Yeeeehaaaaa it's the post-spawn again! Guess it's post-spawn most of the year, but now it is or is about to be, depending on where you live, freshly post-spawn – so here's some fresh stuff! 👀 As usual it features BassBlaster sponsor stuff, which is the bomb diddy bomb, but not only.
Here's part 1, part 2 comin' atcha soon! And: Since some fish are still pre-spawn and spawn, a bunch of this tuff can be used for those feesh too.
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Reminder: If your email program cuts off the bottom of this 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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Heck yeah mang! 🤙 Sometimes I wonder whether I like that surprise "thump" jig/worm bite better, but then I catch one on top and am like, What was I thinking! 😂
Here's some of MANY good ones, and the name of the game will be fishing them shallow or shallow-ish. And remember: Spawn and post-spawn bass HATE bluegills!
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Yep Whopper Plopper-like but not the same. Make a long cast, maybe with one of the bluegill colors, and start it churnin'! Top to bottom above: ghost bluegill, HD bluegill, MF bluegill. Wonderin' why they have 3 bluegill colors? Yep....
Check Josh Bertrand quick Choppo tips:
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The Super Spook Jr (my fave size) is 3.5" and the new-ish BOYO ("bluegill fry" ^) is 3" so not much different (both have 2 trebles), and in this vid Stetson Blaylock is chucking it on a baitcaster so you know it can be done:
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Jacob Wheeler just used this bait to finish 5th at Lake of the Ozarks – it's one of his faves, and he likes to use it as a wake bait earlier in the season (50-55 degree water), which he explains in this 90-second vid. Bottom line: Wheeler throws it!
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Gonna have a tough time findin' a topwater that looks more like a bluegill than that! Tail rotates like a softer-bladed buzzbait AND it's basically weedless, like a frog. Lunkerhunt says you can cast it on 50-lb braid up shallow and recommends 20-lb in open water – 1/2-oz so you should be able to chuck it!
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Not sure who put the first toad on a buzzbait (someone at Stanley??) but whoever did it should be in the Bassin' Hall of Fame. With this combo you gitcha premium War Eagle buzzbait that comes pre-rigged with a YUM Tip Toad helpin' it float up a bit so you can reel it slower if you want to. "Bullfrog" is that color ^.
Tip from the War Eagle folks:
👀
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Take a known good bait category, the toad. Make it outta the indestructible ElaZtech that also floats. Then put your bait designers to work on it, then open it up to everyone on social to say what they'd like in that style bait. From all that Z-Man got the GOAT ToadZ ("purple death" ^). Pretty cool:
> ...its ElaZtech composition, which...floats when you pause the retrieve. This is often when a bass explodes on the bait, so we felt it was critical to build it buoyant enough to float a large 4/0 or 5/0 EWG hook. ...no need to keep it moving in order to keep it on top.
> The bait's resilient ElaZtech construction also prevents the head/throat section from tearing.... Also, the bait is so soft that the material easily compresses and moves out of the way for tremendous hookset ratios.
> ...we worked through at least 6 different leg and paddletail configurations before developing the final curved paddletail design which allows the legs to kick, churn and leave a bubble trail at any retrieve speed....
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Why do popper peeps still fish Pop-Rs? Because they still catch 'em. You might not know the Pop-R P71 is a replica of the legendary Rebel P70 Pop-R – replicated using 3D scanning. Fish it anywhere up shallow, including flats.
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More choosin's:
Berkley J-Walker – Justin Lucas got the inspiration for this bait after he fell outta a tree onto a water moccasin...or something like that...😁
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Yep soooo many here too but here's some!
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Can you handle swimbaits without eyeballs? Cuz if so, these have the same action as Scottsboros – according to Scottsboro and folks like Jason Christie – just not hand-poured and no eyeballs...at the super-friendly YUM prices. That ^ color's "rainbow shad."
Jighead it then swim it for largies or drop it for spots and smalls, A-rig it, use it as a trailer on a spinnerbait or Chatterbait – you are literally limited by your imagination. Carolina rig it?? Here's Uncle Frank Scalish with a good rundown on 'em:
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Didja know this bait was designed by Jordan Lee? Has nada to do with why they call it "The Champ" though...😁 Just messin'. Comes in 3", 3.8" and 4.6" and comes in realistic colors like "HD blueback herring" ^. If that tail looks big that's cuz it is – to move more water.
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New 5" Fluke-style bait ("lab magic" ^) that's not just a copy of a Fluke. The tails are longer, believe it's a little wider and a hook channel to make the hook point less lightly to grab something. Also has BioScent:
> The VileMinnow was designed to be fished several different ways...best fished with a lightweight (1/16-1/4 oz) screw-lock EWG hook, or weightless on an EWG hook, offset worm hook or screw-lock EWG hook from 2/0-4/0.
> When using a spinning rod, BioSpawn recommends 7'-7' 3" M-MH action with a 2500-size reel, and 30-50 lb braid or 12-14 lb fluorocarbon. ...baitcasting rod, the recommended setup is a 7'-7' 6" MH and 12-14 lb fluoro or 30-50lb braid.
Here's Jordan from CatchCo with a good lil rundown on it:
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How good does that thing look! The Carolina rig is makin' a comeback and FishLab is bang smack on that trend mang! This bait is sorta a "swimbait" with that paddletail, but dang if you Carolina rig this bad dude (gp ^) and don't get shazammed by a melon, somethin's wrong! Can't wait to do it myself.
Wacky-riggin'!
Colder water? Slower bite? Docks? Fish ultra-shallow so you need a softer presentation? Wacky.
You got your fave baits for this deal, here's some gear options for it:
Hooks
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One of the best wacky hooks on the planet that's known for keepin' 'em pinned, and the cool Crossover pliers 'n rings to rig 'em – all of which are used by Jacob Wheeler. Check him talkin' and showin' it in this vid:
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Can you have a weedless hook that doesn't have a weedguard? You bet, if it's designed to make the bait the weedguard, or let's say "weed preventative." Pretty cool little deal.
Line
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That's THE finessin' line combo for most Seaguar pros which is more than good enough for me! Here's Mark Menendez talkin' 'bout goin' wacky, what he likes about the Flash Green Smackdown:
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Rods 'n Reels
If money is no object, an Abu Garcia Zenon Reel and Zenon Spinning Rod combo will make you feel like you're fishing off a UFO in the year 2125. Sick! If you gotta substitute one, take out the rod and maybe choose the Abu Fantasista X spin rod. My hard-headed bassin; self is being persuaded that super-light spinning rigs do make a difference feel-wise.
Dropshottin'!
Dropshottin' ain't just for deep summer bites no mo'! It's a year-round deal and if you're into it here's a few deals you might consider:
Roboworm Straight Tail Worm – A flat out no-brainer. Gotta be the bait most dropshot fish are caught on. You can get 7 Aaron Martens-designed colors ("Aaron's morning dawn" pictured – they're ALL magic!) or "morning dawn" or "MMIII" or whatever, they all work! Or if you really want shorter 'n stubbier, check the Roboworm Sculpin.
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I'm for sure not any kinda scrounger expert, but if I'm fishin' one it's Aaron's or the Fish Head Dude:
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That's part 1 mang! Part 2 comin' atcha soon!
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On BassBlaster.rocks right now...
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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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