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Lotta folks are releasing stuff as we run up to ICAST. A bunch in this BB, more to come – some great stuff!
PSA: Little reminder that today is the LAST DAY to take advantage of that Minn Kota + Humminbird XPLORE summer sale. TW has the sale – Minn Kota here, Humminbird XPLORE here.
Hope you smash 'em this weekend!
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Gitcha Blaster video fix here:
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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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Some real good Coike learnin's with Bryan "brand" New 🧃
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What does Bryan know about Coikes? Nothin'! 🤣 Okay for real – he's a big Coike student and might have been the first tour pro to even own one. Here's 6 Qs with him, good stuff from Bryan and the BassBlaster's Andy "mean Joe" Greene.
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Bryan had Coikes in his boat for 3 years, but he didn't fully realize the catching power of what he had til last fall when he went to Japan with SPRO (the US importer of HideUp baits). He spent a week with the HideUp guys fishing Lake Biwa and says: "I just didn't spend enough time with it to learn it before it took off in the US."
Since that trip, Bryan has put in the work to learn the intricacies of this crazy ball of wonder. Let's get into it.
1. What conditions or cover/structure do you look for to fish a Coike?
> "Really anything. The last 6 months have proven that. In the beginning I thought it was going to be an FFS-dominant technique. The guys are proving that's not the case.
> "You can throw it in the same places where you throw a jig or wacky worm. It needs to be target-related. Throw it at structure, fish that you're seeing on FFS or visually seeing with your eyes. It's too slow to just go down the bank and cover water like you would with a ChatterBait or crankbait."
Any times when a Coike won't work?
> "The only time I've seen that it won't work – and I've fished it a lot – is on the blueback herring bite on Lake Murray. I live at Murray – it's a unicorn. It's the only blueback lake that has largemouth only: no spots.
> "During the herring spawn, Murray bass are completely focused on blueback. They don't want to eat anything else.
> "...late fall through winter and until the herring spawn starts, it's a completely different fishery. The fish focus less on blueback and eat other forage in the lake, so the Coike plays."
2. Is there a best way to rig the Coike?
> "I've tried it all. I've worked with Gamakatsu to develop a hook for it called the Ball Rig [regular and weedless, not yet available, release planned for fall] and we're currently working on another style of hook for it.
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> "All hooks – quad, treble, single, frog hook – they're all pretty good. The most important thing is the weight placement. When the bait falls or you move it, you always want the biggest bite of your hook to be pointed toward the surface – it never needs to be pointed down. Weight placement plays a big part in that.
> "When I was first playing around with the Coike, I'd use a 1/16-oz and go, Yes, this is right. Then I'd try a different hook with a 1/16-oz, thinking it was going to be the same, but it wasn't. The weight placement will change the angle of the hook. You'll have to adjust your weight based on the hook you're using.
> "The Gamakatsu Ball Rig is built on the bead hook frame that came from the steelhead industry. It has a wire keeper on it that you can add a tie-on dropshot weight to. When it falls, because of the placement of the weight, the line tie will point downward but the hook will always be pointed up. You've got to make sure the actual weight is going to overpower the weight of the hook."
Do you rig it different ways depending on the conditions or whatever?
> "Something I'm still playing with is a dropshot. The Coike has a place there. The Coike Fish on a dropshot is really good. That deal hasn't really taken off yet.
> "The Coike Fish on a dropshot works best on a short leader. It's deadly while bed-fishing. When you shake it, it looks like a bunch of minnows. It's incredible around the shad spawn too.
> "Most people don't know this, but the Coike and Coike Fish were both designed to be topwater baits. That's a place where most people aren't fishing it. I rig it the exact same way – a bead hook but without a weight."
3. That pic Kenta Kimura posted with the Ryugi Pierce Quad – what's the story behind that, and what's the spikey thing hanging down from it?
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> "That's something that I'm taking to Gamakatsu. Kenta and me were playing around with rigging the Coike and had some ideas. We combined our thoughts and created that.
