Bassfan Feedback

• Brian Feutz of Rockford, MI writes:

  Friday, February 28, 2014

  RE: Balog rides with Monroe – Thanks, Balog, for the best insight articles on the web. Keep it up – we're reading!
  

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• Tim Brown of Ridge Top, TN writes:

  Friday, February 28, 2014

  RE: Bassmaster Classic – Looks like the traveling salesmen had a good tourney! So tired of them promoting the new stuff all of the time, when I'm sure that some are using homemade baits and ones that have been on the market for a while. I think tournament fishing is winding down some and could be in jeopardy of ending in the very near future unless some changes are made real soon.

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• Phil van den Dool of Tulsa, OK writes:

  Thursday, February 27, 2014

  RE: Balog on conservation – I rarely, if ever, feel compelled to comment on any article or purchase, for that matter. But I feel a special kinship with the author as our lives have certain parallels. Aside from our love of bass fishing and a profound respect for the species itself, I too chose to become a "government fish head" and major in fisheries management. Upon graduation I, like the author, pursued a professional bass fishing career culminating in a Redman regional win and two All-American berths.

  While I do not compete professionally anymore, I am as enamored with the sport as I was when I caught my first "worm" bass. The conventional wisdom at the time was to count to 10 before setting the hook. Regrettably, by the time I reached 10, the bass had swallowed the hook and would later swim away belly up. I did not know that cutting the line and surrendering the hook would almost assuredly have saved the bass's life. To this end, I was enormously proud of the author to attempt to educate the bass fisherman on proper fish care so that we can preserve this wonderful species to catch again and again, if we're lucky.

  I found it especially significant that the author discussed the unfortunate practice of culling fish on the carpet of today's bass boats. This common practice will destroy the fish's protective slime layer and render the bass more susceptible to disease and mortality. Additionally, when I see well-known bass fishing professionals (you know who they are) boat-flip bass onto the carpet of their boats, it makes me cringe. How can they be so ignorant?

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• Rob Campbell of Trafalgar, IN writes:

  Thursday, February 27, 2014

  RE: Balog rides with Monroe – I always look forward to Joe's column. Always insightful and a must-read. Great job again, Joe!

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• Ed Cowan of Greeley, PA writes:

  Thursday, February 27, 2014

  I picked Paul Meuller on my Fantasy team. Just saying.

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• Jim Liner of Pintlala, AL writes:

  Thursday, February 27, 2014

  Another great Classic. Birmingham is the ideal place for a Classic, with so many lakes nearby. Randy Howell will be the perfect representative for our sport. See you in Greenville.

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• Charlie Hartley of Grove City, OH writes:

  Thursday, February 27, 2014

  RE: Balog rides with Monroe – Another great post, Joe. You made me feel like I was in the boat with Ish on day 1 of the Classic. What an exciting tournament!

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• Luke Michaels of Hammond, IN writes:

  Wednesday, February 26, 2014

  RE: Bassmaster Classic – Love it when a great guy wins the BMC, especially when the organization and media cater to their "money personalities" and get left hung out to dry!

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• Harold Sharp of Hixson, TN writes:

  Wednesday, February 26, 2014

  First Classic had 20 contestants.
  Guntersville had 55.

  Winner received $10,000.
  Guntersville winner received $300,000.

  Rest of the conterstants got a free trip to Vegas.
  Guntersville contestants got $10,000 to $45,000 each.

  All contestants used identical boats.
  Guntersville contestants used their own boats.

  Contestants were allowed 12 pounds of tackle, four rods and reels.
  Guntersville had no limits on equipment.

  Four rods cost less than $100.
  Guntersville rods start at $100.

  Gas was 30 cents per gallon
  Guntersville gas was $4.30 per gallon.

  Weigh-in crowd was 20 anglers, 20 wives, 20 press anglers, 10 B.A.S.S. staff and four spectators.
  At Guntersville it was well over 10,000 live and the world on the Internet.

  Motel rooms were $30.
  At Guntersville they were $130.

  No one knew where they were going.
  For Guntersville, they knew last year.

  There was snow on the mountain tops.
  At Guntersville there was snow in the boats and a tornado to boot.

  Times are a changing.

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• Johnny McLean of Little Rock, AR writes:

  Wednesday, February 26, 2014

  RE: Bassmaster Classic – BassFan, thanks for covering the patterns of the remainder of the field. Hopefully you will cover the others in the Top 10. It is always interesting to see the differing approaches.

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• Chris Pope of Pensacola, FL writes:

  Tuesday, February 25, 2014

  RE: Bassmaster Classic – It's the most beautiful thing I have witinessed in a long time. To see a young man and his wife share a common goal for their life together, striving, sacrificing, paying their dues in the fishing industry that at times can be a dog-eat-dog world. But they have done it with credibility and class, with Christ as the focal point. Seeing how faithful they have been to Jesus and each other is very heartwarming. Watching this story unfold over the years has been a pleasure. Seeing God bless this precious family is truly a beautiful thing.

