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All Topics   January 2017
  • Jim Liner of Pintlala, AL writes:

    We are so sorry to hear about the loss of Cliff Shelby. Cliff was best known to most as the "Charlie" of the " Harry N' Charlie" column in Bassmaster magazine, but he was also a prominent person in the promotion and advertising field. He was quite a character on his own and his humor will be greatly missed in the bassin' world.

  • Charlie Sanders of Summerton, SC writes:

    I have become a very disappointed reader of Bassmaster magazine. I have been a member since about 1973 and finally want to comment on the increase of advertising pages with a decrease of factual, interesting articles. I analyzed the Jan./Feb. magazine with its 82 pages, of which 28 pages are full-page advertisements. There are full pages of photographs with no real value and three pages of inside content, 10 pages of trivia that is worthless. I did enjoy the pages revealing the year of Gerald Swindle and we would like to read more about the lives of tournament anglers, past and present. There were four articles about techniques that make up 15 pages, plus the six pages of Day On the Lake.

    The Bassmaster magazine is great print quality, but it has lost my interest.

  • Gerald R. De La Fuente of Castroville, TX writes:

    I would love to see some of these boats here in central and south Texas. If The guys at Falcon Boats would like someone to showcase their boats here on Amistad and Falcon Lakes, I would be very intererested. I'm a weekend tournament angler and I'm on the water quite a bit and we are all very cost-conscious here and would love to see a well-built boat that is priced right.

  • J. Thao of Madison, WI writes:

    RE: Balog on lead – I enjoy reading your column each week. It's unfortunate the outgoing director of FWS didn't consult with any other groups of interest on the matter before signing it, but that seems to be the trend lately. With science, we have proven that concentrations of lead are not good for the us, humans or the environment. Yet somehow we, or the majority of us, as anglers have not taken any steps to address it. Anglers and hunters, though currently a minority of the public population, have carried, contributed financially and worked the most for the natural environment (water and land) through one of the great values as sportspeople we all learn – conservation. Sometimes I think some of us have forgotten that.

    Ray Scott, the founder of Bassmaster and competive bass fishing, had the vision: Man, what if I create this competive fishing thing and base it on ethical angling and conservation so generations of the future can enjoy hopefully hundreds of years in the future the sport of bass fishing! I know us anglers can make it happen and I sure don't want to be the generation that messes that up. I hope someone smart from our minority group with the know-how can address it before the majority of the public address it because once we stop leading the conservation movement, people who don't understand or care to understand bass fishing and angling might not let us bring a rod and reel to the lake anymore. Conservation is more than just releasing the bass!

  • Rob Crane of Caseyville, IL writes:

    RE: McCoy moves forward – You are an inspiration to us all, Mike! You show exactly that with hard work and perseverance you can achieve your dreams. Good luck in 2017, sir!

  • Johnny McLean of Little Rock, AR writes:

    RE: Balog on lead – As usual, good article, Joe. It seems as though bass fishermen have never been really good at organizing for a cause. Also, it seems as though very few of the high-profile professional fishermen are willing to say much publicly. Randy Blaukat is the only exception that comes to mind.

  • Jim Liner of Pintlala, AL writes:

    RE: Balog on lead – Well done, Joe. I totally agree with what you wrote. All new laws and propositions should be looked at from a scientific and recreational standpoint.

  • John A. Argese of Taylors, SC writes:

    RE: Balog on lead – The "incoming administration"? I see a new President with sons who actually spend time in the outdoors, not just for photo ops.

    I come to BassFan.com to get away from politics, not read cheap shots from people with a political axe to grind.

  • Todd Patterson of Columbus, GA writes:

    RE: McCoy moves forward – Welcome to the front of the boat. Now you get the honor and pressure on Tour to not be in the group showing co-anglers what not to do.

  • Chad Aaron of Lawrenceburg, TN writes:

    RE: Balog on lead – The facts mattered very little to the outgoing administration on many issues. What mattered was emotions, feelings, and greasing the squeaky, liberal wheel.

    There is no correlation between increasing CO2 levels and higher Earth temperatures, as measured by the always accurate satellite data, but that didn't stop the administration from imposing irrational regulations which will hinder U.S. manufacturers from competing with companies from other countries.

    Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, manmade global warming, lead fishing/hunting items poisoning wildlife, gun-free zones preventing murders – all belong in the same category at the library. But wind farms can continue to kill thousands of birds, and are not even feasible without enormous subsidies. Al Gore can make millions on carbon credits, solar energy startups can siphon money from taxpayers then never even produce anything, and the average American doesn't know what's in their best interest. These are what the liberals want to feed us as acceptable policy?

