Anyone need a MotorGuide Tour/Tour Pro mount? Somehow I have an extra one.
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One troller is gone, still have a Tour Pro 36v and Tour 24v. Very heavy and $$$ to ship so pls lmk if you would like to come get one.
LiveScope trade – I noticed that the trannie cable got jacked up so waiting to see if it is still good before making the trade. Thank you to everyone who sent in their trade offers, love the creativity!
So...when's the last time a pro tournament started on Feb 29?? 😱 Well, wasn't Feb 29 but one time in TX in Feb, Greg Hackney and Kevin VanDam saw "weird lights in the sky." Word is KVD told Hack, "I didn't see anything – and you didn't either." 👀 That was the 1999 Texas Central Invitational. Guess who won it.
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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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Top 10 at T-Bend was all about the Damiki
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The Damiki rig, mope rig, jighead minnow, pickle tickle, nip and tuck, wing ding or whatever you wanna call it 😁 was the deal at the Toledo Bend Bassmaster Elite. And if you paid attention to the MLF Bass Pro Tour event there about a week before, you'd know that's how the Elite would be won too.
The beeg weener in this one was, yep, Kyoya Fujita – who apparently doesn't even talk to the Japan media so you're not gonna see a full rundown here but:
- I think he's the first dude to win a top tour event using one of those insanely huge 22" NRB Battleship screens
- Last season I think he had 3 FFS trannies, and this new SonarPros IG vid running down Kyoya's setup says he has 5 LiveScopes and – with 6 screens including that 22" one – enough power in the boat to light up the Dallas Cowboys stadium for an hour. 😆
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He's not the only top pro running a 22" screen and other guys are running 4+ FFS trannies too, so no big deal there. Here's how he caught 'em according to the masters of bassers:
> Most of the week Fujita stayed in 1 offshore spot in the mouth of Housen Bay and targeted pre-spawn bass suspended in deep standing timber. When that spot began to fizzle on day 3, he moved to the creek right above Housen and caught suspended bass in 10' of water using his FFS in the mouth of that creek. That spot produced multiple 6-lbers the final 2 days, several of which he believed to be post-spawners.
> In both areas Fujita used a Jackall Drift Fry and a Deps Sakamata Shad, and rigged them on either a 1/8-oz or 3/16-oz Keitech Super Round Jighead. When he located a bass on Garmin LiveScope, he would cast to it and then lightly shake the bait in front of the bass until it bit.
Before getting into the full top 10, here's what Pat Schlapper and Robert Gee fished. Might get Patrick Walters' and Ben Milliken's info when Fork is done.
3rd: Pat Schlapper
> 3.5" minnow soft-plastic (gizzard shad), 3/16- and 1/4-oz Queen Tackle LS Tungsten Jighead, 12-lb Sunline SX-1 Braid to a 10-lb Sunline FC Sniper fluoro leader, 3000-size spin reel, 7' 3" M XF St Croix Legend Tournament Spin Rod.
> Suspended fish in 15-30' around grass and timber.
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Quick breakdown of the top 10's baits:
Damiki = 100%
Jerkbait = 30%
Neko rig = 10%
Flip plastics = 10% – YUM Wooly Bug
Shout-outs
1. Check a better shot of Robert Gee's Crock-O-Gator Slide Shad:
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2. Luke Palmer (6th) was the only guy in the top 10 who flipped, although he also Damiki'd:
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Good job new kid! 😆
4. Alex Wetherell's (10th) soft jerkbait was a 5" Caperlan Yubari – never heard of it.
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Alton Jr and Geecrack are gittin' fuzzy with it
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Fuzzy dice-ish? Saw a post on it, called Alton Jr, here we go:
1. What is this thing and what was the inspiration for it?
> "It came from the Imo Kemushi, another heavy salt bait with skirt material run through it. It's a Cover Scat-style bait. Actually the [Geecrack] Imo Ripper is the original [heavy soft-plastic] style bait. Then [Greecrack came out with] the Imo Kemushi, and now we have the little brother – called the Cue Bomb.
> "...seeing the draw power it has on really pressured fish...the bite-generating side of it."
2. How and when do you fish it?
> "It's a bait that is specially-designed for pressured fish, typically in clear water. You're looking at fish that have seen a million different presentations and you're looking to show them something different.
> "It's not something to cover a lot of water with. It's not going to be a fish-finding tool, but will be a fish-catching tool in the right situation.
> "We all know about the the OSP Fuzzy Dice. That's what this will be compared to in a lot of people's minds. This is a larger bait than the Dice. We wanted it to be a little more fishable [so it's heavier] to be able to cast it. ...a little bigger profile and more strands of skirt material makes more applicable for LiveScope.