  Way to go, Randy and Robin.

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• Mike Cheeks of Cartersville, GA writes:

  Tuesday, February 25, 2014

  RE: Bassmaster Classic – Congrats to Randy Howell! You are now world champion of the world's greatest sport!

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• Shawn Carnahan of Gilbert, AZ writes:

  Monday, February 24, 2014

  RE: Bassmaster Classic – No A-Rigs, no records smashed, no surprise.

  What a great thing it is to see all the top pros slugging it out in the Classic using their own best techniques and instincts. So much better than a chandelier-heaving contest that really doesn't identify the top anglers.

  Congrats to the winner and all the guys who worked so hard to get there.

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• Dennis Pentecost of Milford, IL writes:

  Monday, February 24, 2014

  RE: Bassmaster Classic – Nation angler 2nd, college angler 6th, Nation angler 9th and Weekend Series angler 10th. Fantastic! The weekend warriors can compete at the top level.

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• John Gaulke of Ithaca, NY writes:

  Sunday, February 23, 2014

  RE: Bassmaster Classic – This "spectator boat" issue seems to only be getting worse. It's a huge deal and it really is what separates pro bass fishing from other sports. Imagine pro golf with spectators right on the greens.Or teeing off in between the competitors using their reads on the green. It's laughable.

  Pro bass fishing can never be a legitimate sport when you have so-called fans playing a huge role in disrupting the proceedings. And this clearly is playing a role in the outcome of the contest. Guys coming in right after a pro leaves and catching their fish. Or showing up the next morning before the pro can get there.

  And I don't want to hear about the "mental toughness" the competitors need to show to deal with the flotillas around them. KVD has shown in the past how well he can do with dozens of boats following him around. It's one thing to be loosely followed by courteous boaters, quite another to have downright interference. We don't tolerate fans running onto the football field or baseball field. Unfortunately, in public waters, there isn't much that can be done about it.

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• Terry Bonsell of Keyser, WV writes:

  Thursday, February 20, 2014

  RE: Classic Top 10 to Watch – No Chris Lane? He lives there!
  

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• Larry Richards of Henderson, AR writes:

  Thursday, February 20, 2014

  RE: Classic Top 10 to Watch – I think that A-Mart will win this one.

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• Billy Grotton of Oakland, TN writes:

  Thursday, February 20, 2014

  RE: Classic scouting report – I think mostly the guys who comment are the ones you try to avoid in your fantasy picks. The ones who try to avoid all media are the ones who are dialed in and are a a lot of the times on a good pattern.

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• Charles Patterson of Brookeland, TX writes:

  Thursday, February 20, 2014

  RE: Major League Fishing – Love the show and have ordered the past shows on DVD. To encourage families to watch the show we need to be careful with too much trash talk and language. I think you have a great idea and wish you much success.

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• Jason Hoffman of Emory, TX writes:

  Wednesday, February 19, 2014

  RE: 49-pound limit – Tim, congrats on an incredible day. I'm very curious as to what depth you caught them in.

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• Mike Bingham of Florence, MS writes:

  Tuesday, February 18, 2014

  Woo Daves did use a Zebco to win that Illinois Invitational, but it was the bigger 808 model that allowed him to use bigger line. It was promoted as a catfish reel until Woo used it to pitch worms to shallow cover. After that tournament, there were a lot of 808s seen on boat decks!

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• Cliff Peterson of Canton, KS writes:

  Tuesday, February 18, 2014

  I think it was the 808 Zebco that Woo Daves said he used sometimes, not the 33.

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• Rob Wilkinson of Fredericksburg, VA writes:

  Tuesday, February 18, 2014

  RE: Cochran at Guntersville – I fished with George on day three at Guntersville and it was a sight to see. Although he weighed in 23 pounds, he could have easily have weighed in a 27-pound-plus string, since he lost some heavyweights that day. He even went as far as helping me move up to 4th place from 12th by watching what I was doing and forcing me to slow down my presentation of the jerkbait.

  I can't wait to see how these guys do at Guntersville this week. It's a lake that I'll never forget!

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• John Hempel of Brownstown, MI writes:

  Tuesday, February 18, 2014

  RE: Loyd and the DNR – When a person claims to be sick and then goes and fishes a tournament, and expects to be paid for his lies, in my environment we call that stealing and the offender will be terminated ASAP.

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• Bob Carter of Joliet, IL writes:

  Tuesday, February 18, 2014

  RE: Loyd and the DNR – I would like to work one day a year and make $92,800 and fish, too.

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• John Baird of Cordova, TN writes:

  Tuesday, February 18, 2014

  RE: Zebco 33 – That little reel was great. I grew up with one and still have one my mom bought in 1954 and a newer one that's from the '60s.

