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Hope everyone down TX/OK/LA way is okay? Crazy man. That whole thing still looks sketchy to me, but I guess I see a lot thataway now….
Quick update on the back: Felt amazing, like younger, for 5 days, then a little of the ol’ pain ‘n stiffness came back. Went again Monday, feel good again. They say it’s normal that longstanding stuff might take a few visits. Did discover that having bee venom injected feels just like a bee sting…to fight the 2 times I had Lyme disease.
Never been punctured so many times in my life ‘cept by bluegill fins man but worth it! |
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Today’s Top 4
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How Skeet caught ’em at Okee.
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Thank you Edwin Evers for posting that pic! Okay:
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The MLFLW Pro Circuit has more hammers than a Home Depot, including some kid from Cali named Skeet “no other first name” Reese. Here’s what he used to catch ’em, full pattern info on the BB site here:
He fished in 3-4′ with isolated reed/tule clumps the best:
> “Just isolated stuff. There’s a hard line, then isolated stuff around it. Most of the fish were related to the spawn. I’m not sure if they were moving up to spawn there or moving back to go farther in.” |
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> Flippin: 6″ Berkley PowerBait The General (not MaxScent – “I started with junebug, ran out of them, then used Skeet’s Green Money, and caught some on b/b”), 5/0 straight shank hook, 1/4-oz weight with no wind and 1/2-oz with wind, 25-lb Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon, Abu REVO Rocket Reel, 8′ prototype Reese Fishing Rods flip stick (not on the market yet).
> Bladed jig: 1/2-oz (gp) with a Berkley PowerBait The Deal (gp), 7′ M rod, 15-lb Berkley Trilene 100% Fluoro, Abu REVO Reel.
> The Deal trailer, which he designed: “It swims unlike anything else. I designed it to be vertical with a twin-action tail – the tails counteract each other where most other tails are single-action. I took the concept from the Pit Boss. When you look at The Deal in the water…way more action than any other bait.”
Said electronics were “not a factor” beyond mapping.
Quick breakdown of what the full top 10 feeshed:
Stick worm = 50%
Bladed jig = 30%
Punch rig = 30%
20% each = Topwater (prop bait and frog), Speed-type worm, Flip plastics
10% each = Jig, Lipless crank (Yo-Zuri Rattl’n Vibe – seeing this bait a lot more over the last year)
All plastics were b/b or junebug. Junebug has been standard in FL, b/b not as well known – and was a big color at the St Johns Bassmaster.
Shout-outs:
> BPTer Chris Lane was 2nd and Anthony Gagliardi was 10th. Long-timers Billy McDonald and Pete Ponds were in the top 10, as well as up ‘n comers Cole Floyd and Ryan Salzman. Sonar Burghoff (6th) obviously has a name advantage….
> Top 15 included Pro Circuit champeenship winner Rusty Salewsky, and BPTers Bobb.e Lane and Justin “Time” Lucas. Mike Surman fished his 1st derb on the Big O and finished 17th. (Apparently it WAS Cole Floyd’s first time on Okeechobee tho .)
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5 Qs with el Skeeto.
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Skeet does have a sense of humor, just gotta little edge to it….
1. At what point during the tourney did you think the door opened for a win?
> “On day 3 when I caught my 4th and 5th fish and I felt like I had caught enough to make it to the final day. I felt like that was a key moment put me into Sunday to give me a chance.”
2. Seems like you were real determined to kick some tail this season. What prompted that?
> “The desire is always there, but I think there were a lot of motivating factors.
> “In the endorsement world, some people don’t look at you as as relevant as you were. So [he wanted] to prove to myself and some brands that ‘yeah I’m still relevant’ and still a factor, and will continue to be.”
3. Will winning a 5-fish derby carry over somehow to the Bass Pro Tour – confidence or whatever?
> “I believe so. This is just a carryover from how I was fishing last season, how the season progressed. I felt like last year everything started clicking again and I was fishing really well. I had 1 bad day…at Sturgeon Bay on the final day, but outside that I’d been fishing good.
> “I wanted to carry that momentum over into this season so I’m hoping continue to fish well on the Bass Pro Tour, no different than I am on the Pro Circuit.”
4. Did you use any of the new top secret Berkley baits in the win, and could you tell us if you did?
> “Yeah I’ve actually got a new bait I designed that’s coming out…I’m not gonna say, but there’s some cool stuff coming.”
5. For most of us, yellow means things like bananas, corn and butter. Maybe rubber duckies. What does it mean to you?
> “Money.”
Since he mentioned it, here’s that The Deal trailer in “Skeet’s green money:” |
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Maybe he needs a new color: Skeet’s yellow money? I WOULD buy a yellow trailer…. |
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2nd-5th St Johns Elite baits.
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2nd: Greg “Squatch Hammer” Hackney
First, I found 3 Squatches in this pic – can you see more: |
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He sure does like fishin’ those spooky swamp places man:
> Strike King Rage Bug (junebug or watermelon/red flake), 5/0 Strike King Hack Attack Flipping Hook, 1/4- or 5/16-oz Strike King Tour Grade Tungsten Weight, 25-lb Gamma Edge Fluoro, Lew’s Pro-Ti Reel, 7′ 6″ Hack Attack Flipping/Pitching Rod (Academy only).
