Once again did not have the opportunity to fish this weekend 😢 but DID rig up a Carolina (yep!) and a wacky so I'm ready! Hoping to take my son out this week....
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"I've missed my son's birthday, Christmas, New Year's, Easter and now...I probably cannot go back...until the fall."
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- That's MLFLW Pro Circuit rookie Jacopo Gallelli talkin' 'bout what pursuing the American bassin' dream + covid has on the one hand cost him but on the other hand he won at the Potomac this weekend probly because he's been stuck here and hasn't had anything to do except fish a ton.
Very cool to see yet another guy come here with dream and do it – this time from Italy. All our international bassin' bros and sisses ain't just from Canada, Japan and Australia!
Heartbreaking not to see his family for that long I'm sure:
> "This trophy means way more than the money for me. I've invested my entire life trying to achieve this level of fishing in my career, and I am finally here. I came 5,000 miles across the ocean to make this day happen.
> "The only thing that would have made this a better Father's Day celebration is if I were able to hold this trophy with my son. I dedicate this win to my son, Lapo – ciao Lapo."
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Hope you get to see him soon brother. A little on how he did it:
> "This is not a very big fishery, so my idea coming for pre-practice was to start from the end of the river we're allowed to fish and move up to see where there was more fish. When I found Potomac Creek, I saw there was grass and made a cast and caught a 4-lber."
> ...a 300-yard stretch of grass in Potomac Creek seemed to be the best..."I caught my best fish is a bend in the edge of the grass. There is a line of grass that all of a sudden makes a 45-degree change of direction and it makes an eddy where there are 3 or 4 clumps of milfoil. That's where the big fish were."
> "My friend Kyle [Gelles, fellow competitor] told me he was smashing them with a [Z-Man JackHammer]. I was going to throw a shad color, but Kyle said the [Hite's hot craw] was the color. So I started the 3rd day with that [with a Berkley Powerbait Pit Boss trailer] and after 1 hour I had my limit for 15 lbs and said, 'oh, thank you Kyle.'"
You might recall Jacopo fished the 2019 Classic – got there by finishing 3rd at the Nation Champeenship so the dude can for sure fish.
Btw those Hite's hot craw JackHammers don't work at all...😁 Maybe if we don't buy any they'll go on sale?? lol
That's the 2nd report I've heard of the color red working way beyond "just the spring" this year fwiw....
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Top 10 baits breakdown at the Potomac.
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Everyone doesn't get a chance to fish a tidal river, but in some ways the Potomac is a little less tidal AND everyone does get a chance to fish grass, which the tidal Potomac is chock full of so here's all the baits of the top 10:
Topwater = 40% – popper, 2 buzzbaits (1 a War Eagle), frog
Swim-jig = 30%
Swimbait = 20%
Jig = 20%
Worm = 20%
Shoutouts
> Several MLF guys have been fishing well this year and finished in the top 10 in this deal, notably Michael Neal (2nd), Cody Meyer (3rd), Shin Fukae (8th). Adrian Avena got 5th.
> Lawson Hibdon is continuing his legendary family bassin' legacy, finished 7th.
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> Long-time KY pro Terry Bolton got 9th with a swim-jig.
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Couple water things to keep an eyeball on.
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We need water! Duh for fishermen (and fish), so maybe keep your eyes on these deals:
As of Dec 2020. I think right now it's just water futures in CA, but wow. Like anything new no one knows what'll happen (or if they do they're not tellin'), but here's both sides right now:
> Proponents argue the new market will clear up some of the uncertainty around water prices for farmers and municipalities, helping them budget for the resource. But some experts say treating water as a tradable commodity puts a basic human right into the hands of financial institutions and investors, a dangerous arrangement as climate change alters precipitation patterns and increases water scarcity.
For us anglers to bear in mind: If water becomes scarce, where will recreational fishing and fish be on the priority list? (I don't know, just asking.) Also my own observation is that when the greed folks get involved, things don't go so well for many regular folks....
