Yo! Heading down south to fish some jigs with sketchy characters so the next BB might be a little delayed – but it's comin'!
Shoutin' out Pat "Travers" Renwick of Strader Casts for bein' a bud – sent me one of his fave cranks ever that was EVHd:
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How cool is that! Not sure I could fish it fast enough or with both hands or with a jazz "swing"...those are a few of many amazing Eddie Van Halen deals....
PSA: If your email program is cutting off the bottom of the email, just click the "View this email in your browser" link at the top of the email to see the whole thing. We're working on another workaround or 2 as well.
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3 quick Qs with Kevin VanDam.
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Is Kevin finally done with that whole winning tournaments deal? Does he even need to practice anymore?? Will his cat Cinderblock ever lose that weight???
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Hahaha let's find out! (Maybe!) Here's 3 quick ones with the dude Jacob Wheeler and the rest of the crew are tryin' to ketch up with trophy-wise:
1. Is this finally the year you're all washed up and can't win a tournament? 😁
> "I sure hope not."
[He laughed a little but I thought I'd get more outta him than that! He knew I was kiddin'...and knows some peeps doubt him when a year or 2 go by with no Ws...and then this happens:]
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2. Didn't think you had any sponsor openings – what's up with the Costa deal?
> "It's a great change. Costa's so entrenched into fishing and is owned by the same company [as his former shades sponsor, Oakley], so basically a shift in upper management marketing led to that opportunity. I'm excited about it and glad to be with a company focused on the sport I love."
3. Did you or will you change anything fishing-wise or boat-wise for this season?
> "I'm always changing little things...like tackle, adding to that. But I don't have any major ones I can think of.
> "I had [Humminbird] Mega Live for the 2nd half of the season – that's probably going to be the biggest change for me now that I've gotten to used to it. When you learn it, it definitely changes the way you fish.
> "I have a dedicated unit just for Mega Live, so even if you're not looking for fish it's always working for you.
> "...you see how they react to your presentation, you see a fish follow a bait you didn't even know was there and adjust your retrieve – it's definitely a difference-maker.
> "How many tournaments last year did the winner not say that some type of forward-facing sonar was a big factor in his performance? So there you go. Love it or hate it, it's a definite weapon or tool for a professional angler."
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Great tips on REWIRING your rig from...KVD.
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It ain't the VanDam issue today, just good stuff hittin' at the same time so gotta have it! Here's some more KVD wisdom from a must-read deal on the MLF site if you're upgradin' your 'lectronics – which Kevin's bro does all the time at D&R Sports:
> ...when it comes to updating your boat with new equipment, I would advise purchasing within one company or family of related brands for your upgrades, especially regarding trolling motors and graphs.
> ...having trolling motors and graphs that communicate with each other is a trend that offers some big advantages. Autopilot functions in the trolling motor that self-navigate to waypoints or follow depth contours from the graph are examples of such benefits.
> ...no matter the type of battery you choose, (lead/acid, AGM or lithium) if the size of your cranking battery is a Group 24, just know you'll have to upgrade that to at least a Group 27, or better yet, a Group 31 to run these new components. The same is advisable for your trolling motor batteries....
> If you have 20-year-old ultra-thin wire running to your console, then splitting off to livewells, bilge pumps, lights and electronics, you will probably need to run some fresh 10 or 8 AWG marine-grade wire straight to your new electronics in the console and the bow. Such dedicated wiring will allow your electronics to work at peak performance.
[All the riggin' folks I've talked to said that is the biggest deal – the right wire and wiring.]
> The #1 rule is to buy the most current generation possible. Be wary of buying "backwards" in technology. Some previous generations may not be able to perform the newer functions...the more powerful it is and the more capacity it has to be updated in the future.
> As for size and number of units, the minimum size I would go with is 10" and the minimum number is 2 units: 1 in the console and 1 in the bow. This allows you to run mapping, sonar and bottom scanning. You'll have to split the screens to run some functions simultaneously, which is why 10" or more in screen size is necessary.
Kevin reminds me of Al Lindner: 2 of the best fishermen ever, and they're both always relentlessly curious and are REAL GOOD listeners.
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Can your line change your rod action? 🤔
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If you're a rod nerd, the answer is yes. In fact, such nerdy peeps would answer yes to everything: wind, temperature, reel, whatever. But let's focus on line for a sec. One such rod nerd – Jake Boomer of Alpha Angler Rods – said this in a recent post with some NPFL vid of him flipping a dock with his Zilla rod:
> 1. In the video, wrestle a 3-lber from under dock with multiple obstacles (20-lb line mandatory).
