Veterans! You are loved and appreciated. Your families too. I wish our gov't would treat veterans like they deserve and maybe someday it will. Either way, just know that us regular peeps are grateful for you – and I hope you buy yourself a pizza with extra pepperoni, sausage and bacon on it today! 😁 Bless you. 🫡🇺🇸💪✝️🙏

Gitcha Blaster video fix here:

Like this:

That's from an IG video where he's showing how to rig a Burtek Wrangler Minnow with the jighead on top of the bait – to make it roll easier (by changing the center of gravitational forces/relative density 😁). Here we so:

1. First of all, what's Burtek?

> "It's just a newer company that makes soft-plastics.... They make a little bit of everything, but that [minnow] was kind of their biggest seller. They make a wide variety – a little bit of everything. They're out of Crossville TN."

2. Any disadvantages to making a minnow roll by rigging your jighead that way?

> "Not really. You might run into a little bit of durability issues just because you are rigging it so close to the top of the plastic, but that's really about it."

3. Is there any reason to do this beyond just making it easier to make the bait roll?

> "It definitely makes it easier for people who don't do it as much to be able to work their baits more effectively in a way that will help generate a few extra bites.

> "If you just run it through the nose of the bait, a lot of times if you don't work it perfect it's not gonna roll. So when you rig it that way it just naturally wants to roll...you don't have to be as precise....

> "It makes the beginner minnow shaker a little bit more effective."

4. Do you always rig your standard jigheads that way?

> "I have been here recently. It's something I just discovered recently.

> "It may change as the water cools down and the fish are more lethargic. They might not like it that aggressive, but that's to be determined."

5. Are there any minimums and maximums for head weight and bait size?

> "No that does't matter – you can make anything roll. It does seem like with a heavier head it is harder to make it roll. You're fighting the head a little bit more. A lighter head rolls much easier. But you can make anything roll.

Foller-up: So if you put a 1/8-oz head on like a 6" minnow it's gonna roll if you rig the head that way?

> "Yeah you can pretty much get that to roll. You can almost get it to roll all the way over."

And so does BassBlaster's Brett "I catch crappie on jerkbaits" Jolley, who actually stopped by NBT today for a look-see. Learn about that in a sec, here's Jacob – I asked him what he thought about that HQ Interface Box ($1,800):

> "It essentially turns your unit into a tablet. With the way things are trending nowadays – screen limitations [in sq inches] and things like that – you don't have to have 3 different units [anymore].

> "All these companies make mapping and they're all good. They all show different things that one or the other doesn't show. With this box, you can run Humminbird [Lakemaster] mapping, C-Maps, Navionics, you can run Google Earth.

> "You can run all of those interchangeably through 1 unit instead of having to have a Humminbird, a Lowrance, a Garmin and an extra tablet to look at Google Earth. River systems for example, that's where Google Earth is a big player, you don't have to have an extra tablet in your boat to do that.

> "It's one of the coolest things I've ever put in my boat."

What Brett saw

Brett is a recent-graduate college fisherman so he knows electronics. I asked him for 3 deals he got from seeing that Interface Box this morning – he was gaga about it too:

1. Google Earth historical imaging capabilities – The HQ allows you (if connected to a hot spot) to use the Google Earth Pro app that now has historical imaging. You can use it just like a map – it will follow you and everything. Having that right there will allow you to learn your body of water way faster and cut down a lot of idle and search time if you have a pattern going. That's probably the best thing about it.

A little more about that from him:

> I'll use Sam Rayburn as an example: If I'm looking only for hard clay points, I can go pull up Google Earth and look and see which points are actually hard clay and which ones are just sand, mud, not good bottom.

> Not only that, I can see which banks/points have stumps, clean bottom, see what ditches are deeper, see where unmapped humps and hard spots are. Instead of idling for hours looking for details, I can literally find spots to check in seconds by looking around on Google Earth.

