Yesterday afternoon I saw a post asking for prayers for Purdue U bassers Travis Ely and Hunter Heckman. Didn't say why but it didn't sound good – I teared up. This morning folks are saying they've passed due to a car accident. Also a young man at my daughter's school passed from cancer. So I just feel like I gotta start this one off with a prayer:
Father, we praise you for so many things. For love, for mercy, for perseverance, for justice, for strength, for protection – I could go on all day Lord. For bass! For friends, for spouses, for kids – every good thing comes from you. I know that, we know that, and we are grateful Lord, we truly are. Thank you Jesus.
I just have to say we are hurting down here Lord. We are hurting for friends who go too soon, or it seems that way to us, even though we know they go to you which is way better than here. We are hurting for people who are dealing with huge things like loss, illness, addiction, homelessness, pain, fear and so much more. And we do turn to you and you do help Lord, you do deliver, you do save, you do turn things around as only you can do.
But we are still hurting Lord. We are still trusting, we are still surrendering, but we are hurting. Will you please help these young men, their families and their friends. Will you hold them close and show them you are with them. Fill them with your love and reassurance Lord.
Will you please do the same for everyone who is hurting Lord. Give them the greatest gift – you. Your presence, your blessing and your love. We remain ready to be your hands and feet if needed. Thank you Lord. In the most holy name of Jesus, so be it, Amen.
Prayer is always awesome. Please pray for the family and friends of those young men.
I gotta say – sickens me to see all the YT and other accounts that have zero to do with bass fishing or Purdue running out there to "cover" this to try to get clicks. Dang that gets me boiling.
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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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B.A.S.S. will be evaluating FFS closely
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If you didn't see the announcement, which is pretty long, here's some tidbits:
> ...B.A.S.S. is creating a committee to continuously monitor the use of forward-facing and live sonar, listen to angler feedback and gauge the technology's impact on competition, fan experience and bass populations.
> The committee...will be comprised of representatives from across the B.A.S.S. organization, including staff from various departments including tournaments, editorial, conservation, business development, Bassmaster.com, TV production and angler relations.
[So...everyone?]
> A review of onboard technology being used by each Elite Series angler will be conducted by tournament staff at the beginning of the 2024 season, with subsequent surveys of the top 10 following each Elite event.
> B.A.S.S. VP of tourneys and derbys Chris Bowes: "B.A.S.S. takes our role as a steward of the sport seriously. Like all sports, to preserve the integrity of competition, we do have to periodically update rules. However, it was important to our organization to use data gathered across an entire season to evaluate technology."
> ...every Elite Series angler's boat will be inspected by B.A.S.S. staff, with staff noting a variety of details including the number and placement of all transducers, number and size of screens on the bow and dash and the batteries each angler is running.
[Would love to see that data! Guess you gotta throw out John Cox and Kyoya Fujita as outliers? 😁]
> As the season progresses, an additional survey of the Top 10 anglers at each event will also cover the percentage of practice and competition time spent using live sonar and the positioning of transducers used most prevalently during the event.
> That data will be reported to the committee alongside information such as catch rates and tournament weights to paint a more accurate picture of the technology's significance to the competitive landscape of bass fishing.
> B.A.S.S. conservation director Gene Gilliland will be closely monitoring live sonar's impact on 2024 events and will communicate with state wildlife agencies....
> ...during the 2024 season, rapid innovations will demand continuous evaluation, and [B.A.S.S.] will have to be prepared to make future adjustments accordingly.
Real interesting, sounds well thought out and potentially good – gotta see what happens.
Here's a few behind the scenes deals a weirdly talkative garden gnome told me:
1. Chris Bowes told folks on the committee that his code name for this whole deal is "Inspector Gadget" or "Big G": 😆
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2. Everyone on the committee was given a protractor, tape measure, plumb bob, whistle with lanyard, magnifying glass, UV flashlight, spork, Leatherman, encrypted 1 TB flash drive, the complete Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, 10 cans of Vienna sausages and a pack of wintergreen tic tacs. They were given a choice between smelling salts or a pack of junebug 10" Berkley Power Worms to wake 'em up and help 'em focus. So far most have chosen the Power Worms.
3. Prediction: The 2024 FFS final battle/cage match will feature Chris Bowes vs Steve Bowman. The instigator of the battle will be James Hall. 😤
4. Because of FFS, the sponsors and wives of pro anglers have never seen so much of the guys' backs and backsides. So expect more logos on the backs of jerseys, and a bunch of gym memberships in the off-season...😁 Just messin' fellas!
Sorry, not making light of it, just had to have some fun...it's a compulsion....
