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Ditch Melon Derby winners who have not gotten your prizes yet (some have) – I've been assured that any remaining prizes are being shipped this week, and to give 'em 7-10 days to get to you.
Appreciate your grace and patience here, our first time (also for Target Walleye). Lot of moving parts, thank you!
Other than that, I found a knob we can all use:
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Pull it and see what happens! I need one on my Vexus! 🤣 Let's get 'em!
Gitcha Blaster social fix here:
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If your email program cuts off the bottom of the 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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WTHeck is going on with Russ Lane?
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Not saying I'm surprised because obviously Russ has been a top pro for a long time. But he finished 6th in the points in Div 1 of the Opens (Div 2 he was 106th) and is 8th so far in the EQ standings – against the young'ns with no FFS restrictions.
Had to find out what was up, here we go:
1. What are you doing keeping up with the young guys? 😁
> "[Laughs] I knew that'd be the first question. Man there's something that I've recognized – I don't know if I want to say it yet. Because I think it's a big deal.
> "I'll just tell you that I'm noticing windows of opportunity."
2. Is it all coming on a jig?? 😁
> "No [laughs]. I've probably caught more fish on a crankbait this year than I have in quite a while.
> "I've caught quite a few fish using Garmin LiveScope with a jighead minnow and dropshotting stuff, but I've also caught a lot of fish shallow – swimming a jig, crankbaiting, topwaters.
> "It's kinda half and half conventional vs the new stuff."
3. How did you get here from there – did you change anything?
> "...probably not a lot that I changed fishing-wise other than being more open-minded to those windows of opportunity, and then using the baits, rods and line that I've always had confidence in."
4. What happened in Div 2 of the Opens vs Div 1?
> "We had some insane weather in that division....I believe we fished a 1-day tournament in 2 of them, at Rayburn and Norfork.
> "Norfork I was catching them cranking, plus I think I found one of the only pockets that had fish on beds. I'd factored in that we were fixing to get a big storm, and I know how the water rises on those Ozark mountain lakes.
> "I was able to go in and catch those [spawning] fish not being able to see 'em. They had 6' of water on them. None of them were big – just keepers, but I didn't know what the weights were gonna be.
> "[Day 1] I started running a bunch of back-end places..... [Later in the day] I was catching them cranking and caught a bunch. I lost 1 big one. But I know without a doubt I was getting dialed in and was probably going to have a good opportunity to move up the next day.
> "Now Rayburn – I'm 52 years old and my eyes have been shot. When it gets dark outside, I noticed the last couple years my casting is horrible. It's insane how bad it is.
> "The deal at Rayburn...I was skipping a jig around bushes...but if you hit the bush..it would spook 'em. The day we got to fish it was incredibly dark. I was hitting bushes...I just could not make the presentation.
> "Me and Randall Tharp have been rooming together. He caught 'em on that day...but he already had his eyes fixed. I realized right then I had to get my eyes fixed. I had Lasik surgery not 3 weeks after that.
> "It is incredible how much difference it has made in my casting, fishing shallow stuff. ...now have 20/15 vision like 60' away, which is what I wanted. I told them to do the surgery [so his vision was great] like 60' a way. I still need readers...."
So you got your eyes fixed based on casting?
[We both cracked up lol.]
> "Yes. Geared to 60'. Best 4 grand I ever spent."
[Gotta say again: A 1-day tournament (and maybe even a 2-dayer) is not a triple-A event. I hope for the competitors' sake B.A.S.S. has a plan B for next year.]
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5. Any advice for the older guys out there struggling against the young'ns?
> "Oh man. Just don't give up. We can't let these kids keep continuing to beat us down [laughs].
> "But I'll tell you one thing – when I hear the grumpy old guys talk about like, 'The kids are lost without Scope' and all this stuff, in some instances that could be true, but I don't buy into that. I think if you take it away from them, they're so ate up with what they're doing and so passionate about it...they're gonna figure the instinctual side out just as well."
