TOXIC

Thanks Glenn. I’ll pm you the pr contact. All-new 3” Zako is in response to demand from our pros and our customers. As many anglers start utilizing smaller bladed jigs, they asked us to make their favorite trailer in a smaller size. It maintains all the qualities that make the original the industry standard, just in a new fish-catching size. The all-new Speed Senko is sure to be your new favorite worm for covering water. Designed at the request of our pro’s, the Speed Senko is the ultimate worm for fishing grass and brush. It’s thumping tail feels like a Colorado coming through the water and makes it easy for bass to zero in on it in grass, laydowns, brushpiles or any other cover. Try Texas rigging it with a light weight and swimming it over grass. Or Texas rigged with a lift and drop retrieve in and around cover. This is one the fish will find, so you better find you some too! Utilizing the shape of the Shad Shape Worm, but pairing with our new “Mega Floater Formula”, we are really excited about the new 5” Shad Shape Worm! This new version floats, which makes it absolute MONEY on a drop shot when you want a bigger profile bait. It is also incredible on a scrounger head! The profile and action make it an awesome baitfish imitator that will fool fish no matter how clear the water or how you rig it. Largemouth, Smallmouth and Spots will all be suckers for the 5” Shad Shape Worm! The all new Slinko is unlike anything in our product line. First, the ribbed shape body allows for bulk while maintaining the classic Senko profile. The ribs not only make for great hooksets, they put off bubbles to give a more lifelike presentation. The most important aspect of the Slinko is its construction from our new Mega Floater Formula. It stands up on a jighead, dances vertically on Neko rig, and floats on a Carolina Rig. Although new, it has the unmatched action that you would expect to get only from Yamamoto Baits! Videos of all of the new baits are available on Yamamoto’s Facebook page. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjR36fuxor5AhXMFFkFHcFHDNQQFnoECBEQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fyamamotobaits%2F&usg=AOvVaw35x9-xBEzp6qeFQQ7d8yo9 I will get some stills of the baits as soon as they are available. Here are some of the pics. I missed a new 3 inch Shad Shape Worm now being offered.

The only spinnerbait I have thrown for smallmouth has been on Lake St Clair and it caught largemouth, smallmouth, pike, musky, white bass by the hundreds and rock bass is the Nichols 1/2 oz white with silver willows. Just chuck and wind.

Yamamoto released 3 new plastics at the show. I will wait for Glenn to put them up.

The all encompassing book on bass fishing is at least 1 million pages and being added to every day. Some people stop reading after the first chapter. My advise to someone just starting out is to learn the basic techniques that work in different areas of the water column. Plastics, topwater, crankbaits, bladed baits like chatterbaits and spinnerbaits are where I would start. Then expand to studying what works in structure, cover, etc.

I dunno, I have never boat flipped a 7lb fish. Caught my fair share but never boat flipped them.

Exactly. Here’s a rundown of the types of clients I had and I’m sure I missed a few: 1. Those just wanting a fun day on the water. Low skill level. 2. More experienced “weekend warrior” who wanted to pattern fish. 3. Tournament fishermen wanting to get up to speed on lake conditions and areas. May or may not want to stick fish. 4. Trophy hunters. 5. Those wanting to learn boat operation, electronics. Many times on their boat. 6. Those wanting to learn how to use a baitcaster. 7. Those wanting to learn a new technique (dropshot, Senko, etc.) 8. Those wanting to learn the lake and it’s different areas. 9. Realtors doing on the water tours of different areas. 10. Sponsor required trips. 11. Meat fishing trips, Crappie, Panfish, Striper, Wiper but I didn’t do catfish or clean fish. 12. Gifted trips which then could fall into any of the other categories. 13. Group events that may require more than 1 boat. I have done up to 5:boat events. And that my friends is why it’s so important to communicate your expectations of a guided fishing trip.

Honestly, I wasn’t being critical. I had clients that I could tell were a little “put off” by me just going across the cove so I would run them up the lake. I also had clients that were thrilled to limit out in a couple of hours and were ready to get off the water.

So did you book a fishing trip or a boat tour? ? Your comment made me chuckle because I had many Crappie trips where I never started the big motor. Across from my sponsoring marina and launch was a huge private dock complex that held lots of Crappie. I could literally rig rods while I was on the trolling motor and be ready to fish by the time we got over there. I will say that after clients caught a limit, I would offer to run them up lake to fish bridge pilings and brush piles if they wanted to go.

As has been said, Kinami were exactly the same pours as the other Yamamoto baits but he did offer some different colors. If I remember correctly you had to order a minimum of 700 bags to get a custom color pour. I do not know if that option is available anymore but I can ask if enough want to know.

