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Pull Bass from the Grass

Cypress, CA (June 9, 2021) – Come summer, largemouth bass make a habit of burying themselves in the grass. Bass sharpies know they’re in there, of course, but not everyone has the patience to work through waters where the stringy stalks wrap around hooks and jig heads on every cast. That’s why Daiwa and Ever Green International’s new Grass Ripper (GR) jig series is sure to be a hit.

Featuring a perfectly positioned eyelet at the front of the jig’s nose, and teardrop-shaped head that angles smoothly from eyelet to base, the Grass Ripper gently slithers and glides over grass instead of trying to power through it. Following this path of least resistance allows the jig to avoid catching grass and other vegetation around the eyelet while its robust weed guard protects the hook.

“Many jigs have the eyelet atop the jig head. Unfortunately, that positioning leads to the jig getting plugged-up as you force it through the grass,” explains Marc Mills, Daiwa’s Field Marketing Manager. “With the Grass Ripper, the jig head just slides up and over the grass to keep itself weedless more often than not. Try one on a grassy flat and you’ll notice the difference immediately. Fewer weeds on your jig equates to more strikes overall, and better odds of having a lunker take a swipe at your offering.”

Available in one-quarter-, three-eighth- and half-ounce sizes, the Grass Ripper comes in ten proven colors based on Z-Man and Ever Green’s already popular ChatterBait JackHammer series. Weed guards in black, brown or clear blend with the jig’s primary color pattern, while its high-quality heavy-gauge, 4/0 custom bait-holder hook is a nod to the serious big-bass potential here in North America.

Engineered to swim strait and not roll over, the Grass Ripper’s ability to come through grass nice and clean opens new avenues for anglers to explore. Whether looking to fill a limit, set a new personal best, or simply enjoy a day of solid bassin’ at your favorite honey hole, these jigs offer a serious edge. With a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $7.49 to $8.49, they are nearly indestructible, affordable, and sure to help you pull more big bass from the subsurface lawns others avoid.

For Daiwa’s latest color catalog and/or information on Daiwa dealers in your area, call Daiwa’s Customer Service Department at 562-375-6800 or e-mail inquiries to: [email protected]. The URL for Daiwa’s web site is daiwa.com/us

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Arey and Zaldain Talk Classic Magic and Rubber Fish

Class acts, and two of professional angling’s most accomplished pros, Matt Arey and Chris Zaldain, talked Classic memories, magical moments, and what fans can expect at the 51st Bassmaster Classic that begins Friday on Lake Ray Roberts, Texas.

Q: What excites you most about Lake Ray Roberts?
Arey: The potential to catch a 10-pounder at the biggest event in bass fishing.
Zaldain: The fact that we’re weighing-in 12 miles from my home, and the chance to share the incredible excitement of this event with all the people I call friends and neighbors here who love bass fishing.

Q: You’re a fan of the sport. What is your favorite Classic memory?
Arey: Attending the 2004 Bassmaster Classic in Charlotte soon after graduating from North Carolina State and watching Takahiro Omori win in the final hours. That lit a serious fire in me to do this for a living.
Zaldain: Without a doubt, the 2004 Classic. Watching Takahiro Omori follow his heart and run up the river to throw a balsa crankbait on laydowns because “he knew it” could be the chance to win – and do so – was so inspiring!

Q: How much weight will you need to average per day on Lake Ray Roberts for a chance to win the 2021 Bassmaster Classic?
Arey: 19 ½ pounds per day
Zaldain: 18 ½ pound per day

Q: Name three lures you won’t leave the dock without on Friday morning.
Arey: Flipping jig, Lunker Hunt compact frog, and a big worm.
Zaldain: Frog, flipping jig, and a big fake rubber fish (laughs).

Q: What’s been the coolest moment of your Classic week so far?
Arey: Seeing my wife and little girls arrive in the hotel lobby from the airport, and my little girls jumped into my arms. There’s absolutely nothing better in this life than that.
Zaldain: All of us walked into Dickie’s Arena for a sound check this morning, and the sounds and smells of that new arena just put off an incredible vibe. I can’t imagine how awesome it will be when so many fans are in there!

