I will be at Redcrest this week so if you see me, stop me and say hey! You'll be able to see me coming by the glow from my sneakers...wearin' 'em at the Classic too...😁

There will be a 2nd BB email this week – maybe with some new Redcrest-launched stuff? Back at ya Thursday or Friday!

- You know who that is, the 3-letter man. Knowing him, I'd say if he says 50, it's either 20 or 75 – and probably more like 10! 😁 A little more from the MLF site:

> I didn't pre-practice or scout the lake in any way. We have 3 days of official practice, which is plenty. I've been to Lay Lake enough to know how it lays out and how it fishes this time of year.

> Obviously it'll be much different than it was 14 years ago – we have a lot more technology...which changes things up quite a bit...a lot more options to consider. For that reason I rigged up close to 50 rods before I left MI.

> ...I'm also looking forward to sharing my future plans with the fans as well. Since retiring, I've been extremely busy laying the groundwork for the next chapter of my life. During Redcrest week, I'll be making some special announcements about the projects I have lined up for the coming years.

Is it possible for "retired" Kevin to chill and relax...other than at the Zonas? I'm thinking not. Here's the problem:

😎

Most of us love bass, but I'm starting to think Kevin has always hated them. I mean, he's always gettin' mad at 'em! 😁

Right now it is, but it sounds like it might clear pretty fast as long as there's no downpour again – which might happen. Tidbits from the MLF site:

> Mark Rose: "I'm sure we have a handful of guys who have enough experience on the Coosa to know how fast it clears out when it gets muddy. But you have to do a lot more research than just the changing of the water on Lay Lake...you also have to know what's behind it up on Logan Martin and Neely Henry."

> Greg Vinson is a local: "Lay doesn't stay muddy for long because it has so much vegetation, and there are water willows on the bank to help clean it up. With how much rain we've had, there's going to be plenty of current, which is always a good thing on any lake on the Coosa River. I looked at the forecast for the rest of the week, and it was originally saying rain during the tournament, and now it doesn't."

> Spencer Shuffield: "It should be a hardcore pre-spawn event and both the largemouth and spotted bass should be itching to move up. I think those spots will be suspended and the largemouth will all be pretty shallow right now. All that will depend on the water temps – 54 degrees is a lot different than 57 degrees this time of year."

So looks like:

- Lotsa techniques could be in play

- Mud = no FFS + Damiki...but clearing water might change things

- Current seems to always be key on that lake

Here's a good post on current and water levels there. Also gotta say: Dustin Connell is a local so...👀

#DCthuglife 😁 His thoughts...possibly sandbagging?

> ...he doesn't think this event will be won using FFS to target suspended fish.... While Scoping with a jighead minnow can never be ruled out in 2024 (and it could still be a player for an angler targeting isolated cover like brushpiles), Connell believes too many fish will be around the banks....

> "These fish are wanting to move shallow, so I don't see a ton of 'em getting caught like that...I don't see that playing really big."

- John "E" Crews, social media manager for Missile Baits, talkin'. 😂 100% true even if some peeps don't see it or want to see it yet. More from Mr Missile:

> They keep secrets just like the guy who gets a new swimbait on a small southern CA lake and catches the big double digits more than anyone.

> Anglers winning with something tend to keep those things close to the vest, and I don't blame them.

> This technology is not simply something we can turn on, see a dot on our screen, throw at it and catch a fish. There are many facets to understanding not only the technology, but also understanding how the fish relate to the water and structure that take a great deal of effort to learn.

> ...to have a complete understanding of how it works and how to employ it effectively in competition, it takes one thing – time.

When he's doing the Damiki he's found that different head weights, bait lengths and colors will trigger different reactions from basically the same fish.

Wonder if eventually that will be patternable – like water colors, water temps, species, etc. Let's see what happens man!

Does Kyle Austin have "powers"? 😁 Yes he does! Particularly on Santee Cooper, where he's a guide – for bass and those slimy whisker meatballs.... Why didn't the "home lake curse" bite him? Let's find out.

kyleaustinoutdoors.com

1. Why do you think knowing that lake so well wasn't a "home lake curse" like happens sometimes?

> "Man I've just always preached that when you fish your home lake, just simplify it. You don't have to overthink it. You know more than what you think you do [vs] the other guys. They spawn on the same places every year, the same trees over and over again are really good – a lot of these guys don't know that. It's just a very overwhelming place.

