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Random: My daughter was practicing on the local high school turf field with tryouts for the boys soccer team on the other half of the field. She said the coach told her afterward that they used to have tryouts on 3 fields there were so many kids. Now they can do it on just half a field, and the coach is thinking about retiring because kids just aren't into it anymore.


Anyone else hear or see this kinda thing? I've seen fewer kids competing – some from parent pressure burning them out, some from year-round sports burning 'em out, some from club ball craziness, some from bad "coaches." Just wondering if this is a local or national deal. Either way, competition is good!


Everyone who's gonna be standing on sidelines this weekend or soon, enjoy the heck out of it! For everyone coaching and doing it the right way, thank you and please stick with it. Truly good coaches (which does not necessarily = winners) are getting tough to find, at any level. Weird.


Ooops almost forgot – thank you to any and all officials. Toughest gig in sports. You are loved and appreciated.

If your email program cuts off the bottom of the email click "View this email in your browser" up top to see the whole thing. Sorry bout that – email programs keep changing stuff.

Today's Top 5

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5 Qs with Taku Ito about his scents

Every time Taku Ito goes to smallmouth country a) he does well and b) he rolls out some kinda different/not usual scent stuff. The last year or 2 it was this:

Last week it was this:

That's Nories BitePowder and Nories Aging Bass Liquid. I had to find out what the deal was so here you go. Any mistakes are mine – Taku speaks good English and he had a translator bud too:


1. What's in the Nories BitePowder?


> "Powdered shrimp scent. Japanese freshwater shrimp."


Follow-up Q: Do smallmouth bass in Japan like that shrimp?


> "Yes."


[The scent he used last season – or last couple – was the same shrimp.]


2. Why does the powder not wash off in the water?


> "Once the lure with powder goes inside the water, or makes contact with water, it becomes like a solid, thin layer. So that's why that scent doesn't come off."


3. How long have people been using powdered scent in Japan?


> "The powder has been around in Japan for many years, but it was never popular until right before I started using it 3-4 years ago. Now it is such a big hit in Japan too – everybody uses it."


4. What is the Nories Aging Bass Liquid?


> "It is smallmouth super-secret juice...this liquid is very stinky but smallmouth love it so I usually put it on the bait. [He puts baits in a container with it for] 1 month, 2 months...and [when he takes one out to fish it] I use the powder.


> "You can actually use the powder itself and it's very effective. You can put powder inside the plastic bag that soft lures come in or...some people put it on soft-plastics in a Plano box."


5. Do you use this the Powder and Aging Bass Juice when you are fishing for largemouths?


> "For smallmouth both are very good. I try [them] many times bed-fishing for largemouth.... For bed fishing it's very good."


Bonus Q: Is there anything else important to know about scent?


> "Scent is very important because in a tournament you are fishing around many people. So many fish know the bait. Many fish are scared...so if I use a strong scent, fish are scared but the fish are still biting. So it's very, very important.


> "Example is day 1 [at St Clair] – I think any bait is okay. Not so much pressure. I used a normal bait. But day 2 [the fish were] getting the pressure. It was hard to get a bite – to get big fish to bite. So liquid and powder were very important.


> "Day 4 so many bass were spooky, it was so hard to get a bite. Still I got many bites – because my bait had a strong scent and smallmouth like scent. It is very, very stinky. So a very bad smell, but very good."


Gotta shout out Bassmaster shooter Dalton Tumblin – he's been real good and seems like he's getting even betterer. The Taku shots on Bassmaster.com were insanely good.

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Upper Mississippi River Invitational top 10 baits breakdown

WI's Matt Stefan won it with 48-06, here's how he fished:


> Stefan found the fish on his stretch to be finicky all week, unable to get them to bite reaction or power baits. So he leaned on a trusted tactic employed by many Mississippi River hammers: a wacky-rigged stick worm.


> "Everything I caught today was on a 5-inch Berkley PowerBait MaxScent The General in black/blue or green pumpkin. If it was cloudy, I went with the black/blue. If it was sunny, I fished the green pumpkin. I was just throwing it in the holes, really keying in on any small holes within the eelgrass or on the outside edges."


