The Starting Spot: Combs’ 9th Annual Fundraiser, a Fall Neko Fishing Guide, and Cherry Joins SEVIIN Reels

The Starting Spot Daily Bass Fishing Headlines are the perfect way to start your day with some of the top bass fishing articles on the internet. It’s the quick, informative, how, where, and who you need to know. So, rub the sleep from your eyes, pour that first cup of the day, and head to your Starting Spot.

Today on The Starting Spot: Combs’ 9th Annual Fundraiser, a Fall Neko Fishing Guide, and Cherry Joins SEVIIN Reels | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

In this edition of The Starting Spot:

-This is the 9th Annual Fundraiser that Bassmaster Elite pro Keith Combs and his wife Jennifer have hosted. Combs and his wife are inspirational, selfless, big-hearted people, who work hard on this event every year to help others. Proceeds from this year’s event go to the C.A.S.T. for kids foundation benefitting kids with special needs. Take a look at the story and see how you can get in on the fun (I know Shaw Grigsby is the guest speaker at the dinner!), and help a great cause.

-Bassmaster Elite angler Brian Schmitt has been on a roll recently. In this short video he drops a ton of tips about catching finicky, transitional, early fall bass on a Neko rig. Pay special attention to his suggestions for a location you might be missing.

-The SEVIIN Reel company is relatively new on the fishing scene, but they’ve been making some big impressive moves lately. I’ve been checking out a couple of their reels this year and I’ve been nothing but impressed (review article coming soon). And the fact that two-time Bassmaster Classic champion Hank Cherry has now joined their pro staff, speak volumes about the quality of these reels and the level of commitment SEVIIN is making.

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The 9th Annual Keith Combs Lufkin Fundraiser

by C.A.S.T. for kids

From a story on CastForKids.org: You will recognize Keith Combs as a Bassmaster Elite Series Tournament Angler, but we know Keith and his wife, Jennifer, as C.A.S.T. for Kids family members! Keith has spent his life fishing and giving back to the community. In 2022, Keith and Jennifer introduced Lufkin community to the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation by hosting a dinner fundraiser and a C.A.S.T. for Kids fishing event.

Since then, we have raised over $255,000 and introduced over 80 children with special needs to the sport of fishing!

Join us for the 9th Annual Keith Combs Lufkin Fundraiser on September 26, 2025. Gather your friends, family, and coworkers and enjoy a delicious dinner, Chance to Win games, a Live Auction, a Silent Auction, and more!

On Saturday, September 27th, Keith and Jennifer are hosting the C.A.S.T. for Kids Lake Nacogdoches fishing event for children with special needs…MORE.

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How to Catch Shallow AND Deep Bass This Fall | Neko Rig Guide

by Bass Resource

From a video on the Bass Resource YouTube channel: Elite angler Brian Schmitt shares his best tips for using the Neko rig in the fall, from early-season oxygen chasers to late-fall bait chasers. Learn where to look, what to rig, and how to adapt this deadly finesse presentation as conditions change…MORE.

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Hank Cherry Joins SEVIIN Reels Team

by FTR Industry Wire

In a story on FishingTackleRetailer.com: Widely known and rightly revered for his back-to-back Bassmaster Classic wins in 2020 and 2021, there’s a lot more to this quiet force than most bass fans know.

To most, he reads like a slicked-off lake on a late-summer evening, even as complexities churn and play out within the strata below.

Some are aware that Hank Cherry is a former high-level baseball player who almost went pro. Others may have read that he fished his first bass tournament out of a pontoon boat or remember that he was Bassmaster Rookie of the Year in 2013 and came very close to winning the Classic that year, too.

But the depth of the 51-year-old Bassmaster Elite and National Professional Fishing League (NPFL) angler from Lincolnton, North Carolina is far greater than the sum of his headlines and accomplishments…MORE.

Thanks for starting your day with Fishing On SI. Lines in!