The post Arey and Zaldain Talk Classic Magic and Rubber Fish appeared first on Bass365.com.

College Champion is Ready to Fish

After spending nearly a week in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the 2021 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series champion Trevor McKinney is ready to put the busy Bassmaster Classic itinerary behind him and get to fishing on Lake Ray Roberts. Not only is the Classic the biggest tournament of the year, the week leading into the derby includes the most stressful media and events schedule of the season.

Even though he is twenty-two years young, McKinney is an avid tournament angler and has been competing at a high level on the Bassmaster Opens throughout 2021. The tournament aspect of this week isn’t exactly new, but the Classic hustle and bustle has been a bit of a learning experience for McKinney.

“So far this week has been pretty much what I expected,” McKinney said. “Whenever I’m not on the water fishing, it’s been pretty hectic and super busy. Which I was warned about and tried to mentally prepare for coming into this deal. I’ll be honest… at this point I’m just ready to go fishing.”

McKinney grew up in southern Illinois and was an extremely accomplished high school angler before attending McKendree University where he excelled at the collegiate level, too. In 2020 McKinney out worked and out fished all his peers to be named college fishing’s representative at the biggest stage in bass fishing.

Along with a ticket to compete in the Classic, McKinney was given a brand new Toyota Tundra and Nitro Boat package wrapped in his alma maters colors and decked out with the latest and greatest in bass fishing equipment. McKinney also was given the opportunity to compete in the 2021 Bassmaster Opens with his entry fees paid for; a dream package for any aspiring collegiate angler.

“This year really has been a dream come true,” McKinney reflected. “I’m proud to represent college fishing this week, along with McKendree and the incredible list of sponsors I’ve been blessed to work with. It’s hard to put into words.”

McKinney has been competitive in the Bassmaster Opens, only missing one check thus far, while sharpening his skills in preparation for the Classic. He has half a season behind him and he’s been able to get into a bit of a groove… that fact isn’t lost on McKinney who has proven to be mature beyond his years.

“Initially I was bummed to learn the Classic was pushed from March to June, but looking back on it I think it was a blessing,” McKinney explained. “I was able to get comfortable with my new boat, put some miles on the Tundra, and work out those early season kinks. Ray Roberts is fishing to my strengths right now and I think I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

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Kevin VanDam Wins Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour Stage Four at Lake Chickamauga

DAYTON, Tenn. (June 9, 2021)Bass Pro Shops angler Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan, promised that MLF NOW!®  livestream viewers would see fireworks on Lake Chickamauga, Wednesday, and the man most consider the G.O.A.T. of professional bass fishing did not disappoint. VanDam caught 25 bass weighing 70 pounds, 1 ounce to win the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour B&W Trailer Hitches Stage Four Presented by ATG by Wrangler at Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee, and earn the top prize of $100,000.

It was a tight five-angler race to start the third and final period of competition but VanDam quickly pulled away, boating a dozen scorable bass weighing 34 pounds, 2 ounces, in just 30 minutes. VanDam won by a 6-pound, 10-ounce margin over second-place pro Jacob Wheeler, who caught 24 bass totaling 63 pounds, 7 ounces, good for $45,000.

“That last period – to get on a flurry like that. Man, that was incredible,” said VanDam, who pushed his career earnings to more than $6.9 million. “Any time you can have that kind of day fishing is special, but to do it on the last day of a Bass Pro Tour event is pretty dang awesome. This (trophy) was something that I’ve really wanted since we started this, so today was a pretty special day for me.”

VanDam earned his victory this week on Lake Chickamauga doing what he loves to do – fishing the deep Tennessee River ledges.

“I found those fish in practice and when I hit that school, I knew that I’d really found something special,” VanDam said. “I just had to wait for that window when the current gets just right and when it happened, it was magical.

