Rich's Bass Fishing Tackle Blog

Reaction Innovations Kinky Beaver

2011-10-10T08:43:00.006-06:00

When Reaction Innovations & Andre Moore broke on the scene years ago with the Sweet Beaver, it launched a whole new segment of creature/craw baits. They are now set to release the Kinky Beaver. Based on what I have seen of web images, it looks like a hybrid Crazy Legs Chigger Craw and the original 4.20 Sweet Beaver.

I am sure these will fly off the shelf and be has hard to find as regular beavers in the colors you actually want or need when they come out in next month or two.

The wedge lip on the normal beaver appendages should kick almost like a rage tail and the middle legs should have a tight added wiggle. It should make a bait that not only flips well, but can also be more versatile for Carolina Rigging, Swimming or as a jig trailer.

The Kinky Beaver appear to be same basic size as the original Sweet Beaver and will be available in all the same great colors.

Buy them here!

Protecting Your Face

2011-10-06T11:44:00.004-06:00

The following is an article I can across & written by Jason Baggett, an avid bass fisherman who spends countless days pounding the water for fat bass and good times. I am not sure if this is better reminder to protect your face or tighten the nut on your trolling motor prop, but a good read either way.

Several good friends and I fish the DAV Tournament every year not only to support their efforts and the awesome job they do in providing support to Disabled Veterans, but as a gathering point for all of us friends who don’t see much of each other during the year.

The 2009 event started off with the normal smack talk at the dock that had been accumulating in the months prior, and although it was nothing serious, there were some painful feelings leftover from the 2008 event which included a broke trolling motor cable that ruined the day of my good buddy “Gator”.

I had the privilege and honor of using some of the best bass gear over the years, including a 2009 BassCat PUMA (awesome boat!) & fishing with Bobby Kelly, a good friend of mine from Southern Arkansas. I knew from previous experiences and current conditions, the ride upriver was going to be brutal, and advised Bobby of it as we secured our Save Phace masks onto our blockheads. Now, before you start thinking this is a shameless plug for Save Phace masks, read on…PLEASE!

As we approached Big Piney, I noticed we were first for a reason, the waves had grown to swells, 8ft – 10ft respectively. Good Ol’ Bobby was not only a trooper but believed in me to get us fishing, and not swimming. No prob Bob, we’re in a BassCat! We finally reached our destination, and fishing we go! Fast forward two hours.

Bobby and I decided to run back down the river. We were rockin’ and rollin’ down the Arkansas (wearing Save Phace S.U.M.’s), I noticed the Trolling Motor prop spinning backwards, and then I seen a black dot. WHACK! As I gently took the boat down from running speed, I reached down and grabbed the kill switch and pulled. To this day, I still don’t know why I just didn’t turn the key off. Then I felt Bobby pulling on my life jacket, as I saw an array of swirly black dots, in a semi-knocked out trance. Bobby started asking me if I was “OK”, as I pulled off my mask, trying to gain some kind of conscience of what just happened. I looked at him, and said a bird hit me… a coot hit me!

Bobby now concerned more than earlier, told me, “the trolling motor prop hit you dude.” To my disbelief I was OK! A bit dazed, but no harm done. AMAZING.

After we gathered our thoughts, saying a thankful prayer, Bobby and I both sat there in complete awe of what had just took place. After we both knew everything was OK, we headed back down to Russellville Marina where my wife and son were. When we finally got to the marina we met Gator and his partner, by complete accident. He couldn’t believe

what Bobby was telling him as I talked to my wife and explaining the circumstances, and informed her of where to go to find another prop. After an hour of waiting, we found another prop, and went back to fishing!

Now, even to this day, my good buddy Gator, will call, email or text “Go eat a prop” as a gestural reminder to all of us the dangers that lurk us anglers. I’m not only thankful for wearing the Save Phace S.U.M. that day, but I’m equally thankful that it did what it states: it saved my Phace, and quite possibly my life.

See Video As Well

IMA Beast Hunter has Arrived!

