THE BUSINESS NEWS OF FISHING.
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Helping you become a better angler and delivering interesting fishing news to you in a weekly email.
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Here is a look at the payouts from the two most recent Phoenix BFL tournaments on March 14th. The BFLs have a reduced entry fee of $200 this year.
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McClelland Stresses The Importance Of Proper Boat Insurance
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What specific products does Geico offer for the tournament angler?
Unlike some insurers, our base policy allows for participation in tournaments –there are no restrictions. We have also included language in our policy that provides reimbursement for entry fees to the angler should they need to pull out of a tournament due to a covered loss. This language reads: “
Coverage is provided for waterskiing, wake boarding or fishing tournament entry fees that will not be refunded to you if you are forced to withdraw from the tournament due to a loss that is covered by this policy. Coverage for non-refundable entry fees is limited to $500.00 in any policy year.”
Can anglers set a value on tackle, equipment, electronics, accessories for theft insurance?
Coverage for fishing tackle and equipment is covered under the Personal Effects portion of the policy. The angler can set their limit in $1,000 increments up to $25,000 and is valued at replacement cost with new property of like kind and quality.
Does Geico offer on the water towing assistance?
We offer the BEST on the water towing coverage provided by
TowBoatUS.
We have the greatest number of ports in the country among our competitors as well as 24/7 dispatch. If we do not have a tower on the water they are fishing, we will help find one. Our program is not a reimbursement program like many of the other insurance programs… we pay the bill leaving no out of pocket expenses for the angler. In addition, when you insure a trailer we also provide on the road assistance should you have a breakdown. Many of the other companies do not! And most roadside assistance programs exclude trailers.
Can you make claims via an app or online?
Absolutely! You can do both… You can even call for a tow dispatch through our App.
Is GEICO offering any payment relief during the Covid 19 pandemic?
Yes, we have issued a statement indicating that we have allowed payment relief through the end of April (in some states longer) where policies will not be cancelled due to non-payment as well as having flexible payment options. We also have some discount options for boaters who are unable to use their boats due to marina and ramp closures as well as government orders. The boat must be out of the water and on shore.
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Rojas Dropping Sight Fishing Knowledge
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When the man who dropped 45-2 of sight fish on the scales in 2001 from Florida's famed Lake Toho gives sight fishing tips, you might want to pay attention. While a lot has changed since that historic day nearly 20 years ago, Rojas's basic sight fishing program has remained the same. "Growing up in San Diego sight fishing for big bass is just something that is literally in my DNA. We grew up walking the banks of those small Southern California lakes stalking those big fish, so it was a great place to learn about what bedding fish react to," said Rojas. While Rojas likely has more sight fishing tricks up his sleeve than most anglers, he offered up what he believes are 3 key tips that can help you become a better bed fisherman. "The first thing I tell guys is typically the further you can stay away from the fish the better off you are going to be. Obviously there will be situations where you can be right on top of them and still catch them, but generally speaking try to stay away and as stealthy as possible. Secondly, you need to have at least 3 to 4 baits on deck and ready to give the fish different looks. I always start with my
Big Bite Baits Warmouth
, and work from there. Sometimes you need to go smaller, and sometimes bigger to get the fish to react but I definitely suggest mixing it up. Finally, I suggest in a tournament situation that you look for fish in slightly off colored water. Everyone is going to be able to see the fish in the gin clear water, if you can find them a little deeper or in off colored water you will typically have those to yourself." Rojas concluded.
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5. Baits Not Being Talked About
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If you have more time at home right now and want to make your own vibrating jigs, the
Queen Tackle Switch Blade
lets you quickly make any
jighead
into a vibrating jig. The
Switch Blade
can be particularly good when your favorite color is sold out, as you can quickly make your own.
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They are available in black, gold and silver color blades and offered in two sizes.
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6. What We're Watching & Listening To
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Hallman Gives "Sneak Peek" At New Flipping Bait
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Shin Fukae
Photo courtesy of Major League Fishing
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Shin Fukae has long had a mix of Japanese and US fishing industry companies as sponsors.
