Today’s Top 5
…by Sunline. Scoop by Bassin’Fan:
> The plasma ion, or P-Ion, process alters the line and adjusts the properties in such a way that the line is able to perform better and last longer. Rather than adding a resin coating, the plasma-ion process changes the chemical makeup of the line….
> When plasma is introduced to the fluorocarbon production process, the resulting line is 40% slicker, 30% more abrasion resistant and…will last 30% longer than comparable lines.
> Sunline’s research showed that after 100 casts, the 15-lb version of Assassin FC retained 25% more slickness than another Sunline fluorocarbon line not treated with P-Ion.
> …the diameter of Assassin FC is a fraction larger than Super FC Sniper…0.0104 inches compared to 0.0102 for Super FC Sniper.
> Assassin FC will be available in 225-yard spools of 8-, 10-, 12-, 15-, 20- and 25-pound test and will retail for $19.99.
90+% of top-level Potomac River derbies — or for that matter, top-level tidal derbies — are won on a spot, usually one the angler has all to himself. That’s the way it happened this time too. Clark Wendlandt caught ’em in Potomac Creek, “which featured a mixture of docks, grass flats and shallow wood. He rotated between all three types of cover each day in an effort to see where the fish had relocated.” (FLW quote)
> Flipping: 1/2-oz 4×4 Jigs Randall Tharp Signature Series jig (pro green pumpkin) with Strike King Rage Tail (green pumpkin).
> Chatterbait: 3/8-oz vibrating jig (white) with 3.5″ Lake Fork Live Magic Shad (white).
After all the talk about sportsmanship at the Kentucky Lake Elite, this:
> After Wendlandt experienced motor trouble on Saturday morning, Fukae, who was fishing nearby, insisted that Wendlandt finish the day out of his boat. Meanwhile, Fukae stayed with Wendlandt’s disabled boat while it was towed back to the launch ramp, essentially forfeiting his chance to improve his place in the standings.
> “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen an act of sportsmanship that great ever in this sport,” Wendlandt says. “Every time I caught one after that I just kept saying, ‘Thank you, Shin.'”
That is seriously awesome. Requires a new definition of #stout:
Speaking of sportsmanship, here’s Randall Tharp on the ledge/crowd fishing thing. Gotta love Tharp because he wants to tell it like he sees it:
> My bad finishes on Kentucky Lake were a direct result of refusing to fish around other boats. I went to the bank, which is basically deserted in June, and had a blast catching the unpressured fish that live up there. Unfortunately for me, the fish I can catch consistently up shallow don’t weigh enough to pay any bills and will never give me a chance to win.
> These offshore tournaments also lend themselves to the waypoint sharing and information game that I hate. My frustration is that I work for the entire practice period to find five spots and another angler arrives with 25 spots better than any of mine before he puts the boat in the water.
> The confrontations between professional anglers is probably the biggest problem I see with these offshore events. I hate what continues to happen year after year, and I do feel that on the whole it is getting progressively worse. The stories you have heard or seen on TV are pretty minor compared to some of the things you didn’t hear about.
Before you think that’s unusual, t’ain’t. Stuff always happens on the water most of us don’t hear about, same as other sports even with the media sniffing around for bad stuff. Anyhow, at least Hackney’s over the whole thing…
…maybe….
The Tharpster also mentioned this:
> One of the reasons I choose to compete on the Elite Series over the FLW Tour is the absence of co-anglers. I got along with almost all of my co anglers just like I get along with most of the people I meet on the lake, but the fact is that their presence changes the outcome of each and every event, for better or for worse.
Dude, don’t stop there! Talk about the whole confederate vs rainbow flag thing! (lol)
This line from an Ike tip on Bassmaster.com made me wonder:
> This frog not only has more realistic looking legs, but more importantly the weight of the legs and the design of the butt tends to push downward on the surface
> The human buttock is formed by the 3 gluteus muscles, the largest of which is the gluteus maximus. Frogs also have a gluteus maximus muscle, so technically, frogs also have buttocks. The gluteus maximus is a very large muscle in humans because it is responsible for maintaining our bipedal, upright posture. The gluteous maximus muscle in frogs is not that large, so they don’t have prominent buttocks….
