The Sweet 16 have been finalized with the results of our last region below.

Snakeden Region – Round Two

Senko Wacky Rig (1) vs. Pop R (8)
Honorary Captains: Bill Walton & Kermit Washington/Rudy Tomjanovich

Matchup: Silent versus loud, sinking versus floating, wobble versus twitch, all parts of the equation when figuring out what to throw to fool some bass. Every lure has its time to shine and spots to be employed.
Result: While the Pop R and surface baits in general can be addictive, the flat out bass fooling ability in a wider range of the calendar and the water column push the Senko to a runaway victory.

Rattlin’ Rap (5) vs. Rapala Minnow (4)
Honorary Captains: Bill Laimbeer & Quinn Buckner

Matchup: In this much anticipated battle of Rapala baits, does loud and brash win out over silent and steady? Well, that depends on a lot of variables and that is what the angler has to figure out. Experience is valuable, confidence is crucial and while practice may never amount to perfect in fishing, putting those lures to work is key.
Result: the second of three lipless crankbait contenders bows out of the tourney as we bid farewell to the Rapala Rattlin’ Rap. It served as my introduction to such lures but the old Rapala Floating Minnow goes back to my bass fishing origins and lives to fish another day.

Jitterbug (11) vs. Mann’s Baby 1- (3)
Honorary Captains: Connie Hawkins & Muggsy Bogues

Matchup: The flashy moves and attention getting action of the Jitterbug can appeal to bass and anglers alike. Well, the Mann’s Baby 1- sure has a distinctive bass catching wobble all of its own.
Result: The Mann’s Baby 1- put a crankbait in a zone that really had never been effectively exploited before by such a lure type. A revolutionary highlight in bass lure history, in my opinion. An aspect that pushes it past the Jitterbug into the Sweet 16.

Hula Popper (7) vs. Baby Brush Hog (2)
Honorary Captains: Tom Henderson & Nate “Tiny” Archibald

Matchup: A matchup of extremes always makes for an interesting decision. There’s often a tradeoff of some sort. More bites, bigger bites, exciting bites, rewarding bites, moderate focus, intense focus…In “Taking Care of Business”, Bachman-Tuner Overdrive observes, “If it were easy as fishin…” C’mon, dudes, you rock, but that’s kind of insulting.
Result: Conditions aside, this decision comes down to not only feeling more confidence in the Baby Brush Hog but also having more confidence in topwater presentations beyond the Hula Popper. So long to another classic bait, it was a good ride.

Well, that’s a wrap for the opening weekend. Took some work but I’ve had a good time. Lure Lunacy resumes this coming Thursday evening and perhaps some other items to come in the meantime. Talk to you later. Troy

Emiquon Region – Round Two

The second of the Saturday regions draws to a close as detailed below.

Rat-L-Trap (1) vs. Swimbait (8)
Honorary Captains: Ed Ratleff & Bob Lanier

Matchup: Tried and true lipless crankbait takes on some of biggest baits in bass fishing.
Result: Too many lipless cranks, need to pick a favorite and this one isn’t it. The Swimbait pulls off the upset as I try to get the picture on the big bass potential of these lures.

Alabama Rig (12) vs. Creatures (4)
Honorary Captains: John Mengelt & Skeeter Swift/John Roche

Matchup: The multi-lure Alabama Rig (limited to only two hooks in Illinois) was billed as unfair by some when it burst onto the tackle market. Fending off this wild collection of baits is a lure type with varied body plans and versatile presentations.
Result: Oh, to have wielded an Alabama Rig back in the early bass feeding frenzy days of Emiquon. But those days are no more so the consistency of the creatures moves them on to the next round.

Wooly Curl Tail (6) vs. Rapala DT Series (3)
Honorary Captains: Neal Walk & Dave Twardzik

Matchup: Slow and steady for the curl tail, retrieved just fast enough to keep the bait off the bottom and the tail twisting. The broad bodied DT series keep you up to speed on depth with the estimated running depth etched right on the bill.
Result: Fast over slow takes this matchup as the curl tail puts up a solid effort but is not effective at the pace set by the Rapala DT.

Power Worm (10) vs. Red Eye Shad (2)
Honorary Captains: Moses Malone & Red Robbins

Matchup: Power is a bit deceiving in a plastic worm offering but it sounds good. And that’s what helps sell a product. Does have a powerful scent though. The Red Eye Shad, however, is typically all about power fishing, cast it, crank it and rip it.
Result: The Power Worm is easily outmatched as it just can’t go the distance like the Red Eye Shad which can produce all year long.

On more day and two more regions to complete the opening weekend. Hope you’ve got a couple more reads in you before I give the lunacy a break. Probably have some other stuff though. Talk to you later. Troy

Round One concludes with a region featuring more than a few “classic” baits. How will they fare against some mainstream opponents?

