Bassmaster Elite Series Pro Clark Reehm inks deal with Evolve Fishing

EVOLVE Fishing LLC., manufacturer of cutting edge artificial lures, announces the addition of ELITE Series Angler Clark Reehm to their 2013 Pro Staff. Reehm will play the role of EVOLVE's key product ambassador within the tournament and professional angling community, serving an essential function for the small manufacturer.

Clark with a Rayburn Toad on Darkstar Swimmer

"We've known Clark going on a few years now, and he's always impressed us with his passion for the sport and talents as an angler," noted Derek Carr, EVOLVE Fishing's President. "We're excited to have Clark on board, he is an excellent representative of our young, aggressive brand, and his ability to put fish in the livewell using our product lines will certainly help move EVOLVE forward."

EVOLVE primarily manufactures quality soft plastics, and their VibraGRUB, DarkStar Swimmer, & MadMouse product lines are already common tools in tackle bags across the USA. "I met the guys from EVOLVE at the Classic in Shreveport last year when they were just getting going. Along with some super soft frogs, I saw they were reintroducing one of my favorite swimjig trailers that had been discontinued- their VibraGRUB. They gave me a few packages and we've been talking ever since," said Reehm.

iCAST 2012 saw several new product releases from EVOLVE. Reehm went on to comment, "At iCAST they hooked me up with some of their DarkStar Swimmers and their Mad Mouse. I played around with these baits a lot during the off-season, and can honestly say that they will be playing a role in 7 of the 11 Elite Series and Central Opens that I will be fishing this year. I look forward to working all of their baits, but that little buzzing rat just flat out catches them."

EVOLVE Fishing plans on working with Clark on color introductions and consumer awareness platforms through the 2013 season.

Berkley quitely releases a bunch of New Havoc Baits

Usually there is a lot more noise about when Havoc baits hit the shelf, if I wasn't signed up for email newsletters, I would have not heard that about 5 brand new profiles have been released and some new sizes of old favorites.

New baits include: Power Bait Chigger Quad, Power Bait Rib Snake, Havoc The Jerk, Havoc Beat Shad and Havoc Federale Worm. New Sizes with existing baits include: smaller 3.5" Havoc Devil Spear and a bigger 5" Havoc Pit Boss. Give them a look. 

I think I am most interested in the 4" Beat Shad, Rib Snake & 5" Pit Boss, but there are plenty of other cool profiles beyond these that other anglers and bass will love.

Interesting if any of these new baits will play a role at the 2013 Bassmaster Classic on Grand Lake....

Has Bass Fishing EVOLVE'd?

There are some cool things coming form a company that some of you may have not heard about, but they are cooking up some great baits that you will want to consider!  Check out their website and you can buy their products here.

  Evolve Baits

  Also, check out some of their videos!

Here is the Kompak Craw - great flipping & punching bait!

 Also the unique VibraGrub is a smallmouth killer.

And don't sleep on the new DarkStarr Swimmer as a swimbait or Alabama rig trailer.

Sneak Peak New Berkley Havoc Rocket Craw

Photo by Tom Leogrande

Not yer for sale, but Skeet Reese caught most of his fish on a new Berkley Havoc Bait, called the Rocket Craw. You can see it here in this picture in Skeet Reese's hand.

Almost looks like a longer, thinner version of the popular Chigger Craw. I have not heard word on when it will be available, but I am sure we will know much more between now and ICAST which is in July.

Regardless it does appear to be another fish catching profile from the new Havoc line of baits.

What is your favorite Havoc bait?

Havoc Rocket Craw

Potent Worm Dye

JJ's Magic has been a somewhat tightly kept secret by many top bass anglers, but now it is getting some mainstream steam. I had heard good things about the product and then I got some custom poured baits that were dunked in their clear formula. I was instantly impressed with how well the garlic smell stuck to the baits after fishing and being in storage for so long.

