Saturday I had one of the greatest sports experiences of my life. Totally unexpected. I went to a track meet at my kids' college and we happened to sit in the Jamaican section. Teams from Jamaica were at the meet, I guess in Jamaica track is THE sport.

Those fans were the most positive, joyful group of people I have ever been around at any sports event. Wow. Beautiful. So smiley, so friendly, so into it, no negative words/criticism. They rooted on the Jamaicans but loved any competitive finish no matter who it was.

Profound. I was on a high from that experience for a few hours after I got home. God bless Jamaica. A lesson for me too, no doubt.

Couple quick asks:

1. Know a reputable company to ship vehicles? Need to move a compact SUV and a motor scooter to FL. Also maybe my boat – might not be able to tow the boat there myself, too many things to transport. Please let me know!

2. Only about 12.5% of the folks who get the BB email are subscribed to the BB YT channe. I know you're on YT so please hit the button if you would, thank you!

Let's git to bassin'!

First questions 'splains why I called him – believe he's just had his best 2 back to back finishes ever on the Elites. Congrats to him, here we go:

1. Why did you get those 2 top 10 finishes in the 2 FL events? What was different?

> "Both of those events were really what I would consider grinder tournaments. FL still has big fish, but they were still kinda grinder events. You can look at...my career I do well in grinder events, where people aren't catching 50 fish a day."

2. Did it have anything to do with FFS not being as much of a player?

> "Oh yeah absolutely. ...whether you like it or don't like it, our hand has been forced to utilize it because it's such a dominant technique. And those 2 bodies of water we just fished – I'm not going to say you can't use it because obviously you can, but it's not as dominant.

> "So not utilizing it and and letting me get back into instinctual fishing definitely played into my hand."

3. Do you think FFS should be banned for at least some tournaments or do you not care?

> "I don't think it should be allowed in professional fishing. That's my opinion, from the Opens on up.

> "In my opinion...I don't think it's good for the industry from a financial standpoint. I also believe [that] with generational change in anything, a lot of things get lost. And technology generally is a good thing but is not always the best.

> "I think a lot of the traditional ways of bass fishing and actually understanding bass...is gonna be lost 10 years down the road. Because this is such a dominant technique, you have to do it...don't care how you feel about it.

> "So if your hand is forced to do it in 75-80% of events...[young anglers] would be crazy not to use it. Why would they spend any time learning skills, trying to find fish with seasonal patterns, all that...without FFS. If I was [young] I wouldn't spend any time without it either. I would just strictly Scope.

> "I think people will grow tired of it.... I think people watch this sport to learn and obviously it's fun: Who doesn't like fish blowing up on a Spook, a frog, a swim-jig or whatever. If you're catching 10-lbers Scoping, I don't think it's what the fans want. I just think they'll grow tired of it, and we need the fans.

> "Obviously this is just my opinion. I know a lot of people are gonna disagree with me. I don't have anything against anybody who uses the Scope, I just don't think it's great for this sport.

> "In most sports different technology has come along that could change those sports drastically, and those sports have drawn the line. They have not allowed certain things...at the professional level."

4. When did you get on the "cherry bomb" color Rat-L-Trap and when do you like to use it?

> "Probably a year or 2 ago. I primarily use that in low-light situations. I like brighter colors when the sun's out. That's generally a low-light situation and obviously generally a pre-spawn time of the year...."

5. A bait you use no one knows about is...

> "Probably if I gotta catch one, a little Bass Assassin Tap Out – a finesse worm that's been around a long time that not a lot people know about. Gp magic or GP bluegill, either one."

Bonus Q: Do you yell BANG every time you spray your soft-plastics? 😁

> "[Laughs] It all depends on if I just put one in the boat or not."

Check this cool shot of Brad getting his Paul "kneel 'n reel" Elias on at the St Johns:

Saw a little deal on his Insta where he mentions that he likes gold in his gp jigs so I had to call him about it. Here goes:

> "I've been using that for years, especially on any kind of gp-like jig. I think it's something different, it gives me confidence – it gives a little flash. I think the 2 things [a jig] mimics the best are a crawdad or a bluegill, and if you look at either you see a lot of gold in there.

