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.