2011-09-20T13:06:00.001-06:00

New For This Year
The Beast Hunter mid-range crankbait, developed by legendary Japanese pro Jun Shoji, is the newest offering in IMA’s power-fishing arsenal. Shoji guides on Lake Biwa in Japan, where a world record-tying largemouth was caught in 2010. With that laboratory at his disposal, he set out to create a lure that can dominate the 10 to 13 foot range where most of Biwa’s monsters are hooked. He’s succeeded in creating a product that will successfully hunt down those beasts.
Designed specifically to come through grass, without hanging up or losing effectiveness, the Beast Hunter coordinates the size of the lure’s body and thickness of its sides with the length and width of the lip. On 14-pound fluorocarbon it dominates the 10 to 13 foot range. With a very natural wobble – not too wide, not too tight – a subdued knocking sound not to turn off spooky bass, the Beast Hunter is a power bait that doesn’t overpower the situation.
Its design incorporates a small fixed weight inside, which maximizes diving depth while preventing the lure from tumbling and getting fouled on the cast. The sidewalls are 2.0mm thick which distributes the overall weight proportionately throughout the body enabling it to stop quicker as it doesn’t glide forward. The diving angle is also tuned so when you come in contact with the weeds, softly lift up on the rod. The Beast Hunter will back slide and glide right over the vegetation. Every aspect of this lure is made to maximize performance.
Although designed by Japanese Pro, Jun Shoji, the Beast Hunter has been successfully tested by the ima pros here on the U.S. lakes. The Beast Hunter will successfully hunt down the beast of your dreams.

The Diving Angle – Secret to avoiding hang-ups
The “buoyancy level and the diving angle” are key factors of being able to come through grass. The Beast Hunter has a perfect combination of the two so when you come in contact with the weeds, softly lift up on the rod. The Beast Hunter will back slide and glide right over the vegetation.

A Fixed Weight and Extremely Thick Body Shell
At 2.0mm thick, the sidewalls are designed much thicker than other baits. This distributes the overall weight proportionately throughout the body enabling it to stop quicker as it doesn’t glide forward. The thickness also helps it float faster. The design incorporates a small fixed weight inside, which maximizes diving depth while preventing the lure from tumbling and getting fouled on the cast.

Casts like a bullet!
From the body design to weight placement, every aspect of this lure is made to maximize performance. The hooks are shielded by the body and lip to keep it weedless without hampering hooking ability. This also allows for dart like casting for great distance.
S
pecs

Length - 2.64 inches

Weight - 3/4 oz

Hooks - #2

Depth - 10 - 13 ft.(on 14lbs. fluorocarbon)

Class - Mid-range crankbait

My ICAST 2011 Bass Fishing Top Picks

2011-08-14T20:13:00.003-06:00

Here are the 5 products I am most excited about from ICAST 2011 and that I will mostly likely purchase. These picks are largely based on my obsession with bass fishing and tournament based fishing. There are a ton of great products & I can’t cover them all in this short post, so here is my Top 5:

Optimum Baits Top of the Line Swimbait – The Line Thru category swimbaits has been very popular for two main reasons, fish catching action & better then average hook-up ratio. The main draw back, has been the position of the hook does not come through weeds & cover very well, plus many were not meant to fish deep. Optimum baits introduced the Top of the Line swimbait this year, which will be awesome for fishing through grass and slow rolling around off-shore structure. I have fished the prototypes, you can fish them much deeper and faster then the original Optimum BLT.

VMC Spin Shot Hooks – The new drop shot hook design immediately caught my attention. No special knot to make your hook stand out and line twist should be nearly eliminated. Likely to be a game changer for drop shotting.

Shimano Stradic FJ – I’ve always been a fan of Shimano fishing reels, when they came out with their AeroWrap a few years back that reduced line twist, I changed all my spinning reels out. I am intrigued by the X-Ship double bearing supported pinion gear with two S A-RB shielded bearings that eliminates pinion gear twist and rotor flex when fighting big bass. Should be another instant winner from Shimano.

Dobyns Savvy Micro Guide Series – The Dobyns Savvy series is what I already consider the best value in the bass fishing rod market today. Now they are launching additional models with micro guides at the same price point, sounds too good to be true. They are also launch their Coalition Weapon Series originally targeted at the Army Bass Anglers; main feature on these is an Army-like camo motif.
Response has been so positive; Dobyns now plans on bringing the rods in as permanent fixture to a wider audience.

IMA Beast Hunter – Is a new deep diving crankbait with a great name and same attention to detail you have come to expect from Ima Lures. Designed by legendary Japanese pro Jun Shoji, who guides on Lake Biwa & has a great test ground there to get baits exactly right. The sidewall plastic is 2mm thick which is extremely thick for a crankbait. The reasoning is they wanted the weight in the bait to have a narrower channel so the crankbait wouldn’t roll & helicopter on long. Also angle of the lip was studied for a long time to make it dive at the right angle that would allow it to get down but not get bogged up in grass. If you make the dive angle to steep on a crankbait, it will get down and under the grass and the bait will hang a lot more. The bait comes in at a more gradual angle and if you just slightly raise the rod up quickly, the bait will free itself easily from grass which triggers a lot of strikes. Look for this bait around September 2011.

Sometimes I wonder if I love bass fishing for the sport or because I am such a tackle junkie….

Father's Day Bass Fishing Combo Deal

2011-06-18T14:54:00.002-06:00

Get a Sweet Rod & a Super Reel for a super nice deal! If you have not tried Dobyns yet, you are missing out! Check out the rod pages to see the deals!

