BassBlaster

New Cherry jerkbait comin’, New jig wins again, Non tidal tide pattern??

Housekeepin’:
– Dave Mercer should be back as emcee for the next one. Word is he was trying to bring a mounted whitefish back into Canada but the US border dudes were like, “That’s a bonefish and you can’t say ‘whitefish’ no mo either” and the Canadian border dudes were like, “Who cares about bones, just smoke it and put it on a cracker eh!” Okay I have no idea what went down but Dave is back.
– Jason Christie text about Neely Henry baits had his bait as a BOOYAH “Culvert” spinnerbait. Love it! Name change incoming? Prolly not but it’s a very bassy name….
– Similar deal: Got a vid sent to me about a “Rig Rub Down” – supposed to be “Rundown.” “Rub down” your topwater rig HAHAHA!
Small sample of the bassin’ typos I get that crack me up….
Today’s Top 5
Check the new Berkley Stunna 112 jerkbait!
Not sure if it’s final-done yet, but it’s THE jerkbait folks have been waiting for – meaning designed/co-designed by the dude who’s prolly the best jerkbait fisherman on the planet: Hank Cherry. What he said about it:
> This bait has different characteristics than any other jerkbait on the market. I specifically wanted certain things from all the leaders…to go into 1 bait. [For example] the downfall of the Vision 110 is the hooks…the [Jackall] Rerange has the [weight] transfer system. Lucky Craft had body-style shapes that I wanted tweaked to make them a little better.
> “I took my ideas of what I thought the best characteristics of all the baits were in the industry, and we put them into 1 bait. …this bait has the tungsten [weight] transfer and is half the price of a Megabass.
> “The goal of this bait is not to try to take the place of a Megabass. You’re not going to do it…it’s a proven bait. In reality the two won’t be the same.
> “The Stunna is a little larger. The shallow bill will get deeper than any other [jerkbait] on the market. With a long cast right out of package it’ll almost get to 10′. That’s what I wanted.
> “The deep diver lip…kind of become more of a deflector-type bait – trees, rocks, bridge pilings, grass. The way they put the lip on, it just deflects…makes it almost snagless. It deflects off stuff better than any other larger-billed jerkbait on the market.
> “The lips are very durable on both baits. I’ve run them through the ringer…banged them off boat ramps, off docks, in the water, in the air – I’ve beat them up a bunch.
> “It casts like a dream, which was huge on my list, and is specifically made to handle that 10-15 lb line which I like…stock with Fusion hooks so don’t need to worry about changing ’em.
> “Colors…a few I wanted personally that I really throw a lot, some they came up with that are just new colors really not on the market right now.
> “One thing that’s unique…spybaits have a weight in the belly [giving it] that shimmer when you kill it. When you pause [the Stunna] it has that shimmy to it, just like a spybait. It doesn’t stay, but it’s long enough to make it noticeable.
> “It’s slow-sinking to fast-sinking depending on the water temp. I didn’t want it to float…”
Hank started talkin’ ’bout float rate, line size, wind, line drag – wanted to ask him about everything but had to focus. Let’s just say he talked about stuff I’ve never thought about in my life. About the non-110 size:
> “It allowed the bait to be a little longer, and the body shape to be a little taller and a little wider. I didn’t try to knock off or copy anything [anyone] had. If I had to say, it’s kind of a cross between a Vision Magnum 110 [like the old Rogue, he said], a Slender Pointer and the old Jackall Squad Minnow. But it’s not direct copy of anybody.
> “I wanted a unique bait that had all these characteristics put into it. Every great bait came from another bait – they just took the idea and did something different.
> “This is about adding a jerkbait to the Berkley arsenal…to the good baits we already have. It will be an all-around extremely good affordable jerkbait. It hit every nail I had across the board.
> “There’s no issues with this bait catching fish. It might be like the Frittside – at first people were skeptical, then they started throwing it, and next thing you know you can’t find one anywhere.”
Okay if you don’t want a couple after that deal, let alone sensei Cherry designing it, you might need to check your pulse…and you might not be a redneck!
Had to ask him about the all-important jerkbait rod:
> “Believe it or not I have a jerkbait rod coming…in the works right now…a bladed jig rod and jerkbait rod coming. They will be quality rods at an affordable price.”
The new BOOYAH Mobster Swim Jig wins another one.
Recollect yo’self that when AR hammah Chris Jones won the Arkansas River Open last June, one of his baits was a 3/8-oz prototype BOOYAH swim-jig which he fished in 2 colors. At the time he didn’t even show the jig’s head in the pics. Well, here ’tis:
Now outed as the new BOOYAH Mobster Swim Jig, which has a real innerestin’ story behind it. But first, it was outed cuz OK’s Kirk Smith fished it to win last weekend’s MLF ‘Yota at Dardanelle:
Backstory, from Chad Warner at BOOYAH who’s a big-time bass-head:
> “Rick Short was a ‘river rat’ [river tourney fisherman] who lived in AR and fished the [AR] river a lot. He passed away few years ago. He made this jig – that’s how it all started, and it was really a secret: He just made it for some of his friends and family.