SPRO
,
Gamakatsu
, YGK,
Shimano
,
Fish Arrow
, Ichiban Eight Group and Gary
Yamamoto
all have Japanese ownership or influence. US companies like Mercury,
TH Marine
,
Lowrance
, Power Pole,
Greenfish
and
MotorGuide
also have been parts of his jersey. He switched boat sponsors this year going from Ranger to BassCat and also has SDG Marine this year. ShowaDenki Group is a marine distributor/dealer that sells marine equipment in Japan featuring several brands of boats from the US including BassCat.
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8. Regional Recommendations
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Retailers across the country are adjusting to local and national guidelines for their businesses. We wanted to start a list of those retailers still operating by pick up, delivery or shipping. We will continue to update the list. You are welcome to send any additional ones for our list to info@bestontour.net. Please support these businesses if you can.
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Extreme Outdoors Branson West MO 417-272-0305
Dunns Pevely MO 636-475-4240
Hook Line and Sinker Rogers and Bentonville AR Bentonville (479-271-8118) Rogers 479-631-8118 Fish n Stuff Sherwood AR 501-834-5733
Get Outdoors Bryant AR 501-794-3474
Trader Bills Hot Springs AR 501-623-8403
K&K True Value Bettendorf IA 563-359-4474
Fin and Feather Iowa City IA 319-354-2200
Hanks Live Bait and Tackle Waterloo IA fishhanks.com (319-234-0711)
Denny Dennis Fenton MO 636-343-9447
Fitzs Fishing Osage Beach MO 573-693-9299
Aspire Mountain Home AR 870-492-2005
Lucky Lure Oklahoma City Ok 405-749-1808
Thousand Island Bait Store Alexandria Bay NY 315.482.9903
Fishermans Central, www.fishermanscentral.com
Cain Pole Richmond KY
Curbside service
McKee Outdoors Maryville TN
Curbside service
Backwaters Outfitters Lexington KY
Curbside service
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Lane Targets Bass Lurking In The Shadows
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You might find Bass Pro Tour angler Russ Lane hanging out in the shade on some of his favorite Alabama fisheries in the next few weeks. Lane urges you to do the same on your local lakes and rivers, and the reasoning goes well beyond just getting out of the hot sun. "One of the most overlooked spawn and post-spawn patterns out there is targeting shade lines and shadows," said Lane. The Prattville, Alabama pro treats shade and shadows cast upon the water's surface by taller objects like trees, or high banks as structure that can often hold big spawning and post-spawn bass. "I look for spawning areas or areas directly adjacent to where they were spawning that have well defined shade lines. Those fish will treat the shade just like a laydown log, or piece of structure. I've seen it time and time again where those big females, especially post spawn will just be laying up in the shade, not really relating to a specific piece of structure but rather the shade itself. I think they are just up there out of the sun recovering, looking for an easy meal," Lane continued. To target these bass lurking in the shadows, Lane picks up two baits consistently. "My go to baits to target the shade lines are a
SPRO Bronzeye Frog
and a
SPRO Bronzeye popping frog
.
If it is slick calm I prefer the regular Bronzeye, but if the wind is blowing in on the bank a little I will opt for the popping frog. I throw both of those baits on a
Phenix Bass Recon Elite C715 rod
, paired with a
Shimano Curado (8:1)
and
60lb Sunline FX2 braided line
." Lane concluded. Staying comfortable on the water during the Spring is crucial, as morning and afternoon temperatures typically vary considerably. Lane reaches for his
AFTCO Shadow Technical Fleece Hoodie
to keep him warm on those early morning runs during this time of year. The
AFTCO Shadow
and other popular AFTCO styles are on sale right now for 20% off for a limited time. Take advantage of this great sale and get geared up today by shopping on
AFTCO's website.
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Have you purchased more, less or no fishing tackle during the recent pandemic?
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I have purchased more fishing tackle than normal
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I have purchased the same amount of fishing tackle
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I have purchased less fishing tackle than normal
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I have not purchased any fishing tackle
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