Randy Blaukat

Full time tournament professional based in Missouri. Randy has been a professional for over 25 years and is regarded as one of the top anglers on tour that has never won a major tour event. Randy is one of the seniors of the sport and has a wealth of knowledge.

Randy recently started a new/separate YouTube channel focused on teaching the basics. Check it out at The Fishing Teacher.

Randy is an outspoken voice in conservation and environmental issues surrounding fishing. Randy is one of the few professionals we know who offers personal on the water lessons and does custom lake map breakdowns with Jonny Schultz and Matt Stefan over on Fish The Moment. He is an original Megabass pro and has a partnership with a local tackle company BaitWrx in Springfield, MO. We have shopped at BaitWrx and it's a great store with a massive selection of Megabass tackle!

Randy is the most prolific YouTube fishing professional we follow with twice daily posts. Yes...Daily. He also is not afraid to cover potentially divisive topics that need to be addressed. Love him or hate him, he makes you think.

Randy Blaukat has monthly gear recommendation videos not included below

These 3 Rods will Handle All of Your Bass Fishing Needs

• Megabass "Flipping Stick" Baitcaster - Heavy/Big Baits
• Megabass "Perfect Pitch" Baitcaster - 7'2" Medium - All Around Rod
• Megabass "Whipsnake" Spinning - 6'11" Light

How to Correctly Oil a Baitcast Reel

• Prefer Lucas Oil Fishing Reel Oil
• Helps if you take the line off
• Reel handles need a little - spin them
• Lub the push button - it gets used a lot
• Lub the line guide gear
• Remove the spool and lube the spindle hole on both sides
• Lub the spindle itself

Why Matching the Hatch is a Myth in Bass Fishing

• It simply does not work for bass. May work for trout and other fish.
• What is important is determining bait color by water clarity
• Needs to stand out and also blend in...it's about being subtle

How Electronic Technology is Destroying The Magic

• Creates an unlevel playing field in tournaments
• Costs a minimum of $20,000 to compete
• You can see the fish like a video game...no mystery
• Fishing and nature is a healing activity
• We need the unknowns and the magic of nature to heal
• Technology is an insult

Why You Should Never use a Hotfoot on Your Boat

• Your back will thank you later in life - you can sit differently
• Your right hand can control your motor better than your foot
• Pressing down on the hotfoot on a long run is physically demanding

Jerkbait Rods...95% of all anglers use the wrong one

• If you are not using a spinning rod you are doing it wrong
• Only the spinning rod can impart the action and rythm you need
• Your can cast 25% further with a spinning rod
• You can use a lighter line - reaching deeper depths

Jonny Morris/Bass Pro Shops...Good or Bad For Fishing?

• Jonny the man
  • Great respect. Leader in conservation.
  • Created opportunities for people to engage with nature
• Jonny the business
  • schrewed
  • some controversial decisions

The Demise of Table Rock Lake?

• Too much uncontrolled development and recreational traffic...
  • Destroying the asthetics
  • Destroying the lake as a fishery
  • Destroying the water quality

The 3 Reasons Grand Lake Now Sucks

• Where I caught my first fish - I love this lake
• The Wolf Creek fishing tournament facility...
  • Is enabling the destruction of the lake as a fishery
  • Unrelenting high quality professional pressure
• Over development and shallow habitat destruction
• Need a drastic limit to the tournaments
• Need a sustainable tournament schedule

The Crisis At Lake Mead Should Concern Every Bass Angler

• Historic lowest water levels
• Severe drought due to climate change
• Demand for water in Arizona and California
• Solutions exist - but majority is not willing to support them
• Not optimistic that a solution can be found

How To Fish A Jig...For Beginning Anglers

• Rocks and anywhere crawdads live is great for jigs
3 Main Ways
• 1. Cast and hop it back to you
• 2. Make a long cast and swim it
• 3. Pitching it over objects

Jigs vs Soft Plastics...How do you chose?

• You need both. There is no if/then.
• Jigs are always better than soft plastics if they will bite it
• No jig bite then switch to texas rigged soft plastics

95% Of All Bass Anglers Don’t Known The Best Jig Colors

• Jig color should match the jig trailer
• Black/Blue = bushes and wood
• Black/Chartreuse = spring cold water around rocks or shallow docks in dirty water
• Brown/Orange = pre-spawn around rocks
• Solid Brown = cool water lay downs

How To Spool Fluorocarbon Line Correctly On A Spinning Reel

• Braid to fluorocarbon is over rated and not necessary
• Prefer Seaguar Invizx
• Buy the 1000yrd spools so less coil memory
• Leave backing on the reel and new spool 100 yards
• Use a tub of water for the spool to sit in
• Use heavy tension when reeling
• Don't put on too much line - about 1/8 of inch lip gap

You’ll Never Rig A Fluke The Same After Watching This...

