Elite Series pro Alton Jones has joined Bluewater LED. Bluewater LED will be his primary truck wrap sponsor and have ad presence on his boat as well. Jones will be running Blue Water kits on his boat trailer and Cyber Series lights on his truck for back up and working on tackle as well.
Weekend weather for April 25th-27th 2014
Weather Provided by Weather Underground.com
Click Map To Enlarge
Lake Anna
Buggs Island
Smith Mountain Lake
Weekend weather for April 25th-27th 2014
Weather Provided by Weather Underground.com
Click Map To Enlarge
Lake Anna
Buggs Island
Smith Mountain Lake
Overcast Flash, A Guide to Jerkbaiting by Fishidy on April 22, 2014
Overcast Flash, A Guide to Jerkbaiting
April showers bring May, well you know the rest. Spring is the time of year when many days are consumed with rain and wind. Bass go from pre-spawn to spawn then to post spawn. Throughout this time, tossing a jerkbait is always a good go to bait to catch bass. Because of the spring wind you will find bass suspending in the water column. This is also where a jerkbait can outperform other baits, though finding the right color can be the key to getting those tough bites.
Because spring brings rain and winds, the days you spend out fishing can mostly be overcast and thick cloud cover. These days can be some of the best times to find good bass using a jerkbait. What I find that works best for me on these overcast days are a gold jerkbait. The jerkbait I use is a Smithwick Elite 8 Rogue. This jerkbait gives me the rolling action I like in a jerkbait. It also has a special designed weight system that brings the bait back to the horizontal position after each jerk and you can cast it a mile.
There are two gold colors I use in the Smithwick Elite 8 Rogue, one for super clear water and one for normal dirty or stained water. For super clear water that is found in lakes like Burt or Mullet lakes in northern Michigan, Golden Shiner is what works best. It has that realistic bait fish look that you want in clear water, though, it has the golden color in it that gives the best flash for cloudy overcast days.
In normally dirty or stained waters I want a jerkbait that is going to be full of golden flash to allow bass to find the jerkbait. For this scenario I use the color Golden Rogue. The full body gold color design is going to give full flash though the dirty water even in the worst conditions.
These overcast days allow bass to roam while still feeling safe. If you are a fair weather fisherman you are going to miss out on some giant bass. Some of the biggest bass I have caught in my life have come on these overcast days. Grab one of the gold Smithwick Elite 8 Rogue, pair it with a 6’6” fast action Kistler Rod and hit the water when other people are not. You will be satisfied!
Also, always remember to check out Fishidy before leaving your house to get up to date information on your lakes’ local hotspots.
Authored by Joe Cramier (www.facebook.com/joecramierfishing)
Connect with Joe on Fishidy
Big Bite Spring News Letter
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BIG BITE SPRING NEWS LETTER
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Get The Real Deal
In the Big Bite Spring News Letter we are going to talk about one of the newest baits that we released last year at ICAST, the bait I am talking about is the new Real Deal Craw. Big Bite spent many hours studying how craws look and how they move in the water, then went to work to come up with a bait that looked just like a real craw in and out of the water, and new Real Deal Craw was born from all this work. Ask any of the Big Bite Pros when they are looking to fish a craw what bait is it that they grab, it is a Real Deal Craw.
Just The Facts The Real Deal Craw comes in two different finishes, standard colors or HD Colors. The standard color craws come in 7 of Big Bites top fish catching colors and come 7 to a pack. The HD Real Deal Craw come in 4 top Big Bite Craw colors and come 4 to a pack. The Real Deal Craw is 4″ in size.
Texas Rigged Flipping and Pitching Texas rigging your Real Deal Craw and it can be used in a number of presentations, flippin, pitching, and casting to name a few. Weight placement will affect how the bait fishes and falls. If you are looking for a craw that glides down to the bottom do not unhook the craws when you rig the bait onto your hook. If you are looking more for a bait that has allot of action when it falls or gets moved, then separate the craw so they can move freely. The cover you are fishing may help you make this decision. My rule of thumb is if I am fishing in matted grass or thick cover I opt to leave the craws connected. This gives off more sound when the bait is moved, also keep this in mind when fishing in dirty water conditions. If I am fishing in real clear water where the bass can see my bait from a distance away I will many times pull the craws apart and let them swim on the fall or movement of the bait.
