BassBlaster

More craws than anything else, Ott’s short rods, Kumar Testing Lab #1

By (mostly Jay)

Posted on October 1, 2019

…meanwhile the Bassmaster AOY tourney is percolatin’ like a pot o’ coffee on tourney mornin’ — or more like some dine-o-mite fixin’ to blow. I’m all:

LOVIN’ how intense it is. And pretty sure Seth Feider could catch giant smallies if all he had was a plastic fork, an empty jar of peanut butter and a frayed rubber band. Dang man, who knew llamas could fish that good!

Hey — what up with B.A.S.S. sayin’ Live is takin’ a break when it’s on?? Don’t be jivin’ us about Live! I blame Mike Suchan, who deserves it….

>> If you’re getting the BassBlaster for the first time it’s cuz a bud signed you up!

Today’s Top 5

Didya see Chris Zaldain land this giant fish today??

Best bassin’ video I’ve seen all year. Insane. Dude scared the snot outta me, grabbin’ at it like it was a bullfrog — whatever line he’s usin’ he has 1,000% confidence in:

Seth Feider’s been fishing like it’s his birthday and bass are bein’ served to him on a crankbait platter. He said today:

> “What world are we in…just throwin’ back 4-and-a-halfers.”

So many truly huge fish being caught on Live, the AOY deal so close…I let myself get distracted a little too much today…for which I blame Tommy, Davy and Ronnie. That’s right, if you don’t have an “ee” sound at the end of your name, you’re out. Zona wouldn’t go by “Zonee” so…he gone…. #bassinrumorlife

“…a lot of times you can be consistent until you’re not.”

– Elitist Cliff Pirch throwin’ us a knuckleball. Sentence right after doesn’t help one bit:

> In fishing, you can be doing the right things, but there are things you can’t explain and some that will trick you.

I think the new Joker movie really messed him up man. He drew this pic right before scribblin’ that Bassin’masters post:

I was like, Cliff that’s pretty good man but it ain’t right….

Brett Hite’s bait was the deal at the Cal Delta Costa.

Punchin’ too…. If y’all haven’t heard it, “Brett Hite’s bait” is what some o’ his fellow pro dudes call the Chatterbait Jack Hammer. Brett is responsible for that bait and this result of it, affecting bass-heads everywhere:

Hahaha! Anyhow, Blake Dyer won the Costa by about 1.5 lbs usin’ a 1/2-oz Jack Hammer (gp and Bhite delight) with a Yamamoto Zako (gp), and punchin’ mats with a Spicy Beaver (tramp stamp):

Here’s how the baits of the top 10 finishers broke down:

Punch rig = 70%

Bladed jig = 50% — Jack Hammer was 1st-3rd and 7th. Check Michael Fong (7th) usin’ the new “fire craw” color along with a Strike King Rage Bug:

Senko = 20%

10% each = Frog, Flip plastics, Spinnerbait, Hard swimbait

Shout-outs:

> Cali bass and reggae legend Bub Tosh punched with this WIDE Japanese bait and a 2-oz wight, puttin’ the lie to the assumption that punch baits need to be slim:

> All plastics mentioned in the top 10 were either Yamamoto, Missile, Strike King, Reaction Innovations or Berkley.

Listen-here this fact about crawdaddys.

From this post:

> “The biomass of crayfish alone exceeds every other animal that lives on the bottom, combined. There’s a tremendous amount of [nutritional] energy that flows through [them].”

Here’s an invasive red swamp crayfish in WA — look at the size, color and claw “arm” length:

Kumar Testing Lab #1.

2 meanings on the “Lab” deal cuz my black Lab “Lucky”, who loves her some fish, swam out to a weedbed last week, found her a crappie, “retrieved” it and ate a bunch of it. While I was fishing the same bank with this stuff…..

Anyhow, peeps send me stuff to check out all the time and sometimes I take time to NOT fish my faves and test out some newness…from the bank cuz I still don’t have a bassin’ tub 🙁

Here you go:

#1 and #2 — New Okuma rods. #1’s the new Okuma Helios SX in MH and #2 — in the cool Carolina blue — is the new Okuma Serrano in M: Good rods. I like that the MH isn’t too heavy, and the M is really M, not MH. The Serrano’s a good topwater rod, all I used it for, and REALLY dig the blue color. The Helios SX is good for plastics, jigs and even spinnerbaits.

#3 — Okuma Helios SX Reel: Once I figured out the Shimano-like brake system I got it goin’ good, even with my dumb thumb. Nice, small, higher-quality reel, on TW right now for $172.49.

#4 — Sufix Advance Mono: I like mono…especially this mono, which is supposed to have a braid-like molecule in it and for sure it’s tough. Here’s how I know: I’ve bitten through mono practically my whole life, and almost wrecked my teeth with this stuff. Started clippin’ it! So far not much memory either. REALLY good.

