Beating the Bloom - FFS Ban Coming - Knuckle Buster Muskies
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Beating the Bloom
Algae blooms can be a bit of a curve ball thrown at musky anglers this time of year.
On some bigger fisheries like Lake of the Woods, you can sometimes run from the bloom in search of clearer basins. But, that’s not always an option. Sometimes you are forced to deal with it.
Here’s a few tips on beating the bloom from Northern Wisconsin guide and Musky Insider PRO instructor Rob Manthei.
“Lakes that bloom up are definitely at their peak. As water temps drop, more and more muskies will move into weeds. Blades, top water, and large jerkbaits are my standard approach.”
“Nothing shows up better than the color black in bloomed water because of the silhouette it provides. One thing l've seen is the preference change from day to day and lake to lake on blade type, thickness, and combos. We can never have enough lures, so arm yourself with plenty of blades. I use all of the baits pictured and like them all when the situation is called upon.”
Rob’s line-up includes . . .
More FFS Regulations Coming to Tournaments in 2025
The National Professional Fishing League made this announcement last week. 👇
“Starting with the 2025 season, the NPFL will prohibit the use of real-time imaging units - commonly referred to as “Live forward-facing sonar” during official practice and competition.”
Here’s a few of their thoughts on why they decided to go with a ban...
“At NPFL, we do not want competitive bass fishing to become a technology arms race where anglers stare at a screen, targeting pixels and losing their connection to the fish we love so much. Forward-facing sonar is changing the ways that anglers approach competition and the ways that fans consume content. It’s also reducing the methods and baits that anglers use to compete."
“Our sport is too important and too diverse to allow technology to shrink it to a handful of methods and tackle. Robust competition requires variety, experience, and broad skills. It must be more than an expensive video game."
“The early sonar units of the 1950s were revolutionary. Since that time, most of the advancements have been changes of degree. With the introduction of forward-facing sonar in 2018, the change was qualitative — a change in kind that threatens to alter the very nature of our sport. It’s a technology we can appreciate and admire without allowing it to undermine our ultimate goals — to deliver the highest level of competition in the fishing world, to raise the sport to greater heights, and to share our passion..."
In other news, B.A.S.S. announced the creation of equipment standards related to new technologies that will impact anglers competing in their tournaments.
“First, the number of live sonar transducers will be regulated to one and it must be mounted to the trolling motor at the bow of the boat."
“Secondly, Elite Series and Classic competitors will be limited to a total of 55 inches of screen, including bow and dash head units."
“Lastly, B.A.S.S. will focus on a more diverse Elite Series schedule, creating a wide variety of fishing styles demanded for success. While live sonar technology will remain a consistent tool used at the very highest level of competitive bass fishing, experience and a deep-seeded understanding of fish behavior, movement and patterns will also be needed for success moving forward on the fisheries scheduled.”
You can find their full statement here.
So there you have it. Some big changes coming to bass tournament fishing in 2025! 👀
In the musky world, our community seems to be becoming more and more divided and fragmented around the topics of FFS, “sharpshooting”, fair chase, and what is considered ethical and unethical.
We recently created a survey in hopes of identifying what we as a musky community are most aligned on regarding ethics and technology.
If you haven’t taken the survey yet. Here’s a link to one of our previous newsletters with details on how to participate.
Boulevard of Broken Fingers
Matt Davies’ fishing trip took a turn for the worse soon after catching this beaut’ of a sunrise musky. 👀
“I went to lift the fish out of the net and it gator rolled.” His index finger got stuck in the gill plate, snapping it in two places. “I instantly knew my finger was either dislocated or broken.”
“I told my buddy, I think that fish just broke my finger. Within 15 minutes, my finger was twice its normal size and black and blue.”
Davies had just put the boat in the water a half hour earlier with a buddy. So it just felt wrong to pull the boat and leave during a feeding window. Matt decided to grind out the rest of the afternoon and was able to put two more fish in the boat! 🔥💪
Matt’s been in a cast (no pun intended 😂) since then, but he’s pretty used to gettin’ assists with his family.
Heal quickly Matt and thanks for sharing!
This Week's Mashup:
Mashup time!
#1 – We’re diggin’ this full moon over a wave goodbye from Spruce Island Camp’s facebook page. “Never gets old, eh?”
#2 – Raise your hand 🙋♂️ if you’ve had a tough time finding rod sleeves to fit your 10 ft rods. We found these sleeves designed by Net Buddy that not only accommodate longer musky sticks, but are also designed to protect your rod and fit inside your rod locker. Pretty Cool!
#3 – Dave Everhart shared this painted turkey feather art featuring a musky chasing a Suick, done by Chancey Walters. #gorgeous 😍
#4 – With autumn looming, it will soon be time for slowin’ down our presentation. Our friends at Ezoko Pike and Musky Shop just got these custom colored 10” Red October Tubes in stock. Get ‘em while you can!
QUICK HITTERS:
– Conservation, Techniques, and the Fall Bite - Glenn McDonald w/ the Back Lash Podcast (Link)
– This NEW LURE is CONFIDENCE!! w/ Todays Angler (Video)
– SMALL RIVER FLOAT FOR MUSKIES AND PIKE!! - w/ Angling Anarchy (Video)
– MUSKY INNOVATIONS PITBULL *MODS* to catch MORE MUSKIES! w/ 54 or Bust (Video)
– In-Fisherman Classics: Musky Mechanics and Why We Chase Muskies w/ In-Fisherman TV (Video)
This Week's Monster Muskies:
Jay and Jared Fischbach got this French River torpedo while trolling “The One” 9/10 heavy with Musky Insider Pro instructor Matt O’Brien. Nice work fellas! 👊
Jeff Johnson with 56.25 inches of Georgian Bay glory. 🤙🏻 #thick
This tall sided tank was a new personal best for Brighton Robbins. Congrats Brighton!
Brad Nelson caught this big ol’ inland Wisco musky twice in two weeks. Wow, thanks for sharing Brad!
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