> "It's just something that gives me confidence and that you don't see in a lot of other guys' jigs. We all want something different that nobody else has –that's been my theory through the years. It's proven to be a good one. I've won a lot of money with it."

I guess the good news for everyone except Tharp is his main color – "golden craw"– is available on his new signature Ark Flipping Jig. The "old school brown" color also has gold in it – it's not on TW but is on the Ark website:

He hinted that a few upcoming new colors might also have a little gold in 'em too – I dig his color named "Cayuga" which is like a gp/brown/watermelon with blue and black flake. He really loves the hook on this jig which he designed:

> "We have created an O'Shaughnessy bend, thin wire, 30-degree jig hook with a super slick coating applied to the raw hook. This hook is sharper, stronger and penetrates better than any jig hook I have ever used."

Here's the rest of his jig'n rig:

> "Trailer depends on the weight of the jig. Most of the time I fish a 1/2-oz and I use a big Zoom Salty Chunk [gp]. That's an old-school AL jig trailer....

> "If I go to 3/8, that [Salty Chunk] is overpowering...I use a Super Chunk Jr.

> "If its the brown or gp jig, most of the time it's gp [for a trailer]. Black/blue it would be b/b flake or sapphire blue. Those are the 3 [trailer] colors I carry.

> "For a rod I like my 7' 6" H Ark signature Team Cobra flip stick. It's a H but not real stiff – it's definitely more than a MH. It has a fast tip but it's still pretty soft so you can skip with it really good."

> Ark Gravity G8 Reel (7.1), and 16- or 20-lb Gamma Fluoro.

Word is Randall started on this whole gold thing after high school when he used to be in the jewelry biz:

😁

How cool is that deal! As the dude in the video says, it's one thing to know how far your SI is out there, but it's another to actually see it on a map like that ^.

In the video he shows how to do it – just a couple button clicks. Believe it's just for Humminbird Solix and Apex units though.

Here's the rundown for Episode 85 of the SeaFomWorks.com Top 5 of the Week in Bass Fishing!

1. Cory Johnston got 'er done 💪

2. FFS for bedders? 🎯

3. 1 Damiki in FL 👀

4. Clunn's 500th and 🤯 stats!

5. CA dirty 30s, Spool it right! ✅

Baits 'n stuff mentioned in this one:

6th Sense Bongo

Garmin LiveScope

NBT Screen

1. Jason Christie switches to a swim jig when...

...the water is too clear for a spinnerbait?? Never thought he'd do that! Anyhow here's the jig, a BOOYAH Mobster Swim Jig I think in the color "grand":

Word is that mouse-type head is the deal for partin' weeds....

2. Jay Przekurat fishes brushpiles with a Neko rig.

> ...does most of his brushpile work with a 3/8-oz "blue craw" Strike King Structure Jig...and a Neko-rigged Strike King Ocho.... The [jig] gets the first look and if no [fish] responds, he'll soak the Neko. "The Neko rig also works well when the water is colder...."

3. MO: Everyone okay after Lake of the Ozarks crash.

Sounds like it from the post anyhow, which says that one boat driver was not wearing a PFD. Be careful out there peeps!

4. TX wardens seize $100K+ of stuff at Sealy big bass tourney.

At Rayburn:

> ...inspect 300 boats, 243 motors and 100 trailers. Wardens seized over $100,000 of equipment.

No deets on what it was or how exactly they knew it was seizable.

5. New Tackle Warehouse JackHammer colors! 👀

Looks like 3, here's 2 – "TW black blue" and "TW gp watermelon":

Looks like I'm gonna have to make my own junebug one for FL? 🤔 TW also just released the new Z-Man Finesse TRD Fattyz Worm:

6. 2.5" Yamamoto Yamatanuki's name in Japan is...

..."floating raccoon dog"?? Lol seriously, at least according to Google translate for that post ^ – even though the bait doesn't float!