“I caught fish on a lot of different baits this week, but far and away the Strike King Series 5 (green gizzard) and Strike King 5XD (blue gizzard shad) crankbaits were my money baits, all week long,” VanDam continued. “I fished them on my signature system – a Lew’s CC4 Cranking rod paired with a Lew’s BB1 Pro reel , 12-pound Bass Pro XPS fluorocarbon line, and I threw a couple of No. 2 Mustad Triple Grip (treble hooks) on there. I was fishing the bait real fast and really making the fish react to it, even when they didn’t want to bite.”

VanDam also credited his Humminbird electronics and HydroWave as being crucial to his success.

“My confidence was through the roof today,” VanDam said. “I had all of the tools that I needed. My whole system – my boat, my electronics, my rods, my reels, my hooks – it’s a whole system that I’ve developed over the past 31 years and I was really able to showcase them today.

“I finished runner-up to (Jacob) Wheeler the last time we were here, so today was really gratifying,” VanDam went on to say. “To go against the field that I did – Wheeler, Jordan (Lee), Michael Neal and Jason Lambert – two Tennessee ledge hammers – and win is just really special. I’ve won a lot of events and I promise you this – you appreciate every win more than the last, because you never know when you’re going to get your next one. And you never know when it could be your last one.”

The top 10 pros at the Bass Pro Tour B&W Trailer Hitches Stage Four on Lake Chickamauga finished:

1st:        Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., 25 bass, 70-1, $100,000
2nd:       Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 24 bass, 63-7, $45,000
3rd:       Jason Lambert, Michie, Tenn., 16 bass, 59-8, $38,000
4th:       Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 46-1, $32,000
5th:       Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 14 bass, 40-13, $30,000
6th:       Shinichi Fukae, Osaka, Japan, 15 bass, 36-13, $26,000
7th:       Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 25-3, $23,000
8th:       Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., six bass, 17-4, $21,000
9th:       Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., four bass, 13-13, $19,000
10th:     Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., three bass, 10-11, $16,000

Full results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 132 bass weighing 383 pounds, 9 ounces caught by the final 10 pros on Wednesday.

VanDam and Lambert split Wednesday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award, each weighing a 6-pound, 5-ounce largemouth to split the prize. Favorite Fishing pro Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pennsylvania, earned the $3,000 Berkley Big Bass award for the largest bass of the event with his 8-pound, 12-ounce largemouth that he weighed on Day 5 of competition.

Pro Ott DeFoe of Blaine, Tennessee, finished the event in 17th place and did not qualify for Wednesday’s Championship Round, but his finish was still good enough to overtake Lakeland, Florida’s Bobby Lane in the MLF Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year standings. DeFoe’s total of 283 points gives him a 17-point lead over the second-place pro, California’s Brent Ehrler (266), with three events remaining in the season. Wheeler is third with 258, followed by Kansan Brent Chapman in fourth place with 257 and Lane with 256 to fall into fifth place. Full AOY standings for the entire Bass Pro Tour field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLF Bass Pro Tour B&W Trailer Hitches Stage Four at Lake Chickamauga Presented by ATG by Wrangler was hosted by Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic & Tourism Council. The six-day tournament featured 80 of the top professional anglers from around the world competing for a purse of $805,000, including a top cash prize of $100,000 to the winner.

Television coverage of the B&W Trailer Hitches Stage Four Presented by Wrangler at Lake Chickamauga will be showcased across two two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, Oct. 9 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition.

The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 76 of the top professional anglers in the world – joined at each event by 4 pros that qualify from the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit – competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2022 championship. The next event for Bass Pro Tour anglers will be the General Tire Stage Five at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Berkley, June 25-30 in Massena, New York.

For complete details and updated information on the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, TwitterInstagram, and YouTube.

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, the Discovery Channel, the Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, the World Fishing Network, the Sportsman Channel and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with offices in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 13 countries. In 2019 MLF acquired FLW and rebranded it as MLF BIG5, which expanded its portfolio of catch, weigh and immediate release events to include the sport’s strongest five-biggest-fish format tournament circuits. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams, and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.