#5 — Berkley Drift Walker (perfect ghost) — Justin Lucas has been texting me all year, “Dude you try those baits yet?” I’m like, “Aren’t you fishing a tourney right now??” He’s all, “We’re on a break dude!” Anyhow, finally did fish this’n and it’s the real deal. S’posed to be a smaller walking bait for calmer days and that’s what I had when I fished it. Easy to walk, lower-profile, smaller knock. Fish of all sizes blew up on it, for sure addin’ it to the box. Only thing is, you better have Berkley hard baits outta the package and in your box before you leave the house else you’ll need a blowtorch, mule team and metal shears to get ’em outta the package at the lake.

#6 — 4.75″ Rapala RipStop Jerkbait (houdini) — Didn’t fish this a whole lot, so just a quick impression — which is: a) It does stop harder than other jerkbaits but not crazy hard; b) It’s easy to fish, which seems to be true of all Rapala baits; c) looks so good in the water I was surprised it wasn’t smashed even in the 10 minutes I threw it.

#7 — BOOYAH Covert Series Spinnerbait — Full disclosure: Not a spinnerbait guy, never been…cuz I don;’t like in OK or TX (heehee!). After fishing the Coverts (2 of ’em), now thinkin’ one reason I never got into spinnerbaits is cuz I never had a spinnerbait like this. Meaning: The blades don’t blow out, they “grab” again fast after coming up too high (outta the water) or getting hung up, and the bait tracks unbelievably straight. One mo’: Felt like I could control the depth it ran at pretty easy. Don’t know enough about spinnerbaits to know why…. Overall really dug it, and maybe it really is the best spinnerbait ever made. Tell Jason it’s not and have a bud there to record what goes down (lol).

News

1. Brandon Card, Luke Clausen get Blackfish apparel.

Here’s Brandon, here’s Luke, here’s Blackfeeshes raingear n such.

2. How Paul Mueller sees fish on LiveScope.

Paul Mueller talkin’ on Bassin’masterin’ Live:

> Bass are a little more rounded on the LiveScope, walleye are little bit slimmer, and drum are real round and bigger.

Dude spends a LOT of time on the water starin’ at ‘lectronics:

3. Does Brandon Lester talk to fish with boy band song lyrics?

Heard him say on today’s Live:

> “Come here girl, I need you bad.”

If that popped out on camera, you know he says it all the time…hahaha he said it!

4. OK: Jason Christie, Brian Snowden ‘lectronics seminar.

Oct 8 at North Eastern State U.

5. Jamie Hartman on BassEdge Radio.

Hope he gives up the juice about about how to win 2 Elites in a season.

6. BPTer Britt Myers learned 2 things this year.

He got way too spun out by ScoreTracker, and I guess forgot to use a hook on his Flanders Rigs (heehee!).

7. Luke Clausen is sellin’ his ’19 Ranger.

8. Former Elitist Jay Brainard is guiding in TX.

> I will be guiding for bass on both Lake Athens and Cedar Creek from Oct through Apr. I will also be guiding crappie trips on Cedar Creek.

> I will be back on Mille Lacs, MN guiding smallmouth May through Sep unless I am at a B.A.S.S. Open.

Hit him up at @JayBrainardBASS on FB and IG, or jay@jaybrainardfishing.com.

9. BPT starts on the Discovery Channel this Saturday.

> …the final day of competition during each of the 8 regular-season stages, plus all 5 days of the Tour championship….

Heard the plan was for more peeps to Discover the BPT there. I was like, what about Fox Sports? And they were like, is it called “Fox Discovery Sports” or “Fox Sports Discovery?” Had to admit it wasn’t…hahaha just messin’!

10. What an Elite brings to town.

> Records from past Bassmaster Elite events show that a typical Elite Series tournament will churn up more than $1.1 mil in direct economic impact during the week-long schedule of events….

It’s $1.2 mil if Zona shows up with his Chicagoland posse…lol Z. Okay maybe $1.3 mil….

11. The MLF Angler Assoc has its own Insta page.

12. Great story about a SC mom winning the points…

…as a co-angler on the BFLs. Got outta the hospital, drove to the tourney and won it. #stout

Get 100% better soon bassin’ sistah!

13. MO: Check the Bassin’ Hall of Fame auction.

Bigwigs bein’ inducted this week, congrats! Hope I start bein’ invited again…. 🙁

14. FL looking for tourney data.

Needin’ FL bass-head assistance:

> The information provided will be used to better-understand the economic impacts of tournaments at both the local and statewide level, and to inform lake management actions.

Thinkin’ they could look at the # of tourney permits per lake, and talk to the Chambers of Commerce, and tell a lot?

15. Bill Lewis/Rat-L-Trap has a new website.

Word is new RT colors on there and 20% off StutterSteps….

16. OR: Tribe gives a river legal rights of a person.

Klamath River. Also done for wild rice in MN…seriously. Not sure what it all means but sounds like it could be a slippery slope:

> …laws like the Clean Water or Endangered Species acts can be used to protect rivers by addressing symptoms of problems like diseased fish or pollution. But the Yurok resolution seeks to address the river’s problems directly and holistically, including the impacts of climate change. “You’re working towards making the river whole again….”

