Think I'm done with my local lake. Herring, alewifes, whatever they are, I'm (temporarily) wavin' the white flag. Showed up there Sunday with a dang good plan. Optimistic. Got there and the water was 2-3' low and super green. The veg I planned to fish apparently died somehow and fish activity was zip.
Fished everything I knew how to do, even pulled out the dropshot. Saw many bait schools but as usual NO fish around 'em! This lake is the safest lake for baitfish in America! I don't get it. Ain't doubtin' myself, just honestly don't get it. Only problem is, next-closest lake is a dang herring lake too! 🥺 Bassin' can be hard man...on the feelin's....
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Why David Mullins went Double Live Gonzo.
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Obviously cuz he's a huge Nuge fan:
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😂 Okay, here's 5 Qs with Doomsday his bad ol' self, who I guess is one of a few pros (not just Shin Fukae) who are using 2 Live/forward-facing sonars:
1. Why 2 Lives? [He uses Garmin – 2 Live transducers that go to 2 different screens.]
> "I never got to use [Humminbird] 360 before, and Garmin came out with Perspective view LiveScope on a different bracket...gives a flatter image like a 360. So at the end of the year last year, I was talking to somebody who fishes shallow a lot and he said he didn't use [regular] Livescope, he just used Perspective and really liked it. So instead of having to find another brand, competitor stuff, maybe I'd just try to use Perspective and LiveScope at the same time.
> "It's been an awesome deal. I've really enjoyed using both."
2. What do you get by running 2?
> "Before, with [just] LiveScope you could see grass [for example] out there, but you'd only see part of that part of that grass. [Now] you can see how the edge runs with Perspective and with LiveScope you can see exactly how tall it is.
> "If I had it last year at Champlain it would've been a totally different story. Brandon didn't have LiveScope but he had 360. With LiveScope I had to keep panning the trolling motor back and forth and hope to see a boulder on the bottom. With wide-view Perspective, I can go out 120' and I could find isolated boulders so much easier. Once I found them, I could line them up with LiveScope and shoot a dropshot over to them.
> "[Perspective is more like an aerial view, like you're looking down at it, and LiveScope is more like you're looking out at it. Like I can see a tree on LiveScope but on Perspective I can see each individual limb and how runs off the bank.
> "...can see fish shallower better on Perspective than LiveScope [and vice versa]."
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3. So when – I guess you have 'em on all the time? All depths?
> "I use both all the time. You're just getting more information.
> "It makes you 10x more efficient. Before, with just LiveScope, you might pull up to an edge or grass or something and you could shine it through there, but with Perspective you can see where the holes in the grass are at...more precise with yours casts.
> "With one, you're only getting half the story. I wasted so much time last year out deep...spending less time and find [deep structure like boulders] so much easier now.
> "At the St Johns [River, FL] I was catching some fish...could see on LiveScope something come off the bottom in 2-3'. I thought it was just a stump. I shined Perspective over it and it was a whole barge. So you know exactly what you're fishing."
4. So does it make fishing easier?
> "Even if you've got the best stuff, you still gotta understand how to catch them. You have to understand how they relate to what you're throwing.
> "You're definitely gonna learn more, that's for sure, but it's not a cure-all. There's no such thing. I wish there was!"
5. How many Lives or units is enough?
> "Depends on what comes out that's new. As of right now I think I'm maxed out with 3 screens, but I'm always looking for something new. You never known what's going to come out."
Bonus informin's
His bow setup:
- 3rd bow screen = traditional 2D and mapping
- Trolling motor: traditional sonar unit on the bottom, 2 LiveScope transducers on the shaft, 1 turned to Perspective view (different bracket)
> "You do get a little interference with 2 [Live transducers] but it does not affect the image at all.
> "If a fisherman doesn't want to buy 2, you can get the Perspective mounting bracket and you can switch back and forth between them."
> [I asked him about Side View:] "Do I think this will change how Side View works? Eventually, yeah probably."
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"The biggest advantage of electronics – any make – is that they make you more efficient."
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- John "E" Crews talkin' in a rundown of all 3 'lectronics brands, his setup that he ran for the first time this season. David said the same thing: more efficient. Few more highlights from the JohnnE post on the Bassin'masters, worth a full read fo sho:
> ...the LakeMaster maps were the deal. They’re the best.
