LJ Brasher and His Jitterbug Modification - The Monster Bass Fisherman

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LJ Brasher and his Jitterbug modifications.

LJ Brasher was the first Big Bass Fisherman I read about.   Now I want go into too much detail here about his tactics as you can google him and find it all out but he used big Black musky Jitterbugs at night, 14'' plastic worms by day,   Abu reels , heavy line and fished a 100 mile radius around Madison Florida.   This Opelika Alabama Resident was IMHO the best Big Bass fisherman there ever was.   He caught well over 500 bass over 10 lbs and one summer I think he Caught 80 over 10 lbs and I know for sure he caught 5 over 10 lbs in one night !! and he mounted all of them on a stringer seen below. 

My Brasher would fish sometimes for up to 2 days in his boat without ever getting out.  His tactics along with his persistance is why he caught so many.   Unfortunatly he passed away in the late 90's and my one regret is I never drove down there to meet him. 

Here is a video I did of LJ Brasher's Jitterbug modification.  

Thanks and leave some comments if you knew Mr  LJ Brasher or just really liked his tactics.

#LJBRASHER

#jitterbug

#bigbass

#monsterbass

Bull Reds From the Surf

Bull Reds from the Surf!!!

Catching Big Drum from a Yak was Great ( see last post )but I wanted to get one from the Surf plus I had no one else to go with me  on this day as you never ever want to Yak in the Ocean w/o another Yaker for safety reasons.

So, I had decided after catching 5 big ones on a yak Friday that on Tuesday(Oct 25, 2016) I would head back down there and try to get one out of the surf.

I Left the big city at 11 and was on the beach at 2:30.
My plan was to to throw 2 rods out with mullet(frozen) and try to catch some fresh bait. Except for a big blue crab I had no hits until I caught a bluefish at aprox 445 . I then proceeded to cut it into chunks. The head went on my 7000 blue yonder on a 12 Pinnacle rod and the next section went on a Shimano 6500 baitrunner on a 12' Powerstick plus.
Both of these outfits can throw 9 oz of lead easy. I had 6 oz on the spinning outfit and 9 oz on the Blue yonder. I cast both of these out right to where some pelicans had just dived . Almost Immediately the spinning outfits tip started heading down and then the baitrunner was giving line. I picked it up and started reeling which takes the baitrunner off and goes to drag. I could tell it was a big un and the battle began. 5 mins into the fight the Blue Yonder starts going

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ


Oh NO!   2 on at a time. Great but a big problem.

I  had to back up to the Blue Yonder to engage the reel and then pick it up with one hand setting the hook. I then put it back down in the holder and loosened the drag. I fought the first one for at least 5 more minutes , lipped it, had someone take a few quick photos and then I had to hold it in the water for at least another 5 before I felt confident it could swim off. Swim off it did. All the while I was keeping an eye on the blue yonder as I didn't want to lose that fish and surely didn't want to lose a 500 dollar outfit. When I picked it up it may have had 30 yards of line left before it hit the bottom of the spool. Another 10 minute battle and the second was beached , photoed and released. An awesome day.
2 Big reds on at the same time and both landed.  Today was my lucky day.  The first went 45 inches and the second I didn't measure but it was only an inch or 2 shorter.     See below for pictures.

Note- The other day they had no problem Hitting frozen bait but today w/o that fresh Bluefish I would have been skunked.  So always try to have fresh and frozen.

Pete my dog was my companion today and he truly loves to fish. I think he enjoyed the trip today more than I did.

Pete on the Ride down

 Pete relaxin on the Beach

Outfits-
6500 Shimano Baitrunner(80's model) spooled with 15 lb Big Game with 40 lb shock leader(Red Cajun)  The rod was a 12' Power Stik. I have had this outfit since the mid to late 80's and it works just as well as the new outfits.

Abu Garcia 7000 Blue Yonder spooled with 16 lb Momoi Line with a 40 lb shock leader.  The rod on this outfit is a 12' Pinnacle .

The Rig consisted of a Pyramid sinker(6- 9 oz) attached to a sinker slide, swivel , leader, and then either a J or circle 9/0 Gamakatsu Hooks.

                                                                     A bait thief

A Northern Puffer  .......

The first one

The second one

An awesome ending to an Awesome day.

" Red Drum North Carolina"
"Red  Drum"
#reddrumfishing
#bullredfishing
#bullred
#surffishing

#reddrum

#oakisland

#fishing

The 2014 White Bass Run is ON!!