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• Dustin Daggett of Twin Lake, MI writes:

  Monday, February 17, 2014

  RE: Balog on tournament evolution – I think Balog has it wrong this time. Until FLW posts a list of registered co-anglers for registered pros to reference, it's way too easy to make a mistake, or for that matter, to be given incorrect information by FLW.

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• Tom Mann of Clewiston, FL writes:

  Monday, February 17, 2014

  RE: 49-pound limit – Try catching those fish on something besides the goofy rig.
  

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• Kyle Hannah of Neff, PA writes:

  Monday, February 17, 2014

  My wife has used Zebco 33s for more than 50 years. Now my grandson has started out with the same Zebco outfit. Outstanding product.

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• Rich Zaleski of Stevenson, CT writes:

  Monday, February 17, 2014

  RE: Zebco 33 – Didn't Woo Daves use one in B.A.S.S. competition for years? I know that Billy Phillips, the Little Jewel guy, used to use a spincast reel for short-pitching his spinnerbaits, but I'm not sure it was a Zebco.

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• Rich Zaleski of Stevenson, CT writes:

  Monday, February 17, 2014

  RE: 49-pound limit – I saw this picture earlier, Tim, and didn't recognize you at all. Great catch! Congrats.

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• Robby Roberts of Vidalia, LA writes:

  Monday, February 17, 2014

  RE: 49-pound limit – Wow! Thanks for sharing a once in a lifetime fishing trip. Keep a few secrets to yourself. Well-written.

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• Tom Tanner of Jonestown, PA writes:

  Sunday, February 16, 2014

  RE: Loyd and the DNR – It sounds like Mr. Lloyd got what he deserves. The fact that he owns and operates several independent business ventures while he is pulling down a fat salary at the taxpayer's expense is bad enough, but to go tournament fishing while you are on paid sick leave is an absolute abuse of the system. This sort of mentality is a big part of our country's problems today - taking advantage of the system for a free ride and then complaining when you get caught. What a joke.

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• Tom Fletcher of Palatine, IL writes:

  Sunday, February 16, 2014

  RE: Loyd and the DNR – Give me a break. The guy clearly took advantage and tried to play the system. He got caught and lost a great job. All he had to do was take a leave without pay like everyone else does and go fish.

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• Richard Bates of Belle Chasse, LA writes:

  Saturday, February 15, 2014

  DECKED truck storage are the real deal. Unfortunately they don't offer an 8-foot bed model. I hope to be first in line when they do.

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• Clifford Allen of Ada, OK writes:

  Friday, February 14, 2014

  RE: Loyd and the DNR – I wish I could take sick leave to go fishing. So does everyone else. I would raise Cain as a taxpayer that he was getting paid to fish. If he was too sick to work, he was too sick to fish, period.

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• Joe Wasson of Campbellsville, KY writes:

  Friday, February 14, 2014

  RE: Balog on tournament evolution – So Joe, you want to be a writer? With this comes responsibility. While you were breaking your arm to pat yourself on the back for going through the rules "with a fine-tooth comb," you somehow managed to miss the details of McMillian's co-angler thinking he had paid for this entire season, just as he had last year. He is a friend of McMillian and told him he was in fact entered in every tournament this year. According to the co-angler, he called FLW and authorized the entries. Whomever was at fault, McMillian simply practiced with a guy he thought was legal, just like most of the field. Do your research, dude – the story was on this freaking website.

  McMillian got hosed, period. This rule was designed to keep pros from gaining knowledge from guides or local sticks. All three DQs were pros fishing with guys that wouldn't help them a bit. The problem lies in not enforcing the rules with a sprinkle of common sense. How many hundreds of times have tourney directors watched one guy pick up another at the dock, with the combustion engine running, but no life jacket on yet? The guy steps in the boat, immediately grabs his life jacket from the seat, puts it on, and we go fishing. Technically, you broke a rule. For a moment you were in that boat without that jacket on, while the engine was running. But common sense allows directors to let that violation go.

  These guys gained no advantage, but had their livelihood severely affected. Why? So we can prove we bend the rules for no one? But you do, you have, you always will. So use common sense next time, FLW.

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• Jeb Nightlinger of Springfield, IL writes:

  Friday, February 14, 2014

  RE: Loyd and the DNR – In my opinion, he got the job in the first place as a political hit.

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• Doug Clifford of Crooksville, OH writes:

  Friday, February 14, 2014

  RE: Loyd and the DNR – Dunking a worm under a bobber while sitting on a park bench is stress-free fishing. Tournament fishing at the FLW professional level is not.

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• Aaron Hodge of Harrison, AR writes:

  Friday, February 14, 2014

  RE: Loyd and the DNR – As a fisherman, I would love to take leave from my job to fish the FLW Tour. Where do I sign up? But seriously I am of the opinion, if you are healthy enough to fish the Tour, you'd better get your butt to work. I think this kind of mentality is part of what is wrong with America.

