Drop Shotting Tips with Cory Johnston FLW & Shimano Pro and IBASSIN

Learn from one of the best!
By Joel Isenberg



Do you want to catch big smallmouth bass? Then listen to Cory Johnston. One half of the Johnston brothers, he's a whizz at catching smallmouth bass anywhere they swim. Cory has won multiple tournaments on several of the Great Lakes plus is ripping up the FLW Tour. Listen to how he rigs a drop shot for smallmouth and you cannot go wrong!

How Tim Fernandes and Mike Quesnelle Won the 2015 Top Bass Classic!

Winning Ways from Classic Champs!
By Luigi De Rose

With the kids back at school, Top Bass anglers had one thing on their mind, the Classic on Balsam Lake. Under high heat and humidity,  practice for most was decent. The black cloud that was hanging over everyone’s head was the horrible weather that was forecasted for the tournament. Rain, strong winds and bitter cold would shock the bass and anglers from their summer bliss. 

Jerkbaits and smallmouth a winning combo for Tim and Mike.
(Photo: Jeff English)

Balsam Lake has the highest elevation of all the Kawartha Lakes and it’s water flow both east and west to feed the Trent-Severn System. It has a rich wealth of smallmouth and largemouth but it can be difficult to fish. Most anglers target bass away from the shoreline that is dotted with expensive homes and cottages. The lake’s famous grass beds and rocky flats are where fame and fortune can be found.

Having only fished occasionally as a team, Tim Fernandes and Mike Quesnelle work exceptionally well together. Tim and Mike worked so well together they captured the 2015 Top Bass Classic in dramatic style. Both bringing qualities to the partnership that benefitted each other this weekend. Specifically, Tim enjoys offshore fishing for smallmouth and prefers to target bass he can see on the electronics. Mike, with over two decades of tournaments under his belt, is solid as a rock and provided tremendous strength and a voice of experience throughout the tournament.

Practice

“I only got to fish the weekend before but I found a great pattern.” Declares Fernandes. He discovered a specific weed bed on a mid-lake flat that held three-pound smallmouths. Setting the hook on the first bass, revealed smallmouth buried in the grass and not the typical largemouth. The jig and Lake Fork trailer produced many more bites but Tim didn’t wish to string bass so he left the area once he determined the specific area the bass where hold in.

Practicing several days without much fanfare, it wasn’t until Thursday that Mike discovered the winning pattern. “On Thursday, I started using a jerkbait on rock piles. Then I started creaming them and I when I hooked one, five others would come with it. Shallow rock seems to work best.” Reflects Quesnelle.

Casting gear was key for slow retrieve and power.

On Friday, the team paired up and tried to establish a largemouth bite. With the pending poor weather and the notorious disappearing smallmouth, they wanted a largemouth pattern as backup if the smallmouth bite died. Unfortunately, after an entire day on the water, they only latched into two bucketmouths and decided the jerkbait bite was their best bet.

Day 1

After the first day they sat in 2^nd place with 16.45lbs. The day unfolded slower than they expected but were pleased with hooking a good smallmouth right off the bat. The morning bite was best. They netted

11 keepers on Saturday but were disappointed compare to the practice where 40 bass could have come easily if they worked their best areas.  Tim says, “We expected everyone was going to do well and it would be a slugfest. Even with the windy weather we expected the fishing to be better.”

American Tackle Finally Reveals New Line

American Tackle has released the first pictures of its eagerly-awaited line brand on the eve of its appearance at China Fish.

The brainchild of Dan Paluch, the man who brought Power Pro to Europe, the three Japanese-made lines – two braids and a fluorocarbon – were unveiled at the major tackle trade show in Beijing at the beginning of this month.

Named Bushido, the lines are a completely new venture for American Tackle, which is known throughout the world for its manufacture of rod components, including the triple award-winning MicroWave Guide Line Control System.

Joe Meehan, President of American Tackle, has high hopes for its new venture. “We want to carve out a niche in the world with a product we believe can compete with the finest lines on the planet from the very start.”