Stick worms were the main baits of the top 3 finishers – here's a breakdown of what the top 10 fished:


Stick worm = 30% – Berkley MaxScent General, Yamamoto Senko, Strike King Ocho


Walking bait = 20% – Heddon Super Spook, Evergreen Justine 95


Swimbait = 20% – YUM Money Minnow, Keitech Easy Shiner. Believe that's the first mention in a top 10 of a YUM Money Minnow? WI's Nick Trim, 4th:

Frog = 20% – Strike King Sexy Frog, SPRO Bronzeye Frog


10% each = Carolina rig (Yamamoto Senko), Buzzbait, Bladed jig (Z-Man JackHammer), Fluke-style bait


Shout-outs


1. Tom Monsoor (3rd) violated upper Mississippi River bassin' law by not fishing a swim-jig and instead C-rigged a Senko. Wardens showed up but Tom slipped out the back of the weigh stage...πŸ˜†

2. Jared Lintner and his bassin' 'stache finished 5th.


3. Cody Meyer finished 8th, his 2nd straight Invitationals top 10.


4. TN's Tristan McCormick got 10th.

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5 Qs with FishTips.com co-founder Austin Neary

Who is Austin and what is FishTips.com? He's a former college and Opens angler who's now an NC bass guide, owns a tackle store and is a co-founder of the 4-month-old site FishTips.com – which is a platform where guides and some other folks can sell fishing info.


Is selling fishing info okay to do? My 2c right now is yes – in theory anyway because:


  • "Getting info" is done all the time in bassin' (can't do it at the pro level of course)
  • Pretty much everyone is trying to find out "free" fishing info all the time (hot bait, where to fish, etc), whether it's for a home lake or somewhere else
  • Some folks are "pirating" info, whether it's drive-by waypointing or going out with a guide and then using that info
  • Some folks have info-sharing "networks" (a group of guys) but some don't
  • People have less time than ever
  • Bass fishing can change day to day, so a tip is not "gold" forever
  • It's up everyone whether to use the FishTips site or not


Do I have an instinctive "heck no" reaction when it comes to sharing info? Yes and no. It's kinda hypocritical – or bipolar. On the one hand I think it's dead wrong at the tour and triple-A levels, on the other hand I see nothing wrong with it everywhere else.


Austin said that as a guide he's always been hit up for info – by lots of folks including people coming into town with limited time and he had no availability. He started helping them by marking up maps, then by giving tips and charging for them – why would he give hard-won info away for free? At some point the lightbulb went on.


As I've said in the BB before, I had a FishTips-like idea years ago but didn't pursue it for a couple reasons. I think the idea is valid. Is now the right time for it? If it's done right? Let's see what happens. Here's 5 with Austin.


1. Why is selling waypoints or other info a good thing?


> "It's not just selling waypoints. It is an information platform where anglers can benefit and maximize their time on the water by learning this information from local dialed-in guides and tournament anglers that are willing to share their success.


> "Within the tip, guides put in very specific pattern information, detailed explanations of why the fish are doing what they're doing, there's video, links to baits....


> "A guide can only make as much money as they can afford time on the water. This is a great way to make extra money.


> "We want to see anglers maximize their time on the water and make memories because at the end of their lives that's the only thing they're going to have...their memories. And we're wanting to help guides and guys that are trying to make it in the fishing industry. We're trying to help them with an extra source of revenue because we know how hard it is to make it in the industry.


> "They're not my fish and not they're your fish, they're God's fish. Meant to bring him Glory brother."


[πŸ’ͺ Thank you Lord for these fish!]


2. Are there downsides to what you're doing?


> "There aren't any negatives about what we're doing."


3. What about people buying info and then reselling it?


> "That is something on our platform that cannot necessarily be done. Within our platform we verify our sellers. If [a seller] wants to buy tips on the platform, he is more than welcome to buy tips, but he cannot buy a tip and then turn around and resell it. We have that flagged on the back end. So that's not possible.


> "They cannot repost a tip with that same information...we have all sorts of algorithms that would detect that stuff."


[He said the company also has that addressed in the Terms and Conditions for using the site. If you're unfamiliar with T&Cs, they provide a legal basis for banning site use by folks who violate the terms.]


4. How do people get paid?


> "Once a buyer buys a tip, our 3rd-party payment platform is Stripe. Stripe holds the funds for 2 days to make sure there's no fraud or anything, and then it's a 75% / 25% split. The seller gets 75% and the platform get 25%, and it's direct-deposited...."


5. What else do you want to say about it?


> "If time is money and people spend countless hours searching for information, that means they're technically spending countless money. They can get on with their life and make more memories...and be more efficient just buying information to get a tip in the right direction...."

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New "A I" bait generator ain't legit?

