal acts like a cable steer
- Lots of programmable buttons
- ActiveTarget attachment points on the lower unit
- I think it weighs only 42 lbs
More deets here, should ship in Nov.
6. LiveScanner with Quad Scan Sync
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Thinking about getting a turret (independent transducer mount) for your Scope or other transducer? The obvious reason is that it's no longer on your trolling motor shaft, which for FFS can be really helpful. But then again, you have 2 shafts in the water to operate at the same time.
You also might say, "Sometimes I want that transduce to point where my troller head is pointing." This deal solves that dilemma.
The LiveScanner with Quad Scan Sync has a mode called "automatic synchronization with your trolling motor," which works with any brand. In other words, in that mode it will point your transducer right in line with where the troller head is pointing. Pretty slick. So you have the best of both worlds.
Also:
- You don't need to mount the switches for it. They come contained so you can just move it out of the way with your foot if needed.
- It has a breakaway system so you won't shear your turret gear.
MO company, more deets here, costs $1,875.
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Congrats to him, happened right before ICAST so I didn't get to it til now. Won it with 64-01 and beat Drew Gill by 11 oz. Deets from the MLF site:
> ...Cortiana decided to switch up his program on day 2 and make a trip south, taking advantage of his early boat draw to get on a well-known community hole near Malletts Bay.
> ...set up shop with his Lowrance ActiveTarget 2 [with a DD26 pointer] and immediately found what he estimated to be "thousands of bass" and a ton of bait among the ripping current created by recent rains.
> ...all about the jighead minnow in a couple sizes (1/4 and 3/8 oz) with a couple different colors of YUM FF Sonar Minnow.
> [Day 3] "I got there and there was a huge mudline. I picked the mudline side of it thinking that would create a unique feeding opportunity for the fish and I was right. I don't know how many hundreds of fish I caught but it was unbelievable.
> "I was throwing by people who were swimming and they (the bass) were eating. I had locals that were hooking my line. I had boats parking where I was casting. It didn't matter. Those fish were there to eat. They didn't care.
> "I had a couple different colors on deck, but I made that gold bait change after I saw a fish cough up a gold shiner. ...I would see these golden-color river shiners skip out of the water, so I made this bait change to gold and they ate the tar out of it."
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6. New Berkley Bladed Jig Kits
1 Slobberkbnocker and 6 Power Stinger trailers for $19.99.
7. MO: Bassin' HOF gave out fish management schollies
8. Controlling interest in GSM being sold...
...to Platinum Equity, which I think is the same group that owned Ranger and a couple other bass boat brands for a bit about 10 years ago:
> Gridiron Capital LLC – an investment firm focused on partnering with founders, entrepreneurs and management teams – is pleased to announce the signing of a definitive agreement to sell its controlling interest in Good Sportsman Marketing Outdoors [GSM] to Platinum Equity.
9. Worldwide Rapala sales up 3% year over year in 1st half
Check it:
> The largest sales increase reportedly came from the successful launch of CrushCity soft-plastic lures, which also supported the sales of hooks.
> Hard bait sales saw a temporary drop following a shift in some new fishing techniques, mainly in the North American market.
> The acquisition of DQC International (13 Fishing USA) in 2023 reportedly increased rod and reel sales in the US, although the impact was said to be "not significant" as the market remained challenging, and the focus was on integrating the operations.
10. Brunswick Q2 way down
Here's the short version, minus the "corporatese":
- 15% revenue decrease vs Q2 2023
- Engines (Merc) down 21%
- Navico (Lowrance, etc) down 8%
- Boats (Lund, etc) down 23%
- "...we now expect full year retail unit sales to be down approximately 10% vs our original forecast of flat."
Have heard a few folks comment that Lund price increases were large, which I'm guessing affected sales of its engines and electronics. High interest rates have hit everyone in the boat biz.
11. KY: New dock at the Little Sandy River boat ramp
Sounds like tourney peeps are happy about it.
12. If the Alabama shad is listed as endangered...
...it could have "profound impacts" on how rivers "across the Southeast" are managed. Yikes. Feds are now evaluating the petition, by the ol' Center for Biological Diversity (lawsuit-happy peeps), and I believe have a year to do so.
13. MD: 2,000 snakehead removed at Conowingo Dam...
...so far this year. Wow.
14. OK: Zebras found in Dave Boyer Lake
15. CO: 1 zebra possibly found in the CO River
16. MN: Zebras found in 3 more lakes
Union Lake in Polk County, and First Silver Lake and Heilberger Lake in Otter Tail County.
17. ND is inspecting boats for nuisance species...
...but not all boats and no waterfowl so....
Headline of the Day
Ozzy Osbourne Has a Rare New Species of "Bat Frog" Named After Him
Strangely Ozzy has no critter tunes except this one that didn't make it onto any albums.
Line of the Day
When high levels of active sonar are used, it can cause dizziness, disorientation, temporary memory issues, concentration problems and temporary hearing loss.
Talkin' 'bout divers who get hit by ship sonar. Gotta think fish, which also have swim bladders, might feel something even if they don't "hear" it....
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Brandon Card: Cold-front froggin'
Good stuff from an older Bassmaster post:
> The straight pull is about as simple as it gets. Just cast your frog out – the farther, the better – and pull it back with your rod. I usually start by making my pulls about 3' long and then shorten or lengthen them depending on how the bite is going. It's almost like dragging a jig.
> This presentation seems to work best with a frog that has a pointed nose. Its point gives you a straight and clean V in the water, which is the real key to success with this approach.
> I like the straight pull whenever I'm fishing scattered grass or pads, and whenever I'm around sparse mats.
> It's especially effective in colder water and after a cold front. It seems like sometimes colder conditions don't destroy a topwater bite so much as they change it, especially in places where there isn't a lot of deep water for the bass to move into when the weather gets tough.
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"...it is fun to see a fish swimming around (on the graph) and fire a bait out there and watch him eat it. But it's not fun to watch someone else do it and it makes everybody look the same."
- Greg Hackney talkin' on BassFan.com. Full deal:
> "When I do it, it is fun to see a fish swimming around (on the graph) and fire a bait out there and watch him eat it. But it's not fun to watch someone else do it and it makes everybody look the same.
> "I'm a huge fan of fishing and I watch a lot of it (on livestreams), but if that's all guys are doing, I'll check the weights and turn it off. If they're fishing, I'll watch.
> "People used to say you really only had to beat 60 or 65 guys or whatever [at the top level], but now you've gotta beat 90. These younger guys are still finding themselves and they're like a sponge – they don't have any old habits to overcome. I remember what it was like at that age."
Btw Hack sent me this pic – wouldn't tell me where he got it but said it's in "a western state" and it is not Photoshop/AI:
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Jay Kumar's BassBlaster is a daily-ish roundup of the best (sometimes worst) and funniest stuff in bassin', hand-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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