• Resembles a minnow
• Rigging is finicky to get proper action
• Most use an EWG hook thru the belly slit...not best
• Tie a swivel w\ 12inch leader
• Straight shank 3O hook
• Thread entire hook along the back with hook point down in slit

Muddy Water…These 3 Tips Will Double Your Success Rate…

• Cold = Large Jig that pushes water and is slow and dark
• Cold = Big spinner with big single blade
• Warm - Texas rigged creature bait
• Warm - Squarebill crank or chatter bait
• Hot - Squarebill crank
• Hot - Small spinner with double willow

The Only 3 Rods A Bass Angler Needs

• 6ft-10in Medium Action Spinning Rod
• 7ft-2in Medium Heavy Action Spinning Rod
• [unspecified] Baitcaster Rod

Most Bass Anglers Don’t Know THIS About Spinnerbait Trailers

• No trailer when fast and high
• No trailer when finesse
• No trailer when slow deep
• Twisty tail for shallow slow
• Big swimbait for big profile

Do you understand the differences in Spinnerbait blades?

• Double Willow is most common
• Colorado - puts out vibration/thump
  • Good for dirty water
  • keeps bait up/raising
  • good for slow retrieve
• Willow - less thump and fishes deeper
  • Need to use a quick retrieve
  • Better for clear water

The Top 3 Megabass Jerkbait Colors Every Angler Needs In Their Box…

• Water Clarity determines color
• Dirty Water = French Pearl
• Sorta Clear = Sexy Shad / Solid Colors
• Gin Clear = Pro Blue / Translucent

Pro Secrets For Using The Correct Spinnerbait Blades

• Very Large 7 or 8 size Willow leaf for pre-spawn slow rolling
• Very Large 7 or 8 size Colorado leaf for cool dirty water
• # 5 Willow leaf is the workhorse
• # 3 Willow leaf during fall or for a small profile
• # 6 Colorado leaf for night or muddy water
• Colored blades for smallmouth or dirty water

A 40 Minute Seminar On How Weather Affects Bass

• Once water is below 48F...might as well quit

• Partial to cloudy skies with southern wind go shallow power baits
• Sunny days - go big jig flipping and pitching

• Leave bedding fish alone you ass

• Bad weather days are best
• Bass will want to relate to some kind of cover

• Typically the toughest period to fish
• Weather means nothing during this period
• The bass have committed to what they have chosen, either deep or shallow

• Weather makes a huge difference
• Overcast days fish shallow, either moving bait in open or ambush bait around structure
• Good weather days fish deep

The Most Detailed Fishing Line Video On YouTube

Most Dudes Use The Wrong Jig Size...

• One of the most difficult baits to fish correctly
• Three main sizes: 1/4oz, 3/8oz and 5/8oz
• 1/4oz in dirty cool water - want a slow fall
• 3/8oz most popular but better to use one of the other sizes
• 5/8oz best all around

How To Rig Up A Texas Rigged Worm

• Use a 'slip sinker' (it's hollow in the middle)
• Use an Extra Wide Gap (EWG) hook
• 'nose hook' the worm about 1/4" of an inch
• Put the hook through the worm
• Make sure the worm is straight
• Skin hook the worm with the point of the hook
• (optional) Use a toothpick to 'peg' the weight

The 3 Types Of Fishing Line

• Monofilament: Cheapest, has a lot of stretch, so good for short hook sets but bad for long hook sets
• Fluorocarbon: Diameter of the line is 50% less than Mono. Harder for fish to see. Less stretch than Mono. Most popular line for pros.
• Braided: No stretch, super strong

How To Choose The Correct Plastic Worm Color

• Dark - Low Light conditions or dirty water
  • June Bug or Purple
• Natural - Bright sky conditions or clear water
  • Green Pumpkin or Watermelon

How To Pick The Right Skirt Color

• Silicon material has wider color range
• Live Rubber material is more realistic
• If water is dirty use a bright color for flash or a very dark color (for silhouette)
• If water is clear use a natural color like brown

How To Rig And Fish A Ned Rig

• Light line spinning rod
• Twitch it off the bottom
• Use a 1/16oz ned rig specific hook
• Cut of 1-1/2 inch of a basic stick bait
• Hook from the nose into the middle

How To Fish Topwater Lures

• More bites on clear water
• Dirty water use a noisy bait
• More production on low light days

The Most Important Skill Beginning Anglers Must Learn...

• Learn to cast well
• Practice in your yard at targets
• Cast right and left handed
• Use different weight lures

85% Of Anglers Can’t Pick The Correct Crankbait <b>BACK</b> Color...

1. Black = Low Light
2. Blue = Muddy Water
3. Chartreuse = Dirty Water / Dark Day
4. Translucent = Clear Water
5. Green = Summer time Perch

How To Fish A Jig...

