ICAST week! 😍 So this'll be the only Blaster this week, back atcha next week with some cool stuff!
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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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How Jay Przekurat blasted big brown bags and won the St Lawrence Elite.
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Someone maybe do this math: How likely is it that an Elite Series rookie wins an event, at a place he's never fished before, with over 100 lbs of SMALLMOUTHS 🤯 when a Johnston brother also catches 100+ lbs? I think it's about this likely:
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Right lady! 😂 Okay let's find out how he did it.
Practice and his starting spot
> "Practice was a lot different. The tournament was perfect conditions, but in practice we had about a day and half to effectively fish the lake. I figured out what I figured out when the conditions were right.
> "It changed a good amount in the tournament – I was able to expand on what I found. I thought [his first spot] was good enough to keep me in contention, maybe a top 20 or top 30.... I didn't think it was the winning spot til I realized how many fish were really there, and I had it to myself, and I could get there every day [about 35 miles] and catch 'em.
> "It was pretty subtle...basically a little bump out in a long strip of rocks, a ridge that came out of a bay...comes out into the main lake. On that bump-out, bait was everywhere for whatever reason...wads of bait in there and it never left.
> "The water quality was a little different – almost more tannic than the rest of the fishery, and I think helped a little bit. It was harder for the fish to get scared of boats [including the spectator boats he had]. ...the Black River Bay – the Black River actually feeds the bay and shoots out into the lake...that water color is completely different than entire lake.
> "...was 12-20' deep...just go back and forth and try to find active fish. When I found 7-8 in a pod, I could get them to bite....
> "[He found the spot through] a lot of map studying and I have good experience with Great Lakes situations like that – i know how the fish like to set up.
> "The biggest thing is I knew what phase of the spawn they were in – basically every one of them was done spawning. The water temperature where I was fishing was a lot warmer than a lot of the rest of the lake was. So I knew they were coming out of the bay when they were done spawning...first stopping point before they got out to 30-40'.
> "There just happened to be bait on the spot that never left, and neither did the fish."
Tournament
> "The 1st day I struggled a little bit in the morning.... I ended up seeing one jump out of the about 50 yards out, slid out there and re-found what I found in practice.
> "I had 26+ at about 10:30...then I realized how special that spot was.
> "Day 2 the wind picked up a little in the morning – they were still biting. I caught a low-20s bag, then the bite got kind of slow – it got really slick and calm.
> "I made my way to my secondary area, on the way back to the launch. It was completely different – super clear, almost sight-fishing.... It was a similar setup to the first spot – outside of a bay, about 3/4 of the way out...little bump-out of rocks [in 8-12'].... There were hundreds of smallmouths on a bump-out that was maybe 80 yards.
> "When I realized the potential of that area, then I thought I had the potential to win. I had 2 real solid areas to myself.
> "Day 3 I ran the same pattern again. I started at my starting spot – slow day, I had 2 close to 5 lbs, then ran back to my 2nd spot to finish it out. They were still there, and I caught my biggest fish of tournament, almost a 6.75. I had almost 25 lbs again, and was done about noon. I was just excited to get back out there the final day, and was going to run the same pattern again.
> "When I got to my [first] area the final day, I was fortunate to get 2-3 nice ones – two 4.5s and a 6+. I knew could catch 2 more [at his 2nd spot]. That put me over 25 lbs by around 11:30 or noon. I really thought I sealed the deal...because I knew the guys behind me had to catch 29+ just to have a chance.
> "You had to be persistent with them. They definitely got educated after a while, but every once in a while you could trick a big one into biting. You had to move around and find the active, feeding fish."
Baits
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> "I was dropping it on them. If you could see them out 60-70' [on forward facing sonar], that was the easiest way to get them to bite.
> "Another thing I figured out during the tournament was to speed up the dropshot pace. If they followed it down to the bottom, I'd rip it up a couple cranks, then let it fall down [etc.]. They'd chase it 2-3 times til they committed to it – where if you let it sit on the bottom, they'd inspect it and just leave."
Electronics
> "I was using forward-facing sonar. I used it to find bigger groups [4+] of fish that would bite. ...single out ones by themselves, they didn't seem to bite as good."
Shout-outs
> "Strike King and Lew's for sure – they went out of their way to get me that spinning reel and everything I needed for this tournament.
> "...Whitewater Fishing – it's a new clothing brand that's coming out with pretty cool stuff in the near future. They helped me out to get into Elite Series [meaning $].
https://www.whitewaterfish.com/
> "I sight-fished about 1/4 of the fish at the 2nd spot because it was so calm. The WaterLand sunglasses I was using were a big key, especially for the sight-fishing deal. I was using the green mirror, which is basically an amber lens." [Model he wore was the WaterLand Ashor.]
