Daiwa's New Tournament D-FIN Swimbaits

 DAIWA adds new 3-, 4-, and 5-inch sizes to the popular Tournament D-FIN Swimbait Series

Available in 3 sizes and 7 colours 

DAIWA USA introduced the Japanese conceived and manufactured Tournament D-FIN in 2024, instantly setting a new highwater mark in swimbait design.

At its release, DAIWA Field Marketing Manager, Chris Martin said, “Its paddletail has an exceptional swimming action, regardless of the speed of retrieve. It wobbles wide whether slow-rolled or clipped along. The catalyst is an oversized paddletail combined with a narrowly tapering body, which allows the tail to maximize its side-to-side action. That same wide swing produces more sonic vibrations than your typical swimbait as well.”

Downsized Profiles, Upsized Potential

Those performance benchmarks now extend to the new 3-, 4-, and 5-inch 2026 Tournament D-FIN swimbaits. These reduced profiles open the menu to a vast array of freshwater species—including walleyes, crappies, and bass of all varieties—as well as saltwater staples like redfish, speckled trout, and snook. On the West Coast, these smaller sizes are a natural fit for calico bass and spotted sea bass.

he Straight Shooter

Martin also highlighted the Tournament D-FIN’s legendary stability. “It tracks incredibly well, running on a straight path whether fished weightless, on a weighted swimbait hook, or rigged on a jig. It simply stays on track.”

Tournament D-FIN FEATURES:

• New 3-, 4-, and 5-inch sizes
• Remarkably real swimming action
• Oversized paddletail with narrow body connection for maximum motion
• Tracks straight rigged weightless, with weighted swimbait hook, and on a jig
• Special salt and squid blend attractant
• Colors won’t bleed while stored
• 7 natural patterns with UV treatment: Lime Pearl, UV Flake Pearl, Green Pearl, Rainbow Shad, Pepper Ghost, Motor Oil Ayu, and Smoke Shad

MSRP $8.99 (3-inch/10 per pack, 4-inch/7 per pack, and 5-inch/5 per pack)

2026 FXR Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville Day 3: Hartman Slides into Lead!

Canadians Cory Johnston 13th, Gustafson 18th, Gallant 29th, Evan Kung 30th & Chris Johnston 46th. 

By David A. Brown

BASS Press Release

SCOTTSBORO, Ala. — Jamie Hartman‘s no meteorologist, but the New York pro currently leading the FXR Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville with 67 pounds is predicting a manmade tempest. 

Hartman, who won the 2019 Bassmaster Elite event at Guntersville, placed 14th on Day 1 with 20-12 before rising to second with a Day 2 limit of 23-4. On Semifinal Saturday, Hartman’s 23-pound limit pushed him into the lead by a margin of 1-14 over Wes Logan.

When Bassmaster Emcee Dave Mercer reminded Hartman of the fierce storm that blew across Guntersville right after his trophy presentation, Hartman’s response reflected his pedal-to-the-metal game plan.

“There’s a storm forecast and I’m bringing it,” Hartman boldly stated.

Spending his time south of the tournament site at Goose Pond, Hartman has been targeting fish along grassedges and in grass pockets. He hasn’t established specific targets; rather, he’s working through his area and looking for pods of active fish.

“I’m just following them and just trying to run into batches of them,” Hartman said. “When I Spot-Lock, it’s like boom, boom, boom. They just keep coming.”

Hartman said he’s watching for the bait schools the bass are following, but he’s also just fishing through the area.

“If I see the bait, I go to it and I catch ’em,” he said. “If I don’t see it, then I just start picking away and (the bass) are just running in bunches.”

Hartman said his days have been starting slowly with only a few bites. Once the light switch flips, the action justifies the fast-and-furious cliche.

“It just takes a little bit for them to get going,” Hartman said. “These fish are shallow — 3-8 feet — so they’re feeling (the cold mornings). Once they get warmed up, they get going.”

Hartman has been trying to conserve his spot by getting what he feels he needs to be competitive. Even with that measured approach, his area’s population has kept him busy.

Banks Shaw Wins 2025 Tackle Warehouse Invitations Stop 4 by E3 Sports Apparel!