Saw this site mentioned where you could create baits using "A I." So I went and tried it out. Asked it to create a pink lizard – the only 2 parameters it gave me – and got these:

I will continue to stick with the OG "A I" – Actual Intelligence – until proven otherwise or til Skynet wipes us all out man!

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We got a real "Champ" sonar sighting?

Looks like it? Champ = Lake Champlain "monster" or dinosaur-type critter. Few more deets from this post:


> "We had the pleasure of seeing this image appear on our Garmin Eco Map UHD this afternoon while fishing lake trout," which he indicated were "on the bottom of the screen as this Champy image cruises above.


> "I can't explain what it actually is. I know it's not the normal shape of bait balls...which I see daily."


I did hear recently that one well-known bass pro had a very unusual sighting on top of the water at Champlain recently (for real), wonder if he'll be cool outing the deets....

News

1. MI's Ron Nelson won MLF Invitationals AOY.

His worst finish by far was at the last one! Michael Neal finished 2nd by just 7 points, after winning the points title in 2021 and 2022.


Not sure how many MLF will take to the Bass Pro Tour but here's the top 10:


1. Ron Nelson -- 1094

2. Michael Neal -- 1081

3. Matthew Stefan -- 1074

4. Keith Carson -- 1040

5. Martin Villa -- 1011

6. Grae Buck -- 1006

7. Nick Hatfield -- 978

8. Marshall Robinson -- 973

9. Drew Gill -- 968

10. Colby Schrumpf -- 954


2. Marty Robinson's 19-yr-old son made the Bass Pro Tour.


Marshall fished in high school, skipped college and went fishing. Won the Invitationals ROY, was 8th in AOY points, and will be fishing against his dad next year. #stout


Saw the Robinson clan at ICAST, asked Marshall – with Marty standing right there – whether he was better than his dad, and he said yes without hesitating...pretty sure he got a whuppin' later. 😁


Congrats to the Robinson fam!


3. War Eagle is bringing back some older color combos.


IG vid ^, says you can see the colors here.


4. New SIMMS fall stuff is out.


Fresh 'n clean as usual! Here's 4 things I dig:

Clockwise from top L:


Bulkley Insulated Fishing Jacket – The warmest SIMMS waterproof jacket yet? PrimaLoft Silver insulation? Sign me up because the Challenger Insulated Jacket is 100% great.


Challenger Insulated Jacket – Great warm/waterproof/windproof jacket, this is a new version with new colors: dark stone (pictured) and regiment camo carbon. There's also a new Challenger Insulated Bib.


Challenger Fishing Hoody – Real good hoodie, new colors with a stealth embossed SIMMS logo.


Fall Run Hybrid Hoody – I consider this a lighter-weight layer. Comes in this color, blue and black, water-resistant, side panels are fleece and good-lookin'!


Can;'t go wrong with SIMMS in my 2c!


5. Check this color frowg...


...the Toad Thumper Swamper Walkin' and Poppin' Frogs in "ghost:"


6. Fish management schollies given out by Hall of Fame.


This is a key and good part:


> ...the assistance program drew 39 applicants, all of whom had to show their passion for the sport by being a member of either B.A.S.S. or Major League Fishing.


7. VA: New Potomac ramp at Widewater State Park.


8. New Fishing Tackle Retailer editor is Toby Lapinski.


Replaces Ken Duke, although no one can really replace Ken...because he's an πŸ‘½. 😁


9. New Yamaha technology chief is Grant Suzuki.


> Grant will lead the Marine Advance Development teams focused on building-out Yamaha's C.A.S.E. (Connectivity, Autonomous operations, Integrated Services and Electrification) strategy.


> Prior to joining Yamaha, Grant served as Director of Sumitomo Corp of America, Automotive Group....


10. Quantum is looking for a brand manager but...


...says you need to be "elf-motivated." Not sure if that means a Lord of the Rings-type elf or...? 😁


11. PA: Snakeheads reproducing in lower Susquehanna.


State says if you find one, kill it.


12. Keep an eye on....


My 2c is to look for patterns – just like in fishing – not necessarily "facts"...because things portrayed as facts aren't necessarily factual at all. Just FYI as always, not telling you what to think or believe.


FL looking at fish/hunt rights amendment to state constitution


> The proposed amendment will be added to the Nov 2024 state ballot. If FL voters pass the bill, it will be added to the FL Constitution.


> The consideration of the bill came after several states such as OR, WA and NM attempted to ban hunting and fishing after an animal-rights activist filed a petition to criminalize animal abuse.


