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No results found.
| Evergreen Shower Blows |
| Posted by mmagnone, 5/2/2013 10:43:43 PM |
With the spawn wrapping up and warming surface temps in the So. Cal area become the norm, the topwater bite is approaching that "out of control" stage! While walk baits get forgotten in an anglers arsenal, there's one bait you may want to add to the lineup and that's the Evergreen Shower Blows. This bait is flat out, out of control. I fished this afternoon and straight SMOKED EM! Definitely look into it. I HIGHLY recommend it!
Here's a video that Justin Kerr did out at Havasu giving a brief run down on the bait.
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| Category: Fishing Blog |
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| National Bass West 2 Day |
| Posted by mmagnone, 4/26/2013 08:44:29 PM |
Hey guys, just letting those who plan on attending this Saturday and Sunday, (4/27/2013 & 4/28/2013) that they, should be at the lake a little earlier than normal. Lake staff may allow us up the hill at 5:15AM to make things a little easier. Follow up with Mike or Lynne for exact times. I would suggest being there by 5 to make the mandatory team meeting.
Good Luck!
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| Category: Fishing Blog |
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| Deps Slide Swimmer 250 : Tuned? or Stock? |
| Posted by mmagnone, 4/24/2013 08:59:05 PM |
There's been a lot of talk about the Deps Slide Swimmer in the last few months greatly due to internet based forums such as Swimbait Nation or Swimbait Underground and the debate whether or not to buy "tuned" or "stock" bait seems to be the question of the year. What cracks me up on the subject is that these baits weren't the braid child of any local fisherman but have rather been out for several years severely under the radar. Many thought these baits to be far inferior to such staple baits as the 22nd Century Baits Triple Trout, 316 Lure Company Born Again Armageddon or the Huddleston Deluxe 8" Soft Bait that they never had the slightest inclination to purchase them.. The time a local talent started pushing the baits, was about the same time the demand shot straight through the roof. What were reasonable priced baits at the time soon jumped to $300+ on famous auction sites. I've watched this thing shoot straight through the roof without explanation. Many fisherman new to the realm of swimbait fishing cant help but feel intimidated by the Deps product.
This is purely my opinion and is no way affiliated with the opinion of Last Chance Bait and Tackle. I own and fish both stock and tuned baits.
The great deps debaite is whether or not to buy a tuned bait or save some hard earned money and buy a "Stock bait". What I hear in the industry I tend to keep to myself a lot and try to keep my opinions to a minimum as the industry has gotten really "soft" and feelings get hurt extremely easily. There's no way to get your point accross to someone without them saying you're not allowed to sell their products beacuse someone else has something on your shelf that looks similar. While I completely understand that its complete crap that manufacturers feel the need to hop on the gravy train and copy one design after another with no actual R&D of their own. I can only imagine how mad I would be if a multi-million dollar operation stole a 5 year progression of a swimbait that was designed by me that took countles hours of my blood, sweat and tears. This is here nor there through.
Whats the difference?
Let me explain to you the difference between a tuned bait vs. a "stock" bait. A tuned bait is the same exact Deps 250 as you'll see in the swimbait case only the tuned bait has been modified. Modifications such as re weighting, hook swaps and new color schemes are pretty much what you're paying for in my opinion. Can you do these mods yoursel? absolutely. Peel the skin, add or subtract your weight and play with hook size. The question you have to ask yourself though is "Do I have the time, energy or skill to do it?". Usually when you stop and actually think about it for 5 or 10 minutes you'll realize its not worth your time or energy. The big thing in the swimbait scene is trying to show the fish something someone else already hasn't. By purchasing a limited run bait that has been modded to run a certain way cuts the curve down quite a bit. That shortcut could quite possibly be "your" shortcut to a double digit fish. For that, us anglers are extremely lucky. A "name" in the industry gave his insight and was generous enough and thoughful enough to make this happen for us. Shows character.
Can a stock bait fished at the same level as a modded bait?
ABSOLUTELY! When it all comes down to it, the manufacturer has created a bait to be fished right out of the package and catch fish. We as anglers constantly feel the need to play and tinker with baits trying to make the baits swim better, make more noise or show more flash. While modifying a bait to better suit your needs or water you're fishing can be the determining factor in getting bit, don't let it be the deciding factor in your journey as a swimbait fisherman. When you've fished a bait for a good amount of time giving it the time, conditions and confidence for little reward, analyze what your fish are doing and how they're tracking then start tinkering. Some baits just dont have it; some baits do. Keep in mind, if Deps felt the Slide Swimmer 250 to be an inferior product, they would not have spent the amount of time, money and advertising on the bait only to have it flop in the fishing market. The stock bait flat out catch them.
With this blog, my goal was do try and explain to the new generation of swimbait fisherman that both a stock bait and a tuned bait will both catch fish. Don't let anybody out there tell you that you'll be wasting your time if you dont buy tuned. They key is cpnfidence and reading the conditions and the fish. Let the fish dictate your bait selection and retrieve speed.
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| Category: Fishing Blog |
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| Check em' Out Guys! |
| Posted by mmagnone, 3/10/2013 08:19:58 PM |
Hey guys, weather is starting to warm, water temp is rising and fish are starting to work their ways up creek channels and cuts to spawn. The pre-spawn can be one of the most exciting times to fish!
Each and every year a plethora of new and exciting products hit the market to make "our" jobs as fisherman much easier. Please feel free to pop into the shop, Last Chance Bait and Tackle, or browse the website to check out the many current and up to date items for 2013.
If you have any questions, please contact Last Chance Bait and Tackle at (951) 658-7410 |
| Category: Fishing Blog |
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| Think Like a Fish |
| Posted by mmagnone, 2/24/2013 09:05:15 AM |
In the tackle shop this time of year it sounds like a broken record:
"What's wrong with the weather?"