  • Mark Allard of Sioux City, IA writes:

    RE: Bass under the ice – Wow, that's sick! Leave them alone. If you do catch one, don't hold em' up in freezing air temps. These fish are special. Ice fishing should be panfish and walleye only – no bass. Free the fighter!

  • Keith Chapman of Gainesville, FL writes:

    RE: College anglers thrown – Certainly glad both of these young men are okay. As a tournament angler myself, I am often curious of the logic behind the manual-inflating PFD. Had the driver's partner not been there to help, matters would have been much worse.

  • Tim Farruggio of Long Branch, NJ writes:

    RE: College anglers thrown – Thank God for PFDs and kill switches! I have been fortunate to winter in the state of Florida and fish just about every day. It never ceases to amaze me the number of local bass boats or guide boats that go roaring by me with 2 to 5 people aboard with no lifejackets. And forget about kill switches – they probably don't have one on board. I've experienced this everywhere – boats flying around blind spots and boat trails, especially on the Big O.

    It should be state law everywhere that to operate a watercraft of any type, you must use these life-saving devices.

  • Jeff Sullivan of Frostproof, FL writes:

    RE: College anglers thrown – First, I am so glad the guys are physically fine. The mental part, I hope, will be managed well by them too. That may be tougher, as even I, when just watching the video makes me have great pause. I know the normal dangers on the water, but parts failures scare the crap out of me. I wear my lifejacket and use my kill switch if I get on plane, but I also have a Triton/Mercury combo and I hope that BassFan will follow up and report on what broke so every one of us can check on that part.

    I ask Triton to announce what part failed and why. Please help us all out, and damn the legalities! To Conner Young and Hunter Bland, get well, and thanks for the hard reminder for us to use our safety equipment, and I'm sorry you got to be the instructors. That video will possibly save a life.

  • Zach Maisch of Lima, OH writes:

    RE: Balog on women anglers – Great article, Joe, and a topic that hits close to home for me since my mother Vickie has fished the Michigan BFL as a co-angler for a few years now. You might have recognized her in the Top 10 as co-angler in the last Costa Series you fished up here out of Sandusky before moving south. I know the issues that the coach talked to you about are something her and I have discussed. For my mother, at least, it's something she can handle as she has dealt with it in her professional career as an attorney as well.

  • Todd Lowe of Greensboro, GA writes:

    I just watched the video of the Univ. of Fla. boat accident on Seminole. Why would four boats pass a stranded boat with two people in the water? Have we gotten to the point that as fishermen, we won't even stop to check on our opponents? Glad every one is okay. This should be a lesson to all of us to wear our PFDs anytime our big motor is in use.

  • Terry Bonsell of Fruitland Park, FL writes:

    In any case, MLF is catching on big-time. Not long ago, I predicted that this tournament circuit would soon surpass both B.A.S.S. and FLW in fan base and television audience. Things seem to be right on track.

  • Tony Holzer of East Palestine, OH writes:

    The best thing about MLF is they don't play that stupid music when the angler catches fish. When I'm watching the other shows it's on mute.

  • Randall Verran of Colorado Springs, CO writes:

    While its true the format in MLF has changed by creel limit, it offsets this in part by the often obscure fisheries and the no pre-practice restriction. Basically, I like it because you get to see what the professionals experience in this format, which is similar to what a lot of us weekend anglers face when going to a new lake and trying to figure out bass with little or no prior knowledge of the fishery. Yeah, if I had my druthers, I would rather catch bigger bass, but in the aforementioned scenario, I'm just trying to learn the fishery and maximize my fishing-catching experience.

  • William Cooper of Ashland City, TN writes:

    RE: Balog on MLF – I do like MLF, but would like to know what they get for winning. Just a trophy?

    BassFan says: There are now monetary awards as well, but the amounts are not publicly disclosed.

  • Terry Farmer of Tyner, KY writes:

    RE: Balog on MLF – I agree with most of your comments, but if the best fisherman is getting beat by the less-accomplished fisherman because of the latter targeting bank-runners, then if the former were to live up to his "best fisherman" title all he has to do is target big fish and catch them. The MLF could change their weigh-in format at any time to just allow 2-pounders and up to be counted toward the total and still be interesting enough to capture viewers. I believe the "Scoretracker" is what adds the element of watchability to the program.

  • James Ogstad of Caldwell, ID writes:

    RE: Palaniuk's Zoom deal – We are so glad for him – he is a class act. He will be our speaker at our bass dinner here in Idaho coming up soon. Way to go, Palaniuk!

