Solar flare bass caught, Jack hammering rocks, New baits

Wonder if all that MLF secrecy is related to Special Forces just being elevated to their own branch of the military (I believe)? Okay not, but we do have some bass-heads who have been — maybe still are — involved there. As always, THANK YOU and much love to all mil folks and families.

So cold here yesterday I thought my toes were in a Siberian prison, but should warm up a little this weekend. Will have time to get after ’em, hope you do too!

Believe these are all handmade by Cliff under a microscope to the mellow vocalizations of Christopher Cross.

Bladed Jigs ‘n Jigs

CatchCo Googan Clickbait

Wins for the best new name for a bladed jig! Innerestin’…can only get ’em here for now:

Eye Strike Chatterbait (top) and ChatterBait WillowVibe:

Fitzgerald Bryan Thrift Tungsten Micro Jig

Not sure why they’d do a jig with Bryan cuz he obviously can’t catch ’em…lol.

Megastrike Beat R Blade Bladed Swim Jig

Articulated head.

Random bait stuff

Gitzit Dying Shad — lookit the hook orientation vs the bait.

Longas Baits Tiny Shad (3″)

Hookup Baits Tube Jig (brown gold)

Loon Outdoors UV Knot Sense — sounds like it smooths/coats the ends of braid to fluoro/mono knots. If so, could be cool.

Duckett RT Shad (gizzard shad)

Skinny Bear Big Cull Swimbait (aurora smoke)

Rods ‘n Reels

Abu Garcia Winch casting rods

Okuma: Guide Select Crankbait Rods, Serrano LowPro Reels

Lew’s KVD stuff: casting reels, casting rods, composite cranking rods

Ark Brandon Cobb Rods

> The Buddy Bass Tournament for officer Mark Priebe will take place Sat from 7 am to 3 pm at the Port of Kimberling City Marina and Resort. The tournament is a sanctioned Bass Cat tournament and eligible for Quest Incentives.

Team tourney, deets here on FB.

2. Terry Scroggins has new eyes, working on new knees.

Says he can see like he’s 15 yrs old again, now in the process of getting bionic knees. Not sure where this is all going down but someone smuggled this shot out of a warehouse owned by Boyd Duckett:

Huge. So I guess some guys are going TO Ranger! Alton Jr ran a Phoenix this year. Both had been Skeeter.

4. Josh Bertrand’s spybait rig and beard tips.

Asked him a little bit ago:

> Berkley SPY spinbait, 7′ 2″ Abu Revo Winch spin rod, Abu Revo Winch 30 spin reel, 8-lb Berkley Nanofil line (low-vis green) to 6-lb Berkley Trilene 100% Fluoro.

Had more Qs for him

How do you keep your beard so red? Do you eat a lotta crawfish?

> “Hmmmm…yeah man it’s definitely a crawfish deal. Lol.”

Have you ever rubbed a bait on your beard for good luck?

> “I can’t have my beard smelling like MaxScent man.”

HAHAHA love it!

5. Dean Rojas says don’t take smallmouths personally.

> “If they bite, great, but don’t count on them being in the same place day after day. You can’t take it personally when you don’t catch them. Just move to the next location.”

Why do smallies seem way easier to catch than largies but also way harder?

6. Here’s the top of the Central Open standin’s.

Note that the top 4 get Elite Series invites:

Jason Christie – 547 points

LA’s Darold Gleason – 540

Lee Livesay – 539

GA’s Marc Frazier – 533

Brandon Palaniuk – 531

> Livesay and Palaniuk are both double-qualified as Elite Series pros. That potentially leaves the door open for 6th place Central Opens angler Kenta Kimura, the Japanese pro who has regularly competed in the Opens since 2013.

My only Q is: If Brandon is away from ID more than he’s there, is he still a resident??

Good luck to ’em all…sounds like Lewisville has a bass shortage but someone’ll ketch ’em….

7. AL: A few B.A.S.S. Nation Champeenship baits.

> “I caught a lot of good fish on a 1/2-oz jig[head with shad-colored paddletail swimbaits, mostly Keitech and Big Bite according to Bassin’Fan] this week, but the 3/4-oz made the bait swim right. It was like the smallmouths had never seen it before.”

2nd and 3rd are also going to the Classic, big congrats to ’em all:

> LA’s Blake Sylvester “…pounded a grassy stretch of the river…using a Delta Lures Thunder Jig, a Humdinger bladed jig and a Missile Baits Shockwave (gp).

> AZ’s Justin Kerr “…rotated between a Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap and an Evergreen JackHammer Stealth Blade.…”

8. Strike King is testing prototype derp-only bait.

Texted to me, looks like it actually works!