Banks Shaw added another highlight to his stat sheet this week. Photo by Rob Matsuura

Jody White

MLF Press Release 

COUNCE, Tenn. – Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 4 Presented by E3 Sport Apparel turned out to be gem of a Pickwick Lake tournament, with big weights and a tight finish on the final day. Taking the title – his first on the Invitationals – Banks Shaw tallied 26 pounds, 6 ounces on Day 1, 21-11 on Day 2 and finished off with an even 23 pounds on the final day for a 71-1 total and a convincing margin over Jake Lawrence. With a 67-15 total, Lawrence won the tiebreaker to beat Jacob Walker, who finished third.

Shaw took home his fourth MLF winner’s trophy between College, Toyota Series and the Invitationals, and by far his biggest payday yet – a cool $115,000, which includes the Phoenix MLF Bonus. Shaw also took over the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year lead with 783 points, while Mitchell Robinson finished 19th and moved up to second in the points.

In 2024, Shaw won the Toyota Series event on Chickamauga, his home lake, with a record-winning margin and an 82-12 total – as you’d guess, he won it offshore. Raised on Chick, Shaw has been fishing offshore on the Tennessee River his whole life, and going to school at the University of North Alabama has given him an intimate familiarity with Pickwick. This week, having to make hay without the aid of forward-facing sonar on Day 2, Shaw put together a real master class on modern Tennessee River success.

Shaw primarily targeted a few schools out deep on Day 1 and mostly relied on an offshore shad spawn on Day 2. On the final day, he mixed the two to secure the win. A key difference-maker for Shaw turned out to be Day 2, when many contenders dropped out of the hunt.

TOP 10 BELOW

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. 

ICAST 2024: ZMan's Shadtron LT

 

New Shadtron™ LT merges realism & durability with cutting-edge line-through hook system A golden age of angling now under the bridge, the era of true-to-life swimbaits and bass of freakish, blimp-like proportions still reminds us of the lures’ potentially outlandish attracting power. Everyone who once slung these big slabs of PVC has a crazy fish story to tell. But what swimbait practitioners today still mourn are the number of fish most of these lures fail to hook— and how frequently the gill-rattling headshake of a big bass can eject the baits and crush our spirits in one breath.   Exactly one year ago, Z-Man® innovations in swimbait design nullified previous hookset and hardiness standards immediately, as the Mulletron™ LT (line-through) shined the spotlight on a new swimbait archetype, winning the 2024 ICAST Best Saltwater Soft Lure award, and showing Florida and the world what was possible when smart lure-making melded with 10X Tough ElaZtech®.   New for 2025, the Z-Man Shadtron™ LT has shifted the swimbait paradigm once again. Visually stunning and seemingly primed to flop out of your hand, the Shadtron LT exhibits all the realism of a live shad, while a groundbreaking dual line-through system empowers incredible upticks in hookset success and holding power to the nth degree.  Topside, Chavez notes, the Shadtron LT is equipped with a specialized hook pocket and harness that stations a custom, heavy-duty 3/0 (4.5”) or 5/0 (6”) sickle-shaped, black nickel needlepoint hook parallel to the dorsal fin. “The harness is designed so the hook slides in and sits recessed within the bait’s spine,” explains Chavez. “Thread your line through the bait’s nose and out the slot, tying to the single hook. Pull the line tight and the hook clicks back into place, giving the whole bait a clean, seamless appearance, like a molded-in jighead. Hook eye and knot are recessed and completely protected inside the bait. But when a fish eats the Shadtron and attempts to dislodge the hook, the bait body slides up the line, where fish can’t leverage its weight to come unbuttoned.”

Joshua Weaver Wins 2023 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals on Lake Okeechobee!

By EriK Gaffron

MLF PRESS RELEASE

CLEWISTON, Fla. – Weighing over 31 pounds on Day 2 and 26 pounds, 4 ounces on Day 3, Joshua Weaver surged to the win in the inaugural Tackle Warehouse Invitationals event with a 72-9 total. For his efforts, Weaver takes home a long-sought trophy and $117,500 in prize and contingency money. Additionally, Weaver’s win qualified him for REDCREST V in March 2024.

Finishing second in Power-Pole Stop 1 Presented by Phoenix Boats, Colby Schrumpf racked up 63-12. In third, Brett Hite tallied 63-1 on the week.