6. Do you have a key setup for this run that you're on?
> "It would be a 7' 7 Phenix Feather Rod, I call it a pitching rod. I use it for pitching fluoro, with 20-lb Sunline Shooter.
> "A 3/8-oz Hawg Tech Tungsten Weight, a 4/0 [Gamakatsu] Aaron Martens Finesse Heavy Cover Straight Shank Hook and a gp Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog."
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> "Just pitching it at targets. If it's a grinder, that's just one of the things I've got confidence in. ...stay back, make long pitches, keep the trolling motor [a Garmin Force] on fairly high and cover water.
> "I think Hackney calls it plinking targets."
[FYI Hawg Tech weights are used a fair amount at the top but not really talked about.]
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5 Qs with the latest Elite retiree, Bernie Schultz
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Bernie has had an amazing career. A 3rd in 2003 and 19 more top 10s were his highest finishes: no wins or 2nds – BUT he fished 381 B.A.S.S. tournaments since 1982, which is a 44-year top-level career.
So all you pro cats who aren't winning a lot at the top (most don't!) but still want a long career in bassin' – take a good look at Bernie. He did it.
Gotta mention with the JDM (Japanese stuff) craze coming on strong again – Bernie is an/the OG when it comes to that stuff. Been doing it a long time. He's also an OG visor-wearer 😁 and is one of the best pros at working with media.
Got with him for 5, here we go:
1. Why now?
> "Well it's kind of a forced retirement. I've had 2 really rough years since my arm surgery in 2023.
> "I had a really good year going, and right before the NY events I tore my bicep at the elbow – totally detached it. I had to undergo reattachment surgery, which took me out of the 2 remaining events. I never seemed to find my momentum after that.
> "...I never really had any consistency. I'll have a good day and then I'll have a bad day – not necessarily in that order. I never found any consistency and as a result my ranking suffered dramatically. So I'm kinda forced into retirement form the Elite Series because of that."
Followup: Was the inconsistency due to your injury somehow or was it mental?
> "It's both, but I think most of the problem is between my ears. I'm either overthinking things, making bad choices, taking risks when I shouldn't and not taking them when I should.
> "Probably moreso than my arm is my back. I have flattened discs in both my back and my neck. I used to get through it fine, but the last 2 years I'll be in an extreme amount of pain about halfway through the day.
> "I take medication for it but...muscles relaxers and you have to be careful there because it can affect your mental process. Things get fuzzy in a hurry if you overdo it.
> "My back and thought process have not been what they should be."
2. How can you have such a long career without winning one?
> "There's so much to being a professional angler besides...how you cross the stage or what you put on the scales. I think that's been my strength – what I do off the water compared to my performance on the water.
> "Everything from working with media, working with dealers or manufacturers...sports shows, ad campaigns, instructional videos – all that stuff is important.
> "And...how you interact with sponsors to develop products and work with them. I majored in illustration and minored in advertising. I've been able to use that...helping [sponsors] develop ads...help with words on packaging, building ads and doing advertorials.
> "I think that was helpful to my survival. When I wasn't catching fish, I was productive in other areas.
> "For a young angler...my advice is to be sure that what you do off the water is as important and thorough and helpful to your sponsors as what you do on the water."
3. Are you going to fish any tournaments anymore?
> "My plan is to fish more tournaments yes. Not to the degree that I was, but I still want to stay involved and remain somewhat relevant...and I can't sit home. I've just figured out I'm not able to sit home and...has to be competitive fishing at some level.
> "If I had an offer to do [on-cam] commentary, I might do that. That's probably the only thing that would preclude pursuing more competitive fishing."
Follow-up: Are you gonna be killing gators with Shaw? 😁 [They're long-time great buds.]
> "I want to go with him one time because I want to experience it with him and write about it.
