THE LATEST NEWS
Bassmaster Elite Series Pro Brandon Lester Signs with Mustad
Doral, Florida February, 12 2015 – Mustad, the world’s leading hook manufacturer since 1877, is pleased to announce the signing of Bassmaster Elite Series Angler and 2015 Bassmaster Classic qualifier Brandon Lester.
During his rookie season in 2014 Brandon began making a name for himself by performing under pressure, teaching people new fishing techniques and generally “doing things the right way”. On the brink of missing the Bassmaster Classic cut, Lester finished strong at the end of 2014. A ninth place finish at the Angler of the Year Championship secured his spot in the 2015 Bassmaster Classic, and made him the only first-year touring pro in the 56 man field.
“We see a bright future ahead for Brandon and appreciate having him on Team Mustad,” says Mustad Sales Manager Steve Tagami. “Brandon’s spirit, character, and attitude are just outstanding! The success in his first year as a pro is a great testament to his capability on the water, and he is also visible in a significant number of articles, videos, and other media pieces. All of this provides great insight about his knowledge, but ultimately points to a well-rounded individual with a tremendous work ethic and passion for the sport.”
“In my instructional articles and videos I always make note of the gear I use for each technique. I found during 2014 that all the baits I was using featured Mustad hooks so to now be sponsored by them is just ideal,” Lester said. “They listen closely to fishermen when it comes to new products so it is no surprise that Mustad is the world’s largest hook manufacturer.”
Brandon’s hook selection includes the following Mustad UltraPoint™ Series Hooks featuring 4.3 Technology™, the engineering process that makes UltraPoint™ Hooks stay sharp longer than other brands:
Mustad UltraPoint Elite Series™ Treble Hooks:
TG76NP-BN 2X Short / 1X Strong KVD Elite Triple Grip Trebles
TG58NP-BN Standard KVD Elite Triple Grip Trebles
TR78NP-BN 1X Strong Round Bend Elite Trebles
Mustad UltraPoint Grip-Pin™ Series Soft Plastics Hooks – featuring the Super Strong Grip-Pin Keeper System:
Grip-Pin MAX™ (Ref# G34131NP-BN) Flippin’, Pitchin’ and Punchin’ Hooks
KVD Grip-Pin™ (Ref# 38101NP-BN) Offset Wide Gap Soft Plastics
About Brandon Lester
From Fayetteville, TN, the 26-year-old Lester won the 2013 Bassmaster Southern Open Angler of the Year title and completed his Bassmaster Elite Series rookie season in 28th place. He fished two seasons for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. His website is www.brandonlesterfishing.com and social media pages are www.Facebook.com/proanglerbrandonlester, @blesterfishing on Twitter and Instagram.
About Mustad
Every year since 1877, more anglers worldwide put their trust in Mustad than any other brand to catch their fish of a lifetime. Sold in over 160 countries, Mustad Hooks are the world’s best-selling brand and heralded by top anglers for strength, sharpness, and quality. At the heart of every Mustad Fish Hook is wire drawn and processed specifically for fish hook production at the Mustad Factory, in operation for over 180 years, in the town of Gjovik, Norway. This exclusive process means that Mustad is the only company in the world that controls all phases of fish hook production from wire to finish. Mustad brands include Mustad UltraPoint Hooks, Mustad Classic Hooks, Mustad Signature Fly Hooks as well as Terminal Tackle and Fishing Tools. Included in Mustad’s portfolio of legendary styles are Demon Perfect Circle Hooks, KVD Elite Series Treble Hooks, Slow Death Hooks and the new ground breaking Grip-Pin Series.
For more information on Mustad’s newly expanded lineup of product, call (305) 597-0553; write O. Mustad & Son Americas., 2315NW 107th Ave. Box 88 Doral, FL 33172, visit www.mustad-americas.com or the Mustad Hooks Facebook page www.facebook.com/mustadamericas.
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Gill Adds to Staff
Gill North America would like to announce additions to their Gill Pro Fishing Team with five anglers joining current pro Dean Rojas wearing Gill in 2015. Jason Christie, Russ Lane Randall Tharp, Jared Lintner and Michael Neal all have a history with Gill and will be wearing Gill Technical Fishing Gear during the upcoming season. With their tournament seasons beginning in cold weather and ending in the summer conditions a wide range of technical clothing is needed to keep them performing at the highest levels. Gill has a 40 year history developing superior ultra-technical clothing for the marine and sailing industry. Gill and its’ team of winning designers are now using that experience combined with feedback from professional anglers to develop dominant garments for fishing in any condition. Each angler had the following comments about their new Gill relationship:
Jason Christie. “I have been wearing Gill rainwear during my entire professional career. I always bought the best on the market. Gill will keep me fishing no matter what the weather.”
Randall Tharp. “I am honored and excited to be a part of Gill’s pro angler team. I have relied on Gill for years to keep me comfortable on the water so I can stay focused on catching fish.”