Offer ends when reels are gone!

Don't forget about the Shaker

2011-06-13T08:33:00.001-06:00

Did a bit of fishing this spring. One thing that became apparent in low to mid 50 degree water; the IMA Shaker with it's flat sides and more subtle action is out producing the new highly touted IMA Square Bill designed by Bill Lowen.

Pictured above is the nicest bass I caught, put a bunch in the boat on an IMA Shaker thrown on 12lb Fluoro on my brand new Dobyns 684 CB Crankbait Rod, pretty sweet rod for jerkbaits and light wooden baits like the Shaker, Shad Raps and several other baits.

Both great baits, but early in the year, its hard to beat the profile and action of the Shaker, so my advice, while the traditional Square Bills are getting all the headlines right now, in the early spring, stick with the Shaker for a few weeks. Then when water hits 60 degrees and up, pick that Square Bill up and do work!

As you can see, they were eating the SHAKER!

Memorial Day Bass Fishing Sale

2011-05-26T20:48:00.003-06:00

Great sale on tons of stuff, save 20% off thru May 31st, plus free shipping on orders over $50 and no sales tax outside of California! Can't beat the prices, I already got my order in!

http://www.basstackledepot.com
20% off entire store*
*Some Manufacturer restrictions may apply. Example: Jackall, Lucky Craft, Shimano, Reaction Innovations.
Discounts will be displayed
Offer good while supplies last (No rain checks or back orders).
Prices shown are in U.S. funds and are subject to change.
Online orders only no phone order

Time to Save 15% on bass fishing tackle for spring!

2011-04-22T20:47:00.003-06:00

Hey all, got a late tax refund burning a hole in your pocket or at least didn't owe as much as last year?

BassTackleDepot.com is having a sweet little sale thru April 25th, Save 15% off almost everything in their awesome store!

Sale runs thru 4-25
Online Orders Only
Discounts will display in your cart
Some Restrictions May Apply, example: Jackall, Koppers, Reaction
Innovations, Shimano, TroKar, Gift Cards, & Wright & McGill

In Stock At BassTackleDepot!!
Picasso Tungsten Flippin	Xcite Raptor Tail Jr.	Luck E Strike Rick Clunn
Bomber Balsa Model B	Sebile Spin Shad	MattLures Ultimate U2
Gambler EZ Swimmer	E akins Jigs	Jackall G90

Win some Free Bass Fishing gear!

2011-04-17T20:59:00.001-06:00

Been a crazy week, lots of travel and other stuff going on, been neglecting the blog. Congrats to Arizona Pros Dean Rojas & Cliff Pirch for both notching tour level wins earlier today.

Not too long ago, I got a nice shipment of new Akinetix gear in, they make some very affordable and functional polarized fishing sunglasses, including youth & woman's models, definitely worth checking out. They even have floating shades for those of us that our clumsy.

They also have some nice moisture wicking gear and other gear. So to celebrate spring, I am running a little contest, on my Facebook Page, so just follow this link to enter. You have until Sunday April 24th to get entered. So head over and enter to win some free gear and check out the Akinetix website as well.

The Akinetix Shield sunglasses pictured are what i have been wearing on the water!

Remembering Fall

2011-04-01T14:09:00.003-06:00

So while we wait for spring to get here in MN, here is fun video from last fall. Catching some good fish on docks with tungsten jigs and a bunch of fish on swim jigs with Optimum Double Diamond 3.75" Swimmers as trailers

IMA Square Bill Video Review

2011-03-16T20:27:00.002-06:00

Check out this great video review from WFN with Matt Paino breaking down what is cool about the IMA Square Bill crankbait & why it is such a fish catcher!

Good Deal on a Great Frog

2011-03-07T12:23:00.004-06:00

Just ran across this deal on Mad Maxx frogs. These quickly became my favorite frogs in 2010. In my opinion they are better then the similar looking Spro Bronzeye frogs because of a few reasons:
Softer body = better hook ups
Rattles included
Most importantly, built in drain hole, means never squeezing water out of frog and no sinking frogs!

The Mad Maxx was designed by Greg Hackney, Marty Stone & Mike Iaconelli.

So at the marked down price of $4.79 each, they cannot be beat! Order 11 of them or more & get FREE SHIPPING!

Bluegrass is my favorite color followed by Big Sexy! Is there anything really more fun then catching big bass on floating frogs?

Spring Fling @ Bass Tackle Depot - 20% BASS FISHING SALE!

2011-02-10T20:44:00.006-06:00

20% off All Online Orders -20% off All Orders

http://www.basstackledepot.com/spring-11.aspx

Prices good through February 12, 12:01am midnight Pacific Time.
These prices apply to Internet orders only. Offers good while supplies last.
In stock items only while supplies last. No back orders.

