Great Lakes Finesse Creates Ultimate Ned Head

New Neds from GLF

With the development of the Great Lakes Finesse Ned Bug came need for a matching head for Ned rigging, so GLF went to work engineering the ultimate head for this technique.

 

A primary consideration was the right hook for effective penetration and landing giant smallmouth bass. The GLF Ned Head is built on a Gamakatsu 604 hook, which offers ideal strength and sharpness, in No. 1 and 1/O sizes.

 

Everything about the GLF Ned Head’s design – from unique shaping with strategic contours to a keeper system that reduces the weight on the hook shank – facilitates easy upward posturing of the bait, which is a critical aspect of the technique.

 

Painted GLF Ned Heads have a rugged powder coat to withstand the rigors of dragging across rock and have clean line tie eyes to eliminate risk of compromising light line with paint powder chips.

 

The GLF Ned Head is available in 1/8-, 3/16- and 1/4-ounce sizes and in five colors: Matte Green Pumpkin, Matte Brown, Matte Black, Pearl White and Raw.

 

MSRP: $6.99

Easton Fothergill Wins the 2025 Bass Pro Shop Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour!

Canadians Cory Johnston 5th & Chris Johnston 9th

Easton dominates Classic. (Photo: Grant Moxley/BASS)

By Andrew Canulette

BASS Press Release 

FORT WORTH, Texas — Nineteen months ago, Easton Fothergill was lying on a gurney in an Alabama hospital, awaiting surgery to remove an infected abscess from his brain. Sunday afternoon, in front of thousands of fans at Dickies Arena, Fothergill stood tall as champion of the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under ArmourFothergill, a 22-year-old native of Grand Rapids, Minn., finished the three-day event on Lake Ray Roberts with a total of 15 bass for 76 pounds, 15 ounces. It was the biggest winning weight in the 55-year history of the most prestigious fishing tournament in the world and was exactly 8 1/2 pounds more than the nearest competitor in the field of 56 anglers. Fothergill is also the second-youngest champion in Bassmaster Classic history (only Stanley Mitchell who won the 1981 Classic at 21 was younger.) 

For most anglers, the Ray Scott Trophy and a $300,000 check are the biggest prizes to accompany a Classic victory. But for Fothergill, just being able to compete in the Classic was the ultimate prize. He said every feeling was heightened given his very real brush with mortality less than two years ago.

“It’s indescribable, the trajectory of my life since that first bad moment,” Fothergill said. “Everything has come true that I’ve ever wanted. It’s pretty crazy.”

Easton Fothergill Wins the 2025 Bass Pro Shop Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour!

 

Congratulations to Easton Fothergill on winning the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour with a three-day total of 76 pounds, 15 ounces!

2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour Day 2: Easton Fothergill Take Big Lead!

Canadians Cory Johnston 2nd, Chris Johnston 9th,  Jeff Gustafson 29th & Cooper Gallant 41st

Easton Fothergill takes over the lead at the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour with a two-day total weight of 54 pounds, 5 ounces. (Photo: Grant Moxley/BASS)

By Andrew Canulette

BASS Press Release 

FORT WORTH, Texas — All it took was 53 magical minutes on Lake Ray Roberts for Easton Fothergill to take complete control of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

The 22-year-old native of Grand Rapids, Minn., entered Day 2 of the Classic in third place, less than two pounds out of the lead. He had high hopes for Saturday morning, but it didn’t start out exactly as he planned, with only one bass in his livewell at 10 a.m.

Then, what he called “the 180” started — and what a turnaround it was. 

Between 10:28 a.m. and 11:31 a.m., Fothergill caught three hogs that added a whopping 19-10 to his total. He finished the day with a limit of five bass weighing 29-6, giving him a two-day total of 54-5, exactly 8 1/2 pounds more than his nearest competitor.

No lead is too big, but the Classic compass clearly points to the young ace from the North Star State. And barring a complete collapse on Championship Sunday, coupled with one of his closest competitors yanking a huge sack of bass, Fothergill is a day away from winning the Ray Scott Bassmaster Classic Trophy and the $300,000 prize that goes with it.