 I made two trips this week for white bass.  The first was on Wednesday April the 2 from 5pm till 730 pm.   I launched my Old Town 158 and I trolled a jig while heading upriver.  I hooked 1 nice white and continued upstream to one of my favorite spots.   I arrived there and caught a couple but nothing like I expected though I did catch a 5 lb bowfin on a jig.  I then trolled back down and caught another fish in the same spot as before so I anchored .  The bite here was on.  Most whites caught on a mini-spot but I did catch some on a curly tail jig .  I caught aprox 25 whites , 5 crappie, 6 Stripers and 3 perch.  The water temp was a nice 61 degrees with the air temp in the 80's.  
I saw several Bald Eagles , Herons and some Pileated Woodpeckers. 

A few Pics-

Fast forward to Friday April the 4th and I decided to go to this same spot but instead of a PM trip I chose an AM trip. I launched the Old Town 158  at 7 am and went to where I caught them the other day.
Nothing!!!..I headed to another spot and caught a few but it was slow.  I then headed back down to the good spot and they were biting.  I caught aprox 30 white bass, 3 stripers, 3 crappie and 3 perch along with 1 small largemouth.  I good morning on the water.  I left at 1130 and had a nice day catching fish and seeing  eagles, ducks and a few Hawks. 

Here are a few pictures of the fish-

And here are the lures I used today.  These lures will catch any white bass.  
 Starting at 12 and going clockwise - Mini-trap(the most productive lure this week), #2 Blue Fox spinner, Gotcha curlytail grub on 1/16 oz jighead,  5 in Swimmin Fluke on 1/4 oz jighead(this caught the biggest white),  Chartreuse Roadrunner, and a Cordell Mini Spot.

Thanks Mack...........

My Favorite Big Bass Spinnerbait - Booyah !

I finally did it.  This day has come sooner than I expected.  I have lost my last Black Bushhog spinnerbait and cant find another one in my stash of lures.  This bait was Black with 2 Colorado copper blades and was a fish catchin lure bar none . Hopefully one day I will find 1 buried under other lures I have stored in my many drawers of lures.    The Bush Hog Spinnerbait made in Georgia hasn't been produced in years and can longer be found on eBay and old tackle shops. This bait has accounted for a very large percentage of the bass I have caught over 8 lbs and 2 over 10lbs.

Thanks to Fishwhisperer I have found the closest lure to the Bushhog and it is a Black Booya Tux and Tails with 2 copper Colorado blades.  The Tux and Tail has a skirt with a long tail and I trim that even with the rest of the skirt. It is a good(and only) substitute I have found for the ole Bushhog.
Here is a picture of the Booya.

Get this Lure Here -   https://amzn.to/3UtrLRQ

This spinnerbait is an awesome lure in the piedmont of North Carolina and especially in the Blackwater of eastern NC and SC. It is my go to big bass lure. Here are a few Pics of some of the bass I have caught on this lure.

This 1 weighed 9-5 and you can see the lure if you look closely.

This bass was caught at Jordan and weighed with the scale in my hand in the above pic and went over 10. That scale only went to 10lbs and anything over 10 it flashed dashes.

I recommended this lure to one of my employees(Tony) who is a top notch fisherman and he used it on a recent trip to Santee and caught his 2 best bass of the trip on this lure.

I just hope they don't quit making the Black Tux and Tails.

Mack

ADDED FEB 2014

Today I received a gift from Tony (pictured above) and he made me 2 spinnerbaits that are very close to the ones I like.  I am sure these will work and can't wait to try them out.

Thanks Tony! you are awesome.  Mack 

#bassfishing

#bass

#basslures

#monsterbass

Garlic for Catfishing

Garlic for Catfish ???

***see video at the bottom, 46lb blue cat***

Garlic for Catfishing????  I knew they had garlic scents but I had assumed they were for spraying Bass worms(which was the original intent) but who would spray garlic on perfectly good cutbait? My Taxidermist  Bill told me that when he goes to Kerr Lake that he sprays his cutbait with Garlic and it outfishes non sprayed cutbait. I was a non believer when  Bill told me this way back in the 90's but knowing Bill wouldn't lead me a stray I tried it and  Since then I have used it religiously and It works!. 
I use either Jacks juice or Bang garlic spray.  If i am bream fishing during the day for bait I will take some bream and go ahead and cut them up and put them in a ziplok bag and spray them to let then marinate which works well. Garlic works well using it as soon as you cut the bait up also and if I cast out and dont like the spot I respray with garlic and cast out again.. I almost never go catfishing w/o a can of Garlic Spray.

This is my biggest cat caught on a bream head sprayed with Garlic spray. 46lb Blue caught in the Neuse River, that was a night to remember.

I have also used it with success spraying it on nightcrawlers and other baits. 