In that YT vid the guy makes a decent case for that happening and leading to an intentional food shortage. Not saying he's right or wrong because I don't know that stuff and that's up to you anyhow, but a) he sees a pattern and makes a case for it and b) just the drought part could affect fishing – and is in Cali already:
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For anyone who likes to try 'n read into stuff, please understand I am only bringing this to your attention. If it all amounts to nothing, amazing. But if it even looks like it could smell a little bad, Ray Scott would've been all over it like white on rice. He's still my measuring stick for this kinda stuff.
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Let's go Black Rifle!!! 🇺🇸
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Please join me in hopin' Black Rifle Coffee Co expands like kudzu and gets all scorched earth and [some cool military term here lol] with Starbucks 'n beats 'em in the civilian US, kicks 'em outta military bases and wins wherever else BRCC can get to. Personally I love the name (cracks me up!) and would love to see this veteran-owned pro-'Merica biz git after it beyond mail orderin'!
What's the bassin' connection? Well one is they support bassin' and bassers includin' the guy in that pic ^ – Jamey Caldwell. Jamey's an Opens angler and ex ultra-bad dude, one of a few secret agents who made the BRCC booth at the Classic Expo literally the most dangerous place in Fort Worth.
Other than that I'd just love to see the BRCCers kill it – not sure if I can say that with ex-mil but you get what I mean. Couple more deals:
1. If you want to save money, do NOT try that BRCC canned coffee. It's a lil spendy but it tasted so dang good...I'm still thinkin' 'bout it lol.
2. Black Rifle, Sea Foam and other partners are giving away a brand new truck and boat AGAIN. Here's the QR code to enter:
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Or you can enter by:
> Texting BLASTOFF to 91852
Quick YT vid of Jamey running down the giveaway rig:
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Dang I didn't know that – thanks to Bernie Schultz for the heads.
Glen passed on Jun 5, age of 86. Glen is best-known in bassin' for the movie "Big Mouth," which changed literally everyone's understanding of what was happening under the water when it came out in 1973. If I remember right, one of the most mind-blowing things was seeing a bass "eat" a crankbait, the angler having no idea, and the bass spitting out a treble-hooked bait. Before that everyone thought all of that was impossible.
I didn't know Glen but met him I think once. But I know that anyone who would make a movie like that – especially with the gear available back then – had to be a big-time bass head!
Thank you and bless you bassin' brother.
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He texted his wife that he had motor trouble, after that sounds like no one knows what happened but the post says:
> His body was recovered without wearing a personal flotation device.
Bless you bassin' brother.
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MLF made for TV deal, not sure when but it just got outed. Marty's from SC, tourney was at Lake Murray, SC:
> "I live about an hour and a half from here, so I've got a little bit of knowledge about Lake Murray. But I've seen it so many times before where you think you know what to do and try to fish that way and it can bite you. I really tried to fish this event open-minded and let the fish tell me what they were doing....
> "The 2 baits that got it done for me this week were a homemade flatside crankbait and a standard green pumpkin jig with a twin tail trailer.... I threw the crankbait down the sloping gravel banks and wound it with a medium retrieve. Then when I would come up around the boat docks with a little bit of cover on them I'd reach for the green pumpkin jig and flip it in there and just work it through the cover as slow as possible."
Had a seizure, went to the hospital for a bit, now is back home (thank you Lord). Please keep praying for him and Lesley. All prayers are heard!
5. Here's Jason Lambert's Chickamauga BPT bait.
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Aqua-Vu on the bow – soon it might be a common deal:
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Just in time for the smallie bite – maybe he's been studying Gussy?
3rd place at the Classic is a big deal too:
> "My plan is to fish all 9 (a full schedule in the Central, Southern and Northern divisions) next year and hope to make it through [to the Elites]. I've already started negotiating some sponsorship contracts for next year. This is a life-changing deal for me."
I try to track who's new to bassin' but do miss mentioning some. HOWEVER I did check the site for muffler bearings, blinker fluid and a flux capacitor, and none were in stock...😂
F1 = Florida-northern hybrids.