  • Steve Sendelweck of Ramsey, IN writes:

    RE: Balog on MLF – I agree that MLF is entertaining. But as a tournament fisherman, I would at least like to see a 15-inch size limit instead of 12.

  • Dennis Pentecost of Milford, IL writes:

    I know the pro bass anglers are good, but I wonder how they would do in local club tournaments. We have to fish where the length limits are 14, 15, 16 and 18 inches. Nowhere do we fish for 12-inch bass.

  • Randall Kramer of New Braunfels, TX writes:

    RE: Balog on MLF – Let's remember that MLF events are being held on mystery lakes for which the pros get no practice. That makes a big difference strategy-wise. If they could easily locate big schools of larger fish I'm sure they would do that, but there is a time restriction. All the pros know going in that whoever finds the biggest concentration of fish or the most repeatable pattern is most likely going to win. Therefore, it still makes the playing field even.

    Also I think you use some stereotypes for catching numbers of fish. You say "bank runners," but plenty of the events have been won offshore or with power-fishing techniques, not just shaky-heads. I for one appreciate that the fish are being put back in the lake immediately and not being swung in the boat to smash off the carpet or windshield and can live with seeing them catch a smaller average size. The level of competition is still high and it takes the best approach to win – it's just a slightly different type of game.

  • Mike Daley of Springfield, IL writes:

    RE: Balog on MLF – I agree, I love the show, but I find myself starting to lose a little interest watching so many small fish being weighed. Maybe they could add a bonus weight for every fish over 4 pounds to give an incentive to look for bigger fish.

  • Steve Colvin of Huntsville, AL writes:

    RE: Balog on MLF – Joe, I love your articles. Anything that makes me think about a topic in a new way, I give a good grade. The question you pose is: Should a tournament be the biggest five or the most keepers? I was looking through some old Bassmasters the other day (early '70s). It is amazing to see bass being held up on stringers at the weigh-in! I can't believe they used to do that!

    Tournaments used to be about bringing in the most fish. Soon, sanity prevailed and I guess they said only bring in 10, which must have later got turned into only five. Still, the original concept was the most fish.

    I like MLF a lot. With today's technology, we can actually pull this off with out hurting the fish. We will see where this goes, but we have to ask ourselves, when we are looking at a 2050 Bassmaster magazine, will we say, "I can't believe we used to make those fish ride around in a hot livewell for 8 hours"?

  • Chad Hill of Marion, IL writes:

    RE: Balog on MLF – I see where you are coming from, but my viewpoint differs slightly. You stated that it is easy to catch loads of smaller keeper bass. I assume you haven't fished in the southern half of Illinois. It's tough here. From what I hear, fishing in some neighboring states is just as tough. Although I live only a couple hours from Kentucky Lake, I can't afford to go down there all of the time and they don't always jump in the boat down there either. And how often in an MLF round do you see an angler's bites dry up, forcing him to make changes and adjustments.

    I enjoy seeing the on-the-water thoughts of the competitors. It has been very enlightening. Very few whack 'em all day. Also, I see MLF as a different way to measure the best anglers as compared to how winners have been determined in the past.

  • Jeff Rhoton of Collinsville, OK writes:

    RE: Balog on MLF – Just wanted to say thank you. Great read on the article about MLF. We are always trying to move the ball forward, but having fun at the same time.

  • Rich Falcon of Evans Mills, NY writes:

    I couldn't agree with Joe B. more regarding MLF. While I do love watching it and agree it's probably the most entertaining bass-related show on television, the constant bank-beating dinkfests can be irritating. There's zero way the MLF format is showcasing/rewarding the best of the best. Change it to the biggest five-fish limit like every other tournament and it would be darn near perfect.

  • Mathew Meyer of Nashville, TN writes:

    RE: Balog on MLF – I'd like to see a variation of MLF where you were allowed something like 10 fish that count, but have to decide when you catch a fish if it is going to be one of your 10 or not. No "culling." Once it's on the board it can't be removed and once you decide it's not going to be on the board (and throw it back), there is no going back.

  • Randy Brandenburg of Frisco, TX writes:

    RE: Balog on MLF – I love MLF too. Keep in mind that it is still very new. I don't think it is poised to replace the tried and true known competitive tournement model. I do think it has had as great as an impact for tour anglers as the PAA did – even more, probably.

  • Jeff Mitchell of Fish Lake, IN writes:

    RE: Balog on MLF – I like MLF because, as a casual person who fishes, I want to catch numbers of bass with maybe an occasional big one here and there. I want to have fun. MLF teaches me how to catch numbers and what I should be doing for that. I used to tournament-fish, but now it's all about fun. MLF style is fun!