> "It's gonna have 2 main techniques – thrown weightless on a small circle hook for shallow-water applications, 6' and less. For deeper applications, fishing it on a dropshot.
> "There's going to be 2 sizes: 1" and 1.2" which weigh 4 grams and 5 grams respectively."
3. When your dad saw this bait, did he stop talking to you for a couple days? 😁
> "You know in the beginning he kinda laughed at me, but he's done what lot of us have done with the JDM baits. Now he says, 'When can I get some?'"
Hahaha I bet! The Cue Bomb is an official Bassmaster Classic release so I assume it'll be available sometime after that.
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"Much of what people thought they knew about bass behavior is actually incorrect. Coming to terms with that can be difficult."
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- From a great post by MLF Bass Pro Tour rookie – and FFS hammer – Drew "Blue" Gill. Here's what was before that statement:
> The information [FFS] gathers are facts, not theories. It’s a deadly accurate depiction of what bass are actually doing, where they are in the water column, how active they are, how they’re relating to cover and other species of fish, which direction they are moving — all facts, not guesses.
> This device renders live testimony of the entire underwater world and the patterns within that world. It removes subjectivity from the sport faster than any other product we’ve ever seen. And that’s really the rub: For the first time, forward-facing sonar is making fishing an objective reality.
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He also said:
> Within 5 minutes of seeing a forward-facing sonar screen for the first time, it made sense to me. No one explained it to me or showed me what to look for. The orientation, the spacing, the speed of the blips on the screen – it immediately became my comfort zone.
My 2c: There's a bunch of Drew-like dudes who haven't hit the national scene yet who are going to teach us all a whole lot about bass – stuff we thought was right but isn't. BUT we can still catch bass with that wrong info – so we must be geniuses! 💪😁
Also gotta shout out this hilarious meme Drew posted about how he fished recently – he's got a sense of humor!
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Drew is on BassEdge Radio this week. Haven't listened yet but bet it's fascinatin'.
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"You don’t need to be moving to make your side imaging work. If a fish swims by it leaves a perfect shadow as it swims by the beam."
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Shallow vs Deep FFS, Damiki and non-Damiki baits and...
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Here's the rundown for the Abu Garcia REVO Top 5 Bass Fishing Baits/Techniques of the Month for FEB 2024, Episode 2!
1. What are the tournament trends so far in FFS and baits (and jighead sizes)?
2. Is FFS use getting shallower?
3. It ain't all about the Damiki rig! Non-Damiki baits in wins and top finishes so far.
4. 70-year-olds are loving FFS!
5. Big screens are legit better because....
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2. How Jacob Wheeler gets jerkbait bites.
Talkin' the Rapala PXR Mavrik jerkbait:
> "I like to snap it a couple times to walk it under the water and then give it one hard snap and give the bait slack. That’s the bear trap and how I get over 90% of my bites.”
Also, that new/not out yet lime green braid he is using is called Sufix Revolve and is designed for spin reels.
3. Financial wisdom from Elite rookie Kyle Patrick.
Most younger pro bass fishermen just go for it. They throw it all to the wind and have at it. Not Kyle. Interesting and good to see.
4. A lotta tour peeps got Yamaha.
Drew Benton, Brandon Cobb, Kyoya Fujita, David Gaston, Robert Gee, Wesley Gore, Justin Hamner, Trey McKinney, Kyle Patrick, Cole Sands, Bryant Smith, JT Thompkins, Matty Wong.
5. BFL happenin's.
Table Rock, MO – AR's Landon Edwards won it after catching 3 bigs on 3 casts:
> “I rolled up, threw my Alabama rig and caught a 4.5-lber. I threw back and caught another 4.5. I threw back in again and caught a 7-lber. So, I had 15-something pounds with 3 fish.”
Lake Martin, AL – AL's Kyle Dorsett won it with LiveScope, a jerkbait and a Damiki.
Kentucky-Barkley, KY – Randy Stone won it power-fishing with a Z-Man Original Chatterbait, a Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap and crankbaits.
Lake Norman, NC – NC's Will Hammond won it with an A-rig and...a Luhr Jensen Speed Trap. 👀
Hartwell, SC – GA's Max Heaton won it scoping with a Damiki, "targeting pods of bass in timber from 40' to 60'."
6. TX: Sonar turned off for Rayburn Brandon Belt win.
Derek Mundy and Jason Bonds won it:
> “I’m not trying to rain on the effectiveness of FFS but I’ll tell you it was a total non-factor in this win. We actually turned all our sonar units off to eliminate as much noise as we possibly could around fish we knew were highly pressured and easily spooked."
So far Derek has won 4 of those cool Vexus belt buckles and $40K through the Vexus REV Rewards program.
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7. SC: A Jersey dude won the Bassmaster yak derb at Murray!