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5 Qs with the record-setting rookie champ.
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Let's get to know him a little:
1. How do you pronounce your last name?
> "Shuh-kerret."
2. Before this tournament did you think that guys with a lot more smallmouth experience would have such an advantage?
> "Yeah. We fish against the Johnstons a lot because they come over to WI quite a bit and fish Sturgeon Bay, so knew the potential those guys have – they're pretty amazing when it comes to smallmouth fishing. I knew they'd be the ones to beat, and a handful of others who have so much experience on this place.
> "...if I hunkered down in my areas and kept confident, I knew there'd be a possibility....
> "It's a huge accomplishment, beating some of the best smallmouth anglers on that place, especially my first time being there. It's pretty unreal."
3. Before this season did you have a goal to win Rookie of the Year or win a tournament?
> "I had the goal of qualifying for the Classic and winning ROY. Obviously I wanted to win a tournament, but that was not the top thing on my list...exceeded my expectations for my first year for sure."
4. What fishing technique would you say you're best at?
> "My favorite thing to do is basically what I was just doing – catching clearwater smallmouth you can see, when they get grouped up like that on the big water. Second to that is fishing river systems. That's how I cut my teeth fishing – I grew up on the Wisconsin River.. Those 2 types of fishing are my 2 favorites."
5. Since you're a champ, what's your breakfast of champions?
> "Tournament mornings it's some kind of Jimmy Dean's, either the sausage breakfast bowl or the croissant sausage and egg sandwich. On a [non-tourney] morning I have 2 eggs over easy, hash browns and white toast."
[Nice, another breakfast sausage fan! 👊 Love it!]
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We lost bassin' legend Bayless Dewayne “Dee” Thomas at age 85. God bless you and thank you Dee.
Dee was one of THE most important guys in the sport/pastime we all love – because, if you don't know, he INVENTED FLIPPING! That's right – someone had to be the guy who figured it out in the first place, and it was him.
Think about that for a sec: How many things sold in bass fishing are flipping-related? How many guys have made a living or won local tournaments or just had a great day out on the lake thanks to that technique...thanks to Dee? There's more too, like the front decks on all our bass tubs are high because Forrest Wood made 'em for flippin' – called 'em "flipping decks."
How cool and huge is that man wow.
So – I gotta apologize because like all Blaster tributes, this won't be near what he deserves. BassFan did a real good tribute on him and I highly recommend you read it. I did manage to get with Gary Klein, who you might recall grew up in Cali, learned to flip from Dee, and spent many a day in the boat with him. Word is Dee was like a second dad to Gary:
"Dee Thomas congratulates Gary Klein on his first Bassmaster win at Lake Powell in 1979. Klein won the event flipping. Photo Bass Master Magazine July/August, 1979 Issue."
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1. What was Dee like?
> "Not only did Dee teach me, Dee was a friend of many. You know at first, he was loud – everyone thought he was brash...but he was like a big ol' teddy bear. If somebody had a problem, Dee was the first one there to help them. I saw it in the parking lots at tournaments, he would go out of his way to help everybody.
> "He was a very loving person, but he was a competitor. When he launched his boat, he was there to win. But he was a great individual."
2. What should people know about Dee and flipping?
> "We always called him the father of flipping – but he taught the bass fishing community a whole new way of presenting a lure to shallow-water targets."
3. What should people know about the influence of flipping?
> "I think what I got to experience firsthand is how efficient Dee Thomas' presentation was vs the conventional overhand cast.
> "Back in the beginning, bass fishermen sat in seats. Nobody ever stood up. The very first Ranger bass boats had a seat in the front – everybody sat down. And they all used short-handled baitcasting rods – a 6-footer was a long one, and they had a little bitty pistol-grip handle.
> "We're discussing something you [me/Jay] have never used – there's probably not any pistol grips in anybody's rod lockers anymore. But back in the '70s and late '60s, that's how all the guys fished.
> "An angler sitting down and casting overhand going down a bank was very inefficient at catching fish off shallow-water targets. The one angler that was probably the best with a baitcasting reel was Jimmy Houston – because he basically got up close to his targets. That's what the flipping technique did – it brought angler closer to the cover...taught the anglers how to approach the fish closer.
> "Dee's flipping technique not only affected the anglers, it also affected boat manufacturers. One of the first was Ranger, Ranger raised their deck up to what [all bass boat decks are] today. Thy actually labeled it a 'flipping deck.' So all bass boats evolved to what they are today because of the flipping technique.
