BassBlaster

Prop of the future? All-American baits, Neddy Flanders rig tips

By (mostly Jay)

Posted on June 4, 2019

Today’s Top 5

Is this the future of props?

I don’t know anything about the company but it appears to be serious — the Sharrow propeller. Few deets from the website:

> Its design, enabled by modern computer modeling and additive manufacturing, has solved the most basic problem of rotary propulsion. Specifically, tip cavitation and vortices have been eliminated or significantly reduced….

> …the Sharrow Propeller is 9-15% more efficient than the industry standard…design. …also exhibits a wider peak efficiency curve for greater utility over a wide scope of operational ranges.

[In other words: “…can easily be retrofitted to existing propulsion systems to generate immediate fuel savings of 9-15%, or added to new propulsion systems to enhance efficiencies.”]

> Additionally…generates more thrust and uses less energy for a given RPM than a standard propeller design, which increases acceleration dramatically.

Looks from the website like recreational props aren’t available yet, so no word on what they might cost. But that thing plus that Merc Racing engine might be siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick.

1 more thing: Does that prop remind you of a pinwheel? And if so, could other pinwheel designs possibly be good as props??

Baits of the All-American.

Massively gigantous congrats to BFL AA winner Brennan McCord of IL for winning one of the biggest deals in bassin’:

My fave quote of his:

> “I’ve grown up listening to my dad and my grandpa talk about this tournament — how they always wanted to make it here and never did. My dad fell short a couple times making it, so it’s an amazing feeling to win.”

How cool is that? Plus it ain’t every day you see someone from IL win a big deal. Word is IL’s a tough place to fish — like OH and IN — so maybe it’s a thing where if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere…? This one was on the Potomac River.

Brennan beat PA’s Joe Thompson by 1-04 so it was close. Winning baits were a 3/8-oz Jack Hammer (spot remover and b/b) with a matching Strike King Menace Grub or Zoom Z-Hog Jr. Also used a wacky rig and flipped Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver (black light) on a 5/16-oz weight.

Here’s how the top 10’s baits broke down:

Swim-jig = 70% — Dave’s Tournament Tackle Swimming Jig = 30%

Flip plastics = 50%

Bladed jig = 40% — Jack/Hite’s Hammer = 30%

Wacky rig = 40%

Jig = 30%

Crankbait = 20%

Shout-outs:

> TN’s Seth “not Feider” Davis (8th) used a red jig! A Dave’s Tourney Tackle Swim Jig in “Potomac red craw” with a Strike King Rage Chunk (Falcon Lake craw):

Guess I should mention that VA’s Ronnie Baker (9th) used the same jig but in Potomac blue crab. Dave might want to put “Potomac” in front of a bunch of colors….

> First time I’ve seen Shin Fukae’s Chibi finesse-type Jig mentioned in a major derby — in this case used by Bryan New (3rd).

> Zoom Z Craw Jr was the most-often mentioned soft-plastic.

Huge props to everyone who qualified for the AA. A big deal fo sho.

“I’m still most comfortable when I’m hunting for giants.”

– Bold statement by Keith Combs on Bassin’masters.com. He was talkin’ fish BUT also this-here:

I was like, “Dang Keith not sure arrows are gonna do it my man but you sure have some stones.”

Quick story: One time we were out on Kentucky Lake pretty early for a video deal. I got outta the boat and asked Keith to go down a ways and fish back to me, to get that shot on cam. When I turned to my right I saw this:

Looked at Keith, and when I turned back around Mr. Squatch was gone. Figures…wanted to tell him he was holding that rod wrong….

4 crazy/cool Japan baits.

Man I LOVE looking at bassin’ stuff from Japan. Wonder if they love looking at our stuff? Anyhow, here’s 4 quick hits that jumped out at me:

Top to bottom those are:

1. 2.6″ Berkley Pulse Shad (Japan only?), made for dropshotting (called “downshot” in Japan).

2. Yamamoto Detrator.

3. Daiwa Steez Hydro Carry? Hydro Curly? Not sure since Google translate is sketchy.

4. Revoltage soft-plastic that I think can be rigged to swim backward/away from you.

This ‘lectric truck deal is getting crazy.

You might remember Ford just took a big stake in the Rivian ‘letric pickup and SUV company. In case you/me thought it was just about trucks, can your dang truck do this??

That’s what it looks like — a pull-out kitchen. Kinda cool…if it’s not rainin…?

News

1. TX: 14-yr-old boy passes on at Palestine.

Hit by a bass boat while swimming — hope the guy driving the boat was not a bass fisherman. Incredibly, sounds like the boy saved his little sister. Please pray for the family, and here’s their Gofundme page.

2. TN: We lost a brother at Percy Priest.

> Charles Edward Dye, 42, of Nashville, operating a Nitro bass boat, died at the scene. His passenger, Jonathan Eugene Skemp, 35, also of Nashville, was critically injured and is being treated at Vanderbilt Medical Center.

> Chadwick Russell Garrison, 38, of Spring Hill was driving the second vessel, a Skeeter bass boat, and was not injured.

Bless you bassin’ bro.

3. Mark Menendez bent his Senator’s ear about Asian carp.U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell was at a anti-carp meeting last week, and our bassin’ bro Mark was there (pic is a vid recap, click it to see it):

Mark spoke at it it and talked with the Senator after the meeting “regarding lost revenue from sport fishing events and recreational fishing here in western KY.”

Dang straight. Asian carp are basically the zombie invasion of our lakes. #killemall

4. Elitist Chad Pipkens on BassEdge Radio.

5. Mark Daneils Jr has a good Table Rock BPT #6 vid.

MDJ talks so quietly it feels like he snuck onto the lake…maybe it’s just me….

