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Bassin & Bad Decisions, Sanford, FL (2025)

07/22/2025

RIP Ozzy!!

07/18/2025

ICAST 2025 is packed with exciting new gear, and we’ve been keeping an eye on all the fresh drops.

Our top pick so far? The Rapala Claptail 110 — this bait looks solid, and we can’t wait to tie it on and give it a real test.

From lifelike soft plastics to next-level swimbaits and everything in between, this year’s lineup has something for every style of angler.

👉 What’s your favorite new product from ICAST 2025?
Drop it in the comments — we want to hear what you’re most excited to try!

07/17/2025

Good morning bassin and bad decision crew! Todays focus is:

Bank Fishing in July: Sweaty, Slimy, and Totally Worth It

Let’s be honest—July bank fishing is a full-contact sport. It’s hot. The kind of hot where your sunscreen is sweating off before you open the bottle. Whether you’re roasting in Georgia, getting toasted in Texas, or sweating it out in Illinois, the theme is the same: high temps, low patience, and bass that ain’t where they used to be. But don’t hang up the rods just yet. July bank fishing is very much alive—you just gotta know when to throw, where to go, and what to chuck.

So let’s break down what’s working for the Bassin and Bad Decisions crew this month, especially for those of us too broke for a boat and too proud for a pier.

Midday Mayhem: Chunky Baits for Aggro Bass

Alright, it’s 95 degrees, you’re sweating like a catfish in a skillet, and the bass? They’re either hugging the shade or lurking near bream beds like creepers at a backyard barbecue. This is the time to break out the big ol’ baits.

What to look for from the bank:
• Shady overhangs
• Grass lines or w**d mats
• Brush piles near the shallows
• Docks or seawalls (with structure, not just a fancy boat)

What we’re throwing:
• Big-bodied swimbaits that look like injured bream
• Slow-wobble wake baits over shallow flats
• Jointed glide baits near ambush points

Bank Tip: Focus on the back ends of creeks and pockets. That’s where the bluegill are doing their business, and where the bass are staging like freeloaders at an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Bank Fishing After Dark: Where the Magic Happens

When the sun dips and the frogs start tuning up, it’s go time. July nights are a gift to bank anglers—you can beat the heat and still beat the bass.

Best night spots from shore:
• Dock edges with lights
• Retaining walls near shallow flats
• Channel swings and creek mouths
• Anywhere the bugs are thick (bass follow the buffet)

What we’re chuckin’:
• Black buzzbaits that sound like a w**d whacker on steroids
• Thumpin’ spinnerbaits with oversized blades
• Ribbon-tail worms or creature baits dragged slow and steady
• Small swimbaits or shaky heads under the dock lights

Bank Tip: You don’t need fancy electronics—just watch the water. If you see baitfish flickering under a light, toss something that looks like a midnight snack with attitude.

Find the Flow: Moving Water = Moving Bass

Current is your best friend in July—especially when you’re landlocked. If you find moving water, you’ve found a highway of cooler temps, better oxygen, and confused baitfish.

Where to find it:
• Spillways and dam outflows
• Creeks flowing into lakes or ponds
• Culverts and roadside ditches after a good rain

What we’re pitching:
• Topwater walking baits for aggressive ambush strikes
• Slim profile swimbaits and paddletails
• Underspins and weighted flukes if it’s deeper or more turbulent

Bank Tip: Bass will post up downstream of current breaks—rocks, logs, even a garbage bag stuck in the w**ds—waiting for bait to roll in. That’s your money zone.

Bank Fishing Survival Guide – July Edition

Let’s not sugarcoat it: July bank fishing is gritty. Here’s how to not die trying:
• Hydrate like you’re prepping for a desert hike
• Bug spray is not optional unless you like donating blood to horseflies
• Wear sun gear, even if it looks like you’re cosplaying as a beekeeper
• Take breaks in the shade, especially if you’re fishing long hours
• Fish early or late, unless your name is Sir Sunstroke the Third

Bonus Beginner Breakdown: Why These Lures Work

Big Baits (Day): Bass are visual predators. When bluegill are shallow and spawning, they get aggressive. You’re mimicking a big, slow-moving meal that’s either wounded or cocky. Either way, bass can’t resist bullying it.

