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« January 2012 | Main | March 2012 »

February 29, 2012

On Tour with Todd - Hartwell Journal #1

Just finishing up the 10-day Indianapolis Boat, Sport, and Travel Show from last week.  The Renfro's put on one of the best shows I can remember in recent years.  It was great to see a lot of old friends and meet some new ones, too.  A lot of people were excited to get a first look at the Red Gold boat and many stopped to say they would be cheering me on for the upcoming FLW Tour Majors opener at Lake Hartwell in South Carolina.  I appreciated that.

It was also good to spend time with the sponsors that support me and allow me to do what I do, including Reaction Strike, Castaic, Red Dirt Bait Company, and King Marine in Fishers.  They all had booths and had a well-deserved, successful week at the show.

I spent a lot of time this week getting organized and preparing my equipment for practice next week.  I'm going in with an open mind and ready to fish the conditions without having preconceived ideas.  Hartwell is massive, and offers a lot of different options.  It could be cold, it could warm up quickly - we'll wait and see.  Hartwell is a big lake; in fact, it made Kentucky Lake feel small when I was there for pre-practice.  I'll be shooting for a Top 50 to get the season off on the right foot. 

Best of luck also to the Marian University Bass Fishing Team this weekend.  They're competing in their first College Fishing event at Table Rock in Branson, Missouri in their inaugural season.  I've been blessed with getting to know their team members over the past few months in mentoring them in starting up their club.

Thanks for all of the prayers, Facebook messages, and emails.  I'm hoping to do Indiana proud along with the other Indiana pros.   My good friend, Terrance Smith, is traveling and practicing with me for the Majors.  He's ready to see Hartwell - we're going to have a great time this week.

Stay tuned for updates from Hartwell!

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February 28, 2012

Indiana Bass Federation Raffle Boat Update

Good Evening to all.  I had a great time at the boat show and am glad to get it over with. I snapped a few shots at the drawing today.

Ed OConner, Mark Shane, Ed Hazel deserve a round of applause for working all week at the show.  Today at 3:00 Ed OConner dumped the last of the raffle tickets into the rod locker of the raffle boat and stirred up the tickets. Paul Hollabaugh then pulled out ticket 201221385 which was sold last Sunday at the Boat Show Booth.

That ticket belonged to REX CORNELL, of Lafayette IN.   Rex was notified by phone and was ecstatic.  Rex stated he has purchased $10.00 worth of tickets every year for the past 6 years or so. He stated he was at the show last Sunday and purchased his tickets from a man and woman who were working the booth.  Rex stated he works at Wabash National Corporation in Lafayette and helps run his father's farm. Although he does not fish that often he does go to Minnesota once a year to spend a week fishing with his son who is in the Air Force and comes to meet him from North Dakota. He stated they rent an aluminum boat each year. He was excited to call his son to let him know they will be fishing from a new boat.

The ticket sales went well. The clubs sold approximately $35,000.00 worth of tickets before the beginning of the show which about the same as past years. The show total has not been calculated yet but it was much better than last year.  The total accounting should be done by the end of the week.        

Kenny Swint

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February 27, 2012

DNR Gives Temporary OK to Umbrella Rigs

Indiana DNR director Robert E. Carter Jr. has signed a temporary rule that establishes a limit on the number of hooks allowed on a rig or lure array used for sport fishing, essentially making so-called umbrella rigs legal through the remainder of this year.

Until recently, umbrella rigs were a traditional saltwater trolling apparatus used effectively in the northeastern United States to catch striped bass and bluefish, according to Ken Smith’s Fishing Encyclopedia.

The rig is an umbrella-shaped frame of multiple wires from which lures or hooks are attached. It is designed to resemble a school of baitfish.

Professional bass fisherman Paul Elias triggered a frenzy among freshwater anglers when he used a version of the apparatus, The Alabama Rig, to win an FLW Series national tournament in October. Elias caught a 20-fish limit weighing more than 100 pounds to beat his closest challenger by 17 pounds and earn the tournament’s $100,000 first-place prize.