“Man, I’m on cloud nine,” Weaver said. “It definitely hasn’t hit me yet.”

Weaver has been close to victory in MLF events several times since his professional career began in 2016, boasting eight Top-10 finishes in that span. Finally, the Macon, Georgia, pro can add the title of “Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Champion” to the list of accomplishments he’s amassed over the last seven seasons.

“Words can’t describe this feeling,” he said. “I’ve wanted this for so long. I’ve been doing this professionally since 2016 and have come close a lot of times. The last two days have been nothing short of amazing. I was always the guy who lost the one to win or lost them on a day I should have caught them – which I thought I did the first day – but no, we got it done.”

Ryan Salzman Wins 2022 Bass Pro Tour on Watt Bar!

By Mason Prince 

Bass Pro Tour PRESS RELEASE

SPRING CITY, Tenn. – For the fourth time in five events in the 2022 Bass Pro Tour season, there’s a first-time champion. Ryan Salzman is the General Tire Stage Five Presented by Covercraft champion on Watts Bar Lake after catching 13 bass for 24 pounds, 3 ounces and beating second-place Jacob Wheeler by just 11 ounces. The is Salzman’s first professional-level win since becoming a full-time pro in 2019.

Salzman Generates Bites from TVA Generating Power

The key for Salzman on Thursday, and really his final two days of competition, was camping out near the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Watts Bar Dam. The Alabama pro was there all day during the Championship Round and for the majority of the Knockout Round. Even though the dam was productive for him over his final two days, the spot had been on his radar since his first Qualifying Round.

“I found this spot on the first day and I noticed that there was enough fish to win here on my electronics,” Salzman said. “The first two days I fished here, the fish didn’t school up though. During the Knockout Round, the TVA decided to start generating 35,000-40,000 watts by running water through the dam and it really lit this spot up.”

Lee Livesay Wins 2022 Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork!

Canadian Chris Johnston 10th.

Lee Livesay of Longview, Texas, has won the 2022 Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork with a four-day total of 113 pounds, 11 ounces. (Photo: BASS)

BASS PRESS RELEASE

QUITMAN, Texas — Lee Livesay definitely expected to do well; he just never expected his second consecutive victory on his home waters to be fueled by a “junk” spot.

 

But that’s exactly what happened, as the Longview, Texas, pro turned in a four-day total of 113 pounds, 11 ounces to win the Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.

 

Livesay caught 32 pounds on Day 1 and finished just 5 ounces out of the top spot. A second-round limit of 28-10 then gave him the lead with a 4-pound margin over Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho.

 

Livesay added 27-5 on Semifinal Saturday and entered Championship Sunday with a 3 1/2-pound advantage over Palaniuk. Then his final limit of 25-12 sealed the victory and pushed him past Palaniuk and Gerald Swindle of Guntersville, Ala. — both with 102-2 — by a margin of 11-9.

 

Ties are broken by the heaviest single-day weight. Palaniuk’s 30-1 limit on Day 2 topped Swindle’s Day 1 limit of 29-7.

 

“This week is the most stressful week ever for me because I want to do good for every single person in this crowd that supports me — friends, family, sponsors, everybody,” Livesay said. “This place is special to a lot of people, but it’s special to me because it’s home.

 

“It’s hard to win on your home lake, but I’m a very blessed man.”

 

It marked the third Elite title for Livesay, who won at Lake Fork in 2021 and Chickamauga Lake in 2020. In addition to the $100,000 first-place prize, Livesay claimed his second Century Club belt for breaking 100 pounds in a four-day event. His first was for last year’s Lake Fork winning total of 112-5.

 

Despite intimate Lake Fork knowledge earned through a lifetime of fishing and several years of guiding, Livesay lamented a tough tournament. The lake is down 5 1/2 feet for dam repairs, so many of the spots he fished last year were inaccessible, if not high and dry.

Kenta Kimura Wins 2022 Bassmaster Northern Open!

Japanese Elite Pro Kenta Kimura uses buzzbait and cranks to 
claim James River victory.(Photo: BASS) 

BASS PRESS RELEASE 

RICHMOND, Va. — Bassmaster Elite Series angler Kenta Kimura said earlier in the week that he did not know what he was doing on the James River. But now that he’s won the St. Croix Bassmaster Northern Open at James River presented by Mossy Oak Fishing with a three-day total of 65 pounds, his story seems less than convincing.

