RE: Cup co-anglers – If Mr. Morgan feels that way then he should go fish in the Bassmater Elite Series. They too got tired of co-anglers taking money from them, so the co-angler spot was eliminated. I just wonder how he got started in pro fishing? Without more anglers getting involved in tournaments at every level, pro fishing will cease to exist. Maybe he just forgot where he came from.
It would be so nice to see Ray Scott, Bob Cobb, and Harold Sharp recognized at the Classic in Tulsa. Maybe they were asked and for some reason could not attend. Other than that Ray, along with Bob and Harold, would appreciate the recognition from the fans of this great sport that Ray founded along with his two lieutenants.
RE: VanDam misses MLF event – Sponsor obligation, huh? Yeah, right. Probably not there because Kevin is such a nice guy he decided not to fish when all the other competitors begged him not to fish so they would stand a chance of winning!
RE: Tailwater access issues – Reading this article brings up a similar scenario here in Arkansas where the Corps of Engineers plan on shutting down locking on the Arkansas River to just an hour a day, and barge traffic will hold precedence.
RE: Parrish leaves Elites – Maybe it's time for Russell Parrish to stick to AAA-level events? Three checks in two years, and 100-plus in the rankings on the FLW Tour before that?
A lot of positive sponsor news coming out of FLW. What's up, B.A.S.S.? Where are all the great brands Jerry and Don are bringing to the sport? More of the same jive-talking from Jerry!
RE: Cup co-anglers – I agree with Andy about the co-anglers' fish being fish the pros have found, but there were 49 other boats with co-anglers as well, thus leveling the playing field. Just because Andy's co-anglers took a 1st and 2nd, he shouldn't blame his finish on the co's, but admit his boat positioning could have been better or at least as good as Jacob's.
RE: Cup co-anglers – I thought Andy Morgan came across as a good guy until I read this article. Now he looks like a jerk. It's like he thought he was the only guy to have a co-angler in the boat with him at the Cup. Hey Andy, you finished 7th! Don't you think the guys in 2nd through 6th thought the same thing? It was an equal playing field for everyone.
RE: Cup co-anglers – FLW and B.A.S.S. need to implement the halfway rule in all their tournaments, top to bottom. The co-angler cannot cast past the console of the boat and the pro can't cast behind the console. This way everybody is playing by same rules on an even playing field. The pro has much more time and money invested and deserves this courtesy.
RE: 2013 Classic – Are you kidding me? How could B.A.S.S. conduct a Classic in Tulsa without inviting the godfathers of B.A.S.S. in Ray Scott and Bob Cobb? Are the owners ignorant to B.A.S.S.' roots?
The very gentlemen who built the business they own aren't considered important enough to attend the biggest event in bass fishing? When will Jerry and Co. learn? If you are going to bow down to the pros, then you should do the same for the historical figures of this great sport. I've had it!
RE: 2013 Classic – Agree 100%. The stench from B.A.S.S. is overwhelming. I realize it's a business, but it has become a sport for the Elite pocketbook. Just look at the names fishing and compare it with the names who really qualified by fishing and those who qualified via their wallet! I no longer support the FLW, B.A.S.S. or the ABA. Local tournaments and charity events will get my entry fees. The magazines are nothing but sponsor ads.
RE: 2013 Classic – Don't worry, Nate Wellman will be there. It's time to wake up and smell the stench that's coming from B.A.S.S. It's not the offspring of Ray Scott anymore. But what to do? Vote with your wallet and take your participation elsewhere. Any other suggestions?
RE: Morgan on Cup co-anglers – Hey Andy, Jacob Wheeler had co-anglers with him each day, too.
It gets a little old reading about these pros who blame their failures on someone other than themselves. In the FLW game, you have co-anglers. If you don't want to play that game, become a Bassmaster Elite Series angler.
I think Andy is missing the big picture. FLW has embraced the co-angler to some degree while Bassmaster has not.