Some restrictions may apply to specific manufacturers, Shimano, Jackall etc.
Sale prices will be displayed in your cart.

Also check out BassFactory.com forums to have a chance at FREE TACKLE!

Ima launches Square Bill at 2011 Bassmaster Classic

2011-01-24T15:54:00.008-06:00

After 18 months of collaboration between 3-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier Bill Lowen & the engineers at IMA Lures in Japan, IMA will release the Square Bill at the upcoming Bassmaster Classic in New Orleans, where Lowen will compete. As the name suggests, this new lure is a square-billed crankbait that combines the legendary hunting action of hand-crafted balsa lures with the consistency & durability of plastic.

"This lure is so much more versatile than any other square-bill I've fished," said Lowen, who played an integral role in the many prototypes that led up to the final products. "I've dreamed of something like this for decades. It acts like the best handmade balsa baits. Every crankbait has a wobble, but the good balsa crankbaits hunt. They'll jump off to the left, run a bit, jump off to the right, and always work their way back to the center. That action triggers bites."

The IMA Square Bill has a stubby, rounded body that produces an earth-shaking wobble, bold eyes, a lexan lip and two sticky-sharp #6 hooks that'll nab even the short-strikers, although most bass absolutely choke this bait down.

The lure runs properly right out of the package and the lexan lip and durable body mean that it can take more abuse than its balsa counterparts, which often need frequent tuning. The Square Bill runs shallower than other manufacturers' square-bills, 2 to 3 feet deep on typical cranking tackle. Lowen, a noted shallow-water specialist, occasionally upsizes his line to burn it over grass or in the shallowest water possible. Despite the heavier line, the lure still maintains its signature action. At 3/8 of an ounce, it casts like a bullet, too, another advantage over the balsa cranks. In addition to a straight, steady retrieve and burning, Lowen also likes to twitch the lure & wake it.

"It's just about a 12 month out of the year lure," said Matt Paino, Vice President of Sales for IMA. "We expect that shallow water anglers coast to coast will consider this a 'go to" for years to come." IMA will release the Square Bill at the 2011 Bassmaster Classic in 9 colors & it will retail for $16.99.

IMA Lures are distributed in the United States by Optimum Bait Co. For more information about IMA, go to www.imalures.com. Also find all the current great Ima baits at www.BassTackleDepot.com

BassFactory.com Launches!

2011-01-16T14:17:00.001-06:00

When you get a chance, check out BassFactory.com!

BassFactory.com has been designed from the ground up with the concept of providing in-depth knowledge to angler's of all skill levels. From the novice to the touring pro BassFactory promises to be a great resource.

This site is still younf, but looks to be getting some great traction!

Leave comments about what you think of this site.

Rich

20% off at BTD for 24 hours only!

2010-12-14T22:19:00.004-06:00

20% Off Plus these Sweet Deals for 24 Hours Only!
20$ Gift Cards with Powell or Phenix Rod
Free Dobyn's T-Shirt w/ Dobyn's Rod
ABT Lures, 5" Tru-Lifes, Specialty Tackle Z75's, Bio Edge, River2Sea Bossymark, Megabait Bass Grande all 70% Off
AC Plug Minnow & Laser Lures 50% Off
EZ Rod Organizer 30% Off
http://BassTackleDepot.com

ONLINE ORDERS ONLY NO PHONE ORDERS
Offer good thru 12/15/09 12am PST.
*FREE SHIPPING OVER $50.00, NO TAX OUTSIDE CA.
Prices shown are in U.S. funds and are subject to change.
In stock items only while supplies last. No back orders.
Offers good while supplies last.
20% off does not include Jackall, Shimano, Reaction Innovations, Powell Rods and other restrictions may apply,
Sale prices will be displayed in your cart.

Black Friday Bass Fishing Deals!

2010-11-23T21:46:00.002-06:00

BLACK FRIDAY STARTS NOW!!!!!!!!!
21% OFF SITE WIDE & Much More!!
Click Here http://www.basstackledepot.com

BTD CUSTOMERS ALWAYS SAVE MORE!!!

Slogfest 2010

2010-11-16T22:26:00.008-06:00

SlogFest is better then any music festival you attended this summer. You buy fishing tackle and have a chance to win a boat or more fishing tackle!

Anglers love fishing this lure. Even more they love going head to head with line-straining gamefish intent on demolishing it.

For a limited time, turn a love affair with the Slog into prizes in Secret Weapon's $90,000 Slogfest Contest.