> When I get to those spots, I can fish them or idle them and see exactly where I am because of the map tracking.

2. You don't need a high-$$ Garmin unit to use the black box – For around $3,500 you can get a 14" NBT and the HQ that gives you all of the functionality of the HQ without having the Garmin. In other words, you get those capabilities without having to spend $10K on brand new stuff. But it works for those guys that are running the Garmin 8616s already for Scope.

3. You can use every kind of mapping – It's an Android computer so you can use every mapping app plus the Garmin map built into the unit. This allows you to compare contours.... Mitch [Petrik, NBT owner] mentioned it's especially useful for Northern guys since Humminbird [Lakemaster] has the only good detailed mapping for a lot of those lakes. But obviously it's highly applicable everywhere.

Man I kept looking at pics of that bait. To me it looked good and different, but I couldn't exactly put my finger on why it stuck out to me. So I called Berkley hard bait designer Dan Spengler and asked him about it. And sure enough, something's up!

First, you gotta know that Dan is insanely geeked out about hard baits – like he has his own library of 'em at home, which so far his wife is cool with. 😆 And he's a good fisherman, which you will see if you follow his IG:

He does fish for non-bass species but only because he has to lol. Anyhow, here's 5 with him about this bait. And I shortened his answers because he is INTO it man! 🤓😁🤙

1. What is the Ripfish in terms of a bait category?

> "It's a minnow profile lipless bait that glides out wide [horizontal] like a northern-market glide bait [aka "ice jig"].

> "...for years the market's been flooded with shad-style lipless baits. I thought, Well why isn't there anything in a minnow-shaped profile?

> "There's 2 main baitfish forage body types you see across the whole nation: minnow shapes and shad shapes. So...if I could build a minnow-style lipless bait it could be pretty unique and interesting

> "I wanted a finessey vibration, and I also was thinking if I weighted it properly and designed the shape right I could get it to dart like a Finisher and walk the dog. So...it's a hybrid between a Finisher and a lipless bait using that minnow profile.

> "...it does a good job emulating a shiner, a smelt and a herring...all kind of longer-profile baitfish.

> "...this profile sets it apart. It's a killer walleye bait because walleyes and minnows go hand in hand. But I love smallmouth fishing...what can I show smallmouth that's different than what's out there. ...a finessier-style lipless bait...smallmouth were one of the main species I was thinking about with this bait.

> "I think will be a killer spotted bass bait."

[I'm thinking any green bass based on what he's already said and what he says below.]

> "Lipless baits catch bass. There's no reason not to have a minnow-profile one or a herring-profile one."

2. How do you fish it – like a regular lipless?

> "...cast it out, let it sink down – it has a natural built-in swimming action. It swims down with a really big tail kick which is really unique.

> "...give your rod subtle wrist flicks – that's the key. Flick your wrist then give it about a second delay and flick it again...allows the bait to pop out [to the side] 12 inches to up to 2'. Give it a second or 2 delay to allow the bait to return back to center, and if you flick it it will pop out again...allows you to perfectly walk the dog.

> "No other lipless bait on the market that I know if darts like this bait. And we did this by design. It was absolutely the #1 goal with this bait, to create a darty, glidey, finessey style lipless bait that is totally unique to the market."

3. When do you fish it vs when you fish the Finisher or a regular lipless like the Jack?

> "Any time you want a skinnier or more finesse profile, or they're targeting baitfish that are more of that longer, skinnier or herring-style profile....

> "...when guys transition to blade baits in the fall...I think this bait will be really good for smallmouth in the fall.

> "I've also fished it early spring to early summer when the weeds start coming up. I've caught a lot of smallmouth in that timeframe. I like to let the bait crash on the bottom then rip it up. Smallmouth will actually piledrive it on the bottom. ...I try to rip the rod back and the fish is already on there...it's pretty cool.