Major League Fishing – WE ARE Bass Fishing™

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Kevin VanDam Earns Knockout Round Win at Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour Stage Four at Lake Chickamauga

DAYTON, Tenn. (June 8, 2021)Bass Pro Shops pro Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan, caught 18 bass Tuesday totaling 46 pounds, 6 ounces to win the Knockout Round and advance to the final day of competition at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour B&W Trailer Hitches Stage Four Presented by ATG by Wrangler at Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee. The final 10 anglers are now set, and competition will resume Wednesday morning with the Championship Round. Weights are zeroed, and the angler that catches the most weight will win the top prize of $100,000.

The six-day tournament, hosted by Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic & Tourism Council, featured 80 of the top professional anglers from around the world competing for a purse of $805,000, including a top cash prize of $100,000 to the winner.

The top eight pros from Tuesday’s Knockout Round that will compete in Wednesday’s Championship Round on Lake Chickamauga are:

1st:        Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., 18 bass, 46-6
2nd:       Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., 14 bass, 45-12
3rd:       Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 15 bass, 39-15
4th:       Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark., 16 bass, 38-10
5th:       Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 14 bass, 38-1
6th:       Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 13 bass, 36-15
7th:       Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 13 bass, 36-4
8th:       Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., 12 bass, 33-9

They’ll be joined by Qualifying Round Winners:

Group A: Jason Lambert, Michie, Tenn.
Group B: Shinichi Fukae, Osaka, Japan

Full results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

“Today was a really good Knockout Round for me,” said VanDam, who qualified for his first Championship Round of the season. “It started off pretty slow, but I made a good decision and started to get a little movement going. I got a few fish on the SCORETRACKER™, and once that happened I knew that if I just stuck to my game plan, I could make it happen today. Lo and behold, we’re moving on to Championship Round and I couldn’t be more excited.”

VanDam said that he is fishing how he loves to fish this week – out on the Tennessee River ledges.

“This is my favorite way to fish. I love ledge fishing. It’s something that I’ve got a lot of experience in, and I’ve had a lot of success up and down the Tennessee River,” VanDam said. “I’ve got a whole cranking system that I’ve built around it with Lew’s. We’ve got a whole new series of rods and reels for it, and that’s what I’m using. I’m doing what I’ve got the most confidence in. I’m pretty dang dialed in this week and I understand the timing of these fish and how they’re moving.

“There is a lot of things changing by the minute, though, and that’s why you’re seeing the diversity from a lot of guys,” VanDam went on to say. “It’s going to be a shootout tomorrow. It’s going to be a really, really fun day to watch as a fishing fan. I’m fishing against some of the best guys in the world at this type of fishing. It’s going to come down to some fireworks, and hopefully I’m in contention at the end and can make it happen. The last time we were here at Chickamauga for the Bass Pro Tour I didn’t have a great event, so I’m looking forward to rectifying that with this one.”

Also making his first Championship Round on the Bass Pro Tour this season is the reigning Angler of the Year, Jordan Lee. Although he didn’t divulge any real details, he did say that he was dialed in to two main baits, and specifically mentioned a hair jig.

“I had one good flurry this morning and got out to the lead, and then I just kind of hit a lull for a couple of hours in the middle of the day,” Lee said. “This afternoon I caught two that really just sealed the deal for me. I caught them on two main baits, using my new line of Abu Garcia rods that I’ve got coming out this summer. I’m real excited about them. They’re affordable, and they have really good blanks. That’s what I’ve been using, just dragging stuff like a hair jig.

“I’m tickled to death to be going back out there again tomorrow,” Lee continued. “It’s my first final-day cut of the year, and I can’t wait to see what happens.”

