You can now shop on the Xtreme Bass Tackle website. I've already processed several orders and am ready for more. Thank you so much for choosing Xtreme Bass Tackle! Capt. Wayne

www.basstothefuture.com

Every year my new bait designs get rolled out at the first show of the season, The Ultimate Fishing Show-Detroit. Over the years customers have seen the advent of the first 5" laminated tube with St. Clair Goby followed up by Great Lakes Craw and Firetiger. The success these baits have had for the serious bass angler can be measured by their continued popularity and also the tournament dollars they bring in.

The research done to develop these baits has resulted in a core philosophy of bait development called, Natural Forage TechnologyT. The latest tube designs to incorporate this are the 2008 release of St. Clair CrayfishT and the 2009 release of the first tri-color laminate, Great Lakes PerchT. Both have distinguished themselves as cross-over baits which are strong for both smallmouth and largemouth bass.

This year there are two new tubes, one a laminate and the other a tri-color laminate. Both are the result of research done on forage species for bass and incorporates "what works" color priorities instead of the less effective "exact match" method. Both baits fill out the XBT lineup of color selection by filling gaps in shading , regional choice and forage type.

An XBT first, a creature bait has crawled its way into the lineup and the color choice might surprise you.

Look for the names and images to be released on Monday, January 4 at:
www.basstothefuture.com, www.xtremebasstackle.com

or the Ultimate Fishing Show forum on
www.greatlakesbass.com

Hang on for a great ride though the latest in bass fishing information technology plus the inside scoop on the new XBT baits for 2010 during the Bass to the Future seminar, exclusively at the Ultimate Fishing Show.

More info at: www.basstothefuture.com

The tradition at Xtreme Bass Tackle is to roll out the new colors at the first big fishing show of the season for us, the Ultimate Fishing Show - Detroit. The show goes from January 7 - 10 and is held at the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi, Michigan. We've got two new tube baits plus an XBT first, a creature bait in one of my top colors. Stay tuned for a product release announcement to be made just before the show.

This question came from a post on www.greatlakesbass.com:

St. Clair - Consistency
5" Canadian Mist
DST Canadian Mist
4" Formula G3
(any sized) St. Clair Crayfish

St. Clair - Big fish
5" St. Clair Goby
5" Formula G3
DST Great Lakes Craw
4" Firetiger

St. Clair - Tough bite
5" Canadian Mist
DST Canadian Mist
4" Avocado Copper (Lt. melon orange)
4" Erie Goby

St. Clair River
5" Formula G3
5" St. Clair Goby
4" Dark Melon orange (copper)
4" Skirted twin tail Canadian Mist (not a tube)

St. Clair - Schooling bass
4" Firetiger
4" Canadian Mist w/white tube trailer
4" Erie Goby
4" or 5" Lt. Erie Green

St. Clair - Mayfly bite
4" or 5" Formula G3

St. Clair - Hot in 2009
(Any sized) St. Clair Crayfish
4" Sand Craw
4" Avocado copper (Lt. melon orange)
(Any sized) Great Lakes Perch

Lake Erie
DST or 4" Great Lakes Craw (long time producer)
4" Slither (strong early season)
4" Formula G3
DST Canadian Mist

Lake Erie - Fall
5" St. Clair Goby

Inland - Smallmouth
4" Erie Goby
4" Canadian Mist
DST Great Lakes Craw
4" Slither

Inland - Largemouth
4" or 5" St. Clair Crayfish
4" or 5" Great Lakes Perch
4" Skirted twin tail Canadian Mist
4" Formula G3
add dark colored tube trailers to 4" tubes for different bite

Best 4 colors all time (based on research and sales)
Canadian Mist
Formula G3
Slither
Great Lakes Craw

NOTE: You'll only see Great Lakes Perch a couple of times here. This is a new bait with reports and numbers just coming in. This info above is based on long-term sales and catch rates. GLP has already shown itself to be strong on both smallmouth and largemouth and looks to be a new "big fish" bait in the arsenal. Also, the "All Time" list will most likely be revised next year because it looks like St. Clair Crayfish (released in 2008) will surpass Great Lakes Craw (released in 2004).

On drop-shot tubes...

* If I want an inexperienced angler to catch a lot of fish easy, it's Canadian Mist all the way.

* For big fish the Great Lakes Craw DST usually averages 2 1/2" pounds and up.

* Mark Frickman won $30,000 in the FLW event with St. Clair Crayfish DST

* Most of the custom colors available in the other tube colors are in drop-shot tubes too. When I want to check the bite out on an area I know has smallies I'll plop my Plano box on the deck loaded with about 10 different colors then nose hook and fish one at a time to see what color they prefer.

There can some seasonal baits choices that are stronger than others on Lake St. Clair. Bait profile can be a key element when making on-the-water adjustments when things aren't going exactly as planned. 4" tubes cover the mid-ranges of the bite while the drop-shot and 5" tubes are both strong choices which can even replace the 4" bite or expand it to bass the 4" can't reach. The 5" tube bite is strong all season but we see the best bite on fives from here on out.

Starting recommendations (for consistent production):

5" Canadian Mist
4" Formula G3
4" St. Clair Crayfish
DST - Great Lakes Craw

Expanded selection:

5" St. Clair Goby
DST & 4" Great Lakes Perch
4" Erie Goby
4" Brown Craw

Personal choices - If you like skirted twin tail grubs, both Canadian Mist and Formula G3 are effective and can be used to whip-saw the bite. If they aren't strong on one of those colors, they usually like the other.

Two colors that can be impact baits:

4" Sand Craw
4" Avocado copper

These baits are just in and to be in most stores soon:
Great Lakes Perch - We were within 150 pieces of selling out for the second time and are now fully stocked
Canadian Mist 4" and 5" - Both of these sold out in the last couple of weeks and we are filled up with them again
The New Emerald Shiner by Reaper Products with Natural Forage Technology built in - It was time to update this classic bait with what we now know about top producing elements in tubes. This bait is more life-like and has the look and feel of a live emerald shiner minnow just pulled from the minnow bucket.
Sand Craw Ghost drop-shot tube - This is a new addition to the line-up in a color/size combination that has not been made before
Slither DST & 4" - This #3 all-time color is blazing hot at the early stages of the season. It can rival Canadian Mist for the best bite on any given day.
Reaper Products Spring Craw - This is a Reaper Products classic bait brought back in a limited edition. Look for this in bulk at KD Outdoors and Nautical Mile BP

Aggressive pre-spawn bass are roaming all over the northern United States and they are waking up out of their winter slumber to find the new Xtreme Bass Tackletm Great Lakes Perchtm lying in wait for them. This bait has already established itself in Michigan, the deep south and out west as a strong new addition to the XBT line for both smallmouth and largemouth bass. It's not the sales that tell the story but the reorders, and reorders have started to roll in already. GLP was in development for 2 years and rolled out at the Ultimate Fishing Show in January of 2009.

The new rollout for 2008, St. Clair Crayfish is flying off the shelves at the Nautical Mile BP gas station in St. Clair Shores. The initial stocking of it sold strong then was replenished a little over a week ago. In five days all of that sold out to a bare hook on the wall and we restocked it again. This bait was used by Mark Frickman of Grand Ledge, MI to win $30,000 in the 2008 FLW event last season and it is still fishing strong.

This is a killer time of year for drop-shot tubes and our stores have a supply of them as well.

Good luck everyone and I'll see you on the water! Capt. Wayne