When it comes to hooks and weights I use a 4/0 Gamakatsu Heavy Cover Worm Hook, team this with a Bullet Weights Screw Lock weight to keep the weight up against the bait. If I am fishing in heavy cover I may put a rubber bobber stop in front of the weight to keep it locked in place better.
Fishing setup I use either a 7’6″ or 7’11” heavy action flipping stick, teamed with a matching baitcaster in either 6:3-1 or 7-1 baitcasting reel that is spooled with 60lb Sunline FX2 braided line.
Texas Rig Weedline Fishing When faced with fishing this rig in the weeds or on the weedline, I change a few ways in how I rig and present the Real Deal Craw. One of the changes is the weight, I will just let the weight slide on my line. The weight will fall in-front of the bait with the bait following the sinker, to a bass this looks like a predator following its prey and can trigger a bite from a reluctant bass. If you are fishing in thicker weeds you will be better to keep the weight and the hook together. To do this I will use one of the following weights to get the job done. If you have screw-lock weights this is the best way to keep the weight and the bait together, but if not use a rubber bobber stop to keep the weight pegged against the hook and the bait.
For weedline applications I will use a Gamakatsu 4/0 EWG Worm Hook. Rig the Real Deal Craw on your hook and skin hook the point of the hook back into the bait. As for the craws I many time will pull the craws apart to give the bait more action as it falls. When it comes to weight I match my weight to the depth and the weeds that I am fishing in. When fishing in thick weeds I will peg my weight to the bait by using a screw-lock weight or will use a bobber stop inform of the weight to hold it in place. When fishing in sparse weed, I will let the weight move up and down the line. If fishing the presentation on the weedline or in the weeds I will break the craws apart and let them swim.
If I am casting this setup along the weedline I will opt to use a 7ft medium-heavy action baitcaster, teamed with a 6:3-1 baitcaster reel that is spooled with 16lb to 22lb Sunline Shooter fluorocarbon line. If the weeds are thicker and I am having trouble getting bass out of the weeds, I will opt to go to a heavy 7′ to 7’6′ action rod that is matched with a 6:3-1 or 7-1 baitcaster reel that is spooled with Sunline SX1 in the 30lb class.
Pad Hopping I have been fishing the Real Deal Craw a new way last year late in the season. In the Fall when the bass make major moves back to the lilly pads to target frogs before the pads started to die I took a Real Deal Craw rigged it onto a 3/16oz weighted worm hook and put the hook point back into the craw. Crawling the Real Deal Craw across the tops of the pads when I came to an open area I would let the craw fall into the opening in the pads and let the bait flutter down. If I do not get a bite on the fall, I will pull the craw back up to the tops of the pads again and start over when I come to the next opening I let the craw fall again.
Most of the time when the bass are on they will hit the bait when it gets to the opening or in the first few second of the fall. Do not let this tactic end with just pads this will work on edges of matted weeds or thicker weeds, work the craw to the edge and let it fall.
Equipment for this tactic it is power all the way to be able to get the bass out of the pads or thick weeds. I will use a 7’6″ flippin stick that is teamed with a baitcasting reel that is spooled with Sunline 50lb FX2 line. This presentation will provide you some of your best toe to toe action of the year.
Jig Trailer When you look at the Real Deal Craw you see a bait that was really designed to be fished on a worm hook, but it also excels when used as a jig trailer. In the past year I have used the Real Deal Craw as a jig trailer in weeds, flippin, swim and football jigs. There is not a jig that the Real Deal Craw will not work on. Once again take a look at the situations that you are fishing and make a determination as to how you want the craws to act. If you want allot of action say for an example when you are fishing a swim jig pull the craws apart, but if you are punching a mat and want more of a gliding action out of your jig then leave the craws connected.
One little trick that I do to get the bass’s attention is to die the craws when fishing my jig in thick weeds or in stained to dirty water conditions. Most of the time I use chartreuse as my color of choice. Just a little trick that has helped put a few more bass over the side of the boat during the season.
Looking at equipment I let the water conditions dictate my equipment setup. If I am fishing in clear water conditions I will use a 7ft medium heavy to heavy action baitcaster teamed with a matching baitcaster spooled with 16 to 20lb Sunline Shooter. If I am flippin or fishing in thick weeds conditions I will opt to use 7′ to 7 ½’ heavy action or a flippin stick teamed with a matching baitcaster reel that is spooled with FX2 50lb line. If I think the bass are line shy I will opt to use a 25lb Sunline Shooter leader.
