REDCREST 2024: The Hype, The Pressure, The Home Waters – Dustin Connell & Ryan Salzman In The Spotlight
REDCREST 2024: The Hype, The Pressure, The Home Waters – Dustin Connell & Ryan Salzman In The Spotlight
All photos are property of MLF
As the REDCREST 2024 bass fishing championship descends upon the storied waters of Lay Lake in Alabama, the electric buzz among the angling community is palpable, perhaps nowhere more so than in the hearts of hometown heroes Dustin Connell and Ryan Salzman. With the prestigious event staged in their backyard, expectations for these two proficient anglers are sky-high, stirring an intriguing mix of anticipation, pressure, and speculation among fans and competitors alike. This unique scenario sets the stage for discussing the multifaceted impact of being labeled a favorite and how this perception might influence not only the athletes’ strategies but also their mental game and the broader community’s outlook on the competition.
Embracing the Hurdles of High Expectations
The position Dustin Connell and Ryan Salzman find themselves in is the stuff of both dreams and nightmares. On one hand, there’s the tangible advantage of intimate knowledge of Lay Lake – a labyrinth of potential hotspots teeming with largemouth and spotted bass that they have deciphered through countless hours of exploration and competition. This home-water edge is a coveted asset in the unpredictable world of professional bass fishing. On the other hand, the weight of expectations can be a daunting adversary. The question that looms large is whether the pressure to perform on a familiar stage can warp an angler’s strategy, coaxing them to rely too heavily on past successes rather than adapting to the present conditions and the unpredictable nature of fishing.
The Double-Edged Sword of Past Success
History on the water is invaluable, supplying a repository of knowledge about seasonal patterns, structure, and past winning strategies. Connell and Salzman are undoubtedly pouring over this intelligence, gleaning insights on how to outsmart their elusive quarry. Yet, there’s an inherent danger in leaning too heavily on what worked in the past. Lay Lake, with its changing aquatic vegetation, weather patterns, and fishing pressure, is not a static battlefield. Success in the 2024 REDCREST event demands an acute awareness of the here and now – the ability to interpret current conditions, adapt on the fly, and perhaps most crucially, resist the urge to fall back on comfort zones forged by past victories.
The Fan’s Perspective: Expectation vs. Reality
From the vantage point of the fans, especially the local contingent rooting for Connell and Salzman, there’s an undeniable desire to see their hometown heroes triumph. This collective hope contributes to the crescendo of anticipation but also skews public expectations. In the eyes of the passionate bass fishing community, these anglers are not merely competitors; they are the embodiment of local pride and fishing prowess. Such elevated status can amplify the pressures of competition, with every decision, every cast, scrutinized through the lens of expectation. While some athletes thrive under this spotlight, transforming pressure into motivation, others could find the weight of local hopes disorienting, potentially diverting focus from the strategic acumen required to navigate the event successfully.
Fishing the Future, Not the Past
The critical challenge for Connell and Salzman, accentuated by their deep roots at Lay Lake, is to fish forward – to recognize that while history has its place, the path to victory is forged by interpreting the present. How they balance the wealth of experiences at Lay Lake with the mutable conditions of the tournament days will likely be a defining aspect of their campaigns. Both anglers must navigate the delicate balance between exploiting their extensive local knowledge and remaining nimble enough to pivot away from preconceived plans when the volatile dynamics of competitive fishing demand it.
Conclusion: The Open Waters of Possibility
The 2024 REDCREST event is a captivating story of talent, pressure, and the wild card of nature itself. For Dustin Connell and Ryan Salzman, the journey is fraught with heightened expectations but also brimming with the potential for greatness. Their ability to mentally sidestep the pressure, to fish the moment rather than relying solely on the ghosts of past successes, will be pivotal.
Moreover, this event underscores a broader lesson for the angling community: the importance of adaptability, the courage to venture beyond the comfort of the known, and the relentless pursuit of growth, both as competitors and stewards of the sport. Whether hometown advantage will spearhead triumph or serve as a siren call leading to a strategic quagmire remains an open question. Yet, one thing is sure – all eyes will be on Lay Lake, watching as these narratives of hope, strategy, and resilience unfold on the rippling canvas of competitive bass fishing.
