Protecting Your Pricey Toy On A Budget |
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Outdoor writer Pete Robbins is a stickler for a clean bass boat, and doesn't like to break the bank to keep his rig looking showroom fresh. Check out this great article he recently wrote on how to keep your pride and joy shining on a budget! "While I’m not completely OCD about it, I like for my bass boats to stay relatively clean. Not only do I value the work that I’ve put in to buy these increasingly pricey toys, but by wiping them down after every use it makes them easier to sell every four years or so. For the fiberglass, I’ve long been a big fan of Bass Boat Saver. It’s reasonably inexpensive, removes scum and debris, and even smells good. There are, of course, plenty of other comparable products. With my 2022 boat, I received a selection of Lucas Oil products including Slick Mist Marine Speed Wax that seems to be very efficient (and widely available). Many members of the Bass Cat family swear by the Pro-Tec series of boat cleaning products. But if you don’t want to spend on marine-specific products (Really? After paying tens of thousands of dollars for a boat, you can’t drop a few more to keep it looking good?), there are some other options, many of which are likely already in your house. If not, they’re all easy to get at Home Depot or Lowe’s or Wal-Mart or even the Dollar Store. I was reminded of this when I heard a recent episode of Bass Talk Live in which Matt Pangrac interviewed pro Matt Stefan. They were talking about being in a hardware store and viewing it from a fisherman’s perspective – every product, from zip ties to nuts and bolts, goes through a test to see if it has any application to the world of fishing. That’s how I am, too. So with that in mind, here are some products that you likely already have access to that at some point could prove useful. Read the full article here.
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Shuffield disqualified from Bass Pro Tour Stage Five |
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After a comprehensive investigation into alleged rule violations at Bass Pro Tour Stage Five on Cayuga Lake, Major League Fishing has disqualified Arkansas pro Spencer Shuffield for intentionally removing a hook in a bass that was caught while sight-fishing before his MLF official could verify that the fish was hooked inside the mouth. Shuffield will forfeit his Cayuga winnings, points and weight, including a fish weight toward Heavy Hitters 2024 qualification. Some anglers will receive additional winnings and points following the adjustments in the results of Stage Five. Read the full release from Major League Fishing here.
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Bertrand Breaks Down The SLR |
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Bass Pro Tour angler Josh Bertrand may hail from Arizona, but he has a soft place in his heart for the St. Lawrence River smallmouths. Not only do they provide him with a near-annual excuse to get out of the desert heat, but they’re big and numerous and there are lots of ways to catch them. Perhaps most importantly, it was the site of his first major win, a 2018 Elite Series tournament where he caught 95 pounds 3 ounces over four days to beat fellow Berkley pro Justin Lucas by 13 ounces. That tournament took place in late August. Right now, Bertrand is jealous of the anglers who will fish the inaugural Big Bass Tour event on the river in a couple of weeks because he expects far more of the fishery to be in play. Yes, the big lake will be off limits, but he believes that “it could be won anywhere in the river, shallow or deep. It won’t be a full-blown deal where they’re all out deep. Yes, some will be in their summer holes, but there will still be plenty of fish comparatively shallow.” He expects that the overall winning fish will be well over 6 pounds, and possibly over 7, and it’ll take a heavy five just about every hour to claim the top spot. Fortunately, there are several proven ways to catch not only numbers but big ones.
“One hundred percent, the number one way to catch them is dropshotting a Berkley Flat Worm,” he said. “If you can get away with a 3/8 ounce weight, that’s better because it gets hung up less and looks more natural, but when you’re fishing in heavier current or a little bit deeper you may need to go up to ½.” His three favorite colors are Brown Back, Green Pumpkin and straight Black, but he added that “you can’t go wrong with Smoke Purple or Goby, sonance that’s mostly what they feed on there.” It's classic river fishing, so anglers should look for any sort of obvious and not-so-obvious current breaks – shoals, points that stick out, or current seams caused by irregularities in the bottom.” “The further you go toward Massena, the current is swifter,” he explained. “Sometimes that keeps the fish shallower. It can be more challenging to fish, but there’s usually less pressure. Closer to Ontario the river widens out, so there’s less current.” He wouldn’t expect giant smallmouths to be up on the banks like largemouths, but he’d target comparatively shallow flats with 5 to 15 feet of water with a variety of tools. Read more about Bertrand's thoughts on the upcoming Big Bass Tour event on the St.Lawrence River here.
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Offering a mesmerizing action and increased hook-up ratio, the Dixie Jet Falcon Spoon is perfect for bass that are targeting large baitfish and not fully committing to the bait. Made from marine-grade brass, the Dixie Jet Falcon Spoon seductively flutters as it sinks through the water column just like a wounded or dying baitfish. It is also weighted so that it sinks away from you, which is crucial for targeting bass that are hiding deep under boat docks and overhanging cover. Armed for battle, the Dixie Jet Falcon Spoon features three razor-sharp VMC treble hooks that help increase hook up ratios from fish that just swiping at the baits and give you the opportunity to hook multiple fish at once when they are aggressively schooling. Offered in highly realistic baitfish colors, the Dixie Jet Falcon Spoon will outperform all the other flutter spoons in your tackle box. Check out the full lineup here.
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Team Marine Service is back discuss the common issues with a list of outboards in their first model year or generation 1. Check out the full video here. |
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Photo Courtesy Major League Fishing
Bass Pro Tour professional Cody Meyer's sponsors include Daiwa, Blazer Boats, Evergreen International, Bling Sauce, Yamamoto, Garmin, Tackle Warehouse, Sea Clear Power, Simms, Owner Hooks, T-H Marine, First Contact Tungsten, Power-Pole, Rapid Fishing Solutions, Suzuki, BoatLogix, Monster Marine Lithium, and Bajio just to name a few.
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Peak Performance From Your Braid |
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Siglon PE AMZ is an eight-strand high performance braided line. AMZ features a new special processing of braided line strands. Performance Sustainable Processing (PSP) is done on this product which significantly prolongs the initial performance of the braided line. SPS maintains the initial smoothness and durability of the braided line to help it keep performing at peak performance. By preventing fraying and maintaining initial slickness casting distance and feel remains at initial levels. AMZ is a great choice for spinning or baitcast reels and any technique where braided line is the choice.
- 8 strand braid
- PSP-Performance Sustaining Processing for greater longevity
- Reduced fraying and maintained slickness for longer performance life
- Two colors available, orange for high visibility and dark green for stealth
- Orange: 165 YD or 660 YD Spool; Available in 10 LB, 12 LB, 16 LB, 18 LB Test
- Dark Green: 165 YD or 660 YD Spool; Available in 35 LB, 50 LB, 60LB Test
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AFTCO Back In The Winner's Circle |
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2023 marked another successful ICAST show for AFTCO, adding 5 New Product Showcase awards to their list of ICAST accolades. With 37 categories this year featuring 1,087 new products from 292 companies, AFTCO won awards in Warm Weather Technical Apparel for Men, Lifestyle Apparel for Men, Warm Weather Technical Apparel for Women, Cold Weather Technical Apparel for Women, and Footwear. In the last six years, AFTCO has won 18 out of 23 New Product Showcase awards in the apparel categories. That brings the total to 20 New Product Showcase awards with the addition of back-to-back wins in the footwear category. Check out all of the award winning products here.
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Have you ever competed in a Big Bass Tour event?
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