2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour Day 1: Trey McKinney Score 26lbs and Lead.

Canadians Cory Johnston 2nd,  Jeff Gustafson 26th,  Chris Johnston 29th & Cooper Gallant 53rd

By Andrew Canulette

BASS Press Release 

FORT WORTH, Texas — When Trey McKinney hopped onto the stage at the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour, the infectious beat of “Church Clap” by Christian hip-hop artist KB filled Dickies Arena.

Though conventional wisdom says don’t ever change what’s working, McKinney’s hype song might as well be “The Kids are Alright” by The Who, because things are, indeed, quite alright for the whiz kid from Carbondale, Ill.

McKinney, who celebrated his 20th birthday only last month, holds the Day 1 lead in the world’s most-celebrated fishing tournament. His limit of five bass totaled 26-9 and gave him a 1-pound cushion over Canada’s Cory Johnston, who’s in second with 25-9.

Rounding out the Top 5 in the 56-angler field are, third, Minnesota’s Easton Fothergill, 24-15; fourth, Wisconsin’s Jay Przekurat, 23-7; and fifth, Texas pro Lee Livesay (who many pundits consider the favorite here,) with 23-0. The entire field will fish again Saturday, and the Top 25 anglers will make Sunday’s cut, with the winner pocketing $300,000 cash.

McKinney’s performance in B.A.S.S. events has belied his youth from the start. At 18, he finished second in the Bassmaster Opens EQ standings and became the youngest angler ever to qualify for the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series. He took the Elites by storm, too, winning Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie of the Year honors in 2024 and finishing second in the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings.

2025 Classic Release: Zman's Baby JackHammer

New Baby JackHammer for 2025

Today, Z-Man and Evergreen celebrate their power-packed third bladed jig collaboration, codename Baby Jack™. Cultivated to combat the toughest bass fisheries in America, Japan and beyond, the JackHammer Baby Jack wields numerous tournament-grade accoutrements, leading with a cultivated, downsized stainless steel ChatterBlade®. Sharing the JackHammer’s acclaimed instant-start vibration, the Baby Jack leans on its direct blade-to-jighead connection to deflect cover, produce relentless blade/jighead collisions and generate vibrant ChatterBait music—albeit on a slightly higher vibrational frequency.

“Japanese fisheries are notoriously tough, and the Baby Jack has been tested in Japan with impressive results,” states Evergreen’s Morizo, perhaps the preeminent bladed jig practitioner across the Pacific. “That was the driving force behind the Baby: tough conditions and heavily pressured playing fields where just a few more big bites can make all the difference.”

Downsized Blade Schematics

For Hite and Morizo, tricking tough bass meant, foremost, building a bait with a wider range of retrieve speeds, from super slow roll to speed demon. To achieve perfection, both bladed jig artists vetted numerous blade sizes before punching out a thumbnail-sized hexagon, mere clicks smaller than original.

“On the ChatterBait performance spectrum, the Baby Jack moves with a tighter vibration and a more restrained flash than the original JackHammer, but still noticeably stronger than the StealthBlade™,” notes Morizo. “Similar to the original, the Baby Jack hunts freely, too, especially when you give the lure little pops with the rod.

Additionally, Morizo says the smaller blade and its reduced water resistance enable faster retrieves in the same water column. “When the water’s warmer or you just need to cover more territory or to trigger a quick reaction under tougher conditions, the Baby Jack is the ultimate adjustment that will entice extra bites.”

Hite adds: “Even with the smaller blade, the Baby Jack still has a good thump to it. You can really feel it and read what’s happening. You know right away if it’s fouled a blade of grass, and you can rip free. Or when a bass quietly inhales the lure and swims toward you . . . the blade goes dead and signals a rapid-fire hookset. Those are key details that made the JackHammer into an all-time great—and the Baby Jack is all that and a little more.

2025 Classic Release Great Lakes Finesse Introduces Ned Bug

GLS Newest Bait!