> Looking for bass on Panoptix LiveScope is tough unless you get deep offshore. I feel like its advantage is 60% seeing cover and 40% or less seeing bass.
> Lowrance has good mapping, great 2D sonar, very good side scan and the best waypoint management system. Humminbird has the LakeMaster mapping, very good Side Imaging as well as must-have Mega 360.
> Added Active Target (temporarily) to the Eyra for some testing. This will be interesting....
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3 worm TAIL tips from Larry Nixon. 👀
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Why do I run down this "old" stuff? Because us and the bass have forgotten about it, so it's GOLD baby! 😁
> Paddle tail – "I only use this type of worm when I'm fishing shallow water with a lot of vegetation and don't know exactly where the bass are. I fish it weedless on the surface or just below the surface, making a long cast and just winding it back. I nearly always cut a notch in the tail so the worm will churn water, more like a buzzbait." [Gold!]
> Ribbontail – "Whenever I want to swim a worm through grass and weeds in water down to about 10' deep, this is my choice because the spiraling tail has a very tight wiggle that allows it to come through the vegetation easier. It looks like a small snake. If the water is stained, I'll use a fatter and longer worm to move more water and attract more attention to the worm, but in clear water, I'll use a thinner worm." [Gold!]
> Gator tail [like the Zoom G-Tail if you're unfamiliar] – "This worm is best in shallow water, especially during summer and early autumn, and it's also one of the most productive lures for river systems. I usually fish this worm with a 3/16- or 1/4-oz sinker to make the tail work properly. [Gold!] I let it drop straight to the bottom, then pick it up so the tail spins, then drop it again."
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Kinda reminds me of the ol' '80s pink axes – I had one!
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"...the two 3D foam artists began to create a really big bass from 4'×8' slabs of hard foam."
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Wonder if some pros will get one for their pickup/campers? (Brandon? Ish?) Anyhow here's where you can see the Bassmobile soon:
- 8/20-8/23 – Parkville Days, Parkville, M)
- 8/28 – Nebraska @ Illinois Big 10 Season Opener, Champaign, IL
- 8/29 – IBFCA, Springfield, IL
- 9/3 – Luke Bryan, Treasure Island Amphitheater, MN
- 9/5 - 9/6 – Minnesota State Fair
Don't be fooled by this way less cool version of the Bassmobile:
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Fried with a little maple syrup on 'em...😂 kiddin':
> If the bass are schooling or chasing baitfish, I throw them a small grub. I’m a big fan of the 4" Strike King Rage Grub – hot chartreuse. I rig it with a Strike King Tour Grade Jig Head in either 1/8-oz or 1/4-oz....
> Sometimes they’ll take it if you swim it up a little in the water column, but sometimes it’s better to let it fall and then pump it up and down.
I have a rod with a grub in the box...not that it means anything!
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> The original RC King Kong Shad 10 is the deep version and the RC King Kong Shad 5 is the new shallow version. These oversized squarebills are very important in elevating your chances of catching larger fish. Check out my Rick Clunn Professional Angler Facebook page for a detailed explanation.
Peep the colors – do I see a lotta browns? 🧐
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It's called "Elmo's World" – oops, I mean it's called "My World" 😁 launches Monday, Aug 30 at 9 pm (EST?) on CBS Sports. So far he's been real good on TV so hopin' it goes well for him.
No word on possible cameos from the South Jersey Bassin' Mafia....
Know who one is, not the other one?
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Wes has gone and went full orange – lookin' good mang!
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Bo's best known for diddley – oops I mean winnin' the 1980 Classic on the St Lawrence River ^. It was the 4th-largest "margin of victory" ever, 10-09 over Roland "son!" Martin. Bo fished 14 Classics, not sure how many wins he had total because looks like Bassmaster.com's records on him are incomplete.
> Show hosts Aaron Martin and Kurt Dove talk with Denny about late August bass fishing behaviors and strategies to utilize best tactics for shallow-water or deep-water fishing....
Gonna go way out on a limb and say: jig. 😂
As of Sept 30. Owner Chase Anderson will take over:
> Akin originally planned to retire last year but stayed on through the pandemic to ensure that the Bassmaster Elite Series completed its full schedule.
