THE LATEST NEWS
Livingston Lures’ Howeller DMC Squarebill: The Ultimate “Hunter”
ORLANDO, Fla. – When 2014 Bassmaster Classic champion Randy Howell set to work on a bait that would tighten the action of the wide-wobbling Howeller Dream Master Classic (DMC), the first thing the Team Livingston design team did was tear off the DMC’s bill and engineer the bait with a circuit-board squarebill that would (in theory) radically change the way the bait swam.
Theory became reality the second the final version of HOWELLER DMC SQUAREBILL (SQ) hit the water during Team Livingston on-the-water testing. The original DMC’s wider wobble was immediately replaced with a wicked-tight wobble and a sneaky new side-to-side darting or “hunting” action that almost caused the bait to roll off the production line with a new name.
“The HOWELLER DMC SQ is such a hunter that we almost named it the ‘Howeller Hunter’,” jokes Livingston Lures creator and lead bait designer Robert Castaneda. “When we started to brainstorm new baits, Randy wanted a bait that had a crazy-tight wobble, but in the original Howeller DMC body. Other members of the Team Livingston pro team also agreed that we needed a new squarebill, and the first time we put the HOWELLER DMC SQ in the water, we knew we had it right.”
The HOWELLER DMC SQ starts with the 2 ¼-inch Howeller DMC body, and includes all of the characteristics that make the original the most effective medium-diving crankbait on the market: the same herringbone belly and realistic fish-scale back, and the same Gill Marks and Lateral Line™ “cuts” down the side of the body that amplify the bait’s sound and more effectively reflect natural light.
The DMC SQ’s difference-maker, though, is the thin circuit-board bill, which produces such a dramatically extreme right/left darting action and tight vibration at its 4- to 6-foot diving depth that it’s almost impossible to burn the bait too quickly.
“The HOWELLER DMC SQ has by far the most erratic vibration of any shallow bait I’ve ever thrown,” Howell says. “The circuit-board lip has slightly rounded edges, so it can deflect off of cover, and it’s slightly heavier than the DMC so you can make accurate, long casts. We spent a lot of time putting this bait together to get a unique action, and we nailed it.”
The HOWELLER DMC SQ is slightly unique in the Team Livingston lineup, too: It’s the only bait that operates with Livingston’s innovative Electronic Baitfish Sound, EBS MultiTouch Technology™ and NO additional beads or rattles.
NEW FOR 2015 – THE TEAM LIVINGSTON LINE: The HOWELLER DMC SQUAREBILL is part of the all new Team Livingston series of baits introduced at ICAST in Orlando. The Team Livingston line combines new, innovative designs, with Livingston’s new EBS MultiTouch Technology™, which allows the angler to “program” the baits with four different sound options. Team Livingston baits are all designed with premium components (stainless steel split rings, advanced rattles, etc.) and all Howeller baits come with Daiichi 4x Strong Bleeding Bait ® front hooks and 4x Strong black-nickel tail hooks.
INFO: Log on towww.livingstonlures.com, follow Livingston on Facebook www.faceboook.com/LivingstonLures.
Lake Champlain Bass Fishing Getting Hot In Time For Northern Open
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — The late arrival of summer has Lake Champlain’s bass fishing behind schedule, but it should be back on track during the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open presented by Allstate July 31-Aug. 2.
“The season has been late, so everything is behind what people would normally expect to see as far as weather conditions,” said Chris Flint, a Northern Opens contender from Potsdam, N.Y.
“The weather has the bass in different phases in different parts of the lake,” said Flint, of the lake that currently sits at No. 27 on Bassmaster’s 100 Best Bass Lakes list. “In some spots the fish are done spawning and are in full-time summer mode. Some midlake fish are just recovering from the spawn. And others in the north are even a little further behind.”
While prefishing for the Open, Flint found water temperatures varying from 72 to 79 degrees. “If you are on the main lake, it is still cold, but you can get back into pockets and find almost 80 degrees,” he said.
Water conditions are close to normal for the 271,000-acre natural lake along the New York-Vermont border. “The water is a little low right now, but we have had some heavy rains, so it seems to be coming up a little bit,’ Flint said. “The midlake is clear (about 10 feet of visibility), and Ticonderoga in the south has some stain (1 to 3 feet of visibility), like it normally does. And the north end is pretty muddy because of a predominant south wind.”