• Has a weed guard to protect hook point in cover
• Lighter jig for shallower water
• Heavier jig for deeper water
• Dirty water use a dark color
• Clear water use brown/green
• Almost always use a trailer to make it look like a crawfish

How And When To Fish A Lipless Crankbait

• Primary value is it has a loud rattle
• Used for a 'reaction' strike
• Should be fished fairly fast
• <50F water temp fish towards the bottom
• >50F just toss it out and reel fast
• Best during windy days

How To Fish A Spinnerbait

• One of the oldest baits
• The blades "spin" causing vibration & flash
• Round blades are called Colorado
• Oval/Leaf shaped blades are called Willow
• Bight colors for low visibility water
• Subtle colors for high visibility water
• Use a reel, pause, reel, pause technique

How To Rig And Fish A Swimbait

• Good for all species fishing
• Most have a "boot tail" that cause the bait to wobble
• Rig it with a 1/8oz jig head
• Hook through the head and carefully straight down the middle
• Usually fished with a spinning reel
• Cast it out and let it go to the bottom and reel slow...or...
• Cast it out and immediately reel back slowly

Summer Paddletail Swimbaits...Size/Rigging/Technique Secrets

• 5" Big = 1/2oz-3/4oz jig head and for deep structure
• 4" Medium = 1/4oz jig head for suspended fish
• 3" Small = 1/8oz jig head - great for smallmouth
• Mostly use the 3" size

When To Use Junebug-Colored Soft Plastics

• Typically a purple with some green flake
• When water Visibility is fairly good but not great (1ft to 2ft)
• When water Color is clear or tannic (like in Florida)

The 6 Best Soft Fluke Colors

• Cream/Albino for low light or stained water
• Watermellon for grass or tannic water
• Cream/Albino with flake for low light
• Baby Bass with bright light and clear water
• Shiner/Shad with bright light and clear water

Don’t Waste Your Money On Unnecessary Soft Plastic Colors

• Black for shallow dirty water or low light days
• Watermelon with flake for everything
• Junebug for clear to pretty clear water that isn't dirty/muddy
• Green Pumpkin for everything

Crankbait Colors...Simple 3-Step Method For Picking The Best Ones

• Flat Finish for low light conditions or dirty water
• Metallic Finish for windy/partly cloudy conditions in dirty water
• Translucent for calm and bright conditions and clean water

An Introduction To Crankbaits

• Small lip means it runs shallow
• Bigger lip means it runs deeper
• It wobbles as it dives - but not all baits wobble the same
• All sorts of colors - primarily choose based on the fish they are eating

How To Rig And Select A Jig Trailer

• Hook it through the end for bigger profile
• Thread it onto the shank of the hook for smaller profile
• Match the trailer color to the skirt color
• Dirtier the water the darker the trailer color

Crawdad Or Shad Colored Chatterbait?...(Here’s How You Decide)

• Shad when...
  • water clarity is under 2ft
  • water temp is cold in spring or warm in summer
• Crawdad when...
  • water clarity is over 2ft
  • Shad is not clearly better

A 22 Minute Chatterbait Seminar!...

• Use either 3/8oz or 1/2oz....prefer 3/8oz
• Only need shad color or crawdad color skirts
• ~4" swimbait for shad trailer
• ~4" craw flapper trailer
• Trim down the skirt
• Blade color is immaterial
• >7ft-6" rod \w medium action and 15lb test flouro
• Don't set the hook, just pull back

How To Rig Up A Texas Rigged Worm

• Slip sinker (looks like a bullet)...pointy end towards the reel not the hook
• Tie on an Extra Wide Gap (EWG) hook...usually 3/0
• Hook 1/4 inch of the worm
• Spin the hook around
• Bunch up the worm and hook straight through the worm
• Skin hook the point into the worm
• Peg the sinker if around heavy cover

Choosing Soft Plastic Colors...The Myths And Reality All Anglers Should Know

• Black when water visibility is less than 6 inches or gin clear
• June Bug around grass or deep water
• Green Pumpkin when water visibility is 2 foot to 4 foot
• Watermelon when water visibility is greater than 3 foot
• For tannic water fish Watermelon or June Bug

How To Fish A Plastic Frog

• You want to "walk" them back to you
• Vary your speed
• Not just for lily pads and grass, good for shallow shaded areas too
• Color doesn't really mater
• Use braided line

Summer Frog Fishing...

• Black when working shade areas
• Shad/White colors in clear water
• Bright frogs in dirty or muddy water
• Target shade
• Work the bank
• Skip under docks
• Work the grass holes

Summertime Walking Topwaters...

• You want a large 3 hook size and a smaller 2 hook size
• Medium action rod slightly under 7ft works best
• Use 15lb monofilament not braid
• Reel 4-5ft and stop, then go slow, then repeat
• Sunny use translucent
• Clouds use darker

4 Must-Have Early Spring Crankbaits...

• Flat Side in cold dirty water
• Medium Diving crawdad color in cool rocky water

When To Fish Bright Colored Lures...

• For dirty water
• For stained water in low light
• Small mouth bass anytime

When To Use Shad Colored Lures...

• Works all year long
• Mate finish for general use
• Translucent finish for sunny days with clear water

How And When To Use A Flatsided Crankbait...

• Use when water temp is cold (<50F)
• Use when water visibility is ~2ft
• Best on rocky banks or rip rap