Not only does it say stylin’, redneck, deer huntin’ and winter bassin’, it’s made outta one o’ the best materials for staying warm and comfy: merino. Also comes in a light grey:

10. TX: One of the college Rayburn derby winners is named Thor.

Ya think he’s a hammer?? Lol. Congrats to Cooper Thor and Cody Barchenger of Stephen F. Austin U for winnin’ the Abu Garcia college tourney last weekend.

11. CA licenses can now be renewed online.

12. FL fishing guide taken to court for touching a manatee??

Touched its back with a fishing rod, he said to help get something off its back. Caught on a drone, peeps went nuts. Guide says in a post that a drone had been following him, which apparently is a thing in some areas. Isn’t there an angler harassment law in FL?

13. FL: Okeechobee is ultra-high.

14. MLF is looking for an editor.

Must be able to make a variety of coffee types for Boyd, Gary and other owners/execs — kidding!

15. MI: Detroit boat show (Jan) canceled.

16. Humminbird releases hi-def Manitoba maps.

Here’s the side view of one of those lakes:

17. SA: Here’s you some South African bassin’ legends.

Justy Varkevisser, Darryl Quinton, Micheal Matthee, Barry Grove and Charl Carey. Looks like South African bass-heads might need some Skeet, Ott, Bubba, etc. nicknames? I also think their name for “reservoir” is “dam”? Can you lmk South African bass peeps?

But their weights sound impressive like: 8,965 kilograms. And they get to fish different structure like: “a huge anthill in the eSwatini section.”

Couple standout pics from a tourney….

Not sure this boat brand would work in the US:

…and all 4 were netted by a commercial fisherman, I think in the same pool. Kinda funny….

19. CA: Delta smelt still MIA?

Consecutive years in a row?

20. TX: Does this sound sketchy or is it just me?

Usually TX is ahead of the game but:

> In a designated “stocking zone”…[TPWD] approval will not be required to stock tilapia, although escape of the fish into public waters remains unlawful. Additionally, in this zone, the department will administratively “fast track” applications for 10 or fewer triploid grass carp for pond stocking.

Line of the Day

“My biggest goal is to get as many Black people involved in the sport as possible.”

Not bassin’ — South African fly fishing but a very cool story of being ate up with fishing. Stay after those fish brother!

PSAs

1. The BOOYAH Bankroll Jig is excellent in rocks. Not gonna say it’s better than your fave rock jig, but so far I have zero hangups. Here’s what it looks like — not designed for rocks but it works in ’em:

Said a few weeks back that I’ve been doing this but don’t think (?) I’ve read anything where Brett was talkin’ ’bout it. So I called him and:

> “That’s kind of why we make that 1.25 or even the 3/4-oz…letting it go to the bottom…can fish a flat with isolated rocks or [just rocks] or whatever.

> “I like to cast out there and let it go to the bottom instead of yo-yoing it like you do with a ‘Trap, which you can do. I almost side-sweep it so it keeps it a little lower to the bottom — side-sweep it, feel the vibration, let it go back to the bottom. That way you’re not raising it off the bottom so much.

> “And for the best hookup ratio [with Chatterbaits] it’s best not to do an upwards worm or jig-type hookset. It’s best to do a side sweep so you’re already in that position….

> “You can cover a lot of water on a deeper flat, fishing rock or a channel ledge….

> “A lot of times they hit it when you go to pull it, if the bait runs into something or when you’e letting it go back to the bottom. Sometimes it will feel like jig bite or sometimes the line just goes slack or you go to pull it again and it’s just heavy.”

Fwiw I do this with a 1/2-oz bait just fine, and my bud only yo-yos it. For whatever reason, sometimes strikes come right by the boat. Tiddybits from Brett:

> Trailer: “Either the paddletail Zako or just the original Zako.” If trying to mimic a crawfish: “…some kind of creature bait will work too…..”

> “Below 48 degrees they seem to really start getting off of it.”

He uses the same setup for rock as grass: 7′ 3″ H glass Evergreen signature Combat Stick, Daiwa Tatula SV (6.3), 20-lb Sunline FC Sniper fluoro.

In case you’re interested like I am, the JackHammer snaps are #2 Decoy Egg Snaps. I’m gonna get some and put them on regular Chatterbaits to see if there’s a difference. Tip on this from Brett:

> “Every once in a while, when you’re in grass a bunch, the clip will come undone…opens up. Take little drop of superglue or some epoxy and just dab it on there — it’s a little insurance deal.”

– Hoooooole on a sec there hoss! That’s recent ‘yak champ Ryan Lambert talkin’ a little smack there man! Kinda a big statement from folks who measure in inches rather than lbs hahaha!

All good. I’ve met a few serious yakkers on and off the water, they seem cool but they do use a LOT o’ spin gear. Guys in the bass tubs seem…busier? More intense? A little less inclined to chat? Kinda like…me out there. HAHAHA!