After a Day 1 limit of 17 pounds put him in 19th place, the pro from Osaka, Japan, added 23-5 a day later and surged into second. Finishing Championship Saturday with 24-11 — the event’s second-heaviest bag — Kimura edged Keith Poche of Pike Road, Ala., by a margin of 3-9.

2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite on Chickamauga Lake Day 1: Jocumsen Score Lead!

Canadians Gustafson 17th, Chris Johnston 32nd  & Cory Johnston 82th

Carl Jocumsen of Toowoomba, Australia, is leading after Day 1 of the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Chickamauga Lake with 24 pounds, 12 ounces. (Photo: Seigo Saito BASS)

BASS PRESS RELEASE

DAYTON, Tenn. — Despite living just 15 minutes from Chickamauga Lake, Carl Jocumsen insists he doesn’t have a true home-field advantage on the fishery because he spends so much time traveling the country with the Bassmaster Tournament Trail.

 

But he sure seemed to feel at home Thursday.

 

Jocumsen, an Australian pro who relocated to Tennessee a few years back, caught five bass that weighed 24 pounds, 12 ounces to take the opening-round lead in the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Chickamauga Lake. He holds a narrow advantage over Japanese pro Daisuke Aoki (23-12) and Kentucky pro Matt Robertson (21-13) in an event where the conditions seem destined to change by the day.

 

“I might not get a bite tomorrow,” Jocumsen said. “A few of those bites I got today, I sort of knew I was going to get. Now, they’re not there anymore, and I’m gonna have to continually adjust.

 

“With the way the weather is shaping up, the fishing is not going to get better as the week goes on. It’s going to get harder.”

 

The 94-boat field was treated to a typical spring day on Thursday with sunny skies and an afternoon high of 65 degrees. As a result, there were 30 bags of 15 pounds or more brought to the scales and 14 bass over 5 pounds, including the 10-5 that helped Wisconsin pro Pat Schlapper win Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day.

2022 Tackle Warehouse Tour Stop 2 on the Harris Chain of Lakes Day 3: California Rookie Loberg Leads into the Final Day!

By Kyle Wood

Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Press Release 

LEESBURG, Fla.– If the fishing on the final day is anything like it was on Day 3, tomorrow’s finish to Bass Boat Technologies Stop 2 on the Harris Chain of Lakes Presented by Frogg Toggs is going to be one for the record books. Jeff Reynolds and Michael Neal (he’s unstoppable!) both caught more than 27 pounds on Day 3, and Andrew Loberg tallied 22-10 on Day 3 for a 57-11 total that put him on top prior to the weights zeroing out on the final day.

One of the most consistent pros all week, Loberg put his best weight of the week on the scale today, which he believes is mostly due to the fact he’s getting more dialed in.

“I’ve said it a few times, but a lot of the style of fishing [in Florida] reminds me a lot of Clear Lake, which is kind of my home lake,” said Loberg. “Shallow grass, all the tules, dirty-ish water and I really like targeting postspawn fish and they love going to the grass after they spawn. So that’s what I started doing in practice.

“I found a few areas and really just capitalized on those areas and milked them each day. Which is good because I’ve learned more and more each day as I’ve fished about the spots and what’s going on.”

Doing his damage in Lake Eustis, Loberg has been making the most of the morning bite each day.

“The morning bite each day has been kind of my best deal, especially for a bigger bite,” said the former Chico State angler. “As the day goes on it seems like it’s harder to get multiple bites. It’s kind of one here, one there. But the weather is changing so much you kind of almost have to practice in your areas and figure out how they are going to bite with all the changing conditions.”

Given that the Top 10 starts with a clean slate tomorrow, Loberg knows he’s likely got to bust his biggest bag of the event to have a shot at winning. With what he’s learned over the course of three days firing reaction baits around his spots, he’s going to lean on his West Coast roots to try and help him seal the deal.