In the end, the 2024 REDCREST is more than a tournament; it’s a testament to the sport’s evolving dynamics, the unyielding spirit of its athletes, and the vibrant community that supports them. As the waters of Lay Lake prepare to reveal their secrets, the promise of an unforgettable event beckons. Regardless of the outcome, Dustin Connell, Ryan Salzman, and the entire field of competitors exemplify the tenacity and passion that are the lifeblood of professional bass fishing. May their lines be tight, and their resolve tighter, as they navigate the waters of challenge, expectation, and possibility.
Aaron Britt Bests Day One Competition At BAM Tournament Trail Oroville Open
Aaron Britt Bests Day One Competition At BAM Tournament Trail Oroville Open
BAM Pro/Am Circuit Second Stop: LegitBritt Leads With 14.44
Oroville, Calif.– The second stop of the BAM Tournament Trail (BAM TT) Pro/Am blasted off onLake Oroville for the first day of competition under sunny skies that brought the highest air temps the area has seen in some time at just under 80 degrees.
With a 4.35 big bass boosting his five-fish limit to 14.44, Yuba City pro angler Aaron “Legit” Britt holds the top spot after the first weigh-in of the three-day BAM TT Pro/Am on Lake Oroville presented by Bass Boat Technologies. “Fishing was great,” exclaimed Britt when he was asked about his day.
Britt’s morning unexpectedly started out well and it only got better by the end of the day. “It wasn’t very windy, and I thought that would play to my disadvantage; but they (the fish) seemed to bite better with no wind in the morning,” he explained.
By mid-day a northwesterly wind was steady at about 16 mph and around that time,Britt made a change. “I made the call to go out in the main body and start fishing some windblown banks,” he revealed. “I caught a 4 ½ pounder; so, it was a good decision and I feel good going into it tomorrow.”
As the only other fisherman to break the14-pound benchmark, BAM Pro Tour angler Zack Thompson of Alameda, Calif. is right on Britt’s heels, trailing by only .05 with his own five-fish limit of 14.39.
Shasta local,Scott Stanfield of Anderson, Calif, rounds out the first day top-three anglers with 13.95. Stanfield is coming off a top-five finish in the inaugural BAM TT event on Lake Shasta, after leading the Day One field in the event.
Antonio Gold ofCameron Park, Calif. caught the big bass of the day with a 4.96 to anchor his 4thplace position with 13.79 and the most recent and first-ever BAM TT Pro/Am champion Greg “Double G” Gutierrez of Red Bluff, Calif. claimed his seat in theday’s top-five with 13.33. With just over a pound of separation between the topgroup, Day Two is setting up to be quite the bass battle for placement in the final field cut to 10.
Lake local, fromOroville, co-angler Jason Bubier will start his second day on the water as theco leader. There is only a pound and a half separating the top-five on the coside as well. Once again highlighting that ounces matter at this fishery.
Anglers will checkin for tournament launch at Loafer Creek Ramp on Saturday, March 16 for their second day of fishing with a looming top-10 elimination by scales close. After a 30-degree nighttime drop from Friday’s high, blast-off air temps are expected to be in the high-40s. The day is forecasted with a sunny sky, and temperature drop in the high of roughly 10degrees. The morning’s east wind is expected to evolve with a west/south westerly direction change by mid-morning. Saturday’s weigh-in will kick off by 3:30 p.m.at Loafer Creek Ramp. Tune in to watch LIVE.