> “He designed it in the early ’90s, then modified it over the years…. Chris Jones [and the other “Muddy Water Mob” guys] didn’t want the jig or Rick to be forgotten….”
So BOOYAH got permission to make it:
> “You can swim it anywhere. The head design is really good – it comes through cover exceptionally well. It’s called a ‘mouse head’ look. The majority of the weight is toward the rear of the head and the belly, which helps keep the bait keeled true. As it deflects off cover it won’t let that hook point roll over.
> “…30-degree-angle line tie allows you to shake the jig…helps pump that skirt…. It has stout hooks – the 5/16 has a 4/0 and the 1/2-oz has a 5/0, so swimming it with braid there’s no problem with the hook flexing and bending.
> “It’s great in grass – water willow, bank grass, wood, brush, laydowns….”
The jigs should be in stock toward the end of this month.
Btw Chad says the Muddy Water Mob guys are a group of regular bass-heads who fish the AR River a bunch, including regional derbs – BFLs, Opens, stuff like that. Then again, Chad also says he “works all day” but posts this kinda stuff on weekdays:
Says he’s “testing product.” That’s one of those new BOOYAH Night Time spinnerbaits – whenever he catches one on it he always says, “Nighty night!” Tough to laugh at that all day long man…

Just messin’ with Chad lol….
2nd-5th Neely Henry Elite baits.
Paul Mueller’s (2nd) answerin’ machine says he’s out perch-jerkin’ and won’t be home til dark so hope to get him for next time.
3rd: Gerald Swindle
Gerald back-trolled for suspended fish in 35′ with a Luhr Jensen Hot Shot (brown trout) and a 1-oz Dardevle Spoon. Got on that deal when him and his dad used to fish tourneys in British Columbia. I was like, “You’re British??”
Okay not really, here you go:
> 1/2-oz homemade buzzbait (white/red head) with a Zoom Z Craw Jr (white), 18-lb Sunline Shooter fluoro, 13 Fishing Concept A Reel (6.8), 7′ 3″ MH 13 Fishing Omen Rod.
> 5/16-oz Dirty Jig, same white Z Craw Jr, 40-lb Sunline SX1 braid, same reel, 7′ 4″ Mod 13 Fishing Envy composite rod.
> Rapala BX Brat squarebill, custom-painted like the old Lucky Craft color (“bold bluegill”? = black/chart with copper haze around the shoulders and those red dots. 12-lb Sunline Shooter, 13 Fishing Concept A Reel (5.6), 7′ 4″ M/soft prototype 13 Fishing cranking rod.
> “My primary pattern was fishing a lot of water willow grass. I caught 4 keepers the 1st day slow-rolling a spinnerbait in current…from that point on it was willow grass….”
4th: Jason Christie
> Spinnerbait in shallow rock and grass: 1/2-oz BOOYAH Covert tandem CO spinnerbait (chart/blue/white) with a YUM Swimn Dinger, 22-lb Sunline Power 2CFC, Lew’s HyperMag Reel, Falcon Cara Head Turner Rod.
> Swam a jig in grass: 1/2-oz BOOYAH Bankroll Jig (b/b) with a YUM Craw Chunk (b/b), 25-lb Sunline Power2CFC line, Lew’s Pro SP Reel, 7′ 3″ XH Falcon Cara Amistad Rod.
> Squarebilled shallow rocks: BOOYAH XCS squarebill (chart/black), 16-lb Sunline Sniper fluoro, Lew’s HyperMag Reel, Falcon Cara All-Around Crankbait Rod.
> “Everything was 3′ or less. Shad spawn in the morning, then current in the afternoon.”
5th: Matt Arey
No particular order:
> Shakey: Straight-tail worm (scuppernog) on a 1/8-oz jighead. 7′ 2″ M Lew’s Custom Pro spin rod, Lew’s Custom Pro Speed Spin Reel, 10-lb P-Line TCB braid to a 10-lb P-Line Tactical Flouro leader.
> Cranks: Lunkerhunt Jolt flatside and Academy brand squarebill (chart/black). 7′ 2″ M Lew’s Pro Ti Rod, Lew’s Custom Pro Reel (6:1), 12- and 15-lb P-Line Tactical Fluoro.
> Bladed jig: 1/2-oz (shad) with craw trailer. 7′ 3″ MH Lew’s Custom Pro Rod, Lew’s Pro Ti Reel (7:1), 15-lb P-Line Tactical Fluoro.