The effectiveness of the Ned rig has made it immensely popular over the past decade or so, enough so that bass have gotten used to seeing tiny stand-up worms. Great Lakes Finesse is upping the ante on this technique with a different profile of bait that is ideal for the Ned rig technique.

 

The GLF team quickly figured out the proper profile, which is craw-like and ribbed and has slender appendages that provide just the right amount of movement. However, they spent nearly two years refining every detail and getting critical confirmation from the fish that the Ned Bug was perfect.

 

A vital feature that grew out of the testing stage is a slit in the head, which allows the bait to bend back, exposing much more of the hook for solid hooksets and a high fish landing percentage, even with a small No. 1 or 1/O hook.

 

The Ned Bug’s design and the neutral buoyancy cause it to stand at a natural 45-degree angle instead of sticking straight up. A matte finish and ribs that break up the color enhance the natural appearance. The ribs also hold any added scent, which can be important with slow presentations. The tail design fits snugly to a jig but hides the head.

 

Although designed primarily to be paired with the new GLF Ned Head, the Ned Bug also fits well on the Stealth Ball Jig Head and Stealth Football Jig makes an outstanding compact trailer for a finesse jig.

 

The GLF 2.3-inch Ned Bug is available in 10 colors: Green Pumpkin, Green Pumpkin Red, Green Pumpkin Purple, Frosted Shad, Matte Black, Black Blue, Green Pumpkin Orange, Green Pumpkin Watermelon, Motor Oil and Brown Pumpkin Special.

 

MSRP: $6.99

Mitchell Robinson Wins 2025 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 2 Presented by Suzuki Marine on Lake Hartwell

The entire Robinson family got paid this week, but Mitchell came out on top. Photo by Rob Matsuura. Angler: Mitchell Robinson.

By Jody White MLF Invitationals Press Release

ANDERSON, S.C. – The final day of Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 2 Presented by Suzuki Marine on Lake Hartwell turned out to be a classic. Big spotted bass and largemouth hit the scales left and right, and the event went down the wire, as all the leaders struggled to put it away. 

Going out with the lead, Dustin Smith weighed an even 13 pounds on the final day for a 53-11 total, which was not quite enough to hold off young Mitchell Robinson. Starting the day in second, Robinson never caught more than 20 pounds any day of the week, but he managed to scrape up 17-5 on Day 3 for a 53-13 total to earn his first win above the high school level. For the win, Robinson takes home the trophy plus $115,000, which is a lot of money to win at 19 years old. 

Through two events, Drew Gill has the lead for Fishing Clash Angler of the Year, with rookies Banks Shaw and Dustin Smith in second and third. The next event of the Invitationals season is Stop 3 Presented by Phoenix Boats at Smith Lake. 

Honed LiveScope approach helps Robinson prevail 

In July 2023, Robinson and partner Cody Abbott won the Bassmaster High School National Championship at Lake Hartwell – at the time, it was the culmination of years fishing Hartwell and Keowee, the home lakes for the Robinson family. Robinson and Abbott split $5,000 in scholarship money in that one – not insignificant, but maybe not a huge factor for someone diving headlong into the family plumbing and fishing businesses. 

Top 10 Below

Advanced Jerkbait Fishing with Megabass Pro Nick Cousvis and IBASSIN (PROVEN)

 Jerkbait fishing is one of the best lures ever invented. Learning to fish one is more difficult than you think. Learn from expert angler and Megabass pro Nick Cousvis. He knows his stuff. Nick explains how to adjust the leader length to get greater depth, more action and how to target giant smallmouth bass. Jerkbaits work well on both smallmouth and largemouth. You simply have to know how to fish them.

3 Finesse Smallmouth Presentations with Yamaha Pro Dave Chong and IBASSIN

 

One of the best smallmouth anglers in North American, Dave Chong knows how to catch them. Here are his 3 best finesse presentations that will work anywhere you are after smallmouth in lakes, rivers or reservoirs. Listen as he tell IBASSIN.com viewers which 3 finesse presentations he relays on when after smallmouth.