"Give it two more weeks and the fish will be up on the beds!"
"I'm taking up golf.... fishin sucks!"
Instead of playing the waiting game, take advantage of the prime feeding opportunity that's going on right now! On any given body of water in Southern California, there are 3 groups of Winter bass. Those that stay shallow, those that relate to deep structure and those that open water suspend and school. Nothing really more or less. As the air temperature begins to rise and starts warming the surface, bass will sense this change of conditions and begin to work their way up towards pre and post spawn staging spots via points, channel draws or ridgelines. Once these fish flood these staging spots, they will wait for their individual clock to tell them "its time to go look!" At this given time, an angler can experience some of the most wide open fishing on quantity and quality. First and foremost, on any given body of water, the first part of the puzzle is to locate your fish. Being that fish are in transition, this time of the year can be both the best or the worst fishing of the season. Here are a few things that will help break down the learning curve:
Who- What are you fishing for?
What- What are they holding on NOW?
When- When will they begin to make their move? (Weather dependent?, Time of year?)
Where- Where will they relocate to?
Why- Why are they making the transition? (pre spawn? , post spawn?, Summer?)
How- What structure or cover will they utilize to move from Point A to Point B
Once you have figured out where they are and why they're positioned on that given spot, next thing you will need to to is use the same 5 W's and an H to break the individual fish down. FIgure out what they're feeding on or how they are feeding in general.
Who- What type of fish are you fishing for?
What- What are your fish feeding on? (crawdads? shad? sculpin?)
When- When is the active feeding time? (Early? Late?)
Where- Where are the fish positioned on that given spot?
Why- Why are they feeding on that given spot, at that given time?
How- How will you present a bait to these fish in as few of casts as possible on that area?
While this all seems like a lot to swallow and to be thinking about while you're on the water, but I promise you, the more you try and think like a fish and eliminate the "just casting" thing from your day, the more consistent you'll be as an angler. LIke I said before, this winter to pre spawn transition can be one of the best in the season. Big fish have a tendency to begin their shallow move a lot sooner than the bulk of the fish. While the majority of the anglers are waiting for that magic 70 degree + water temperature, The majority of the true giants have already come and gone. Never let conditions dicttate if you plan on fishing that given day. Fish hard, Think harder and try to think like a fish! As always, we thank you for your business and look forward to helping you become better anglers.
-matt
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| Category: Fishing Blog |
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| G Loomis NRX 822DSR |
| Posted by mmagnone, 1/29/2013 05:43:56 PM |
Courtesy of Shimano American Corp, I was given the opportunity to acquaint myself with a variety of their new rods from their 2013 lineup. One rod in particular that struck me the most was the G-Loomis NRX 822DSR. At 6’10 with a rating of 6#-12# this rod is every bit capable of throwing finesse presentations where light line and micro baits are needed. Don’t let the ratings scare you however, this rod has enough power to throw finesse jigs and even get up into small darter headed plastics. Basically, this rod will cover it all.
At first glance before I was even given the opportunity to test it out, the price tag was a little scary. While working in the industry blesses me with the availability to have every rod manufacturer at my fingertips, the $525.00 price tag still seemed a little steep. I mean seriously, why on earth would I spend that amount of money on a rod when I can spend a respectable $200.00 and get a quality product?
Curiosity got the best of me and after receiving the rod; I went straight home and put the boat on charge. The mission: “BEAT THIS THING UP”
A rarity for me, I slapped a 2500 size reel on it and set it up as the only rod on the deck of my boat. God forbid any of my buddies came by and saw me without the Swimbait rods they’re used to seeing me with. That’s the beauty of being centrally located to such an amazing fishery like Diamond Valley Lake. I have the ability to be on the water in 10 minutes and when I’m done with my 2-4 hour before work session, my shop is no more than 5 minutes from the launch ramp. I have the ability to test whatever and fish wherever I want without having the monkey on my back where I need to make something happen. If I get bit; AWESOME, I f I don’t; No worries I’ll be back out on the water tomorrow! So blessed to live the dream!
My first few casts with this rod were sheer enjoyment. I had located fish holding on steeper walls in 25-40’ of water. I had to position myself out over 80’ and make long casts with the drop shot up on the bank. With this technique sensitivity is paramount. The ability to feel the scratch of your weight falling down each ledge is the difference between getting bit or wasting your time. Without disappointment this rod was DEFINITELY up to the challenge. My first drag I felt as if I was dragging a 1 oz sinker along a gravel bed. Although I was only dragging a ¼ oz weight, the fact I was able to feel every crack or divot in the rock below me, blew me away. If I had to describe this rod in one word it would be "Crisp".
The way the NRX 822DSR transmits bottom detail is flat out ridiculous. The blank telegraphs the bottom in such a manner that you can’t help but have a visual image painted into your brain about what your baits coming in contact with. The way the fish were chewing was more or less just an open mouth grab with little movement. The fish would come up to the bait, chew it, and then just sit in one spot without moving. Being able to feel the “life” was the only way besides being a “line watcher” to know if you were bit or not. The amount of life in this rod is like nothing I’ve ever felt in a rod. There was no second guessing when you were getting bit, The only other rod thats ever transmitted this well for me has been then Dobyns DX701 Extreme.
Once I started putting fish in the boat I was able to really get a good grasp on how the rod loaded. It features and extra fast action which makes the rod fairly stout ¾ of the way up with a little looseness at the rod tip. The perfect one two punch for the drop shot! I never felt nervous fishing the 4# pound line. The rod loaded in a manner in which it worked in unison with the drag and line. Its hard to explain without actually being there first hand. Having a rod that has the sensitivity to fish 40+ feet at the same time having the ability to power fish out of trees is hard to come by. Without a doubt this rod is the real deal. If you ever have the opportunity to get your hands on one, I'd highly recommend giving one a shot. After having fished this rod for a whole day I was left with the impression that this rod is worth every penny that Shimano America asks for it. Im an extremly loyal follower of a competitors rod lineup, but I can guarantee you that I will have a seperate quiver of the NRX rods in my boat by the end of the year.