> "The spike on the bottom is a nail weight. We epoxied a nail weight in the center of the quad where they all come together and took a wire and bent four keepers on it. I recently used that same hook with the same Coike for 3 practice days and 3 tournament days, and the bait never even slid down."
4. Guys who try the Coike don't love the hookup ratio. How do you maximize hookups?
> "When I first realized the Coike was the deal, I was throwing the 13mm and the 17mm on a spinning rod. I was not even playing with the Fullcast. I was using a small hook, like a #1 or 1/0, 10-lb line and a M-action rod like you'd throw a dropshot on. I caught plenty of fish, but I missed and lost a lot.
> "It finally dawned on me that my rod didn't have enough power to drive the hook. You have to fold all those tentacles up to penetrate the hook. I went up in leader line size to 14 or 16-lb, up in hook size and used the stiffest spinning rod I could find.
> "Also use the fastest gear ratio that you can get on your reels. After that change, I lost very few.
> "Coike fishing is not a finesse technique. It's a power deal."
5. The 17mm and Fullcast Coikes are the most popular sizes, but there are smaller ones. Does size ever matter or is it just that profile?
> "Size matters. The Fullcast has been the highlight of the year, but most places that we've fished have been big bass fisheries. For places you target 4+ lb fish, throw the Fullcast. If 2.5-lbers is what you're after, use the 13mm or the 17mm.
> "There's several different sizes that we don't even have in the US yet. The Kyu Coike was the original size. It's smaller than the 13mm. And now there is the new 8mm Mini. There's probably 7 or 8 sizes of the Coike, but there's also the Coike Fish and – coming soon – the Coike Fish Gill."
Is there a time when it's an advantage to fish the smaller ones?
> "Yes. When you're fishing for smaller fish, or fishing for spots or smallmouth. You're not going to throw a 10XD for smallmouth – same deal here. Smaller sizes work better.
> "Also the smaller Coike is very effective fished on the surface around mayfly hatches."
6. What retrieves do you like for it?
> "The jerk/pause deal is my #1. The reasoning is the same as why a jerkbait is so effective. If you weight it properly, you can keep it in place with just a tight line. You can make it sink so slowly that it looks real.
> "The Coike is so effective because it has a big profile – a lot of drawing power. When you pop it, it collapses and has a smaller profile. Then, when you stop it, it poofs back up and aggravates the bass. It's a cat and mouse game.
> "Weighted properly, you can throw it anywhere – unlike a jerkbait. You can skip it under docks or trees.
> "If I do the weightless option on the surface, I fish it similar to a frog or popper. If I put the Coike Fish on a dropshot, I'll shake it in place but a little more aggressively than a traditional dropshot."
Do you rig and fish it the same around spots and smallies?
> "I do. The technique is the same. And they eat it!"
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We ain't done with the 🧃 yet! 😁 Thank you to Bryan, who hopefully isn't sandbagging us lol.
For the 13mm, 17mm and Coike Fish M
> Not available yet Gamakatsu Ball Rig Hook (1/0, 1/0, 3/0), SPRO Tungsten Drop Shot Sinker Long or Gamakatsu Trigger Tungsten Nail Weight, 18-lb Sunline Siglon PE AMZ Braid to 14-16 lb Sunline Super FC Sniper Fluoro, Ark Gravity G7 3000H Spin Reel (6:1), 7' 2" MH XF Ark Brandon Cobb 2.0 "The Long Shot" Spinning Rod.
> "Brandon designed that rod for Fluke fishing. It has enough tip to cast the Coike where you want it, but enough backbone to drive the hook."
> Weight sizes vary with water depth/fish depth and with different hooks but a guideline is 1/64-3/32 for 13mm, and 1/32-1/8 for 17mm.
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What in the world is a flat tube??
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Well that's what it is but technically is it possible to have a FLAT tube? Isn't that like a round 2x4? 😆 You know stuff like geometry and physics will never stop bass-heads lol!