> "It's interesting – they use electronics to find them, they cast for them, then fight them with the rod and reel...I find it intriguing.
> "And Shaw is a close friend, so it's something I want to do. We saltwater fish together and back in the day we used to bass fish together a lot. It'll be another thing to do with a longtime friend.
> "If you're asking if I have any designs on being a licensed gator hunter [like Shaw is], no. That is not in the cards."
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4. Will you still work with Shimano or Fuji or anyone else?
> "Yeah my plan is to maintain those relationships if they're willing. I think I'm still viable and can still contribute.
> "Some of the companies I work with, my son is a sales rep for. I do in-store promotions with him and we work sports shows together at times.... So there are opportunities to do that with my oldest son and I enjoy that a lot, so I'm hoping to remain involved with him and the companies we share."
5. You've been a one-man force for Hildebrandt. What happens now?
> "I'm still involved with Hildebrandt. In fact there's some exciting news...Will Davis Sr, the guy who invented the shakey head, is going to be helping Hildebrandt in production and development of new products.
> "I'm gonna work hand in hand with Will and Will Davis Jr. I'm excited and can't wait to work with them. I really think it'll be a great partnership.
> "I've worked with GSM and Yamamoto, and also Shimano on hard baits. I enjoy those relationship as much as I do with Hildebrandt."
[Watching a bunch companies getting bought out, I've been amazed that no one has picked up Davis Bait Co. Real good stuff and the Will Davises KNOW stuff man. I mean, Aaron Martens worked with them on bait development, which is all you really need to know.]
Bonus Q: Is there anything you can say to older guys who are frustrated by FFS?
> "I say embrace the technology. I'm a Garmin guy and I love the technology. It's opened my eyes.
> "I'm old-school. I was raised on pattern-fishing and migration routes, how fish related to contours and follow bait. The reality is, once I spent a lot of time with FFS, I realized that a lot of that is out the window.
> "Fish used the water column so randomly. Some of them are 2' under the surface in 40' of water, some are 2' off the bottom in 40' of water. There's a whole population spread throughout the water column and they're constantly moving. Fish have fins and they use 'em.
> "Time spent with Garmin LiveScope is what helped me with that realization.
> "I've made money using FFS. I think the best scenario in competition is where where anglers have the opportunity to...some tournaments with and some without.
> "I think the guys that are up there in years, I think if they'll embrace the technology they'll learn a lot about fish behavior, stuff they wouldn't learn otherwise."
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Some experiencings of some new Berkley baits
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Earlier this year a bunch of media folks went to Lake Champlain to peep some new Berkley stuff. It wasn't all the new baits they're coming out with, and we couldn't talk about it then. But we can now! What I saw and fished, I liked. Here's a few stories about 'em.
1. Justin Lucas will take a beating to catch smallmouths on a topwater
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And so will everyone in his boat! 😁 Here's how that went down:
- Justin: Do you guys want to catch smallmouths on top?
- Us: Yep!
- Justin: Okay! [crazy look in his eyes which came through the mirrored lenses lol]
He floors it like he's Mike Ike to the middle of the lake/a big bay where the wind has free reign, and we cast over and through whitecaps for smallmouths. And we did not leave for a long while!
I ain't "wah" about this. Just letting you know that Justin's got a little crazy in him hahaha!
Here's the bait we were all throwing, the new Berkley Screamin' Choppo – not out yet but should be soon:
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Highlights:
- Different sound from the OG Choppo because it has a metal on metal deal on the back – means that sound on top of the plop
- Hollow tailpiece amplifies the sound
- More sound = good in rougher conditions
- Different body shape (a little wider for better tracking) and different sizes (95 and 110) vs the regular Choppo (75, 90, 105, 120)
- Keel fin stops the bait from rolling over
Justin also got us soaking wet on that day and appeared to love every minute of it.