Black Baits (Night): The silhouette is key. Bass don’t need light to eat—they feel vibrations and spot dark shapes moving above. Black buzzbaits and worms show up loud and proud against a moonlit backdrop.

Moving Water Lures: In current, bass don’t have time to overthink. Keep it natural and moving—they’re reacting fast and hitting hard.

Just because the sun’s trying to cook your brain doesn’t mean the bite’s dead. July bass are still out there—fat, aggressive, and just a little bit lazy.

Let’s see those July catches!!!

06/19/2025

Good morning Bassin and Bad Decisions Crew
TODAY’S FOCUS: The Carolina Rig

If you’re bank beatin’ or fishing deep points from a kayak or boat and the bass ain’t reacting to faster stuff—it’s time to slow drag a Carolina rig and get sneaky with it. This rig is built to crawl, stall, and draw bites from pressured fish or lazy lunkers laying low.

WHAT IT IS:
A Carolina rig is a slow-rolled ambush artist. It lets your soft plastic float behind a sliding weight, giving bass that subtle “I’m-just-a-stupid-crawfish” look they can’t resist. It’s like giving them steak on a string.

SETUP SPECS
🔹 Rod:
7’3” to 7’6” MH or H Fast Action rod
(Something with backbone to move that weight and set the hook at distance)

🔹 Reel:
6.4:1 or 7.1:1 baitcaster – you’re not burning it, you’re sweeping and pausing

🔹 Main Line:
15–20 lb fluorocarbon or 30–50 lb braid
(Fluoro if you want stealth; braid for feel and sensitivity)

🔹 Leader:
12–15 lb fluorocarbon
Length: 18” to 36” depending on cover and fish mood

🔹 Weight:
1/2 to 1 oz tungsten or lead bullet weight
(Go heavier in wind, current, or deep water)

🔹 Bead & Swivel:
Plastic or glass bead + barrel swivel = noise and knot protection

🔹 Hook & Bait:
3/0 to 5/0 offset worm hook + soft plastic creature (Brush Hog, Speed Craw, Lizard, or even a trick worm)

WHEN & WHERE TO THROW IT:
✅ Post-frontal conditions when bass are spooky
✅ Offshore points, humps, channel swings, and ledges
✅ Sparse grass edges, rock transitions, and shell beds
✅ Anywhere you need to feel the bottom and want that bait to look natural in open water

HOW TO FISH IT:
1️⃣ Cast it long – give yourself room to sweep
2️⃣ Let it hit bottom – count it down
3️⃣ Sweep the rod sideways slowly, then pause
4️⃣ Watch for ticks or that “mushy” feel – that’s a bass trying to sneak your bait away

PRO TIP:
If the bite’s tough, downsize your bait or go longer on your leader. If they’re aggressive, try a more active plastic like a Rage Craw.

🗣️ QUESTION FOR Y’ALL:
What’s your confidence bait on a Carolina rig?
Comment below 👇

06/17/2025

Good Morning Bassin and Bad Decisions Crew Today’s Focus: The Underspin.

If you ain’t throwin’ an underspin with a paddle tail this time of year, you’re missing easy money bites. This rig’s like the Swiss Army knife of swimbaits—flashy, wobbly, and built to get hammered when the bite’s tough or fish are chillin’ mid-column.

Why It Slaps:
✅ Flash & Vibration = Calls ‘em in from a distance
✅ Paddle tail = Looks like a baitfish running for its life
✅ Versatile AF – burn it, creep it, yo-yo it, or pendulum it

When & Where to Throw It:
• 🔹 Cooler water temps or cloudy days
• 🔹 Suspended bass in clear/stained water
• 🔹 Working deeper breaks or outside grass lines
• 🔹 Skimming just over submerged cover (don’t get greedy with the depth)