Anyhow Big Bite Baits just came out with a Flat Tube, designed by/with Fletch Shryock who teased it a couple weeks back – and said he'd been intentionally mashing his tubes flat to flip 'em. Why? Let's get into it.
1. How did this deal come to be?
> "I'd noticed years ago that if you get packs [of tubes] like at the bottom of your pile...you'd get ones that had flat sides. I would always gravitate to the ones with the flatter sides...so I was almost doing it subconsciously when I first started fishing tournaments with tubes.
> "And then Ike came out with the [Berkley] Smash Tube [in 2012, which was oval instead of round] and I was like, Yeah there's a thing to that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPnzg5R6CHg
> "It wasn't long after that...I would take a stack of books or whatever I had around and try to smash 'em that way. And then I started vacuum sealing them.... It doesn't fully work at times, you gotta use the right ones [and salt considerations]....
> "It's something I've done for a long time...."
[I mean this with admiration: No one but a bass fisherman would ever think of vacuum-sealing tubes to flatten 'em. 😆 Love it!]
2. What's the need for a flat tube?
> "What I started realizing when I was flipping a lot, with a round tube the problem is it's a fish-losing bait. It's round, so it's easy for the fish to roll it over the hook point – because there's no set direction in which it goes.
> "It can roll left, it can roll right, and it finds its way over the hook point so often. Especially the shape of the head, depending on how have it rigged it's really hard to get the hook point out and stick the fish.
> "Every tube is made a little bit different...inconsistent in how they're made. [Some] would fold and I felt like my landing ratio was much higher because...it'll fold in one direction. It doesn't want to roll – it folds. Which helps your hook penetration.
> "A tube, what makes it good is it's very erratic as its falling [and a flat tube is even more erratic]. Even when you hop it, it doesn't do the same thing twice. [Vs] traditional flapping-appendages creature baits...they hop in place, they move in a straight line, there's not a whole lot of erratic action to them.
> "Whereas a tube when we snap it it might swing off the left one time, it might spiral off the to the right – it's doing weird stuff. And as we know, anything we can do to get a bass to react....
> "Plus it's not threatening. I believe those fish when they go to eat a crawdad it's...a little bit of a fight...they like an easy meal.
> "[A flat tube] is power finesse. That's the way I would look at it."
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3. Does it replace any baits for you?
> "A lot of times anymore I'm pretty well down to the FAFO Beaver-style bait or the Flat Tube. Those are the 2 things I'm pitching around almost all the time. ...those are my 2 confidence baits overall.
> "Power finesse has been my approach for a long time."
4. How and when are you going to fish it vs some other flip bait?
> "The way that I rig that bait, I typically use a 5/0 Trokar Monster Flippin Hook...will go down to a 4/0 – I try to use the biggest hook I can fit in the body.
> "I make sure I push that hook point all the way through and Texpose the point...on the outside of that tube. A lot of people don't like that...want the bait to hold a hook extremely well – they can go an hour without having to readjust their bait.
> "...anytime I have a bait that holds the hook really good, it does not land them very good. It's kinda common sense to me: The more weedless that thing is around all the cover...the more likelihood you're not going to [hook] the fish either.
> "If you watch me, I'm definitely messing with the bait a lot because...I want to give myself the best opportunity for hooking [the fish]....
> "But you don't have to rig it that way. With the Flat Tube and the plastic that's there [it is flat but still hollow], you can rig it to where it will stay in there pretty well, especially with an EWG.
> "I feel like pegging it helps [with a bobber stop]. I know not pegging at times can generate bites, but the biggest key is a lighter weight. The lighter the weight you can get away with, the better the thing will glide away and dart.
> "Even 1/2 at times is a little much. It'll still dart, but not as much as it will with a 5/16 or a 3/8. ...a 1/4 especially pre-spawn...."