Booyah Melee Bladed Jig with Zell Roland

 Everyone loves a bladed jig. Legendary angler Zell Roland help inspire the new Booyah Melee bladed jig. The design has a unique head that give maximum vibration and great deflection when crashing into cover. Listen as Zell explains this new Booyah Melee bladed jig.

Domo's Custom Tackle and IBASSIN : UNBOXING!

Domo's Custom Tackle is a regional jig company that makes some of the very best tube, football and walleye jigs available. Located in LaSalle, Ontario on the shores of the Detroit River, Domo is a favorite among pros and weekend angles for their top quality jigs.

Go check them out at: https://leadheadjigs.com/ or on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Domos-Custom-Tackle-1434043270181523/

2025 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley presented by SEVIIN Day 1: Hartman Grads Lead with 25-05lbs!

With 25 pound 4 ounces Jordan Hartman jumps into the Day 1 lead for the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley presented by SEVIIN. (Photo: Andy Crawford/ BASS)

BASS Press Release

PARIS, Tenn. — The lead changed hands often on Day 1 of the St. Croix

Bassmaster Open at Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley presented by SEVIIN.

But when Thursday’s weigh-in was complete, a local stick was in the pole position.

Jordan Hartman, who lives in Benton, Ky., on the north side of Kentucky Lake, caught a limit of five bass weighing 25 pounds, 4 ounces and seized the early lead in the three-day tournament. That haul gave him more than a 1-pound cushion on the field, consisting of 226 anglers from around the U.S. and several foreign countries. 

Z-Man 3.25 TRD FattyZ

The culmination of years of finesse bait refinement from the creators of the Ned rig bait category, the Z-Man® 3.25” TRD FattyZ™ creeps along with a tantalizing, slinky-like action. The finesse bait’s tireless wagging tail is fueled by a slender midsection and meatier posterior that tapers down to a spearpoint tail. Designed with a flat underside for subtle gliding action, the TRD FattyZ pairs with Finesse ShroomZ™, NedlockZ™ or other Ned rig jigheads. The bait’s soft yet ridiculously durable ElaZtech® composition also offers natural buoyancy that self-activates on the pause. Stop the retrieve and watch the tail ascend, wave and ripple with the slightest activation or underwater current. The TRD FattyZ amps up the action-attraction factor while presenting reluctant bass with a subtle, minimalist TRD-sized profile.

• Popular FattyZ™ profile in a 3.25” Ned-sized package due to customer demand
• Thick body, narrow tapered midsection, and bulbous tail produces enhanced tail action over standard stick-shaped Ned Rig baits
• Incredibly durable 10X Tough ElaZtech® outlasts traditional soft plastics by a wide margin
• Buoyant material enables tail to stand up off the bottom at rest
• Salt-impregnated for added taste, texture, and casting weight
• Designed for the Ned Rig technique, but ideal for a variety of finesse applications including drop-shotting and tiny child rigs
• Pairs perfectly with a variety of jighead options, including Finesse ShroomZ™, Pro ShroomZ™, NedlockZ™, NedlockZ™ EWG, and Finesse BulletZ™
• Offered in the 10 most popular TRD color patterns, 8 baits per pack.

Brandon Palaniuk Wins 2025 Champion Power Equipment Bassmaster Elite on Lake Okeechobee

Palaniuk claims sixth Bassmaster Elite win at Lake Okeechobee

BASS Press Release

OKEECHOBEE, Fla. —  The gift that kept on giving finally stopped giving. Thankfully, that gift had given enough for Brandon Palaniuk to cruise across the finish line with a four-day total of 95 pounds, 4 ounces in the Champion Power Equipment Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee.

 

“It’s so crazy how things happen for a reason,” Palaniuk said of a slow day that tested his resolve. “This morning, me and (seventh-place Greg DiPalma) were fishing next to one another and I watched him lose several big ones. I hate that and I love it, at the same time.

 

“I don’t wish that upon anyone, but if he would have caught those, I would have been sweating bullets. I could not get a bite, and then I just kept sticking with it and picking off one here and there.”