I compare this to playing roulette in Vegas. If a casino has a "0" and a "00" on the table, I don't play their game and I go somewhere else that only has a "0". I don't ask the casino to change the entire game just because I don't like it.
Additionally, if I remember correctly, Andy is in a BassCat, which would probably better align with the Bassmaster angler self-promotion allowance than the FLW self-advertising anyway.
RE: Horton's new show – I think this is great! We have a lot of hunting shows, but very few fishing, especially bass fishing. I hope it does well.
Randall Tharp is my favorite angler by far that I have never met. He just seems to get it. In my opinion, he is one of the best out there. I hope he wins an Open and gets to fish the Classic next year on G'ville.
I just wanted to say I had the chance to fish with Greg Vinson at Smith Lake in Alabama as a co-angler for the FLW Tour. He was one of the classiest and nicest guys I have fished with. He even told me to fish for a fish on a bed because I saw one! Great dude.
Look forward to seeing you on the tour next year, Greg. Good luck!
RE: Hawk to fish Elites – Why "Ex-Cup Winner"? He's still the 2010 Forrest Wood Champion! You should change the title. Maybe "2010 Forrest Wood Cup Champion Crosses Over."
In 1967, Ray Scott announced a professional bass tournament at Beaver Lake in Arkansas. He then traveled to Tulsa, Okla. to recruit contestants for the event. There he met Don Butler, Bob Cobb and several other anglers who helped make the Beaver event a success. This same group traveled to Cullman, Ala. to fish Ray's second tournament.
When Ray announced the organization of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.), Don Butler was the first to join it and he paid for a life membership. When Ray needed help with BassMaster Magazine, Bob Cobb resigned his job as sports editor for the Tulsa Tribune and moved his family to Montgomery to help get B.A.S.S. organized.
These two Tulsa natives played a very large part in the organization of professional bass fishing. Without Don Butler, Bob Cobb and Ray Scott, there would be no professional bass fishing as we know it today. There would be no B.A.S.S. or BassMaster Magazine, or Bassmaster Classic at Grand Lake in February. It all started in Tulsa in 1967, and the Classic is returning to Tulsa in February 2013.
Today I was talking to Ray Scott and said, "I guess you and Bob are getting ready for the Classic in Tulsa." Ray replied that neither he nor Bob Cobb have been invited to the Classic.
How could B.A.S.S. and Tulsa both fail to involve Ray Scott and Bob Cobb as honored guest at the 2013 Bassmaster Classic? What have Ray Scott and Bob Cobb done to be totaly ignored by B.A.S.S. and the folks in Tulsa that are sponsoring the Classic?
Don Butler passed away several years ago, but he should be included as part of the reason the Classic is in Tulsa. Ray Scott, Don Butler and Bob Cobb were there when needed to be sure the 2013 Bassmaster Classic was in Tulsa, but seem to be forgotten today.
Can anyone tell me why Ray and Bob have been ignored?
RE: Horton's TV show – This is great news. I have followed Tim's career for several years. There are a lot of good fishermen out there, but not all of them can connect with the public and really communicate. I believe Timmy has the ability to be the next Bill or Jimmy! He has a natural gift for teaching. Can't wait.
RE: Horton's TV show – Tim is a well-known and well-respected member of the bass fishing workd. He should be an excellent show host.
RE: Federation Nation divisional schedule – I am very disappointed to see that Federation Nation chose to schedule the Western Regionals on the exact date of the TBF Nationals.
RE: Burgess' Elite quest – Got get 'em, Mark! I hope to join you.
Does this sound right? I'm getting ready to jump into the boater side of the BFL's to fish and pay just in entry fees alone $1,100 in 2013 just to hopefully fish on Lake Lanier next year in the regional. I could travel down there and fish that lake for a lot cheaper than $1,100. We tournament fishermen just aren't right!
RE: Guntersville Classic – Seriously? Everyone who is complaining about the Classic weigh-in being so far away from the lake needs to just sit down and shut up.