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How to get your FFS casting on point
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Good stuff from Seaguar and one of yer newest Elitist rookies, T-Rey (T-Rex?) McKinney:
> "You have to be able to hit your shots. It's a huge thing to make a cast to exactly what you see on your screen and right in front of the fish.
> "The easiest way to practice is to line up with a bridge piling, timber, buoy or other visual marker. Then position the boat at different angles until you can hit it at 50, 60, 70, 80 feet, and those casting distances will become second nature."
> McKinney uses several lures when fishing this way but says a jig is hard to beat. He prefers a Strike King Structure Jig or Baby Structure Jig and fishes it on 20-lb Seagaur Tatsu fluoro.
> "A jig shows up very well on the screen and you can also work it several different ways. It has a good action as it falls, but I can also swim it, stroke it or pull it to give it a different look and get a fish to react to it.
> "I like 20-lb Tatsu because it has a smaller diameter than other lines the same size, so you get more power without affecting your casting accuracy."
A jig! I like this kid already! 😁
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Q&A with battery expert Shawn Budiac
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Shawn's a bass fisherman but more importantly for this deal he heads up marketing for X2 Power, and has been at the parent company – Batteries Plus – for a while. So he knows batteries like TX knows BBQ...😁
I have such a thirst for knowledge about this stuff I kinda went beyond the normal 5 Qs, but I figured this was a chance to get ourselves educated so here we go. Any mistakes are mine though hopefully there aren't any!
1. What are the biggest things to know when a guy is thinking about going from regular batteries to lithiums?
> "Everyone thinks that it's like an absolutely necessity. Everyone wants the latest Ultrex, the bigger graph, 5 graphs, 6 graphs – and lithium has become a requirement because of that. But an angler needs to think about their setup, what are the power needs of their setup, and from there what he truly needs to invest in when it come to power.
> "We started up [with]...you can't buy a better AGM in the country. If Justin Hamner, a pro angler, is running 3 AGM batteries for his trolling motor and makes it through the whole Elite Series, the vast majority of people could get by with our AMG product.
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[Justin said in that Bassmaster deal: "I know lithium batteries are the new thing, but to be honest with you I just love the reliability of the AGMs."]
> "Everyone's only got so much expendable income, and if you're looking at 3 grand [for 3] lithiums or 1,500 bucks in AGMs....
> "Every setup is different. So what's my setup, what are my power needs, and now that I know that, what do I really need here."
2. How long do AGMs last?
> "We have a 4-year free replacement warranty on them. Quick comparison...1-2 years [of battery life] for a heavy user of a lead acid battery, 4-5 years for AGM and 10+ years for lithium.
> "...flooded [lead] battery, fully charged you're able to use half that battery before the battery [voltage] drops too low for the electronics to work. Our AGMs will go north of 80% [drained before the power goes too low] and lithium is 90-95%.
> "[X2 AGMs] are fully sealed with thin plate technology. We have 70-lb group 31 vs 50-60 lbs for a normal AGM. It's not about weight but power. ...allows it to be maintained over the winter easier.
> "When a battery goes bad, it's usually not the battery's fault. ...poor maintenance, over-charging, over-discharging – premium technologies protect a little more against that."
3. Other than run time and life of batteries, are there any other advantages to lithiums?
> "Every angler has to figure out their boat, but there's a growing specific application I think is the first place people should start. It's basically a dedicated electronics battery. That's where lithium shines.
> "If you're the type of angler that has 2 [screens] at the console and 3 at the front – all those things are starting to draw a lot of power, especially if you have [forward facing sonar] on there of some sort.
> "A dedicated battery to those graphs...couple benefits there. One is dedicated power – it's a lot of power so you're not going to run out at the end of the day. That voltage maintains itself throughout the whole day [giving] better clarity and better responsiveness for Live [sonar]. If that battery is a flooded deep cycle [you have] voltage dropping [throughout the day].
> "...if you have $6,000-$10,000 in graphs and mounts, an expensive investment in lithium is definitely worth it.
> "The trolling motor is #2. That's all how someone fishes all day. [If you fish] below a dam in tons of current, you need a lot more power for Spot Lock than in a reservoir....
> "Dedicated electronics is a single battery. For a trolling motor then you get into 2 or 3."
Follow-up: What's a good single battery for electronics, and I assume it's not also the cranking battery?
> "A 12v lithium battery at full charge gets close to 14v, and a higher voltage at initial charge and throughout the use of it helps clarity. 75 ah [amp hours], 100 or even 125 – it's all about how much draw you have from your graphs. I've never heard any problems using a 12v 100ah battery dedicated to electronics.
> "We stay away from lithium as cranking battery. Our AGM is better suited for it."