Learn how you can win a share of Slogfest prizes including a 2011, 21-foot Ranger Z521 Comanche with 250 HP Evinrude E-TEC HO motor, Wilderness Systems Commander fishing kayaks powered by Torqeedo Ultralight electric motors, Secret Weapon Expedition Packs and $100 fishing tackle gift certificates.

Instructions, contest rules, prize descriptions and an entry form with unique registration number are in every Slog Master Pack and ProPack.

Register and enter to win prizes every week, every month, every quarter, and top it off with the Grand Prize, the 2011 Ranger Z521 Comanche bass boat with 250-HP Evinrude E-TEC High Output motor.

No limit to the number of entries, and each person in the contest can win multiple times.
Want in on this? Let's get started!

This latest addition to Secret Weapon Lures' armory of high-performance, innovative fishing tackle consists of a crankbait head and an assortment of interchangeable soft bodies. Its high-impact ABS plastic crankbait head, fished just by itself, is one of the best wake baits ever produced.

The name SLOG is an acronym derived from the three body shapes: Snake, Lizard and Pollywog - Secret Weapon's name for its tadpole-shaped swimbait. The pliable, super-tough ElaZtech® bodies stretch without breaking, feel real in a fish's jaw, and hold up trip after trip. This lure will earn a prized place in tackle boxes and on fishing lines for years to come.

A SLOG Master Pack from Secret Weapon Lures, including three different heads, nine ElaZtech® bodies, and an instructional DVD, retails for $39.99. It is available through televised commercials and online at http://swlure.com. Single-lure Mini-kits and additional crankbaits and ElaZtech bodies are available, too.

Secret Weapon Lures is a US manufacturer of premium, high-performance spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and terminal tackle. Their lures, conceived and made in America's heartland, daily prove their worth on lakes and rivers across the US and around the world.

September Blow Sale - This Weekend Only!

2010-09-18T19:24:00.002-06:00

50% OR MORE OFF SELECT SWIMBAITS!!

Tru-Tungsten Tru-Life 4 inch	Black Dog Billed Cracker (Wood)	CL8 Swimbait
JSJ Snack Size Bluegill	Black Dog Lunker Punker (Wood)	JSJ Tackle Dirty Bird
ABT Lures Wagtail	JSJ Tackle Hellbird	Black Dog Shell Cracker (Wood)
JSJ Tackle Snack Size	JSJ Trout Wake Bait 10 inch	Tru-Tungsten Tru-Life 7"
river2sea Bossymarck	Bettencourt Baits Realfish Shad	Black Dog Tail Wagger
Fish Arrow IT Jack	Tru-Tungsten Tru-Life Trouts	MegaBait Bass Grande
Fish Arrow Spooky Jack	Fish Arrow SlideJack	Throwback Lures Top Dawg

Offer good while supplies last (No rain checks or back orders).
Some restrictions may apply, check your cart for discount.
Prices shown are in U.S. funds and are subject to change.
Discount will be seen in your cart

Labor Day deals - 15% off Bass Gear!

2010-09-03T14:32:00.004-06:00

Discount applied after items added to your cart, free shipping over $50 and add a free T-shirt if spend a $100! Happy Labor Day all!!! - http://www.basstackledepot.com/laborday-10.aspx

Sale ends Tuesday 12:01am ET
http://www.basstackledepot.com/laborday-10.aspx
Offer good while supplies last (No rain checks or back orders).

BTD Guarantees Low Prices

2010-08-30T08:35:00.001-06:00

If you find a lower price on any BassTackleDepot.com stocked item, give us a chance to match or beat that price. We want to assure our customers that they are always purchasing at the best possible price. Our success is dependent on customer satisfaction and price can be a determining factor. We want you to know when you shop at BTD you are getting the best possible price. Lower prices must be verifiable to be changed. Limited quantity and closeout items do not fall under this program. Give us a call if you find a better price and once the price is verified and source confirmed, we will match it. Lower pricing reported must be from an authorized dealer within the U.S. to adjust pricing. Once the criteria has been met, we'll adjust your pricing. Thank you for shopping BTD.

Now In Stock

Brian's Bees Prop Bee $27.75	Sweet Beaver 4.20 $4.59	Bagley Crankbaits $8.99
MegaStrike Mega Bug $3.49	Shimano 50E $199.99	MegaStrike Shake2 Pro $5.49
Rago Baits Mini BV 3D $15.99	Swarming Hornet $3.89	Paycheck Baits The One $17.99
Leverage Landing Nets Starting at $99.99	Talon Rattlin' Punch Skirts $5.99	Xcite Baits Raptor Craw $4.79

Offer good while supplies last (No rain checks or back orders).

Secret Weapon Lures Intel Briefing - August

2010-08-27T09:57:00.001-06:00

20%
DISCOUNT COUPON

Back to School Discount on All Lures, Rigs,
& Tackle Packs!

