Do you start off with a jig? However you'd answer that, I got with Gayle Julian of Jewel Bait Co and asked him a question that I, as a jig guy, never asked anyone before: Are there times when you switch TO a jig? Here we go:

> "In the fall...start off with maybe a shallower crankbait or Wiggle Wart- or Rock Crawler-type bait. Here in the Ozarks they're kind of the king. There's lots of times when the fish will be too shallow for that – you can't get the crankbait shallow enough and actually be able to work it because of all the rocks.

> "They will be up into the cover. You might be sitting in 8-10' and they're up there in less than 2'. And because of the cover – big boulders and rocks – you can't work it there.

> "...they may be hanging out there in 4-10' of water, which is typically where we target those [crankbait] fish, but in the course of the day they might move up super-shallow in those rocks. You can't fish the crankbait to get to them.

> "I'll tie on a Pee Wee or Pee Wee HD series – you can pitch that to shallow cover and catch those fish you can't get a crankbait to.

> "It's a misconception that in clearer water when the sun gets up higher that those fish will move out deep. Sometimes they do. But in the fall of the year with shore minnows and shad up shallow, a lot of times they do just the opposite. They'll go up there in a foot of water or less.

> "...let's say we're going down the bank. The guy in the front is throwing a Wiggle Wart in 10' of water, 45 degrees to paralleling the bank. The bank is just a good pitch away, so instead of throwing that crankbait, the guy in the back of the boat starts throwing a jig up on the bank. It really works out good for a team situation.

> "I would probably start off with 3/16-oz Pee Wee Football Jig, and depending on the water color either use b/b or "bass whacker." Instead of a pee wee [2.5" size] Versa Craw I'd probably put a Jr on there which is a little bigger [3"] but I would shorten it up really short and have the hook come out right between the eyes...so you have a bait heavy enough to pitch easily but has a slow fall because you're pitching in 0-4' of water.

> "The reason I use 3/16 on that Pee Wee is that our rocks are really gnarly and it won't hang up and won't make much of a splash. And you can skip it real easy...12-lb line and good jig rod.

> "For the b/b jig I'd use a gp trailer [pic up top], and on the "bass whacker" I would use gp or the "bass whacker" color itself [below pic]. Then I'd put a little chartreuse or orange on the tips. ...b/b in clear water will work really well."

New to me anyhow and I bet most of you – that's the RAID 1 Way Hybrid Dice:

> Poured from a soft and highly-buoyant floating soft plastic...hovers in the zone and creates enticing action with minimal input.

> ...the wings on the sides of the 1 Way Hybrid dice body are designed to easily catch water and create a braking feeling that brings a high sense of handling to the angler, despite its miniature size. Perfect for pairing with your favorite #4 drop shot hook....

Ah yes because who doesn't use a #4 dropshot hook?? 😁 3/4" long, probably weighs about as much as a feather, and I'm gonna guess Easton Fothergill will be one of the guys fishing it next year.

Shape reminds me of those War of the Worlds movie alien "tripods":

Pretty soon you're gonna need a dice box that goes right next to that jighead minner box! 😁

Crappie angler and guide Kayle Ward's way, from Lurenet.com:

> ...he relies on speed and scanning to put a jig in front of as many keeper fish as possible. Ward treats crappie fishing like upland bird hunting...an active sport with the FFS acting as his bird dog, continually leading him to new targets.

> His weapon of choice is a 13' jigging pole paired with 20-lb braided line and a short 12-lb leader line. He typically runs a 1/2-oz egg weight pegged in place on his leader line a foot or so above his jig. He then pairs his jig with a 1/32-oz or smaller jighead.

> Ward scans through areas between 3 and 4 mph, which is more than twice the speed of most LiveScopin' anglers. Ward likes to fish shallow water, which makes spooking fish much easier if you run the boat over the top of them. He uses power brakes (2 trolling motors mounted to the back of the boat) to...stop on point.

> Once he identifies a target, he dips his jig straight down to the fish, stopping inches above...shakes the rod tip a few times to get the fish's attention. Once the fish begins to commit, he slowly lifts the rod until the fish strikes.

> Ward is so in-tune with what he is witnessing on screen that he often sets the hook without feeling anything.

I think this is his jig!