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• Johnny McLean of LIttle Rock, AR writes:

  Friday, February 14, 2014

  RE: Loyd and the DNR – If you are healthy enough to fish tournaments, you are healthy enough to work.

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• Jason Smith of Albany, GA writes:

  Friday, February 14, 2014

  RE: Loyd and the DNR – For this guy to say he wasn't playing the system is a joke! This mentality is exactly what's wrong with this entire country – screw the taxpayer for your personal benefit. What a crock.

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• T.J. McCue of Greenwood, IN writes:

  Friday, February 14, 2014

  RE: Loyd and the DNR – Oh, cry me a river! "I'm so stressed at work that I have to fish as a pro!" What a joke!

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• Quinn Hoyer of Angola, IN writes:

  Thursday, February 13, 2014

  RE: Loyd and the DNR – Nothing better than a hard-working man's tax dollars paying for something we're working our butt off for.

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• Dave Dieling of Elmhurst, IL writes:

  Thursday, February 13, 2014

  RE: Loyd and the DNR – The story mentioned that he'd had the deputy director position only since 2010. How did he come to get that position and what were his qualifications? This shows those are typically patronage jobs for those who are connected.

  Moreover, since when is fishing competitively at the highest level "relaxing?" Anyone who knows the sport knows that it is very stressful, especially when you're not among the heavily sponsored upper echelon. Smells like typical Illinois political shenanigans.

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• Rob Dixon of Lewistown, PA writes:

  Thursday, February 13, 2014

  RE: Loyd and the DNR – Travis Loyd deserves to be fired. If a medical condition keeps you from working, then you certainly shouldn't be fishing on days you are too "sick" to work. Work stresses me out; maybe I can con some doctor into saying I need FMLA time to go fishing. What a joke.

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• Joe Wasson of Campbellsville, KY writes:

  Thursday, February 13, 2014

  RE: Loyd and the DNR – I'd love to side with a fellow fisherman but, in the words of Chris Carter, "C'mon man!" Medical leave, but you can fish? Obviously, the Family Medical Leave Act was not designed for this.

  This was an abuse, approved or not. If you want to clear your name, apologize and move on. Everyone will forgive you. Please don't embarrass yourself by fighting this.

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• Wallace Blume of Dallas, TX writes:

  Thursday, February 13, 2014

  RE: Loyd and the DNR – Sorry, not much empathy here. Too many people gaming the system these days.

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• Alex Posey of Gainesville, GA writes:

  Thursday, February 13, 2014

  RE: Loyd and the DNR – This guy needs to rethink how he spends his spare time, like maybe looking into a bass club or local tournaments. Legal or not, this is not ethical and is pretty shady. Not to mention he blew around $34,000 on entries alone. He doesn't have what it takes to compete and should realize it before he loses a lot more than his job.

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• Butch Jones of Westfield, IL writes:

  Thursday, February 13, 2014

  RE: Loyd and the DNR – I wish to state my full support of Travis! How could a Fox station release a report without even contacting Travis himself? It was irresponsible reporting. My hope is the editors and reporter are jobless right after they declare publicly of their misconduct. The governor had no backbone as well to wait and get all the facts! My hope is he will!

  Travis loves the outdoors and is a great advocate of our natural resourses!

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• Tim Peek of Sharpsburg, GA writes:

  Thursday, February 13, 2014

  RE: Okeechobee FLW – I don't like these DQs. FLW should think about handing out lesser punishments for these types of rule infractions. I think something like a delayed launch on the first day of 4 hours would have been enough to send a message. Just a thought.

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• Mark Richards of Houston, TX writes:

  Thursday, February 13, 2014

  I think it's a topic that doesn't get mentioned enough, but anyone who is aware of what Amistad and Falcon used to be - then fishing the lakes and watching Disneyland-type lines of anglers filleting cooler after cooler of fish for years with seemingly no end - isn't what we are seeing now a product of that? Certainly water fluctuation, environmental conditions and all that have a role, but this has at least shown me what "catch and release" is all about.

  I'm watching Guntersville in the same light with real interest. Is it at its peak now, and is it inevitable that it could end up in a slump like Falcon? I would say that with the grass, it's fertile enough to withstand a lot, but anybody who has fished Falcon and seen the amount of cover there probably would have said the same thing.

  Fishermen everywhere could do their part and practice catch and release more often to preserve fisheries like this.

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• Johnny McLean of LIttle Rock, AR writes:

  Thursday, February 13, 2014

  RE: Balog on tournament evolution – Joe, good article. However, many sports change and try to make rules for the better. Just look at the NFL over the past few years.

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• T.J. McCue of Greenwood, IN writes:

  Thursday, February 13, 2014

  RE: Balog on tournament evolution – It is really very simple. Tournament bass fishing, from club level all the way through the pro ranks, is not like any other sport! Not NASCAR, not baseball, not basketball, not golf, not football. Bass fishermen pay their own way. I really wish people would stop comparing tournaments to other sports!