> Topwater: Super Spook (Lake Fork shad), same setup as bladed jig except line was 40-lb P-Line TCB braid.
> “Also caught 2 key fish on a homemade 3-bladed 1/2-oz spinnerbait (shad).
> “Fished 1-5′, all hard cover – rocks, docks, and some wood first 3 days. Final day caught some key fish from the bank grass (water willow) in 1-2′.”
“The Fonz” got roasted for posting a fish pic.
Henry Winkler, who played The Fonz on the pre-cable tube way back, posted this on Twitter:
Comments are too funny – and weird cuz these people are real…I think? Anyhow:
> Do you have any idea how much pain this pic is causing that poor fish? People who pose with their kills and catches are weird.
> Oh, look at the grown man tormenting an animal for the fun of it. Now you’ll double down with some nonsense about them not feeling pain, or being able to live with torn mouths.
> Beautiful planet so lets hook a beauty’s by the lip, drag him from his world, pull the lip hook out then hold him aloft whilst he gasps for his life. Yeah Henry, it’s all lovely like big game hunting or bullfighting.
> Take a photo. Don’t rip an animal out of its natural environment with a hook through its face so you can feel something. Honestly, fishing is weird man.
Hahaha fishing is way weirder than they’ll ever know! This post was good:
> Let’s cancel predatory animals too! Bears and eagles eat these poor fish alive!
Lol right? But this one wins:
> Come to my house. When I’m sitting out on my back lawn with my .410 shotgun, I shoot little freaking woodchucks that are going in my garden stealing my food. Then I go gather up the little carcasses and throw them in the woods and let the coyotes eat them.
Bahahahahahaaaaa! Aquaman was cool with it too. I mean shoot, he eats fish so all good!
Yeeeeeeha lil dowgy! Gitcha smallmouth roundup!
Looks like our fave coldwater feesh are chewin’! Here’s some nice’ns for ya:
@graebuckfishing smashed this 7+ big smalls somewhere in NY on the Bill Lewis MR-6 (strawberry craw). Story:
> This fish knocked 3′ of slack in my line… I was targeting pre-spawn areas with chunk rock in 4-6’…. The key was burning the bait and deflecting it off the rock to generate those reaction strikes.
Tennessee River guide @jmasonfishing seems to ketch ’em on whatever he wants to, and this time fooled this fat slab with a slow-rolled YUM Money Minnow swimbait.
MLFLWer Erik Luzak has the skinniest one of this bunch, but cool cuz he caught it while Squatchin’ in BC! (Possibly or probably.) Lunkerhunt Impact Reactor lipless (red hot) did the deedy yes indeedy.
@extreme.outdoorsmen in MI put that fat brownie in the boat on a swimbait and the Fish Head V-Lock swimbait head.
Okay a couple large-type ditchies too:
@welch_zac caught this 12.10 in TX – guess where…yep OH Ivie, flippin’ a Strike King Rage Bug:
Ollie Pruett Slaughter (grand-nephew holding the fish) caught this 11.82 at Toledo Bend, fishing a wacky-rigged worm on the outside of near-shore “logs” in 4.5-6′. Said key was clear 12-lb Berkley Big Game mono for the clearer water:
News
Felt a little when I read that deal… Lol, okay a few highlights:
> Lane caught some of his scorable bass at Travis while his boat sat in depths over 100′ as he patiently waited for his wacky rig to fall to suspended bass. [“Patiently waited”? Bobby you okay brother?? ]
> “When you’re dealing with clear water, my philosophy is that you have to get a bite first to even have a chance. Going down to light line is the best way to make your bait look more natural, and it allows you to work your bait, so it looks as real as possible.”
Reminder he’s experimentin’ with all the stuff this season:
> I have the Garmin Panoptix LiveScope on the front, Humminbird MEGA 360 Imaging up front, Humminbird on the console and Lowrance front and back. I have the Lowrance Active Target Live Sonar system, but it’s not yet installed.
> …I feel like I’m just getting started. …I can say for certain right now that the money I spent on all of this equipment was money well spent…invested might be a better way to say that.
He SAYS it’s cuz of a pre-tourney “bowling accident,” but rumor is it’s hiding an ankle bracelet that goes off anytime he tries to register for a local derb at Table Rock…peeps sick of donating to the McClelland retirement fund.
Okay if it really was a bowling accident tho, I’d like to know who-all was involved…and whether a police report was filed…
Most amazing thing is he fished a pro tourney in a boot! When’s the last time you saw that? In this vid he said he put his MotorGuide Tour Pro on anchor mode, sat in the butt seat and got on with it:
Just got outed on TV tho – I think on the Kissimmee Chain:
> …did the bulk of his damage on 2 baits – an unnamed 1.5 squarebill crankbait and a vibrating jig with a swimbait trailer. He fished boat docks, around the bank and in pockets in 3-5’….