Dude! 🤯

Theirs isn't FFS, it's FFS on 360 steroids – called omnidirectional sonar or omni sonar for short. From Marlinmag.com:

> ...omnidirectional sonars scan 360 degrees around a vessel and allow users to lock on to fish as they move.

> ...allows the user to tilt the direction of the beam to seek out fish at different depths. Capable of scanning nearly 1,000' down and 2,000' around the boat, these sonars are most effective within the top 200' of the water column.

> This is not necessarily a limitation of the technology, but perhaps of billfish appetites. Captains speculate that fish found deeper than 200' are traveling rather than eating.

> Once a target appears on the screen, the user can lock onto it. The sonar then provides constant updates on the fish's depth and speed, and captains can watch on the screen as a fish comes up from the bottom and into their spread. Extremely skilled operators can say what side the bite is going to be on, and I have even seen some call which bait will get hit.

> Fish aren't hooking themselves just because you have one. You still need to have your boat and spread right. But omni sonars definitely take away some of the guesswork....

That's what it is – here's one issue:

> These units are going to set you back around $100,000, and that's before install. Installation costs vary from boat to boat. "Install typically runs around $25k to $30k"....

Since not everyone can afford that, even in that world, and some boats literally don't have the real estate to install it:

> Many teams complained that it was unfair to allow omni sonars, claiming they provide an unprecedented advantage.

> ...either unwilling or unable to fork over the kind of cash necessary to get an omni sonar felt automatically excluded from competition.

> After much debate, tournament officials around the world developed a range of approaches to address omni sonars. For example, some established separate categories for sonar and non-sonar boats, while others prohibited their use altogether. Tournament formats for omni sonars still vary today and change year to year.

> Sometimes the payouts in the non-sonar release category exceed the sonar release division.

> As omni sonars become more common among fleets, it's likely that the debate regarding their use will fade away.

Also this:

Dolphins sense military sonar at much lower levels than regulators predict, study shows

Hmmm. Just dolphins? 🤔

1. Quick fall tip from Chris Zaldain

> ...most coves and creeks have a flat side and a deep channel side. The shad or bass typically relate to one side or the other. ...if you find bass busting shad on a flat in one creek, they will likely be doing the same thing in other creeks.

If you're wondering if Chris will be able to put his swimbait down this time of year, the answer is...how is that even possible. 😆

2. Wesley Strader is using FFS Enhanced Jar Jelly

On a biscuit...I mean minnow. 😁 Never heard of it but it's on TW so....

3. Innerestin' Elite Series "monster bags" stats

New deal sponsored by Rapala CrushCity:

• 5 of the 10 Monster Bags were caught on day 1
• 0 of the 10 were caught on day 2
• 3 of the 10 were caught on day 3
• 6 of the 10 were caught by the eventual winner
• 3 of the 10 were over 30 lbs
• 6 of the 10 were over 25 lbs
• "Smallmouth love" Taku Ito was the only guy to win it twice

4. SC: NPFL champeenship now at Murray

Was supposed to go down at the St Johns, got rescheduled because of weather and now moved.

Word is Patrick Walters had nothing to do with it...allegedly...😁

5. Random: 4 non-traditional dropshot baits...

...from Berkley, just surfin' TW – since non-traditional dropshot baits are thing how 'bout:

Top to bottom:

Berkley PowerBait Minnow in "purple magic"

Berkley Gulp! Dragon Tail Worm in "big money"

2" Berkley Gulp! Sandworm in "motor oil"

Berkley PowerBait Drip Minnow in "HD pink shiner" – Drip Minnows should be for sale in Dec

6. What the Bill Lewis Hammer Trap sounds like underwater

Definitely different than I THINK other rattling lipless baits sound. Plus it hits HARD. I fished it a little with Matt Becker at Gville and we both thought it was legit...not that my 2c counts lol. Here they are on TW.

7. Check how the GLF tube head looks in a tube

Man it looks good! Great Lakes Finesse Mini Pro Tube Head with a "sit up fat head" design, made for 2-2.75" tubes in 1/8, 3/16, 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2.

8. What's yer frog combo?

Personally I like everything about this pic – and I want to try one of those Halo BB [BassBlaster? 😁] Frog Rods:

That's one of those new Snag Proof Smashmouth Frogs that come in some really cool colors – that one is "pine frog."