Bass Anglers Sportsmen Society (BASS), the FLW’s rival tour, announced in January that umbrella rigs cannot be used in the Bassmaster Classic or the Bassmaster Elite Series.

In the meantime, states have been scrambling to see if umbrella rigs fall inside or outside of their fishing regulations.

Indiana’s existing rules do not adequately describe whether or not umbrella rigs are legal. Indiana Administrative Code 312 IAC 9-7-2 states that “an individual may take fish with not more than three poles, hand lines, or tip-ups at a time…(and) an individual must affix to each line not more than: two hooks, two harnesses for use with live bait, or two artificial baits.

The ambiguity with the umbrella rig is whether it should be defined as one lure with many parts or many lures on single line.

As DNR officials continue to study the issue, the temporary rule adds a fourth option to the existing regulation that allows “one rig or lure array for use with multiple artificial baits with not more than five hooks.”

The temporary rule expires on Jan. 1, 2013.

“This gives Hoosier anglers an opportunity to gain first-hand experience with the use and effectiveness, or drawbacks, of how umbrella rigs actually perform,” Carter said. “It also gives the DNR time to gather information on what, if any, future definitions or restrictions need to be considered.”

The temporary rule does not apply to trout and salmon streams that are tributaries of Lake Michigan or to the St. Joseph River downstream of the Twin Branch Dam in Mishawaka. The regulations on those waters continue to be limited to one single hook, one harness for use with live bait, or one artificial lure per line. Single hooks, including those on artificial baits, must be no larger than 1/2 inch front point to shank. Double and treble hooks on artificial lures may not exceed 3/8 inch from point to shank. All trout and salmon taken in Indiana must be hooked in the mouth (no foul hooking allowed).

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February 26, 2012

Indiana Alabama Rig Emergency Ruling

From the Indiana Conservation Officer's Facebook Page, as well as two other forums I've seen where ICO's posted this:

The "Alabama Rig" question is now answered with this Emergency DNR rule effective this Saturday, February 25th, 2012: An individual may take fish with not more than three (3) poles, handlines, or tip-ups at a time. Except as provided in 312 IAC 9-7-2 (k), an individual must affix to one line not more than: two (2) hooks; two (2) harnesses for use with live bait; two (2) artificial baits; OR ONE (1) RIG or LURE ARRAY for use with MULTIPLE ARTIFICIAL BAITS with not more than FIVE (5) hooks. This temporary amendment expires January 1, 2013.

 

ARig

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A Year Without Winter?

Here's the extended forecast taking us into the first week of March. Some mid to upper 50's, and not much of anything below freezing. Been waiting for the winter slam to arrive, but it's quickly running out of time.

March
 

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February 25, 2012

Bassmaster Classic Bass Trakk Analysis - Day 2

Another pretty good day for the Bass Trakk crew. Looks like they finally have things hammered out much better compared to the past couple years. It really is nice to be able to follow the Bass Trakk updates throughout the day and know that the reported weights are, for the most part, within a couple pounds of actual. Much more exciting come weigh-in time than to find out the observer wasn't even close, and your hopes (either up or down) get crushed :)


 

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February 24, 2012

Bassmaster Classic Bass Trakk Analysis - Day 1

I told myself I wouldn't even bother this year, but I did it anyway. I can't help myself. Turns out to be their best showing in 3 years. Maybe they're learning. Maybe they're peeking at my site ;-) They've utilized a couple of my past "recommendations" this last year, including in this Classic. - maybe coincidence, maybe not - stranger things have happened.

Anyway, on to the numbers for those that are interested. Underguessing ruled (~80% of the field), and the average difference between Bass Trakk and actual weights slid below the 2lb. mark for the first time since I've tracked it. There were also only 4 anglers that they had no information on today, and it turns out one of those was probably because Brandon weighed no fish.