[He noted that you can use a tube jighead, stupid-tube rig it, whatever you want. Just understand that the bait can dart a lot, to where you would swear a fish has it but it's just the action of the bait.]
> "I like to go pretty heavy [with line]... 40-lb Vicious Braid [high-vis yellow] to 24-lb Vicious Fluoro. I usually run 6-8' leader when I'm flipping. That way that leader knot stays out of any debris, bark, dock-posts...."
The rest of his gear: Ark G8 Reel (8:1), prototype 8' H Mod Ark flipping stick.
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5. Is it pretty much just for largemouths?
> "No, absolutely not. We don't have a ton of smallmouth colors, but you can take that gp one...some northern fisheries where people will be buying these things for certain.
> "It's definitely something you can throw a tubehead in, you can stupid tube it as well...it will help hookups and that thing will glide like crazy.
> "It'll be interesting sot see how good it really is. You'll be able to watch that thing on Scope. Put a 1/4-oz jighead on it, throw it out there and I bet it goes all over the place."
Bonus Q: Do you and Hunter ever fish against each other?
> "We fished against each other in the ['25] Ultimate Angler Championship. I'll fish some local tournaments, but he really doesn't."
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I don't see the Flat Tube on TW yet but it is on the Big Bite Baits site.
Unrelated: Fletch said a couple years back a youngster named Banks Shaw showed up at a couple of the local 3-fish night tournaments. He smoked everybody.
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Get more bites out of your underrated gill-type creature baits
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Most guys fish them exactly how you'd expect: TX rig, flipping, Neko rig. In other words, slow, bottom-oriented, and pretty much only capitalizes on their profile. Which will absolutely catch them, but they also don't capitalize on what these baits do best: fall.
The wide profile and ribs/appendages grab a ton of water, making them the ideal candidate for a free rig.
For anyone unfamiliar, a free rig is basically a TX rig but instead of a fixed bullet weight, you use a free-sliding open-eye dropshot weight. The weight hits the bottom first, and the bait follows behind, practically weightless.
This opens the door for weightless-looking presentations in places that used to be impractical – like brush, rockpiles, ledges, bluff walls, etc. AND the fish do not feel resistance, much like when they eat a Carolina rig.
Fishing it is simple: Cast, let it sink, wait anywhere from 5-20 seconds to allow the bait to fall, swiftly lift your rod from water level to almost vertical, then drop it back to water level to allow your weight to slide. Wait for the bait to fall to the bottom, and repeat. The bait will do the work for you.
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A sensitive rod is crucial for detecting bites with this technique, and a fast action will help get a good hookset. Power will vary depending on the size of the bait you're throwing.
I like to throw the smaller baits (up to 3.5") on a M-power, F-action spinning rod – the one I normally throw a shakey head on. For the bigger gills (about 3.8" and up), I like it on a MH to H casting rod. Pretty much what you would throw a TX rig on.
With summertime patterns setting in and water temps rising, a gill-style creature on a free rig can be tough to beat, especially around bream beds and in brushpiles. Next time you're on the water, tie one on and see if it can fit into your arsenal.
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Fuji's The Juice – on what's coming from Japan – is by former college fisherman and current Anglers Resource man Jack "attack" Baron.
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Christie and urchin domination!
Crankbaits are back?
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AR resident who basically the TD at Ray Scott's first tourney on Beaver Lake, AR. He played a big role in the development of B.A.S.S.
I didn't know that HE developed the TX Rig – in AR!
> Andrews' fishing partner, Dave Hawk, used the technique to dominate a tournament at Toledo Bend Reservoir in TX. It later became known as the TX rig....
He also was a pioneer in seasonal pattern fishing. What Billy Dance said about him:
> "Glen wasn't one of the best, he was the best. I can say without hesitation that Glen helped make me a better fisherman. He taught me how to fish deep water, read structure, understand maps and electronics, and think differently about finding bass.
> "Beyond all his accomplishments, Glen was simply a good man. Kind, humble, generous, and always willing to help someone else. Nobody deserved induction into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame more than my mentor and great friend."