> "You can reel the bait just straight too – it's not just a yo-yo bait. And you can burn it real quick. So when bass are chasing herring, that's another really good time to throw it."

4. Can you rip it through grass?

> "It does come through vegetation quite well. ...kind of a razor blade leading edge.... That was another key with the bait – how do we make a bait with this profile that can be fished in a lot of situations, especially when you're around vegetation.

> "Another weird thing I've figured out about this bait – I started shaking my rod tip like shaking a minnow, and I found that it gave the bait a unique kind of hovering action. ...for walleye, but I do think it will work for bass fishing...hovering the bait above the fish and it just came up and ate it.

> "You can kind of hover this thing and fish it like a jighead minnow...a lot of versatility you don't get with a traditional lipless bait. But that's yet to be proven for bass....

> "This bait hasn't been out there that long, but I'm curious to see [what guys will come up with]. This bait can be fished super slow and hovered, it can be burned and fished real fat, and everything inbetween.

> "It's got a front-position lead head weight to create the built-in action. Then it has low center of gravity tungsten weights to help with the sink rate of the bait, how it swims down and the sound.

> "It has a very unique crispy-sounding rattle when you pop it. I think that the sound is totally unique to any lipless bait I've ever heard."

5. Is slack part of the equation for working this bait?

> "You want to give the bait line slack. I like when I rip the bait up, I like to follow it back down and give it that slack.

> "If you want the bait to walk the dog, rip it, allow slack, and then count 1-2 seconds, then rip it again and repeat. That's how you walk this thing."

The Ripfish comes in 2 sizes: 7 (here) and a 9 (here). He likes the 7 for up to 20', and 7 the 9 for 10-30'.

Berkley officially counts the Ripfish as part of their "Forward Facing Science" baits. They now have 4, and only 1 – the Power Switch – is a soft bait. That's kinda interesting since Berkley makes both hard and soft baits.

Dan and I talked a little about why the Ripfish is a FFS bait, even though you definitely don't need FFS to fish it. Here's some of our convo:

> "I use this bait more than the Finisher now. It's so much fun to use and to me has the perfect sink rate for me. I always have one tied on every time out, even during the summer.

> "...I was fishing the Finisher and that bait has a pretty good return on FFS. But I was fishing with blue green algae and when it's real thick, it absorbs the sonar return to the bait and back. [The Ripfish] is flat so it has a much greater return – so I could see it much easier on the sonar.

> "...this offers 2 treble hooks so you have a really good hookup percentage [vs a jighead minnow], and if you want to move it aggressively you can. Guys aren't really fishing a minnow aggressively.

> "With this bait you can fish it slow or fish it fast, and when you fish it fast, you have those treble hooks so you have a better hookup percentage."

1. We lost a 25-yr-old brother on Norris, TN

2-boat crash during a tournament. Sounds like 2 guys in one boat were released from the hospital, but we lost the lone boater: James Bailey. Please pray for his family and friends. Bless you bassin' brother. ✝️🙏

2. Gerald Swindle got a knee replaced

Man I hope it goes great and he has no, or a lot less, pain. Word is he didn't have to pay a cent – the doc traded for 3 junk-fishing tips G has never told anyone...😁🤙

3. Mark Rose is now running a Phoenix

4. Joey Cifuentes will pre-practice next year

Says he hasn't on the Elites but did before the Elites.

5. LA putting together first Black Bass Plan with public input

> ...will be developed through a collaborative process that includes:

• A Stakeholder Working Group of anglers, guides, tournament organizers, conservation partners, and others connected to our bass fishing resource.
• A comprehensive black bass angler survey to capture the opinions, values, and priorities of Louisiana's bass fishing community.
• Public updates and opportunities for comment at key milestones during plan development.

You also can now do your LA boat registrations/renewals online.

6. How they're catching 'em in the Delta

> ...continues to find good action flipping and punching along with spinnerbaits in the north Delta as the bass are holding tight to structure. Winning weights at large tournaments are in the 22-lb range, but most teams are working hard for 13-15 lbs.