-Matt
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| Category: Fishing Blog |
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| You only Get what you Give |
| Posted by mmagnone, 1/10/2013 07:06:10 PM |
the amount of time you spend doing something, the more you'll reap the benefits from it. swimbait fishing is a prime example. in the last 5 - 10 years swimbait fishing went through the roof in popularity. everyone wants to be a part of throwing them and everyone wants to surround themselves in everything "trophy". stripers, largemouth, brown trout etc... Go big or go home.
i had a long talk with an angler earlier tonight at the shop who is fairly new to swimbait fishing. he's dedicated countless hours chucking trying to grasp it with little success. a striper here and a largemouth there. he expressed how he is at the breaking point of just picking up a worm rod just to get bit. unfortunately the media deceives all the new generation swimbait fisherman making it seem as if its a walk in the park. nobody shows the whole process. the more i talked with him the more i could imagine the frustration that 75% of the angling public probably feels. it sucks; but it doesnt need to.
swimbait fishing isnt easy. it takes a great deal of time, money and energy with often times little reward. a lot of guys see photos of these huge fish but rarely look past the stock dates, or tackle used to target them. there's much more to it than that. being a weather chaser, analyzing the moon phase, and understanding fish behavior and how they react to changing conditions is what its all about. it does you no good having a box full of $200 baits and a $600 set up if you dont know how and why you need to utilize them. the "how" and "why" are much more important than the "who", "when" and "where". once you figure out how fish position and why they positioned on the given spot, then you can work on getting them to bite. once you figure out how to get them to commit, the greater you're numbers will be and the more consistent you will be as a fisherman.
the amount of time on the water you log is the ULTIMATE deciding factor in your success. if you rarely throw a swimbait; you'll rarely catch a fish. if you throw it all day every day; you'll increase your odds in catching fish. simple as that. people come in the shop and give me a run down on their day and often tell me they "dedicated" the morning to throwing swimbaits. i always cringe when i hear that. who's to say that the active feeding time for the larger fish wasn't mid day? what about when the wind started to pick up in the afternoon? what about when the shade line grew on the backside of a point and the fish happened to use it to pin bluegill or bass? you need to keep your options open. if an opportunity presents itself ; capitalize on it. if it just isnt there, you may as well fish a 13" worm or a bigger profiled jig. big fish dont only eat trout, bass or bluegill. the only shortcut to success is your time on the water, your mental focus and your own determination.
the biggest thing i see the average angler make a mistake on is that they follow the trends. screw the trends. trends come and go. they have a flurry of success then you'll never hear about them again. keep it extremely simple. big bait fishing is extremely simple. its no different than throwing any other reaction bait. throw a smaller bait and you'll play your odds and catch a lot of fish with little size ; throw a larger bait and you'll catch fewer fish of increased size. more to it, but we'll leave it at that. imagine throwing a jerkbait. a yozuri pins minnow will catch anything that swims. a lucky craft pointer 128 has its moments. both get bit. odds are you'll catch a better average with the pointer than you will the pins. big baits appeal to big fish. when you start to struggle on the water, relate your siwmbait to a jerkbait or something similar.
"i saw _____ throwing a huddleston"
who cares? a lot of people get too caught up in what other people are doing that they take their head out of the game. who's to say that _______ wasnt struggling just as bad as you and was just going through the motions? you just never know. fish in the moment. make your own decisions and fish your own tournament. its about you and the fish. if you find out that the fish are wrecking a slammer but the hot angler out on the lake is throwing a slide swimmer or claw, are you gonna put the slammer stick down to retie? heck no!!! too many people got binoculars over their eyes. by fishing your own game, you'll pick up on the subtleties that will make you a better fisherman as a whole. you wont need to rely on the next guy to show you the yellow brick road of swimbait fishing. you'll learn to be able to pave that road and stay one step ahead of everyone else.
learn to put it down!
one of the biggest problems i see people make and is one that forces anglers into a downward spiral is the in ability to put a swimbait down. you're whacking the fish on a fast grind triple trout for 2 weeks straight. the bite is increasing getting worse and worse. what was a 10 fish day is now down to 1 or 2. all of the sudden you stop getting bit all together and just followed. a lot of guys have a hard time giving up on a bait seeing as how they had some of the best swimbait fishing of their lives in weeks past. knowing when to switch things up and abandon a bite is just as important as reading the clues to find a bite. dont be afraid to go fresh.
the purpose of this whole post was to help you stay in the game not to discourage you. if you want to succeed in fishing the big bait, you need to commit to the big bait. understand why fish do the things that they do and give this technique the time it truly deserves. i promise you the time you put in will be worth its weight in gold.