> "Also trolling motors evolved...foot-control trolling motors.
> "So really what Dee created – he had no idea the ripple effect. It was because his technique was so efficient. The underhand presentation of the lure – that technique also evolved into pithing. Then you had Denny Brauer and Tommy Biffle who flipped and pitched.
> "It was amazing to see somebody create something that has such longevity. I guarantee you every bass angler in the world has been exposed to flipping and pitching. They might not know where it originated...it was because of Dee Thomas."
4. Anything peeps should know about Dee and fishing beyond just flipping?
> "He was very versatile. He was also really good with a spinning rod. He loved to fish light line and was really good at it also. He was a really good structure fisherman. He was really good with his electronics. I remember a lot of tournaments that Dee did very well in, fishing a Bobby Garland Spider Jig on a football head in 25-40' of water.
> "...probably his second favorite thing to do was cranking.
> "He was one of the most fierce competitors on the water I've ever been around. All of our tournaments were shotgun takeoffs – you did not want to be around him on a shotgun takeoff because everyone crowded around to follow him. He became the master of deception – he would swap boats out in a tournament and run up the other end of the lake. A lot of strategy, a lot of thought went into it...he was there to win."
5. What else would you like to say about Dee?
> "I would not be where I am today, I would not have had the career I've had, had it not been for Dee. In 1979 had the confidence I could flip better than anybody because nobody knew what flipping was. That gave me the confidence to compete against Roland Martin, Rick Clunn....
> "I left CA with 7 flip sticks in the rod locker, and that's all I did. Sometimes I tied on a spinnerbait, but I did it on my flippin' stick. Sometimes I cranked, but I did it on my flippin' stick.
> "If it was not for Dee challenging me when I was 15 and teaching me the flipping technique, it never would have given me confidence to fish against the best. I'll always be grateful to him. He will never be forgotten."
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"I think there’s something in that mentality of a fisherman in that you’re supposed to help other people.”
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- Gerald Swindle talkin' 'bout how any fisherman would do what he did, which was stopping his rig after the day 1 weigh-in at the St. Lawrence and helping a guy who just got in a motorcycle accident. 👊 #stout
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> “You can think you’re a bass pro and you have the greatest job in the world. And ‘Oh I just caught a big bag and I’m doing great in this tournament,’ but in a split second I realized that’s really irrelevant.
> “I always go back in my life and say ‘Well if that was my wife, my daughter or my grand babies, I hope someone would do that for them’"....
If you didn't know, Gerald and I'd say all the guys are that kinda dude – just like you. And when Gerald gets serious, he talks serious – it ain't all one-liners.
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Check out this 2c from a fish biologist. 🙄
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The guy is Dr David Philipp, which I really hope is not the Dr David Philipp of IL who studied bass fishing for years. Article says he is "US born" but lives on Lake Opinicon, ON so not sure. Here's what he said, from here:
> Philipp suggested that fishing tournaments should be limited in size and capped in numbers to prevent “over exploitation and social tension.”
> Philipp said he would like to see a later date for the season opening: July 5 (for the shallow, warmer lakes, like Lake Opinicon) and July 15 (for the deeper, colder lakes, like Charleston, Devil or the Big Rideau).
> Limiting the length of fishing tournaments to a single day and using flexible timing would help alleviate social anxiety by decreasing early morning noise on the lake, he noted.
> “Impose speed limits and have officers, funded by the tournament organizers, on the lake to enforce the rules,” he said.
> “We can make tournaments that are way less damaging for the fishery. They do not have to start at the crack of dawn, waking everyone up in the morning. They need to integrate with the community.”
> “There is a bullseye on the back of tournament anglers. (It's) so big and so bright that it is driving anti-fishing sentiment, a movement that is misplaced,” Philipp said.
Okay I read all that – which almost seemed to be about one particular lake situation – and then there's this at the bottom:
> “Bass fishing is about teaching kids how to respect nature, how to manage (their) relationship with nature, and the value of wild and native fish populations. The huge majority of anglers want to do the right thing and back all sound conservation efforts.”
Yes to the last part, not sure that bassin' teaches kids anything else except fun and loving being out in nature, but who knows what happens in some places. Breaking down the rest, in my 2c:
1. We've all heard about or seen a few guys in bass boats (not necessarily tourney anglers) acting like jerks. Some (most?) of the stories from residents or locals aren't true, people just get mad. Either way, I don't see how it's just on us to "alleviate social anxiety," which might not happen for some folks anyhow:
Here's an idea for anxiety reduction: Go fishing!