Read on…

Senko Wacky Rig (1) vs. Mystery Lure (16)
Matchup: Okay, so this one really isn’t fair but that’s how it goes. A strange bass catching rig competes with a lure I found in an old tacklebox somewhere that has yet to be identified. If anyone has a clue, pass it on.
Result: The mystery lure goes the way of all but one 16 seed in the history of the “real”, but missing, tournament of 64. The Senko moves on to do its wacky thing.

Pop R (8) vs. Skitter Pop (9)
Matchup: A matchup of poppers exemplifies the overlap in creations among lure manufacturers. The success of Rebel’s Pop R spawned a batch of imitations such as Rapala’s stab at a topwater bait.
Result: Flattery will get you nowhere in this case as there’s nothing like the original.

Rattlin’ Rap (5) vs. Underspin (12)
Matchup: Similar to the above matchup, Rapala also took a shot at a lipless crankbait with the Rattlin’ Rap as an imitation of the Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap. The opponent in this duel is also an imitation of sorts in taking a page from an ultralight bait known as The Roadrunner and markedly upsizing the concept.
Result: Personally, I have always preferred the Rattlin’ Rap over the Rat-L-Trap and for the life of me, I can’t get the hang of an Underspin. I know it’s a confidence thing but no go for the Underdog in this matchup.

Rapala Floating Minnow (4) vs. Devil’s Horse (13)
Matchup: While the Floating Minnow ripples the surface to work its magic, the Devil’s Horse relies on ripping the water. Subtle versus commotion, both can be effective. You just need to observe what the bass tell you.
Result: No way that one of the first bass baits that I ever learned about is going to bow out in the opening round. Shout out to Dad on this one as the Rapala remains a classic.

Yum Dinger (6) vs. Jitterbug (11)
Matchup: Yum’s wacky worm offering is a bit friendlier on the piggybank than its competitor the Senko which is always a consideration for a frugal fisherman. And the old Jitterbug (actually Jitterstick pictured here) can also be found these days at a knock off rate.
Result: I found fishing back in a time when a lure like the Jitterbug was a regular in your Dad’s or your grandpa’s tacklebox. Too many “can’t miss” and “cutting edge” baits these days gets me nostalgic for the classics, thumbs up for the Jitterbug.

Mann’s Baby 1- (3) vs. Flukes (14)
Matchup: While the Mann’s 20+ (a Storey Region winner) took cranking to unheard of depths, its smaller cousin took it to the other extreme. A big wobble just under the surface proved effective on bass who were already wise to many other shallow presentations. The Fluke also staked a claim to the barely below the surface zone with an erratic and effective action.
Result: Never was much of a Fluke guy and the Mann’s Baby 1- has been the fodder for a couple lasting “fish stories” so this one is a no doubter. In fact, the Mann’s Baby 1- was featured once upon time in a “Legendary Lures” series piece. Perhaps I should revisit that concept someday.

Hula Popper (7) vs. Pop N Frog (10)
Matchup: Another matchup of similar baits and darn close to the Pop R/Skitter Pop battle earlier in this region. Another classic from another generation’s tacklebox in the Hula Popper meets what is essentially a topwater frog with a big mouth.
Result: Nostalgia is on a roll in the Snakeden Region as the Hula Popper hangs on to down the noisy amphibian.

Baby Brush Hog (2) vs. Touchdown Worm (15)
Matchup: A bit of a slowdown game in this matchup with a relatively recent mutation of the plastic lizard in Zoom’s Baby Brush Hog. The Touchdown worm represents a variation on the old worm gang and could be viewed as a bit of a precursor to the Wacky Worm.
Result: Shout out to an old baseball teammate, friend and fisherman, “Clubber Joe” as I believe he introduced me to the Touchdown Worm once upon a strip mine wander. However, the Baby Brush Hog is just too good of a lure and outdoes its foe in this matchup.

Well, that’s a late night wrap on Round One which is fitting. The first weekend of the real tourney can certainly make for some long days. Been there done that. I must say that I feel a lot better than some of those 80s and 90s tourney weekends. And while I do miss the hoops with the cancellation this year, I am sure glad that I no longer partake in some of the extracurricular enjoyment of yesteryear. Talk to you later. Troy

Another region in the books per the rundown below.

Emiquon Region

Rat-L-Trap (1) vs. Flying Lure (16)

Matchup: Perhaps best described as a matchup of “As seen on TV…” versus as proven on the water. Yes, I donated some dollars to the infamous Flying Lure although I can’t recall whether I bought the hype or just had some extra fishing cash lying around. At any rate, I don’t think I ever caught a bass on the marketing sensation

Result: The original Bill Lewis lipless crank wins this one in a blowout. The Flying Lure was quoted after the thrashing that “it was just happy to be here and be remembered.” Of course, how could those of us who viewed those old advertisements ever forget.

