THE BUSINESS NEWS OF FISHING.
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Best on Tour brings you interesting news from the fishing industry in a weekly email.
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Impact From The Coronavirus On The Fishing Industry
The Coronavirus is expected to impact the global economy by billions of dollars, but what impact will be seen in the fishing industry. A number of US tackle companies have most of their products made in China. All of these brands plan their ordering and production around the Chinese New Year each year, which takes place annually during the end of January and early February. This year many factories extended their breaks in an effort to prevent the spread of the disease. This means many companies have not had their production return to planned levels. Expect to see more out of stock lures and limited supply in the coming months, as the impact of those shutdowns start to be seen. Even companies that manufacture domestically are seeing an impact as much of their packaging is purchased in China and is also experiencing delays.
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Service A Team Effort At Lowrance
Providing support for anglers spread out across 3 tours is no easy task, especially when those tour schedules overlap. It's an all hands on deck approach for the
Lowrance
service crew when it comes to offering top notch assistance. While senior support tech and pro team manager Cheryl Spencer departed Palatka, FL for Eufaula, AL, Lowrance product expert Jacob Scott jumped in to action and held down the fort at the first stop on the Bassmaster Elite Series. "We had 3 really big events really close together, one being the annual Miami International Boat Show, and of course the two major bass fishing events, so we needed to have support available for all of our anglers, as well as staff in Miami. I was glad to get out here and be able to help our team and see some of the things that our anglers experience at an event with their electronics," said Scott. While taking care of support for Lowrance electronics is something that is old hat at this point for the Tulsa, OK based crew, they are now also supporting the new
Lowrance Ghost
trolling motor as well. "It's exciting to see something that we put years worth of R&D behind finally on angler's boats. Seeing it go through the paces at this level of competition and performing flawlessly is something we are extremely proud of." concluded Scott. Learn more about all of Lowrance's great products at
www.lowrance.com
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Lintner Offers Tips For Sight Fishing Success
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For some of you tournament season is in full effect, the shallows are heating up, and plants and trees are starting to bloom in warmer areas of the country. For an avid Largemouth angler like myself, this means it's time to sight fish.
Throughout the years the practice of sight fishing has evolved from a well guarded secret, that only a few of the top touring professionals were utilizing, to one of the most studied techniques in the game. Learning my craft in California has given me an opportunity to do a lot of sight fishing, and in turn hone the skills that it takes to be successful at it.
The first step in the process is obviously finding the fish, which often times can be the hardest part of the equation. I've seen it time and time again, where anglers just blast through an area with their trolling motors on high and completely miss seeing the fish. Take your time when you are searching an area for bedding fish, be stealthy in your approach, and let your eyes adjust to the conditions, taking in everything you are seeing beneath the surface. This is going to allow you to see significantly more fish than an angler who is in too big of a hurry. Another tip I would give you is not to confine your search to the typical textbook areas when looking for spawners. This can mean looking in deeper water than other anglers, or just a completely different location. Thinking outside of the box will often pay off in spades when looking for spawning bass. I've found fish spawning on dock braces, outboard motors, and various other locations that you might never think to look.
Once you've found the fish there are several ways to catch them, but the first order of business is setting up properly to see how the fish is reacting to your bait. The main thing I want to do is make sure the sun is at my back whenever possible. Having a quality pair of polarized sunglasses, and wearing a
garment with a hood
to block out as much peripheral light as possible, is key to giving yourself the best view of the bed and the fish, regardless of the depth and water clarity. Depending on how the fish is responding to my presence in the area will determine how close I want to set up to the bed. As a general rule of thumb I like to stay as far away from the fish as possible. I would say more than half of the sight fish I catch I never see eat the bait.
Choosing the right bait to catch a bedding fish is simply a matter of trial and error. There is not one bait that is going to catch every spawning fish you locate. One of the biggest mistakes I see anglers make is trying to force a fish to bite a particular bait, rather than letting the fish tell you what it wants to react to. I've caught bedding bass on everything from a Crappie jig to a
9" Swimbait
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so keep that in mind when you are laying out your options for a day of sight fishing.
How long I spend on a bedding fish depends on the circumstances. In a tournament situation if I come across a fish I know I am not going to have to cull, then I am probably going to spend a good bit of time trying to catch it. The largest bass I ever caught in a tournament was in a WON BASS Pro-AM event on Clear Lake back in the day, and weighed 14.85. It took me over an hour and a half to catch that fish, and my co-angler had fallen asleep by the time I hooked her. That was a circumstance to spend as much time as it took to try and catch that fish, but each situation is different and you just have to react accordingly.
I hope these tips will help you become a more successful sight fisherman on your next trip to your favorite body of water. Good luck, and hopefully your personal best is waiting for you around the next corner!
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5. Baits Not Being Talked About
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6. What We're Watching & Listening To
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Morizo Launches Big Mama Fishing TV
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While Morizo Shimizu may have retired from competitive bass fishing in the United States, he remains one of the top stars on the Japanese fishing scene. Morizo recently launched his
Big Mama Fishing TV
series on YouTube, an extremely entertaining and informative narrative, complete with English subtitles for those of us who do not speak Japanese. In the latest episode Morizo takes us along as he tours the world famous Fishing Show in Osaka, Japan.
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Free Shipping On $75 Minn Kota Gear Orders
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See all the new 2020
Minn Kota apparel
and get free shipping on orders over $75 with this special offer. Use code
MKFREESHIP
at checkout.
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8. Regional Recommendations
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Located in Morehead City, NC
EJW Outdoors
was first opened as a Bike & Tackle Shop on Arendell St. by current owner, Dave Willis’ Great-Grandfather, Elijah James Willis, back in 1946. The store has remained in the family for the past 4 generations. EJW Outdoors is a full-service, family-owned hunting and fishing store, which has provided products and services to hunters, anglers, bicyclists and sportsmen for more than seventy years. With over 70 years of experience serving local and tourist communities alike, EJW takes pride in their vast depth of knowledge and expertise that is the outdoor lifestyle. Stop in and visit if you are in the Morehead City, NC area.
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Protect Your Motor
There are a number of great new choices now to protect your motor compared to a few years ago. Previous choices were much larger and often more difficult to put on, also breaking at times. The new versions are more compact, stronger and provide better protection to your motor and transom when pulling your boat.
Here is a quick look at some of the top choices.
Motor Mate
works for Yamaha, Mercury and Evinrude: $112-$145. They install easily and provide a secure stabilization for your motor. It also prevents the motor from tilting to one side during driving. Designed with a compact size, they can quickly be stored in a back compartment prior to launching.
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The
Moto Stop
requires no installation and can easily be taken on and off. It is made from high grade aluminum and will last forever.
Moto Stop
works on Yamaha and Mercury motors and costs $159. Combine it with
Steering Clips
to keep the motor from moving.
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The
Motor Holder
is the least expensive choice that fits any motor with two cylinders. It's made from a combination of plastic and rubber. It also is compact and can be quickly stored and does not require any additional installation. Combine it with the
Stabilizer Clips
to keep the motor from moving side to side. The
Motor Holder
is a very economical choice at only $29.99. Pair it with
Stabilizer Clips
for best protection.
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