Totally depends on how “serious” of a river fisherman you intend to be. I’ve got a lot of friends who fish the upper Potomac, the Susky, the New River, the Juniatia and so on. The casual guys have affordable boats that they have to be careful with. The serious guys have thicker aluminum hulls from custom makers. The more serious guys have tunnel hulls and big hp jets and some even have big boats made out of the same material as Yeti coolers. They run the shallowest. Just depends on how deep your pockets are. ?

It didn’t take long to figure out that was no bass.? We had to run him down with the boat a couple of times. I was praying it wasn’t a snapping turtle.

Very smart move Kinami we’re made by Gary’s son on the same production line as the rest of the Yamamoto line. I just got my Q4 order to get me through the rest of the summer and my February trip to Florida.

Definitely not my target species but my heaviest Ned catch to date on 6lb mono.

You better up your game and get into some bigger fish.?

As far as I know, the Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm has always been 3.75 in. And it does come in Natural Shad color 306. You might have been seeing a knockoff. I remember your request on the DShads. I’ll make the mention when I get a chance.

I’m sure y’all have been waiting with baited breath for me to respond.? Couple of points, the new owners of GYCB have done a skew study and you will see a reduction in both styles and colors. Over the years, colors were discontinued and new ones added. I have friends in Michigan that beg for one of the discontinued colors. Yamamoto used to offer a custom color option but there was a minimum required order size. Likewise on adding colors, they were always open to suggestions. I personally requested a color that made it to production, 318 that mimics a northern salamander found here on the east coast in most ponds, lakes and rivers. I use it and it catches fish. My personal opinion on the expansive color palette is simple. When you offer a wide selection, you satisfy a wide swath of customer. They can feel like it is almost custom made for them and they have a color that not everybody is throwing. I’ll bet that over my years with Yamamoto, I’ve heard almost every color as someone’s favorite or “secret” color. I have noticed that some colors truly are local to specific bodies of water as well. Retailers can’t possibly carry all the colors just like you’ll have a hard time finding a retailer that stocks all of the different styles and sizes of Yamamoto products. Bottom line is that it is great to have the choices and the ability to throw a bait color you have confidence in.

Are you saying the scent made the baits swell? If so, that would be odd.

Sorry for your loss.

Love em! From oyster shots in Annapolis, to the gourmet selection at the King Street Oyster bar in Middleburg and Old Ebbit grill in DC, I will order a dozen. I got hooked when I lived in Massachusetts and I could buy them by the gunnysacks off the pier. I also got hooked on fresh mussels. My house in Massachusetts had a shell pile out back when we bought it. I soon found out why.

While I agree the heavy braid will help with backlash as long as you are not throwing super light weighted baits, it seems I have read that braid while having more tinsel strength, actually is more prevalent to abrasion breaks. At least that’s what I was told with the zebra mussels on lake St Clair.

It’s nice to read the responses from guides on here that are true professionals that “get it”.

This is just a personal opinion…….I don’t understand why you would need 35 or 50lb braid for 2lb smallmouth. I catch smallmouth up to 5 lbs on 8lb mono. I do use 35lb braid pitching bed’s with tulies or reeds so that the braid will cut through the reeds if I set the hook on one. Mono will snap.

Lots and lots to unpack here. Side by side comparisons are tough to quantify. Same colors? Same setups? Same line? Same rods/reels? And I’m sure there are a few other things to consider. Personally I have not been out fished by someone throwing wacky but there a point to be made about the action being different and it may trigger more bites. I’ve never fished a weightless Senko on a baitcaster or any heavier than 8lb test and always mono. I very, very rarely have a break off and have caught smallmouth up to 5lbs and largemouth op to 8. Throw in the occasional Northern Snakehead up to 10lbs.

It does you no good to anchor and pick apart a spot that has no fish.? I will work until I find fish then slow down and pick the spot apart. Often times if I fish a 100ft bank for example and I feel there are fish there but I didn’t get bit, I will double back with a different bait. If no takers, I move on.

I may be a little bit overly sensitive here but I don’t like reading about how your trip with a guide is gaged by your fish catches. When I was guiding I could get clients on fish 90-95% of the time by my estimation. As a matter of fact, I had a “milk run” of spots that held what I called client fish. BUT…..there were some days the fish were just not going to bite. We’ve all had those days. Guides are no different. If they worked hard to get you on fish then they did their job. I normally didn’t fish on guide trips but if I had clients who questioned we were where there were fish, I would pick up a rod and catch a few just to prove a point. Likewise, if I had clients that wanted trophy fish I told them upfront that was an all or nothing trip. I also had a client get in my boat with his 2 grown sons and say that if he didn’t catch a 6lber the trip was a waste. I politely told him he could take all of his gear out of the boat if that were the case because I don’t make guarantees. Funny thing, he caught a 4 pounder and as they were all celebrating I told him it must be exciting to catch a 6 pounder. Everybody laughed. Like I said, I never expected a tip but if you are going to tip base it on how hard the guide worked. No doubt I have read stories about bad guides, they do exist and they give others a bad name.