lake okeechobee

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Fished the Work Horse Tournament Trail bass derby yesterday and caught big fish for the tournament 7lbs 3oz and decided to put a new reel to the test for the first time tournament fishing. The reel I bought to try out for the first time was the KastKing Stealth http://amzn.to/2mT5srq I was pretty pleased – the reel comes in at a very comptitive price around $60 and frankly performs as well as my Lew’s Speed Spools which retail at $100.

https://youtu.be/g4-376rFt4E

Tournament baits and tackle –

Gambler Fat Ace:
http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gambler_Fat_Ace_5pk/descpage-GFA.html?from=mkfish

Damiki Neko Sinker:
http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Damiki_Neko_Sinker/descpage-DNS.html?from=mkfish

Seaguar Red Label Flourocarbon:
http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Seaguar_Red_Label_Fluorocarbon_Line/descpage-SRLF.html?from=mkfish

Shimano Zodias 7’2″ MH:
http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Shimano_Zodias_Casting_Rods/descpage-ZDC.html?from=mkfish

“This video featuring the KastKing Stealth baitcasting reel is my entry for the KastKing YouTube Tournament, which pays out thousands of dollars in prizes. Please give it a Like and Subscribe to the KastKing YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0oeLSPx__hMggLznMByDJQ

KastKing Stealth and other KastKing fishing tackle products are avaiable at http://www.amazon.com/kastking

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the world is tiny – which is cool – and most people like to fish.

 

my best friend came down from Wisconsin for what’s becoming an annual 3 day peacock fishing trip in the mixed bag junkyards of the Miami airport canals.  among one of the evenings of crown and coke mixed with peacock footage we found it necessary to re-up on pop-r’s and rapala x-raps which the fish had simply been shredding.  made the trip down to my local dick’s sporting goods and grabbed what we needed.  as we were about to check out a guy comes up to me and asks “hey are you mikeybalzz….” – i was sort of shocked; in a metropolitan county of nearly 2 million people a dude recognized me from the vids on youtube ahhahahahah!

pieter's big bass on lake okeechobee
big toad special – “fish was just there…” (got it in on vid too, look for it on youtube in next month)

chance has a funny way of shaping things.  we ended up talking a bit and I told Pieter  – who fished a lot of the canals down here in south florida that we’d hit The Lake one weekend.  well, we hit The Lake a few weeks later – and things couldn’t have worked out more perfectly, got a taste of a monsoon and a drink of this 7+lbs truck on a buzzin toad!

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Mixtape, Mix Bait, Lake Okeechobee Big Bass

   

      Bait Array

flipping jig, bass fishing, jackpot flippin jig, beaver bait, d&m custom baits
The vid highlights the 3/4oz version paired with a 5.5″ D&M Custom Baits Flippin Craw – but depending on winds/cover I’ll go all the way up to a 1oz or down to a 1/2oz. Trailer size varies depending on the fish – but for the most part fishing in FL you want to go big. I got the blues (grin).
topwater dawg, topwater fishing, owner twist lock hook, bobber stopper, bass fishing
Bobber stoppers to peg the 1/8oz bullet weight on the nose of the Topwater Dog – helps the bait to ride a bit lower when burning it creating a pretty little bubble that almost reminds you of a buzzbait. In super skinny slick water go down to a 1/16oz or even run it weightless. Hook choice is an Owner XXX 5/0 Twistlock.
topwater dawg, d&m custom baits, bass fishing, topwater lures
Use a pulsed retrieve much like you’d fish a crankbait. Even in the grass I keep the rod tip almost pointing at the bait allowing it to slink thru the grass with direct tension being placed on the nose – it’s not being dragged thru by a high rod tip causing the hook to pop out.
reaction innovations, tube, flipping, bass fishing, 1/2oz tungsten, boom boom tube, owner wide gap plus hook
A subtle jig alternative pairing a 1/2oz tungsten weight (double-bobber stoppers to peg), an Owner 7/0 Wide Gap Plus hook, and a big tube (4″ or larger) makes for a subtle midday/clear water flipping presentation