Complete BAM TT Lake Oroville Day One Results AreAvailable
Top-10 Pros:
Place/Angler/Day1 Big Bass/ Day 1 Weight
1Aaron Britt 04.35 14.44 00.00 14.44
2 Zack Thompson 14.39 00.00 14.39
3 Scott Stanfield 04.56 13.95 00.00 13.95
4 Antonio Gold 04.96 13.79 00.00 13.79
5 Greg Gutierrez 03.78 13.33 00.00 13.33
6 Asher Haynes 04.72 13.27 00.00 13.27
7 Joseph Orozco 03.27 12.96 00.00 12.96
8 Ryan Hall 02.90 12.83 00.00 12.83
9 JR Wright 12.25 00.00 12.25
10 Gregory Troughton 03.35 12.22 00.00 12.22
Top-10Co-Anglers:
Place/Angler/Day1 Big Bass/ Day 1 Weight
1Jason Bubier 12.27 00.00 12.27
2 Gasper Busalacchi 04.79 12.07 00.00 12.07
3 Roy Desmangles JR 11.80 00.00 11.80
4 Rodney Brown 11.71 00.00 11.71
5 Dante Ray 03.36 10.74 00.00 10.74
6 Kong Moua 02.41 10.61 00.00 10.61
7 Craig Main 10.28 00.00 10.28
8 Andrew Richter 10.11 00.00 10.11
9 Daniel Martinez 03.42 10.05 00.00 10.05
10 James Rodgers 09.95 00.00 09.95
About BAM Tournament Trail
The Bass Angler Magazine TournamentTrail (BAM TT), offers an unparalleled platform for anglers and sponsors, alike combining vast exposure opportunities that celebrate the skills of western bass anglers. The circuit garners extensive coverage across print and online magazines, websites, videos, television, and multiple social media channels.
Orville Event Sponsors:
The Oroville tournament proudly welcomes a diverse array of sponsors including BassBoat Technologies, TackleWarehouse, Storquest, CrestcoRents, GoldCountry Casino, and our dedicated conservation sponsor, Fisherman’sWarehouse.
Ryan Salzman Paces Field at Major League Fishing’s Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2024 on Lay Lake
Huntsville, Alabama pro catches 20 bass weighing 65-14 to lead top 20 anglers into Saturday’s Knockout Round
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (March 15, 2024) – Since the start of practice, the buzzword at Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2024 Powered by OPTIMA Lithium has been “change.” That remained the case on the second day of qualifying, with Thursday’s sunny skies giving way to morning thunderstorms and subsequent overcast conditions.
The ever-evolving spring bite on Lay Lake shifted as a result, and so did the name atop SCORETRACKER®. Huntsville, Alabama pro Ryan Salzman climbed to the top spot with a two-day total of 65 pounds, 14 ounces. Fishing at the upper end of the playing field below Logan Martin Dam, Salzman boated 10 scorable bass Friday for the second day in a row, adding 30-3 to his tab for a 65-14 Qualifying Round total.
Link to HD Video – Fish-Catch Highlights of REDCREST 2024 Day 2 on Lay Lake
Link to Photo Gallery of REDCREST 2024 Day 2 Afternoon Highlights
Salzman leads a tightly bunched and dangerous group of anglers at the top of the standings. Coosa River local and 2021 REDCREST champion Dustin Connell of Clanton, Alabama, finished the round in second place with 63-4. Within four pounds of him are former Bass Pro Tour winners Michael Neal of Dayton, Tennessee, and Jesse Wiggins of Addison, Alabama, as well as local favorite Dalton Head of Moody, Alabama, the Abu Garcia College Fishing representative from the University of Montevallo who happens to call Lay his home lake.
Considering the logjam at the top of the leaderboard and the fact that weights will zero when the Top 20 anglers take the water for Saturday’s Knockout Round, the race for the championship trophy and $300,000 first-place paycheck remains wide open. Just about every technique still has a chance to account for the win, too, as the suspended spotted bass pattern that dominated Day 1 appeared to cool and shallow power fishing in pockets, bedding bass and heavy current all produced big days.
Salzman first branched out from pond fishing as a college student at North Alabama on the shores of Pickwick Lake. The only vessel he had access to was a jon boat with no electronics and a 25-horsepower outboard, so he quickly found that the easiest way to catch bass on the Tennessee River impoundment was by braving its turbulent tailraces.
He’s has been enamored with fishing heavy, manmade current ever since. Now a guide on the Tennessee River, Salzman focuses many of his outings on various tailraces.
While Salzman said the area he’s patrolling on Lay is smaller and shallower than most of the tailraces he fishes at home, that knowledge has served him well so far at REDCREST.
“The main difference is this one is shallower,” he explained. “Our (Tennessee River) dams are so massive, there’s sections that set up just like this. So, we just have more options. This dam is just a lot smaller.”