  • Paul Wallace of Cambridge City, IN writes:

    RE: Balog on MLF – The format could easily change to the biggest five or 10 or any number of bass. If need be, MLF has many options to change things up. Really depends on the viewership – that is the driving force.

  • Gary Longley of So. Londonderry, VT writes:

    RE: Hartman chasing a dream – Congrats Jamie on the tour deal! That's awesome. First time I saw that you'd made the Elites. Do what you do best – win!

  • Bob Utterback of Huntington, TX writes:

    RE: MLF Championship – Can't wait. Love MLF. I live in a rural area and have DirecTV. I was watching MLF until they (DirecTV) dropped the channel from my package.

  • Randy Phillips of Buffalo, MN writes:

    RE: Hartman chasing a dream – Love the heart and the willingness to go for it! I hope you're able to cash some checks and/or pick up sponsorship to complete the season. I would love to be in your position and will pull for your success. Good luck!

  • Walt Tegtmeier of Leawood, KS writes:

    Mr. Champagne, put Blaukat "in his place"? Where might that be, other than being seemingly the one angler in the bass fishing community with the stones to speak the honest truth about environmental problems? I don't know Balog, but judging by his sound analysis of the issues and his obvious intelligence, I'm guessing he would side with Blaukat on many issues. But that's not the point. Just because bass fishing is good at the Big O does not mean all is right with the world. Just ask the people on the coasts who can't fish or swim around the toxic algae.

    The lake itself is not the problem. It's the millions of acres of land that was converted from wetlands to sugar cane fields, thus robbing the complex ecosystem of its filtration system. It's like trying to live without our kidneys, and I'm surprised it has taken this long for the consequences to show up. The sad part is that the state had a great plan to restore the wetands and go a long way toward fixing the problem. But guess what, the ag lobby gets its way again because people who think guys like Blaukat are "left wing" nuts turn a blind and ignorant eye.

    I pray all anglers will someday wake up and join the fight. But I guess we'd rather just label the people who do, and "put them in their place." God help us.

  • Bruce Yinger of Wyandotte, MI writes:

    I commend MLF on the care, concern and immediate release of all of the bass caught. As a longtime bass fisherman, I have seen too many local guys hauling bags to tournament weigh-ins with fish that will never get back to the places they were caught.

    Bass fishing isn't getting better here in Detroit, just the gas tanks in the boats are getting bigger.

    Great format.

  • Allan Bridgford Jr. of Chicago, IL writes:

    RE: Balog opinion – There are so many variables beyond an angler's control in the professional sport of bass fishing. I am a fan of all sports. What KVD has accomplished as an angler, in my opinion, has no equal in the history of sports. Yes, greater than Tiger Woods. Greater than Lebron or Jordan. Greater than Joe Montana or Brady. Frankly, it is beyond human comprehension.

  • Dave Mauldin of Round Rock, TX writes:

    RE: Williamson's plan – I had the pleasure of being Jason's marshal at Amistad when he won there, after I set the FLW record there. I was extremely impressed with the guy. Very cool under pressure. I watched him catch lunker after lunker on that swimbait like I had never seen before. Great day for him. I really like the guy ... ran into him at Falcon when I was helping ESPN down there ... I'll see him at Conroe if I help ESPN there.

  • Randy Brandenburg of Frisco, TX writes:

    I spent the day with KVD fishing for smallmouths in northern Michigan (KVD sweepstakes winner) when the fish were not really cooperating. To me, he was working as hard, hustling just as hard as if a Classic spot depended on our catch that day. With all that he has going on, he sure didn't have to do that for me. We ended up catching some good fish, and to no surprise, we caught them better on that day than than the guides that he set me up with did on that day, and I smashed them with those guides on the next couple of days I got to fish up there.

    KVD had me fishing the most prodctive pattern for the day while he was continuously slinging an umbrealla rig or a spinnerbait at different depths searching for the mother lode of smallmouths. It was great watching him work.

  • James Ogstad of Caldwell, ID writes:

    RE: Fritts will fish Elites – Welcome back, loved watching you through your hole career. Go David, go!

  • James Whitefield of Knoxville, TN writes:

    RE: Strike King KVD 1.5 – Interesting article. if I'm not mistaken, Lucky Craft came out with the 1.5 several years before Strike King came out with it. Lucky Craft actually named it the 1.5. Hard to believe that years of testing on Strike King's part came up with an identical bait and then named it the 1.5. The writer maybe should have checked his facts first.

All Topics   January 2017

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