RUNAWAY BOAT CRASH!! - Lake Chickamauga Summer Boating

IT HAPPENS FAST! After the driver was ejected his boat spun out of control. With no operator to slow it down and the throttle pinned, the boat was whipping donuts uncontrollably. The boat made its way dangerously close to an island full of partying weekend boaters before ultimately crashing through the trees and underbrush. Could this have been prevented? Of course! 

Boating has inherent risks. Raising those risks by ignoring the boat's built-in safety features is negligent. Its easy to see the mistake in hindsight. Admittedly, we've all made the same mistake at some point. Let this incident cement the importance of wearing your kill switch. Its imperative not only for your safety but also for the safety of those recreating around you. Thankfully the boat driver in this incident was uninjured after being ejected from his boat and all of the on lookers were spared as well. The only real damage in this crash was to the boat as it plowed through trees and sand repeatedly. 

The message here is anything can happen when you're on the water. When it does happen, it happens quickly. Wear your life jacket and kill switch any time the outboard is running. If something happens, its better to be prepared than caught off guard. Below are links to the life jackets we use when we're on the water as well as some budget friendly options. The links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of the items.

** When purchasing inflatable PFD's its wise to purchase the  automatic versions so there is an extra level of security if you are not alert when the life jacket is needed.**

Life Jackets... 

What We Wear- Mustang Elite Inflatable PFD: http://bit.ly/2odXXIP

Basic Automatic (Budget)- Mustang Classic M.I.T. 100: https://bit.ly/3dqoddd

Traditional Type- Onyx Tackle Warehouse: https://bit.ly/2ZVYmpE

NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel... 

TacticalBassin Reaper Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2TwBWs7

TacticalBassin Shadow Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2FVD9Rs

TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/2TvFMBD

TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/38cVi9G

Summer Fishing Tricks: Early Morning Bite (Whopper plopper and Crankbait)

No one likes getting up early but in Summer, its worth it! Midday the lake can feel like a Dead Sea if you don't know where to look but in the morning, everything is alive! Come along with Matt on the Tennessee River as he explores new water and builds a morning pattern with a whopper plopper, lipless crankbait, and wobble head (swing head jig).

Most anglers fish a whopper plopper on a slow, steady retrieve. Most of the time we do too, but there is a time and place for the popping method and today it paid off with 2 nice bites. After the topwater bite slowed Matt turned to a lipless and ultimately a swinging jig to continue catching fish. 

The morning bite window is incredibly easy but is also very short. Its imperative that you get on the water at first light and if you're not prepared to begin shadow fishing and targeting offshore fish, expect the bite to be done before 9 AM. Below we've included links to all the gear Matt used in today's video. We included the exact colors as well as recommendations on some of our other favorites. 

Hard Baits... 

-Whopper Plopper 110 Topwater (Bone): http://bit.ly/2bsPbQV

Other Favorites- Loon, Munky Butt

-TN70 Lipless Crank (RT Scale Minnow): http://bit.ly/2lqAwjh

Other Favorites- Super Shad, Ghost Minnow

Swing Head Jig... 

Jighead- Swing Head Football 3/4 oz 4/0 Hook: http://bit.ly/2jOY1Ns

First Bait- Keitech Crazy Flapper 4.4 (Green Pumpkin): http://bit.ly/2c3cXrp

Second Bait- Zoom Z Craw (Junebug): http://bit.ly/2vW7Jo5

Matt's Topwater Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Zodias 7'2" MH: http://bit.ly/2cgmMAe

Reel- Shimano Curado DC 150 HG: http://bit.ly/2yHtsp4

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 50 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Matt's Swing Head Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Zodias 7'5" Heavy: http://bit.ly/2cgmMAe

Reel- Shimano Curado 200K HG: http://bit.ly/2tHewEh

Braid- Power Pro Maxcuatro 50 lb: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- Maxima Ultragreen 20 lb Mono: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel... 

TacticalBassin Reaper Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2TwBWs7

TacticalBassin Shadow Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2FVD9Rs

TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/2TvFMBD

TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/38cVi9G

Where Do Fish Go In Summer? (And How To Catch Them)

Have your fish disappeared? Are you struggling to get a bite? Today Matt explains exactly where Bass go during the Summer in your local lake. Once you understand how fish move throughout the seasons, catching them consistently throughout the year becomes really simple. In closing, Matt takes it a step further and goes in-depth on his confidence baits to consistently catch fish all Summer.

