scaleface

In the late 70's I got my first baitcasting combo , it was a booger to cast . It was a red Ambassaduer 5000 with higher speed gears installed and 5.5' fiberglass Lews speed Stick . Looking through Bass Pro Shop catalog I found the Blakemore C.C. spinner . It was a black 1/2 ounce spinnerbait equipped with a number 7 "I believe" cupped , hammered , copper , Colorado blade . I bought a couple just so I could have something easy to cast at next club tourney . I won that event with three bass weighing 13 lbs . That was my go to spinnerbait for a few years after that. Roland Martin won a couple of events on big bladed baits and then everybody started throwing them . Kind of ruined it and now I mainly throw them in dingy spring time water .

I remember a story Rick Clunn told in Bassmaster many years ago . He was fishing a tourney and didnt have the weight to place . He was out of funds and wasnt going to be able to continue tournament fishing . On his way back to the weigh-in he saw a tiny splash , like someone dropped a BB he said. He made a cast , caught a four lber , cashed a check and was able to fish the next tourney . The rest is history .

When I fish from a kayak , canoe or peilcan type boat it isnt in big waters where big wakes are inevitable . I choose smaller , quieter , safer waters and catch a lot of bass doing so .

It sounds a lot better if you think of it as being in the upper 70 percent .?

Junebug is purple . Yeah , purple is my all time favorite worm color.

I do a lot of fishing from a flat bottomed jon boat and can attest that the Red Eye Shad shimmy's and clicks as it is falling . It can be heard . Worm fishing a Red Eye Shad is one of my favorite techniques .

The worm he used was old stock Ditto Gator Tails . I always liked those worms and at times would fish them like a buzz bait .

Good pick on Clunn .I picked him three times in the past and he finished in the 90s and 100s . Twice he didnt even bother to weigh-in , so I'm reluctant to select him .

This is starting to suck . I'm ready to set out some lines on a swollen river and catch something , anything . Make a camp fire , drink a six-pack , sleep in a tent , cook a catfish over an open fire ...

Buzzbaits are my number one top water lure and I usually start throwing them from about the spawn , all summer long , to early winter . They seem to work better in cold water late fall than cold water early spring . They are also fairly snag-less and get used in wood a ton . Bomber Long A is a killer post spawn shallow on points and cover close to spawning areas. I use poppers and chuggers occasionally . They are hot and cold for me . I just acquired a new Dalton Special that I like to use in the summer on flats and around wood . Spook type lures , I have never had much luck with them and have had a terrible hookup percentage . Havent used one for years. I have little frog experience but plan on using them more this year .

I might start . Wow , nice haul .

Mark Menedez was using a 10 inch ribbon tail in vegetation this last tourney and caught some sows .

Retired structure .

I have had luck with Beetle Spins in cold water too .

I just go with hunch and I suck at it .For instance I'm picking Cappo this next tourney because it may be a finesse spotted bass event and he is so huge most people will think he cant fish that way ., and he might not be able to , I dont know but that is my hunch . Plus he is a firefighter and so am I .

That in a nutshell is my strategy . Try to make a good choice on where the bass are and present several lures that will fish the cover or structure effectively.

I thought you wouldnt bother with making spinnerbaits , to expensive . ☺️

I dont know either but he must be good . Look at all that jersey . You think he would know how to pose with a fish though .

...and catches the biggest bag of the event on the final day.

Who did you pick in his place ? I never swap because I have done the same thing . I had Chris Johnston and Brandon Lester wrote down for bucket B and picked Lester . He finished 12th so it wasnt to bad .

Probably so , I was just surprised it wasnt pushing thirty .

Did that weigh-in seem "fishy" to anyone else ? Menendez over estimated his bag by four lbs . Congratulations to Rick Clunn .

Also , I use clear blue fluorescent line making it easier to watch .

I watch my line where it enters the water , the line will slack up a bit when it hits bottom if you are using mono . It might move a little bit signaling a bite . Pay attention how long it takes to slack up and the speed in which it is dropping .Any deviation may be a bass . I dont reel in line when the bait is falling . I lower the rod tip at the same speed the lure is falling allowing a slight amount of slack , almost tight . I reel in the slack before the next lift .

Its going to be a heck of a weigh in and if Chris johnston catches a nice one he jumps over both .