Flint described his prefishing as “pretty good,” even though the best summertime pattern hasn’t kicked in yet. “The hollow-belly frog is going to dominate,” he predicted. “That bite is starting to come around, and I imagine by the time the Open gets here it is going to be in full swing.”
The New York angler foresees several competitors making long runs to the Ticonderoga area to fish for largemouth stacked in the shallow weed mats. “That is where a lot of the good mats are and that’s where a lot of the good bags are taken from once that summer pattern kicks in,” he said.
The area features giant mats of grass, so the Open anglers will have to search for the best parts of the vegetation to throw their hollow-belly and popping frogs. “The better mats are the ones that have bluegills underneath,” Flint said. “Once you hear the bluegill activity, there is a pretty good chance you are going to find some bass underneath that mat.”
Flint believes the Ticonderoga area will produce the best fishing during the Open, but making the long run south will be a gamble. Wind can make the main lake extremely rough, and it’s rare that conditions are calm enough for a comfortable run to the South Lake area three consecutive days.
“It seems there is always a day when the wind blows really hard,” he said. “But, guys still take that chance and make that run, even if it only gives them a couple of hours to fish.”
Northern Open contenders can also target smallmouth bass in the midlake area, which will be a favorable alternative if they want to avoid the crowds at Ticonderoga or a long, rough ride to the south on a windy day.
Drop shotting with a perch-imitating bait produces best for smallmouth hanging around the rockpiles at depths of 10 to 20 feet.
Flint expects it will take 15 pounds a day to make the Top 12 cut with the winning weight for the three-day Northern Open at about 54 pounds.
The daily takeoffs will begin at 5:30 a.m. ET from Dock Street Landing, 4 Beach Road, Plattsburgh, N.Y. 12901. Weigh-ins will also be held at Dock Street Landing and begin at 2 p.m. ET.
2014 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2014 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Presenting Sponsor: Allstate
2014 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha
2014 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Supporting Sponsors: Boat U.S., Booyah, Carhartt, Diet Mountain Dew, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Plano, Power-Pole, Rigid Industries, Shimano
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series presented by Allstate, B.A.S.S. Nation events, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series, Bassmaster High School Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by Diet Mountain Dew and GoPro.
Ike’s Spoon
Take a look at the new Ike’s Spoon from Molix,
So You Want to Catch GIANT Bass South of the Border?!? Read This:
For most anglers, heading somewhere foreign to chase trophy sized bass is a once in a lifetime type endeavor. From an expense & logistical standpoint it can be a tough to meal to swallow… That is until you’ve pulled the trigger, and usually end up deciding you can’t imagine not making it at least a once a year requirement! That being said, each trip you take requires changes – Not only to your gear and techniques, but also to the way you interpret fish behavior…
The fine folks at Anglers Inn International– One of Mexico’s top fishing lodges, hit us up on twitter recently asking us our “Top ModZ” for catching giant Mexican bass… Here’s a few great tips and modifications (in no particular order) to help you target GIANT bass south of the border with with two of Anglers Inn’s hottest trophy bass lakes: Picachos, the newest lake to be added to the A.I. Family… And El Salto a trophy bass mainstay where the lake record is over 18lbs & the small ones run about 6, taking into account:
- #1 Shiny & New isn’t always a good thing – When fishing lakes where giant bass grow we’ve found that our more beat up lures tend to get the most action. Frankly, we’ve found that to be true just about everywhere we fish both foreign and domestic — But particularly in places where bass grow at a larger rate than average like Mexico. Maybe it’s the congruency with the amount of sunlight… Or with how stressful a life the forage has being chased by the open mouthed whale sharks of bass that inhabit the waters they live in… Or maybe it’s the fact that so many anglers buy all new product specifically for the trip and tend to only throw lures fresh out of the package… But it always seems like our most productive lures are either sun-baked, beat to heck, or marked up. Simply pre-treating some of your lures before you leave will not only save you time on the water but also give you something just different enough to stand out. The biggest bass in most lakes tend to be extremely smart and not overly aggressive comparatively. Muted, more natural colors, and injured looking patterns tend to receive more attention than loud, bright, and obnoxious ones. Sun-baking for example takes a long time to do properly… Other little things like Un-trueing your lures line ties, sharpening the diving lips or grinding them down slightly to change their shape and action are also best done before you hit the water — Start when you book you’re trip and you’ll be better prepared when you get there.
