Started Kalin’s soft-plastics, which at one point “had 29% market penetration nationwide.” I particularly remember the Weenie Worm, Lunker Grub and the massive 6″ Mogambo Grub — used to have some of ’em…yellow, I think. Believe he sold the company at some point.Great memorial post to him here — says he funded bass fishing trading cards at one point.
Passed because of the big C. Bless you bassin’ brother.
2. We lost TTI-Blakemore VP Steve Campbell.
Dang. Steve was 62. This just 3.5 months after TTI-Blakemore prez Wes Campbell passed on at 65.
> “Even though he was the VP, Steve was also in charge of procurement. He got all the pieces and parts to Road Runners and other lures — the packaging, the hooks and anything else that was required to make product. It was a very demanding and time-consuming job, but he did it with grace and humor.”
Love to the Campbells and the TTI-Blakemore family.
3. TN: Help this public servant get a new truck if you can.
You might’ve seen this already — if not here’s the story:
> A TN deputy was fishing with a buddy and his young son to relieve the stress of his job when vandals broke into his truck and then set it ablaze. John Amos is quoted to have had only liability insurance and has been trying to get out from under monumental medical bills associated with the birth of their child.
John is a bass fisherman, police deputy AND veteran. Why people do evil things like these — especially to good folks like John — I have no idea.
That’s his truck ^, here’s the GoFundMe.
4. Jason Christie gets The Bass Tank.
Thought it was one of those demo tank deals, but it’s an ecomm electronics site.
>> Jason’s gonna be Live on BOOYAH Facebook starting 9:00 am CST tomorrow — swim-jigs/trailers and frowgin’.
5. Elitist Brandon Card gets Advantage Bait Co.
Jigs and spinnerbaits. Check what they’ve got on TW here.
Glad to see a couple guys getting deals instead of losing ’em, which has been going on…understandably….
6. KVD signature Lew’s rods coming soon.
Outed in that MLF post ^. Says they’ll be red to help you get mad at ’em like he does. Also during the lockdown Kevin has forgotten how to catch bass so the rest of the guys are stoked:
#notreally
7. Gerald Swindle has a new look?
I THINK this is real not Photoshop or whatever but either way it looks good!
G you got me inspired to shave it VERY low. My wife and kids said I look “worse” (guess I looked bad already??) so might have to go full send cueball as well….
8. Ike Mikeanelli on BassEdge Radio.
9. Learn how 2 chainsaws got David Dudley’s pro career going.
Man if you don’t know that story you need to!
10. How Seth Feider is using his time.
Believe this kinda stuff is how the phrase “stir CRAZY” originated:
He’s “getting born” (eeeew?) from the SIMMS Dry Creek Waterproof Duffel.
Reminds me: Would love to know what percent of diehard bass-heads are ADD. Dead serious. Gotta be a big number.
Oops almost forgot: Seth has new “Bassman” spinnerbaits, which he said are made in Australia. Not on TW yet but here’s their website. I’m assumin’ Carl Jocumsen is the reason for this and every Aussie invasion…and the Abe Lincoln beard revival too….
11. Elitist Kyle Monti helped Randy Moss get into bassin’ shape.
> “He said, ‘I want you to teach me everything you know. I’m all ears. You’re my coach today.’ I got to coach Randy Moss….”
> “He’s pretty good. He needs some work,. For as much time as he’s gotten into it, he handled the rod and reel pretty good. What he was trying to learn is when, where and why, movements and patterns, everything that everybody reading Bassmaster Magazine wants to know.”
Good job Kyle for teachin’ Randy a bassin’ gang sign too:
12. BPTer Mike McClelland is using bigger baits again.
Says the new 2-lb minimum has helped him do that.
13. FLWer Jacob Wall making swimbaits to stay afloat.
Find him and the baits at @jacobwallfishing on the ‘gram.
14. Rapala just launched a multi-tool.
What they’re saying about the new Rapala V-Blade:
> …hybrid lure that combines the best of a lipless crankbait with a blade bait. Available in one size at its introduction, size #6 (2.5″), weighing a 1/2-oz, the new lure breaks the mold of traditional Rapala lures.
> “Many of our Rapala fishing pro team members believe that predator fish target the eye of its prey. That’s why we intentionally made the eye larger to be more aggressive.”
> The extra-wide metal dorsal (top) fin of the Rap-V Blade features two line-tie positions. When anglers tie their line to the front tie hole, the lure will provide a slower, lazy fall action. If they tie their line to the rear hole position, they’ll achieve a faster fall, head-down action. …distinctive loud BB rattle system….
Not on TW yet but you can check it on the Rapala site. Quick hype vid here (YT).
15. OK: More FL-strain bass stocked in Grand.
> Earlier this month the department stocked about 400 pure FL-strain bass about 10-12″ long. This week the department added another 850 in the 12-14″ range. Several dozen more retiring Durant Hatchery brood-stock that will weigh 6 lbs or more will arrive in days to come….
16. CA: [The lake that can’t be named] was named.
Which opened up a wormhole and:
Yikes man, please do NOT say that name out loud anymore….
17. PA: Dude got a brain-eating amoeba from the Susquehanna…
…and survived. GREAT to hear, but a little freaky to think about those things being there….
18. FishLab’s got a new promo going.
Spend $75 or more and get a free FishLab work shirt, pic of it down below….
19. Johnson Outdoors revenue down for the quarter.
Sales down 8%, fishing down 3%. JO owns Humminbird and Minn Kota among other brands.
20. Garmin revenue up in Q1.
Strong #s:
> Total revenue of $856 million, a 12% increase.
> Revenue from the marine segment grew 22% in Q1 driven by our innovative chartplotters and advanced sonars. Gross margin and operating margin were 58% and 25%, respectively, resulting in 58% operating income growth.
21. MN: Some oddball stuff.
MN is one of my fave fishing states but man some weird stuff goes on there like:
Deepwater Horizon $$$ behind the move to non-lead tackle.
Reminder that the Deepwater Horizon was an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico that blew, caused a lot of environmental damage and resulted in a huge legal settlement:
> Such was the plan [to ban lead tackle] of the MN Pollution Control Agency and the DNR after receiving a million-dollar payout from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
> MN had been awarded $1.2 million as part of a multibillion-dollar legal settlement with British Petroleum, and had intended this spring to use the money to begin a 3-year educational campaign to persuade MN anglers to “get the lead out” of their tackleboxes.
> The money was allotted to MN after a convincing argument was made by DNR nongame-wildlife program supervisor Carrol Henderson, among others, that loons that nest and spend their summers in MN but winter in the Gulf of Mexico were harmed by the oil spill, and that as a result the state should be compensated.
That sound crazy or is it just me?
MN has zebra-sniffing dogs.
Can’t see how this makes sense $-wise but a) dogs are great so more dogs are greater, and b) anything makes more sense than whatever the MN DNR is doing/not doing at Mille Lacs.
Finding and catching largemouth bass is easy.
And there you have it. We now have zero excuse. ZERO! Hahaha!