6. DC: EPA approves year-round E15 but….

That’s 15% ethanol gas, which as we all know is like pouring poison into your outboard. The “but” is guess who’s not on board with that decision: the oil industry. Should be a good showdown that’ll buy lawyers summer houses….

That article says 37% of U.S. corn production goes into ethanol…which sounds nuts to me….

7. FLW flips Costa dates due to high water on Grand.

OK must be practically underwater, hope everyone’s okay:

> The Costa FLW Series Southwestern Division tournament on Grand Lake, scheduled for next week, Jun 13-15, has been moved to Sam Rayburn Reservoir due to extremely high water levels. The Southwestern Division tournament originally scheduled for Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Oct. 3-5, will now be held at Grand Lake.

8. Erie: New high water level record.

> …574.3′ over sea level…0.25″ above the all-time record, set in June 1986.

Here’s the $$$ line:

> “The main driver here is precipitation….”

No…way.

9. AZ: 80% of Horsethief Basin bass under 8″…

…so they stocked tiger muskies.

10. Get in a Vexus: up north the next couple weeks.

You can always hit you a dealer anywhere too:

11. FL: No license needed this weekend in FL freshwater.

Just in case you wanted to run over there and do that….

12. DC: Federal land lead tackle ban rescinded.

Obama put it in, Trump took it out. Happened in March….

13. Mustad bought Tuf-Line.

Mustad did have line, tho I’d never heard of it, and now has more. Looks like Tuf-Line only has braid — no fluoro or mono.

14. WI: Merc expanded its diecast facility.

> …allowing the company to make complex blocks, driveshafts and gearcases for Mercury’s outboards.

15. CO: Get $20 per pike at Kenney Rez.

How hard could that be? Then spend your check at Tackle Warehouse…lol.

Headline of the Day

Person holds bass fishing tournament

Lol…actually Person High School in NC.

Line of the Day

Topwaters also have the additional advantage of being nearly impossible to snag on rocky river bottoms….

[At thegazette.com, could not link it.]

Guess it depends how much weight you use…?

Tip of the Day

Ned Rig a-feeshn tips.

Am I nuts for havin’ Neddy Flanders tips? Is it like giving tips on a do-nuthin’ rig?? Well…not sure so here we go:

> FLWer Brian Latimer: “What makes Ned Rig fishing so good is, well, nothing. I can’t tell you how to fish it because you can’t fish it wrong. The more complicated you make the baits and the retrieves, the less it resembles the technique that catches bass even when they don’t want to eat.”

Even tho I know B-Lat knows what he’s talkin’ ’bout, what he’s sayin’ there makes me feel like:

> “The TRD TicklerZ [not out yet?] is my new favorite Ned bait — super unassuming but with just enough subtle, bite-inducing appendages. It’s similar to the Hula StickZ — my other favorite finesse bait– only in a shorter, stubbier package and with a smooth-skin texture.”

[Skin…texture? Eeew. lol]

Here’s what that new TicklerZ looks like rigged up…

…which for some reason reminds me of:

HAHAHA! Anyhow, here’s Elitist/igloo maker Jeff Gustafson talkin’:

> “…90% of bites occur within the first 10 seconds of the bait hitting bottom. When I click the bail and first move my rod is when bass often wolf it up. After I’ve bounced it 10′ or so, I’ll reel right in and pitch it out again.”

> “Red or yellow braided line, which floats and acts like a strike indicator, keys the presentation. The line stops and collapses when the bait hits bottom, and it twitches or pops when a bass bites.

> “What I also like about the TicklerZ is I can pitch it to a target on bottom and know it’ll fall perfectly straight and hit the bullseye, every time. Rig the bait perfectly straight on the jighead and it’ll produce some crazy results.”

So…does Gussy see bullseyes on lake bottoms? And if so, does that make him…Canadian??

Quote of the Day

“I tell people I’m in the cosmetics business. If it doesn’t look good it won’t sell.”

– Dude in the FEESHN BAITS biz talkin’ ’bout the well-known fact that a bait needs to attract fishermen more than fish.

Here’s 4 topwaters I’m personally not attracted to. Not saying they won’t catch fish and not saying I’m not curious, just would not look forward to casting ’em all day and/or have anyone see me throw one (lol):

Cuz I know you wanna know, clockwise from L they’re the Molix Supernato Beetle, Westin Danny The Duck, Deps NZ Crawler, LiveTarget Field Mouse.

Shot of the Day

Got these shots from Ike posse member/bodyguard/lightning rod Brian “the” Carpenter. Said he’s redoing Scott Martin’s kitchen down in FL (no carpenters down there? or is Brian that good??) with Ed Bassmaster, who’s “no help.” Brian asked Scott if they could go fishing, I’m sure expectin’ a boat ride. Scott gave Brian a paper bag with some baits and pointed at the pasture, where Brian made some new friends — and caught a few:

Okay I made MOST of that up — but still a couple great barnyard bassin’ shots. Brian caught his new buds on a Jack Hammer (gp) with a white Skinny Dipper.

Btw, did you know Brian’s brother is on that “Speed is the New Black” TV show — or maybe its his cousin, can’t remember:

Random

Fish to be tested as underwater spies by US military

> …wants to know if sea life ranging from bioluminescent plankton to goliath grouper can serve as components of underwater surveillance systems capable of detecting the enemy’s oceangoing drones, large nuclear submarines and other underwater vehicles. The research effort is called Persistent Aquatic Living Sensors (PALS).

The critters ain’t happy about it:

Ya got me

Jay Kumar’s BassBlaster is a daily-ish roundup

of the best, worst and funniest in bassin’, as curated 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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