You been hearin’ ’bout and seein’ pics of this Butch Brown cat, Cali swimbaiter, 60-lb limit. Got a cult follerin’. Not sure if it’s because of him or the re-new swimbait scene generally or what, but word is the Deps Slide Swimmer is flyin’ off the shelves — the 250 size and especially the smaller 175.

This is significant because that bait costs…wait for it…$120. That’s 120 1-dollar bills.

Here’s a new color, not yet out, Blue Back Herring:

More comin’ soon in the BB.

Full disclosure: I know what it is, but can’t tell (sorry mang!). Rhymes with one of these:

• Stim plate
• Dirk crate
• Frank mate

You’ll find out on or just before the Classic. Supposed to be crazy good…#hurryuprapala

MLFers vid. Tommy, it’s “Tune in Saturday for Jack Major Link’s Fishing League.” C’mon man!

> “It’s very scary. Sponsorships have been few and far between so far, but I’ve managed to obtain a few.”

> “I wouldn’t change any of it for the world. I’ve put everything into fishing and my wife’s a stay-at-home mom, so there’s a little bit of pressure there.”

A little?? Wishin’ you good luck bassin’ bro!

Improving the…Jitter Bug??

1. Martens no longer with Megabass…

> “While we are of course disappointed that our professional relationship will not continue in 2015, we certainly understand Aaron’s decision to pursue a new business opportunity,” said Yuskei Murayama, VP of Megabass of America. “Aaron is one of the most gifted anglers of his time, and it is no surprise to us that a fledgling brand would invest heavily in his services.”

> …bass suspended near drop-offs and hitting umbrella rigs just 10 to 20 feet deep.

> …Yumbrella with 3.5″ shad color Gene Larew Sweet Swimmers on 1/8-oz jig heads. He uses a hefty G. Loomis Carolina Rig rod and 50-pound braid. [Loomis makes a U-rig rod too, here.] “You have to fish it as slow as you possibly can.”

> Noreen Clough’s memorial service is scheduled for Jan. 30 at 10:30 a.m. at the Chapel at Stella Maris in Timonium, Md. Arrangements are being made to establish a scholarship fund in her name.

Tip of the Day

Brent Chapman’s line choices.

> Jig — A jig is one of my favorite baits…I will use the heaviest line I can get away with that will not alter the action of the bait. I generally use between 10- and 30-pound fluorocarbon. For really big fish and fishing in heavy structure, I will sometimes make the switch to braided line.

> Topwater — …30- to 50-pound Gamma Torque braid. I do have one exception, and that is prop baits. For prop baits I will use a copolymer line. With braid there is little or no stretch, which makes working the bait easy and improves my hookset.

> Dropshot — For my leader I use about 18″ of 8- to 12-lb fluorocarbon. Recently, I switched from using the uni-to-uni knot for this, instead I use a Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp barrel swivel (size 12-16.) This keeps my line twist to a minimum, and I don’t have to worry about the knot strength on such light line.

Quote of the Day

I am the biggest tackle junkie on earth, worse than VanDam.

> I could take a picture of my barn where I keep my boat and it’s like a miniature Bass Pro Shops. Trust me, I am giving back by buying tackle.

Shot of the Day

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