> "The experience I have there helped me keep it simple. ...I don't know how to explain it but it was the calmest I ever fished. I was just out there having fun."

2. You said they pull up to certain cypress trees – what's different about those trees?

> "Nowadays there's a lot of eelgrass in the lake. So a lot of the difference [with those trees] is that they don't have grass around them.

> "...depth change, might be a current flow, might be a little isolated...always something a little different to them."

3. You had FFS on – were you using it to see fish when you were fishing a lipless and a spinnerbait?

> "No. I did not even need it on. I was fishing current and they were sitting on the bottom [so] you couldn't see fish on it.

> "It was just my knowledge of, I need to make this specific cast. FFS was not important at all to me."

His baits

> 1/2-oz Strike King Red Eye Shad Tungsten 2 Tap lipless crank (chili craw), 16-lb fluoro, Lew's Custom Pro Reel (7.3), 7' 3" MH Fitzgerald Stunner Rod.

> 1-oz Treeshaker Tackle Spinnerbait (citrus shad, no trailer or trailer hook, slow-rolled it on the bottom on rocks), 17-lb fluoro, same reel, 7' 6" MH Fitzy All Purpose Rod.

> Wacky rig: 5" stick worm (watermelon/red?), #1 Neko hook, 8-lb braid to 10-lb fluoro, Lew's Custom Lite Spin Reel, 7' 2" M Fitzy Aqua Dream Spin Rod.

Asked him why he fishes such light line for potential 7+ lbers around cypress trees:

> "The 8-lb braid I use actually has a pretty big diameter – it's like a 10-lb. And I've fished there my whole life...10-lb braid and 10-lb flouro is a lot stronger than what people think.

> "I make sure they swim away [from the tree] with it before I set the hook. If they [eat it] behind the tree, I shake it off and cast in there to get them to bite it again [and hope they swim off with it]. They will eat it twice."

That boy cray! 🤯 Lol just messin'. That's confidence man! Here's a quick breakdown of the top 10's baits – NO DAMIKIS!

Bladed jig = 50% – Z-Man JackHammer 30%, Berkley Slobberknocker 20%

Wacky rig = 40% – Yammy Senko 20%, Daiwa Yamamoto Neko Fat Worm

Flip plastics = 30%

Spinnerbait = 20% – Berkley Power Blade

10% each = Lipless crank, Texas rig (Gambler Fat Ace stick worm)

Shout-outs

1. Laker Howell, Randy's son, finished 2nd. Randy still won't tell him that all Howells have to have a flat-top to win so I'll tell him – you listening Laker? You wanna win a Classic or not?? 😆 Congrats to the ol' apple not fallin' far! Look how stoked he is:

Love it man!

2. "Ray" Scott Martin finished 3rd. Not bad for a guy who won the last Open he fished!

3. Dakota "Hon" Ebare finished 4th and like Scott, he flipped. Dakota has finished 31st, 13th and 4th so far on the Opens. Movin' up steadily – keep an eye out! 👀

4. Yo to Ronnie "the Real" McCoy (10th) – met him last year, dude can feesh! Good job man!

5. Believe this is the first time the Berkley Slobberknocker has showed up twice in a top 10.

1. Skeet Reese is going full throwback mullet.

If he grows a bassin' 'stache it might be over man....

2. TN's Brandon Perkins won the first NPFL Champeenship.

At Lake Amistad, TX, he had 71-08 over 3 days (a new NPFL record) and won by 15-09! 🤯

> ...the special areas were bluff walls where there were rock transitions. If there was wood, it was even better. "I knew the wind was going to be bad later in the week so I found places I would be able to fish without being affected too bad.

> All week throughout practice and the tournament, Perkins for the most part had his water to himself....

> "My 1-2 punch was the Magdraft and the Bill Lewis MR-12 crankbait. When they were eating the swimbait, I could see them bite and it was an absolute blast." When the fish would miss, he would follow up with a Yamamoto Senko....

He also said:

> "A lot of times throughout my career I felt like it was not my time, and it wasn't. You can't control it, when it happens it happens. I thought I was going to win the AOY but it was not in God's plan. This week, it was my time."

No doubt! Patrick Walters finished 3rd with a bladed jig and spinnerbait, a guy you might remember named Darrel Robertson finished 4th and John Cox got 7th.