Congrats to homie Jake Coucoules:
> “This is pretty surreal, but it’s the best moment of my life. I have to thank God because that’s the only way this weekend was possible. I don’t know how everything worked so perfectly for me.”
Since he said that "best moment" thing I assume he's not married yet lol:
> "I skipped parties and proms for this. I’ve slept in my car and I didn’t eat for days to afford the entry fees. I’ve put my entire life into this, so for it to all work out is amazing. It’s gotta be God watching over me. I’m just so happy."
Hey Ike he said you inspired him – maybe buy him a sandwich if you see him?
His fishing deets:
> ...caught all of his bass both days with power-fishing techniques. His bait selection included a River2Sea Tactical DD Crank in the bluegill color, a Rapala DT10 in demon, a 3/4-oz Dirty Jigs wobblehead with a gp Strike King Rage Craw, and a 3/4-oz Z-Man JackHammer with a Hog Farmer Spunk Shad trailer.
> "I was mostly yo-yoing that JackHammer like we do for fluke [flounder] in Barnegat Bay."
Amazing.
8. B.A.S.S.'s Stevie Bowman wrote a post about rules...
...enforcement. Okay Bowman I read it – it's factual. BUT as I have said, in my 2c a major problem is the rules themselves – like still allowing phone use/texting in boats.
Notice that neither major tournament organization outlawed phones after my challenge to do so...which means some (more?) cheating can/will happen...and it won't get caught, punished or publicized. Ergo start with the rules and go from there.
We can't all pretend that all the "issues" with technology in bass fishing are just about FFS because they ain't!
9. FL: Is the Corps killing Okeechobee bass fishing?
By holding water levels too high? Scott Martin, B.A.S.S. and others think so. Man if FL messes up the Big O, they will have really and truly done something bad and dumb.
10. MN: Mille Lacs clown show being called out again.
I've called it maybe the worst-managed lake in America for good reason. Target Walleye points out a bunch of the current ridiculousness – including the state claiming that walleye "plumpness" is down?? – and even Al Lindner weighed in on it:
> "I’m sick and tired of seeing the insanity that’s going on...Mille Lacs is one of the best lakes in the country and they can’t get a handle on taking care of this lake the way it should be taken care of? Somebody’s gotta be accountable for this and it’s time for people to say enough is enough...we’re PO’d...we want answers."
Get 'em Al! If Al is ticked off, the MN DNR better listen man. And even though they're talking about walleyes, smallmouths have suffered under bad management at that lake too. This whole deal I think gives weight to what I said recently about many DNRs being outta touch.
11. MN surfaces lead tackle/ammo ban bill again.
In that story they talk about how bad lead is for children and fetuses – which has zero to do with the supposed issue. Anyone surprised?
12. TX: Latest ShareLunker is a 13.13 outta OH Ivie.
13. TX: Best bass waters you might not know about.
Listed by TX fish biologists. Dan B, Champion Creek, Gilmer, Lone Star and Canyon sound particularly good...?
14. Keep an eye on Great Lakes Finesse.
Brand came outta nowhere (I mean Canada lol) last year, and seems to have taken root. Luke Palmer fished the Drop Minnow for his 6th at TBend, and Evan Kung fished it for his 9th at the Ouachita Open.
15. New KastKing Kestrel BFS Reel is out.
Finesse baitcaster, 4.5-oz, now comes in 7.5:1 ratio in addition to the previous 8.4:1.
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Looks like you can only get it here right now.
16. Suzuki now has a matte black option.
Used to be just for the tour guys, now for everyone. Been interested in Suzuki and now even more...😍
17. Lowrance is rolling out some rebates.
18. NE: Water levels real low at some lakes.
> Horstman recommends boat operators have a spotter with them or check to see if the end of the ramp is visible from the shoreline or dock before launching if water clarity allows.
How long a ramp are we talkin'??
19. PA: Leetsdale boat ramp on OH River might be rebuilt...
...after a few decades of basically being unusable. Some funding still needed though.
20. MN: 83 Asian carp caught in Pool 5A.
21. CA: Removal of Klamath River dams is killing salmon?
Guess they didn't figure in all that sediment buildup??
> Ironically dam removal proponents claimed the project would help salmon, but now the Klamath River is being polluted with millions of cubic yards of decomposed algae, organic deposition, chemicals and fine silt that has built up behind the dams.
> Dead steelhead trout and other species are floating to the banks. Any salmon spawning beds in the Klamath River were undoubtedly destroyed.
22. Who knew treated fish scales can do crazy stuff.
> ...heating fish scales...transformed them to become suitable adsorbents for water pollutant Rhodamine B, a common pink dye used in textiles, paper, paints...associated with potential health risks such as cancer and liver failure....