You can also sprinkle Garlic powder on cutbait when you freeze it for future use. I wouldn't recommend spraying cutbait with the spray then freezing it as the spray is A LOT STRONGER than the powder and your freezer may get a garlic smell.

Also,    A lot of catfishermen use whats called Chicken  Breast Marinated in Garlic Powder 

( CBMIGP for short) and it does work well for Blue and Channel Cats but I can assure you that anything sprayed with garlic spray is better than garlic powder. The powder is reserved for freezing in my catfishing world.  Either way is going to be better than no garlic at all.

 The other day I was looking at you Tube and came across "Garlic Worms".  After seeing this guys video on Garlic worms I was amazed that no one had posted anything before him on this. I would go into detail on it but I don't want to steal his glory on this so I will post his link. Watch it , it is so simple it's amazing. I tried it(I have some in the fridge right now) and it works.!

His  Video >    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xf0bfK4d8M

**Get your Garlic Scents here -  Spike it Garlic spray (GOOD) - https://amzn.to/3h3xIGs

                                                 Bang Garlic Spray (really GOOD)  https://amzn.to/3h3xIGs

So, If you want to catch more catfish head to the Tackle shop and get some garlic spray or the Grocery store for some Garlic.

Mack

#catfishing

#catfish

How to get your Canoe to the Fishing hole

There are many ways to get your canoe to the river. Here are a few of them.

The easiest and cheapest way is to just throw it in the back of a pickup and go. When I first started out thats how I did it. It was either an old truck my dad had or the old work van he had. Many, many days Todd and I would throw my Coleman Scanoe in the back of his van and go hit Jordan lake or the pond we had on the Caswell County Gamelands than had some big monster bream.  Here is a recent trip I did on the Yadkin River with Mookie, Catawba, Fishwhisperer, and  Tread.

The most common way to carry a canoe is on the roof of a car with some sort of roof-rack or foam pads.

Here are the foam pads on a Scout That Jeff uses for one of his canoe transporters.

Another inexpensive way  which I thought was absoutely the best "cheap" way is to make a frame out of 2x4"s and then put the pads under the frame and then a ratchet strap is thrown over the frame and through the window and then tightened so the frame doesn't move. There are eyescrews at the end of each board that serve as a place to tie to and a place where the boat can't slide off.   Then you would tie the front and back of the canoe down to the bumpers or whatever and maybe a strap over the canoe. Steve and I happened upon some fellow fishermen on the Staunton river one day and this is what they had.  I thinks this rack is AWESOME.

They transported 2 canoes to the river on this wood rack. Pretty smart idea.

I ran into a man on the Smith river during the summer of 2013 and he lashed 2 metal pipes to the top of his SUV. He transported 2 yaks tot he river this way.

Another option is to go all out and get an expensive Thule Xsporter Rack like I did when I purchased my GMC pickemup truck.

I always like to have straps or ropes over the top plus the bow and stern tied down but that isn't feasible on my truck so i take two ropes and lash the thwarts to the rack. 

Below is probably the most common system ,  using a yakima or thule style rack.

Or, you could just haul you Canoe like ths guy hauls his boat!!!

Mack

Jug Fishing Jordan Lake

I finally made it out to Jordan Lake yesterday 08122012 for some jug fishing. I left worked at 6:05 and was on the water settin jugs at 6:45. This evening I would use 2 types of jugs. 1- pvc pool noodle jugs and the other 2- plastic bottles 1/2 painted white. Most droppers would be 5 ft.   If I were to fish Kerr Lake I would have some jugs set for 15 and 20 ' but 5' does good at Jordan. I used to use orange colored orange juice bottles but switched to these after seeing videos on you tube and  how well they worked and more importantly they take up less space. I made them right at 1 year ago when I was recovering from a surgery and could not get on the water. See this post for more info on these jugs.
 http://mackinncblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/catfish-jugs.html

My boat used today would be my Old Town 158 canoe solo sitting on the front seat but looking towards the stern. That way the canoe is more level and performs better....I baited the jugs with cut pieces of frozen bream soaked in garlic juice. Then I waited. At aprox 745 I was thinking I could of had  a nice relaxing night at home since I hadn't had so much as a nibble. But, a little while later it was as if someone had flipped a switch to "on"....I had to chase jugs and that means paddling.

Here are some of the jugs

Finally!...............Fish on!!!!!!!!!!

A nice channel cat......

I caught a lot of very small channel cats and then this nice White Catfish....

I left at 10 pm while the cats were still biting --got to wk (tommorow) but had an excellent time jug fishing Jordan Lake for a few hours........ Mack

#catfish

#jugfishing