Perhaps video is better than words, pictures and blog posts. I find the STE Rig, matches up with the ROF 0 quite well. The ROF 0 is really misunderstood.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/JYKyTCd1gHI]
Perhaps video is better than words, pictures and blog posts. I find the STE Rig, matches up with the ROF 0 quite well. The ROF 0 is really misunderstood.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/JYKyTCd1gHI]
I’m back at it. I have my life organized and want to get out from a bunch of 8″ Rainbow Trout Hudds that have been rigged with our Southern Trout Eaters Rig. These are brand new, and they are rigged w premium Owner Hardware. I’m offering these for $30 each now, but may have to raise them to $35 once I blow thru what I currently have in each ROF. These are ‘legacy’ Hudds, new in package, well stored, and they need a new home. I have plenty for my personal arsenal and simply don’t need these. Besides, people request this stuff from me regularly enough, I think it might help me get my butt in gear. I have this 2nd DVD project that is on my mind all the time, and I have a sweet Champion boat again, and I’m looking at saltwater boats…I need space for more stuff, and I’m hoping some folks find value in a $30 rigged Hudds, when that’s what an un-rigged one costs. Might help a guy who has never thrown one get into a Huddleston, especially the ROF 0 (aka the Zero). Did I say that out loud? You need to be throwing the Zero with the STE Rig boys and girls!!! It’s a great slow roller, for the slowest of slow uphill creepy slow grinds, and its the best torpedo waker of the family. Just saying. $4.95 Shipping to the Lower 48, regardless of quantity.
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Southern Trout Eaters Pre-Rigged Huddleston Deluxe 8″ Rainbow Trout
Featuring:
-Owner ST-66 Stinger Treble Hooks, Masked White
-Owner Hyper Wire Split Rings
-Southern Trout Eaters harness/rigging
-Red Gill Modification
**The ROF 5s do NOT Have a Top Hook, nor do the ROF 0s**
$29.95
[nicepaypal type=”cart” name=”Southern Trout Eaters Pre-Rigged 8 Inch Huddleston Deluxe Rainbow Trout” amount=”29.95″ option1=”drop;ROF;Select Which ROF;ROF 0;ROF 12;ROF 16″ quantity=”field;Number of Baits;1;2″]
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UnRigged/ Stock Huddleston Deluxe 8″ Rainbow Trout ROF 16 Top Hook
Brand New/Never Fished: $27.95
[nicepaypal type=”cart” name=”Southern Trout Eaters Sale 8 Inch Unrigged Huddleston Deluxe Rainbow Trout” amount=”27.95″ option1=”drop;ROF;Select Which ROF;ROF 16″ quantity=”field;Number of Baits;1;2″]
You have to understand, I haven’t been on Lake Mead since 2002 (ish). The very last time I fished it as a Non Boater for a BassMaster in the early 2000s! Crazy. I used to hit Mead hard with my traveling partner, Dan Frazier, when I was in college from 1996-1999. Back then, Lake Mead was a largemouth bass only fishery. Now, smallmouth are the dominant fish, and there is grass. Great grass, in Lake Mead. I was super pumped when I heard there was grass. I love grass fishing and honestly, the US Open was a really good excuse to take a vacation from my software gig, and get my fishing hat back on.
I worked out a deal with Kevin Mattson from San Diego to join me for practice and the tournament. Kevin is a really really good fisherman, and the guy you want onboard whether you are fishing for largemouths or tuna fishes. I spent a lot of time leading up to the tournament getting the boat ready for action. I needed to get my fishing gear in order too. That was a really lengthy process I’m still trying to sort out. I don’t have a garage, so my apartment becomes a tackle shop in a hurry. Bottom line, I just invested in a bunch of new equipment. I bought a bunch of Daiwa, Quantum and Lew’s reels….the kind that can handle saltwater. I feel like it’s wise for me to be buying stuff that will serve salt and fresh purposes for the future. Reels are now 8:1 or >7:1 anyway. I realize you trade torque and ability to move big fish with faster gear ratios…..however, there are many more GOOD reasons why faster gear ratios are better. Especially if you are a power fisherman. Especially if you like to fish Triple Trouts, buzz baits, spinnerbaits, walkin’ baits….heck, even worm and jig fishing requires fast gear ratios for better line pickup and catching up with fish who run at you.