2. Bobby Lane fishes like the Incredible Hulk
Or like the Hulk would if he fished...you know what I mean. I was in the boat with Bobby and Berkley bass man Nathan Ragsdale, who can fish lights out. So you could say that I was the ballast lol, but I blind-squirreled a couple anyhow – here's me and Nathan:
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With all kinds of new stuff to fish, we were in Bobby's Boat so...we were flipping, froggin' and buzzbaiting for green ones. Works for me!
I love fishing with Bobby – ultra entertaining and his hookset is so massive I honestly can't believe he hasn't been tapped by SpaceX to put some of those Starlink deals into orbit.
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Anyhow, I'm not a huge buzzbait fisherman, but from what I saw and what Bobby said, the new Berkley Riveter Buzzbait (Berkley's first buzz? not out yet) is solid and has these pluses:
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Gotta love Bobby's out in the rain prune hands lol. Tidbits:
- Berkley of course tested many different rivets for the best/loudest sound
- Teeth on the back of the rivet keep it "biting"
- You can bend the blade to hit the head or not
- Anodized matte blade has a little "texture"
- Integrated cone on the blade's front side helps clear grass and debris
- Comes in Skirted or Toad version and they have different frames
- Skirted has a removable PowerBait skirt and bendable wire frame
- Toad has a reinforced welded cross-wire frame designed to eliminate flex and provide stability when skipping
Bobby also flipped around the new MaxScent Flux Gill (which is on TW), a fish-shaped "honeycomb"-style bait and caught some:
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Personally I'm all for more MaxScent bait shapes. Highlights:
- Lotsa ways to fish it because of the size and fish shape
- Scope, Neko, flip, shakey, wobblehead, dropshot, skip it (docks), bluegill beds, etc
- MaxScent scent dispersion helps with pressured fish
- Honeycomb = more surface area (53% more) = more scent dispersion
- Comes in 3.5 and 5.3
Quick tip: Neko it by using a Geecrack Neko Hack through the middle and put the weight in the head
3. Josh Bertrand has a PhD in finesse
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I mean, I pretty much knew that already about ol' firebeard. But literally you can ask him anything about any technique or any component of the rod/reel/line/bait etc he's fishing, and he'll rattle off all kinds of interesting specifics.
One tidbit is that he said he really likes the new Berkley Forward "Braid" because he can cast farther with it with less effort, which he likened to a golf swing: If you try too hard, your accuracy goes down. And the farther your cast is, if you're off at the start the worse the accuracy is way out yonder.
Makes sense. More on that in a future Top 5 video.
Josh also knows big swimbaits, and the new Berkley Chop Block glide might have been my favorite bait outta all the new stuff. Why? Lighter to cast than a traditional hard version, easy to work (even for a swimbait kindergartner like me) and it caught 'em. I fished the snot out of it one morning and caught a few brown ones on it.
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Highlights:
- True wide glide in a soft bait – the Nessie is more of a chopping-style bait although you can chop the Chop Block too
- Gizzard shad and panfish profile (vs the Nessie's shad/herring-type profile)
- Mesh-reinforced joint for movement and durability
- Slow sink rate
- Lower cost than hard baits of the same size (6, 8 and 10" are $16.99, $24.99 and $29.99)
- Soft so you don't have to worry about busting it up (and can bounce it off things – cast it where you might be afraid to throw an expensive hard glide)
- Belly treble and a double frog- type stinger hook held on by a magnet
- A taxidermist helped with some colors
Couple more tidbits:
- It's kind of a "gateway glide bait"
- Bump your reel handle slow for side to side movement/wide glide
- "Burnt bone" is a sick color in person – it has a pink sheen across the whole bait...I believe this is it:
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Honorable Mentionin's
1. Berkley Triple Minnow Rig (not out yet)
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How 'bout it all you FFSers – not just 1 minner to get the fish interested but 3! You present a mini bait ball instead of just a single minnow. Take that Mr Sakamata! 😆 I didn't get to fish it but here's some highlights:
- No hooks or jigheads on the top 2 baits
- It's a line-thru – your line goes through a thin tube
- Direct line connection to the jighead
- Compression-fit collar (so you can cast it) doesn't compromise line
- The arms are 200-lb fluoro
- Works with big minnows too (6" and 7")
- You'll need to use a little heavier minnow rod
- Supposedly it ain't the best for deeper fish but you never know what guys will do with it
- Will be in kit form or standalone
Yep it'll take a little getting used to for most, but I've learned not to doubt the Berkley bait nerd peeps. 😁 Love 'n hugs fellas!