> “I love shallow cranking and I was thinking the conditions were perfect for me. The 1.5 did it for me. It’s my most trusted bait right now.”
This is classic Tak – he hates givin’ out his bait info! Gonna go out on a limb and say it was a custom-color Lucky Craft 1.5? Tak?
Peter T’s son Nick won it, guess how…draggin’ a worm, the ol’ Peter T blue plate special!
> “My dad has, you know, 35 years in it, I got a pretty good teacher. He taught me how to drag a worm and that’s what it took this week.”
> …a Strike King Cut-R Worm or a Strike King Anaconda worm rigged on a 3/16- or 1/4-oz Bullet Weights Tactical Tungsten weights.
Reminders:
– If you ever see Jamey with a crazy look in his eye, either duck or run.
– Sea Foam Marine PRO is at some Wally-Marts, auto parts stores (I believe) and Tackle Warehouse.
…due to college travel restrictions. Here at the Kumars we deal with college insanity every day, and every day’s different. Sorry to hear, really feel for the young folks….
Good dude, Rapala’s real done well under him. Guessin’ he’s sick of fishing for toothy critters up north so will head to FL and catch some REAL fish (heehee!). Congrats Tom! It’s official as of Dec 31.
…or anywhere for that matter:
Love that they’re doing more of this. Looks like this one is inspired by the Ford GT?
Last one they did sold out ultra-rapido….
Because they help you catch spotted bass, that’s why:
Okay not really, but if they work even half as good as their braid cutters, look out!
> Garmin…it has added support for Mercury Marine VesselView engine data across its Echomap Ultra, Echomap UHD and GPSMap series….
…says the National Tank Truck Carriers, which says the industry can’t get enough drivers to deliver the gas to gas stations.
Btw, anyone in the pipeline biz? I’m wondering how such a huge biz can have a single point of failure and no backup plan, but maybe there’s more to it?
Anyhow, make sure your troller is powerful and reliable, you might need it more than you think….
PSA updatin’s
On whether ‘lectronics can spook fish, got this note from bass-head Bill F:
> We fish heavily-pressured near-shore wrecks out of various parts of FL. There are spots where that if you leave your electronics on, you get nothing. If you turn off your sounder and rely only on your charting/GPS to hit the wreck, you get bit.
> To me, there is absolutely no doubt fish have learned – at least in highly-pressured fisheries – to associate the sound of electronics with fishermen.
> Another interesting note – some spots are terrible for sharks. We can get snapper or grouper bites, but often can’t get the fish up before they get eaten by the “tax man.” When we leave our electronics off, we can get 2 or 3 fish off the spot before “the man in the brown suit” moves in. So the sharks…have also learned that the sonar sound = the dinner bell.
Innerestin’….
On BassBlaster.rocks right now… 
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Tip of the Day
Gitcha some Gerald Swindle insights.
Few quick deals from our convo today about his Neely Henry fishin’ – stuff I couldn’t fit up top but I know you’ll wanna know:
> Buzzbaits: …by redneckery I take 2-3 buzzbaits to make the right one.
> “I watch people throw that Horny Toad [on the back] and you miss so many fish. The little smaller profile of that [Zoom Z Craw] Jr…doesn’t cause the bait to flip to one side or another, it keels up and runs straight…you don’t have to worry about hooking [or hooking up with] all that plastic…..
> “My main pattern was staying with the water [where] it was the right height…where the water was right over top of the willow grass. It really was like fishing tide…pretend like I was running the tide.
Here’s a profound statement – would you say the same thing:
> “I never thought it was setting up perfect for me til day 2. Then I realized it was changing so rapidly it was going to be good for me.”
Raise your hand if you LIKE when the conditions change rapidly. Bet not many hands are up…gives us something to shoot for. What baits? Here’s a link back to the junk fishing Q&A we did a couple months ago.
Quote of the Day
“They may know a lot of good places, but they also know the ones that are productive under very specific conditions.”
Rick Clunn talkin’ ’bout why 2 locals (Lee Livesay and Wes Logan) have won Elites on their home waters this year. More:
> They don’t try to do too much and have been conditioned to manage those spots accordingly. Because of that, you’re going to see more locals win Bassmaster events and continue to do well on local waters.
Never wise to doubt Rick…unless maybe…nah, forget it….
Just messin’! Rick’s amazing man, but you already know that.
Shot of the Day
Okay raise your hand if you would be out there doin’ it too…because funnel cloud = bigs bitin’! Posted by Joey Cifuentes on the ‘gram:
Just kiddin’ kids, be safe out there!
Random
Covid ain’t gonna stop these peeps… Who knew??
Ya got me!
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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