My 2c: Bruce did an overall great job, especially as an "outsider" to fishing and not a bass fisherman. Will get him to talk a bit before long....
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Big congrats:
> ...over the weekend on the St Lawrence River as the duo of Hayden Scott and Griffin Fernandes won....
> ...63 lbs 10 oz...topping 2nd-place Bethel College by 3 lbs 3 oz....
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Congrats to 'em!
> After finishing no worse than 16th during 4 regular-season tour stops...the Auburn U team of Logan Parks and Tucker Smith were officially named the 2021 Bassmaster Team of the Year....
> ...accumulated 973 points and set the record for largest margin of victory in the standings, beating the 2nd-place team of Dalton Mize and Lucas Smith of Jacksonville State U by 91 points.
So far Auburn hasn't turned out many good fishermen but maybe this is a change for the better – 🤣 just messin' Steve and the Lees!
12. SC: Bass Fishing World Championship postponed til '22.
Moved to 2022 because of covid-related travel issues. No link 🙁
Props to the Thursday Night Tournament (TNT) dudes. Got 'er done!
College bassin' champ in 2012 (NC State) so he knows the green feesh.
> Rapala VMC announced on Jan 27, 2021 the acquisition of Okuma European and Russian trademarks and associated intangible assets against a consideration of USD $8 mil out of which an amount of USD $4 mil was a deferred payment.
> As part of the deferred payment the Board of Directors of Rapala VMC has today resolved on a directed issue of 315 000 treasury shares to Okuma.... These shares form a significant portion of the consideration paid by Rapala VMC to Okuma for the purposes of strengthening strategic cooperation between the parties....
Comparisons vs last year are kinda meaningless but:
> Fishing revenue increased 51% due to continued high demand across all product lines in Minn Kota and Humminbird.
Might be worth going just for the deep-fried fillets??
> The event, which runs in conjunction with the Mr. Crappie $250,000 tournament at the Red River South Marina...runs from Oct 1 to 3 and the tournament from Sept 30 to Oct 2....
Never bet against the one 'n only Wall E Marshall!
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On BassBlaster.rocks right now...
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> Here are my favorite ways to fish this bait.
> Deep dragging: A TX rig...lets you thoroughly fish those ledges and deep brush in 15-30' without getting hung up. The presentation is pretty simple – you just throw it out there and work it through the brush....
> I like a big hook in that worm so I use a 6/0 offset hook with 16-lb Sunline fluorocarbon line in clear water, but if I'm fishing cloudy water where I can beef up the line, I'll fish a straight shank with 20-lb fluorocarbon. In either case, I use a 3/8- to 1/2-oz weight, unpegged.
> Big shakey head: I use a YUM Pumpkin Head, which is just a giant shakey head with a corkscrew bait keeper and a horizontal line tie that makes the bait stand up. I think this gives the fish a different look – something to get their attention. If you think about it, in clear water a fish can see the bait a lot better if it's standing up...you might pull in fish from farther away.
> The Pumpkin Head is mostly a weedless presentation, but not as much as a Texas Rig, so I'll keep it away from brush. I use this on ledges around rock and zebra mussels.
> Dock flipping: This is my favorite way to fish a big worm in the summertime. In fact, if somebody told me I had to catch a 7-lber, I'd peg the weight on a big worm TX-rigged with a 6/0 straight shank hook and I'd go flip marina docks.
> ...ideal whenever you're just flipping around the edges, the boat stalls the walkways or soaking the bait around any outlying brush.
> I'll go up to 25-lb fluorocarbon on this presentation because of the structure. The good thing is there can be schools of fish under docks, so you can catch 2-3 off a spot, give it rest and come back and catch more.
> Swimming: ...swim it over grass that's grown close to the surface, or across lily pads. I'll Texas rig the bait with a 1/8-ox weight and give it a steady retrieve. I've caught some big fish that way.
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"Just because winter is on the horizon, that is no reason to put your boat in storage and sit by the fireplace waiting for spring."
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In Singapore, so I guess it could've been a cobra but instead was an Oral B:
> "...water got into my electrical toothbrush and affected the mechanism. I should really buy a new one, I don't want to go through this again."
🤪
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Jay Kumar's BassBlaster is a daily-ish roundup of the best and funniest (sometimes worst) stuff in bassin', 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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