I’m stuck in an old school world of rods and reels. I literally have 20+ Shimano Curado 200s. They are cool, but sorta all 6.3:1 and just sorta blah. I will use some for cranking, but other than that, my fishing is all around >7:1 gear ratios. It just works and fishes better. Lake Mead is a great place to test things like gear ratio, rod length, braided line, casting distance, ability to cover water, ability to hook fish way away from the boat, and ability to power fish. Besides investing in a bunch of new reels, I’ve been investing in rods too. Daiwa makes some really inexpensive swimbait rods, so does Okuma. I like having a quiver of light action 8 footers. I want to have light action 8 footers and fast reels for the majority of my fishing, I’ve decided. And on the spinning rod front, more like 7 and a half foot spinning rods, with new, faster pickup gear ratios, saltwater grade spinning reels.
Storage:
I spent a ton of time trying to get my tackle organized. I have lots of stuff, and it sorta is either big or small. And soon, will be salt vs. fresh too. So, trying to get my fishing gear better organized and ready for action was another derivative of the US Open exercise. I have to say, I’m impressed thus far with the Flambeau boxes. I’m a big fan of the zerust idea. Rusty hooks and terminal tackle are the worst. I bought a bunch of boxes to get organized and containerized. You have to be able to grab your ‘drop shot box’ or your wacky box or your treble hooks, etc. The good news continues to be how much space I’m saving by putting stuff into real tackle boxes and getting it out of the OEM packaging and having it in large boxes in closets. Consolidation and organization.
The Tournament
Kevin and I won the practice, hands down. We had a wonderful 5 day practice, a decent hotel (thank you Boulder Station Casino) with excellent security and plug-ins, and great weather. We fished, we took pictures, we hiked, we swam, we made food, enjoyed icy cold beverages and generally put things together. The fish were in pockets, grassy pockets. The kind you can find by driving down the lake and looking for green bushes and trees. You could literally cover water and get a good feel for the grass and the pockets via the shoreline ‘green’. We were not the only folks who found these fish, and they got pounded. Kevin is not a drop shot/slow down sorta fisherman. So, power fishing it was to be. Topwater, jerkbaits, and the Triple Trout was our practice. Over the grass, along the grass, on the deep edges of grass, or all the way in the back of pockets.
Sunday, 9/11, was our day off and pre-tournament meeting. That was when the wind first started blowing. It blew a good 15-20 MPH on Sunday before the event. Monday, Day 1 of the event, we had 15-20 MPH winds too. The upwelling cooled the surface temps. Things changed badly for me. My areas were getting directly hit by wind, and the water temps were dropping …..two things that usually re-position fish. Not good. Day 2, we had literally 30-40 MPH winds. I actually had my best day, but it was the worst conditions ever. No clue why they bit for me on Day 2, but my practice was sorta de-railed by the wind. I did my best to adjust, but boy, Mead kicked my butt. Day 3, things calmed down much more, but man, I couldn’t make a good decision or get a bite or anything going. It was awful.
Lake Mead and the US Open were a proving ground for me. I have this strange itch to take my fishing into the saltwater. The freshwater fishing around Southern California, is a bit fickle. Not lots of water and options. I have bay and calico bass on my mind, honestly. I feel like all my setups need to be ‘saltwater grade’ so to speak. All my gear needs to be ‘saltwater’ grade. If things are saltwater grade, you can take them to the ocean without fear. There is a an explosion of inshore fishing around me, and its effecting how I approach gear I’ll use in freshwater. Here were some new setups:
Super Bummed I couldn’t the bite I wanted going, and my fallback positions sucked. I thought I could fish the narrows and catch easy limits. I caught fish, but man, I struggled to catch 13″ fish. Sad. Not much else to reflect on. Boat ran great. That is a whole other story. I’m ready to upgrade into a saltwater rig already! I have a super sick box of Micro Triple Trouts I’m looking forward to getting around some active fishes that will chase a swimbait down. Bay, Calico or Havasu Smallmouth….one of these days. San Vicente opened and apparently they are all 50+ feet!?!?!?! Whatever. Go West Young Man!