- #2 Don’t Rock The Stocks – Giant bass not only weigh more… They also have larger, thicker, harder to pierce jaws — Always upgrade your stock treble hooks and split rings whenever it’s possible without destroying the action of the lure. Key aspects to consider here include hook gap size, sharpness, strength, & type. Make sure you have hooks big enough and sharp enough to not only pierce a thick jaw but stay attached… Also make sure you are using the type of hook that BEST suits the situation. It’s bad enough to be using the wrong shaped treble or too short of a length from the body at home when fishing for fun. Being around trophy sized fish is a big opportunity, give yourself the best chance to convert those opportunities by not sacrificing them before they even arrive. There’s something to be said about hooksets here too — That snap-set looks cool, but far too often ends in heartbreak… Possibly one of the biggest modifications or corrections you can make for big fish is to always employ a steady pull or sweeping hookset… But having dull, improperly sized, or weak hooks and rings can quickly make even the most proper hookset just as heartbreaking!
- #3 Play With The Locals – Most trophy bass lakes have at least one if not a few well known lures or colors that just out perform all others by a wide margin… Bring LOTS of them! In the case of Lake El Salto that’s a Fat Free Shad in Citrus Shad, soft stickbaits, and big jigs… None of that information however is a secret, and you can bet you WILL NOT be the only one utilizing it… However using this tip in conjunction with the ModZ we mentioned in tip #1 and having a strong supply of backups with slight variations to them — Will help you stand out from the pack, while still giving the fish exactly what they want.
- #4 Go Big Or Go Home! – As much as this can be true about your lure selection (Do they make a 14 inch Senko? They should!), it’s even more so of your gear selection — Bring the proper gear with you to match the fish you are going after. Sure, it might be fun to try and use the 6ft M spinning rod you use at home for finesse to catch a teenager (Bass over 13 lbs)… But more likely than not, that will just end with a bunch of graphite in your face. You aren’t fishing at home for the size bass you would normally find… That’s why you are taking a trip somewhere else in the first place most likely… So make the most out of it by having what you need! Unless you already fish in an area with an abundance of double digit fish — Consider an upgrade to your usual rod, reel, line, terminal tackle, and hook size choices. As well, a lot of us have lures or gear we’d prefer to save for a particular situation or rainy day… If you aren’t already going into the trip with the intent to specifically throw them for once… Chances are that day will appear on your trip anyway! They are doing you zero good sitting on a shelf or in a tackle box. Just do yourself a favor and also bring the right gear to throw them without fear as well.
- #5We Know, We Know! …Match The Hatch! – No seriously though, simplicity is key — Just match the hatch. This tip goes along with #3 except that it’s not so much about a particular lure but about the type of forage found where you are going. The last thing you want to do when heading to a new lake is have every type of forage imitating color except the one they eat in that lake… So begin with finding out what that is and start from there when selecting colors to take on your trip. In the case of most Mexican lakes like El Salto and Picachos that means tilapia & Shad… So you can probably leave the pink, perch, blueback, & trout colored lures at home.
- #6 Lake Age Matters – It should go without saying but aggressiveness of fish is a comparative thing… Overall, Mexican lakes get far less pressure than some of the least pressured lakes found anywhere in the U.S. — That having been said using the age of an impoundment in newly forming trophy bass filled areas of the world is an important factor to consider. Newer lakes like Picachos (5 yrs old) should have more aggressive – less weary fish in it than would be found in an older more established lake like El Salto. However, newer lakes generally also have less natural cover and patternable history so take that knowledge into account when selecting your presentations. So for example while I will still take them into account — I might not be as concerned with tips 1 & 3 at Picachos as I would be at El Salto or at a long established natural lake in the same vicinity.
We hope these tips and tackle modifications will help you when heading south of the border to catch trophy sized bass. It’s really a treat that every angler should experience once in a lifetime if not as many times in a year as there life will allow!