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Items of Interest at the Bassmaster Classic Expo

This new bait from Strike King, the KVD Sexy Dawg, is a dead ringer for the now discontinued Vixen, and should be a killer.

SKDawg


If you've got the bucks to drop, Lithium-Ion batteries are the new deal in bass boats. Do a search for what Aaron Martens says about them. He's running everything in his boat off them.

Ion

Check out this new entry into the squarebill market from crankbait manufacturer Stanford (handcrafted cedar).

Stanford

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February 23, 2012

Ike's Custom Ink

Ike's new custom Rapala DT colors being unveiled at the Bassmaster Classic Expo this week.

IkesRaps

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Shimano Classic Expo News

Big weekend in Shreveport for the Bassmaster Classic - and while we know anglers have lots of stuff to see and do, hopefully they can find the time to stop by the Shimano, G.Loomis and PowerPro exhibits at the Classic Outdoor Expo...

Core100MG7Shimano - it's the official intro for the new Core Mg7 baitcasting reel (product release below). Plus we're kicking-off a special $30 Cash Bonus promotion on the Chronarch, Curado and Citica reels. We weren't sure where our government was going with the payroll tax debate, so Shimano is knocking $30 off any of these reels bought from Feb. 24 through April 22.

G.Loomis - we'll have all the NRX 'Green' bass rods to check out, along with the 2011 ICAST Show award-winning GL2 series - jig and worm casting and spinning rods, crankbait, spinnerbait, swimbait, flipping and drop shot rods, plus a few trout jig spinning rods.

PowerPro - Super 8 Slick braid has been a huge introduction for our PowerPro brand. Smooth as silk, casts like a bullet, silent as as assassin - and offered in both timber brown and aqua green colors to give avid bass anglers even a better fish-catching advantage.


SHIMANO EXPANDS CORE BAITCASTING REEL SERIES WITH HIGH-SPEED RETRIEVE CORE 100MG7

IRVINE, Calif. – New for 2012 – Bassmaster Classic Outdoor Expo Intro – Providing anglers with a faster 7.0:1 gear ratio reel for primarily finesse bait fishing, Shimano adds the new 100Mg7 to its Core baitcasting reel series. Along with this new reel, the series now includes the Core 50Mg7 and left-hand retrieve 51Mg7 with 7.0:1 gear ratios, and the Core 100Mg and 101Mg with 6.2:1 gear ratios.

According to Ken Iida with Shimano’s product development team, as the trend continues in light line finesse bait fishing, “we wanted to provide anglers with this higher speed 100 size Core to cover water more effectively. The Core 100Mg7 will provide all-day fishing comfort for anglers in light line, slack line fishing situations, for when using light fluorocarbon, and also with our new PowerPro Super 8 Slice braid.”

As featured on all Core reels, the Core 100Mg7 has a low-profile design with a lightweight magnesium frame and sideplate, along with Shimano’s ultralight Magnumlite spool. Shimano’s High Efficiency Gearing (HEG) combined with a long shank Power Handle provides smooth powerful retrieves, while Shimano’s Super Free bearing supported pinion gear eliminates friction for the spool shaft for exceptional freespool.

The Core 100Mg7 includes four shielded A-RB (anti-rust) bearings for durability and corrosion resistance, an A-RB roller bearing to eliminate any handle backplay, and its Tapered Titanium Levelwind Insert that makes set-up much easier, even in the dark. It will quickly retrieve 30-inches of line per crank – “perfect to come tight fast in slack line fishing situations,” said Iida.

Identical to the other Core 100 size reels, the 100Mg7 will handle 110 yards of 10-pound test, and when using PowerPro braid, it can hold 130 yards of 30-pound, and up to 55 yards of 65-pound.

For more information on Shimano’s new ultra-lightweight Core 100Mg7 baitcasting reel, see you local tackle dealer - visit the Shimano web site at http://fish.shimano.com - or call Shimano’s product support team at 877/577-0600 (6 am to 5 pm Pacific Standard Time).

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