It’s been a busy couple weeks of owning a new used boat. I am a huge fan of the Minn Kota Fortex trollling motor. I used to be a Motorguide guy….not anymore. You get into serious grass fishing, like Okeechobee, nobody runs a Motorguide. It’s literally night and day difference in weedlessness. Also, Motorguide hasn’t exactly been killing it with innovation and R&D. Minn Kota on the other hand is blowing the doors off innovation and blazing new paths. Kudos to Johnson Outdoors. I just put a 112#Thrust, 36v, Minn Kota Fortrex 45″ Shaft on the bow of the Champion 196. Wow, looks good.
Comfortroll
Once you’ve had a countersunk foot pedal on the bow of your bass boat, there is no going back. Ergonomics are key for spending hours and hours out hunting big ones (or small ones). Thank goodness for products like Comfortroll. Killer bullet proof aluminum powder coated paint job. This thing was easy to install and the foot pedal of the Minn Kota Fortrex fits perfectly. The new trolling motor and countersunk foot pedal were my #1 and #2 projects with the boat. Check and Check. Get yourself a Comfortroll and get comfortable on the deck of your bass boat.
I’m still a few weeks away. I got it registered, insured, etc but still need to put some TLC into the boat before I get her wet. Boats are high maintenance, but, I am super stoked to have a boat in my life and enjoy working on her. She is gonna be badass.
When I say reconnect with the Triple Trout, I mean, reconnect with Scott Whitmer. I had a chance to catch up with Scott recently. He walked me thru his latest baits. More importantly, we had a chance to sit and talk and get caught up. It’s funny how tide and time work. Scott and I are both getting our fishing game faces back on. Scott has a killer Fisher aluminum rig. Optimax, 36V Minn Kota….boom. He’s ready to rock. I’m getting ready to break my new used Champion in this summer. Scott has been making his baits bigger and more saltwater grade. He’s also been making 5″ baits and making the Nezumaa rat in production numbers. His business is good and he’s got focus and direction. He wants to make his business more profitable.
Here is the deal, he now has his own website. www.tripletrout.com You can buy stuff there you normally cannot buy. I was shocked to see his 5″ bait for sale there!?!?!?! The couple of 5″ Triple Trout that Scott made me, continue to be some of my most coveted baits. I had no idea the general public can go buy them for $60! The same price as a 6″ Triple Trout. Herring eaters? I held a 5″ Southern Blue Herring bait, and took a picture. It looks good. The size and profile. I’m cough cough cough asking Scott cough cough cough….if he will make me some sardine colored ones and allow me to pillage the Pacific Ocean too. Easy swimbait for your kids, your wife or girlfriend, or some one new to bigbaits…..you could fish it on a spinning rod even. It weights an ounce, but shoot, it’s a baby and totally manageable.
Scott continues to sell and provide baits thru Tackle Warehouse. Scott and I both enjoy and believe in our partnerships with Tackle Warehouse. Tackle Warehouse has a set of special colors that Scott’s been fulfilling for years. Scott (and all bigbait makers) have unique market opportunities. They can create very special baits, very special colors, special floating editions, fast sink/heavy editions…..the list is endless. I watch the surfboard shaping industry in awe….swimbait makers are even more hard core and specialized. Who doesn’t want a specialized bait that very few if any other people will be fishing???
Hence, it makes a lot of business sense for Scott to sell direct. He was an anomaly to not have a direct sales website, save eBay which pre-cluded the current tripletrout.com website, by only a couple months. Scott is such a nice, genuine guy. When you talk to Scott Whitmer, you are literally getting a history lesson in mid-late 70s, early 80s….crazy ass times of bass fishing. Then you mix in, this was the West where it is even more rare and crazy. We talked about guys like Larry Hopper, Dee Thomas, and Don Iovino. Scott’s Dad sounds like he must have been one heck of a guy. WWII Veteran, drinking and cussing type….Scott clearly has a desire to help perpetuate getting kids into fish. He loves supporting good causes, good people, youths, etc. Scott has been one of my finest business partners that I work with. I am super stoked to reconnect with him and see his latest baits, colors and business. I really believe in his baits, and I’m glad I can openly talk and share baits that are now generally available. The Nezumaa Rat was so hard to find for so long….and now you can get fur painted super sick XL 3 piece ones, that make conga drum style noise when clacked…off his website. He has a 3 pack of 5″ baits for $140 (vs $180…3 X $60). I would suggest you mosey on over there an invest some 5″ TTs.
