Best of Best On Tour 2024 (Issue 305)

Issue #305

PRESENTED BY: Sunline

What Does It Cost To Fish Tournaments At Each Level?

There are many different fishing tournament levels that an angler can choose to compete in, and a lot of them are dependent on the individual’s age. However, there are also several different types of fishing tournaments: team series, boater vs. boater, co-angler vs. co-angler, and now even kayak events. There will definitely not be a shortage of fishing tournaments any time soon. Knowing the costs is one of the most important factors that will influence an angler of making his or her decision of which tournament to compete in. The total costs for each tournament can vary depending on how much money is spent on gas, food, lodging, and fishing tackle. For the sake of keeping this blog as less overwhelming as possible, we are simply just addressing the three major national organizations: Bassmaster, Major League Fishing, and The National Professional Fishing League. Check out the full blog here.

Best Of The 2024 Bassmaster Classic Expo

The highlight of the Bassmaster Classic this year for me was visiting Rick Clunn’s booth at the expo. Clunn offered some limited edition items to commemorate his “50 Years Of Fishing”, and spent time meeting fans from all across the globe. Clunn offered numerous collectibles and apparel, including 34 southwestern blanket style hats, specially minted coins, as well as his favorite Rico topwater baits. Clunn was honored throughout the Classic including appearing on the main stage at the weigh-in with Johnny Morris, Bob Cobb, and Bill Dance.

Weight Management

Utilizing larger glide baits like the SPRO KGB Chad Shad for forward facing sonar scenarios has become a popular technique recently for Elite Series pro Bryan New. In order to get these baits down to the fish you spot on your FFS quickly, you often times need to add some weight to the bait. “Adding some weight to a bait like the SPRO Chad Shad really helps it get down to fish I see on livescope a lot faster. I like to use an 1/8oz cylinder style drop shot weight attached to the front split ring, rather than wrapping the hook with lead wire or using lead tape. It doesn’t interfere with the bite of the treble hook or the action of the bait whatsoever. Give this modification a try on your favorite glide bait the next time you get a chance!” said New.

Round #3 of the Best On Tour custom painted bait collaboration with Greenfish Tackle is here! Get your hands on these two exclusive SPRO RkCrawler colors (BOT Blue and Red Wave) while supplies last. Check them out here.

PRESENTED BY: Gamakatsu

Introducing the “How We Do-it On the Water” Series by Do-it Molds! The ultimate guide for custom tackle modifications “On the Water”!

In this groundbreaking series, Do-it Molds does a dive deep into the art of custom tackle equipment and unveil the secrets to maximizing your success on the water. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, these videos are your ticket to mastering the nuances of tackle adjustments that can make all the difference between a good day and a great day on the water. From tweaking your rigs for specific conditions to fine-tuning your gear for optimum performance, they have you covered every step of the way.

Don’t miss out on future episodes and exclusive content. Stay connected with the entire series on the Do-it Molds website, YouTube channel, and across all their social media platforms.

PRESENTED BY: Denali

Jeff Gustafson

Photo Courtesy Of Bassmaster

Defending Bassmaster Classic champion Jeff Gustafson’s sponsors include Aqua-Vu, Bagley Baits, Costa, CWS logistics, G Loomis, Gamakatsu, Humminbird, Lake Of The Woods Sports Headquarters, Lund Boats, Mercury, Minn Kota, Northland Fishing Tackle, Power Pro, Shimano, Simms, T-H Marine, and Z-Man just to name a few.

On The Horizon

Developed and successfully utilized in Japan for the popular mid strolling technique, the Horizon Head Jigs are designed to maintain a horizontal posture while imparting an extremely natural action to your bait. The Horizon Head Series comes equipped with an ultra-sharp Gamakatsu round bend jig hook with Nano Alpha finish. The Horizon Head LG and Horizon Head LG Weedless have a Tournament Grade Wire (TGW) hook that is thinner, stronger, and sharper than the standard wire and features the Nano Alpha finish. The Nano Alpha finish is 2X slicker for improved hooking ratios and 4X more corrosion resistant than traditional finishes. This premium jighead series has three offerings: Horizon Head, Horizon Head LG and Horizon Head LG Weedless.

The Horizon Head was designed with the weight distributed on the shank of the hook which creates a horizontal profile when rigged with a soft plastic to simulate a realistic baitfish appearance when swimming or falling. It has a Gamakatsu round bend jig hook with Nano Alpha finish. It is available in three sizes ranging from 3/64-3/32 with hook sizes from 1/0-3/0.

The Horizon Head LG was designed for mid and deep strolling and features a TGW hook with Nano Alpha finish. Like the original Horizon Head, it also features weight distribution down the shank of the hook to create a horizontal profile when retrieved or falling. The LG version features a larger gap hook with a focus on the hook tip angle and a center of gravity to produce a rolling action on the retrieve. It is available in four sizes ranging from 1/8oz to 1/5oz and three hook sizes from 1/0-3/0.

The Horizon Head LG Weedless has an added weedguard for fishing around cover. It features the larger gap TGW Nano Alpha LG hook. This weedless version has a titanium weedguard molded in the head to help prevent snags, while not impacting hooking ratios. It is available in four sizes ranging from 1/8oz -1/5oz and three hook sizes from 1/0-3/0.

PRESENTED BY: AFTCO

Lucas’s Dream Shop

We recently moved from the house we had been in for 12 years and our plan is to be in this house for a really long time, so I built this shop with that in mind. I used to have a 20’x40’ shop, but I spent the extra money to do a 20’x60’ for the new build so I could fit the whole rig in it. So far that has been money well spent. It has made me extremely efficient getting ready and packing for tournaments. I use to think that I wanted a pull through shop, but the one thing you don’t think about is that you’ll lose a whole wall for storage space. That’s why I stuck with the traditional garage. I will back in every time to have that entire wall for storage. I also added a drain, fans above my boat parking, and an epoxy floor in this shop. I’m stoked with how it all turned out! One trick if you have slat wall is using the slat wall clothes hangars for rod storage. This works great and gets your rods off the ground.

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Issue #305

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