B10820

(expires 8/31/2010)

Here's an economic stimulus plan that actually works. Keep more money in your wallet while putting more fish in your livewell.

Children are not the only critters going to school these days.

Get ready for fall schooling action! Now is the time to build your Secret Weapon arsenal. And to help you be ready when the fish are, we're knocking off 20% on all Secret Weapon spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, Recoil Rigs and component kits when you use this code on check-out from the SWL Online Armory: B10820. Consider it your fall fishing stimulus package

USA-made quality and service, greater selections, unparalleled value and performance... at a savings of 20% through August 31 only at Secret Weapon's Onine Armory.

Big Bass Bait

With as many excellent blade baits as Secret Weapon offers today, it's hard to pick out favorites. It's like choosing your favorite child... they're all great!

But for big bass and pike, there is no question. To catch kicker fish, the hands-down pick among Secret Weapon Pros is the Pro Assassinator Clacker.

In-Fisherman editor Steve Quinn wrote concerning this bait, "...[The Clacker] places two willowleaf blades parallel above the head and the hook. The blades, turning on ball bearing swivels, hit each other regularly as they turn in small circles. This contact, audible even above the surface, creates an underwater flash that can be produced only be bumping an object or stopping the retrieve to “kill” the bait."

10 Bass/110 Pounds — A while back one well-known professional angler and promoter shot a TV commercial for another spinnerbait company on Mexico's El Salto. After boating numerous bass in the two and three pound range, his producer complained about the dinky bass they were getting. Without a word, the angler clipped off the company's spinnerbait, pulled a Clacker out of his tackle locker, tied it on, and a few casts later was rewarded with an eleven-pound bass. The producer protested the he was supposed to use the company's products, to which the angler replied, "Son, make up your mind. You can edit out the tape, but if you want big bass, you gotta throw a big bass lure."

He proceded to catch ten bass that totaled over 110 pounds using only the Clacker, and the company ended up with a great (although a bit misleading) TV commercial.

Nickajack Bass Whack — SWL Prostaff Jake Davis had his own big-bass Clacker day on Nickajack Lake in Tennessee. Several days of heavy rain preceeded the tournament, muddying the water and driving bait fish tight to cover. Nickajack has huge expanses of milfoil and hydrilla, and the bass were feeding on shad fry hiding in the leafy canopy.

Jake tied on a Current River Shad pattern 1/2-ounce Clacker and started whacking the bass. He retrieved the lure slowly right above submerged vegetation, dropped it in holes, and swam it alongside floating mats. The clicking, clanking blades sounded like a dinner bell to the bass, and Jake pulled one chunky largemouth after another from the weeds. Although he used 60-pound super line, twice he broke off on eight-pound-plus sows that burrowed down into the slop before he could turn them.

Five other tournament competitors edged nearer for a closer look. They could tell Jake was flinging spinnerbaits, but their own were getting shunned. Jake showed them his unique dual-bladed spinner, but none of them had any, so they stuck with their favorite brands. Every now and then one of the other boats connected with a one or two pounder, but they lacked the key to unlock those bucket-mouths.

Finally tally... Jake's five fish broke 24 pounds, even without those two 8-pounders, and he took big bass and first place. Second place was a 5-fish bag weighing twelve pounds. No other competitor weighed in more than two keepers that day.

Old Hickory bass guide JW "Coop" Moreno swears by his Chartreuse and White Clacker twelve months a year. He claims to have caught more bass on a single Clacker this year than all other spinnerbaits combined over the last three. He has worn off the paint, straightened the blades and frame, and replaced his skirt, but his Clacker keeps on ticking. Most times, Coop says, bass slam the bait at full speed. He's never seen anything like it!

Take advantage of our limited time discount now and add a few Clackers to your own Secret Weapon arsenal..

SLOG Countdown

4-IN-1 LURE READIED FOR LAUNCH

Sportfishing's newest Secret Weapon is nears deployment. Code-named "SLOG," this entirely new class of lures will give anglers a strategic advantage on their next fishin' mission.

The Slog is actually a tackle system consisting of a crankbait body that can be fished alone, or to which a variety of soft-plastic bodies can be attached. Whether fished as a crankbait or as a swimbait — snake, lizard or goby/pollywog — the inimitable action and realistic appearance make this a must-have tackle system for every angler's arsenal.

Lure builder and fishing guide Stanley Smith of Eminence, Missouri, designer of Pro Assassinator™ high-performance spinnerbaits and buzzbaits, said this is not just the best lure he's ever developed, but quite possibly the best he's ever used. "Every angler who's seen this bait move in the water knows exactly where he wants to use it," Smith said. "There's absolutely nothing else like it in the world."