1) At least you can have a Classic in your area. With the spring event, it will never happen in Chicago again.
2) Saying that the lake will go to the pits because 54 anglers "harvest" five bass a day for 3 days is a joke. How many anglers fish on Guntersville a day and how many harvest fish? Willing to bet it's a lot more than 54.
3) The tourism dollars will more than make up for any issue with fish mortality that B.A.S.S. will have. And you can bet they will do everything they can to make sure all bass that can be released alive are. As a professional in animal keeping, I can tell you I could take five bass and ship them across the world on an airplane and keep them alive, no problem. Getting them from the lake to the weigh-in and back is no issue for these professionals.
RE: 2014 Guntersville Classic – It is my understanding that the host for the Classic Expo/Weigh-In is procured through a bid process. If that is true it is good from an economic standpoint not only for B.A.S.S., but also for the city of Birmingham. I've noticed that several folks are concerned about the fish traveling to Birmingham from the big "G". Can someone tell me what happens to the fish after they are weighed? Do they make a round trip back to The Big "G"? Either way the fish will be put under an enormous amount of stress.
BassFan says: BassFan contacted B.A.S.S. regarding your question and received the following response: "Yes, as is always the case in Bassmaster Classics, the fish caught in Lake Guntersville during the 2014 Classic will be returned alive to Guntersville and released there."
RE: Collins' Weekend Series win – Congratulations Albert. I always knew your dream would come true.
I don't get the decision of holding the weigh-in for the Classic at Guntersville in Birmingham either. Possibly a money thing? I hope that all the "live" bass that are brought in to the scales make it back to Guntersville in good shape.
Re: Guntersville Classic – While I'm thrilled to have the Classic back in Alabama, I can't for the life of me understand why the weigh-in isn't being held in a closer locale like Huntsville's Von Braun Center. It's only 25 miles from the lake and is plenty big enough for the Expo and weigh-in. The folks in Huntsville could also use the extra boost to the local economy.
RE: Guntersville Classic – Although I like the choice of Guntersville for the Classic, I still prefer the old format of fish a season and compete at the Classic right after the season concludes. The way the Classic is now eliminates tons of awesome northern waters that would be great Classic hosts – Green Bay, Wis., Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis/St Paul, Buffalo, NY, etc. The list goes on and on, but those are just some of the choices.
RE: Guntersville Classic – The state of Alabama is extremely excited to have the Classic back in 2014!
RE: Guntersville Classic – I live and fish on Lake Guntersville. It is great to see the Classic here in 2014, but I am concerned about the weigh-in being in Birmingham. This lake is already going down in fishing quality, then taking the fish down to Birmingham is insane. This will be the nail in the coffin for this lake.
RE: Yusuke Miyazaki – I had the pleasure of fishing with Yusuke several times before the B.A.S.S. co-angler program went extinct. Always a great time and he always put me on good fish. I wish him well in his first Classic appearance.
The biggest thing going for Jonathon VanDam is he is the nephew of one of the biggest professional bass fishermen in the world. He has nowhere to go but up and I'm sure his uncle is going to help him on his way. I think you will definitely be hearing more of JVD in the future.
RE: Davis' spinal surgery – Dr. Detwiler is my surgeon, and he has kept me fishing for years through his excellent work. I recommend him highly. He works on us regular fisherman also, not just the big boys.
RE: Daves declines Elites – Would you share your pay check with the world? We already know what their prize earnings are. They are employees of their sponsors and what they are paid is their personal business and for the most part they are their own business.
RE: Davis' spinal surgery – Good luck, Mark. I know exactly what you are going through because I had the exact same surgery a year ago as of the 18th of this month. My advice is to be careful rushing onto the lake too soon because even though you are feeling 100% better now, the fusion needs to take and a rough boat ride won't help the healing. My doctor said no boat rides for 4 months.