> 2. Bait placement for docks requires accuracy, which is a Zilla specialty.
> 3. Zilla won't overpower the fish. Instead of pulling against a fish, wrapped in pilings, and potentially tearing out hooks, Zilla allows for even pressure, allowing the fish to "swim" his way free.
> During practice for this event, a few FL bass whooped my b*tt (never got them out). So I attempted [using] the more powerful Alpha Hitter with 20-lb test. Results = Less accuracy in presentation and no increase in landing percentage.
> If your landing percentage doesn't increase with a heavier setup, but your accuracy and bite count decrease...then take the best option.
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Okay you needed that for background – then he said this:
> Sneaky trick = Use heavy, low-stretch 20-25 lb fluorocarbon to make a MH perform more like a H-action rod (as long as you're still accurate).
So:
- Does that mean a H rod with braid is more like an XH or XXH/Ish stick?
- Does the effect decline with rod stiffness?
- Should folks who graduated from the Jon Cox school o' bassin' care about any of this??
Gotta get with Jake at some point...when I have a couple hours to argue about rods...😆
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"...my biggest disappointment has been my inability to move the needle on the importance of setting aside water in our streams and rivers for fish and wildlife."
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> Many of our watersheds have been over-appropriated, leaving little water for aquatic species. OK is 1 of only 2 states that does not provide water specifically for fish and wildlife.
Believe what he's saying is industry, townships, farms, etc all have laid claim to a portion of a state's water resources. I guess most states have some sorta wildlife provision – BUT pretty sure when push comes to shove, fish will be at the bottom of the pecking order. Also wouldn't be surprised if the water is "oversubscribed," but someone would have to do that math.
Interesting "ko-inkydink" is that Gene Gilliland, B.A.S.S. conservation director, listed exactly this issue as one of his "Top 5 Threats" to bassin's future. Then again, Gene's also from OK – and in fact was a participant in a launch ramp parkin' lot OK vs AR arm-wrasslin' deal a few years back....
Okay I can't verify that last deal but I'm pretty sure all bassin' rumors are true...🤣
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Here's a new one: Preparation H on baits?? 😱
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Recent NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Red Farmer was interviewed by Tony Stewart – guess this is what went down:
> A number of NASCAR personnel are equally enthusiastic about bass fishing and Red seemed to be able to outfish them all. While the pair fished together one day, Tony noticed Red dabbing a mysterious concoction on his bait. Red called it "Hueytown Honey" – the bold H on the tube revealed it to be Preparation H.
If that's for real, I don't even wanna think about how Red got on that deal. Here's the ingredients:
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> "...allows me to really get down there [11-13' vs 7-9' for the original Wiggle Wart] to fish that I feel have not really seen that profile or that action before. That's a huge deal.
> "This bait is so aggressive. There's times when these fish just want that wide-wobbling action. ...you do not have to crank the speed up too fast to trigger those fish into biting. Take the time to just sort of feel around in those rocks. You don't want to overwork this bait."
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3. Is Ott DeFoe lookin' BUFF?
Yep he is:
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Bonus good cold-weather kid fishin' tip from Ott:
> "Fishing with kids can be a good time even in cooler weather if you plan correctly. A big thing to try to do is pick the time of day when the fishing should be best. When the weather's nice, being on the water all day is fine. In less than ideal conditions don't stay too long, just be there when they're biting!"
Says it all mang! EMOJ Bobby is good people...and just as intense as he seems to be on TV....
I'm callin' it...Hyperactive Target. 😂
For pressured feesh and spotted bass.
Lee Livesay, Derek Hudnall, Marc Frazier, Matty Wong.
Elites: Jeff Gustafson, Carl Jocumsen, Hunter Shryock, Wes Logan, Chad Morgenthaler, Paul Mueller, Justin Hamner, Justin Atkins, Josh Douglas.
MLFers: Brent Ehrler and Jeff Sprague.
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Doesn't get better than that! 🤣 Face is a 10 man!
Probly more than one, just ran across this deal about aspirin' Elitist and Opens angler Cooper Gallant talkin' 'bout his fellow north of the border boys:
> "10 years ago I feel like people felt it was impossible for a Canadian to go down there. And Chris, Cory and Jeff are not just getting by, they're all doing very well...."
Hey – they ARE doing well. Why is that? I mean, summer up there is like maybe 90 days long, and the bass are dumb and hungry 24/7, and then the rest of the year they fish on ice??? WHAT IS GOING ON? 🙃
It is a little strange, but then again the Japanese guys are doing well too – because all these dudes can fish, and the fish don't care where you're from yo!