So I had to get some clear and colored dips of my own. The brightness and lack of fading compared to other dipping products is second to none. Although, caution: It sticks to your hands as well as soft plastics. Also, be careful not to get salt from your plastics on the closure and threads of bottle, can cause them to seep.

If you like garlic on your baits and like customizing soft plastics, give JJ's a whirl! Comes in 4 colors & clear.

Purchase at BassTackleDepot.com & LBF!

Reaction Innovations Kinky Beaver

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!

How to "Crews" to an Elite Series Win

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!

Clearance price on great finesse worms!

	BLOW OUT Weighted Unweighted Stingers and Darts $2.00 a bag!
Extended Sale Tru-Tungsten® Weighted Soft Plastics are impregnated with tungsten so no additional weight is required. These tungsten-weighted plastics, made in the U.S.A., create a unique action and fall rate. They are great for Texas, Finesse, Carolina, Shakey and Wacky Rigs. Click Here

New Twist on an old Bass Fishing Favorite

Lot of chatter about this new bait from Zoom, they have retooled a bass catching machine in the Original Super Fluke and now have launched the Zoom Swimming Fluke.

With all the success of the Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper and other paddle tail swimbaits, this was just a matter of time. This looks like a great little bait, that will catch a ton of fish around vegetation and schooling fish.

The Zoom Swimmin’ Super Fluke has a paddle tail akin to a hollow-body swimbait, but it swims upright without the aid of a weighted hook and has an action only the cousin of the original fluke could have.

Simply Catches Bass

The next lure I am going to Blog about is a very simple & ordinary looking lure, but here is the deal, it flat catches bass. I have been using this to catch bass for years. It is the Lake Fork Ring Fry.

Like I said, it does not look like much, but then again neither do Senkos or Trick worms and we know they catch the heck out of bass as well. Here is how I use it to catch bass:

In water less then 4ft, I fish it weightless like many people fish senkos around docks, wood and scattered grass. The way I catch most of my fish, is to fish it on a Carolina or Mojo rig. The Carolina Rig is the choice for deeper water and scattered cover. I use the mojo rig in water 5-20ft where around just about any cover from thick weeds to gravel & rocks, its flat deadly!

Give the Ring Fry a chance, you will not be disappointed. Off all the anglers I have introduced this bait to, I don't any have ever complained.

Pull the Trigger on some new Bass Baits

Its been too long between entries as usual of late... But these new baits from TriggerX made me sit down and write a quick entry, because I think they look pretty great, I really like the looks of the new Flipping Tube, looks similar to the Yum Vibra King Tube that I really like!!

They got plenty of other cool looking baits, but the creature bait (TriggerX Big Bug) is one of the most other eye catching!!!!

Based on my reading they are laced with all kinds of stuff to entice bass and other game fish to latch on and not let go.

Also they are running a nice little rebate, where you buy 4 packs and get 1 FREE!!!

Rich
RichLindgren.com
Rich's Bassin' Forum

Gambler Bait Blowout!!

If you like Gambler Bait or just need to stock up on some quality soft plastics, check out this great sale on Gambler Baits.

You will find Cane Toads, craws, lizards, stickbaits, worms, swimbaits and much more for just $1.89 a pack!!! It says while supplies last, so these will not be around come spring, so stuff a fisher person's stocking in your life!!

More Rage from Strike King

Man its just been way too long since I last blogged about some great new tackle or gear on this site.... Time to put an end to that. I just started dabbling with the Rage Chunks at the end of this season and put quite a few fish in the boat on the Mississippi River and Lake Minnetonka using it on the back of my Tru-Tugnsten Jigs!!!

So now Strike King has expanded beyound their Rage Toads, Craws, etc....

They have added the Ananconda, Lobster, Lizard and Space Monkey which is a creature type bait. Check out the pics below.

Here is a lineup of their new 2009 Products!!!

With my success so far, I plan to dabble with some of these new Rage offerings as well!

Tight lines,

Rich

A clear difference?