So as you can see I have just scratched the surface as to how you can use the Big Bite Real Deal Craw. If you have another way of using the Real Deal Craw please log onto the Big Bite Facebook page and share with us your rig and how you are fishing it.
Until we chat next time head to your local Big Bite dealer and grab a few bags of Real Deal Craws and team them with your favorite jigs and go to work. To see all of the Real Deal Craws please log onto www.bigbitebaits.com |
3rd Annual High School Open Recap by Fishidy on April 21, 2014
3rd Annual High School Open Recap
It is finally here, my favorite time of the year! Spring has finally sprung in most parts of the country. The bass, and bass fisherman, are starting to get out in numbers everywhere. These next few weeks will be some of the best fishing all year! I know I’ll be getting out at every possible moment, and I hope you do the same when you get the chance.
But what I wanted to talk about today was the extremely bright future fishing has in it’s future! A couple weekends ago on April 6th the Illini Bass Fishing Club hosted our 3rd annual High School Open Tournament on Illinois’ Clinton Lake. To my knowledge, it is the only tournament ran by volunteer college kids for high school anglers in the country. I am extremely proud to announce that we topped all our expectations this year and had 79 high school boats compete in our tournament. With alternate anglers included, we ended up having around 170 high school anglers in attendance on a cold, post- frontal day in Central Illinois. The thirty-five degree weather didn’t seem to deter these future bass-masters at all; they were there before the sun, eager for the day.
We started this tournament three years ago with the main goal being to help promote bass fishing to the next generation, as well as showing high school anglers there is somewhere to go after Illinois High School Association fishing. Illinois was the first state to implement high school fishing as a sport six years ago and it has been a huge success. Several other states have followed Illinois lead and implemented high school programs. Industry leaders like BASS now even have an amazing program available to high school anglers! http://www.bassmaster.com/high-school-registration
This tournament offers us a great opportunity to showcase the Illini Bass Club’s sponsors amazing products. We know we are backed by the best companies in the industry, and we love the opportunity to pass these great products along to the next generation of competitive anglers. I cannot go without saying, that this tournament is only possible because of the fantastic and continued support of our sponsors. They all donate a boatload of prizes for these anglers to fish for, and the feedback has been fantastic! We had several anglers tell us this year that they look forward to our tournament every year, and that it is the highlight of their season. That alone makes all the preparation and work that goes into this tournament well worth it. The future of competitive bass fishing is something the Illini Bass Fishing Club takes seriously, and we are proud to do our part in promoting the future of this amazing sport.
It was a very tough day on the water for the high school teams; they were met with a cold-front and having to fish a day behind another 75 boat tournament the day before. Still, these anglers found ways to catch fish when the conditions were against them. The full results of the tournament, and pictures can be found on our website through this link: http://www.fightingillinibassclub.com/uploads/6/5/1/8/6518616final_results_2014_ibfc.pdf
Even with the tough fishing, we are absolutely certain that this tournament was a success. Judging by the reactions from high school anglers and coaches alike, they would agree. There was still the usual excitement during the take off of the tournament, even with 35 degree temperatures! After a long and grueling day on the water, we were astounded to see all the upbeat and smiling faces at the weigh-in. These kids just flat out love to fish! Hot or cold, windy or calm, tough fishing or great fishing – none of it seemed to dampen their spirits. We had 170 high school anglers show up to fish in 35 degree weather on what they all knew would be a tough fishing day; if that doesn’t speak volumes about the passion the youth of this sport has and the promising future that competitive bass fishing has ahead, I don’t know what will!
This tournament is something that our club looks forward to every year, and we are proud that it has been more successful than we ever could have hoped for. We cannot wait to run this tournament again next year, hopefully with another full field and even more fantastic sponsor prizes to award to the up-and-comers of our sport. I encourage you all to get out and take a kid fishing at every opportunity. We have a fantastic thing going on within this sport, and it is on all of us to make sure we pass it on to the next generation. For any college clubs out there reading this, I strongly urge you to consider hosting a tournament for your area high school clubs. The feedback from our tournament has been fantastic and it is a great opportunity to get involved with the next crop of competitive anglers! As always, keep your baits wet and your lines tight!