> Cypress trees and wood cover in 1-3′. “The fish were all spawners.” |
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3rd: Seth “Hard Apple” Feider
> Z-Man Bang Stickz (b/b laminate), 3/0 straight shank hook, 3/16-oz Woo Tungsten weight, 30-lb Sufix 832 Braid to 17-lb Sufix fluoro, Daiwa Steez CT Reel (8:1), 7′ MH Daiwa Tatula Elite AGS Brent Ehrler Rod.
> 2-3′ lily pads and seawalls. |
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4th: Pat Rick Walt Ers
> Neko wacky worm: Zoom Zlinky (blueberry – “it’s FL, b/b always”), 1/8-oz VMC Neko Weight, #1 VMC Neko Hook rigged with a VMC Crossover Ring, 20-lb Sufix 131 Braid to 14-lb Sufix Advance Fluorocarbon, Daiwa Certate Reel (4000 size), 7′ 4″ M Daiwa Tatula Elite AGS Versatile Cody Meyer Rod.
> Jerkbait: 13 Fishing Loco Special (black lavender), 14-lb Sufix Advance Fluoro, Daiwa Steez Reel, 7′ ML Daiwa Tatula Bass Rod.
> “Fished Rodman all 4 days. 4-8′, mainly fishing isolated cover – stumps and laydowns, isolated grass patches, hard bottom areas. In FL, clear water and a hard bottom is the ticket…any isolated cover around that hard bottom.” |
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Got him on the phone and asked him whether ‘lectronics played:
> “100%…all of them. A lot of mapping, a lot of the 360 looking for stumps and stuff, and picking them off with LiveScope – not necessarily to see the fish this time around.
> “I was catching fish in transition, where they were coming up to spawn. [He was using LiveScope] to pinpoint my cast…being efficient. I was fishing so shallow, I was mainly using it to find the cover and fish it more.
> “I was trying to fish the cover you couldn’t see – like lily pads that weren’t fully grown…no submergent grass right now.”
Does Patrick even know he has a fish on here lol: |
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5th: “Question” Mark Menendez
Reminder that Mark missed about half of last year with back issues – seems like he’s past it:
> Flipped a Strike King Space Monkey (junebug) and Rage Craw (AL craw), 3/16-oz Strike King Tour Grade Tungsten Weight on the Monkey and 5/16 on the Craw, both with a 5/0 Gamakatsu straight shank round bend hook. 7′ 4″ H Lew’s Magnum Heavy Cover Custom Speed Stick, Lew’s Hyper Mag Reel, 20-lb Seaguar InvizX fluoro.
> Fished the Monkey in 12-18″ and the Craw in 3-5′. |
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“I remember when he was running around in diapers in a tackle store….”
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– Hank Cherry talkin’ ’bout Bryan New. I’m assumin’ he doesn’t mean recently…. Full quote:
> “I remember when he was running around in diapers in a tackle store when I used to go shopping on Lake Wylie. He used to be in everybody’s hair all the time, he had his little bitty boat in the South Fork River, he kept them bruised up you couldn’t never catch a fish, and he’s been doing that forever. That boy’s learned from the best.”
Man sounds like Bryan’s still bruisin’ ’em and in everyone’s hair…nothing against the Elites who don’t have hair…. |
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News
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From a great lil ol’ post by Guck McGuck ^ they’re “delta red,” “gold sexy shad” and “chartreuse perch”: |
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Red Eye Shads of course. Changes all factory hooks to Mustad KVD Triple Grip 2X trebles. Almost forgot: Post says he’s won $1 mil on these baits in those colors. No word on whether cookies were involved tho….
2. Jason Lambert outed the new Hardcore 7+.
Not out yet but coming: |
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5. Chad Morgenthaler is exploring flash freezing…
…himself: |
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Says it’s for health. To me it looks like a sanity test, pass/fail only.
6. Destin DeMarion gets Cashion Rods and a realtor.
7. Jacob Powroznik will run a Falcon.
Believe he was…yep, Ranger.
8. Sabine Elite will change from Apr to Aug.
They need the extra time to find more fish there… just messin’….
9. New MLF mailed tacklebox program includes exclusive vids.
Innerestin’.
10. PA: Biologists will do presentations on FB on Saturday.
Bass presentations are at 9:00 and 9:30 am EST. You can ask questions. Here’s one suggestion: Why isn’t there a synonym for “thesaurus”? Follow-up: Why does a book have a dinosaur name?
Jump on it before whatever you want eed is gone. Will get you my picks ‘n maybe Ott’s next week….
12. Looks like Rather/Lew’s/Strike king buy of Zebco went thru.
Noted last month. Rumor is Rather Outdoors is looking at buying Greenland next…
Says for the same reason there’s red hooks. Not on TW yet but the black ones are.