-matt |
| Category: Fishing Blog |
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| a couple tips on fish location (DVL) |
| Posted by mmagnone, 12/23/2012 08:50:03 PM |
the lake has been fishing tough like it does every year. this time of year definitely tests every anglers skills. like we've always said for years, there's always two groups of fish. the fish that stay shallow and those that hang deep. there are a lot of fish up on the bank right now but they are hard to catch. the ones that are deeper are harder to find. with falling water fish have been moving around a lot. what was a good piece of structure or cover one trip may be just out of the comfort zone of the fish the next. diamond is a lake where every trip you have to keep previous trips in your backlog, but you need to "go new". treat every day like its different and dont break it down from reports, or dock talk if that makes any sense. for example, i can tell you to go out and throw a jig in 40' of water. well thats good and all, but if you dont know where to go or the angle of approach, that jig can just be a useless bait with a useless presentation on a useless spot.
hunt the fish down and try to think like a fish. where would you hold on a given spot? which ways the current going? which way is the wind blowing? how did the wind blow yesterday? what are they eating? how are they eating it? on which particular bottom content is holding the majority of the forage? it goes on forever.
on any givin lake there are multiple patterns, on multiple spots for multiple people.
a general rule of thumb is to fish deeper this time of year. there are fish that are in 6" of water right now to well over 60'. keep this in the back of your mind. the shallower the water; the more susceptible it is to weather change either warm or cold. if a sudden cold front comes through and brings on extremely cold nights the areas with the shallowest water will cool much faster than the main body of the lake. if fish are hanging in these areas, they may not vacate but relocate within the area to find a more comfortable temperature zone basically pulling off. same thing goes for a period of warmer weather. if the same areas have been cold, the warmth will bring the fish up as the main body of the lake may still be cool. the way fish move is like clockwork. backs of coves, secondary points, main lake points and open water. fish untilize areas between whether they be points, ridges, creek channels, humps and flats as pathways to and from.
being that the lake is fishing tough, break down a givin area. start shallow and work your way deep with the fish finder. break every little detail down. channel troughs, transitions, tree lines, rock piles.... the only way to really find a productive pattern or productive spots is to give them the time they deserve. otherwise you'll be chasing ghosts. keep in mind on a fish finder, the bottom is not the bottom. drop a spoon down below the boat and carefully watch the bait fall to the bottom. you're going to realize that the bottom on the fish finder will show one thing, but you're going to see your bait fall just a tad bit further. maybe 1' or so. now think to yourselves. how tall from belly to back is a 3 to 4# largy? less than 12" right? who's to say that barren stretch of bank wasnt holding the mother load of bass just you couldnt see them on the fish finder? if it looks fishy; put a cast on it. if your gut tells you that they should be there; fish it.
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| Category: Fishing Blog |
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| No talk on DVL |
| Posted by mmagnone, 12/8/2012 10:52:15 PM |
bite is there but have to grind it out. the swimbait fish have been on and off. its all timing right now. hit the same spot 10 times throughout the day and you'll figure out how they want it. its tough; but do able. a lot my fish have been without rhyme or reason. i can hit a spot at what i would think would be the most optimal time but i'll show up high noon, bright sky and no wind and catch one. its weird stuff. falling water is changing how the fish have been positioned. there are a lot of roamers packing down the bank but the fish on the primary edges are moving around like mad as well and setting up funny. hardest part is locating and figuring out how the fish want it. find the depth, find the bait and COMMIT. know the fish are on the spot you're fishing and force feed them into biting. a lot has to do with confidence in the bait you're throwing and understanding what each turn of the handle is doing to the bait underwater. is the tail speeding up? is it slowing down? did that one handle crank move your bait inches up or by slowing down did you allow that bait to sink? you know what i mean? the hudd has been a key player in my bite the past 3 months.
deeper structure oriented fish have been chewing but you have to be willing to really commit to the bait you're throwing. dont search the box to find what the fish are eating. its not spring or summer time. we all know the colors, we all know the techniques. we all know where these deeper fish hang. dedicate to what you know and throw it all day long. a lot of fish are around 25-30' you can go deeper and catch fish but the majority of the active fish are in that depth range. shake a worm, throw a jig or drag a dropshot and you can catch them. its sculpin, crawdad and bluegill time.
like i said above, COMMIT to the baits you know. the bite definitely is tougher, but the lake isnt dead. the fish have to eat. they arent stopping because of algae, blasting, or boat traffic. i dont stop eating for a week at a time. im going to eat every day. when a customer (boat) comes into the tackle shop (spot) i may stop and wait for him to grab some stuff, but rest assured when he leaves im gonna stuff my face. fish alter their feeding times hence the phrase we all use called "timing". keep in the back of your mind that there's always a wide open bite. ALL THE TIME. its just a matter of figuring out what they want and how they want it. on an average weekday im catching maybe 10 fish. the bigger bites have been swimbait fish and when i decide to put the big rod down, the average structure fish has been around 2 1/4 -3 pounds with 12" -14" fish in the mix. some days with optimal conditions im catching 5 swimmer fish. other days im catching 1. some days i just get bit. the days where im getting corn holed on the swimbait i check deeper stuff to see if the fish pulled back and might want a more subdued bait.
its not a terrible bite out on the lake. quality is definitely tough, numbers are tough, but there's a whole mess of short fish out there to keep us all occupied.
keep at it guys! winter time is winter time. |
| Category: Fishing Reports |
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| Dead Twitch List |
| Posted by mmagnone, 12/6/2012 09:38:21 AM |
I'm going to keep last name and phone numbers of buyers private but here's what we have so far. If you have any question as to which number you are on the list, please call Last Chance Bait and Tackle at (951) 658-7410. As names and quantities increase, we advise customers to call the shop as opposed to posting on the blog in order to keep the list accurate and up to date.