[If you did not know, the typical historic and current factory boat setup is that your electronics run off your outboard's cranking battery. Here's X2's 12v lithium (green) and AGM.]
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4. Can you recommend any particular chargers for X2 lithiums?
> "Yes. If you do invest in lithium, you need to change your charger. You need to make sure you have a lithium-safe charger, and it needs to have 10 amps or higher. You're buying a technology that charges super fast, make sure you have 10 amps or higher to charge it that fast.
> "...the Minn Kota Precision Chargers, a lot of our anglers are running them. Noco is a brand many will use.... As long as you have an updated lithium charger that's 10 amps or greater, you're good to go."
[Fwiw several pro anglers recommended the Minn Kota chargers to me. I bought the 4-bank 440PCL which luckily is 10 amps!]
5. How do you take care of lithiums over the winter?
> "It's different. ...charge them up and take them out, disconnect everything. Do not keep them on a trickle charge. Lithiums do not naturally drain over the winter as much as old lead acid batteries.
> "2 months in or a month in, check the charge and put extra juice in it if you remember. But you [basically] don't have to maintain them over the winter as long as you charge it fully.
Follow-up: Why do you have to take them out of the boat?
> "You don't have to take them out of the boat, but you do have to disconnect everything from it. There is parasitic draw [so] disconnect it from everything...."
[For the trolling motor, he said if you have the troller kill switch off, you don't have to disconnect the batteries.]
6. Any difference in maintaining AGMs over the winter vs lead?
> "...our AGM is really the same thing as lithium in that...give it a full charge and check on it every month or 2. Our AGM is fully sealed so you don't have the fluid in there evaporating.
> "I've got 3 AGMs in my boat. I take them out, put them in my garage...3-bank Noco, get them all charged, unplug it. [In a month or 2] I'll plug that in, give it an hour and unplug it. As long as you're doing that type of routine...you're just keeping it at full capacity.
> "The way of the past, where it sits on a trickle charger all winter long, is no longer [good for] the newer tech. ...not putting out enough amps for the battery to accept...."
7. All lithium batteries are different. Why should someone choose X2?
> "Honestly...there's a crazy amount of brands out there. It's a weirdly entrepreneurial world right now. Anyone in today's world can use digital resources to identify a manufacturer, put a brand on it.... If that's the world....what truly makes us different?
> "We have QA labs, we're part of Batteries Plus and have been here 35 years – that part is a big piece. We've been around and are going to be around.
> "...it's less about taking advantage of a current tend, and more about truly connecting with anglers...let the product speak for itself.
> "I want you to talk to us about what you really need. I'd love to sell you a $900 lithium battery, but I want you to understand the difference between the battery you just bought from Walmart...and our AGM. Chances are that's all you need.
> "Matching your needs to power is what we're trying to do, rather than just sell product. We are the brand that truly tries to connect the customer to the right product, not just what we have.
> "We have 700 Batteries Plus stores across the country. If you do buy online and have problems, or have problems [away from home], either we can help you out or a local Batteries Plus can be a resource. Having a local connection to a national brand is something honestly none of the other [battery companies] are able to do."
Gotta mention that he also said wiring is KEY. So again the equation seems to be: good batteries (ones that don't die too much over the course of a fishing day) + the right wiring = great electronics performance. Another way to say it: We will not get the best out of our electronics, including our trollers, without the right power setup.
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1. Real good Lee Livesay post about guiding...
...and the bennies of spending time with someone in a bassin' tub. That's how he met his better half!
2. Looks like Xeith Dombs finally has moved on to different cranks.
Oops no he didn't:
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😁 Who could blame him dang!
> ...the textbook [fall] scenario is something like an outside channel bend or a spot where a small drain runs into the channel. I'll often position the boat in 20-25' of water and fire up into 12-13' which is perfect for a Strike King 5XD or 6XD. You want to contact the bottom and cover, but the bites will frequently come at the drop, when the crankbait breaks away.
3. Mike McClelland is on BassEdge Radio.
> ...we talk baits that tend to be most productive for him as well as several types of [fall] patterns he looks to dissect based on weather conditions and bait fish movement.
4. AZ: WON Bass US Open is in progress.
As usual a lotta hammers fishing it. Big congrats to the newest WON Bass HOFers whom you will know:
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Byron Velvick in the house! 👀 Glad to see him fishing with the fellas.
5. First 9 EQ guys to punch their tickets are...
Full Opens points standings here:
1. JT Thompkins
2. John Garrett
3. Trey McKinney
4. Robert Gee
5. Kenta Kimura
6. Tyler Williams
7. Wesley Gore
8. Logan Parks
9. Ben Milliken
Gotta say Ben's skinny jeans deal is kinda unlike him? And not sure why Kenta is standing in water?