Rod + Reel Setup (Bank Be**er Style):
• Rod: 7’0”–7’3” MH Fast (sensitive tip, strong backbone – think reaction bites)
• Reel: 6.4:1 to 7.1:1 baitcaster – slow roll or crank it up, you’ve got control
• Line: 12–15lb Fluoro (or 30lb braid to 12lb fluoro leader if around junk)

Pro Tips (Don’t Skip These):
• Super glue that trailer to the head so you’re not tossing $6 swimbaits every third cast
• Match the hatch—shad colors kill in clearer water, go darker in mud
• Play with retrieve speed—slow it when it’s cold, burn it when they’re fired up
• Use that pendulum retrieve off ledges and breaklines—let it swing and let it sing

Top Underspins to Try:
• Dirty Jigs Tactical Bassin’
• Owner Flashy Swimmer (if you’re going w**dless)
• Gamakatsu Underspin Head

Let’s hear it—who’s throwin’ underspins this week? Drop your favorite trailer combo below ⬇️

📸 Tag us with your underspin slay shots and we’ll feature your catch!

06/12/2025

Who can relate!!

06/11/2025

Good morning Bassin and Bad Decisions Crew. Today’s focus is:

Does it matter which side you go through the eye on an EWG hook when Texas rigging?

Yep — it can.

When you run your line through the eye from the front (point side) and tie your knot, that’s the standard and most common method. But…

If you run it from the back (bend side) and tie your knot, you can change how the hook moves and behaves — especially during the hookset.

Here’s why it might matter:

✅ Hook Set Angle & Leverage
• Tying from the front helps the hook rotate more naturally into the fish’s mouth during a hookset. It aligns better with the natural direction of force.
• Tying from the back can sometimes reduce hook pe*******on or cause the hook to pivot less effectively — especially on an EWG where the gap is tighter.

✅ Snell Knots & Straight Shanks
• If you’re using a snell knot on a straight shank hook (not an EWG), direction absolutely matters. Running the line through the front causes the hook to “kick” upward into the roof of the bass’s mouth on the hookset. That’s why flippers and punchers swear by it.

✅ Knot Type Also Affects Action
• A loop knot (like a Rapala or non-slip loop) gives a soft plastic more freedom to move — but it’s not great for Texas rigs.
• A palomar or improved clinch (what most people use on an EWG) gives better strength and control, and does best when tied from front to back through the eye.

✅ Final Take (Tell Your Buddies This):

For Texas rigging with an EWG hook:

Always run your line through the eye from the front (point side) before tying.
It gives better hookset geometry and keeps the bait aligned properly on the hook path.

Going in from the back? That’s how you miss fish and blame your rod later.

💬 Drop your comments on any tips or tricks you have?

06/08/2025

Good morning Bassin and Bad Decisions Crew

TODAY’S FOCUS: PICKING THE RIGHT BANK SPOT — READ THE BANK, STACK THE ODDS
If you’re just casting into open water because it “feels fishy,” you’re not fishing — you’re hoping.
Let’s fix that. Here’s how to actually pick a high-percentage bank spot using simple cues that even a blindfolded bass could recognize.

1. SHORELINE COVER = BASS REAL ESTATE

Brush, laydowns, rocks, or grass — bass live where they can ambush, hide, and snack. If the spot looks messy, gnarly, and snaggy… it’s probably money.

Clean, bare bank? Keep walking unless it’s got deep water or current nearby.

Hit Points and Pockets: Outside bends, corners, and anything irregular. Bass love transitions.

2. WIND-BLOWN BANKS = DELIVERY SERVICE FOR DINNER

Wind pushes baitfish toward the shore. That ruffled water on the windward side? That’s where the buffet is.

Fish the side the wind is blowing into, not blowing away from. It stirs up prey, breaks up visibility, and keeps you from fishing a dead zone.

3. SHADE = BASS SUNGLASSES

On hot or sunny days, bass hunker in the shadows like hungover vampires.
Look for overhanging trees, docks, bridges, or shaded sides of banks (especially east-facing ones in the afternoon).

Target that thin shadow line right at the edge. Bass will be right there waiting to strike.