While the current tends to position fish predictably, Salzman said the front that rolled through the area Friday morning impacted his bite. He caught just three bass in his first four hours on the water. He closed strong, though, catching more than half his weight (17-9 on five fish) in the final period.
Salzman kept coy about the nuances of his approach, but he said the key to his strong afternoon was getting into the perfect spot. He shared the area with two other anglers during most of the Qualifying Round, and one beat him to his primary location Friday morning. That’s why he wasn’t afraid to keep catching fish long after he’d locked up a place in the Knockout Round – by qualifying in the top spot, he’ll be the first boat to launch Saturday.
“Yesterday, we had someone who had zero run up there in the middle of the day, and he kind of got on one of my main places and sacked it pretty good,” Salzman said. “Then he was on it all morning, and then he finally got off of it, and I was able to get on it at the end of the day, and I caught some of my bigger fish. That was really the big goal was to win the round so that I could have a good boat number.”
Fishing his first REDCREST, Salzman said he’s not nervous entering the weekend – for good reason. He has a strong track record when championships are on the line. In both his two previous appearances in championship events, the 2019 Forrest Wood Cup and 2021 Tackle Warehouse TITLE, Salzman finished among the Top 10. He thinks being able to take risks and not worry about points suits his style.
“I feel like I feel no pressure, because you don’t have to worry about just going and getting a few bites,” Salzman said. “You can just go all-in on whatever you’re doing.”
Salzman isn’t quite all-in on fishing the tailrace. He recognizes that a change in generation at Logan Martin dam could occur at any time and make the area far less productive, if not unfishable, so he has a few backup patterns in mind. But he’d much rather stick to his comfort zone in the current.
“Pending a drastic change, I will be up there,” he said. “But I did figure out some patterns down the lake that I felt good about. I didn’t know that I could catch the weight that I caught up there, but I feel like I can catch fish other places. I’d like to be up there, but you just never know. With the current, every day is different up there, and you’ve just got to keep an open mind.”
The top 20 pros that made the cut and will advance in competition on Lay Lake are:
1st: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., 20 bass, 65-14
2nd: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 25 bass, 63-4
3rd: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 25 bass, 61-13
4th: Dalton Head, Moody, Ala., 23 bass, 61-11
5th: Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 25 bass, 59-10
6th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 23 bass, 58-14
7th: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 23 bass, 56-12
8th: Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., 20 bass, 54-1
9th: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 20 bass, 52-11
10th: Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss., 16 bass, 50-12
11th: Ron Nelson, Berrien Springs, Mich., 18 bass, 48-2
12th: Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., 15 bass, 46-12
13th: Emil Wagner, Marietta, Ga., 17 bass, 46-11
14th: Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, 18 bass, 45-13
15th: John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 17 bass, 44-12
16th: Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., 15 bass, 41-13
17th: Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., 15 bass, 41-8
18th: Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La., 15 bass, 40-7
19th: Alton Jones, Jr., Waco, Texas, 16 bass, 40-1
20th: Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., 14 bass, 39-1
Finishing in 21st through 50th place are:
21st: Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., 14 bass, 38-13
22nd: Dakota Ebare, Brookeland, Texas, 14 bass, 37-9
23rd: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 13 bass, 37-5
24th: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 14 bass, 37-1
25th: Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas, 13 bass, 36-13
26th: Matthew Stefan, Junction City, Wis., 13 bass, 34-13
27th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Ala., 11 bass, 34-7
28th: David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 12 bass, 32-4
29th: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 12 bass, 31-15
30th: Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J., 11 bass, 31-9
31st: Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., 13 bass, 31-9
32nd: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 13 bass, 30-5
33rd: Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas, 11 bass, 26-4
34th: Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., nine bass, 24-6
35th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., eight bass, 22-12
36th: Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga., seven bass, 21-11
37th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., eight bass, 21-3
38th: Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., nine bass, 21-2
39th: John Hunter, Shelbyville, Ky., eight bass, 20-14
40th: Cody Meyer, Star, Idaho, seven bass, 20-2
41st: Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, six bass, 19-11
42nd: Mark Daniels, Jr., Tuskegee, Ala., seven bass, 19-8
43rd: Dylan Hays, Hot Springs, Ark., six bass, 16-8
44th: Josh Butler, Hayden, Ala., five bass, 14-4
45th: Kelly Jordon, Flint, Texas, six bass, 13-14
46th: Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., four bass, 13-13
47th: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., four bass, 11-5
48th: Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., four bass, 9-2
49th: Chad Mrazek, Montgomery, Texas, three bass, 7-12
50th: Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., one bass, 3-2
Overall, there were 284 scorable bass weighing 773 pounds, 5 ounces caught by the 50 pros Friday.
