Its Time! First Tournament of the Year

It has been a good minute since i've been bass fishing and I'm extremely excited to get back into tournament mode. Going in blind for the Bass 559 event at Eastman Lake and hoping to put 5 keepers in the boat to rack up some points to hopefully make TOC.
C5ZN2G0N0RK9ZRYB

[@nyewang]

This man gives you all his secrets and still out fishes you.

[@dylanschannel6275]

😂😂 forreal

[@RojoDelChocolate]

lol

[@G30vang]

That’s what you call a professional. Giving out the sauce and tips. Still killing it!

[@kennysee15]

This the one haha!

[@hty915]

Doesn’t practice, shows up and wings it from prior experience there and smokes it. Hats off to you sir.

[@laxiong5932]

Congratulations D. Thao! Thank you for taking us along for the ride.

[@kongvang4132]

Congrats! Half way through the video, I knew you won. Loving these lures and techniques talk. Keep it coming.

[@HeavenlySnipez]

I found you through Greg, but I've stayed for the great content. Videos are fantastic dude! Good luck in 2024!!!!!

[@Austin_Torres]

Woohoo another great perspective on this tournament. Thanks for sharing your days in the water.

[@timothy4428]

Congrats Damien! You are a hammer bro. Loving the post tournament pattern breakdowns!

[@FisherBRD]

Way to go Damian! You didn’t seem too excited haha 😂 Those bass were footballs!

[@michaelhomdus4945]

Congratulations on your first tournament win of the year, no surprise. Look forward to seeing more of your videos this year.

[@johnhill2298]

Congrats on the first win of the year. I have no doubt they'll be many more! Nice to see Eastman has water in it 🤙

[@Johnnygunz916]

Damian kills tournaments every year but this video seems to show a new and more confident Damian. That’s not good for competition 😂

[@greatestever3827]

I love the advice at the end of the video ! Congratulations 🎉🎉🎉

[@mattyg5566]

Great running into you on the lake, Damian! That was a hell of a bag for Eastman this time of year for sure! Congrats!!!!

[@dthao92]

It was nice running into you as well. Thanks for the Swimbait. Also, really digging your new boat lol.

[@AnalogLives3]

Damian Thao with the Greg Blanchard side sweep! 😂😅. Congrats on the dub, no practice flex.

[@iamalemontree]

The master!

[@vinceh8730]

Congratulations Damian, you're the man...Good luck in 2024!

[@robertestes1820]

Damian, repping the winter dew. Keep hooking em. The fish don’t recognize you, yet.

[@ichabod13]

Just casually measuring a couple fish with the wrong ID and catching hogs after that... 😅 Nice tourney win!

[@davidtanner6834]

Congrats! Always great content.

[@reneflores6625]

Congratulations sir! Keep them coming. Thanks for the great content

[@freegame5474]

Can’t wait for your oroville tournament video . Great Video .

[@chmurdock]

Great video. Loved the recap and baits at end. Super helpful. Congrats on the win!

[@billythao152]

Congratulations brother..

[@bluhjayz]

Congrats! Solid finish and execution!

[@wgb925]

The mustache and goatee are good luck or it’s probably more skill!! Way to go Damian nice start to 2024!

[@user-hz2kj4ls4b]

Congratulations

[@DoubleDigitAngler]

Good luck to the rest of your season bud. super talented!

[@Jerms84]

Congrats dude. Didn’t even seem like you had your A game and still won

[@nickvue9656]

Solid start to the year bro 💯 keep it up !

[@adamyang7741]

Thank you for telling us what you did! Super great information !

[@dthao92]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@anthonyvespia6662]

Damian, nice fish my friend. I haven't seen many that size this early in the season. Epic trip bro!

[@dthao92]

Thanks 👍

[@thatfishingnoob]

Thanks for that breakdown at the end man. Glad to see you come up with a 1st place win to kick off the 2024 season. Good stuff! Also, you and GB need to get together for a friendly derby lol. That would be pretty cool.