Could gas outboards be bad? Launch ramps? Fishing?? Can’t wait to see this happen at Mille Lacs, MN…. [eyeroll emoji]

17. NB: Smallie count up to 30 in famous salmon river.

When the smallmouths smell salmon they’re like:

18. VA: Lawsuit over boat accident social media posts settled.Don’t just think twice, think 5x and at least sleep on it before posting about ANY kind of stuff….

19. Lookit this new ‘lectric pickup.

Guess it’s for real but to me looks like it was designed by me in 1st grade:

Best thing I can say about it: kinda Hummer-ish maybe?

Line of the Day

…while the fight against a 20-lb smallmouth bass might be some of the most exciting action in competitive fishing….

Ya think???? Tell me where those fish live and me and 100,000 of my closest bass-head buds are there! Not you Feider! Give us regular dudes a shot first….

On BassBlaster.rocks right now…

> World’s widest smallmouth? Brandon Palaniuk swimbait secret, Toughest derp shot

> Do you future practice, Whataburger bass

> How Carl Jocumsen won the Tenkiller Elite

Tip of the Day

Quick Ott DeFoe jerkbait tips.

From the MLF website and texts with his Ott self:

> “The shortest rods I use when I fish are for topwaters and jerkbaits.

> “Reason for the shorter rods is working the baits downward with the rod tip. The shorter length keeps it from hitting the boat or water as often.

> “I use a 6′ 6″ Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris Patriot Rod with M action. As for the reel and line, I go with a Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris Platinum Signature Reel (6.8) spooled with 12-lb XPS Fluorocarbon.”

All other techniques he uses 6′ 10″ or longer: “I like the added length for other techniques to move more line on the hookset and casting distance….”

Far as the baits themselves:

> “When you’re looking for jerkbaits, you’ll usually find a suspending model. However, there are times where a slow float or a slow sink is better. I don’t really have an explanation as to why because it’s kind of a trial-and-error sort of deal.

> “Having different weights of jerkbaits can help you get that bite because they can almost be as important as the color of the bait itself. That extra foot or two of depth can be the difference sometimes.”

His fave baits and colors are a Rapala Shadow Rap Deep and Rapala Shadow Rap Shad — “elite blue” in clear water and “ghost shiner” in stained water.

Quote of the Day

“Games don’t sell themselves. Games don’t market themselves. Players don’t market themselves. Leagues and teams don’t market themselves.”

– Innerestin’ perspective from pro lacrosse player Paul Rabil, who last year co-founded the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) after the other — and formerly only — pro league refused a buyout offer. If you remember, back last year I said it sounded real similar to what was goin’ down in pro bassin’. Little more from Paul, then a couple 2cs:

> “What we knew we could count on is a league full of players who would play and give everything they could out on the field. That was something we were trying to figure out how to sell, so we took on the strategy of building the players.”

Pro bassin’ to pro lacrosse ain’t apples to apples, but lessons for both in what’s going down. Here’s a couple for bassin’:

> The PLL is REALLY good at digital media — way better than bassin’ — and understands digital’s at least as important as TV to make the whole deal go.

> The PLL understands that the way to raise the tide for all players is to give disproportionate media time to a few, who are selected intentionally. This ain’t rocket science (B.A.S.S. does this well) but the other pro lacrosse group never did it.

Couple more tiddybits:

> The PLL product is better in person vs TV. Bassin’ does better streamin’ (which the PLL can’t do cuz its games are live) vs TV. My opinion.

> The PLL adopted a tour-based model (like bassin’ and golf) vs the city-based model of other pro sports. Interesting and smart BUT the players aren’t as accessible as bass pros and don’t appear to realize the need for them to be…which kinda takes away from the tour-based model.

> Bassin’ does a way better job of engaging a wide demo and teaching.

Check this quick story: One time I actually recommended — in person, at a meeting — to the other pro lax organization that they put one of their players (name of Paul Rabil) in charge of all league media…no joke! Because he did it well and they didn’t. Cracks me up when people don’t listen man….

Shot of the Day

Would you plaid yourself on a boat? Do you? Not sure if I could pull it off…and it might lead to ramp fights in NJ…heehee! @blackfishgear shot:

Random

50 years of dire eco-predictions didn’t happen.

The link (below) leads to a bunch of now-ridiculous news clips/screencaps predicting Chicken Little ends of the world. Published by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a “conservative” group. Too funny.

Sometimes peeps ask why I put this stuff in the Blaster. Well, #1 it’s random stuff I randomly run across. #2 just wanna remind peeps about stuff sometimes — NO political agenda. More like when something hits my “where’s the common sense” button I sometimes flag it.

Predictions about most stuff are wrong man — just a fact. We can’t do it! We can’t even predict who’ll win the Classic after the first dang day let alone what’s gonna happen 10 years from now for the whole planet…. Just my 2c.

[Here’s the addy to the thing — can’t link it: cei.org/blog/wrong-again-50-years-failed-eco-pocalyptic-predictions]

Ya got me

Jay Kumar’s BassBlaster is a daily-ish roundup

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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