2. Here's Bobby Lane's 5th-place Grand BPT baits
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> Berkley Pit Boss (b/b and junebug), 4/0 Berkley Fusion19 Flipping Hook, 1/2-oz Epic Tungsten Weight, 50-lb SpiderWire DuraBraid, Abu Zenon X Reel, 7' 6" H Abu Fantasista X Rod.
> Berkley Swamp Lord Frog (bone), same line and rod as for flipping.
> 3/8-oz Berkley Power Blade Double Willow Spinnerbait (chart/white, no trailer), 40-lb SpiderWire DuraBraid to 25-lb Berkley GinClear Fluoro, Abu Zenon X Reel, 7' MH Abu Fantasista X Rod.
3. New Austin Felix Treeshaker Halo Brutal urchin hook
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> Our top-of-the-line fluorocarbon leader delivers unmatched abrasion resistance, durability and shock strength....
Don't see it anywhere yet.
12. New Okuma Helios XT Reel
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Highlights:
- Rigid ALC aluminum frame
- 90mm swept aluminum handle
- C40x gear sideplate and palm sideplate
- CNC-cut aluminum drive gear with anodizing
- Machine cut brass pinion gear
- 10BB + 1RB bearing drive system
- Multi-disc stainless steel and Carbonite drag system
- Internal adjustable centrifugal cast control system
- JDM-style audible drag click
- 3-year limited warranty
MSRP $199.99, don't see it anywhere yet but should be available soon.
Carbonite is the same stuff Han Solo was frozen in:
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Congrats to 'em! 💪💪 They're releasing that sick reel at ICAST to commemorate it.
14. New Lew's 9.5:1 reel
KVD says it's still too slow for him...😁 Called the Speed Spool RX 200 HyperSpeed, and KVD says he's waiting on the LightSpeed...🤣 Don't see it anywhere yet, MSRP $200.
15. The Uncle Ted rig??
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Do you change-up your popper action?
Interesting deal from the Lurenet.com blog:
> Hiro Naito, a topwater expert and host of the Hiroism YT channel, likes a Pop-R because of the diversity of sounds and actions he can get out of the same bait in order to trigger strikes from bass.
> He is highly intentional about keeping his lure in high-percentage areas and changing up his presentations to prompt strikes.
> Naito has learned that bass in different moods respond to different sounds and cadences. By varying rod movements and line tightness, he can make a Pop-R walk, pop or chug, and within any of those basic presentations are wide variances in sharpness and lengths of movements, and in the speed of the overall presentation.
> He uses a range of presentations every time he picks up a Pop-R rod, typically incorporating more than one in each cast.
> He'll often use a chug just as his bait approaches a high-percentage spot. Then he'll pause it for a moment and pop it or walk it with a few twitches to imitate a baitfish. A fish might respond to the shorter snap of the rod tip, but the chug might have been what moved it into feeding position and got it watching the lure.
Hiroism is a Japan YT fishing channel but it appears that at least some of the vids are dubbed in English.
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"In forward-facing events...you can't slip up. There's no such thing as slipping up."
- Carl Jocumsen talkin' on the Dave "E" Mercer pod, sorta contrasting the way it was to the way it is:
> "A slip-up in a FF event is 18 lbs, not [weighing] 25. It's still a phenomenal bag, just not ridiculous."
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Cool color combo on what I tink is a Brazilian bass boat? Cool but it would be crazy hot with that black carpet dang! Posted by @escarpasmarine:
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Saw a Chinese bass boat manufacturer vid (an odd one) the other day, can't find it now....
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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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Check out BassGold.com! It's FREE!
Sign up another bass-head!
If you're forwarding every Blaster to other bass crackheads, tx much – or you can email me the addys and we'll take care of it! We'll never send spam or whatever....
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GITCHA HANDS ON THE BEST STUFF!
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Gitcha BB social at these links
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