If you are looking for more info on Anglers Inn International and fishing in Mexico please check them out at: www.anglersinn.com or call 1-800-468-2347
“Michael Ferman is the founder of TackleModZ Media – Follow him on Twitter @TackleModZ & Check out the TackleModZ FB Page: www.facebook.com/TackleModZ“
Major League Fishing Concludes Filming of Second Select Event
BENTON, Ark. (June 23, 2014) – Major League Fishing has completed the filming of its second GEICO Select event, a six-day tournament that features lakes in three distinct sections of Arkansas.
The Bass Pro Shops Major League Fishing Challenge Select was based in Benton, Ark., but anglers branched across the state to tackle water in the eastern delta region, as well as two substantially different lakes in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. Six days of Challenge Select competition, with an additional day of post-event filming, concluded on Sunday, June 22.
“We have finished filming a truly fascinating event that challenged every MLF Select angler. We had all types of water and conditions, and it took a lot of creativity for our anglers to figure these waters out,” said Major League Fishing Commissioner Don Rucks.
“With a rare exception here and there, none of these anglers had ever seen the places they fished. That made for some level competition. And there were some amazing performances from our anglers.”
The Challenge Select will be offered early in 2015 as a two-hours-plus, web-based production. It will be shown in the second quarter 2015 as a series on Outdoor Channel, America’s Leader In Outdoor TV.
“We had plenty of drama and a lot of tight finishes, which is becoming a staple of these Select events,” Rucks said.
The Challenge Select features anglers: Scott Ashmore, Brent Chapman, Jason Christie, Keith Combs, Ott DeFoe, Kurt Dove, Paul Elias, Todd Faircloth, Randy Howell, Andy Montgomery, Cliff Pace, Brandon Palaniuk, Keith Poche, Marty Robinson, Mark Rose, Casey Scanlon, Morizo Shimizu, Kevin Short, Fletcher Shryock, Michael Simonton, Scott Suggs, Gerald Swindle, James Watson and Jacob Wheeler.
Six anglers from the Challenge Select earned a spot in the companion Major League Fishing Challenge Cup, which will feature the original 24 MLF anglers. The Challenge Cup, with the addition of the six Select anglers, will increase in size to 30 competing anglers.
As in all Major League Fishing events, competing anglers are not allowed to practice or research venues. The anglers are chauffeured by boat officials to their fishing sites and are not told the actual location until they reach a staging area.
Select events utilize the innovative Major League Fishing format, in which anglers are allowed to weigh all the “scorable” bass they catch. The bass are immediately weighed after they are caught, then are released back into the water. In Major League Fishing competition, anglers know where they rank in the standings at all times via SCORETRACKER© devices in their boats. Anglers are not allowed to practice before events and were notified of the Summit Select location two days before the start.
About GEICO
GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) is a member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies and is the third-largest private passenger auto insurance company in the United States. GEICO, which was founded in 1936, provides millions of auto insurance quotes to U.S. drivers annually. The company is pleased to serve more than 12 million private passenger customers and insures more than 20 million vehicles (auto & cycle). GEICO’s online service center helps policyholders take care of policy sales, policy changes, claims reporting and to print insurance ID cards. Policyholders can also connect to GEICO through the GEICO App, reach a representative over the phone or visit a GEICO local agent. GEICO also provides insurance quotes on motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), travel trailers and motorhomes (RVs). Coverage for boats, life, homes and apartments is written by non-affiliated insurance companies and is secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. Commercial auto insurance and personal umbrella protection are also available. For more information, go to www.geico.com.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing is a partnership of 24 of the world’s most talented, influential professional bass anglers and Outdoor Channel. Jack Link’s is the organization’s title sponsor. For more information, visit www.majorleaguefishing.com.
About Outdoor Channel
Taking viewers across America and around the world on unparalleled adventures since 1993, Outdoor Channel is America’s Leader In Outdoor TV. Dedicated to the outdoor lifestyle and conservation, the independent cable network is a division of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, LLC and provides a complete spectrum of riveting hunting, fishing, shooting and adventure entertainment. Outdoor Channel is received by 39.1 million U.S. households – the largest outdoor TV footprint in the country – and is available in more than 50 countries internationally. Outdoor Channel can be viewed in HD and is accessible by broadband and mobile platforms. For program times and other information, visit www.outdoorchannel.com. Follow us on Twitter and on Facebook, and download our iPhone and iPad app.