> ...enables any fishing tournament organization affiliated with an AR junior high, high school or college to apply for an award ranging from $500 to $1,000 for building and sinking brush piles or engaging in other habitat improvements in AR lakes.
Little bit ago but congrats to 'em!
> Evans County High School students Davis Madden and Jayden Faulkner won the 1st GA High School Association Bass Fishing State Championship...held May 8 at Lake Lanier.
15. Do you fanny pack?
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Probly have but if not, here's you a $76,995 boat:
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Pretty much a no-brainer, especially after last year, but one potentially good thing is that they highlighted these new state offices of outdoor recreation:
> 17 states have established ORECs, task forces, or advisory councils that serve as the state lead in bolstering economic development on behalf of the outdoor recreation economy.
Cory's helping with a Top Secret project I'm starting about bladed jigs. It's a secret. A top one. 🤫
Sounds like just that river? Apparently for salmon. Anyone know about those lakes that would disappear?
Just noticed that OR/CA = Orca...🤔
> "Crayfish exposed to the antidepressant came out into the open, emerging from their shelter, more quickly than crayfish not exposed to the antidepressant"....
Fyi sewage treatment plants are not designed to take out many drug-related chemicals. Post also says 1 in 10 Americans is on antidepressants – if so, wow, that's a lotta folks.
Headlines of the Day
Ya think?? In that post KVD says he finished 2nd in his first-ever tourney. Amazed it wasn't 1st....
Do they have a choice?? (Lol post is about fish feeders, if that makes any diff.)
PSAs
1. Do you know how to change a fuse? Do you know where those fuses are?
> ...dropped his trolling motor and realized his front graphs wouldn't power up.
> [Back in the boat yarrd] they soon discovered the culprit – a bad fuse. A simple $2 fuse could have easily kept me from doing well. Furthermore, where the fuse was installed was difficult to get to and change, especially on the water. After the tourney, my local Garmin dealer changed the location of the fuse to an easy-access location, and now I carry a full set of backup fuses for all of my electronics and boat accessories."
2. Lightning does kill the bite...in TX anyhow.
From MLFLWer/ex Elite James Niggemeyer, who also guides on Fork (hit him on on his website or his social):
> ...Matt Reed and I were driving and chatting on the way to the MLF Big 5 event on the Potomac when that [Classic] weather delay started and we both remarked that the bite was going to be off.
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On BassBlaster.rocks right now...
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Because he should know:
> ...use the Bronzeye or Poppin' Frog. I like the Poppin' Frog more in open water where the cupped mouth won't grab anything. I prefer the original Bronzeye for skipping and around laydowns and brush, where you can swim it through and not grab anything."
> ...black and white like "midnight walker" and "Albino"...some of his other favorites are "killer gill," "amazon" and "outback," and "anything with black or yellow."
Yellow! I think there's somethin' to that yellow deal... Caleb "Pumping Iron III" Sumrall also was quoted in that deal:
> "I wait until the rings go away, then I'll try to make it move back and forth in place in tight, little-bitty spaces. Cadence also matters a lot. Some people work their frogs way too fast. When fish are heavily pressured, you need to slow it down."
But when all the veggies look so good it's hard to do that! 😁
Btw Dean sent me this pic of the stairwell in his house:
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I was like, "Dean that's way cool man but I think the whole Star Wars deal might be getting a little outta hand?" 😂
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"I possess lots of bass lures, but 95% of them stay in their boxes as I'm fond of fishing squarebilled crankbaits and jigs."
- Hahaha yep! Regular dude talkin' – I'd add this: EVEN IF all you fish are squarebills and jigs, I STILL bet 95% of the baits you own stay in the box! I'm cool with baits just being pretty and fun to have, know you are too....
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> "When you combine the chocolate, the cinnamon and the nuttiness of the bugs, it really gives you that holiday feeling of when you're walking around a big city and they're roasting nuts on the sidewalk, that cinnamon smell, it's really what it tastes like."
Ma'am, you have yourself a time. Over here in normal land, I'm gonna stick with beef, smoked sausages and shoot, even some salad. But if you ever have a use for grass clippin's, lemme know! 🤣
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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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