Russ Lane. “I was introduced to Gill rainwear several years ago at ICAST and was amazed to learn all of the things that go into making their garments. They really get it. They understand how important it is for a tournament fisherman to be comfortable, warm, dry and able to move freely during an 8 hour tournament day. Their attention to detail is what sets them apart from any other. I’m looking forward to learning even more about Gill’s rainwear and layering garments so that I can help educate everyone on how to be more comfortable while on the water.”
Jared Lintner. “I am very excited to be part of the GILL Pro staff. Having foul weather that provides dryness, warmth and comfort will prove to be a huge asset in 2015.”
Michael Neal. “I am extremely happy to be a part of the best rainwear on the market. Having Gill wear during this 2015 season will give me a complete ease of mind while out on the water. In the past, I have had to worry about getting wet and staying dry. While wearing Gill, I no longer have to worry about these and can concentrate solely on the task at hand. “
For more information about Gill please visit www.gillfishing.com or media contacts Gary Barker, gary.barker@gillna.com, Scotty Petersen, speter1003@aol.com.
Pro’s Pointers – Early Season Cranking
It’s full on cabin fever time. Winter is locked in, football and hunting season are over, and it’s still cold and dreary outside. The good news is that it can also be a great time to catch some of the largest bass you’ll see all year if you know what you’re doing. Tour staffer Greg Bohannan is renowned for his prowess with a crankbait this time of year, so we picked his brain to get some tips on early season cranking.
Hopefully you can put them to use in the coming weeks; as there’s no better cure for cabin fever than the head shake of a four pounder as it inhales your crankbait!
Enjoy February and good luck on the water!
Scott Estes – President, Denali Rods
Cold water – hot action
February is an interesting month for bass anglers across the country. Anglers in Florida are usually already chasing post spawners while anglers in the north are still drilling holes in their frozen lakes and reservoirs.
Outside of those two extremes, February for the majority of the country offers water temperatures in the forties often dreary weather, making anglers work hard for any success on the water.
However, if you get a warm up during February it can quickly turn the fishing from tough to fantastic and give savvy anglers some of the best fishing of the season. For that reason, FLW and Denali pro Greg Bohannan thinks February is one of the best months to get out on the water. The bass are changing despite the cold weather and you can really start catching them on crankbaits.
“I absolutely love fishing in the late February/early March period.” Bohannan said. “You’ll almost always get a couple sunny days that push the water temperature into the upper 40’s and then the bass really start eating crankbaits well. It’s still cold, but the action can be absolutely amazing.”
To Bohannan, the key to triggering the early season crankbait bite is the first little uptick in water temperature due to a cold front, and the magic number he’s looking for is 46 degrees.
“Below about 46, I’m really a jerkbait or bust type of guy.” Bohannan said. “Once it gets to 46 though, I’m gonna pick up that crankbait rod and have a lot of confidence that bass will respond to it. Not only is it a more efficient way to cover water than a jerkbait, but it also seems to catch bigger fish the majority of the time.”
Water temperature is obviously the most important factor in determining when to throw a crankbait in the early season, but what else is important? We picked Bohannan’s brain to get the inside scoop on early season cranking from one of the masters.
- 1. Find the right bank
Throughout the winter, bass hold on classic vertical structure like bluff ends, points, and standing timber. They like vertical structure because it doesn’t take a lot of energy to change depth in relation to mood and access food sources like shad.
Because of that, Bohannan starts out his early cranking pattern targeting those same types of cover, but said to be ready to move as the water begins to warm up.
“Once you start cranking in the spring, the bass will still be on those same bluff ends, points, and timber lines that you were catching them on Jerkbaits.” Bohannan said. “However once that water temp starts climbing, even a little bit, you need to be ready to move with them.”
They might not move very far, but the key factor in this move is that it’s more than likely going to be toward the backs of the creeks.
“Usually, the bass will move to similar bluff ends and points, but by late February they will be bluff banks deep in creeks and secondary points in the back half of creeks. They also gang up on the last few channel bends in creeks before they start to flatten out. Bottom line is that you need to transition with them, so if the bass aren’t where you had been catching them on the main lake, they’ve probably moved into the creeks.” Bohannan said.
- 2. Use a rod with “flex”
Lost fish can be a frustration with crankbaits, and Bohannan said it can be especially frustrating in the early season because the fish are still very lethargic. “I think a lot of times they just slap at it or they don’t have the energy to really eat it so losing fish can become a real problem in the early season if you don’t have the right rod.”
To Bohannan, the right rod is one with enough flex to allow the bass to fully eat the bait, as well as work as a shock absorber once the fight starts. The rod he turns to for his early season cranking is the Denali J2 7 foot 6 inch MH cranking rod.