2. Speed limits? Enforced by the tourney? Once again, if that's what the locals want FOR EVERYONE (including PWCs, etc), then post it and our guys will respect it.
3. There is ZERO evidence that tournaments "damage" a fishery. Period. Doesn't happen. And a few fish dying sometimes (probably not in Canada!) is not damaging a fishery. Check the regs book. Same for "over exploitation," especially in Canada. Ain't happenin'.
4. Bass tournament guys are "driving anti-fishing sentiment"?? C'mon man. Gotta give that the Star Trek triple facepalm:
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From the article:
> They were reportedly taking part in the Friday Night Buddy Bass-O-Thon Tournament Series, and their boat made impact with the bridge at Henderson around midnight. Authorities say both occupants were wearing personal flotation devices, and alcohol was not a factor.
Bless you bassin' brothers. Please pray for the man still in the hospital.
2. What Stetson Blaylock (3rd) fished at the St Lawrence Elite.
Stets fished several different baits on his rigs including these:
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Hope to get the rest of the guys' stuff next week.
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I'm gonna talk to him for more on this deal at some point, but that post is for sure worth a read just to understand what this deal is. A few highlights:
> The trolling motor pedal is now currently serving 2 masters: the direction your boat needs to go, and the direction your sonar beam needs to go. Many times these are 2 different directions.
> Pros have adapted to this with some fancy footwork by using their trolling motor pedal to manage both goals simultaneously. But it can be very tedious – turning the pedal to peep at your target, then turning it back to correct your boat’s course, over and over again. This is especially tricky in Spot-Lock mode, when your trolling motor automatically takes over the directional control to keep you in position based on wind and current.
> You may use your pedal to scan around and see a sonar target, but when you hit Spot-Lock to hold position, the target is lost. It’s a bit like herding cats to get the wind, current, the boat and the target lined up correctly to use Spot-Lock on the target.
> ...now the MEGA Live transducer is no longer a prisoner of the trolling motor for its direction. Instead, the transducer is on its own independent, controllable shaft. Now the trolling motor can go one direction while you look around in any direction with the MEGA Live beam.
> ...here’s the best part of this new arrangement: If you see cover with your MEGA Live in any direction, you simply press the TargetLock button on the remote and “lock” the live beam on that specific target to keep it lit up on your unit.
> I’ve been using TargetLock on my boat for over a month now in secrecy and it’s stunning how precisely it locks onto whatever I’m looking at.
New bladed jig, in that MLF vid ^ he says the blade hits on the inside of the head which makes a different sound than the typical bladed jig.
Jason's a deep-crankin' foo 😁, good vid. Couple things from it:
> "This thing's got a long enough bill that it keeps your hooks off the bottom away from everything."
> "You just know on any cast that you can catch the fish of a lifetime."
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13 Fishing, YT video ^.
> Don’t miss our first Meet the Pros EVER in Plattsburgh, NY, July 25th from 6-8 pm. Free Chick-fil-A! 4709 US 9, Plattsburgh, 12901.
Good!
Check Uncle Frank Scalish with "electric shad":
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Ryan "Redenbacher" Whitacreis dialed in to what he likes and the fish eat, and that's that:
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Called "Outsider Crankbaits" because Cory and Chris said they've always felt like outsiders in the U.S., especially around Crews, who is notoriously anti-Canadian...HAHAHA! Just messin'. Okay here you go:
> ...were the innovators behind this new concept. They asked themselves, “What happens if we move the bait’s weight to the outside? Does it change how it performs?” The 3 anglers/designers found out it greatly impacted how the crankbait’s action responded in the water, and as a bonus, it was much easier to cast!
...turns on the bass. I believe it since baitfish, crayfish, mayfiles and whatever else is happenin' turns 'em on!
14. NPFL announced most of 2023 schedule.
5 of the 6. Can't link it but it's at: thenationalprofessionalfishingleague com/schedule-2023/
...into the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame, well-deserved no doubt. He's a long-time Berkley scientist and a pretty good stick from what I hear:
> Apart from being one of the original inventors of Berkley PowerBait, Berkley Gulp! and Berkley MaxScent, Prochnow holds multiple patents for fish attractant delivery systems for baits and lures. He is well-known internationally and travels around the globe teaching anglers about...how fish react to various chemo-receptive stimuli and baits.
His baits have caught so many fish, the Hall of Fame induction had to be moved from WI to ICAST at Orlando because WI authorities were expecting protests from angry mobs:
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Wonder if those fish being angry has anything to do with that weird fungus on 'em...😁
Congrats John!