**No customer was allowed more than "2" baits on this initial order in order to allow everyone to have a ligitimate chance at receiving a bait***
- 951 GREG
- 951 MATT
- 951 DAN
- 951 JOSH
- 951 MIKE
- 951 RON
- 951 ANTHONY
- 760 DALE
- 909 TOMMY
- 714 BRADY
- 714 ANH
- 951 CHRIS
- 760 GERALD
- 909 BRYCE
- 951 LENNY
- 951 SCOTT
- 951 JOSH
- 951 STEVE
- 909 BRIAN
- 815 TRAVIS
- 714 DANNY
- 951 NICK
- 626 JEFF
- 714 JAMES
- 760 GARRETT
- 909 JACOB
- 909 JAMES
- 661 STEPHEN
- 951 JUSTIN
- 951 MIKE
- 909 RAFAEL
- 626 MATT
- 951 KEVIN
- 858 JOSH
- 562 DAVID
- 480 JOEY
- 949 JEFF
- 760 GREG
- 951 BRIAN
- 760 COREY
- 951 MAURO
- 562 GREG
- 310 NORMAN
- 661 VIC
- 714 RICHARD
- 619 JIMMY
- 626 JOHN
- 562 FUMIO
- DANNY
- 951 JIMMY
- 909 BEAU
- 626 JONATHAN
- 209 CURT
- 951 DEREK
- 951 TYLER
- 951 MIKE
- 310 FELIX
- 951 JOHN
- 951 JIM
- DAVID
- 304 COREY
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| Category: Fishing Blog |
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| Fish Report- Diamond Valley Week of 12/3 |
| Posted by mmagnone, 12/3/2012 06:52:36 PM |
Fish Report Week of 12/3/2012
Diamond Valley
Bass-
It's no secret by now. The bass bite has been a little tougher the last few weeks. Fish have transitioned from their fall patterns into a more winter bite. The majority of fish have moved deeper but there is still a strong population of fish up tight to the bank. One thing to always remember: No matter the time of year or conditions you're encountering; There are always going to be shallow fish and theres always going to be deep fish. It just depends on which are in a more positive feeding state. Certain variables such as wind, sun, drop in barometric pressure or boat traffic can shut certain fish down or spike the level in which they feed. The only way to know for sure is to put yourself in a position where you're on the water as much as possible. Time on the water is your friend.
Shallow fish have been pulled on the swimbait as well as more tradition techniques like the texas rig, drop shot or even some reaction baits like the crank or jerkbait. It''s been a hit or miss type thing. Conditions are dictating whether your need to work the shallow fish or abandon them for the deeper fish. Let the conditions tell you what to do and allow yourselves to listen to the fish.
Deeper fish have been showing on swimbaits such as the bottom draggers like the L.A. Slider and the Huddleston. If the swimbait isn't your game, pick up a jig or a plastic worm and work your favorite types of structure or cover. A good population of active fish have been around the 25'-50' zone.
Striper-
Stripers have been on and off the past week. Some guys have been throwing the bubble and fluke getting some fish and others are still doing decent on the fly. Its all about timing. First hour on the active fish and then you need to go searching. The swimbait bite has been up and down. Some guys are doing pretty well but its definitely been a different year. A lot of the fish want a presentation a little slower than normal. The Mattlures Dead Twitch has been getting bit pretty good as well as the Huddleston.
-Matt
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| Category: Fishing Reports |
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| Matt Lures Dead Twitch Waiting List *IMPORTANT* |
| Posted by mmagnone, 11/26/2012 07:32:22 PM |
If you have not had an opportunity to put your name on the list, call Last Chance Bait and Tackle at: (951) 658-7410 and we will write you in. If a customer fails to purchase the total amount of baits ordered, we will go down the list of back ups and call you. At that time we will not know for certain if you will be getting a Light Trout <or> Dark Trout. If you decide not to purchase a bait of that specific color, we will give the next in line an opportunity.
Please make sure that you pay for/ pick up your bait no more than 48 hours from the date we call you. If arrangements need to be made with the staff at Last Chance we will do everything in our power to accomodate you. We offer free shipping on these baits as well as all orders over $50.
These baits are a first come / first serve basis. Those of you who reserved a bait first will get yours first. All future releases will be done through this website www.lastchancetackle.com that way we can keep a running list with date of request.
Thanks,
-Matt
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| Category: Fishing Blog |
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| Matt Lures Dead Twitch Order |
| Posted by mmagnone, 11/25/2012 04:21:47 PM |
| For those of you that haven't got your hands on a Matt Lures Dead Twitch yet and might want to snag one, we put in a big order and have started that waiting list sheet I was talking about. If you're interested, stop by the website (lastchancetackle.com) and comment on this blog I put up. If you would rather not have your phone number listed for the public to view, call us at Last Chance Bait and Tackle at (951) 658-7410 or the internet shop number and we'll get you written down. Although we put in a hefty order, there are already "15" baits spoken for. It wont be long until they are sold out.
All i need is:
name
phone number
color (dark trout <or> light trout)
quantity
Thanks,
Matt |
| Category: Fishing Blog |
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| Extended Black Friday Sale |
| Posted by mmagnone, 11/23/2012 09:36:39 PM |
thanks guys for rolling out today! were gonna keep the black friday sale going tomorrow as well knowing some people weren't able to make it in today. promo stuff is running a little low but still a bunch of cool stuff left. just wanted to give you guys a heads up if youre bored tomorrow or are planning on staying off the water. thanks again!
same sale items apply |
| Category: Fishing Blog |
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| Last Chance Black Friday |
| Posted by mmagnone, 11/22/2012 08:49:54 PM |
Got some deals that are gonna be flying at Last Chance tomorrow.
Deals on:
Tackle boxes/Backpacks
Tools
Sunglasses
Apparel (shirts, shorts, hats, sweatshirts, beanies etc.)
25% off ALL Calcutta producs (Tackle bags, Tools, Boxes, Sunglasses)
20% off ALL Tools
20% off ALL Rod/Reel/ Covers and Bait Wraps (Stick Jacket, Rod Glove, Daiwa Reel Covers, Eye Surrender, Avet Reel Covers)
25% off ALL Clothing, Hats and Eye Wear
40% off ALL Clearance Rods
10% EXTRA off Clearance Spiining Reels in glass case
Buy ANY "3" packs of Zoom products and receive "1" FREE bag of "Holographic Smoke" Zoom Baby Brush Hogs
Price protected products will remain at msrp but we have other incentives that go along with the purchase.