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• Harry Moore of Valley, AL writes:

  Tuesday, February 11, 2014

  RE: Okeechobee DQs – Tour pros are approached a lot at boat ramps by people calling themselves co-anglers and wanting someone too practice with. Bill Taylor told me I could call him between 4 a.m. and 9 p.m. or FLW during their business hours and they'd let me know the person's status. I have yet to call or text Bill Taylor between those hours and not get him. I received a text reminding me of the rule before the Rayovac tournament. The rules change every year.

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• Harold Sharp of Hixson, TN writes:

  Tuesday, February 11, 2014

  Once again, Ray Scott and Bob Cobb have not been invited by B.A.S.S. to attend the Bassmaster Classic. What have Ray Scott and Bob Cobb done to be ignored by B.A.S.S.? The Classic is in Birmingham, a short drive from Montgomery, where professional bass fishing started in 1967. Ray Scott and Bob Cobb made professional bass fishing work. Without their efforts, there would be no Bassmaster Classic, yet they are ignored by the present owners of B.A.S.S.

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• John Hempel of Brownstown, MI writes:

  Tuesday, February 11, 2014

  If fishing in Michigan is only fair to VanDam, then why isn't anything outside of Michigan unfair to VanDam?

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• Skip Bennett of Texico, IL writes:

  Tuesday, February 11, 2014

  RE: Major League Fishing – It's about time they added more FLW guys to the roster instead of the token Brent Ehrler, but what about some other guys like David Dudley, Scott Martin, JT Kenney, Dion Hibdon, Chad Grigsby, Larry Nixon or Randall Tharp. Then they may not be so B.A.S.S.-lopsided. I like the format, but having a lot of no name B.A.S.S. guys doesn't exactly level the playing field.

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• Owen Medley of Sand Springs, OK writes:

  Monday, February 10, 2014

  RE: Major League Fishing – What about putting a weekend angler in the mix by drawing sometime? That would be fun.

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• Bear Morse of Okeechobee, FL writes:

  Monday, February 10, 2014

  RE: McMillan DQ'd – It should have never been on the angler or pro to determine the status of the co-angler! This is poor judgment by FLW and this rule should be changed or the co-anglers checked a minimum of 5 days before any practice session and all pros informed via email, text or meeting, making them aware.

  FLW is playing with pros' careers and how they support there families. Again, poor judgment and decision-making by FLW!

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• Steve Colvin of Huntsville, AL writes:

  Monday, February 10, 2014

  This may be the year B.A.S.S. wishes it hadn't moved the Classic to February. It's been a gamble since this decision was made and now it's time to pay up. It's cold in north Alabama ... the coldest winter we've had in 20 years. Water temps are in the high 30s, low 40s ... yeah, that's gonna be fun.

  I remember when this decision was made by Don Rucks to be more like NASCAR and Daytona – the first and biggest event of the year. I am kind of tired of these bundled-up winter Classics, though. Let's make a change. Can we get on a rotating schedule: March, April, May, June? This would give some variety and open up some venues.

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• Harold Sharp of Hixson, TN writes:

  Monday, February 10, 2014

  RE: Okeechobee DQs – I'm sure most know that Rick Clunn has won four Bassmaster Classics, but how many know that he did not pre-practice for these Classics ? He determined that it was best to go into a tournament looking for what the bass were doing on that day rather than spend time on something he found in practice days before that may not work

  Seems the practice days get more anglers DQ'd than anything else, so just eliminate the practice days and fish 4 days – saves time, money, travel and no chance to get DQ'd before you get started.

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• Mike Gershberg of Royal Palm Beach, FL writes:

  Monday, February 10, 2014

  RE: McMillan DQ'd – Brandon is a stand-up guy and obviously was not aware of his practice partner's responsibilities or negligence. I understand the rule and I'm sure Brandon did too, but FLW should put in place a list of paid individuals and make it accessible to all boaters to avoid this mishap. Under the circumstances that I read about, nobody is really to blame, but I bet there are a bunch of anglers who were glad they did not have to go up against Brandon on tournament day.

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• John Jenkins of Westbrook, ME writes:

  Monday, February 10, 2014

  RE: B.A.S.S.' GoPro deal – We at Integrity Fishing use GoPro cameras to show children and clients the fishing they had aboard our boat and to promote catch and release. GoPro is the best camera and is a major part of our team!

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• Vera C. Bagley of Winter Haven, FL writes:

  Monday, February 10, 2014

  RE: Bagley purchase – Thanks for the great recogition you give Jim. This is the 10-year anniversary of the worst day of my life, when I lost the love of my life on Valentine's Day 2004.

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• Jeff Mitchell of Cincinnati, OH writes:

  Sunday, February 9, 2014

  Just curious, when did Lake Amistad become part of the central U.S.?