> Senkos, plastics on the dropshot or ChatterBaits are producing numbers, but the larger fish are found with crankbaits, jerkbaits or punching the weeds.

7. Old Stanley Football Jig = new Big Bite L.S. Football Jig

I'm assuming LS = Lonnie Stanley. Believe it's a little different – has a somewhat recessed line tie, hand-tied skirt, 1/2, 3/4 and 1-oz, 5/0 hook, 8 colors. TW has 'em.

8. Z-Man Shadtron swimbait – buy 1 get 1 free on TW 👀

Comes in 4.5" and 6", 2 different sink rates:

> ...ultra-realistic shad profile...with a rounded wedge-shaped tail that delivers realistic swimming action at extremely slow retrieve speeds.

> ...'over/under' line-through rigging system...can rig the Shadtron top-hook style...or belly-rigged....

> ...constructed using Z-Man's 10X Tough Elaztech plastic material to withstand repeated strikes....

Here's my fave color of it – not saying it's the fish's fave color lol:

9. This allegedly is a "kayak" tourney cheating setup

Screen grab from this YT vid. Kayak peeps are upset about it – a guy who faked a kayak look (and possibly other things) in photos for a yak-only online tourney. Crazy thing is it sounds like it was only $200 for the win??

In my 2c tourney fishing cheating is like the fed gov't – it's way worse than the folks who get caught. 😬

10. AL county opening fishing to home-schooled kids

Good! Franklin County.

PSA

The TW Black Friday sale is already on!?!? Get yer stuff before it's gone!

Look for 'eyeballs' now on FFS

Elitist Blake Capps talkin' spoonin' on Lurenet.com:

> [When he] is chasing bass during fall, he virtually always has a War Eagle Jiggin Spoon...handy on his deck. When bass follow schools of shad around in the creeks this time of year, they might be 5' beneath the surface or suspended 25' down. The heavy spoon allows him to reach the key zone quickly....

> Capps gets in areas where shad are plentiful and looks for what he described as "eyeballs" on his FFS. ...a round gap in a cloud of shad...the pupil is the bass in the middle. He also watches for bass that are not necessarily in the school of shad but are nearby.

> ...Capps casts or pitches his spoon to just past any bass he sees and watches the bait sink until it is just above the level of the fish. He then works the spoon with repeated sharp upward snaps of the rod.

> Sometimes he'll let it swing on a tight line for a moment. Often, he'll snap the rod again immediately.

> Because Capps is watching both his lure and the bass on his [FFS], he can quickly gauge how they react to the spoon and how that varies with different lengths and sharpness of snaps. That allows for quick patterning....

> Capps generally favors the 7/8-oz War Eagle Jiggin Spoon...because the heavier weight allows for longer casts when needed and it gets to the key strike zone faster.

More on FFS spoonin' coming in the BB soon. 👀

"I'll keep an open mind, just go down there and fish and put all my faith in the good Lord. If He's willing, and it's my time to make the Elites, I'll do good."

- 19-yr-old Fisher Anaya talkin' 'bout fishing the Okeechobee EQ this week. Going into it he is 3rd in the points and if he qualifies for the Elites would surprisingly be only the 3rd youngest to do it.

Rapala gave me the heads up on this young man I think last year – guess they weren't kidding! Looks like he was raised right, and he's been getting some advice from an old hand name of...Gerald Swindle.

Guess if you have to live this near a city, that's a real good way to see it! Jig man Ryan Whitacre posted it – he's now guiding in that area, hit him up at chicagobassfishing.com:

Saw these in the store the other day. Love the name but didn't buy 'em! Googled it and turns out "dang" in Thai can be a name – would be a GREAT bassin' name lol – and also means "red"...which I guess would make sense if you were like, "Get outta my dang face!" 🤣

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.