Keep an eye on THAT. πŸ‘†



ASA intervenes in lawsuit that would undermine current salty regs


> ...lawsuit brought by the Natural Resources Defense Council...pending in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, challenges a revised process for managing the recreational fisheries for summer flounder, scup and black sea bass which took several years to develop and was approved by the National Marine Fisheries Service for implementation in 2023.



3 "conservation" groups sued in the same court because the Biden administration did not restrict the use of lead fishing tackle and ammo at a WV National Wildlife Refuge


> Citing risks [not proof of harm!] to bald eagles and other [allegedly] vulnerable species, the National Wildlife Refuge Association, Friends of Blackwater and the Sierra Club filed their lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.


We all know anglers and hunters are the real conservationists, but the bad guys are working hard to take over that term and our legit middle-ground perception.



ATF Intimidating Another Home-Based Gun Dealer to Surrender FFL


Just an fyi because all efforts against sportsmen and women are connected. Here's another one along the same lines:


Biden's War On Guns Prompting Big Box Gun Sellers' Unreasonably Restrictive Gun Sales Policies



Headline of the Day


The bite is slow for Irish anglers on Cedar Lake


Sounds like fish prejudice!

Okay I know that's Scottish but the Irish fought the same peeps! 😁

On BassBlaster.rocks right now... 

How Cifuentes fished, Top Elite baits, Why use underwater cams?


5 with Alton Jr, Combs talks electronics, Prey vs bottom color


Note: The Tackle Warehouse links in this email are affiliate links, meaning if you go through them to make a purchase I might earn a commission…at no cost to you. Click here if you want to learn a little more about links in the BB.

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Tip of the Day

Matt Stefan wacky grass-fishing tip


In that Bass U Instagram vid he says in what I assume was his recent win on the Upper Miss that he used a #1 finesse wide gap hook – when he was wacky-rigging his MaxScent General. That's real small but he said that was because:


> "I could fish it through the grass cleaner with a smaller hook. ...if I had a bigger hook, the eelgrass would ball up [in the gap]."


Said he had to snap the bait free of the grass, and with a bigger hook that would mean more strands of grass would get in the gap and mess up his presentation.


Also said boat-positioning was key because if he didn't get it right, the current would pull the bait into the eelgrass which would mess up the presentation as well.


That's a "public" tip – a lot more juice from all kinda guys is behind the Bass U paywall, which in my 2c is worth the $$. Check the signup deets here – you can do it for a year or I believe just a month too.


Bass U had the busiest booth at ICAST btw:

🀣 Sorry Bass Uers I had to use that pic somewhere lol!

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Quote of the Day

"To this point, I haven't really gotten super emotional and haven't really thought too much about it, but it's all really kind of sinking in right now."


- Kevin VanDam talkin' in a loooong BassFan post about his last regular-season ride. Few more deals from it:


> "In my next career I'll have a little more flexibility"...he plans to set up trips to be in the best places at the best times for fishing, filming, content production, client entertainment and the like.


> "...I just feel like I can be more valuable to the sport that I love in this new role than just by continuing to be a tournament angler.


> "...in the end, that's how you're measured, is by your record, your credentials and your stats. To look back at what I've been able to accomplish, in the timeframe that I've had against the caliber of anglers that I've competed against, I'm pretty proud of it."


> Why he left B.A.S.S.: "At the time, you know, with the way that the management was, the way things were going, the angler morale, I just felt that it was a great opportunity to really further the sport of professional bass fishing for all of the leagues, right?"


> "I mean, the 2 leagues...they've pushed each other to be better. The coverage is better, the streaming is better, the content is better, the anglers are better, and it's created more opportunities for young anglers coming up."

Shot of the Day

This pic of On Em "Matt" Robertson by B.A.S.S. shooter Shane Durrance is πŸ”₯! Bassin' IS America mang! πŸ’ͺπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ

Random

Check this pic Hack sent me – said his cousin found it in a mason jar buried on his property: πŸ€”

I was like, "Where does your cousin live?" Hack said, "Tell you when I see you in person. Nothing over the phone." πŸ‘€

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Ya got me!
Jay Kumar's BassBlaster is a daily-ish roundup of the best (sometimes worst) and funniest stuff in bassin', hand-picked by me – Jay Kumar. I started BassFan.com, co-hosted Loudmouth Bass with Zona, was a B.A.S.S. senior writer and a bunch more in bassin'. The Blaster is the #2 daily read on any given day in the wide world o' bass so thanks for readin'!


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