Secret Weapon Intel Briefing Subscribers will get first crack at the Slog plus a special pre-release discount offer. Look for a special Intel Briefing on or before August 31.

Frog Fishing Techniques & Equipment

Captain Mike Gerry of Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service, offers hard-won advice for the fall frog bite.

With the best days of frog fishing still ahead, I thought I would spend a little time talking through some of the detail of frog fishing. Let’s start with the most important: equipment. Rigging is everything. It is the backbone of catching a fish on a frog.

Before heading to the lake, rig up a long, 7’6” fishing rod. The long rod allows you to make casts deep enough into the grass mat to catch a fish. It should be stout, too… with enough backbone to haul big bass draped with three pounds of salad out of the slop and into the boat.

Spool your reel with 50-pound-test braided line. Braid ensures that your hook set will be strong enough to drive frog hooks deep into the bass mouth, and also that you can turn the fish before it burrows back down into the grass.

One of the most important aspects of frog fishing is the hook set. I believe a long, side-sweeping hookset is best. It gives you control of the rod; it allows a deep-set hook in the fishes mouth, and it gives you control of the fish after she is hooked. I’ve seen folks set the hook with an upward motion, only to have the shock of the strike, size of the fish, and the weight of the grass jerk the rod right out of their hands.

The next key is the right grass. Not all grass beds are created equal. Look for the nastiest, dirtiest foamy grass that creates a trail with your frog. Also look for movement in the area of bait fish, carp, or bluegill.

Lastly look for the holes in the grass that serve as ambush area for bass. They sit back under the edge and will blast a frog that crosses over.

Work your frog several different ways. Pop it, stop it, crawl it, twitch it, move it fast, move it slow until you find a retrieve that causes a blow-up. Then it’s pretty simple… just repeat the fish-catching motion.

Give me a call, and I'll put on some exciting fall-fishing action on America's big bass factory, Lake Guntersville!

Capt. Mike Gerry
Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service
www.fishlakeguntersvilleguideservice.com
Email: bassguide@comcast.net
Call: 256 759 2270

Hot Water - Deep Bass Secrets — Fishing Hall of Famer Benny Hull offers advice to anglers who wonder "What happened to all my bass?!" He says they're still around and in hot weather they feed voraciously, but you have to know where to look for them. Benny writes:

When air temps reach the mid-80’s to 90’s and water is up in the 80’s, knowledgeable anglers know it’s time to start looking for bass in their deep hangouts. Knowing that is one thing… finding the haunts that hold big bass is something else.

Or major river impoundments all summer long you’ll see bass boats patrolling the first drop off into the channel, one eye on water skiers and the other on their Sonar, scanning the contours for telltale blips marking fish. Rarely, if ever, will I see fishing boats positioned out over the mother lode. I’m talking about deep mid-channel ridges and humps. Before the rivers were impounded, these were mid-stream islands. Now, far from shore and deep below the surface, they’re largely ignored.

When fishing this pattern, look for ridges parallel to the riverbed, 15 to 18 feet deep on the tops with sharp drop-offs going down another 30 to 40 feet. Idle slowly along the edges and check your Sonar for fish down about half-way. Those could be big cats, stripers, or bass… you never know.

Read more of this and other articles that reveal the tactics and tricks Benny Hull learned over a lifetime of fishing and guiding on the Tennessee River and lakes across the country.

And watch Hull's TV show online on MyOutdoorTV.com.

Tru-Tungsten Tru-Life Swimbaits on Sale!

2010-08-16T14:03:00.003-06:00

If you have not tried these premium hard bait swimbaits because of the price, the Tru-Tungsten Online Store is running some sweet sales to get them into angler's hands.

4 inch Price: $ 14.99 - Reg $20

5 inch Price: $ 15.99 - Reg $30

7 inch Price: $ 21.99 - Reg $50

The Tru-Tungsten Tru-Life 5” Swimbaits are a collaborative design created by swimbait king Matt Newman. Each Tru-Life bait comes with 2 removable tungsten balls that can be added to the built in chamber. The tungsten balls can be added or subtracted to customize the fall rates. The 5" Tru-Life is available in two versions, a WAKE/SLOW SINKING to catch fish when they are feeding on top or shallow and a SLOW/FAST sinking version to get down faster and deeper. Tru-Life Swimbaits mimic a fish’s natural movement utilizing a four segment design and adjustable weight chamber technology. Life-like scales, eyes and paint make this an irresistible bait for bass and other game fish.

How to "Crews" to an Elite Series Win

2010-03-15T19:56:00.004-06:00

John Crews Cranks and Flips to Win Elite Series Duel in the Delta

Bassmaster Elite Series John Crews from Salem, VA rode two areas of the South Delta to victory over what could be called one of the most stacked Elite 12 in Elite Series competition. The victory in the Duel in the Delta; Crews’ first in Elite Series competition, earned him $101,000, pushing his career earnings to nearly $550,000 in 93 career BASS entries.

