Things I learned at the Costa/Vexus Boats media deal on Lake Fork, TX, which I hear can be — at certain magical times on the Mayan calendar — a trophy bass lake:

1. Lake Fork is way temperamental.

The basses were like this:

Guess the bigs live there, but if they ain’t on, you need to fish a different lake. Maybe all trophy lakes full of Floridas are thataway?

Best quote was from Lake Fork stud guide James Caldemeyer at the ramp: “You could not have hit this any worse.” Well brother James, happens every time media guys show up at a lake….

I’m sure the 1,150 anglers at the Bassin’ Champs big-bass derby on Fork last weekend were a factor. Then again, believe only one “over” was weighed?

Dudes have a dial that has 2 numbers on it: 9 and 10. Todd Castledine might only have a 10. In other words:

3. Justin Lucas is pretty dang fired up about the new Berkley topwaters, which are legit. Honestly didn’t think so, but after seein’ ’em and hearin’ Justin talk about all the finer design points (the colors are pretty sick too) as he fished ’em, gotta say I’m convinced.

He’s fired up about how good they are AND that some bass-heads think they’re just copies/knockoffs or whatever. He says no way, and had a big hand in designing ’em — even the Choppo, which is like a Plopper but different. Sounds different (the smaller one is killer), and has a hard-plastic tail that’s got highlights on it:

4. Vexus boats really are all that.

Got a ride in and drove 2 Vexus boats, the 2080 and 1980. Out-frickin’-standing. For sure for real. WAY for real.

My 2c: Calling it an aluminum boat is wrong. It runs like, sounds like and fishes like a glass boat. I call it a glass boat wrapped in tin. That’s probly technically wrong, but whatever — that description makes sense to me, maybe to you too.

Best deal is that the aluminum in it and lighter weight (but not even close to as light as an all-tin boat) means a smaller outboard, less gas, better towing mileage, etc. vs all-glass. And all that means less $$$…!

Check this: Take the Vexus 1880 — 18′ 10″, which with a 115 runs in the low 50s [!!]. Add 2 graphs, a trolling motor and a trailer, and it RETAILS in the high $30s. Ain’t lyin’. Get the 20-footer and it won’t kill your money tree in the yard either.

Plus the boats look suh-weet and also different. Gotta tell ya: I was blown away. Finally found me a boat. Orderin’ mine soon. #nobrainer #stoked

Here’s the on-the-water vid:

5. That new 4-stroke Merc is insane.

BPTer Jeff Sprague hit the throttle the first morning and I literally thought his outboard fell off the boat — it was so quiet. No one’s had one of these motors for long so we’ll see how it goes, but dang it was nice — here’s Jeff’s:

Ain’t the new trail, what B.A.S.S. is doing, an even-more Ploppier topwater or whatever, it’s this:

Apparently the BPTers are voting on whether to have entry fees or NO ENTRY FEES! As in ZERO.

Heard some guys are on the fence??

Probly missing some info the guys have, but gotta give my 2c: The ONLY vote is for no entries. That’s the first, biggest step in the whole pro deal. Next step from there is “appearance fees” like in other sports. Sound nuts? Well, when I had Bassin’Fan, we did it! For the Top Gun Championship: All the guys were paid to show up so their expenses were more than covered. Plus we had a huge check for the winner, weigh-in at a Cabela’s, national TV — so it for sure can be done and SHOULD be done. Key is keeping the field size smaller.

BUT if your startin’ point is some entry fees, guess what the next step is: LOWER entry fees. Plus you get a biz that operates by counting on those entry fees, and once that happens it’s like crack, man — tough to give it up….

One mo’: All you BPTers — you’re independent bidnessmen, right? Okay, so if you can cut one of your biggest expenses to ZERO, would you do it? If your answer is no, you prolly ain’t no bidnessman. Just sayin’….

Doesn’t matter to me what trail or trails do it, just as long as it happens….

Seems like a bunch of people were thrilled it happened. My 2c:

a) Let’s not forget that the NY Times wouldn’t know a bass from a hammer, and like all “news” outlets is self-serving — so how does this article help them? Think….

b) When’s the last time you picked up the NY Times? Yep.

c) The article calls KVD “avuncular.” Pretty sure that’s a city-boy cuss word. Also said he has “cherubic cheeks.” Would they say that about Brett Favrerer or Tiger? You gonna take that KVD??

d) The whole dang article is like one big vocab test — one that takes a full hour of class time. Readin’ it I was feelin’ like this guy:

> Fave line: “Mr. VanDam’s sustained success seems to dispel the notion that luck plays a significant role in fishing.” Der! Obviously the dude scribblin’ this deal did enough research to fool his editor, but not us man!

> Last but not least: Bassin’ has hit the mainstream media before, notably when FLW and ESPN were throwin’ $$$ at each other, when Denny was on David Letterman, when ESPN bought B.A.S.S., etc. — even when a little startup called Bassin’Fan had a brand new thing called the Bassin’Fan World Rankings. Did it set the feeshn world on fire? Not really….

If at some point “non-endemic” media gives bassin’ a good, sustained boost, cool, but ain’t seen it yet….

[Dang I got more opinions than your average granny in this one…but then, your average bass-head has WAY more opinions than your average granny so….]

Check this earthworm FLWer Clark Reehm saw in LA:

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Let’s say that shoe’s about 11″ — so that’s about a 24″ worm! No self-respectin’ largie would say no to it….