“I’ve learned where the sweet spots are on my areas,” he said. “I’m going to try to figure out some other baits to throw and I’m definitely going to be throwing a big swimbait tomorrow just to see if I can get bigger bites. Over 20 (pounds) is for sure going to win it, so I really need to capitalize on the morning and strategize with different baits because I’ve put a lot of pressure on those areas over the last few days.”

With wins at the college and Toyota Series levels under his belt, the 28-year-old pro is used to closing events, though he’s never fished a tournament of this magnitude. But in classic Loberg form, he’s excited for the challenge and ready to get back out and do what he loves – go fishing.

Top 10 below

2021 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite on Lake Fork Day 2: Card Clobbers Them for Lead with 1: Walters Whacks 32-14lbs!

Canadians Gustafson 15th, Chris Johnston 18th & Cory Johnston 27th

BASS Press Release

(Photo: BASS)

Brandon Card of Salisbury, N.C., committed to a spot he called the “Hammer Hole” and nailed down a limit of 28 pounds, 1 ounce to lead Day 2 of the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.

 

Rising from third place, Card bolstered his Day 1 weight of 27-6 for a two-day total of 55-7 that leads Quentin Cappo of Prairieville, La., by 11 ounces.

 

Working in Little Caney Creek, Card’s key spot was a subtle point adjacent to multiple spawning pockets with a creek channel in close proximity. What’s interesting is that Card encountered this fish-laden staging area on his way to inspect other spots.

 

“I’m really fortunate I found this spot,” he said. “It didn’t look like much when I saw it on my side scan, but it looked like just enough to make me want to make a cast in there.

 

“I caught them at the mouth of Little Caney really good (during the Elite event) in 2019. I had two giant schools, so I checked that out and they weren’t there. So, I just kept going farther in there.”

 

With two fish over 6 pounds in his bag, Card did most of his work with a Yo-Zuri 3DB 110 jerkbait. He also caught fish on a 3DB 110 Deep, a Yo-Zuri Hardcore Crank 3+ and a 4-inch hand-poured swimbait on a 1/2-ounce lead head.

 

“Changing angles and trying to stay fresh on the baits was important,” he said. “I’m just thinking, ‘What else can I throw out there?’ I’ll rig up some new stuff tonight.”

 

Noting that he had his weight by about 9:45 a.m., Card said, “What a morning. There wasn’t much to speak of after the morning. I did catch a 4 1/2-pounder that didn’t help, but I couldn’t get on anything (productive) after I left the Hammer Hole.

 

“Hopefully, that place keeps reloading. It’s a pretty magical spot.”

Dustin Connell Wins REDCREST 2021!

Connell claims his 1st REDCREST

MLF PRESS RELEASE

Jerkbait and Live Sonar key to $300 000 victory.
(Photo: MLF)  

Some days out on the water, it’s like you can do no wrong. Googan Baits pro Dustin Connell had himself one of those days Friday.  Connell, of Clanton, Alabama, caught 12 fish weighing 36 pounds, 15 ounces, to win REDCREST 2021, the Bass Pro Tour championship and earn the top prize of $300,000 at Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama. Connell grabbed the lead in the second period and never looked back, winning by a 5-pound, 11-ounce margin over second-place pro Michael Neal of Dayton, Tennessee, who caught 10 bass totaling 31 pounds, 4 ounces, good for $60,000.

“I still can’t believe this, I really can’t,” said an emotional Connell while on stage after being awarded the REDCREST trophy. “This is truly what dreams are made of. I look around and I see guys like Jacob (Wheeler), (Bryan) Thrift, Ott (DeFoe), and I am just so blessed to be fishing against these guys. It’s an honor just to be here and compete. To come out of here with a win, this is a dream come true.”

Connell’s quest to get to Championship Friday was not easy. On Monday, the first day of competition, Connell caught five bass totaling 15 pounds, 5 ounces to finish the day comfortably in 12th place. Tuesday, Connell only managed two bass and squeaked into the top 20 cut in 19th place to barely advance.

Japan's Best Keep Secret

Japanese lures are very well known but a lot of secrets have yet to be revealed. Check out this new IBASSIN.com video as we discuss swim jigs. We highlight a few jigs and what sets them apart from jigs found in the American or Canadian markets. Swim jigs are a great year round bait. They're more finesse than a chatterbait. More weedless than a spinnerbait and offer way more bulk and vibration than a worm.