Is the Secret out on Sercret Lures?
This company is brand new, but they have some good things they are working, probably most notably their new Secret Lures Chubby Frog Series
The colors are designed to produce fish in a wide range of conditions, and the body design of all models aid in hooking those big ones!

On days when the frog bite is "on" they recommend the full color frogs, since they offer the largest profile for the fish to attack. These full color versions also excel in heavy vegetation and stained water, since the fish have more to key in on. On those tougher days when the fish are just nipping at the frog, they recommend any of the CLEAR LEG colors. With these Secret Lures originals, those subtle bites are now directed right at your hook, so you can still put those fish in the boat.


The full body color Chubby Frogs can be fished a variety of ways; not just a topwater lure. They work great Carolina rigged, Texas rigged, and are deadly as a jig trailer.

Clear Leg Option: With this original design, fish focus their attack ON the hook, not behind it. Notice how the tapered body and clear legs give the Chubby a unique baitfish profile, unlike any other frog. It's very productive as an open water lure and triggers explosive strikes around cover. 5" long, 5 per pack.

They also have some great hooks for both Buzz Frogs and Swimbaits!!!

Get Hooked up with ISH

Well the Ish Hook is finally available at some online retailers, check out this 12/0 Beauty!!! It is designed to work with the Ish Tube, but I think you could use it with really big 12" worms or lizards or maybe even some swimbaits. Even Musky & Pike fisherman may find this hook useful...
Picasso ISH ProX 12/0 Hook
The 12/O Ish ProX Hook is the largest bass hook available on the market today, and can be fished with other soft plastic bodies. Available in packs of 3.

BassTrix Fat Minnow Paddle Tail Video

I have been looking around for a video of the BassTrix swimming under water to show of its action and so people can kind of see what the buzz is all about. So here is a video off of YouTube.

It is kind of a short video, but really shows off the action of the bait. Not sure which hook or weight its rigged with, as that can actually effect the action quite a bit.

Hope you like it!
Rich
RichLindgren.com
Rich's Bassin' Forum

Two Hot New Plastics from Zoom

I am sure you have all used Zoom Plastics at some point and know that they make high quality fish catching soft plastics in an endless rainbow of colors....

Check out their two latest additions for 2007:
Zoom Super Speed Craw

I love and use the original Zoom Ultravibe Speed Craw all the time, and my only complaint was how small it was for some situations, I cannot wait to get me a couple bags of these in Green Pumpkin!!!

Zoom Grass Craw
The new grass craw is very similar to the Gambler B.B. Cricket which is a popular matt flipping bait in Florida.

These both will be fantastic flipping baits ;)

HellaBass
RichLindgren.com
Bassin' Blog
Rich's Bass Fishing Forum

Finesse Wacky Jig!

This jig originates from Japan and so does the technique and application it is designed for, which kind of a shakey - wacky type fishing.

Zappu Inchi Wacky Jig Heads
The Japanese anglers are a very studious bunch. They are always working on new and creative techniques. The drop shotting technique that the Japanese introduced to America several years back has become a household term in bass fishing recently, and now the Japanese have created a new technique called INCHI WACKY or Jig Head Wacky. This technique has taken Japan by storm over the past 12 months and for good reason. Two Japanese Bass Pros, Takuma Hata of Zappu IncAndnd Toshiro Ono of Jackall Inc pioneered the craze.

As the name suggests, it's a very straightforward rig and easy to put into practice.

Benefits of the Rig
1. You can get more distance on the cast.

2. You can fish deeper areas.

3. The bait falls quicker.

4. You can keep in contact with the bottom easier.

5. Most importantly it creates a wicked irregular action that looks exactly like a real worm squirming in the water.


Why It Works
The Japanese anglers firmly believe that this irregular action has a very appealing, teasing action that bass cannot resist. Both Hato and Ono believe this bait is ideal for fishing deeper water and tougher conditions. Areas such as rock piles, drop offs and other vertical structure points are perfect situations where the Jig Head Wacky Rig will produce.