American Tackle has released the first pictures of its eagerly-awaited line brand on the eve of its appearance at China Fish.
The brainchild of Dan Paluch, the man who brought Power Pro to Europe, the three Japanese-made lines – two braids and a fluorocarbon – were unveiled at the major tackle trade show in Beijing at the beginning of this month.
Named Bushido, the lines are a completely new venture for American Tackle, which is known throughout the world for its manufacture of rod components, including the triple award-winning MicroWave Guide Line Control System.
Joe Meehan, President of American Tackle, told Angling International that he has high hopes for its new venture. “We want to carve out a niche in the world with a product we believe can compete with the finest lines on the planet from the very start.”
- See more at: http://www.angling-international.com/american-tackle-line-brand-revealed/#sthash.oIi3wZZp.dpuf

American Tackle has released the first pictures of its eagerly-awaited line brand on the eve of its appearance at China Fish.
The brainchild of Dan Paluch, the man who brought Power Pro to Europe, the three Japanese-made lines – two braids and a fluorocarbon – were unveiled at the major tackle trade show in Beijing at the beginning of this month.
Named Bushido, the lines are a completely new venture for American Tackle, which is known throughout the world for its manufacture of rod components, including the triple award-winning MicroWave Guide Line Control System.
Joe Meehan, President of American Tackle, told Angling International that he has high hopes for its new venture. “We want to carve out a niche in the world with a product we believe can compete with the finest lines on the planet from the very start.”
- See more at: http://www.angling-international.com/american-tackle-line-brand-revealed/#sthash.oIi3wZZp.dpuf

American Tackle has released the first pictures of its eagerly-awaited line brand on the eve of its appearance at China Fish.
The brainchild of Dan Paluch, the man who brought Power Pro to Europe, the three Japanese-made lines – two braids and a fluorocarbon – were unveiled at the major tackle trade show in Beijing at the beginning of this month.
Named Bushido, the lines are a completely new venture for American Tackle, which is known throughout the world for its manufacture of rod components, including the triple award-winning MicroWave Guide Line Control System.
Joe Meehan, President of American Tackle, told Angling International that he has high hopes for its new venture. “We want to carve out a niche in the world with a product we believe can compete with the finest lines on the planet from the very start.”
- See more at: http://www.angling-international.com/american-tackle-line-brand-revealed/#sthash.oIi3wZZp.dpuf

Power Pro Maxcuratro

Five Fabulous Fall Baits for Bass: Jerkbaits

Jerkbait are king of fall! 

By Luigi De Rose

*Special Video Feature: Jackall Pro-angler Cody Meyers explains how to fish jerkbaits next week*

Jerkbaits work exceptionally well when the water cools and the bass are thinking of eating.  Largemouth bass love them but smallies get all the glory. Jerkbaits are so versatile that there is almost no wrong method to using them. But, if you’re after superb fall action, the devil is definitely in the details.

Several key factors will affect where and how you fish a jerkbait. Consider these factors before you leave home.

Key Factors:

• Water depth
• Baitfish
• Water colour
• Water temp

Suspending jerkbaits with shallow lips have been all the rage for almost two decades. No one makes them better than the Japanese.  As the saying goes, “you get what you pay for” and that is very true with jerkbaits. An internal weight system, fantastic action, immaculate finishes and the finest hooks all help put more bass in the boat. 

Jackall and Shimano pro Cody Meyers knows
that cold water and jerkbaits like the Dowzvido 90SP
are truly amazing. 

These types of baits simply cast further, look better and have better action. Don't forget that many companies such as Jackall, Lucky Craft and Megabass offer deeper diving versions of their shallow baits. They're tailor made for cold, deep water.

Water colour and temps will play a huge role in how to fish the bait. Establishing a jerk-pause-jerk caddice is a must to catch the eye of a bass.  As the water become chilly the rod tempo must be slowed. A little used technique called strolling becomes stronger as we progress through autumn. Technically, strolling is long line trolling using the wind and trolling motor to propel the boat and bait along deep flats. Gingerly sweep the rod along instead of doing a wild dance is a better match for the conditions.

