Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Cold Weather Preventative Boat Maintenance

 


If you have not winterized your boat yet, here's a great video. Winterizing your boat and motor isn't super difficult so review these steps with IBASSIN.com.

Monday, October 25, 2021

LeBrun Surges To Victory In 2021 Bassmaster Central Open Finale On Grand Lake


BASS PRESS RELEASE

GROVE, Okla. — Nick LeBrun’s strategy of “go big or go home” carried him to a dominant victory in the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open at Grand Lake with a three-day total weight of 50 pounds, 2 ounces.

 

Hailing from Bossier City, La., LeBrun placed third on Day 1 with 17-12, then improved to second with Friday’s limit of 15-3. Championship Saturday saw him sack up the day’s heaviest catch — 17-3, which helped him edge Day 1 leader Kenta Kimura of Japan by 4-6.

 

Along with the top prize of $47,833, LeBrun earned a spot in the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk, which is scheduled for March 4-6 on South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell.

 

“Money spends, but going to the Classic is a childhood, manhood, everything dream,” Lebrun said. “It’s going to take a while for that to sink in.”

 

LeBrun, who placed second at the Central Open on Alabama’s Smith Lake two weeks ago, caught all of the fish he weighed this week on a Whopper Plopper and another plopper-style bait. He started throwing the 110 size bait in practice, but windy conditions prompted him to upsize to the hefty 130, which holds its own in blustery conditions.

 

As it turned out, LeBrun’s big bait was a good match to the giant gizzard shad his fish were targeting. With fall bass intent on filing their bellies, many anglers were keying on the smaller and more common threadfin shad. Locating areas thick with big gizzards proved foundational to LeBrun’s success.

 

“Anytime you see those big gizzard shad up on the bank in this part of the country, it’s time to pick up that plopper and keep it in your hand all day,” LeBrun said. “You don’t get many bites, but the ones you get are usually big."

Friday, October 22, 2021

Mustad announces surprise purchase of LIVETARGET


 Originally posted in Angling International 

Speaking exclusively to Angling International, Kenni Riise (below), CEO of the iconic Norwegian company, says that the acquisition of the Canadian business proves that Mustad is ‘serious’ in its growth ambitions and the addition strengthens its stance within the sportfishing industry.

“Mustad has been on the look-out for strong brands with high potential to expand the selection of different quality brands and products in each product group within the trade. We feel that LIVETARGET meets these expectations and more and will support our ambition of becoming a multi-brand powerhouse.

“Not only does LIVETARGET offer premium baits for both fresh and saltwater, it is led by passionate anglers with direction and experience that aligns with our goals and core values. The team there has proved to possess a lot of experience within our focus markets and will be a key asset in our innovation and development processes.”

LIVETARGET joins a group that includes line brand TUF-Line, which joined the Mustad stable in June 2019. Riise says: “We have ambitious and financially strong owners driving us to continuously be on the search for the right brands and people to support our growth strategy and journey of the company.

“We value strong brands with high growth potential that can support the execution of our strategy either by adding new categories, distribution or innovation competences.”

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Autumn Smallmouth Fun



 Ibassin.com goes fall smallmouth fishing with fellow outdoor writer Don Sangster. It is Canadian Thanksgiving and we hope the smallmouth are eating more than turkey. Come along and check out how Luigi De Rose and Don Sangster figure out how to catch smallmouth from a deep, clear lake.

Monday, October 18, 2021

B.A.S.S. announces schedule for 2022 Opens


B.A.S.S. officials announced the slate for the 2022 Bassmaster Opens Series today, with nine tournaments in three divisions covering nine states.

After starting late in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Opens schedule will return in 2022 to a late-winter start date with the first tournament, a Southern Division event, set for Feb. 3-5 on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in Kissimmee, Fla.

From there, the Opens will wind through Tennessee, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, New York and Maryland.

“Interest in the Opens from both anglers and fans has been at an all-time high the past few seasons,” said B.A.S.S. chairman and CEO Chase Anderson. “The excitement is only growing as Opens anglers enjoy success on the Bassmaster Elite Series. In fact, 2020 Opens Angler of the Year Bryan New won his first Elite event in February this year on the St. Johns River. The competition has been intense, and we’re thrilled to spotlight the future stars of our sport.”

The winners of all nine Opens will earn a berth into the 2023 Bassmaster Classic, provided they have fished all three events in the division in which the win occurred. In addition to Classic berths, the Top 3 anglers in every division and the Top 3 in the Opens Angler of the Year overall standings will receive invitations to fish the 2023 Bassmaster Elite Series.

Entry fees will remain the same for the 2022 Opens circuit. Pro anglers will pay $1,800 per event with an $800 deposit due up front, while co-anglers will pay $475 per event with a $200 deposit. Online registration for both pro and co-anglers will begin Nov. 9 for B.A.S.S Nation and Life members and B.A.S.S. members Nov. 11.

Here's a look at the schedule:


Southern
> Feb. 3-5, Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, Kissimmee, Fla.
> March 31-April 2, Cherokee Lake, Jefferson County, Tenn.
> Oct. 6-8, Lake Hartwell, Anderson, S.C.