I think it's Bull Shoals, or Taneycomo. Charlie won the B.A.S.S. Federation National Championship, got 5th in one Classic, was the "Spook Master" and gave Johnny Morris the idea for the aluminum Tracker boat, among other things.
That's a hoss!
> The GA state record for shoal bass was broken just last year, and now that record has been tied. Clark Wheeler, of Arabi, is the proud new angler who will share the shoal bass state record. His catch, caught on Apr 16 on the Flint River below Lake Blackshear near Warwick, weighed 8-lbs 5 oz and measured 24 1/2"....
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In the Lurenet Paint Shop ^ (limited quantity):
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> ...the XV-5 finds its origin on pressured, Japanese waters...painstakingly designed and tested to catch fish when other methods fail – even $30 artisan-painted jerkbaits, which Japan is also known for.
> The bait does not feature a knocker or internal rattle...tight wobble....
> The spearfishing research is intended to run until Aug, with the potential to continue in future if it’s successful. Nicholson said the invasive fish are currently in their reproductive phase, so it’s a good time for the spearfishing trainees to head out on the lake.
> ...northern snakehead caught at Dam #4 on June 10 near Scrabble, WV.
> A local guide who used to catch several snakeheads every time he fished now calls them the fish of a thousand casts. It’s myth that snakeheads are terrorizing local waters, depleting them of baitfish. The fish that is doing that is the invasive blue catfish.
> These behemoths, which grow to over 70 lbs, feed almost exclusively on fish, including the occasional snakehead. Each year, we catch fewer and fewer walleye, largemouth bass, striped bass and snakeheads, and more and more blue catfish. That’s the fish the DNR should target.
> The lawsuit states that at one time, Bass Pro would replace the socks with a free replacement each time the socks would wear out, but that now Bass Pro replaces the socks with a new, different pair of socks that only comes with a limited 60-day warranty.
Headline of the Day
🙄 Still beatin' the drum, makes me wonder why – meaning the reason we don't see....
Line of the Day
Qs: Does this really need fed/tax money involvement? Is it a major issue?? Are people asking them to be involved?
PSA
Here's the most recent Sea Foam Top 5 of the Week! Don't think I'll be able to do one this week with ICAST, but back at it next week:
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Havin' fun doin' 'em, hope you dig 'em!
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On BassBlaster.rocks right now...
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> The best advice I can give another angler trying to get better at dropshotting is to use it in a lot of places that other anglers don’t. I throw it in a foot of water or 125' of water. I throw it in clear water and dirty water. I throw it in timber and in grass, off points and on flats. If you think a bass is there, try a dropshot.
[125'!!!]
> If you put limits on when and where you use a tactic...you’re just putting limits on yourself, and on your knowledge and skills with that technique. There’s no better way to learn and to catch a lot of fish than by realizing that there are no limits – just restrictions we put on ourselves as anglers.
> I think the primary virtue of dropshotting is that it catches fish for you. With other soft plastics methods, you have to provide all the action, detect the strike and set the hook. With a drop-shot, the fish does a lot of that for you.
> With today’s modern forward-facing sonar, I’m usually making a long cast out on a point or flat and letting the bait go to the bottom. From there, I like to drag it back to the boat. I shake the bait very little. Dragging it across the bottom gives it plenty of action and keeps it looking natural.
> Straight-tail worms like the Roboworm are my bread and butter.... I like the MaxScent baits when the water’s cold. I think the scent really helps in cold water. I use the Easy Shiner with a heavy sinker in deeper water and just reel it steadily back to the boat, almost like crankbait fishing.
> If I’m in FL or somewhere with a lot of shallow grass, I like a Zoom Finesse Worm or Trick Worm in 'june bug' or 'red bug.' It’s done really well for me.
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"It may even seem God has given you a Ranger bass boat but only a stream to fish in."
> "But what you must remember is that faith is more about seeing through the eye than it is in seeing with the eye. Faith doesn’t look at the small and insignificant stream, but it remembers the God who has stocked it.
> "Faith simply casts its bread on the waters without regard for the past, present, or future – knowing that if God can bring salvation from a cross, He can bring big blessings from my little brook."
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You got that right – not the 1st, but the 4th! 😂 Wonder how many happened after CO legalized that weed that's not hydrilla or milfoil, if you know what I mean....
Ended up needing like 24 peanuts, so it wasn't just one....
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Jay Kumar's BassBlaster is a daily-ish roundup of the best (sometimes worst) and funniest 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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