“Flex is so important when cranking in cold water.” Bohannan said. “If you’ve got a bass hooked on a single treble hook in the side of the face, you need a forgiving rod to keep that hook buried and not lose it. The J2 rod has the perfect flex for that, but it’s also a medium heavy power so it has enough backbone in the bottom half of the rod to make sure you get the hook in him to begin with.”
In addition to keeping fish buttoned up, a rod with good flex also allows short striking fish a better opportunity to get the bait, resulting in better hooked fish. “I see guys cranking with fast action rods and losing a lot of fish. Having that more moderate action delays the rod loading up just a split second, which increases the amount of bait the bass gets in his mouth.”
Another key Bohannan has found is to make really long casts, something much easier to accomplish with a longer rod. “The bass are often spread out along long stretches of rip rap, bluff walls, or points, so being able to throw it far and keep it in the strike zone for longer periods of time is very important to your success in the early season. The J2 rod I use is seven and a half feet, which is plenty long enough.”
For early season cranking, Bohannan pairs his Denali cranking rod to a 6.5:1 Ardent Apex reel spooled with 10 pound monofilament, due to the better abrasion resistance. “Lots of guys use fluorocarbon to crank, and I do some as well, but most of the time I’m fishing around rocks and timber so I like the improved abrasion resistance of the monofilament.” Bohannan said.
- 3. Take your time
Despite the promises of hot action, water in the upper forties is still cold, and Bohannan said that anglers should take that into consideration when cranking cold water bass.
“You want to make sure that you’re not retrieving your bait as fast as you would in the summer.” Bohannan said. “The bass are more aggressive than they were in January, but you still need to give them time to get the bait, and that means a moderate to slow retrieve most of the time.”
Bohannan will also occasionally pause the bait, especially when it contacts something like a stump, rock, or treetop. “A lot of times, I’ll kill it right after I hit something and that generates a lot of strikes. The crankbaits I use float, and when they see it floating slowly away from them after it hits something they just have to eat it.”
Taking your time is important not only in an individual cast, but Bohannan also said it is important in the number of casts you make to an area. “Unlike some other times of the year where you can throw in an area a couple times and don’t get bit then move on, in the early season you really need to saturate an area to maximize the number of bass you catch.”
- 4. Bait choice is important
Go to any Bass Pro Shops and count how many different crankbaits are on the wall. You’re gonna be there awhile. Although all those different shapes and models may work well at different points in the year, Bohannan relies on only a select few during the early season.
Classic cold water baits like The Rapala Shad Rap and Storm Wiggle Wart have always found their place in Bohannan’s hand, but he recently worked on developing a crankbait with Skirmish Baits called the A10, which was designed from the ground up to excel at early season cranking.
“We looked at all the other baits that are really successful in cold water and took the best attributes from all of them when we designed the A10.” Bohannan said. ”I’ve only had the production models for a little while, and I can already tell you that what we’ve done works. I can’t wait to get the A10 out in tournaments this spring. It is a fish catching machine.”
As far as color goes, Bohannan said that anglers should keep it simple and use anything that resembles a crawfish. “I really only use two colors when I’m cranking in the spring; and we turned them both into signature series colors for the A10. One is a green craw, and the other is a red craw. I throw the green craw in clear water and the red craw when it’s got some color to it.”
Missile Baits Reloads with the D Stroyer
Salem, Va. – February 11, 2015 – Missile Baits is reloading their lure line up with the all-new D Stroyer. This new bait is a monster creature bait like the D Bomb that has morphed into a bait with more arms, bigger appendages, and twin tails on the back that will not stop moving. Dick’s Sporting Goods has begun arming all of their stores with four colors of the D Stroyer that will be complete by the middle of March. Dick’s will also be featuring the D Stroyer in their booth at the Bassmaster Classic. The full run of D Stroyers is expected to land in early March.
“The D Bomb has been a great bait for me and many anglers but I have wanted a big profile creature with action to add in my mix,” says pro angler and company owner, John Crews. “The D Stroyer is a beast of a bait with great action but it is not too big. I am already dreaming of all the events that I will be using the D Stroyer this year.”
The D Stroyer will come with 6 baits in a pack for a suggested retail price of $4.99. The big creature bait will come in 8 colors: Green Pumpkin, Bruiser, Superbug, California Love, Bruiser Flash, Watermelon Red, and Green Pumpkin Flash. Applications for the D Stroyer include pitching, flipping, Carolina rigging, punching, or dragging on a wobble head jig.
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MISSILE BAITS is a small company dedicated to creating SERIOUS soft plastic baits to help anglers catch more fish. The designs are straight off the top-level professional bass tour. Based in Salem, Virginia, MISSILE BAITS works relentlessly to make the best baits, show their customers how to use them, and stay on the cutting edge of bass fishing. Founded in January 2012, new products and videos will continue to be launched. Log onto www.MISSILEBAITS.com for videos, tips, forums, and more.