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🤣 From a great "A I" generated post. Don't look at Wesley Gore in that deal, it might damage your view of him....
6. MO: 5 buds split Ozarks Big Bass $100K win.
6.55-lber caught the 1st day by IL's Chris "Hooch" Dunn:
> The crew – made up of coworkers at the Macoupin County Sheriff's Dept (IL) and a longtime friend – made a pact this summer to enter the tournament. ...they rented an AirBnB near Point Randall and agreed to split winnings if one of them took home 1st place.
No word on the bait but the fish was caught around a jetski dock.
7. TX: Bunch of lakes are way low.
> Canyon Lake...is well below its historic low.
> Lakes Buchanan and Georgetown are nearing historic lows. And Lake Travis north of Austin is only only 35.4% full...resulting in the closure of all public boat ramps....
8. GA: Debate is over what defines navigable water.
Sounds like wealthy landowners vs ordinary fishermen with the state gov't involved. The landowner that kicked this whole deal off implied that if people were allowed to fish the water flowing through his "ownership group's" land, that would be communism:
> "In the end, what this is about is whether GA, a business-friendly state that the governor takes great pride in, is going to become a state that finds something someone has that is desirable and decides to institute a law to take it away from that person. There's a name for governments to do that."
9. TX: Some residents don't want private dam on Llano River.
Post says 62% of dams in TX are privately owned. TX is also known as having a lot of amazing private bass water.
10. SD: Zebras found in Big Stone Lake.
Headline of the Day
New NC state record puddingwife wrasse
Sounds like that fish species was named by a drunk pirate lol.
Lines of the Day
Farm pond bass sometimes are grumpy, just like their brethren in large reservoirs.
Grumpy? Of the 7 dwarfs names, the only one I can see applying to a bass is...Bashful.
Some LMB are being caught trolling plugs and live bait.
At Boone Rez in TX – people are trolling "plugs" and live bait for bass?? All good, just sounds like something from 70 years ago!
If bass take over an ever-warmer river, McKinnon said, "it's game over."
Fear-based "IF" statement is from a legit ridiculous long article on smallmouths getting below Glen Canyon Dam (Lake Powell). Ridiculous because it wanders all over the map about how the dam ruined habitat for native fish, but the native fish have to be protected, now by killing smallmouths, the latest demon critter.
What the whole deal is really all about in my 2c: Smallmouth are a new way to fundraise and make deals for environmental groups, bureaucrats and politicians.
Will say again that the anti-smallmouth weirdness seen all over the place over the last few years has never happened before and is suspicious to me.
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Interesting water temp perspective from Brandon Coulter
From a good tip on the MLF site about fishing topwaters in fall:
> "Water temp is very dependent on which direction it's going. Let's take 50 degrees, for example. You can catch fish on every single topwater in your box in 50-degree water – if it was 44 the week before. If it was 70 the week before and it's 50 now, you might as well keep them in your box.
> "It's the progression of water temps. In the fall, it's always dropping. As long as it's steady – as long as there hasn't been a big, big drop of 6 or 7 degrees overnight – the fish are expecting that. If it gets down a bit and then you have 2 sunny days, the topwater's in play, even if the water is 49 degrees. It's the transition of the water temperature more than the actual water temperature."
His baits:
> ...includes a fast-moving search bait (usually a Berkley Choppo, occasionally a buzzbait) and a target-oriented bait he can work in place, like a popper or Berkley Swamp Lord Popping Frog. The prop bait is for covering water and getting a bait in front of as many fish as possible. The frog is for targets...or following up short strikes.
> Coulter prefers the 105mm Choppo.... "The only time I'll get off of that is if I'm noticing I'm getting swipers or followers or something that's going to force me to throw the smaller (90mm) profile. I'll go to a larger (120mm) profile if I'm in deeper water that's crystal-clear and I'm trying to call one up."
> "If the lake has scattered grass every so often or it has docks I want to skip under, that makes the frog my secondary bait. If I'm in smallmouth territory or something like that, my secondary bait might be a Berkley J-Walker."
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"While he was quick to enforce the rules against the field of the Bassmaster Elite Series, he was very protective of them as well."
- Great and accurate line from B.A.S.S's Bryan B. Brasher about Trip Weldon. He sure was. Doesn't mean Trip looked the other way – I always figured he just didn't want to air anyone else's dirty laundry...because he sure loved the media peeps! 😂
To me that says Trip was raised right...though the jury's still out about Hank. 🤣 Lol Weldons!
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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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