[@dthao92]

Thanks man, me and GB need to hit the water again. We were planning something in december but some things came up. Hopefully soon

[@roberthayes7986]

Well done !👍☝️🤙🤞

[@WhereWeWild]

Sweet. Great content man. Just subscribed. Keep up the good work. 😊🎣🤙🏽

[@dthao92]

Thanks for the sub!

[@pxfishing]

Congratulations on the win

[@FuturesChue]

Congrats

[@poststalone1496]

Those fish are going to have some major growth spurts once it warms up. Absolute units for their length

[@dthao92]

The lake is extremely healthy right now. Spring is going to be insane

[@MnHondaSi]

Aye I seen some EFT at the end there! lol

[@dthao92]

lol, was just about to get on EFT with the boys right after shooting the outro lol

[@everydayangler3244]

Beast 💪💪

[@veritas2145]

Awesome👍👍

[@livinglife3230]

Congrats on the W 🎣🎣🎣🎣🎣

[@dthao92]

Thanks!

[@adammead8197]

You're an animal. Way to find a few hogs. Congrats bud!

[@dthao92]

Thanks brother!

[@lahuryder559]

Damn I couldn't catch that much fish even in spring

[@dthao92]

I just got lucky and ran into a few fishes lol

[@freeagentangler5159]

Damian, look into the Niko Rig Hack. Congrats on the win!

[@msal4652]

Great video. When I saw you taking those jigs out I knew what they were. LA Custom jigs are the best around. Only ones I use.

[@dthao92]

My confidence/go to jigs. Ive had a lot of good days with them

[@msal4652]

@@dthao92 Same here. Just recently put in another order. I noticed your retrieve. Is that your standard or do you chat it up based on the fish?

[@bradleyhouston9037]

Damian, I am absolutely obsessed with Tarkov! I saw it on your monitor in the background lol

[@dthao92]

Same! I was just about to get on Tarkov with the boys right after shooting my recap for the tournament lol. We are trash at the game but still pretty fun lol

[@bradleyhouston9037]

@@dthao92 If you guys ever need a Sherpa I would be honored. I have no-lifed Tarky for the last 5 years hahaha

[@619SoCaL]

💪🏼🎣

[@brandonmerideth5450]

Awesome video as always! And congrats on the win! You may have mentioned it but I just missed it I’m curious how the bite felt on the jig? I hear a lot of people talk about soft bites in the winter and how it might just feel heavy but the week after new years I got onto a jig bite and they were like ripping the rod out of my hands when they would hit it

[@dthao92]

Thanks! Honestly it just depends on the day and mood of the fishes. Somedays it will feel really mushy like you got vegetation. For the most part, my jig bites were hard bites, i could definitely feel them thump when they bite it.

[@Longboard-Dude]

Mr. Damian . . . CONGRATS on the 1st place . . . especially with no practice; SWEET 👍! Also, thanks for sharing with us your setups and techniques; really great information for us non-competitive bass anglers. Quick question, I notice 2nd place angler Steven Johnson got big fish award (19.50"), but 7th place angler Daigo Kobayashi also caught a 19.50" fish. How does that work when both caught a 19.50" fish and only one gets the award? Again, not a competitive bass fishermen so I was curious. Wishing you lots of fishing success in your 2024 tournaments 🤙.

[@donjuan6646]

1st weighed gets it

[@Longboard-Dude]

@@donjuan6646 Ahhhhhh, got it! Many "Thanks" for "learning me" 😜/ the insight; very much appreciated.

[@dthao92]

For most trails its 1st fish weighed in but for this trail/tournament series its based on second big fish if there is a Tie. Steven tied with Daigo on big fish but Steven's 2nd big fish was bigger than Daigo's second big fish. The lakes for this tournament series doesnt have good cell service so fish submission times will make it harder for the tie breaker

[@Longboard-Dude]

@@dthao92 Additional insight 😀 . . . as with @donjuan6646, many "Thanks" 🤙! Makes sense 👍.

[@bendover-uf9st]

🎉🎉

[@jamesmiracle2818]

That’s the right way to start the season we’re in the freezer here😢

[@dthao92]

Thanks! what state are you in? Lakes frozen over?

