Today’s Top 4
Some fat animals are beautiful:
Okay, not those. But how ’bout:
#twinning
Big friggin’ deal you say? Well:
> “We’ve got zebra mussels in there…they weren’t as prolific before like they are now.”
> “I know guys here don’t sight-fish, but I had a feeling that if they were spawning, that’s what we’d be doing.”
> “There were more fish up than I’d ever seen sight-fishing on any other lake. You’d pull up and look and see a 4, a 3, another 4, a 3. It was ridiculous.”
> He estimated the bottom 75 percent of the lake was gin clear when the tournament started.
> “This tournament is going to change the way everyone looks at Grand this time of year.”
Guy talking is Bradley Hallman (fishing in pic), who won this weekend’s Grand Lake Rayovac Central. He did it partly bed-fishing with a Zoom Speed Craw (gp) and white tube, but mostly with a Heddon One Knocker Spook (bone). Bone Spooks never stop catching fish yo!
No shtuff from FLWfishing.com:
> 3rd: 3. Matt Arey know his sight-fishin’, and flipped these-here Lunkerhunt baits: Lunker Bug, Lunker Craw and Lunker Stick.
> 4th: Todd Castledine used a prototype Strike King Poppin’ Perch [lookin’ sexy!] and Strike King Rage Bug.
Word is Todd be helpin’ Strike King develop the Poppin’ Perch.
What J Wheels (aka Jake the Snake Wheeler) looks for to find docks with bass:
How Eliter Micah Frazier visualizes swimbait fishing (“be the swimbait”):
How Byron Velvick sees sight-fish others don’t:
He SPRAYS frickin’ industrial-strength PAM cooking oil on the water with that alien ray gun! How did he learn that?
Hey Trait, whachoo theen about that?
Not sure if a thumbs up or a GTHO….
News
1. Eliter Boo Woods withdraws.
Said it was for personal reasons, does not have a hardship waiver so he’ll have to requalify. Couple lines that stood out:
> “The biggest problem for me with having to step away was the idea of letting my sponsors down.”
> “A lot of people don’t know this, but I never bass fished before the age of 22.” He’s 31 now.
Sounds like a tough call. Wish him the best.
Jody Only got the beef, though lake remains an “unnamed” one around Santo Diego:
> Jay Saberon had on a trout Huddy ROF 5, with a single top hook and no stingers. He reported using…20-lb Seaguar AbrazX.
Dude knows what he’s doing to hook then land a fish that big, that far out — got her at the end of a long cast, full deets (good story) at the link.
3. AL: Buzzards still eating rubber…
…off vehicles in parking area of Safety Harbor just below Wheeler Dam on Wilson Lake. #weird
4. CA: Fastest route to the Delta.
If the Elites lose sight of J Lu, Jared Lintner or whoever:
> I transit these waters everyday for work and unless they open up the Walnut Grove lock that leads to the North Mokuleme then the fastest route will be Sac River to Miner Slough to Sac Deep Water Channel to 3 mile slough to San Juaquin.
That’s a heads up for ya Overstreet!
5. B.A.S.S. behind the scenes folks.
Great story by don barone, and are many more such awesome folks you may never see or hear of.
World’s best fisherman? I wanna fish with this guy:
Cheaper than $78 yo!
8. What it looks like to be an FLW rookie.
FLW rookie Cody Kelley headin’ to the first event:
Elites should do that when they’re truckin’ past the pronghorns and whatnot gettin’ to the Delta.
SHIMANO CURADO WINNER
Last week’s weenner is MEAN GENE GREEN from somewhere that gets email — yep he’s from the email forwards pool! Email me back your addy mang!
_____
One mo’ left!
Win a Shimano Curado yo!
Reminder: Giveaway of a SHIMANO CURADO REEL A WEEK THIS MONTH TO BB READERS YO! All you have to do to be eligible is either:
1. FORWARD any BassBlaster to your bassin’ buds and tell them to subscribe or they can never be cool like you are. [Btw, you NEED to cc the bassblaster email addy so I know you did it!]
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3. POST some cool fishin’ or tackle shot (Shimano, Rapala, Strike King, Sunline, PowerPro, etc. would be good!) on the Jay Kumar’s BassBlaster FB page and SHARE it.
DO NOT email me entries because my inbox looks like Napoleon’s closet…. Good luck!
SHIMANO CURADO SHIMANO CURADO SHIMANO CURADO SHIMANO CURADO
Tip of the Day
Don’t get why some folks don’t dig this…but then I DO get why some people don’t dig dropshotting:
> …you’re attaching a glass bead and a two-way swivel behind a 1/4- to 3/4-oz worm weight or egg-shaped sinker. A 12- to 48-inch leader is then tied to the other end of the two-way barrel swivel with a 4/0 hook holding the lizard.
> The Carolina Rig is great for dragging around areas where habitat is a little sparser, such as secondary points where bass are stopping on their way to or from spawning areas. Although I did drag it through fairly thick lily pad stems at the Bassmaster Central Open in March on Ross Barnett and finished in the Top 10.
> As far as size and color, keep it simple. I nearly always use an 8-inch lizard, dropping down to a 4- or 6-inch version if the water is exceptionally clear, or the bass seem really finicky.i
Bonus Tip (sorta)
Buy ya a dang Shadow Rap or 3 already!
When you read this today, I’ll be out fishin’ ’em, along with some Strike King Hack Attack swimmy jigs and ‘Trap Echos (which I have not fished yet). Cold front, but goin’ anyway!
Quote of the Day
The best fish locator I ever had was a purple Creme worm with a white tail.
– 72-year-old Dale Rabe, who has fished 50 of the Texas State Bass Tournaments, talkin’ ’bout fishin findin’ gizmos today vs. yesteryear — and that’s why he still doesn’t have fancy electronicals on his Ranger.
That derby is this weekend on the T Bend, and:
> Carl Knox was there in 1955, and he plans to be at Toledo Bend this year. Knox, 92, lives near Lindale. He’s the only angler who has never missed attending the historic competition. On Saturday, he will make a ceremonial cast, just to maintain his streak.
#stout!
Shot of the Day
Here’s my caption for this’n: No friggin’ way.
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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