Rounding out the top 40 finishers were:

11th:     Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 12 bass, 32-13, $10,000
12th:     Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., 14 bass, 32-9, $10,000
13th:     Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., 12 bass, 32-4, $10,000
14th:     Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 10 bass, 30-2, $10,000
15th:     Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala., 10 bass, 28-12, $10,000
16th:     Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala., 11 bass, 28-11, $10,000
17th:     Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., 12 bass, 28-10, $10,000
18th:     Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., eight bass, 27-15, $10,000
19th:     Luke Clausen, Spokane, Wash., 10 bass, 27-4, $10,000
20th:     Matt Lee, Cullman, Ala., nine bass, 26-4, $10,000
21st:     Bradley Roy, Lexington, Ky., seven bass, 25-14, $10,000
22nd:    Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., seven bass, 24-9, $10,000
23rd:    Ish Monroe, Oakdale, Calif., six bass, 18-2, $10,000
24th:     Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, six bass, 17-10, $10,000
25th:     Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark., five bass, 17-9, $10,000
26th:     Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., seven bass, 16-13, $10,000
27th:     Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, S.C., four bass, 15-7, $10,000
28th:     Shaw Grigsby, Gainesville, Fla., five bass, 14-10, $10,000
29th:     James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., five bass, 14-9, $10,000
30th:     Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla., five bass, 14-7, $10,000
31st:     Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., six bass, 13-7, $10,000
32nd:    Cliff Pace, Petal, Miss., five bass, 12-8, $10,000
33rd:    Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., five bass, 11-12, $10,000
34th:     Roy Hawk, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., four bass, 11-4, $10,000
35th:     Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz., three bass, 8-11, $10,000
36th:     Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, three bass, 7-7, $10,000
37th:     Russ Lane, Prattville, Ala., three bass, 7-3, $10,000
38th:     Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas, three bass, 7-0, $10,000
39th:     Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., one bass, 4-2, $10,000
40th:     Scott Suggs, Alexander, Ark., zero bass, 0-0, $10,000

Overall, there were 312 bass weighing 871 pounds, 12 ounces caught by 37 pros on Tuesday.

Favorite Fishing pro Matt Becker won the $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award on Tuesday, catching an 8-pound, 12-ounce largemouth on a Ned rig in Period 2. Berkley will award $1,000 to the angler who weighs the biggest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the largest bass of the tournament.

The MLF Bass Pro Tour B&W Trailer Hitches Stage Four at Lake Chickamauga Presented by ATG by Wrangler is hosted by Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic & Tourism Council.

The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Friday and Sunday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Saturday and Monday. After the two-day Qualifying Round, the anglers that finished in 2nd through 20th place from both groups advanced to Tuesday’s Knockout Round, while the winner from each group advanced directly to Wednesday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, the weights were zeroed and the remaining 38 anglers competed to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. Tomorrow, in the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed and the highest one-day total wins.

The final 10 anglers will take off from the Dayton Boat Dock, located at 175 Lakeshore St., in Dayton, at 6:30 a.m. ET Wednesday. The General Tire Takeout and Championship Moment will also be held at the Dayton Boat Dock, beginning at 3:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all takeoff and takeout ceremonies and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLF NOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The Bass Pro Tour features a field of 76 of the top professional anglers in the world – joined at each event by 4 pros that qualify from the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit – competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, competing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2022 championship.

The MLF NOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action from the final day of competition on Wednesday from 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET. MLF NOW!®  will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app.

Television coverage of the B&W Trailer Hitches Stage Four Presented by Wrangler at Lake Chickamauga will be showcased across two two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. ET, Oct. 9 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on the Discovery Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel. Each two-hour long reality-based episode goes in-depth to break down each day of competition.

For complete details and updated information on the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, TwitterInstagram, and YouTube.

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, the Discovery Channel, the Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, the World Fishing Network, the Sportsman Channel and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with offices in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 13 countries. In 2019 MLF acquired FLW and rebranded it as MLF BIG5, which expanded its portfolio of catch, weigh and immediately release events to include the sport’s strongest five-biggest-fish format tournament circuits. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams, and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.

The post Kevin VanDam Earns Knockout Round Win at Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour Stage Four at Lake Chickamauga appeared first on Bass365.com.

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