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  • John Gaulke of Ithaca, NY writes:

    Balog on FFS – The use of forward-facing sonar is a game-changer. It's really just an application of make-up applied to faltering fisheries. Bass and other species no longer have deep water or other sanctuaries that afford them protection. So now, the last vestiges of untouched bass are being brought to the weigh-in.

    Here near Cayuga Lake where I live, the smallmouth fishery is repeatedly touted as being great. Anyone who lives near the lake or fishes it knows that it isn't. Round goby have demolished the smallmouth population. The small percentage of bass that survive long enough not to become goby food get large. That's it. Very few guides target smallmouth bass here. You don't see anybody guiding them on a regular basis. You see guides doing occasional trips when fish are vulnerable on beds. The pros who do well on them spend countless hours "scoping" the points and running miles and miles just to find a few.

    Round goby decimate smallmouth populations. Oneida Lake's smallmouth population has dropped significantly in the past decade. They have an estimated 22,000 gobies there per square acre. Lake Erie still offers great bass fishing, but New York's Dept. of Environmental Conservation's annual netting shows a decline in bass numbers EVERY YEAR since gobies became abundant.

    So yes, keep using the FFS and convincing everyone that our fisheries are amazing. The rest of us just shake our heads.

  • Thomas Tanner of Jonestown, PA writes:

    RE: Balog on FFS – It's obvious that all major tournament organizations need to address the use of FFS or they stand to lose a lot of the older and best recognized anglers who provide the pull-thru for many different products. The big electronics companies are not going to pull back on their advertising/promotional dollars because bass fishermen still constitute the majority of current and future FFS consumers. They need to find the proper balance of usage in tournaments to improve the "watchability" of their events so it doesn't look too much like a video game contest. You can't afford to lose your older viewers just to appeal to newer ones (just ask NASCAR).

  • John J. Kurant of St. Augustine, FL writes:

    RE: Balog on Florida freshwater management – I have lived in Florida since 2003 and I am considered a river rat. The river never had a chance to reach its potential. I could not tell you how many times we watched spray boats going down the river spraying everything. We videoed the sprayers and sent it to FWC and received an excuse of why they are spraying dollar bonnets, lily pads, reeds or eel grass. They would lie to you and say it was selective herbicide as everything would turn brown and wilt. They would tell you they were spraying hydrilla when there was none. We spoke to a guy who was spraying , he said that if they didn't use the spray they would get their budget cut. At this point the state should ban all spraying in the St. Johns River for the next 5 years.

  • John J. Schaeffner of Florence, OR writes:

    RE: Swindle's campground video – Thank you, Mr. Swindle, your video captured the essence of what fishing means to me. Now as I turn 73 and I battle cancer, I’m unable to fish. These memories of sitting by a lake or river hoping for the next bite; it’s given me that inner strength to battle cancer. Those moments will always be with me. Even if I never fish again I have that. Thank you for reminding all of us - keep your eye on the bobber of life.

  • Mark Richards of Houston, TX writes:

    RE: Balog on young guns – In general I'm just going to disagree with this take, which basically attempts to minimize the impact of FFS, but putting that aside I would say this: If you are a young angler thinking about passing up higher education to pursue top level fishing, it's nothing I would ever recommend.

    It's a tough world out there and you never get a second chance to be young, run with your peers and get an education that will set you up for lifetime success. Yes, some can and will succeed and there are many starving artists who are completely happy with the life they live, but it can be a tough road. If you get your education, these trails and opportunities will still be there for you down road, willing to take your money.

  • Thomas Jones of Albertville, AL writes:

    If you took away all the electronics except a depthfinder, just how good would most professional fisherman be?

  • Jeff Caruthers of Ashford, WV writes:

    RE: Balog on young guns – Good article, I agree with all of that, especially the high school and college "early start". With the access to so much "live action" on and off the water, a kid can almost virtually live the tournament life. Once they get there, maybe it's like they've already lived it and can just concentrate on fishing. They're not as shell-shocked with the whole process?

  • Dennis Pentecost of Hoopeston, lL writes:

    That sound you hear is Bassmaster going down the drain! I am not rejoining their organization because they no longer represent the grassroots bass fishermen and have become nothing but a money-grabbing corporation! Sad what it has become!

  • David Harrison of Huntsville, TX writes:

    RE: Balog on FFS – I agree with most of what Joe says. I cannot get behind FFS and hate watching it. I think one way to mitigate its effect without banning it is to go back to the 5-fish limit. Hard to compete when FFS allows you to catch so many in a school. But the shallow experts can find 5 good ones that never go deep. MLF did this for a season and there were some close finishes. The flippers on their trail loved it, but then they went back to the catch-them-all format. Said it was for TV, but that's hard to believe. Lots more runaways in the FFS format.

  • Fred Sage of Lakeland, FL writes:

    I think Bobby Lane will win his second REDCREST by beating his brother Chris.

  • Tom Cox of Canton, GA writes:

    RE: Balog on Classic – I agree about Fothergill. Very happy for him. The fishing was boring with way too few catches and the replays. FFS is effective but boring to watch.

  • John Neer of Alexandria, VA writes:

    RE: REDCREST preview – This comes across like a Rapala infomercial.

  • Earl Bennett of Texico, IL writes:

    I agree with the photographer about old-school talent versus new-age AI fishing. AI will soon not only tell anglers where the fish are and how they are reacting, but tell them which baits to throw.

  • Steve Krakowski of Chesapeake City, MD writes:

    I have mixed feelings about Easton Fothergill's Classic win. Easton clearly outfished every other competitor who had the same resources available and his backstory is also heartwarming. But is a win with FFS the same as a win without? I don't think it is.

    I liken it to photography and the modern post-processing tools available. The use of modern photography tools can create some absolutely beautiful pictures. Using the tools takes skill, and some people will be much better at it than others. However, does a modern processed photograph have the same value as an Ansel Adams photograph where it was just the man, some film and his camera? I don't think it does.

    To me, modern technology takes out a lot of the human factor that makes fishing and photography so appealing.

  • Thomas Strickland of Satsuma, AL writes:

    RE: Power-Pole contest – After losing my leg and waiting on a prosthetic, I would love to fish a different lake with one of the best bass pros.

  • Dustin Daggett of Whitehall, OH writes:

    The leadership, or lack thereof, in both professional leagues is absolutely laughable right now. We've gone from the no-nonsense, by the book, common sense of Trip Weldon to DQs for talking fishing with non-competitors ... and let's be honest, the best thing that could happen to MLF is for Boyd to ride off into the sunset. This sport is begging for some true leadership right now.

  • David Harrison of Huntsville, AL writes:

    RE: Balog on FFS – Joe, I'm pretty sure Scott Martin used FFS to bed fish at last year's open that he won in record fashion. He was trying to keep it quiet, I think. But yes, they can see everything, including when they eat the bait. Not good for the sport in my opinion.

  • Sam Lashlee of Camden, TN writes:

    RE: Martin DQ'd at Big O – Scott Martin is not a cheater. I've coached him for years, prepared him for many tournaments on many lakes for many years and he has never, ever come close to asking me anything inappropriate during off limits.

  • Thomas Tanner of Jonestown, PA writes:

    I think it's time to include the NPFL in your rankings along with B.A.S.S. and MLF. Given the number of big-name anglers that are now competing there, they deserve that coverage.

  • Robert Karbas of Raleigh, NC writes:

    RE: Herren DQ'd at St. Johns – Matt is a first-class, stand-up man. I would not doubt anything he says. Good luck and best wishes, Matt!

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