All purchases over $40 receives one FREE ($9.99 Value) spool of Sunline Super Natural. (size/lb depends on promotional supply)
All purchases over $65 receives one FREE (17.99 Value) spool of Sunline Fluoro. (size/lb depends on promotional supply)
All purchases over $85 receives one FREE (24.99 Value) spool of Sunline Shooter (size/lb depends on promotional supply)
all promotional items are limited to supply on hand and can't be used as credit/cash value towards an item.
Give us a call if you have any questions.
(951) 658-7410 |
| Category: Fishing Blog |
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| Mattlures Dead Twitch |
| Posted by mmagnone, 11/21/2012 02:58:47 PM |
Coming in at close to 14" and almost 14 oz Mattlures has created what is arguable the most realistic rendition of a Rainbow Trout on the market. The Mattlures Dead Twitch was released no more than one week ago and is sold out across the So Cal area. Those that were fortunate to get them are sitting in a good place right now while those that weren't in a postion are scrambling. The Dead Twitch comes in two colors; Dark Trout and Light Trout but each bait maintains the same overall length. The body is constructed of a hard inner core with a soft plastic shell on the outside. Tandem Owner Stingers on the bottom with the option to trap rig a hook along the back. The line tie is located inside the mouth unlike many swimbaits before.
If you would like to put yourself down on the waiting list; please email us at info@lastchancetackle.com and we'll get the ball rolling. Please provide us with your name, phone number, qty desired, color desired and we will be more than happy to help you.
Seeing as how these baits take a while for Matt to produce, be advised that it may be a while before we receive our next batch. Being that these baits are being sold at a first come;first served basis I would strongly recommend getting your name penciled in.
-Matt
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| Category: Fishing Blog |
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| Rago Baits in the shop! |
| Posted by mmagnone, 11/19/2012 09:02:44 PM |
Hey guys giving you a heads up, got a batch of Rago Baits in the shop. Batches will be delivered as they are made. Just the first shipment. Hard baits up to the Tool, Soft Baits including the Soft Tool and even some 9" SKT Top hooks etc...
In Stock are several of:
Glidiator 11" Trout (1 left)
Glidiator 9" Trout (3 left)
Glidiator 9" Baby Bass
Glide Gill Bluegill
Dirty Rat Black
Baits are being sold on a first come/first serve basis. if you need any other baits, let us know and we'll order for you.
Contact the Web store to purchase online or contact the tackle shop at (951) 658-7410 and we will get you in contact with the internet store to follow up with an order.
-Matt
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| Category: Fishing Blog |
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| Fish Report- Diamond Valley Week of 11/11 |
| Posted by mmagnone, 11/16/2012 11:54:50 PM |
Fish Report Week of 11/11/2012
Diamond Valley
Bass-
About 80% of the customers coming into the shop this past week reported a very slow bite at the lake. The bite is slow to some degree, but there are several bites happening under peoples noses. Ask yourselves to evaluate your recent trips. What did you see? What did you hear? What did you feel?
If you've been out there's no secret; bait is up. Combination silversides and a limited amount of shad ( a customer showed me a picture
and yep.... shad). On just about any given bank on the lake you can see schools of silversides flooding the shallows with the bass following either boiling or sitting below. This kind of fishing can be fast and furious. Take your favorite underspin, scrounger, v wake bait and have it. While catching them really isnt the hard part; locating them is. There are lots of innactive fish but when you find the right wolf pack its game on.
If the bait bite isn't your style you can fall back on traditional techniques and pick away at the structure oriented fish. Majority of fish down around 30'. and around 1-3 pounds. A lot of fish are positioned on secondary points near backs of coves. Areas where they can sit , wait, ambush bait then return back all in the matter of a few tail kicks. Why expend more energy than absolutely necessary.
The swimbait bite is there, but you definitely gotta grind it out. I'll get bit..... an hour later hook 2..... 45 minutes later catch 1..... two hours later get bit again. On a good day right now i'll end up hooking 5-7 fish. It's extremely hard fishing, but if you grind it out you can have a pretty good day as long as you listen to mother nature!!!!!!!
Striper-
Stripers have been boiling out in the main lake on a frequent basis. Timing is the key. Early and late you're sure to see fish up popping around. Birds are your indicator. While not as extreme as years past; its definitely a good sign!
-Matt
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| Category: Fishing Reports |
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| Blog comments |
| Posted by mmagnone, 11/7/2012 08:09:46 PM |
In response to the people that had messaged me about my blogs, along with anyone who wishes to get into contact with me, please email me at matt@lastchancetackle.com"and i'll be more than happy to respond to you.
thanks,
matt
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| Category: Fishing Blog |
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| Fish Report- Diamond Valley Week of 10/28 |
| Posted by mmagnone, 11/6/2012 07:49:53 PM |
Fish Report Week of 10/28/2012
Diamond Valley
Bass-
Bass fishing has been a definite grind the past week. As conditions continue to change fishing has done the same. One day of cooler weather then the next two of warmth. Definite pain in the butt. Despite changing conditions, there's most definitely a few bites and they can be an extremely frustrating thing at that. Inland silversides are flooding the bank with fish following hot on their trail. Downsize your baits and think "dying" and you should be okay. Most guys are pounding bank with the shad baits and while some are doing fairly well, others are struggling. The larger fish don't want to expend any more energy than is absolutely necessary. As smaller fish gorge themselves blowing the doors off the bait balls, Larger fish are waiting below picking off leftovers. Why work your butt off to chase a bait when you can sit and have the food delivered to your face? Flukes, flashtrix and small darter headed plastics have been getting bit however I would focus more on a weightless approach.