Predicting Summertime fish movements is all about understanding the importance of shadows. In lakes, reservoirs, and rivers, bass use different structures to hunt but it always revolves around the presence of shadows. Pay close attention to the details that apply to your style of fishery and you'll begin seeing success right away. If you missed our previous video on shadows and color lines you can see that video below. 

Where Do Bass Go After They Spawn? (Color Line Video): https://youtu.be/hGMwt7UsFkI

Once you've located your Summer fish its time to turn your attention to catching them. Matt offered his 5 primarily lure types for consistently catching Summer bass in the video. Below you'll find a breakdown of the baits (including color recommendations) that he recommends throughout Summer.

Plastic Worms... 

-Yamamoto 5" Senko: http://bit.ly/2axAmNS

(Green Pumpkin, Green Pump/Watermelon Laminate)

-Netbait 6.5" T-Mac Worm: http://bit.ly/2jndwj9

(JuneBug, Bama Bug, Kentucky Special)

Frogs...

-River2Sea Bully Wa 2: http://bit.ly/2axyR2a

(Little Allen, Dirty White)

-Jackall Gavacho: http://bit.ly/2L7KsWS

(Gold Gill, Lime Frog)

Topwater...

Walking Bait- Evergreen Shower Blows 125: http://bit.ly/2zIkqUH

(American Shad, Half Mirror Wakasagi)

Popper- Yellow Magic 1/2 oz: http://bit.ly/2al0dKP

(Smoke Shad, Alewife)

Deep Crankbaits... 

-Azuma Z Boss 22: http://bit.ly/2poLKUC

(Blazing Boss, Hot Mess)

-Strike King 6XD: http://bit.ly/2ery44M

(Powder Blue/Chart, Chartreuse Sexy Shad)

Squarebills... 

-Lucky Craft Silent 1.5/2.5: http://bit.ly/2BGxKPa

(American Shad, Golden Shiner)

-River2Sea Biggie: http://bit.ly/2ahCzvo

(T-1000, Abalone Shad)

Swing Head Jigs... 

Jighead- Dirty Jigs Pivot Point: http://bit.ly/2jOY1Ns

Creature- Keitech Crazy Flapper: http://bit.ly/2c3cXrp

Creature- Zoom Z Craw: http://bit.ly/2vW7Jo5

Small Swimbaits... 

Swimbait- Keitech Fat Swing Impact: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

Weedless Underspin- Owner Flashy Swimmer 1/4 oz 5/0: http://bit.ly/2e8O4Y7

Exposed Hook- Blade Runner Spintrix 1/2 oz: http://bit.ly/2oocg0a

All-Around Summer Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Zodias 7'2" MH: http://bit.ly/2cgmMAe

Reel- Shimano Curado DC 150 HG: http://bit.ly/2yHtsp4

Line- Sunline Assassin 15 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel... 

TacticalBassin Reaper Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2TwBWs7

TacticalBassin Shadow Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2FVD9Rs

TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/2TvFMBD

TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/38cVi9G

What Gear Do We Really Use? Take A Look! (Cross Country Road Trip)

Ever wonder what we've really got in the boat? What lures are we actually carrying below deck? Which Covid slowing down we decided to drive all the way across the country to fish and spend time with family. We loaded the boats with everything we thought we'd need (tools, gear, and a variety of tackle) and set out on a national road trip with the families. Today Tim is opening up all the lockers and showing you what gear really made the cut. Which baits and what gear did he consider "must haves" for fishing in multiple states. 

Its hard enough to choose what to throw first when you go out on the lake. Try to imagine packing to fish dozens of lakes you've never seen before. Even harder, some are in the South (Summer heat) and others are up North (clear water and prespawn). As overwhelming as that may be, we've done it a few times now and are very confident in our gear selection. We wanted to share with you what made the cut and what didn't. 