Check the Nuki's on TW. Don't sleep on "brown purple laminate":

Remember – "morning dawn" ketches 'em literally everywhere!

7. Hey flippers: Check the Lunkerhunt Hive Typhon.

Highlights:

• It's like a solid body tube
• Ribs displace a lot of water
• Lunkerhunt's Ultra Durable Soft Plastic Material (UDSP) = long-lasting and floats (those tentacles)
• Molded hook pocket to completely conceal a hook point
• Comes in white too

8. New Alpha Angler Mag-Hitter 2.0 flip/punch rod.

30% lighter than the OG Hitter and has a low-drag guides for braid. 7' 11" HF with a parabolic taper.

Asked if Brandon Palaniuk designed this one too and was told, "He will claim so, yes." Wonder what that means? 🤣 Just messin'...

9. KGB Swimbaits is about to drop a new crappie bait.

Believe this Thurs, looks great:

I'm no swimbait expert but:

• Seems like crappie are underrepresented in the swimbait world – and crappie fishermen sometimes catch giant bass that eat a crappie they hooked
• Some KGB swimbaits appreciate in value faster than gold or silver

10. MN DNR is spending $35 mil on ramp upgrades/fixes.

All those studded snow tires...😁

11. MD: 49-lb common carp caught on a plastic worm.

Susquehanna Flats, new state record. Seems like all carp, when they get to a certain size, will eat just about anything.

12. DC: ASA supports a lead tackle bill that would rein in feds.

> Instead of allowing lead bans, like the recent FWS rule to ban tackle on some National Wildlife Refuges, to be based on emotion or perceived ecological harm, this bill ensures that science guides decision-making.

13. NY: This 1859 lure just sold at auction for $44K!

New record for the Haskell Minnow:

Keep yer eyes peeled at the swap meet!

14. Can bugs be kept away with light??

Called Brite-Strike. Says it's been tested in ME, which has probably the worst bugs I've ever experienced. Lmk if you've tried it!

Do you NEED a high-speed reel?

Maybe not for flipping? Depends how fast you are – Abu Garcia's Andrew Wheeler talkin' to Stevie "Ray" Quinn at In-Fish:

> Avid tournament anglers...want fast reels for 2 types of situations. "First, they recognize that bass often pick up a jig or softbait as it falls or on the bottom, and may swim toward the angler. To hook it, you must quickly reel all slack before setting. This is a concern when every bite can mean a tournament-winning fish.

> "Once the lure falls into the cover, they want it back immediately if no bite occurs.... It's a machine-gun pace that may not be enjoyable for the average bass angler, particularly if their casting skills are not superb. Pros want to cover as much water as possible for maximum efficiency.

> "In addition, high-speed reaction-style presentations are easier with a super-fast reel...working a Berkley Choppo or other plopping lure parallel to the bank, or the staccato action of a pencil popper over open water to excite schooling bass.

> "We've built the gears and teeth on them to have strength and surprising torque, as well as speed. You need an aluminum frame and side plate to hold the gears firmly in place. These features cost more to make, so high-speed models tend to be more costly."

For me, an average fisherman, high-speed reels make working ploppers WAY easier. I don't need 'em (anything beyond 7.X:1) for flipping because I'm not good enough at it. This is the reel I use for ploppers, the REVO Rocket:

Fyi TW is still having a big sale on Abu Garcia Max STX Reels ($49.99) and the Abu Jordan Lee reels ($69.99).

"It's gonna be won this way. I don't know how it will not.... I don't mind doing it when I know it's the thing to do, but I'm just torn – it's springtime and I've been on the bank my whole life."

- Edwin Evers talkin' to himself about the Damiki during Dale Hollow BPT practice – from the most recent After the Cast vid. Reminder After the Cast is Edwin, Ott DeFoe and Andy Montgomery's behind the scenes YT show.

If you ever wondered whether Andy is all gas and no brakes, watch those vids and you will know! 🤣

West Coast stick Jeff Michels said he "ran into" this 14.75-lb chubby ditch gal at Lake Shasta, CA! Believe the lake record there is 15-09? The "little one" in that pic is 6-05:

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