Authored by Luke Stoner, visit the Illini Bass Fishing Club website: http://www.fightingillinibassclub.com and connect with Luke on Fishidy
Sitting on a porch with Denny Brauer – By Don Barone – Bassmaster.com
Sitting on a porch with Denny Brauer
Don Barone
“And I’m a thankful man…”
Dateline: Shreveport sunset
So.
Let me explain how I’ve come to do things now that I have somehow managed to survive long enough in the biz to come to that stage called, “the twilight of my career.”
For a quarter of a century, I was a crime reporter/investigative producer, won a bunch of hardware including the New York Festival World Medal for Investigative Journalism.
You just don’t fall into that stuff.
Being an Investigative Reporter/Producer involved incredible amounts of background work. I would say it was 60/40 preparation…60% of my work involved getting ready for the story…getting ready meaning basically knowing all the answers to the questions that I was asking.
Look at What's New From PowerTeam Lures
Oh Happy Day! More new colors keep rolling in people! Pictures are worth a thousand words so feast your eyes on these beauties!!!
And we’ll give you $10 off any order over $60. Who doesn’t like saving $10 right!
Use coupon code SAVE10 at checkout.
Plus a few items that were out of stock rolled in on the truck as well!
3.5″ Food Chain Tube…Susky Slayer Purple Flake
5″ Finicky Tickler…Junebug
5″ Sick Stick…Watermelon Red Flake
We were soooo happy to see the truck arrive yesterday that we were actually gonna give the driver a big hug! But we decided against it because he smelled like old cheese (kind of like a weird cross between Munster and Sharp Cheddar). But hey, it’s the thought that counts!
Tight lines until next time,
The PTL Crew
Look at What’s New From PowerTeam Lures
Oh Happy Day! More new colors keep rolling in people! Pictures are worth a thousand words so feast your eyes on these beauties!!!
And we’ll give you $10 off any order over $60. Who doesn’t like saving $10 right!
Use coupon code SAVE10 at checkout.
Plus a few items that were out of stock rolled in on the truck as well!
3.5″ Food Chain Tube…Susky Slayer Purple Flake
5″ Finicky Tickler…Junebug
5″ Sick Stick…Watermelon Red Flake
We were soooo happy to see the truck arrive yesterday that we were actually gonna give the driver a big hug! But we decided against it because he smelled like old cheese (kind of like a weird cross between Munster and Sharp Cheddar). But hey, it’s the thought that counts!
Tight lines until next time,
The PTL Crew
Carolina Anglers Team Trail LLC Old North Kerr April 19, 2014 – Results & Photos
1st Place Denny Gilbert & Tom Wilkerson 18.18lbs
Click Here To See Full Results
We have one more 2014 Old North Qualifier coming up May 3rd at Falls launching out of Ledgerock. This is a double point event and the team that wins the point race will receive free entry at the 2014 Final plus free entry to the entire 2015 CATT Old North Trail!
Keep in mind a team (both partners) has to enter 3 Old North Qualifiers to be eligible to enter the Old North Final May 24th at Kerr. A team only has to enter 1 CATT event anywhere in North Carolina and they will be eligible to enter the June 21 CAT NC Championship at Kerr. You have 2 chances to earn some big money!
Denny Gilbert & Tom Wilkenson took 1st Place Saturday at Kerr with 5 bass weighing 18.18 lbs! They added the 1st BONUS $ to their total and took home $1,990.00.
2nd went to Dan Jackson & John Yager with 5 bass weighing 17.44 lbs and they weighed the 2nd BF at 5.44 lbs. All total they received $805.00.
Brian Calloway & Gary Dickerson finished in 3rd with 5 bass weighing 16.23 lbs and they brought in the 1st BF at 5.49 lbs. Kick in the 2nd BONUS $ and they claimed a total of $875.00.
Ronnie Hatem & Brian West earned $300.00 for 4th with 5 bass weighing 16 lbs even.
Jaime Fajardo & Josh Hooks took 5th with a limit weighing 15.86 lbs and they took home $220.00.
6th went to Allen Darden & Chip Canady with 5 bass weighing 15.16 lbs and received $150.00.
Last money paying place was claimed by Jeremy Sabo & Dale Campo with 5 bass weighing 14.89 lbs and they collected $120.00.
Next up is May 3rd at Falls launching out of Ledgerock.
Brett Collins
Carolina Anglers Team Trail LLC