 

Starting strong with a third-place, first-round limit of 23-7, the pro from Rathdrum, Idaho, moved into the Day 2 lead by sacking up 34-10 — his personal best and the heaviest bag weighed in a Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee. That feat sent Palaniuk into Day 3 with a 9-12 lead over Day 1 leader DiPalma.

 

On Semifinal Saturday, the fish shied from the previous days’ pressure. Enduring a few painful losses and a close call that sent a big crankbait colliding with his face (no serious injury), Palaniuk caught 23 pounds and expanded his lead to an 18-3 advantage over Day 1 leader Greg DiPalma.

2025 Champion Power Equipment Bassmaster Elite on Lake Okeechobee Day 3: Palaniuk Holds Commanding Lead!

Canadians Chris Johnston 33rd & Gallant 36th 

Idaho's Brandon Palaniuk leads the Champion Power Equipment Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee in Okeechobee, Fla., with a three-day weight of 81 pounds, 1 ounce. (Photo: Seigo Saito/BASS) 

BASS Press Release

OKEECHOBEE, Fla. —  Compared to Friday’s phenomenal performance, Brandon Palaniuk had a slow Day 3. However, his previous heroics, paired with a solid third-round effort kept the Rathdrum, Idaho, angler atop the standings for the Champion Power Equipment Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee with a three-day total of 81 pounds, 1 ounce.

 

Palaniuk, a five-time Progressive Bassmaster Elite winner and two-time Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year, placed third on Day 1 with 23-7. A day later, he electrified the weigh-in by catching 34-10 — his personal best and the heaviest bag weighed in a Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee.

 

Carrying a lead of 9-12 into Semifinal Saturday, Palaniuk caught 23 pounds and expanded his lead to an incredible 18-3 advantage over Day 1 leader Greg DiPalma. He’s making no assumptions, but Palaniuk acknowledged a notable comparison to his first Elite Series trophy.

 

“What an unreal week it’s been,” Palaniuk said. “The very first Elite Series event I won (Bull Shoals Lake, 2012), they were dropping the water. It had dropped 7 feet in like two weeks, and I caught them on a deep crankbait.

 

“The water has been dropping here for almost seven weeks and I’m catching a lot of them on a crankbait. The irony in that is incredible.”

 

Palaniuk committed his day to the same spot he’s camped in since the start. Palaniuk’s running north of the takeoff site and fishing a canal off the Kissimmee River where a dam spillway creates feeding opportunities.

2025 Champion Power Equipment Bassmaster Elite on Lake Okeechobee Day 2: Palaniuk Break Records as Leader

Canadians Chris Johnston 21st, Gallant 42th , Kung 51th, Gustafson 81th & Cory Johnston 86th

Idaho's Brandon Palaniuk leads the Champion Power Equipment Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee in Okeechobee, Fla., with a two-day weight of 58 pounds, 1 ounce.
(Photo Seigo Saito/ BASS) 

BASS Press Release 

OKEECHOBEE, Fla. —  Big Florida bass are notorious for making you wait for their feeding windows. Brandon Palaniuk knows the game, and his patience paid huge dividends with a phenomenal day that moved him atop the leaderboard for the Champion Power Equipment Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee with a two-day total of 58 pounds, 1 ounce.

 

Palaniuk, the five-time Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series winner and two-time Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year from Rathdrum, Idaho, placed third on Day 1 with 23-7. Following a 90-minute Day 2 fog delay, Palaniuk returned to the canal spillway he fished a day earlier and sacked up 34-10 — his personal best and the heaviest bag weighed in a Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee.

 

Palaniuk heads into Semifinal Saturday with a lead of 9-12 over Day 1 leader Greg DiPalma.

 

“This is the most epic day I’ve ever had — pure insanity,” Palaniuk said. “I caught seven bass today.”

 

Palaniuk’s mega sack comprised two bass over 9 pounds, along with a 7 1/2, a 4-0, and one nearly 3 1/2.

 

“It was an absolute incredible day,” Palaniuk said. “It’s not like I caught a bunch. I had seven bites all day; I just had the right ones. All week I’ve been saying, ‘High hopes, low expectations.’