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Props to brothers Lafe and Matt Messer of Kentucky Christian U! They won the tourney too, and did it olde skool:
> The winners split their time between Texas-rigged Magnum Trick Worms and Carolina-rigged creature baits on day 1. By day's end, they were sold on the latter and day 2 saw them catch all of their weight on the C-rig.
> "I think the most important thing was just how slow we were fishing it. I was fishing it as slow as I could stand to. It was probably a minute and a half a cast."
Carolina rig wins a big'n in FL! Love it! Also love this quote from Matt:
> "I told (Lafe) all week, 'If it was God's plan we were going to win.'"
👊👊
10.25 and 10.26 by 1st and 2nd teams respectively.
Tyler Nicol and Bo Howland at James Madison U in VA.
Kinda sounds like it?
> ...bass fishing is good with all types of soft-plastic lures and swimbaits. Try topwater lures at dawn and dusk.
Sounds like swimbait territory:
> "We're going to concentrate on growing giant-sized bluegill to feed on a one-to-one ratio. For every pound of feed they eat, they gain a pound."
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Here's some stuff that caught my eye, not on TW yet so links are to the SIMMS site:
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Clockwise from top L:
> ...Zack Swanson will join the North American operation on Feb 1 to lead the legendary brands of Lew's, Strike King, Zebco and Quantum as sr VP of brand management. Swanson joins the Rather family following a career spanning over 2 decades at Rapala VMC Corp, where he served as VP of sales and GM.
Internal hire. Marketing manager Curt Arakawa is now part-time to help with the transition, sounds like.
> Patrick Sébile and his partners will be using the online crowdfunding platform StartEngine to gather capital for their continuing efforts.
> A Band of Anglers is valued at $7,790,000 in this crowdfunding round with individual shares at $5 and a $200 minimum investment.
Reminder that they were gonna be bought by Bass Pro Shops but that deal didn't get done because of gov't regulation. Says in that deal that firearms and ammo will be big deals for 'em going forward, and mentions that Dick's has "pulled back on the fishing category, and management had said it's making room for more team sports and golf items."
Warnings: South Jersey Bass Mafia initiation required, travel to sketchy NJ required, proximity to Pete Gluszek required. 😁
Guess it's comin' to a bass rig at some point??
Headline of the Day
🤔...unless fundamental biology/ecology has changed, pretty sure any shift is because of their prey moving. To me that's sorta like saying climate change moves bass into creeks, not shad movement. Anyhow, if this means tiger sharks and baitfish and FL largies can live up here in NJ now, woohoo! 😆
PSA
On that Senko spinner blade deal, did not realize Z-Man made a pre-rigged one (thank you David Walker) – called the Z-Man TRD Spinz:
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On BassBlaster.rocks right now...
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> "Brim are around the bass beds constantly during the spawn, patiently waiting to sneak in and grab a quick meal while the bass is not looking. I noticed how the bass reacts when this happens and have adapted an approach that takes advantage of the presence of brim."
> ...Texas-rigs [a Berkley Powerbait Gilly] weightless as it keeps the bait higher in the strike zone for fish that are preparing to spawn. "I will pitch that Gilly to the far side of the bed, let it sink and slowly swim it across the bed, killing it near the middle. I'll then hop it up and down and it usually gets finicky bass that have yet to lay eggs to bite.
> "After they lay eggs, I'll add a weight to my presentation to keep the bait on the bottom where the eggs are."
> ...certain bass will sit outside the bed on purpose and let the brim swim in. Once enough are there, the fish will swim in and start knocking them off. By having a bait that looks like the brim, and waiting until other brim are on the bed, when the bass begins to chase the brim away, the Gilly remains and is often an easy meal for an angry fish.
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"I think it's very possible there is a new state record out there. We just need the right angler to find it and put it in the boat."
My only Q: What makes up "the right angler"? Is he (or she) slim? Photogenic? Married with a couple kids and a dog? Willing to give up the exact bait and color? 🤔
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I'd rock shorts in chartreuse, chart/blue or chart/black. And maybe chart/purple....
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How do you know when a state has its priorities right? What's some evidence they know how to raise delicious sausage the right way? Things like this deal, rolled out last week – the world's largest cast iron skillet, made by Lodge Cast Iron South Pittsburg, TN. Not sure how they seasoned an 18' 14,360-lb skillet??
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Jay Kumar's BassBlaster is a daily-ish roundup of the best and funniest (sometimes worst) stuff in bassin', 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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