4. FOLLOW THE BAIT = FOLLOW THE BITE

If you see flickering minnows, schools of shad, or bluegill sunbathing, don’t move.
Watch where they’re gathered — especially near structure or shade. And if they scatter suddenly, something’s chasing them.
No bait? Probably no bass.

BONUS TIP: USE YOUR EARS AND EYES

Listen for pops and slaps. Bait getting busted = active predators.
Watch the water for swirls or wakes. That’s bass movement. Or that one duck that keeps ruining your life.

👊 FINAL WORD: Don’t waste time fan-casting random water. Read the bank like it owes you money — because that’s where your next big bass is hiding.

💬 DROP A COMMENT:
What’s the first thing YOU look for from the bank?
Cover, wind, bait, or shade?

06/07/2025

GOOD MORNING YOU RECKLESS ANGLERS
From the bank but still crankin’. Snuck in a few casts before the world woke up and guess what?

Still holdin’ strong in 8th place for the Red Clay Stray / Summer Slam! That’s right — out here in the dirt, slingin’ jigs from the bank, holdin’ it down against all the decked-out kayaks and glitter-boat crews. Just heart, hustle, and a tackle box full of bad decisions.

💬 Who else got after it this morning? Drop a 🎣 if you beat the sun to the water.

06/06/2025

Good morning Bassin and Bad Decisions Crew Today’s Focus is:

LINE MATTERS MORE THAN YOU THINK
Mono vs Fluoro vs Braid — When to Use What (Without Overthinking It)
From the reckless minds at Bassin & Bad Decisions

Let’s break it down, because too many folks are out here matching $30 jigs with the wrong damn line. Here’s your cheat sheet for picking the right line from the bank — no fluff, just facts (and maybe a little sass).

🟦 MONOFILAMENT — The Friendly Workhorse

Use When:
✅ Throwing topwater (frogs, poppers, walkers)
✅ Fishing crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and jerkbaits
✅ You want some stretch to help keep fish pinned with treble hooks
✅ Fishing Florida ponds with clear water and some vegetation

Why It Works:
It floats – perfect for keeping topwater baits from nose-diving
Adds cushion to your hooksets (great for beginners)
Less visible than braid in some water

Mono Myth:
No, it’s not outdated. It’s just not sexy. But if you’re bank fishing topwater in Florida? It’s clutch.

🟫 FLUOROCARBON — The Stealth Assassin

Use When:
✅ Fishing clear water where bass can inspect your line
✅ Throwing finesse rigs (Ned rigs, dropshots, neko)
✅ Targeting bottom structure or deeper fish
✅ Fishing around rocks, docks, and nasty cover

Why It Works:
Nearly invisible underwater (bass don’t even see it coming)
Sensitive – you’ll feel that d**k sniff your bait
Tough as nails – resists abrasion
Sinks – gets your bait down faster and stays down

Fluoro Flop:
🚫 Not for topwater – it sinks and ruins the action
🚫 Not ideal if you need a lot of stretch or forgiveness

🟩 BRAIDED LINE — The Savage Rope

Use When:
✅ Fishing in grass, pads, or wood
✅ Punching, frogging, or flipping
✅ Casting a mile from the bank
✅ Working baits through thick slop where mono would cry

Why It Works:
Cuts through vegetation like a machete
Super sensitive – you’ll feel bass breathing on your bait
Strong – pull tanks out of the jungle
Floats – perfect for topwater with strength behind it

Power Tip:
Pair braid with a fluoro leader if you’re finesse fishing or need low visibility at the business end.

💬 LET’S HEAR IT — DROP A COMMENT:

🔘 Are you team Mono, Fluoro, or Braid?
🔘 What’s your go-to line setup from the bank?
🔘 Ever lost a fish ‘cause you picked the wrong line?

06/05/2025

TODAY’S FOCUS: CASTING JIGS – BANK ANGLER’S HEAVYWEIGHT HITTER
from the misfit minds at Bassin and Bad Decisions

If you’re not slinging a casting jig, you’re probably just decorating the bottom of the lake with dreams and missed hooksets. This bad boy isn’t finesse—it’s business. Let’s break it down so even your cousin Chad with a Zebco can get tight.