14. American Sportsman Expo is online now.
Might be a good deal with so many in-person shows canceled:
> Join the World’s First Online Outdoor Expo In Progress Now. FREE ADMISSION! Dozens of safari/hunting/fishing trip giveaways, Big Buck “Rackulator” Contest/KS whitetail hunt prize, BC black bear and salmon/halibut cast ‘n blast contest, silent auction by the Natl Wild Turkey Fed, show specials, product showcase and more – 100s of virtual booths…live streaming webinars….
15. Great Lakes: Chub and whitefish pops down due to mussels…
…sucking up all the nutrients. Not just zebra mussels, quaggas too.
16. PA not living up to Chesapeake obligations?
From a newspaper opinion, not sure if fact:
> …PA, along with MD, VA and other parties, entered into a 2010 settlement with the US EPA and agreed to enact individual plans to limit pollution…. Of all the states, PA has fallen far short and would have to spend $324 million a year to live up to its obligation.
Fiscal ended Dec 26:
> Revenue from the marine segment grew 48% in the 4th quarter across multiple categories led by chartplotters. Gross margin and operating margin were 56% and 24%, respectively, resulting in 92% operating income growth.
18. Michael Brand will lead USAngling Youth Committee.
These are the folks with the USA bassin’ team.
19. Powdered Asian carp could be a global food supplement.
> “With these fish, the iron and protein content alone are a natural solution to a global malnutrition crisis. It’s exciting to consider the possibilities of who this powder could help.”
> Silver carp also are good sources of calcium, potassium, Omega-3 fatty acids and all 9 essential amino acids.
Grind ’em up! Maybe a base material for an attractant too??
20. MI: A former HS football coach is named Shad Fish.
Great name but If I were him I would not go swimming around rockpiles in the Great Lakes….
21. CA: New state-record crappie is BULBOUS!
I think this is the biggest most mutantest crappie I’ve ever seen:
> Dave Burruss set new Clear Lake and CA state records for a black crappie on Wed when he caught this 4-lb 5.44-oz fish. The old state record was 4 lbs 1 oz. Dave is the owner of Clear Lake Outdoors in Lakeport. |
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Dave Mercer that Bulb word is for you brutha!
Line of the Day
Metabolism is also going to play a major role in targeting species like bass…on lakes and in rivers.
Honestly not sure what to think about that one but it reminds me of this: |
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On BassBlaster.rocks right now…
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Note: The TackleWarehouse links in this email are affiliate links, meaning if you go through them to make a purchase I might earn a commission…at no cost to you. Click here if you want to learn a little more about links in the BB.
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Tip of the Day
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Good stuff from an older Bassin’masters post by Legend “Louie” Stout:
> “This is when you must change your focus of where to make the majority of your presentations,” says Brauer. “You’re not going to catch fish next to those obvious targets, so don’t waste time casting to them. Look for the high-percentage places — those that are hard to get to but are most likely to hold a bass.”
> “Vegetation may be the best place of all,” says Shaw Grigsby. “Most grass mats open up along the bottom but provide a real good security blanket on top. Bass love that when they’re in a negative mood.”
> …take longer between pitches and flips, says Grigsby. The bass aren’t anxious to eat, so don’t rush to take it away from them. “It’s a matter of soaking the bait for longer periods in the same spot. That’s why it’s so important to choose targets carefully. You want to make the most of each cast.”
> “Present your bait from different angles too,” offers Brauer. “There are times when a bait presented from a different direction can trigger the reactionary bite you’re looking for.”
Sounds like this requires PATIENCE. Where can I buy some…. |
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Quote of the Day
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“These fishing tournaments provide a much needed shot in the arm for our economy.”
That’s right, tourneys help local economies, which is a bigger deal this year. That’s Mntn Lakes, AL Chamber of Commerce mktng dir Sarah Stahl talkin’:
> “These fishing tournaments provide a much needed shot in the arm for our economy. We’re really hoping that we can start to see more 2019 numbers sooner than later.
> “As far as the tourism industry nationally, they’re anticipating it to being up to 4 years to recover to 2019 numbers and we don’t want to succumb to that. We want to do what we can here locally to ensure that the local economy gets as much help as they can, and hosting fishing tournaments is one way we can do that safely because it is an outdoor thing.” |
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Shot of the Day
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This shot of Chris Lane on Okeechobee is where I wish I could be right now – warmth, palm trees, flippin…how ’bout you:
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Random
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In April Skynyrd’s gonna release the cleaned-up audio/video from the ’76 Knebworth, England show. One of the greatest bands of all time, probly helped that a few of ’em were bass-heads. ALL of Classic Skynyrd’s music holds up. Stoked!
Here’s the vid trailer (YT) – some of the not-cleaned-up stuff has been on YT for years. |
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Ya got me!
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Jay Kumar’s BassBlaster is a daily-ish roundup of the best and funniest (sometimes worst) 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’!
Check out BassGold.com! (It’s FREE!)
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Use the best stuff mang!
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Check these out!
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