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How 'bout that Redcrest! Lotta surprises already fishing-wise, found out some cool Lowrance stuff that's comin' atcha next week!
Been meaning to say: THANK YOU to everyone I usually take for granted, like the guys who pick up trash, the guys who clean out the Porta Jons, custodians, farmers and many, many other folks who do the everyday no-glory stuff. You are loved and appreciated, especially by the Lord. He sees you! Bless you folks....
Let's git after 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 Invitational 'n Open bait breakdowns
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Let's get right into it....
Eufaula, AL Bassmaster Open
Just a 2-dayer due to a weather day, won by GA's Justin "time" Barnes:
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10% each = Swimbait, Shakey head, Stick worm (TX-rigged), Bladed jig (Z-Man JackHammer)
Shout-outs
- B.A.S.S. said John Garrett (4th) fished a Strike King 6XD when he wanted to make long casts into the wind and a 5XD for "preferred wind angles." Interesting. Sounds like he's been spending too much time around Xeith Dombs...😁
- Tucker Smith, aka 1/2 of the team that won that $$$ Johnny Morris tourney, was 7th.
- Elitist Brandon Lester started 2022 by tearin' up the Opens and didn't do too bad in this one either: 8th.
- This is the first time (I believe) that 6th Sense cranks have figured so big in top finishers in this level of tournament. Hit that in this week's Sea Foam Top 5 of the Week in Bassin'....
Clarks Hill, GA MLF Invitational
Won by Dakota "fire hot" Ebare, the only guy in the top 10 who fished a shakey head. Here's the top 10s baits broken down – looks like you coulda fished any way you wanted at this'n.
Spinnerbait = 30% – Sean Anderson (5th) let the fish tell him each day whether they wanted a a BOOYAH Blade with double COs or a Lunker Lure Hawg Caller with double willows. What school did he go to? Old school: 😁 #works!
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10% each = Shakey head, Crankbait, Swim-jig, Wacky rig (Zoom Trick Worm), Small swimbait, Big swimbait (Megabass Magdraft), Jig, Buzzbait, Prop bait
Shout-out
Cal Lane (9th) fished the bait his dad Chris designed, the River2Sea Lane Changer. Cool pattern – he was fishing ultra-shallow flooded "lawn grass."
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What are those trebles the pros are talking about?
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Behind the scenes word from some on the tours is a certain treble hook – or maybe more than one – is all that. Take a guess...
...I'll wait....
😁
Okay it's the Duo Realis Nano Treble:
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Apparently these deals are so sticky that you better not get 'em within 1mm of your skin or they'll attach themselves to ya! I haven't fished 'em yet, though I do have some Aaron Duo baits.
> Made with a slick Teflon coating, these treble hooks deliver rapid penetrability and offer low resistance so less force is needed when you go to set the hook. Made in Japan and dangerously sharp....
Rumor is that the hooks might be made by Ichikawa – whose trebles Rick Clunn uses – but I couldn't confirm that and don't know enough about the Japan scene to know either way. It looks like in the past the Duo trebles were made by Kishida, which only makes OEM hooks. Not sure if that's the case now – someone in Japan or who knows Japanese tackle please check me on all this stuff!
Fwiw in my own experience, the Berkley Fusion19s, the Gammys, the VMC Hybrids and others are sticky, plus there's the Mustad KVDs, the Owners, and now you have the new and also coated (like the Duos) VMC RedLines.
So I guess what we can say is – at this point we have the best trebles ever, and there's not really any excuse for not putting 'em on your fave baits (I'm talking to my split-ring pliers self here! 😅).
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What's going on in WV? Is the DNR unfairly singling out bass fishermen?
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Check it, from this post:
> ...a [new] rule which stated the number of boats participating in a bass tournament must be capped at 75% of the available trailer parking at the tournament’s ramp location.
> WV Nation prez Ken Hackworth: "It penalizes us for success. All tournaments in WV have a great economic impact on local and regional economies. We have a major economic impact when we come into an area with one of our events." ...limiting the number of participants would...curtail the chance to maximize that economic impact.
> Hackworth said while his organization understood the complaints [of parking issues], they believe it is unfair to penalize their members with a different set of standards. "...we should have the same rights they do. Do they limit recreational boaters to just use 75% of the available spots? No. Do they dictate to them they have to leave us 25% of the available slots? No. We should all be on an equal playing field."
> Hackworth’s second concern...was a new requirement for all cell phone numbers and trailer license numbers to be available upon request to any representative of the WV DNR. The regulation also required the tournament director to be on site of the event for the entire day.