Lane earned the $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award on Friday with a 7-pound, 1-ounce spotted bass that he caught on a soft plastic jig-head minnow in Period 1. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament. Lane’s 7-pound, 1-ouncer is the biggest bass weighed in the competition thus far.
All 50 Anglers competed on Days 1 (Thursday) and 2 (Friday) of the event. After two days of competition, the field is now cut to just the top 20 based on two-day total cumulative weight. Weights are zeroed, and the top 20 anglers compete on Day 3 (Saturday). Only the top 10 anglers advance to the fourth and final day of competition. Weights are zeroed again for the final-day championship round, and the winner is determined by the heaviest one-day total cumulative weight, with the victor earning the top prize of $300,000 and the REDCREST 2024 trophy.
The General Tire Take Off Ceremony will begin each morning at 6:15 a.m. each day of competition at Beeswax Landing, located at 245 Beeswax Park Road in Columbiana, Alabama. Anglers will depart at 7 a.m. each day and return after competition ends at 3:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
In conjunction with the event, the FREE, family-friendly REDCREST Outdoor Sports Expo will also take place throughout the weekend, March 15-17 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, located at 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N., in Birmingham. Fishing and outdoor enthusiasts will have the opportunity to visit numerous booths and vendors, showcasing the latest and greatest in fishing, boating and the outdoors. The biggest names in the outdoor industry will be on hand, including the professional anglers that compete on the Bass Pro Tour and legends of the sport.
Children are welcome to visit and play in the MLF Kids Zone, plus meet Skye & Marshall from PAW Patrol. Throughout the day there will be giveaways and prizes, including signed MLF angler jerseys, rods and reels, gift cards, and more. On Sunday one lucky attendee will walk away with a brand new 2024 Toyota Tacoma truck. Fans must be present to win the Tacoma grand prize. For more information on the MLF Outdoor Sports Expo, visit REDCRESTExpo.com.
The 2023 Bass Pro Tour featured a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country. The top 40 anglers in the Angler of the Year (AOY) standings after the seven events qualified to compete in REDCREST 2024 Powered by OPTIMA Lithium.
The MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on the final four days of competition from 7:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT. MLFNOW!® will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.
Television coverage of REDCREST 2024 Powered by OPTIMA Lithium will be showcased across two, two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, July 6 and July 13 on Discovery Channel. Starting in July 2024, MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery Channel, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Garmin, General Tire, Humminbird, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, Onyx, Plano, Power-Pole, Rapala, StarBrite, Suzuki, Toyota and U.S. Air Force.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
DAIWA Bets on Your Bass Fishing Success
| DAIWA Bets on Your Bass Fishing Success |
| New Zillion technique-specific rod series being introduced at the Bassmaster Classic Expo |
| FOOTHILL RANCH, CA (March 15, 2024) – With unique rod technology features from the blanks to the the reel seat, DAIWA is putting the odds in your favor for a successful day targeting bass with its new 16-model Zillion bass rod series, being debuted at the upcoming Bassmaster Classic Expo on March 22-24, 2024 and now being shipped to tackle dealers throughout the U.S. and Canada.The 16-model Zillion rod lineup includes four casting and two spinning models built on DAIWA’s ‘Flex Light’ fiberglass blanks primarily for use with lures retrieved with constant tension, and seven casting and three spinning rods featuring DAIWA’s proprietary SVF Nanoplus technology blank construction, for slack line, bottom contact, and power fishing techniques. |