Where else can you read about such fishin’-critical items…. Btw, if you want a serious frog with a semi-prominent “buttocks,” check the Lunkerhunt Combat Frog:
News
1. CA: 18-lber is new Camanche record.
Don’t love the photo but a nice fish. Kevin Miranda, 18.17 lbs, 31″ long, 24″ girth. Caught out by Little Hat Island on a River2Sea deep diving crank. Exact bait not given, but probably either the Scott Martin Goon crank or the Jerk Shad.
Got an opinion on killing it (for all we know it was hooked bad), let me know here.
2. WA: Near state-record Columbia River smallie.
Looks large and in charge-shaped in this shot but don’t think a biologist could get that wrong?
> A Camas angler using a plastic grub near Stevenson caught a 8.53-lb smallmouth falling just shy of the state record. It was 21 7/8″ long and had a 18 1/2″ girth. The state record is 8.75-lb.
3. FL considering new bass regs.
Way different. Trying to grow more big’uns.
> …up to five largemouth bass could be kept of any size with only one 16″ or longer…. For Suwannee, shoal, Choctaw and spotted basses, the current 12″ minimum size limit is maintained, and anglers may keep only one bass 16″ or longer. In addition, the proposed changes include a catch-and-release-only zone for shoal bass in the Chipola River.
> …the current bass-tournament permit program will continue to allow anglers participating in permitted tournaments temporary possession of five bass of any size.
This dude caught 100 basses in a day, including this 10-lber:
5. MS: New limits for some lakes.
6. WV: Mon River locks reopened.
TBF HS champs are here.
8. Ultimate Match Fishing is back.
Begins this week on the Outdoor Channel, Friday 10:30 am EST, Saturday 7:30 am and 3:30 pm. Vid teaser here.
9. TX/NM: BRP/Evinrude ISO sales manager.
10. Rizzoli & Isles bassin’ episode.
Heard of the show, never seen it, thought it was an old one like Laverne & Shirley but I guess not. Stevie Bowman wrote a column about it too.
Starring Dave Mercer. Tease of some of the new baits:
> PulseArm connects your fishing rod to your forearm so you can feel more bites.
Saw it all over BassFan. Let me know your opinions here on the Faceybook page.
Tip of the Day
> “Smallmouth will hit a bait from behind and charge the boat,. The [7:1 reel] gearing helps to pick up the slack and regain control over the fish.”
> As they break the surface with their mouth open, he’ll run them from one end of the boat to the other, filling them with water and neutralizing their power. “They’ll still fight, but most often they don’t get the chance to jump as I have my rod tip in the water and I’ll pull them along.”
> …four baits he rotates through an area to make sure all fish get a taste of the menu.
Rapala DT10 or DT6: …bigger profiles with a fairly tight action…DT10 in shallower water to dig the bottom on a slow retrieve…favorite color is Ike’s mule [crawdad].
Quote of the Day
Fishing today is a lot more intense than when I was winning titles.
– The one and only B.A.S.S. rulebook machine Roland Martin talkin‘ indirectly ’bout his son Scott winning FLW AOY. More:
> “I was breaking new ground. He’s beating more competitors than I had to and it’s more of a challenge now than ever. It seems like the universe of fishermen is 100 times greater now.”
> “I have tears in my eyes right now. I can’t hardly wait [to see the AOY presentation]. I’m extremely proud of him.”
All cool, but Scott’s in dire need of a couple more sponsors:
Shot of the Day
Merp smallie!
Random
> “The findings indicate that extreme music did not make angry participants angrier; rather, it appeared to match their physiological arousal and result in an increase in positive emotions.”
Some of us knew that already (VanDam, Zona), but many did not. To be fair, all metal ain’t as good for you as this old-school Killer Dwarfs yo! Think that band is from Mercer-land….
Jay Kumar is the guy who created BassFan, co-hosted Loudmouth Bass with Zona, was a B.A.S.S. senior writer and a whole lot more in bassin’. His BassBlaster is a daily-ish roundup of the best in bassin’, and is the #2 or #3 daily read on any given day in the wide world o’ bass. Also available as an app:
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