Another bite you guys may want to focus on is the deeper jig bite. Although quality is still a gamble deep, there has been a steady pick on 1-3 pound fish down around the 25-40 ft range. Stick with the same colors as normal with a green pumpkin influence and you should be okay.
If all else fails you can always fall back on the dropshot bite. While boring indeed; it definitely puts fish in the boat. 4" Roboworm Orange Crusher and 4" Zoom Watermelon Candy trick worms have been doing well in the 25-40 ft depths. I've turned several of my customers onto this bite and they've been catching fish. Size of fish isn't there, but any fish is a fun fish if it's slow!
With loads upon loads of trout being dumped into the lake by both Department of Fish and Game and Mt Lassen, Bass have been gorging on trout. While the theory of too much bait is always a negative, bass are extremeley opportunistic. If they see something remotely the same size as the forage they're chewing ; they're gonna eat it. Use logic when throwing the plug right now. Match the size of trout, match the depth range and do your best to identify the cadence. Definitely a lot to handle in a limited time span.
Striper-
Stripers have been boiling out in the main lake on a frequent basis. Timing is the key. Early and late you're sure to see fish up popping around. Birds are your indicator. While not as extreme as years past; its definitely a good sign! Swimbaits have been doing fairly well for me in recent trips. With stripers, its a timing thing in a lot of instances. Locations is half the battle. Getting them to fully commit is the other. You can get deep swirled on just about every point on the lake right now. Getting them to fully commit is the hard part. Most of the fish I've been pulling have come on main lake points over top of 25' of water using glide baits.
Leadcore guys are still hammering away at them. If that's your style, pick your favorite fly and rip your arms off! I'm hearing from my buddies that the fly is limit style fishing.
-Matt
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| Category: Fishing Reports |
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| Fish Report- Diamond Valley Week of 10/21 |
| Posted by mmagnone, 10/28/2012 11:20:34 PM |
Fish Report Week of 10/21/2012
Diamond Valley
Bass-
Despite the common reports of a "slow bite" at Diamond Valley, fish have been showing in great numbers. Japanese pond smelt, Inland Silversides, baby bass and bluegill are up tight to cover causing the larger bass to take charge of these easy meal. Wolf packing bass are all up and down the shore lines and all around the lake. While wind and bait are in abundance, There have been little no boiling or busting fish persay, but there has been some fish break on the bank in smaller numbers. Lots of 1-3# class fish. The jig bite has been on from 20'-50' on both main and secondary points. Locate the wood and present the bait in a natural manner and you should be good. Stick with the midsize jig in 3/8-1/2oz in both green pumpkin and brown. Bass Patrol, Skinny Bear and Pepper Jigs have all been favorites of mine. Different brands and head shapes for different situations. As far as trailers go, stick with Reaction Innovations Sweet Beavers, Yamamoto Flappin' Hogs and Yamamoto 4" Twintail Hula grubs. Match the hatch with your color and you'll have a blast. Play around with your angles of retrieve and once you find it, keep with it. If the jig bite isn't your thing pick up the carolina rig. There's been a great 'Rig bite in 30' of water on outside structure. Zoom Baby Brush Hogs, in Watermelon Blk/Gold, Green Pumpkin Magic and Green Pumpkin Purple Gold Glitter getting bit. Play around with your color schemes until you get bit. For the big bait throwers out there, There's been a pretty descent swimbait bite but its all timing. If you're off; You're off. If you're on; You're on! Keep on moving down the bank and cover lots of water. Its all about angles! CL8 bait CB 7" in Light Trout, Huddleston and the 10" Triple Trout are my top picks.
Striper-
With recent stocks and the amount of bait up on the bank, the stripers have been showing in greater numbers. A few quality fish have been caught by about 10% of the anglers fishing for them. Pretty funny. Lots of bait, trout, wind.... and a lot of guys are still on the cut bait!
Put that stuff back in your freezer, grab some fish traps or hammers set up a troll or pound bank with them and get after it! There's enough life up right now for these to work. If the smaller swimbait isn't your game, grab some 3/16oz scrounger heads and get yourselves some Zoom Tiny Flukes in Green Albino and pound the banks and bird schools. Not a lot of busting fish up but enough stripers up in the water column for this stuff to work. If you're a die hard big bait guy, I've been doing pretty well on the glide baits. Something slow up high in the water column. TIme on the water is KEY! Nothing over 12 pounds for me this week.
Leadcore guys are still hammering away at them. If that's your style, pick your favorite fly and rip your arms off! I'm hearing from my buddies that the fly is limit style fishing.
-Matt
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| Category: Fishing Reports |
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| Control your controllable's |
| Posted by mmagnone, 10/28/2012 10:28:23 PM |
As trout stocks near and we all begin to think about sticking donkeys on the swimbait, there's one thing a lot of anglers overlook and that's their terminal tackle. By terminal tackle, I'm mainly referring to hooks, split rings, swivels and line. In the tackle shop, I hear it every day, guys bending swimbait hooks out or having split rings fail on them. It becomes a broken record mid Winter when people begin tangling in with big stripers and trophy largemouth. A lot can be avoided if we all take the proper time and care to control all our controllable s.
Here are a couple things I make sure to check the night before every trip and on any given day I'm out on the water.
Line-
I'm a little OCD when it comes to my fishing line. I have a tendency to re-spool every fishing trip sometimes even if the reel had not been fished. You just never know what could have happened during a day of fishing. Line resting against a hot seat,chipped guides, humid rod locker.... Yeah, yeah, yeah I'm a little nuts but the "What if's?" are the questions that separate an efficient angler from an angler who flirts with disaster. Now for all the "normal" people out there that change their line out on a monthly basis. Make sure you're running good fresh line. No fraying, kinking or burned areas. Keep your line at the max capacity to keep casting distance at a maximum. A full spool translates into a longer cast. On a longer cast you're able to be in the strike zone for longer periods of time. Being in an area where fish feed, that little extra time may get a few more followers to commit to the plug. Its pretty common sense. Think about it. We spend thousands of dollars on boats, rods, reels and swimbaits but the most critical link between the fish and us, we skimp on. $20-$30 compared to $30k. Makes no sense at all. Change your line if needed and don't take any chances. Very cheap investment.