3. CA: Ken Mah won the Clear Lake 'Yota flipping a jig.

Got 30+ limits each days 2 and 3 for 82-06 = #stout!

> While the majority of anglers were casting big swimbaits offshore, Mah spent his time flipping....

> "As the tournament went on I started to catch less and less of them out of the brush and more and more on the bank. That was a key move for me. They want to move shallow right now."

Says the winning bait was a b/b jig with a 3" Big Bite Baits YoMama – which I'm assuming Ken spells YohMahMah! 😁

4. SC: WVer won 2 KBF yak derbies on Lake Murray last weekend.

Good to see someone from WV winning – meaning that is the southeastern state with probably the least mentions of winners in bassin' for some reason.

5. TX: That 5th-grader who caught that ShareLunker...

...skipped school to do it. Outstanding! 💪 What's a day of school vs catching fish! Here's a way to express it with math:

School < Fishing

6. MN: Lead tackle potential reason for swans dying.

Based on the amount of stuff like this in MN, looks like it will be the next state gov't to ban lead tackle.

7. Good perspective on FFS from B.A.S.S.'s Pete Robbins.

I'll add: Amazes me to realize me how many people have been poisoned on the whole deal by others.

8. Check TW's list of the best FFS baits/tackle

9. iKon's new VLX Series will debut at Redcrest.

Jacob Wheeler said they were starting with the top model and then would work down – looks like it.

10. Changes at the top of Kroenke-owned media.

Steve Smith is the new prez of KSE Media Ventures, which includes Outdoor Sportsman Group, and Mike Carney is the new prez/CEO of OSG. Both are internal promotions.

Guess Steve finally gave up trying to get back into Journey...okay that's a different Steve Smith. 😁

Headlines of the Day

Is SIMMS fishing gear worth the price?

100% no doubt. Example: I spent 4-5 hours standing in the cold rain Saturday at a game, wearing my SIMMS Challenger Bibs and Challenger Jacket. I was completely dry – unlike a lotta other folks wearing non-fishing "rain gear." Plus I looked way more stylin' too...😁

Big Bass Bluegrass & BBQ in Florida

2nd annual was last weekend at Apopka. What else do you need? I wanna go next year!

Line of the Day

Under the pressure of 70 mph speed, my face contorted like one of those astronauts going up into space.

Hahaha that's right! More:

> I should have realized something was up when my close friend...donned a motorcycle helmet with a clear visor just before putting the boat's shift lever into gear.

> Come to find out...speed is just ingrained in the tournament bass angler's psyche. It's not in their DNA, whether a practice day or not, to just leave the landing to leisurely fish bass.

Leisure is for on land mang! 👊🤙

Mike Surman: Smack the cover to trigger pre-spawn fish

I guess Mike technically is a Bassmaster Opens guy now, but if you've been around you know Mike has too. He's had a lot of success a lot of places. Quick tip from him for the pre-spawn:

> ...when the water reaches the mid 50s and up, it's game on. This is the spawn and pre-spawn time of the year when the big ones become much more predictable. The fish will start moving close to the areas where they will eventually spawn.

> I usually start on the outside of these areas with faster-moving search baits. I want to cover water until I find the fish. My 2 favorite baits are the Yo-Zuri Rattlin' Vibe and Yo-Zuri 1.5 Squarebill.

> I fish both these baits with a varied retrieve...not just casting it out and reeling. I am constantly stopping or pumping the reel, trying to trigger a strike. Whether it's grass, stumps or rock, I'm always trying to hit the cover. Because the water is still fairly cold, this contact with the cover is what makes the fish react to the bait.

Don't know about you but when the water is cold, I tend to slow down. Gonna try it Mike's way....

For more check this YT vid of Brandon Cobb and MLFer Braxton Setzer fishing rattle baits pre-spawn.

"...I would prefer you not mention the [bait] brand and color of the boat."

- "T" Rex Remington who caught that 8.23-lb new IN state record smallie recently. Why not the boat color?

> "...there will probably be some people who want to follow me around out there!"

Hahaha he ain't wrong! The bent rod pattern is still one of the most popular patterns in bassin'....

Ever hear that story about when the last 2 Classic champs showed up to a local derby and...! Lol actually did happen, last weekend at Tenkiller, OK – woulda been cool to be in that derb! Love to see how far out the chests of 1st and 2nd were puffed out lol. Posted by Gussy on IG:

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