With premium hand made swimbaits selling for $100 or moret can be very important to make sure they are stored properly, especially to protect areas like the tails. You can easily make a custom box for swimbaits by cutting notches with a dremel tool in one of the deeper style tackle boxes This allows the baits to stand vertically, keeping the tails in perfect condition. The slats can also be aligned with the joints to insure the bait doesn't move. This is a much less expensive way to protect your investment rather than investing in the high dollar swimbait specific coffins and boxes. |
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Stracner Opts Out Of Remaining Elites |
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Former Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie of the Year Josh Stracner of Vandiver, Ala., is leaving Elite Series competition to pursue other career opportunities.“My number one goal was always to qualify for the Elite Series,” Stracner said. “I got to travel around the country and fish professionally, which I will always cherish. Some of the guys that I got to fish with and travel with will be friends of mine forever. “It’s weird to consider myself a ‘former’ Elite Series pro, but at the end of the day, that’s still a title that I’ll be able to carry with me for the rest of my life. I never wanted to fish with any other organization because I just wanted to be a Bassmaster, and I got to do that … getting an opportunity to pursue a really good job opportunity has made this an easier decision.” Stracner qualified for the Elite Series through the 2020 St. Croix Bassmaster Eastern Opens, where he averaged a 13th-place finish across four events. Stracner’s momentum didn’t stop there, as he went on to win the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie of the Year title in 2021. Over the course of his 36-event B.A.S.S. career, Stracner registered 13 Top 30 finishes, 10 Top 20 finishes and qualified for the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota.
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We've likely all been there at some point. You park in a crowded lot and come back out only to have forgotten exactly where you left your ride. Mike McClelland had this experience at ICAST in Orlando around 2016. McClelland was staying at a nearby hotel and opted to park his rental car at the Orange County Convention Center to save some money versus paying the pricey parking rates at the hotel. The problem arose when McClelland left the show floor on the final day to catch his flight back home. "Everything went according to plan until I left the show to catch my flight. I had parked my rental car at the convention center on Tuesday, and by the time I went back to find it on Friday I had no clue where I had parked it! I bet I spent over an hour searching before I finally found it. I ended up barely making my flight, and was a sweaty stressed out mess by the time I finally made it to my gate." said McClleland. |
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Designed by tournament angler and Pickwick Lake fishing guide David Allen, The True Bass Shuttlecock Hair Jig is a magnum-sized hair jig created to subtly imitate larger forage. Hand-tied with %100 real deer hair, hackle feather, and small strands of flashabou, the Shuttlecock Hair Jig is crafted with premium materials to create a bulkier baitfish profile in the water. No hairs are spared as the Shuttlecock Hair jig achieves its lifelike flow by using twice as much deer hair as you typically see on oversized bucktail jigs.
Backed by a stout, razor-sharp Mustad Ultra Point Hook, the Shuttlecock jig provides quality hook penetration and plenty of power to keep them coming. Described as a deadly power-finesse style hair jig, it comes equipped with a heavy gauge line tie so you can use thicker fishing lines. There are several productive techniques that make this jig easy to fish – burn and pause, lift and drop, stroking, shaking, or simply reel it back in. If you're looking for a versatile lure that can catch bass in a variety of situations, look no further than the True Bass Shuttlecock Hair Jig. Check out the full lineup here.
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Ride along with Bassmaster Elite series pro Lee Livesay as he tackles the world famous Santee Cooper Lakes. Check out the full episode here. |
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Photo Courtesy Major League Fishing
Bass Pro Tour professional Andy Montgomery's sponsors include Fishers of Men National Tournament Trail, Lew's, Strike King, Nitro Boats, Bass Pro Shops, General Tire, TrueTimber Camo, Lucas Oil, Mercury Marine, Tracker Off Road, Lowrance, Power-Pole, and Jud Kuhn Chevrolet just to name a few.
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Do-it Molds released a new Lead Mold! Introducing the Finesse Swimbait Head. This mold was designed to enhance the key characteristics of finesse swimbaiting that are often attempted but rarely perfected, while eliminating common frustrations within this category of fishing. It's meticulously selected line tie position allows the bait to destabilize on the retrieve, encouraging the natural "head wagging" motion that is desired by prey. While the flared-out fill plates and deep recessed eyes certainly add appeal, their true purpose is to create lift and drag on the retrieve, maintain a slow, natural, and alluring pace that mature fish often demand. The Finesse Swimbait Head is housed around the Victory 10111 series, a strong and sharp light wire O'Shaughnessy bend hook, and a favorite amongst many of the top Smallmouth and Finesse Largemouth anglers in the US. Check it out here.
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We recently caught up with Bass Pro Tour professional Jeremy Lawyer to get his take on this week's ICAST show, and how he approaches it as a sponsored professional. Check out what he had to say about making the most out of his week in Orlando! "ICAST stands for “International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades” and has been held the last several years in Florida. ICAST is one of the largest industry trade shows that I have ever witnessed and it’s nearly impossible to see the entire convention center in just the few days that it takes place. As a partner (pro-staffer) to several industry companies that attend this show it’s a must that I make myself available for different criteria and it’s most certainly requested in my contracts and one that’s easily fulfilled on my end. In the past, ICAST was the first place to lay your hands and eyes on a brand new product, companies could write orders and draw interest in their products from new business and a “pro-staffer” could meet with a companies management. Social media, the internet, and live streaming professional events, in my opinion, have definitely changed the direction and focus of ICAST. I say, some for the better. There are now better avenues to reach out to companies trying to gain a Prostaff opportunity than at ICAST. Plus, social media has definitely opened up the secrecy of products and actually allowed us as partners to have the products and get some time using them before the show even starts. For example: This year, Sunline America is launching a new fluorocarbon leader material called TEPA which is a very cool tapered leader material that Prostaff has been field testing prior to the show. This change has been very beneficial between companies/prostaff being able to capitalize on a “new product launch” in all directions plus, having a pro-staffer in their booth with actual “hands on” experience at the show. Companies are launching new products in avenues like magazine articles and videos at the show constantly and chatter between different pro-staffers bring the grumblings of dealing with these obligations occasionally but, I really enjoy this side of the industry. Being a tackle junky anyhow. This gives me the opportunity to “pull my weight” as a partner with these companies and introduce our new product together in a knowledgeable fashion. Bringing value to me as a pro staffer while branding us together! Something that I don’t take lightly and believe no one should. Finally, the world is a busy place and the industry, as a whole, doesn’t have much down time. It’s so great being able to shake a hand with someone and just visit (that you’d typically respond by email the other 11 months a year), even if it’s just for a few minutes at a time!" |
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