Well, we don't have to worry about the Classic being a sight-fishing bore-fest!
Well, we don't have to worry about the Classic being a sight-fishing bore-fest!
RE: Classic moved to June Personally, I always liked the fall Classics. I'd like to see a late winter start to the season (not in Florida), then fish through spring and summer. It would be a better test of who can adapt to changing conditions. And, how about let's see who can catch fish in August in the South in 100-degree humid conditions instead of heading north to sweatshirt weather. I'm not against Northern venues, but the huge majority of bass fishermen have to adapt to their local heat and hot-water conditions.
Sorry, but fishing shows are now 30-minute ads that go to the highest bidder. If you are a tackle manufacturer and you don't make rods and reels in your own factories then they are not your rods and reels.
RE: Iaconelli's future I am a retired Army officer and an avid bass fishing enthusiast (since the mid 1970s). My career took precedence, so bassing was second. My wife (from NJ) and I have watched Mike fish all these years and have enjoyed his success; we wish him and his family well in 2021 and support him wherever he lands.
Pro Bass Fishing has become a commercial for high-priced equipment that most regular guys cannot afford!
Twas the week before Christmas and all across the lake,
were 298 Santas, dressed to the hilt for Pete's sake.
Seeing two boats full of toys would give anyone pause,
Yes this was all for a really good cause.
Toys for Tots would be trying to fill their long list,
we were all more than happy to give them assist.
Fishers of Men weighed every fish brought to the scale,
I was hoping for more weight, but to no avail.
Well, there's always next year to find different spots,
but it really doesn't matter, because it's all for the Tots.
BassFan says: Nicely done, Mr. Duckett!
RE: Winter safety Always wear a life jacket. On Dec. 12, 2019, I put my boat in and tied up to the dock at Lake Lanier. I caught my foot on my coat sleeve and fell in, hitting my head on the end of the dock. It stunned me. My Bass Pro Shops auto-inflate worked and brought me up. I hand-walked the dock to the cables to the bank. You think it will not happen, but it will.
RE: Ugly Stik Santa tournament This was a fantastic event. More of these events needs to happen.
All the talk about attracting more people to bass fishing may work to get them to take a look, but once they see the expense most will walk away.
RE: Christie back to Elites Boyd duped the majority and the rest just fell in line in fear of being left behind. Roots run deep and it will be a yearly migration for the foreseeable future.
RE: 2021 Elite Series schedule What happened to Missouri? We have four of the best bass fishing lakes in the United States. They haven't been here in a long time.
RE: Canadian organizer sanctioned The sad truth about the St. Lawrence event with the massive fish kill is that level of mortality is close to the norm up there. I have heard from numerous sources both competitors and observers that those smallmouths do not do well after being caught there and transported around in livewells. One competitor told me that it is normal to see fish go belly-up after just 20 minutes in a livewell. The angler who told me this wasn't a hack who doesn't know how to take care of fish. He doesn't know why it happens, but it does.
The damage these events are doing to the modest bass population up there is considerable. The pressure changes from dropshotting bass on the bottom in 40 or 50 feet of water can easily kill fish. I have caught smallmouth bass on bottom in Lake Ontario in 100 feet of water. It isn't a pretty sight. Their eyes are bulging out, gills bleeding and stomachs extended. You can fizz those fish as much as you want, they aren't going to recover. I've seen blown-out swim bladders just from dropshotting in 25 to 30 feet of water. And this isn't about cranking the bass up too fast often they come up on their own.
Lake Ontario has not produced a significant class of smallmouth bass in around 15 years, despite favorable conditions in many of those years. Biologists have no idea exactly why this has been the case. In the 1980s, '90s and early 2000s, when we had above-normal water temperatures and a warm spring and summer, smallmouth spawns produced massive classes of fish. It could be the gobies or a virus/bacteria, but DEC is trying to look into it.
But this whole thing isn't on the tourney organizer in Canada. Yes, he broke the law by not reporting the kill and wasting all those fish and he was appropriately fined and punished, but in terms of the mortality, unfortunately it's much too common up there.
RE: Canadian organizer sanctioned 5 years is not enough. He should never be able to head up a tournament again!
Rick Clunn, to me, is the EF Hutton of bass fishing. When Rick talks, I listen. I've fished all my life, 66 years, and I've learned to stick with what works for me. That includes mono line, which I've used all my life and landed many 8-, 9- and 10-pound-plus bass over the years. Thank you, Rick, for the breakdown and explanation on your line choice.
There is a reason a handful the world's top fishermen left the BPT already. Just saying.
RE: 2021 Redcrest MLF cancels an expo that nobody attends anyway ... that's leadership and vision. Thankfully, they can use COVID as an excuse yet again for their messes. MLF cares about the angler, not the hardcore fan, and it's been clear from the start.
BassFan says: No conclusions can be drawn about attendance at the Redcrest Expo, as to date none have been held.
RE: Christie back to Elites Hope these guys provide more in-depth explanations in coming weeks. He earned his way back in impressive fashion and is an all-time great.
For MLF winners to desire to return to B.A.S.S. makes me wonder why ... as a fan, these are good times, but I still prefer the five-fish format.
Hearing that Jason Christie and Greg Hackney are in good position, and want to return to the B.A.S.S. Elites really made my day. Two of only three anglers I truly missed with B.A.S.S.. I wish I could plant a bug in Andy Montgomery's ear. Swindle and BP coming back last year was great too, but I'm not a fan of letting anglers back in under some type of legacy criteria. Should have to requalify like everyone else. B.A.S.S. is better than that, or should be.
A whole lot of anglers walked away from their legacies and future careers with B.A.S.S., only to be forgotten by a lot of fans. In my opinion, they only strengthened B.A.S.S. by doing that, but B.A.S.S. needs to stay true to its roots and not just invite guys in like MLF does.
RE: Balog on live tournament coverage I too am confused at times with some of the formats in bass fishing but the live fishing and interaction of the angler showing and telling which baits and why they are using them will help to elevate the sport. People will see the action right now and not from an edited show that may have taken days to record. Those fans with higher interest will keep searching for more help through books, magazines and videos, not to mention weigh-in attendance.
By John Johnson BassFan Senior Editor
Major League Fishing pro Josh Bertrand relies on the kneel-'n-reel technique frequently when fishing crankbaits.
By John Johnson BassFan Senior Editor
Kevin Wirth walked away from competitive fishing after the 2012 Bassmaster Classic the 11th straight he'd qualified
By John Johnson BassFan Senior Editor
Ott DeFoe posted Top-12 finishes in four of the five Bass Pro Tour regular-season events in 2020 and ended up 2nd