Hooks-
When it comes to hooks, you're gonna have guys that favor premium and those that favor generic. Each one has its perks and each
its disadvantages. Certain baits work better with a hook of heavier gauge wire whereas other baits with that same hook end up killing the swimbaits natural action. There's A LOT to it, but I'll save that for a later discussion. Whichever hook you do choose to go with, its extremely important to take proper care in making sure you're running on all cylinders. Make sure they're always sharp. If you think about it, on the end of a long cast with lets say a Huddleston ROF 12, allowing that bait to sink out, you're going to have a ton of line out and a lot to pick up before you're in direct contact with your bait. Say you get bit on your first direction change. With that much line out can you tell me with 100% certainty that you'll be able to wind down, sweep and successfully put your hooks into that fish all in a matter of seconds? I highly doubt it. Now think back to all those trips where you have lethargic fish that barely commit to a bait. The trips where you almost have to force feed them. With fish that have little to no commitment, your trap hook can be the deciding factor between getting bit and not. Running a dull or flattened hook point could cost you a win or even a fish of a lifetime. Control all your controllable s. Make sure you're running an adequate hook in regards to wire gauge, size of hook in relation to bait and proper color and you'll most definitely be successful. Keep it basic and keep yourself efficient.
Split rings snaps and swivels-
When it comes to these little guys, use a little logic. If you start seeing your swivels, or split rings bending, rusting or opening up on you; change them. If your snap is starting to open or you've opened or closed it one too many times; change it. Like I said before. Its a very small price to pay in the whole grand scheme of things. I do however find myself swapping crosslock snaps a lot more frequently than the other two. Opening and closing the snap tends to weaken them. I've had failure in the past and definitely force myself to change them out every 10 trips while under heavy use and a little longer if used infrequently. Think about bending single strand wire back and forth. Its only a matter of time before it breaks.
Hopefully this quick little crash course helps you become more efficient and prevents any failure in your system. I can go very into detail with each of the above topics and break them down to specifics but figured this would be enough to get you guys on the right track.
-Matt |
| Category: Fishing Blog |
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| Daiwa Lexa 300? |
| Posted by mmagnone, 10/19/2012 11:16:14 PM |
As many of you know, I've been involved with tackle shops from an early age and in doing so, obviously had the opportunity to fish just about every rod and reel available to the general fishing public. I'll always be one of the first to get a new reel when it hits the market provided it suits my need and interest. On the swimbait scene, I started out throwing old 5 and 6 thousand series ambassadeurs back in '95 '96. They were good, but lacked a little balls on the retrieve and cast. they still taught me a lot and anything learned is knowledge gained! I've been loyal to shimano for the last few years. I started out with the calcutta 400's back in '99 i think then graduated to the cte's when they were introduced later on, dont hold it against me if I'm wrong, but I think it was '01/'02? been through the evolution of swimbaits from almost the beginning of their second coming putting in a lot of mileage. To sum it up in a reel, I want: comfortability, gear ratio, castability and line capacity.
It sounds like I'm asking a lot, but to throw the big plugs accurately and efficiently, an angler would be foolish not to consider these.
When we got the first shipment in, the reel was a lot smaller than I thought. Smaller in the hand but retained A LOT of line capacity with its deeper spool. Holding 240yds of 40# braid and two seperate gear ratios, this reel definitely opens doors for both fresh and saltwater applications. When I first laid eyes on it I knew I had to try and "break" it especially at its $199 price tag. Well, several months deep into use on TWO seperate Lexa's ; Absolutely no problems whatsoever. Sold.
I've thrown everything from a 5" Decoy Hydra tail on a 30#/15# rig, the full Cl8 Bait line up all the way to a 10" Triple Trout with 70# Daiwa Samurai having no problems whatsoever.
Over all I'm not gonna tell you it's better than a Daiwa Pluton or Black Sheep, a Shimano TE or Conquest or a Megabass Ito, but I will tell you it definitely holds a place amongst the more budget priced reels on the market. A lot of power and performance in its small package.
I strongly recommend checking these things out. Very good investment at a cheaper price!
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| Category: Fishing Blog |
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| Bring it on! |
| Posted by mmagnone, 10/19/2012 10:16:27 PM |
Hey guys, as I begin to blog, please feel free to send any questions or comments my way and I'll be more than happy to answer through email or various ways through the website. Keep in mind, all comments will need to be approved by the administration so please keep them on topic and good mannered. Check back often as I'll be writing frequently. I appreciate all your support.
Thanks guys!
-Matt
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| Category: Fishing Blog |
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| Matt Magnone, Blogs/Video Introduction |
| Posted by WWaller, 9/6/2012 04:56:07 PM |
Hey guys, this is Matt from Last Chance Bait and Tackle as well as lastchancetackle.com. I want to thank you for visiting this part of the website. This will be the first of a series of entries deciphering the tips and techniques that have made myself as well as others better fisherman. In addition to informative writings, blogs and video instruction, as new products make their way to the market, my goal is to break down each new item showing you the pro's. cons and all around nitty gritty others dare not talk about.
In a sport with constant evolution, information tends to gets lost in the dark. My goal is to bring it to light.
As always, we thank you for your business and look forward to helping you become better anglers.
-Matt Magnone |
| Category: Fishing Blog |
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