  BassFan says: Another question: Why have the Dallas Cowboys spent 40-plus years as members of the NFC East?

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• Mike Bentley of Columbiana, AL writes:

  Sunday, February 9, 2014

  RE: Major League Fishing – This is a great show, very entertaining. I do think fishing in Michigan is not very fair to every fisherman who's last name is not Van Dam.

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• Jason Hughes of Mongomery, AL writes:

  Sunday, February 9, 2014

  No, the opinion piece didn't suggest changing the rules. It made the very sensible suggestion that FLW do a couple of simple things to make it easier for the anglers to comply.

  Not scheduling two events within 30 days of each other on the same lake and providing an advance list of pro anglers and co-anglers who are registered and entered to fish does not constitute changing the rules.

  Reading between the lines can be dangerous.

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• Tony Holzer of East Palestine, OH writes:

  Saturday, February 8, 2014

  RE: Okeechobee DQs – Everybody is slamming FLW for the DQs. Remember when B.A.S.S. DQ'd KVD for not driving his own boat at Santee? Most of the comments were that B.A.S.S. did the right thing.

  BassFan says: The violations that led to the disqualifications of Kevin VanDam and Alton Jones at the 2006 Santee Cooper Bassmaster Elite Series – having other people drive their boats while they searched for bed-fish from the front deck (which had previously been a legal tactic) – could have easily resulted in a competitive advantage for those anglers. It's real difficult to determine how practicing with amateurs from states other than Florida, who had little knowledge of Lake Okeechobee, could have benefited Anthony Gagliardi or Brandon McMillan from a competition perspective. The lone common thread is that all were breeches of the rules that resulted in the same penalty.

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• Robert Vogelsang of Jessup, MD writes:

  Saturday, February 8, 2014

  There is an easy solution to the problem of rule-breaking in bass fishing: Penalize anglers according to their infractions with less than disqualification, depending on the infraction. A loss of points for minor infractions would be the easiest way to be fair. If all sports competitions disqualified participants for every infraction, there would soon be no one left to participate. Imagine a football game where every player who commits a foul is disqualified.

  I would like someone to explain to me why bass fishing is the only sport that demands secrecy. Information is the key to fair competion in all other sports. The goal is to determine who performs best under the pressure of competition, not who knows more than other performers. Under current rules, a first-time angler is at a disadvantage to anglers who have been to a destination many times. Being fair does not have to mean being secretive.

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• Terry Bonsell of Keyser, WV writes:

  Saturday, February 8, 2014

  RE: Okeechobee DQs – Anthony should have never been DQ'd under his situation. How can you practice with a fellow participant in a Rayovac and be DQ'd from an FLW Tour event on the same body of water in the same month?

  FLW is becoming a mess. The Internet live coverage is poor. Reduced top-tier tours. Crazy rules.

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• Ed Walker of Pinson, AL writes:

  Friday, February 7, 2014

  RE: FLW opinion – Really! So the opinion of the author is that ignorance is an excuse? We have all heard most of our lives that the exact opposite is true. Certainly fishermen the caliber of FLW Tour pros have either read the rules or have heard the tournament directors emphasize each section in meetings, etc.

  Two of the three disqualified anglers certainly have fished enough tournaments to be familiar with the rules. They also just came off of a 5-month break from the Tour and had time to read them or seek clarification. The rules are as important as getting the boat rigged, loading tackle and spooling up line.

  I definitely don't believe for a second that Brandon gained an advantage by having Cal Clark practice with him or that it even crossed his mind. That one has to be on Clark. For him to "assume" he was in the tournament is just ridiculous. There are confirmations sent out and a 30-second phone call will get you an answer. To have the opinion that the rules need to be tweaked every time someone breaks one is ridiculous. There are plenty of rules and they are not ambiguous.

  The author might want to look into the real possibility of pro anglers gaining an advantage by practicing with local anglers entered into the tournament on the different lakes they visit. Even in a practice scenario when a co-angler knows that he is not to provide fishing location info to the pro partner he is either practicing with or in the tournament with, sometimes they cant help themselves. So what is a pro to do when the co-angler points out a ledge, a stump, or a specific lure that works well on the lake? It happens in every tournament I would imagine.

  What I am getting at is this: Is a Pro angler responsible for what another co-angler or contestant does or does not do? Whether the co-angler tells the truth or breaks the rules himself? This is not pro golf, where you call a stroke on yourself if you make an error. If it was established by the tournament director or a committee that there was intent by Brandon to break the rules, I could understand it, but surely Cal Clark corroborated what Brandon told tournament officials – that he represented to Brandon that he was confirmed in the tournament. If anyone should pay the penalty it is Cal, not Brandon. Isn't that why there is a clause in the rules that says the rules are "interpreted " by tournament officials?