> The scientists also found that the heat-treated fish scales emitted a vibrant cyan glow...under UV light. This characteristic can be harnessed to utilize fish scales as a natural material capable of transmitting micro and macroscopic text and imagery.
23. Keep an eye on...
Should we be pushing for state "right to fish" laws?
Good points by Frank Sargeant. Most states do not protect this right – needing gov'ts to "protect" RIGHTS seems like an oxymoron but whatever. Frank notes that wackos in some states are trying to ban fishing. Yep, that is one front of the war. I hope we can somehow push back even though not sure politicians will ever listen?
Here's how activists use lobstermen as bait to endanger ME industry, communities
"Activists" = well-funded groups (sometimes the $$$ comes from outside the US) who use the media and the courts to try to effect SOCIAL change in the US. Before you flat disagree, several studies done on this and even books written on it. They also show that the same activists often cross over in multiple areas: environment, animal rights, 2A, etc – because it's about social change, not the issues themselves.
Headline of the Day
Predicting the Classic’s winning patterns
Going off the pre-fish. Nope. This is where BassGold.com is the deal – because it has multiple winning patterns over a long time period, which when blended together account for all conditions.
Let me go back to when BassGold debuted, at the 2012 Bassmaster Classic on the Red River. I left that tourney 1 day early. Everyone was guessing what the winning weight would be. I said to Zona, "BassGold says it will be around 51 lbs." The next day Chris Lane won it with 51-06. And yep, BassGold also predicted how the winning fish were caught.
BassGold.com is free. Some pros still use it. I make zero $ off it, it's just a crazy good tool. It's a little clunky – we're hopefully gonna fix that soon. FYI!
PSA
If you're gonna store anything gas-powered for the summer – like a snowblower – don't forget to Sea Foam it. To stabilize the fuel but also run some SeaFoam through it to make sure everything doesn't get gummed up while it's sitting. More deets here.
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Swim worm for staging bass – and year-round?
Never even once considered a swim-type worm as a shakey-head bait or a year-round bait – let alone in junebug. But all it ever takes is one dude so...here's what bass-head and college football coach Buck Buchanan says about the YUM Thump'N Dinger:
> No matter where he fishes, and no matter what time of year it is, Buchanan always has a Thump’N Dinger on the deck. And it’s typically in the "junebug" color.
> “You’re really fishing a worm on a shakey head. ...it does stand up off the bottom and also has a lot of action on the tail. And you can fish it like a worm and get that curl-tail worm action. There are also times you want to be pitching it to targets like you’re flipping, almost. Except flipping with lighter line.
> “Especially 3/16. You can throw it on a light rod...it’s got just enough weight that you can still throw it. You get a power-fishing approach along with a finesse-fishing bait. It’s the best of both worlds, in my opinion. You can still throw it around cover and it won’t get tangled up. It has the old school curl-tail without a lot of appendages.
> “Really, I think it’s versatile enough to do whatever you want with it. It’s really great on rocky lakes where you’re fishing points, where they’re setting up and staging. You can swim it, drag it and hop it and fish it any speed you want. You can also fish 45-degree banks or where you’re dragging it down the bank or if you know where they are staging you can cast parallel down the bank and bring it back.
> “I would love to give a scientific answer as to why I throw 'junebug,' but it’s what I catch fish on. I throw it all the time. It stands out in dirty water and it doesn’t put fish off in clear water.
> "That 'junebug' color that YUM has produced...is fairly unique to other junebugs. It’s a little darker."
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Anyone else have 1 favorite bait and color they fish year-round?
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"You can’t see birds, you can’t see that Texas flag blowing in the wind, and you can’t see the elderly couple I saw crappie fishing in a boat together last week on Toledo Bend if you’re too focused on a sonar screen."
- G-man Swindle with a great point about blob-staring. Also said:
> "Forward-facing sonar has become so dominating you feel forced to commit to it, but I’m just not ready to fully retrain my mind to ignoring the techniques and intuition that built my career.
> "I spent 80% of my first day of practice here staring at the sonar screen, and then 45 minutes into today, I broke off a transducer. So, I went to the bank and swam a jig, and my head’s a lot freer now....
> "I just don’t want FFS to take the fun out of fishing. I’m just not sure staring at a sonar screen will ever be as fun as slack-lining a swim jig tied to a complete element of surprise...."
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Would you fish a teal/ice blue spinnerbait? Looks like it was made for CA salt but...🤔 Are we maybe due for some new weird or weird old colors? Posted by @warbaits on IG:
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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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Check out BassGold.com! It's FREE!
Sign up another bass-head!
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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GITCHA HANDS ON THE BEST STUFF!
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Gitcha BB social at these links
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