Following a lackluster practice, Crews decided to stay in the only areas he had found he could generate bites. One of those areas on the south end of the California Delta, proved to be the winning area. While the field struggled to produce giant stringers overall due to less than seasonable weather, Crews managed to bag 18 Delta bass that tipped the scales at 72 pounds, 6 ounces; good enough to best California’s Skeet Reese by one ounce.

Crews used three baits throughout the Duel in the Delta, a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver, a Gambler BB Cricket as flip baits, and a SPRO Little John crankbait in Blood Craw. He used the Sweet Beaver early in the competition, but switched to the BB Cricket as the event wore on due to fishing pressure in the narrow, confined area. The Little John was used to cover water between matted grass mats, and was responsible for several key bites as well.

He paired his flip baits with Gamakatsu built Punch Hooks and tungsten punch sinkers with 65-pound test braided line by Vicious Fishing, while his Little John was thrown on 15-pound-test Vicious Fishing Ultimate co-polymer.

Bass Tackle Depot is a licensed dealer for all of these products, and wishes to congratulate Crews on a great victory in our backyard. All of the products mentioned here are available at www.BassTackleDepot.com: where the pros shop.

Crews Winning Bait Choices

Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver

Gambler BB Cricket

Spro Little John

Thinking Outside The Box

Each and every year a new lure is brought to the forefront as a touring pro uses it on his way to victory in a major event. Whether it was the Sebile Magic Swimmer, BassTrix Paddle Tail Tube or even the Yamamoto Senko that went ignored for years. These lures all have one thing in common; they were relatively obscure prior to making headlines.

Success on these unknown baits can go hidden for years at local and regional levels until the cat is finally let out of the bag. The trick to real success is to be open minded, think outside the box and identify these lures on your own. Fish can get conditioned to seeing the same offering over and over. If you can present something they haven’t seen you may just find that edge, then others will have to wait until the cat is out of the bag. Here are just a few ideas for you to consider.

The 10 inch P-Stix or as we like to call it "The Big Stick" has DRAWING POWER like no bait you have ever thrown. In clear water you will see fish rushing from depths of 20ft "Big Fish" to inhale this bait and they don't let go.

Most stick baits have a quiver on the fall but the 10 inch P-Stix "Wiggles and Wobbles" like no other. Although we haven't used this bait on big bedding females yet we can't wait to try.

We are excited about this bait and believe it will be winning events as soon as it hits tackle boxes. This bait is loaded with salt and anise and as we said fish hang on and do not let go. Rig this bait with 7/0 hook or larger if you are Texas rigging. For wacky rig applications use and O-ring with a 2/0 or larger hook. Pencil weights can be used to increase the fall rate and we recommend using them. You can make this bait do crazy things with pencil weights and with a body diameter of 1/2 of an inch they insert and work great.

This isn't a small fish bait it weighs 1.4 ounces and is 10 inches in length. Be sure to watch the video

CBT Big Hair Jig; This isn’t your daddies’ hair jig. The Hair Jig has been around for years but CBT has created a new modern twist on the hair jig. This large profile hair jig works great for suspended fish and fish relating to offshore structure.

This premium hair jig sports a 4/0 Mustad black nickel hook in the 3/8oz and a 5/0 in the 5/8oz that has a good bite for both freshwater and saltwater fish. The head has been custom painted to match the colors in the jig which include deer hair, mylar, and feathers. After tying is complete, the tying threads are sealed and cleared for extreme durability.

The rate of fall for this jig is about 1 foot per second for the 3/8oz and 2 feet per second for the 5/8oz. Be sure to watch the video.

The V&M Hula Shad is the most versatile soft plastic bait on the market! The Hula Shad has combined the head and body of a soft plastic jerkbait with the skirt of a tube. Fish have never seen anything like it. The V&M Hula Shad can be used as a jerkbait, flipping bait, drop shot bait, Carolina or Texas rig. It darts like a soft plastic jerkbait, but EXPLODES when the bait stops!

Looking down the barrel of a Bass Assasin!

2010-02-25T16:21:00.002-06:00

The winning details and gear:

> RedEye Shad gear: 7' medium-action Quantum Tour KVD cranking rod, Quantum Tour KVD casting reel (5:1), 17- and 20-pound Bass Pro Shops XPS fluorocarbon, 1/2-ounce Strike King RedEye Shad (gold and gold/sexy-shad).

> KVD switched out the stock hooks for #2 Mustad KVD Elite Triple Grip trebles.

On a side not, we will should have interviews with Jeff Kriet, KVD & Zona for our bass fishing podcast in the near future!