> “We think that’s a government overreach. We were told it was for safety reasons, but...pleasure boaters and recreational anglers are not held to the same standard of having to turn over that information when requested."
Good job Ken! I'd maybe add that these bass fishermen spend more on fishing across the entire state than 10x that number of non-tourney anglers. Does that matter? Yes. Does it make them matter more? I don't think so and that's Ken's point: Why should anyone be treated differently?
Keep an eye on it....
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Sea Foam Top 5 of the Week – some best evers/yets?
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This week's episode is up! Here's what's up in this one, click the pic to watch!
1. Lotta champs in the Redcrest field (KVD's last championship too)
2. 6th Sense in the Open
3. New Power-Pole troller
4. New RedLine hooks
5. Steve Harvey loves bassin'?
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If you haven't subscribed to the BB channel yet, would appreciate it if you did! Just click here:
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When swimbaiting becomes an extreme sport
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🤯 Good luck casting that sucka! 😁
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1. D Hud switched to a softer rod for a shallower presentation.
Derek Hudnall who finished 5th jerkbaiting at the Seminole Elite:
> “I found this sandy bald spot which was totally surrounded by hydrilla. It was 4-6' deep and had patches of emergent grass that were growing up about 2' off the bottom.
> "My favorite jerkbait rod is a St Croix Legend Xtreme 7’ 1” MF but it was too stiff to keep my McStick from digging down into the grass. I had an idea that a softer rod would allow me to keep the bait in the top 2' of water and clear of the weeds...a Legend Tournament Bass 7’ M Mod...that rod was the ticket.
> "There were so many needlefish those bass could hunt in that one open spot and the bass just kept coming for them."
2. Ryan Salzman: How to fish bridges on Guntersville (YT vid).
How 'bout one called, "How not to be seen catching 'em on bridges anywhere." 😁
3. Carl Jocumsen will head a TN River cleanup...
...just before the Classic, Sunday Mar 12:
> The Fear My Heart River Clean Up is being held in conjunction with Keep Tennessee River Beautiful and several other organizations and will take place from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm at Governor Ned McWherter/Riverside Landing Park, 1648 Riverside Drive, Knoxville, TN. #stout
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4. Next 2 MLF Redcrests will be in AL.
2024 (Mar 13-17) will be on Lay Lake and 2025 (Apr 2-6) will be on Lake Guntersville.
5. Kevin Short bought a bunch of those fuzzy dice baits!
He's in Japan because he keeps getting lost on his way home to AR, and says "many tournaments in Japan have been won on these the past 2 years. Can’t wait to get them home."
6. Bassmaster editor James Hall either has too much time...
...on his hands or badly needs a vacation. Check this – crazy stuff:
> As the Classic is a 3-day event, competitors will have 4,320 minutes to compete...to earn the Ray Scott Bassmaster Classic trophy. [Brandon] Lester has fished 126 B.A.S.S. events to prepare him for this 53rd installment of the Classic. Now, add up every number I just mentioned.
> ...the answer is 4,499. Want to guess how many lbs of bass Lester has caught during his 11-year career at B.A.S.S.? If you guessed 4,499, you are absolutely correct. Mind. Blown.
Hall you gotta stop eating ice cream sundaes just before bedtime man! 😆
7. CA: First Western Bass Shootout coming Apr 14-16.
Cal Delta, qualifiers coming from the APEX Pro Tour, MLF Toyota Series, Wild West Bass Trail and WON BASS. Cool idea, hope it happens and is good:
> The field will include the highest performing 50 anglers who qualified through the 2022 season AOY points race. Competitors will all be vying for a 100% payback and a total purse of over $200,000, including a...Bass Cat boat and Mercury outboard prize package for the champion.
Useless trivia Q: Who was the first to do this kinda qualify from different trails deal?
8. ON: That 10-lb Erie smallmouth was 16 yrs old.
And a female with no eggs. And yes, the ON DNR requires that the fish be killed to be certified....
9. WI: Couderay River smallies mostly 3-5 lbs...
...and less than 8 yrs old. I'd fish it!
10. CA: Largies being "seen" up to 100' deep in Berryessa.
I thought 20' was deep!
11. Grundens spring stuff is out and...they got camo!
Good to see 'em with some camo. One example is the Downrigger Gore-Tex Jacket in "refraction camo creen/anchor:"
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Z-Man JackHammer (fire craw orange blade) with a a Z-Man Goat Twin Tail (fire craw).