We can make countless videos about specific baits and techniques but there is something about taking a look under the locker lids for yourself that is very satisfying. Now how can you apply this to your fishing? The gear that we carry cross country can be downsized into just a box or two for fishing on your local lake. Where we might carry a box of spinnerbaits, a box of lipless, a box of deep cranks, you can turn around and build a box with a spinnerbait, a chatterbait, a lipless, a small glide bait, etc... and on a smaller scale you're now prepared for any situation you can face on the water. 

Below is a breakdown of our top lures from each category. We've also included a handful of rod recommendations that are "do alls", those select rods that seem to be able to throw a variety of different baits, allowing us to save time, money, and space on the boat. The links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

Tim's Most Universal Picks For Hard Baits...

Swimbait Head- Tactical Finesse Head (3/8 oz): http://bit.ly/2Pqrq3n

Deep Crank- Strike King 6XD (Chartreuse Sexy Shad): http://bit.ly/2ery44M

Squarebill- Lucky Craft 1.5 (Ghost Minnow): http://bit.ly/2BGxKPa

Glide Bait- S Waver 168 (TW Phantom Trout): http://bit.ly/2aiu8Sh

Blade Bait- Damiki Vault 1/2 oz (Black Holo): http://bit.ly/2rnO7e2

Frog- River2Sea Bully Wa 2 (Little Allen 65): http://bit.ly/2axyR2a

Topwater- River2Sea Rover 128 (Abalone Shad): http://bit.ly/2acSVea

Jerkbait- Megabass Vision 110 (GP Pro Blue): http://bit.ly/2j31TKb

Lipless- Lucky Craft LV-500 (Ghost Minnow): http://bit.ly/2aAUUbd

Chatterbait- Z Man/Evergreen JackHammer 3/8 oz (BHite Delight): http://bit.ly/2popvj6

Tim's Most Universal Picks For Soft Baits...

Swimbait- Keitech Fat Swing Impact (4.3"): http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

Stick Bait/Neko- Yamamoto 5" Senko (Green Pumpkin): http://bit.ly/2axAmNS

Ned Worm- Z Man TicklerZ (Canada Craw): http://bit.ly/2mGyDAC

Creature- Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver (Tramp Stamp): http://bit.ly/29W3RZW

Dropshot- Big Bite Baits Smallie Smasher (Green Pump/Purple): http://bit.ly/2ZpCOCY

Jerkbait- Zoom Super Fluke (Electric Shad): http://bit.ly/2aqys0H

Highlighted Items... 

-Damiki Armor Shad Swimbait: http://bit.ly/2KtPDAT

-Lakemaster Plus Digital Charts Map Card: http://bit.ly/2Dk5Erc

-Wave Away Screen Cleaner: http://bit.ly/2PhHmmC

-KVD Speed Worm Bags: http://bit.ly/2GYT4RC

-Spoolin Buddy Jr. Line Storage: http://bit.ly/2EAbynX

-Plano Edge Master Plastics Storage: http://bit.ly/2PaiAq6

-Plano Edge Spinnerbait Storage Box: http://bit.ly/397m4Bd

Our 4 most Universal Rod Combos are listed below. These are rods that we've found can fish a variety of different baits to save money and space on the boat. We're all looking for that "do everything" rod. These might not do everything but they will do a lot!

Jigs/Big Worms/Keitechs/Chatter/Spinnerbait Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis GLX 854C JWR: http://bit.ly/2gqziwT

Reel- Shimano Chronarch MGL HG: http://bit.ly/2n8DghB

Dropshot/Ned/Tube/Popper Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Zodias 7' Medium Light: http://bit.ly/2jOUXAO

Reel- Shimano Stradic CI4+ 2500: http://bit.ly/2gu84t7

High-End "Do Everything" Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis Conquest 843C MBR: http://bit.ly/2iL1PAY

Reel- Shimano Metanium DC 100 HG: http://bit.ly/2qrSZvs

Mid-Range "Do Everything" Combo...

Rod- Zodias 7'2" MH: http://bit.ly/2cgmMAe

Reel- Shimano Curado 200K HG: http://bit.ly/2tHewEh

Budget "Do Everything" Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Fury 7' Medium heavy: http://bit.ly/2bGvlVV

Reel- Shimano SLX HG: http://bit.ly/2NfdOnk

NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel... 

TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/2TvFMBD

TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/38cVi9G