  This situation most certainly cost Brandon $10,000 and probably more. What did it cost Cal? $0.00.

  BassFan says: Nobody suggested tweaking any of the rules. In fact, the first sentence of the column begins: "There's nothing wrong with the FLW Tour rules that led to the disqualification of three anglers at this week's season opener ..."

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• Jake deBin of Chattanooga, TN writes:

  Friday, February 7, 2014

  RE: Okeechobee DQs – Great reporting. It's refreshing to see all sides of the story.

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• Luke Michaels of Hammond, IN writes:

  Friday, February 7, 2014

  RE: Okeehchobee DQs – Is the angler FLW's customer? As a business professional, if I continue to set traps for my customer to fall prey to, I will not be in business long. That is just common sense!

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• Dustin Daggett of Twin Lake, MI writes:

  Friday, February 7, 2014

  The Gagliardi and McMillan DQs were just plain stupid on FLW's part. They could have penalized them (say 2 pounds) or made them launch last on day 1 or something more befitting the "crime."

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• James Jones of Calhoun, LA writes:

  Friday, February 7, 2014

  RE: Okeechobee DQs – I think the rules are fine. It's when the guys think they know all the rules and do not have to read them every year, tournament, etc. I know it sucks, but rules are rules. As far as the other tournament is concerned, sometimes you just have to chose which is more important to fish. They maybe should have been given the option to withdraw and not Have a DQ on their fishing record.

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• Steven Bates of El Dorado, AR writes:

  Friday, February 7, 2014

  Once again FLW has taken the rules too far. First you can only display "approved" logos, now they are in the business of DQing guys on some stupid technicality. This is just one more reason why they will never be on the level of BASS.

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• Harold Sharp of Hixson, TN writes:

  Friday, February 7, 2014

  Here's a suggestion to eliminate so many tournament DQs: Just eliminate the practice period. What good does it do? Put the tournament waters off-limits to all contestants for 3 weeks prior to opening day. All contestants arrive and register on Sunday, noon to 3 p.m., tournament briefing and partners announced Sunday at 7 p.m.

  Monday is day 1, Tuesday day 2, Wednesday day 3 and Thursday day 4. Four-day tournament with no cut, all contestants fish 4 days, put up a fully-rigged bass boat for the big-bass winner – this will keep them all in the tournament.

  If any tournament organizations consider this, I will offer other suggestions to change the look of bass tournaments that have been doing the same thing for 40 years. It's time to liven up these events.

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• Debbie Cumpton of Belle Glade. FL writes:

  Friday, February 7, 2014

  RE: McMillan DQ'd – This situation is totally unfair to Brandon. There should have been another solution, by FLW, to the situation that would have protected Brandon's participation. It doesn't seem like FLW is as organized as they expect the fishermen to be!

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• Charles Bowman of Kernersville, NC writes:

  Friday, February 7, 2014

  RE: McMillan DQ'd – This is why FLW is looked upon as having absolutely no sense. It doesn't surprise me one bit that Clark did not recieve any receipts. I too have signed up for many tournaments with FLW and not received a receipt, and never thought twice about it. Additionally, look at who McMillan could have practiced with, but did not.

  At some point, you have to look a the evidence and see if there is a rule violation, and if so, was it intentional and/or does it cause any change to the competition? So if Clark had not practiced at all, showed up at the trailer, found out FLW had not registered him, and then pitched a fit and demanded to be registered, would FLW have taken his money and put him in the tournament?

  I don't know what they do on the FLW Tour, but I know on the BFL side, if you've got the cash, you play, if there's any way to get you in ... even if you walk up to the trailer on the night before.

  I just don't think its right to DQ McMillan like that. I've heard so many stories about FLW at all levels that I quit fishing their tournaments a couple years ago and quit my membership a couple years ago as well. Where's the common sense?

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• Chuck Brinkley of Topock, AZ writes:

  Thursday, February 6, 2014

  RE: Okeechobee FLW Tour – Wow, looking at the entire leaderboard, I see a lot of names that take me back in time.
  

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• Rusty Rommel of Poplar Bluff, MO writes:

  Thursday, February 6, 2014

  RE: Okeechobee DQs – Brandon being disqualified is just sad. When does common sense take over? Only sport that can easily destroy one's career opportunities with such a ruling. Sad!

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• Bert Ward of Daphne, AL writes:

  Thursday, February 6, 2014

  RE: Okeechobee DQs – This just stinks. Thank you for sorting out the facts. These two fishermen seem to be class acts – cannot say the same for tournament rules.

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• Mike Boyles of Kimberling City, MO writes:

  Thursday, February 6, 2014

  RE: McMillan DQ'd – This is a hard pill to swallow seeing proof of the auto debit from FLW. Looks like a certain female didn't do her job in signing him up for both circuits. However, I get conformation letters for all FLW events that I enter. I keep them on a clipboard at my front door with highlighted dates and meeting locations. Never assume anything in this day and age. I wish Brandon the best of luck with the choices he is having to make.