13. Confirmed: V&M sold to Luck-E-Strike owners.
Had it in the BB (and on Bassmaster.com) last month, officially announced yesterday:
> LA-based V&M Baits announces its recent sale to LES LLC, the ownership group that recently acquired Luck-E-Strike Baits.
> Zac Bandy, majority partner in LES...said the V&M acquisition provided the ideal complement to Luck E Strike...acquired in fall 2022. Bandy said his longstanding friendship with [Cliff] Pace – a member of the most recent V&M ownership group – brought to his attention the opportunity to quickly integrate an established brand of soft-plastics and jigs.
> ...V&M’s move to AR will bring it under the same roof as not only the Luck E Strike brand, but also Pro Built Jigs, Renosky, Nemire and Jimmy Houston Inspired Spinnerbaits.
Cliff is like:
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Tidbit: "Gleason's candy" is V&M's #1 selling color.
14. ME: 2% of fish have soft-plastics in stomachs.
18,000 fish stomachs examined by the ME DNR. Not sure why they didn't say 90% don't? Anyhow, the ME Audubon Society wants to:
> "...hear directly from the anglers...when, where, and how frequently are you finding plastic lures in the fish you catch? There are various innovative ways to secure soft plastic lures and we want to make sure everyone fishing in ME has all the tools to help prevent incidental loss of lures while angling.
I am skeptical (of course hahaha!) and wondering what's really at play with the bird peeps....
15. AZ: Some Roosevelt ramps closing cuz too much water.
It's 86% full. Lotta rain in Cali too.
16. CA is going after Delta invasive plants with chemicals.
> Starting Mar 1, DBW began herbicide treatments to control water hyacinth, South American spongeplant, Uruguay water primrose, Alligator weed, Brazilian waterweed, curlyleaf pondweed, Eurasian watermilfoil, hornwort (aka coontail) and fanwort.
As always, I will ask: What's the aquarium industry contributing $-wise? How about the plant biz?
17. CA spending $22.5 mil on salmon projects.
All good stuff BUT it's the dams! Not sayin' get rid of 'em, just sayin'....
18. DE: Pat Emory new head of the DNR Div of Fish and Wildlife.
> Emory has served his entire career with the Dept, most recently as director of Div of Community Affairs.
> Emory is to replace former director David Saveikis, who recently retired from DNREC after a nearly 40-year career....
Headline of the Day
Live Sonar Has Changed How We Fish, But Is It Too Helpful?
My 2c: Let's see how it plays out before jumping to any hasty conclusions. Remember the A-rig hysteria....
Lines of the Day
America’s 52.4 mil anglers contribute $148 bil in economic output and support 945,500 jobs across the entire country, while also contributing $1.8 bil towards conservation.
Dang straight! No one else comes close to that conservation $$$. More info plus a clickable state by state map at this link.
Park managers are worried decontamination procedures will kill boat traffic.
After 1 zebra mussel was found in CO's Highline Lake State Park. Wonder if they will decontaminate the herons and ducks too?
Rod Name of the Day
Jabbers Pleasure Seeker Ultralight
Hahaha what??
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Chad Pipkens: 60 vs 90 degrees for tubes.
From a post on the Bassmasters:
> ...he’s going to reach for a tube jighead with a 60-degree line tie every time. A 90-degree model has its place in the vertical drop and hop routine, but if he’s video-gaming...uses a dropshot.
> “I feel like a 60-degree head comes through stuff better, especially if you’re dragging it. I feel like the 90 catches more (on cover).
> “When you’re setting the hook with the 60-degree tie, it’s more direct – you’re pulling through the hook. ...when the 90-degree (jighead) is pointing up, it doesn’t pull the same way. It doesn’t pull up into the fish’s mouth.
> “That may be mental, but fishing is 90 percent mental. So if you think it’s giving you a better hook-up percentage, you have to do what you think is best."
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“You’re not thinking about, Where am I going to catch one? How am I going to catch one? Man, the fishing sucks."
- Hahaha that's Brent Ehrler talkin' 'bout his mental getaway: mountain biking. Danged if the pro fellers don't have those days too...and their INCOME is tied up in it!
He stopped riding for a while after a big fall messed him up and left him way outta shape for the 2022 season. Thought his wife put all the bikes on Craigslist after that but I guess not...🤔
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What's that unit to the right of David Fritts' console? I think I'm having a flasher-back...😂 Love it! Great shot by the one 'n only JO:
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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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