The Starting Spot: a Stinky Good Luck Hat, a New Era of Howell, and a Dirty Swim Jig Review

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: a Stinky Good Luck Hat, a New Era of Howell, and a Dirty Swim Jig Review | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

In this edition of The Starting Spot:

-Alan McGuckin can tell a good story and this is no exception. Fishermen tend to be a superstitious bunch and pro Keith Carson believes in the power of his good luck Vexus hat, even if it is a little stinky.

-Laker Howell has won the Bassmaster Open on Leech Lake in Minnesota. If you’ve followed professional bass fishing for any length of time, you are no doubt familiar with Laker’s famous fishing dad, Bassmaster Classic Champion, Randy Howell. Apparently catching bass really well is just what Howells do.

-Dirty Jigs is well known for making great jigs. But this new Weekender Swim Jig begs the question, can they make a great jig that costs significantly less money? Read the article to find out.

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Keith Carson’s Kinda Stinky Good Luck Vexus® Hat

by Alan McGuckin

In a story on BassResource.com: Unlike many anglers, Keith Carson doesn't feel the least bit cursed by having a banana in his boat. As a matter of fact, in case you need one, he often keeps more than one of the potassium-rich treats onboard to share. Just don’t ask to borrow his somewhat stinky, once bright red, now badly sun-bleached, good luck Vexus® Boats hat.

“I started wearing this particular Vexus hat in December before the 2025 season kicked off, and I've been wearing it ever since. It’s got me three Top 10s and helped me qualify for REDCREST. So yeah, I definitely think it’s good luck,” says the always jovial Floridian, and best friend of fellow Vexus pro, John Cox…MORE.

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Open: Howell earns Classic berth with Leech Lake win

by David A. Brown

From an article on Bassmaster.com: The only thing that stood taller than Laker Howell was the fishing rod he used to win the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Leech Lake presented by SEVIIN.
At 6-foot-5, the pro from Guntersville, Ala., armed himself with a 7-foot-9 Daiwa Kage medium swimbait rod and leaned on his largemouth prowess to tally a two-day total of 39 pounds, 13 ounces.
Turning in daily weights of 19-10 and 20-3, Howell edged Texan Jace Lindsay by a pound.
The tournament’s scheduled start was postponed from Thursday to Friday due to a hazardous wind forecast. The event was shortened to two days, with the full field fishing both days…MORE.

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Dirty Jigs Weekender Swim Jig Review

by Shaye Baker

According to a story on Wired2Fish.com: Dirty Jigs, in my opinion, makes the best swim jig on the market—the No-Jack Swim Jig. This review is not about the No-Jack, but rather Dirty Jigs’ new Weekender Swim Jig. I did feel it worth noting, though, the No-Jack lineage is from where the Weekender series was born. It was because of my affinity for the No-Jack that I was particularly intrigued by the idea of Dirty Jigs creating another swim jig. 

But why would Dirty Jigs make another swim jig when the No-Jack was so good? Well, knocking 28 percent off the price tag is a pretty good reason to do it—so that the everyman angler could better afford the bait. Let’s take a closer look at the new Weekender Swim Jig and what makes it different, and in some cases better, than the No-Jack and other swim jigs…MORE.

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