Central
> April 28-30, Ross Barnett Reservoir, Ridgeland, Miss.
> Sept. 22-24, Red River, Shreveport-Bossier, La.
> Oct. 20-22, Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Jasper, Texas


Northern
> April 14-16, James River, Richmond, Va.
> July 7-9, Oneida Lake, Syracuse, N.Y.
> Sept. 8-10, Upper Chesapeake Bay, Cecil County, Md.




Thursday, October 14, 2021

Roy Hawk Wins 2021 WON BASS U.S. Open on Lake Mead!

Roy Hawk battles from 12th to win on shorten event. 
(Photo: WON)
Las Vegas, Nev. – October 13, 2021 – They say there is no substitute for experience. For Major League Fishing pro, Roy Hawk, the 2015 WON Bass U.S. Open Champion and veteran of many national events on the former FLW Tour, Bassmaster Elite Series and now the Bass Pro Tour, experience made all the difference on the final day of the 2021 edition of the West’s most prestigious bass tournament.

 

Starting the day in 12th place with a respectable 10.12 pounds, 1.69 pounds behind day one leader Rusty Salewske. Being a veteran of desert events, Hawk proved that consistency is key in the U.S. Open, as 11 pounds a day has historically given an angler a shot to win. 

 

Hawk gave himself that opportunity when he plopped 11.62 pounds on the Callville Bay scales to bring his winning weight to a two-day total of 21.74 pounds. For his victory, Hawk received the keys to a 2021 Bass Cat Cougar FTD powered by a Mercury Pro XS 250 Four Stroke outboard valued at $64,000 and $83,000 in cash prizes. 

 

Both days were tough fishing for Hawk, who spent his entire tournament fishing main lake areas near the Callville Bay – like when he won in 2015.  “It was really tough fishing,” said Hawk. We only caught five keepers on the first day and six keepers on day two. We threw jigs and dropshot rigs on main lake points and just managed to scrape up enough to hold on.” 

 

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

WON Bass U.S. Open Expected to Commence Tuesday

 


Following Cancellation, Winds Calm, Field Should Begin Competition


Las Vegas, Nev. – October 1, 2021 – Following the cancellation of Monday’s competition day due to high winds and small craft advisories on Lake Mead, the first day of competition for the 2021 WON Bass U.S. Open presented by Bass Cat Boats and Mercury is expected to occur on Tuesday.

 

WON Bass Tournament Director, Bill Egan, made the call to cancel Monday for the safety of the competitors, but said that the expected calming of conditions should allow the event to proceed. “We are expecting to see the winds die down to manageable levels overnight, so we should be able to green light it in the morning,” said Egan. “It’s unfortunate to have to make these decisions, but safety is always first priority, and it was the right thing to do.”

 

Egan reported that the two-day event will proceed under Pro-Am style schedules with the field flopping flight times on day two. Boat one on Tuesday will be the final boat to takeoff on Wednesday, and the last boat on day one will take off first on the Wednesday.

 

The winners of the Pro and AAA divisions will be crowned based on their two-day cumulative weight.

 

On the final day, the pro winner will receive the keys to a 2021 Bass Cat Puma FTD powered by a Mercury Pro XS 250 Four Stroke outboard valued at $64,000 and cash prizes. The live weigh-in broadcast, presented by Life Source Water Systems will bring you the weigh-in at Callville Bay Marina begins around 3:00PM, access the activity at http://www.wonbassevents.com, and on the WON Bass Facebook page.

Sunday, October 10, 2021

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

10 Trolling Motor Maintenance Tips [Checklist]

 

We’re going to break down the most important trolling motor maintenance and care procedures for all trolling motors to keep them running like new for years to come. A little bit of TLC goes a long way in keeping this important fishing tool in good condition. 0:00 - Intro 0:21 - Tip #1: Clean Trolling Motor Prop of Weeds/Line 1:43 - Tip #2: Inspect Trolling Motor Prop Drive Pin 3:24 - Tip #3: Wash Trolling Motor 3:55 - Tip #4: Lubricating the Trolling Motor Shaft 5:16 - Tip #5: Tighten All Mounting Bolts 6:12 - Tip #6: Inspect & Tighten Battery Connections 7:53 - Tip #7: Properly Charge Marine Batteries 8:54 - Tip #8: Trolling Motor Cable Management & Inspection 10:11 - Tip #9: Steering Cable Tension Adjustment 11:09 - Tip #10: Prolonged Storage Prep 12:24 - Bonus Tip: Weedless Prop Performance View all of these tips in our 10 Trolling Motor Maintenence Tips Blog at https://www.minnkotamotors.com/blog/a...

Monday, October 4, 2021

Minn Kota Raptor Wireless Remote


In this video, we explain each button and feature of the Minn Kota Raptor Wireless Remote and how to use each of the functions.

0:00 Intro - What you will learn 0:20 Auto Up & Down Button - How To Deploy and Retract Anchors 1:22 Anchor Modes - How to Identify Which Mode Is Enabled and Change Modes 2:22 Anchor Speeds - How to Change Raptor Speeds 3:33 Anchor Selection - How to Change Between Anchors 4:37 Closing and Resources Resources: • Raptor Starter Guide & Install Instructions: https://bit.ly/3zUU15i • Raptor Owners Manual + Printable Guide: https://bit.ly/3DZ2aIh • Learn more about Raptor Shallow Water Anchors: https://bit.ly/31pDciK