Southern Trout Eaters is still is selling consistently, quarter over quarter, I’m pleased to share. I would estimate I’ve sold in the neighborhood of 3500 copies. June 2016 marks….drumroll please, 5 years since Southern Trout Eaters was released. Wow. That is hard to believe from where I sit. It is about time to do another DVD project. So me getting together with Whitmer, getting this Champion Boat thing going, getting back on the water…..it’s all full circle and really cool. I need to get some fishing in to finish up the second DVD, basically. I plan on fishing the 11 and 12 Inch Triple Trouts a lot. Not too many guys have these things yet, and they fish really well on the same gear as the SS250. The tail is bigger, it’s thicker, and they are gonna fish differently than the 10″.
I have always liked the 10″. The bigger the Triple Trout, the easier it can be to wake/stall/burn at the surface. There’s a really cool S turn torpedo wake the 10″ TT can do….I cannot wait to try the 11 and 12″ flavors. I want to get a 14″ and fish that too. I need to invest in some more XXXL heavy gear. >10 oz rods. You should too. I have braided line, 7 and 8:1 Gear ratios on my mind, and summer time bigbait fishing. What are good baits in the summer? Rats and Triple Trouts! Boom Shaka boyeeeeeeee.
I had no intention of buying a boat. I have been looking, but I’ve been stumped on a crossover boat. The ideal boat would be a deep-v, walleye boat. The big great lakes boats, that can handle big rough water. That is the boat I had in my mind. I want to fish the mighty Pacific Ocean. It stares me in the face all day long, and I know there are lots of good bass, halibut, and tuna to be had out there. The ocean fishing has been, and continues to be off the hook. However, crossover boats that fish in freshwater and aren’t gigantic are not exactly easy to find. I’ve been spinning my wheels honestly.
My longtime friend, Cameron Smith won a new Triton Boat last October, on Lake Hartwell. That being said, his 2001 Champion 196 Elite came up for sale, recently. So, figure I’ve already fished 20-30 days out of this boat, I’ve written an article on this exact model before, and yeah, it’s like “the boat” ‘the model’ and rigged out by my boy Cammie and given to me at a killer homie deal. I had no choice but to write him a check. Paid in full already. And boy, just like the best things in life, things fall in place, the universe knows what you need, and when patient and mindful, things have a way of happening.
I’ve received the boat, had a weekend to look her over. I’m super stoked. A little TLC she is gonna be sick. The trailer needs love. I need to try and saltwater proof the trailer, the electrical connections, hardware, etc….I have no intention of hitting the big water, but shoot, I’ll put her in for the inshore stuff on calm days. She for sure is a 110% kickass freshwater bass boat. Hull is in gorgeous shape. Fast, fuel efficient and a great fishing platform.
Why the Champion 196 Elite
You won’t know by looking. There are very few 19 foot boats out there. Bass boats. They are either 18 or 20 foot. The 19 foot zone is way underserved. The Champion 196 fishes big, and is pretty much a 20 footer, but the beauty is…..she runs on a 200 HP Engine. Most 20 foot boats require a 250 HP engine. There are huge deltas in fuel and oil consumption at the 250 vs 200 HP range. The Champion 196 is about as big as you can get out of a 200 HP Outboard. She is beautifully balanced. And as far as bass boat, has a hull that can handle rough water.
Western Connection
Imagine MP as Jr. High or High School kid drooling over sparkly bass boats. I would literally feel sick or nauseous around super tricked out boats at the time. I wanted one bad. I wanted to be able to charge, get out there, get on the fish, try stuff out. Champion Boats (and Ranger) have HUGE footprints in the Western Market. In the 80s,90s, and 2000s lots and lots of Champion Boats went thru Anglers Marine. All the guys I can remember ran Champions: Cary Serklew, Bob Coulter, Bob Simmons, the Yamamoto crew, John Murray, etc.