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| A rod series is designed to pair with the right DAIWA Zillion reel – be it the Zillion 10.0 SV TW for flipping/pitching and burning lipless cranks, the Zillion SV TW 100 series offered in three different gear ratios, or the Zillion TW HD 150 when the situation calls for heavier mono or braid and more line capacity, all the new Zillion rods feature DAIWA’s cutting-edge Carbon MQ grip butt section. “Anglers will quickly notice the unique look of all the Zillion rods with our Carbon MG grip and then the advantage of this design when put to use,” said Chris Martin, DAIWA’s field marketing specialist and an avid bass angler. “This design feature allows exceptional energy transfer through all contact points on the rod for outstanding sensitivity – up to 26% more sensitive than EVA or cork grip rods – allowing anglers to be more aware of what their lure and fish are doing beneath the surface,” explains Martin, “plus the reduced rod weight achieved with the Carbon MQ grips mean reduced fatigue from all-day casting and retrieving efforts, plus more comfort and control.” |
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| Putting focus on the lures and techniques anglers use to target bass, DAIWA’s rod development staff designed two different rod blank concepts in the construction of Zillion bass rods. The six ‘Flex Light’ rods offer more forgiving, more flexible attributes when using lures that are retrieved with a more constant retrieve, such as bladed jigs, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits. “With the use of DAIWA’s GLATECH fiberglass in the blank construction, we’re able to offer the forgiving rod performance needed with these types of lures,” Martin said. “They’ll absorb a powerful hookset without pulling the hook due to the Flex-Light blank design.”Martin notes the 6’10” Zillion 6101MHRB-FL casting rod will be a favorite for using bladed jigs, where anglers will get the needed casting distance, but with an under 7-foot length that can provide more accurate casts. He adds the 7-foot Zillion 701MLMRB-FL is the ‘versatile’ rod in the ‘Flex-Light’ lineup that works well with many types of moving baits. |
| DAIWA’s standard flex Zillion rods feature models for a wide assortment of bass fishing techniques, from skipping docks, pitching and flipping, flinging A-rigs, casting swim jigs or working frogs, along with bottom contact drop shots, Ned and wacky rigs, shakey heads, and other finesse needs.Martin notes the Zillion 661MXB casting rod – nicknamed the ‘skipping special’ – can thoroughly take advantage of the ‘SV’ feature within the Zillion baitcasting reels, which allows the spool design to interact with the braking system to provide maximum control and ease of use. “This can be the ideal rod/reel set-up for anglers who usually avoid the fish-catching advantages of skipping baits due to struggling with the technique,” Martin said. “There’s no reason to get frustrated while bass fishing when you put the right reel and rod together to master any technique called for.” |
| So, what’s the right Zillion bass rod for you? While Martin says there’s a Zillion rod for most technique-specific situations, “check out the ‘multi-purpose’ Zillion 731MHFB to gauge how the rod feels in your hand, your comfort with Carbon MQ rear grip, and the overall lightweight feel from blank construction and our use of the DAIWA’s exclusive Air Sensor reel seat. We think you can elevate your bass fishing experience to new heights.”Within the Zillion lineup, all 16 rods feature DAIWA’s Air Sensor Seat that transfers even the slightest rod tip vibration to the anglers’ hand to further enhance sensitivity, plus Fuji’s K Alconite Guide system to ensures durability and smooth line management. The 10 standard flex graphite blank Zillion with SVF Nanoplus technology for exceptional strength and responsiveness, also include X45 blank construction technology to reduce rod twist for more accurate and longer casts.Now being shipped to tackle dealers as a prelude to their formal introduction in Tulsa, Okla. at the Bassmaster Classic Expo – the new Zillion rods will only be available from shops in the U.S. and Canada. All the Zillion rods retail for $329.99 (USD). |
| Zillion FEATURES: Carbon MQ Grip butt section increases sensitivity and reduces weight Air Sensor Seat enhances sensitivity to detect the most delicate bites FLEX LITE yields the feel of glass but at a significantly reduced weight SVF GLASS achieves unprecedented lightness by minimizing resin content SVF Nanoplus technology offers exceptional strength and responsiveness X45 technology reduces rod twist more accurate and longer casts Fuji K Guide system ensures durability and smooth line management MSRP $349.99NOW SHIPPING! |
| For Daiwa’s latest color catalog and/or information on Daiwa dealers in your area, call Daiwa’s Customer Service Department at 562-375-6800 or e-mail inquiries to: [email protected]. The URL for Daiwa’s web site is daiwa.us |