[@1kou_fisherman]

Thought you was Greg Blanchard for a second with your hair. 😂 trying to compete with him in hair too?

[@dthao92]

lmao! I didnt even think of that till everyone started to mention it lol

[@illkid-iu6us]

Yo your hair is fire son! never seen you w out a hat, I think you have a better wig piece than Blanchard lol

[@dthao92]

lol, I left my hat in the house and i was already gonna head out to the store

[@noonewantstobeit8850]

I see you've been on Escape from Tarkov. A wise man once said if you play too much game your fishing skills will go down.

[@dthao92]

It’s just to pass the time and to catch up with all the high school buddies

[@welikeemlong101]

Heev luss hi luss🔥

[@johnolivas9984]

Congrats! Way to start the new year...What knot do you tie?

[@sambageian2948]

looks like a san diego jam or something similar

[@dthao92]

Thanks! its a modified san diego jam knot

[@BassXman]

I bet you didnt even practice bro 😂 congratulations man

[@chrisgaines3502]

Nice work! Which Dobyns rod are you using for the jig?

[@dthao92]

It’s a Dobyn’s Xtasy 754

[@AVHobbies2011]

I miss bass fishing. Only 4 more months lol

[@dthao92]

March is bass open for you guys?

[@AVHobbies2011]

@dthao92 it's always 2nd weekend of May. So it's the 11th this year.

[@bluescoins1199]

1 for 1 keep it going

[@_TheHomieLA]

Awesome dude congrats! When you gonna start streaming escape from tarkov? Lol

[@dthao92]

Thanks man, I don’t think anyone would wanna watch me play, always accidental team killing, bad coms, accidental suicide grenade kills lol

[@_TheHomieLA]

@@dthao92 that's the best content! Haha

[@Letsbet559]

#pro

[@LiChenyang-gg8jl]

Hey Damian, can u tell us your offshore jig rod&reel combo? Thanks!

[@dylanschannel6275]

Looks like Dobyn xtasy most likely a 745c and curado k200

[@LiChenyang-gg8jl]

looks like a curado mgl?@@dylanschannel6275

[@dthao92]

Its a Dobyn's Xtasy 754c with a Shimano Curado MGL 150

[@basschaser9356]

Dobyn xtasy 754 or 755 you using for 1/2oz jig?

[@dthao92]

It’s Xtasy 754, I felt like the 755 was a bit overkill for me

[@derekbushnell1309]

Damion. You have a link to LA Jigs??

[@dthao92]

i do not, i just message him through facebook

[@Phoenix-nl2ut]

Easy money.

[@kathypursell1255]

Was that an LA custom jig ? Where can I find those?

[@dthao92]

It was an LaCustomJigs, you have to contact La Xiong through Facebook. He only makes a handful of them

[@robbiebrown4653]

What type of jigs you use

[@dthao92]

Round finese jigs

[@fastactionfishingco]

Do you have an ultrex on your kayak?

[@dthao92]

It’s a Motorguide Xi3, it has spotlock as well

[@GetSomeFuker]

Good stuff! Weather is cray

[@DankBowlingCo.]

Escape From Tarkov - The BEST!

[@dthao92]

The most realistic shooter ive played lol

[@shawnnxiiong]

What's your jig setup?

[@dthao92]

Its a Dobyn's Xtasy 754 with Shimano Curado 150 MGL

[@bbowen4629]

I would wory about it being in the way when netting the fish.?

[@dthao92]

About what being in the way? The Fish finders or my measuring board?

[@bbowen4629]

@@dthao92 sorry this comment was meant for a different video, disregard.

[@Alexyang7]

You play Tarkov? How you doing this wipe? 😂

[@dthao92]

Same, Still getting head/eyes from somewhere I don’t know lol

[@swedishfish2543]

The lisp getn crazy

[@veritas2145]

What did you think of his fishing?

[@swedishfish2543]

@@veritas2145 couldnt get past the talking

[@rthao2091]

👍

[@chengphan5991]

Another win.. just the 1st of many to come I’m sure. Congrats💪🫡

[@dthao92]

Thanks!