Bait and bass should determine lure size. Smaller sized baits can trigger moody bass, particularly pressured smallmouth. Down sizing tackle and moving to spinning gear is a must if you wish to launch them any distance.

Don’t hesitate to buck conventional wisdom. Exchange your favourite jerkbait with a magnum one can be great. Giant bass sometimes only want to eat once. A large bait will surely appeal to them.  This is particularly true when fishing around smelt. Smelt are long, nomadic bait and candy to bass. Matching their size, shape and look is a must. 

Jerkbait fishing is the corner stone to fall bass fishing. Often considered superior in the spring, these baits must be utilized in the fall.

ICAST 2014 Mark Zona and Dave Mercer talk Shimano Curado with IBASSIN

2014 ICAST finds IBASSIN in the Shimano booth with Mark Zona and Dave Mercer. They two funny men of bass fishing explain all the key features of the Shimano Curado baitcasting reel. Regardless if you're after bass, walleye, pike or anything else that swims, the Shimano Curado bait casting reel will shine.

2013 New PowerPro Zero Impact Line with Cody Myers and IBASSIN

2013 ICAST show finds IBASSIN.com in the PowerPro booth. Cody Myers explains the new award winning braided line called Zero Impact! It is truly cool.

2013 CSFL Casey Cup Winners Joey Muszynski and Scott Mursion Winning Ways

by Luigi De Rose

Joey (right) and Scott landed one of the heaviest 5 bass limits
in Canadian tournaments.
(Photo: CSFL)

Anytime anglers reach greatest, we want to know about it. Here is a brief review of how Joey and Scott smashed the Casey Cup record with a 5 smallmouth bass limit of 29.55 lbs.

IBASSIN: 
Great job! So, how do you catch 29 pounds of smallmouth?

Joey: 
The spring was behind and we targeted both spawning and pre spawn fish . We had beds marked out in different areas that we would catch but we also sight fished for cruisers that were coming up during the event.  

IBASSIN: 
Explain your bait selection.

Joey: 
Most of the damage was done dropshotting and tubing with Jackall crosstail shads a prototype Set the Hook bait called the DSS80 and Set the Hook tubes. 

IBASSIN:
Was made the difference in you doing so well?

Joey:
Powerpro Super slick 8 braid with sunline fluoro leader played a huge role also enabling us to make long accurate casts to avoid getting the boat too close and spooking fish in the clear shallow water.  

Jackall's Aska crankbait

Shallow crankbaits have been phenomenal at winning tournaments. The last few years we have seen countless anglers bragging about the merits of shallow divers. Two versions have been particularly productive; Squarebills and Circuit Board lipped.  These cranks provide amazing result when worked through shallow cover. 

 

Jackall's new Aska provides the incredible wobble of a squarebill with the vibration of a Circuit Board lip. If you are looking for crankbait with great deflection abilities, high quality finished plus the added bonus of a custom Circuit Board lip, give a very close look at the Jackall Aska.

Features:

• 3 sizes
• 50 SR = 2"; 1/4oz; running depth 3-4 feet; floater
• 60SR = 2.5"; 3/8oz; running depth 3-4 feet; floater
• 70SR = 3"; 5/8oz; running depth 3-4 feet; floater
•  all silent runner
• high quality colours
• premium grade treble hooks
• excellent defecting qualities

FLW Touring Pro Cody Myers Joins Shimano

Noted bass angler Cody Meyer from Grass Valley, Calif. is now on board with Shimano’s expanding pro staff, casting Jackall baits on Shimano rods matched with PowerPro-filled Shimano reels, announces Bob Mahoney, marketing manager for Shimano. Meyers begins his new affiliation with the Shimano brand at the upcoming FLW Tour stop at Lake Okeechobee starting February 7.

            “Cody has been a great asset to Jackall Lures, and we look forward to him helping us bring even more awareness to not only Jackall, but also Shimano and PowerPro as well,” Mahoney said. “He’ll be assisting our team at tournaments, dealers functions and tackle shows as his schedule allows, plus we’ll be listening to him for input on rods, reels, line and lures.”