Swimbait (8) vs. Quad Shad (9)

Matchup: I’ve seen some monster bass on swimbaits but never on the end of my line. Actually, I rarely ever have a swimbait on the end of the line. Perhaps that explains my lack of success. The Quad Shad did spend time on the end of the line and while a winner wasn’t quite as strong as some other spinnerbaits.

Result: I’m going with the swimbait on this one as the general lure type has many offerings from gaudy and gargantuan to sleek and modest. As such it lives to fish another day.

Triple Ripple Worm (5) vs. Alabama Rig (12)

Matchup: One of the original worm designs to grace the tacklebox, a lot of Triple Ripple worms arrived via mail at my folks’ house shortly after we received the Bass Pro Shops catalog. Many years later, the Alabama Rig took the fishing world by storm. The Emiquon Region is a perfect fit for such a multi bait lure as those Emiquon Preserve bass sometimes went into an absolute feeding frenzy.

Result: Every year it seems that there is a 12 seed upset over a 5 seed and this is it. Sure wish I had ventured into tossing the Alabama rig in the early days of Emiquon but I missed my chance. But today the A-Rig gets its due in a fantasy fishing sort of daydream

Creatures (4) vs. Poe’s Crankbait (13)

Matchup: Not sure what some of those plastic appendaged baits are truly supposed to represent but the bass sure take a liking to them when bounced around some structure. And the Poe’s crankbait, endorsed by the legendary Rick Clunn, promised to bounce off structure with its “coffin” bill and elicit bone jarring strikes.

Result: The creatures take the win as I never have figured out how Rick Clunn made those Poe’s baits into bass fooling machines. Then again, at 73 years old, Rick Clunn is still out there doing a lot of things that the rest of us wannabe Bassmasters will never understand.

Wooly Curltail (6) vs. Tubes (11)

Matchup: A lure that is best fished at a crawl for those tough bites takes on a bait that, well, is fished kinda slowly for those tough bites.

Result: This one plays out like one of those classic Princeton Tiger contests that go down to the wire courtesy of their controlling, methodical pace. In the end, the curltail comes out on top as it just has a little something extra, leaving the tubes (and Ivy Leaguers) “this close” to an upset.

Rapala DT Crankbaits (3) vs. Dancin’ Eel (14)

Matchup: The DT (“Dives To”) series of baits from the early 2000s traces its roots to 1930s Finland and legendary luremaker, Lauri Rapala. The Eel arose in the 80s, taking part of its name from a legendary angler, Bill Dance. Folks, that’s a couple heavy hitters from the fishing world.

Result: Despite the Eel’s famous name, it never really caught on, or caught many bass in my case. A Rapala DT6, on the other hand, is responsible for my largest bass of all-time. No contest.

Swim Jig (7) vs. Power Worm (10)

Matchup: Swim jigs were a hit and a bit of a rage when they hit the scene but seem to have faded in the wake of swimbaits in recent history. The Power Worm entered the market looking to capitalize on a rising interest in a bass’ sense of smell.

Result: Well, I don’t know about the bass but I smell a winner in the Power Worm from this matchup. Recognizable right out of the bag, I also smell an upset as we say so long to the Swim Jig.

Red Eye Shad (2) vs. Jigging Spoon (15)

Matchup: The largely horizontal commotion of the Red Eye Shad takes on the methodical, vertical lift and drop of a jigging spoon. Relatively shallow versus relatively deep as well, entirely different approaches.

Result: If ever there was a slowdown, milk the clock, Princeton Tiger upset brewing this would be the matchup. Close, but only a moral victory as the Red Eye Shad is just too talented at fooling fish.

Stay tuned as two more opening round regions to go. Talk to you later. Troy

Normally, hoops fans and other interested prognosticators would be feverishly filling out brackets right about now in preparation for the madness tipping off next week.

Alas, the climate around the nation and the world has changed considerably in the last several days. Certainly a degree of madness is still in the air, just bit more concerning no matter how you assess or address the current health situation.

So, in an effort to satisfy the need for some sort of March competition I present “Lure Lunacy.”

Mirroring the traditional hoops format (minus “play-in” contests) I have seeded a 64 lure bracket consisting of a batch of bass catching creations. Same as the battles on the hardwood, a pair of lures will go head to head with the victor moving on to the next round. I have attached downloadable regional brackets below in the perhaps unlikely event that anyone would wish to play along with their personal preferences or predictions.

 

 

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Regardless of any active audience participation, the Lure Lunacy tourney will launch on Thursday and move through the upcoming weeks just like the real deal. Winning and losing lures meet their fate solely based on a combination of my experience and imagination as it relates to each bait. Stay tuned for end of day results and commentary Thursday through Sunday.

In addition, I hope to get a chance to relay some other fishing related items along the way. However, I do get to work amidst the ever evolving situation so time may be limited. Kind of weird but even if I was off for a while, I would be unable to fish at some of my stomping grounds. Yep, the doggone outbreak has even closed some of the outdoors per the Illinois Department of Natural Resources website. March Madness, indeed. Talk to you later. Troy