Issue #257

PRESENTED BY: Sunline

The Color Of Money

The popularity of custom painted baits has arguably never been higher, and with this in mind Best On Tour has teamed up with master lure painter Jon Hair of Greenfish Tackle to offer some exclusive baits for our subscribers. These offerings will be available in limited quantities and only to Best On Tour subscribers. Stay tuned for more details to come!

Fishing Community Mourns Loss Of WKU Angler

Best On Tour is saddened to learn of the untimely passing of WKU Bass Fishing Team member Johnathan Brian. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and teammates during this extraordinarily difficult time. More details on the incident are available here.

Benefits Of Using Braid With A Leader

Braided line is becoming more and more popular on both baitcasting and spinning reels. While an angler can tie his or her lure straight to the braid, another option would be to use a fluorocarbon or nylon leader. Sunline offers both FC Leader and Nylon Leader materials designed specifically for this. Another specific leader material called the Tepa Tapered FC Leader is a new one for 2023/2024. This line allows for an angler to do one of two things: (1) tie the stronger end of the leader to the braid to increase knot strength while keeping a thinner diameter by the lure, or (2) tie the thinner diameter of the leader to a small matching diameter braid while having more strength at the lure if fishing around structure. Bassmaster Elite Series pro angler Austin Felix has a lot of knowledge when it comes to using braid with a leader as he uses it with several different techniques that most anglers don’t. Using straight braid is a necessity for techniques such as throwing a frog or flipping a punch rig in grass mats, but there are many other techniques that tying a fluorocarbon or nylon leader to braided line would be beneficial. Learn more about the benefits of using braided line with a leader here.

Coming in at just over 3/8oz in weight to guarantee comfortable pitching and long range castability of a weightless rig, the OSP DoLive Stick Fat Soft Stick Bait is designed with the same free-falling action and tail wag as the original, but now in a larger profile. Poured with a low center of gravity by adding more salt into the lower half of the body, the DoLive Stick Fat maintains a stable posture when it falls, and the material is enhanced with a blend of shrimp and squid scent so when fish bite they hold on longer. Ideal for a wide range of rigging techniques, the DoLive Stick Fat delivers the best falling action when presented weightless or on a backslide rig, and the belly contains three separate holes to serve as a template for adjusting the hook setting and changing the fall angle. The setting closest to the head falls slanting forward with a heavy body roll and tail swing, and when a more subtle action is needed, the setting closest to the tail allows the DoLive Stick to descend vertically with less tail action and body roll. Although the DoLive Stick has a tall body, the hooking ability is excellent with a slit poured along the back that conceals the hook point for weedless rigging and allows the body to shift easily down the hook shank. Realizing a lively free-falling shimmy with its thicker body shape as soon as it hits the water, the OSP DoLive Stick Fat Soft Stick Bait blends the subtle falling action of stick bait and the darting performance of a twitch bait to provide anglers with a versatile approach when fishing around heavy cover. Check out the full selection here.

PRESENTED BY: Gamakatsu

John Crews sits down with Ish Monroe and discusses the story of the D Bomb in episode 1 of American Lure Stories. Check out the full episode here.

PRESENTED BY: Denali

Dean Rojas

Bass Pro Tour angler Dean Rojas recently unveiled a new look for his 2024 boat wrap. His sponsors include Suzuki Marine, ECSTAR Oil, Blazer Boats, SPRO, Gamakatsu, Power-Pole, Big Bite Baits, Sunline, Epic Baits, Lowrance, Lithium Pros, Bob's Machine Shop, Torch Eyewear, and G2 Gemini just to name a few.

Hadden Outdoors

Want to know what baits and techniques are in play on Clark's Hill Reservoir right now? Well Hadden Outdoors has all of the answers you need! Check out owner DJ Hadden giving up the juice in our latest video here.

PRESENTED BY: AFTCO

Navigating The Chill

The cold weather is here, and as dedicated anglers, we know that nothing can stop us from chasing those elusive bass, not even a winter chill. While towing your bass boat in cold weather requires a bit of finesse and preparation to ensure a smooth and successful fishing expedition, given the proper preparation it is definitely something you can accomplish safely. So bundle up and let’s dive into some cold weather towing tips that will keep you and your bass boat cruising through the frosty days without a hitch. Check out the full blog here.

What style life jacket do you prefer? Inflatable Select Standard Select

If you like the newsletter each week, the biggest way to help us is to recommend it to a friend. Free and simple for anyone to sign up at www.bestontour.net

Issue #257 Sign up for free at www.bestontour.net.

Like what you see, refer a friend. Sign up for free at www.bestontour.net. Contact us at info@bestontour.net.