WHAT IS IT?
A casting jig is your all-purpose, cover-busting, bass-hunting weapon. It’s meant to be dragged, hopped, or swum through just about any situation where bass are lurking.

HOW TO FISH IT (WITHOUT LOOKING LOST):
🔹 Hop It: Pop your rod tip to make it jump like a baitfish in panic mode.
🔹 Drag It: Crawl it slow across rock, gravel, or the souls of scared baitfish.
🔹 Swim It: Cast and reel with a steady retrieve—like a swimbait, but meaner.

PRO TIP:
Pause after each movement and let it fall. That’s when the big ones commit.

WHEN & WHERE TO THROW IT:
✅ Around rocks, brush piles, laydowns, docks, and deeper ledges.
✅ In cooler months, slow it way down.
✅ In warmer temps, get aggressive with the hops and swims.
✅ Use heavier jigs when there’s current or you’re fishing deeper structure.

SETUP FOR SUCCESS:
Rod: 7’1” – 7’4” Medium Heavy to Heavy Fast action
Reel: 7.1:1 baitcaster (fast enough to pick up slack, slow enough to control)
Line: 15–17 lb Fluorocarbon (for sensitivity and abrasion resistance)

👊 BEGINNER TIP:
Feel the bottom. If you’re not feeling gravel, rock, or cover—move. Bass hang where they can ambush.

NOW YOUR TURN:
Drop your go-to casting jig color in the comments.
🗣️ What’s your confidence retrieve?
Tag your buddy who needs to stop dragging a frog through 20 feet of water and teach them about the jig life.

06/04/2025

June Bait Loadout – What We’re Slingin’ This Month

Alright hooligans, June’s here — water temps are rising, bass are moody, and if you’re not adapting, you’re just feeding the bluegill.

Here’s what we’re throwin’ and how to actually fish it so you ain’t just out there donating lures to the lake gods.

Soft Plastics
You can never go wrong with the classics:
• Colors: Green Pumpkin, Junebug, Watermelon Red, Black
• How to rig:
• Texas Rig for thick grass or wood — w**dless and deadly.
• Carolina Rig for deeper points and ledges when fish move off beds.
• When to throw: Anytime you need a bite. Works all day. Slow it down when the sun’s cookin’.

Tip: Feel a tick? Reel down, set the hook like you mean it.

Crankbaits
• Color: Sexy Shad, Chartreuse Blue Back for dirtier water
• Where: Deeper edges of points, shell bars, and ledges
• Retrieve: Steady with pauses – bounce it off rocks to p**s off big girls

Topwater Mayhem (Early Mornin’ & Cloudy Carnage)
• Walking Baits: Twitch-twitch-pause… BOOM
• Poppers: Great around bluegill beds and shaded cover
• Frogs: Muck, pads, thick nastiness — toss it where your buddy says “you’ll never get that back”
Tip: Wait till you feel the weight before setting the hook or you’ll be swinging at ghosts.

Swimbaits
• Style: Paddle tails, line-throughs, or w**dless rigs
• Match the hatch: If baitfish are around, it’s time to throw meat
• Where: Points, open water, outside grass lines

Tip: Don’t be scared of slow retrieves. Big bass ain’t chasing track stars.

Football Jigs
• Color: Brown/green, PB&J
• Trailer: Chunk-style for thump
• When: After you’ve hit a spot with cranks or plastics and think it’s dried up

Tip: Drag it. Don’t hop it. Let that skirt do the seduction.

Spinnerbaits, Squarebills, and Drop Shots – Early Month Specials
• Best on overcast, breezy days or right after a storm
• Drop shot gets deadly when the sun’s up and bass are lazy

June Bass Tips for the Chaos Crew

Depth Check: Fish move deeper midday — don’t be scared to follow ‘em
Color Match: Clear water = natural colors; muddy water = bold, bright
Slow the Hell Down: Hot water makes bass grumpy. Drag, pause, soak it.

What’s been your kill-shot bait so far this June? Drop it in the comments

Bassin & Bad Decisions

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