9. Free rod Kistler sale ends Halloween night

Deets 👇, gotta use the code:

10. KastKing is having a big Halloween sale

On its website only ^, up to 40% off. From personal experience I can recommend the Assegai Technique-Specific Rods, and these reels: the Deadbolt (Cliff Crochet's no-drag reel) and the Mg12 Elite (smooooth and great for small cranks).

If you want to get your yellow on, your techno nerd on or your skip on, check the Skeeter Reese reel, the iReel One and the Speed Demon Elite Skipping baitcaster.

11. WI outdoor scribbler Mike Norris going into HOF

National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward. Congrats!

12. Lowrance Elite FS now has 10" and 12" screens

> The Elite Fishing System (FS) gives you access to the full line-up of Lowrance fish-finding tools – including ActiveTarget 2 live sonar, Active Imaging and Active Imaging HD....

> The Elite FS 10" with ActiveImaging 3-in-1 is $1,799 and the 12" display with Active Imaging 3-in-1 is $2,299. The full Elite FS lineup now includes 7, 9, 10 and 12" displays.

13. TX: Just one boat ramp open at Canyon Lake

Due to drought.

14. VA: Boat ramp will be moved at Anna

Because it's too close to the swimming area.

15. Brunswick 20% down year over year for Q3

Sounds like Merc is doing well but:

> The Navico Group [Lowrance] segment reported a sales decrease of 14%, primarily driven by reduced sales to marine OEMs resulting from lower boat production levels....

> Brunswick's Boat segment reported a 19% decrease in sales resulting from softer wholesale orders, as its channel partners continued to order cautiously....

16. T-H Marine is having a 20% off sale

Sitewide Halloween deal with this discount code: TH20

17. AR might be a lithium goldmine?

> A lithium deposit located in southwestern AR could hold enough of the metal to satisfy global EV battery demand nine times over, according to a US Geological Survey-led study.

18. Solid-state batteries updates

Apparently these will be better (and less prone to fire) than lithiums. Will be vehicles first, then maybe boats and whatnot...maybe:

Harvard develops a solid state battery that charges in minutes

New EV battery offers 800 Wh/L energy density, charges up to 80% in 15 mins

19. AL: Asian carp update for AL lakes

> "...relatively low to moderate abundance in Pickwick. They are fairly rare to uncommon in Wilson. We picked up 4 last year, and TVA picked up 3 in Wilson over several years. A couple were reported...in Wheeler around Flint Creek, and 1 in Guntersville."

20. WI: Invasive quagga mussels found in Geneva Lake

21. Orvis is killing its catalog

Not bassin' but wow a big change for 'em. $$-wise no doubt a good move....

Headline of the Day

Koi carp collector loses 25 prized fish in 'otter massacre'

Those DeFoes can get hungry man...😁

Bradley Roy breaks down fishing a big spoon

Keys are a H-action rod "as long as you can stand," a swivel at the top of the spoon, Seaguar InvizX fluoro at least 20-lb because "that fish has gotta come straight to the boat."

The rest of his gear: 7' 6" H Ark Essence Rod, Ark Gravity G7 Reel (7.1:1), 6" flutter spoon (he changes the treble #1 or 1/0 2x), not sure about the swivel.

"As anglers find more of the sneaky spots, with better mapping and utilization of electronics, relying on [old] spots becomes tougher and tougher each season."

- Gussy "only my mom calls me Jeff" Gustafson talkin' 'bout relying on memories/old waypoints when fishing local tourneys.

Last few years we've all heard more about "sneaky spots" and fishing for 1 fish or 2-3 fish groups than ever before.

I was flipping through GQ mag the other day and guess who I saw in it!!

Lol none of that is true but is that great or what! For the record, I am not endorsing enjoying "darts" at all kids....

Election time so we've all been seeing these types of maps, but not about this – these are the states where it's legal to own a raccoon:

Fishers of Men Tournament Trail

Bass Chaplain podcasts

Contact Chris Wells the Bass Chaplain

CullGear.com - Versaweb

Advanced Angler

StrayCasts crazy web show!

BassEdge Radio

Champion Jigs

Trophy Bass Co.

National Professional Anglers Assoc.