2. Berkley Stunna Jerkbaits
Gotta mention is the Berkley Stunna. It's not new, though it has newer sizes, but when guys needed a bite at Champlain, it was working probably better than anything.
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Best river baits, Best frog tips, 3 ORANGE bass??
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- Taku juice and a bunch more scents 👀
- A nitrous tank to make his boat go faster (lol it's O2 for his wells)
- Garmin for LiveScope, Lowrance for waypoints and a Minn Kota troller
Also here's what he wears to church:
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🤣
6. Bass Pro Tour increases payouts, decreases field
Going to 51 anglers in '26 (field announced next month), down from 65 this year and:
> ...MLF is expanding the cut line at each event. Beginning next season, the top 25 anglers will advance from the Qualifying Round – the round winner continuing to advance directly to the Championship Round, while 24 advance to the Knockout Round.
> ...means that every angler who reaches the Knockout Round will also finish "in the money."
> In 2025, event champions earned $150,000, with the last checks paying $10,000. For 2026...1st place will pay $125,000...21st through 25th place will now earn $15,000 each....
> ...MLF is adding an additional $250,000 to payouts for a total league contribution of more than $74,000 per angler, by far the sport's largest....
7. B.A.S.S. announced college/HS schedules but...
...no mention of any FFS rule changes.
8. 2 new 6" minnows
6" Yamamoto Hinge Minnow
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Is it shakey-head time?
James "Capt Donuts" Elam from the Mustad site:
> "Fish seem to get on a shakey head when they're on small shad. When they get off the bluegill and crawfish and start focusing on smaller baitfish....
> "Obviously, the shakey head does not look like a shad, but I think it's the slenderness of the bait....
> "People tend to overwork a shakey head. I like to cast it in, let it fall to the bottom and then never make any movements with the rod tip that are too fast. I just slowly work it over cover, keeping it in contact with the bottom.
> "You're letting the bait do the work. I really don't think you need to jiggle it a bunch. I think you'll get a lot more bites just working it slow and steady."
James likes the ol' tried and true glazed donuts. And for shakey heads, a 5.5" or 6.5" LiveTarget Straight Tail Worm.
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"Randy would turn over the placemat under his cheeseburger and sketch some idea he had for the next bass boat into an absolute work of art...."
- Craig "silence of the" Lamb talkin' 'bout Randy "leaf" Hopper. Both gents are being inducted into the Bassin' Hall of Avengers and Infamy tonight at Bass Pro Shops in MO. Congrats gents!
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Here's what I think is a different orange bass caught 2 YEARS AGO on the the Cumberland River in Nashville, TN by BB reader Jack W. Yep that's the same river that forms Cordell Hull Rez, where those other 2 orange bass were caught recently.
He said this one was way more orange than the pic looks. What's going on in the water TN peeps??
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If you like blues guitar or just guitar music, Seth Lee Jones of Tulsa, OK is a hammer. He's so good and unique I honestly think if he got the right band and breaks, he'd be a legit guitar hero. Here's a good intro video, here's his YT channel. Enjoy!
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Jay Kumar's BassBlaster is a daily-ish roundup of the best (sometimes worst) and funniest stuff in bassin', hand-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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If you're forwarding every Blaster to other bass crackheads, tx much – or you can email me the addys and we'll take care of it! We'll never send spam or whatever....
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