Japanese will always say that you have to have an image in your head of what you want the jighead and worm to be doing. The ideal image you want to see is the ball part of the jighead going flip flopping up and down and that's it. If the jighead is doing that, then the worm will be doing its thing. The great thing about this rig is that you can create so much action in the worm and the worm doesn't even have to be moved in at all. Otherwise saying you can keep the bait exactly where you want it to be and stay there.

The How To
In order to do this, there is a secret, and that is keeping a good amount of slack in the line. By keeping slack in the line you can shake your rod constantly to produce the wicked irregular action and still keep your bait exactly where you want it.

When fishing bottom structure you will want to cast out the Jig Head Wacky and let it free fall to the bottom. While the jig falls the weight from the jig head causes the worm to roll back and forth. After it hits the bottom you will want to shake it and continue to wind up slack and then free fall it back to the bottom. Remember that this is an exposed hook so this is not a deadsticking technique. Leave that type of fishing for your regular weightless wacky rig. The fish will often attack as the bait free falls after you shake it.

The Jig Head Wacky is also very effective on suspended fish in mid water. The key in working this bait is again the slack in the line. You will want to cast the line out and as you reach the area the fish are holding in you will want to slowly shake the bait and as you swim the jighead back in.

The Rigging & Tackle
Like with all techniques, the tackle you use plays a huge role in the outcome. The key to the Jig Head Wacky Rig is in the rigging. When rigging the worm, it's vital that you position the hook correctly by inserting the point of the hook in the middle of the worm and have it exit on a 90 degree from the insertion point. This is so the worm is fixed good and tight on the hook and it makes for a better irregular action. The Japanese have experimented with different hooks and have found that a V shape angled hook keeps the worm permanently fixed on the hook. The most commonly used jig head weights are 1/32oz to 1/16oz but vary upon the size of the worm and the depth at which being fished.

When using the Jig Head Wacky Rig, the Japanese anglers like to use fast tapered rods that are rated light to ultra light. A popular length in Japan is 6 foot because they feel it's easier to handle lighter worms with a shorter stick. 4-pound fluorocarbon line on a spinning reel is also the choice for many Japanese anglers who have mastered the Jig Head Wacky Rig. When working the rod, it is vital to keep a good rhythm and a constant up and down speed in a 10-11 o'clock positioning. Recently pro anglers are even using a 3/8-1/2 oz football shaped jig around heavy rock area and have said that slowly dragging the bottom is also very effective. The most popular used worm styles for Jig Head Wacky consists of Zoom's swamp crawler, Jackall's Flick Shake, Gary Yamamoto Cut Tail, Optimum Bait's Twin Teaser, and Berkley Gulp! 5'' Wacky Japanese Crawler.
Click to Buy

Here is a video of me & buddy catching some nice smallmouth bass on this technique!


HellaBass
RichLindgren.com
Bassin' Blog
Rich's Bass Fishing Forum

Bass Fishing with Beaver Baits

I am sure many of you have found out how great Reaction Innovations Sweet Beavers can be... On the other hand they can be kind of pricey and they tear up somewhat easy. So here is a list of similar style baits by other manufacturers, some you may know, some you may not. They are all a little different and will catch Bass ;)
Gambler Ugly Otter


Culprit Water Beetle


Berkley PowerBait Beast





Roboworm Sour Puss




Venom Sweet Dreams

Yum Wooly Bug

And there are many more, so try some of these baits and see how they stack up against the original.

HellaBass
www.RichLindgren.com
Bassin' Blog
Rich's Bass Fishing Forum

Yamamoto Swimming Senko

Has anyone tried the new Gary Yamamoto Swimming Senko??? They look really cool, but how do they work. Are you supposed to fish them like a swim bait or just deadstick them like an old fashioned Gary Yamamoto Senko......

I would like to hear from some of you that have used them.


HellaBass
www.RichLindgren.com
Bassin' Blog
Rich's Bass Fishing Forum