RE: Daves declines Elites – I know Chris Daves very well and it's truly amazing to me what he seems to realize that many don't. B.A.S.S. and FLW are in trouble. They have been doing this for years where the guys fishing are doing so with their own money. Payouts are the same now, with just increased entry fees.
How much does KVD make and how much does Hackney make? Only they know, but I will tell you this: Take an angler in FLW or B.A.S.S. in a year who does not win a tournament and finishes 4th or 5th in the points. At the end of the year they might be making 40-60K. Entry fees are running in the 30s (thousands) and there's gas, lodging and eating. What does that run? If it keeps up you will have a handful of anglers competing and the rest are going to be broke.
I realize Toyota and Strike King are keeping most of these guys around, but are B.A.S.S. and FLW three or four major sponsorships away from folding? Seems like it to me.
I think to increase these guys' portfolios, they need to come out and say what Toyota, Bass Cat, Triton, Ranger, Strike King are giving them. We know what Tiger Woods, Jeff Gordon, and Peyton Manning make, why not bass fishermen? The more info out there, the more it enables the companies to compete for these top guys, which in return increases the sport and the ways to market it.
RE: Parents should stay away – Obviously something must have prompted John Johnson to write of on-water parental escapades. Of course this applies, even perhaps more in excess, at the collegiate angling level today. Having been able to sit back and watch our boys in many sports, this is a really good piece. One boy was a D-I cross-country runner who excelled on his own and has conference rings. Yes, we did involve in assisting with placement as he desired, and he achieved degrees through college there.
The middle one is a scholar in his final year who will go on to further his education at post-graduate for a career. The youngest one is (was) a multi-talented athlete. It's hard to sit back and watch talent make decisions you question, though the decisions are theirs. Some parents go over the tip of the 'berg trying to maneuver their youths' futures. As they grew into high school our involvement rotated to parental spectator.
We feel fortunate with our own young men and we appreciate the opinion John has generated and hope parents and grandparents take heed. The NCAA commercial says it best: There are over 100,000 student athletes and most all of those (us) will be going "pro" in something other than sports.
Fishing as a sport is no different and it really gives them much more balance in the lives they will lead and people they develop into. Directing them is our part of it.
RE: Gustafson to fish FLW Tour – Congrats, Jeff, for making the move to the Tour. You'll do great!
In reference to Chris Daves declining the Elites ... I understand Chris' decision but am disapointed that I won't get to see him more often and that I will not be competing with him. I have had the pleasure of fishing with Chris and consider both him and his father very good friends and wonderful ambassadors of our wonderful sport! I look forward to seeing him in the Opens.
RE: ABA Weekend Series and BFL – For regular tournaments, there is no need for the night before tournament meetings. Partner pairing should be done online. I live just outside of Washington D.C. and getting to meetings at 7:00 around here is almost impossible with traffic. It's that bad. I don't want to hear the "I dont have access to a CPU" B.S.! Everyone has a cell phone, iPad or whatever.
Since the BFL/FLW is utilizing texting, I wonder if this could replace the meetings that we have to attend today?
RE: ABA entry fees – Why do you beat up on the ABA and the Bassmaster Weekend Series for going down the points list to fill the regionals? The BFL does it to fill their regionals. B.A.S.S. Opens do it to fill the Elites and bringing 20 percent of the regionals to the national BWS championship is a lot more getting in than the top 6 that the BFL takes from a regional to the All-American. So why single out the ABA for doing something that they all do?
By MLF Communications Staff
EUFAULA, Okla. – After a week of erratic weather and fluctuating water levels and clarity, conditions are finally stabilizing
By MLF Communications Staff
EUFAULA, Okla. – A Lake Eufaula that had been stingy on Day 1 of the MLF Bass Pro Tour event proved a bit more fruitful when
By MLF Communications Staff
EUFAULA, Okla. – If anglers thought they knew what to expect when Lake Eufaula made its MLF Bass Pro Tour debut, Mother Nature