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• Craig Walters of Eagan, MN writes:

  Thursday, February 6, 2014

  RE: McMillan DQ'd – I'm so sick of reading about these disqualifications on both the B.A.S.S. and FLW tours. I know that we have to have rules to govern our sport, but the top tournament organizations also have to have some common sense. Disqualifying Brandon McMillon was completely unnecessary and has hurt the young pro's season and career. He has already withdrawn from the rest of FLW's 2014 events.

  I think that both B.A.S.S. and FLW need to revisit their bylaws. Professional bass fishing is the only sport that I've ever heard of that routinely disqualifies pros for piddly reasons before events. Ever heard of any professional golfers being disqualified? Give me, er no, them a break!

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• Aaron Hodge of Harrison, AR writes:

  Thursday, February 6, 2014

  RE: McMillan DQ'd – I don't even know what to say about this. I realize FLW has to be consistent and after DQ'ing two other people I guess this is what has to be done, but man, I feel it for Brandon. On his home lake; basically a $10,000 guaranteed check. If this happened to me, I would never practice with someone ever again. I would say several pros will likely do that going forward to ensure this doesn't happen to them.

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• Rich Barham of Buchanan, GA writes:

  Thursday, February 6, 2014

  RE: McMillan DQ'd – This is truly an injustice. I have registered many times just as Clark did, and understand how this could have happened. It may have been Clark's error for not following up with FLW on the confirmation, but it sure wasn't Brandon's fault. I think FLW should look at its process and marginal computer system in detail before ruining a top fisherman's career. In my experience, I feel FLW could have dropped the ball just as much as Clark.

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• Cal McCracken of Savage, MN writes:

  Thursday, February 6, 2014

  RE: Balog's Big O pick – I couldn't agree more about Rob Newell. I basically subscribe to FLW Bass magazine for his articles. It's so refreshing to read articles that aren't written at a 4th-grade reading level.

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• Charlie Hartley of Grove City, OH writes:

  Thursday, February 6, 2014

  RE: Balog's Big O pick – Peter T. is one of the most down-to-earth bass experts you'll ever meet. I miss competing with him in the Elites.

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• Steve Bullard of Shelbyville, IN writes:

  Wednesday, February 5, 2014

  RE: McMillan DQ'd – I am sure it was an oversight on his part, but rules are rules.

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• Edmond Brown of Trion, GA writes:

  Tuesday, February 4, 2014

  RE: Keystone renews with FLW – Not good news for me. Sad FLW has made the decision to continue promoting alcohol consumption. They used to be a good example to the younger generation, now money talks more than standards.

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• Bobby Munlin of Hemphill, TX writes:

  Tuesday, February 4, 2014

  RE: Stanley rebirth – I have been using Stanley baits for too many years to remember and am glad that they will still be there to buy, and I wish Lonnie the best in his "retirement." He is a tremendous, friendly and generous gentleman. I have come away from his office with a handful of baits that he would give me to try out. A true sportsman!

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• Roy Reid of Belton, Texas writes:

  Monday, February 3, 2014

  RE: Stanley rebirth – I have used Stanley baits for over 30 years. This is great news for anyone looking for quality baits to throw with confidence. I can't wait to try that Side Trac Shad.

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• Donnis Hanshaw of Gaffney, SC writes:

  Monday, February 3, 2014

  RE: Lake Guntersville – Wow, Alabama Bass Trail, that 32-pound bag is awesome. Take care of that fishery, it is awesome. I look forward to making another trip there soon.

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• Terry Condon of Horseheads, NY writes:

  Monday, February 3, 2014

  RE: Cayuga Lake Elite Series – Smart to move the host city to Auburn. They've always done a great job with Opens, Weekend Series and FLW events. I hope the launch site is big enough to accommodate all the anglers and festivities. Parking can be an issue, but the anglers won't have such long runs to the north end where they all want to be (except KVD, he'll find the smallies, I'm sure!).

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• Allan Bridgford Jr. of Chicago, IL writes:

  Sunday, February 2, 2014

  RE: Balog on social media – Another great article, Joe. You are always worth reading. But I would argue that Nicklaus is still the greatest. He, too, had been written off when he won the '86 Masters.

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• Jeremy McGrew of Madison Heights, MI writes:

  Saturday, February 1, 2014

  RE: Stanley's rebirth – This is great. I love reading these stories about guys buying these old companies and breathing new life into them, especially Lew's. I had a few Lew's reels back in the '90s I got when I was a kid after David Fritts won the Classic fishing a Poe's crankbait on a Lew's setup. Last year I bought a couple of Revos in the spring, then picked up a couple Lew's casting reels and was very impressed with them, even more so than I was with the Revos.

  So awesome to see these old companies coming back with such great products. Keep it up, guys!!

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