RE: Collegiate underdog – Sorry, don't agree with the part of the article that justifies this young man being in the Classic. I'm sure he is a fine person and fisherman, but the Classic is for the "best of best," and the pros dedicate their entire life and that of their families to making it. There is not a college kid who deserves to be there unless he qualifies fishing against the pros.
I think the 1994 Classic won by B.A.S.S. Federation angler Brian Kerchal was the most signficant victory of all. A Federation angler had never won, and since then, no one has won the classic as an amatuer. His victory opened up the door for all Federation competitiors to beleive they had a chance. It also compelled the Northeast region anglers to realize thay could compete with the Southern-dominated angler base.
RE: Palaniuk at the preschool – It's great to see Brandon take the time to visit with the kids. We need more of this as it gives us perspective on what is really important. Not that easy these days given how hectic our lives have become.
RE: Balog on Classics past – Great article, as always. Balog is my favorite writer on BassFan and one of the best instructors for The Bass University.
RE: Strike King's Copley – Great article about a fine, humble man who is part of a great company! Had the honor of meeting and working with Mark and Doug on some media projects and couldn't ask for better folks to work with!
RE: Birge's ambition – Zack is a good stick. I've watched him progress since college. I wish him luck this year.
RE: Hallman's Okeechobee pattern – Good article. Watching the video of him fishing is interesting. Not sure if it was the type of rod he was using but the rod would load up, he would pause then pull back, not setting the hook with a snap. He almost seemed surprised at each bite. I give him credit for staying with it all the last day and only catching three fish.
RE: Ray Scott's property – I had the opportunity of a lifetime and was invited down with a buddy to fish with Ray and Don Corkran. We stayed in the President's Cabin. Ray's son cooked dinner for us and Ray took us out to lunch. I walked away with a deep respect for a man who cares deeply about the sport of bass fishing and the anglers who fish. He truly cares about not only the pros, but worked hard at creating an organization for everyday Joes and a vehicle for them to fish against the big boys in the Classic.
It was a fantastic trip and I will remember it forever! P.S.: Ray's right-hand man Col. Jimmy Kientz (Ret.), is also as dedicated as they come and I have great respect for his role as well. Great guys!
RE: Benton's Mexico trip – Drew is a casting machine. He's a very humble person and it was an honor for me fishing beside him.
RE: Classic winning weight survey – After 3 months of thought I came to 55 pounds, 3 ounces as a probable total for 1st place, then I find your article about 55-06 being the average over many years. Interesting.
RE: Colliding with coots – No angler is going to risk injury or damage to equipment by intentionally hitting a bird. It's all part of the risk of 70-mph boats. Coots are way overpopulated, the number killed by fishersmen is so small it has no impact on them. Worry about something that matters.
Concerning word terminology, the distinction between flippin' and pitchin' is virtually non-existent anymore. In several TV shows over the past 12 months, many pros have used the term "flippin'" for what they are actually doing (pitchin'). A few examples include A-Mart at the Havasu Elite event and Jason Christie and Scott Suggs in "Major League Lessons" from Benton, Ark., where the flippin' word is used several times, yet not one "flip" is demonstrated. In another event, Randy Howell says, "I found some good flippin' water/cover," and he begins to pitch, pitch, pitch. I realize there is no law against using these terms incorrectly and that they can be used interchangeably, like many other words in fishing and other sports.
I love these pros and they are my idols and I know that they know the difference between the two.
I think the reason a person might be more inclined to say the word "flippin" instead of "pitchin'" is simply because it is a more catchy, neat, and fun word to say.
RE: Balog on bed-fishing _ The problem with discussing spawning bass is that all scientists and biologists want to talk about is recruitment when recruitment is not the problem. The real problem is exploitation of the smallest population of bass out there, the true giants. The very small population of truly giant bass can be destroyed by unregulated fishing during the spawn. If you don't believe me, look at what happened in Florida. Where are all of the guides who used to guarantee 10-pound bass? Where are the guys who used to fish for spawning bass using step ladders? Why is Florida working so hard to replenish its population of truly giant bass?
I'll tell you why, because unregulated exploitation of spawning bass destroyed the population of truly giant bass that once existed there. Fishing for spawning bass is not about recruitment. It is about exploiting the few giant bass in any environment when they are the most vulnerable.
When discussing fishing for spawning bass you have to separate simple recruitment from destruction of truly giant bass populations. Giant bass can't be replaced in a year. It generally takes at least a decade. Annual recruitment can only supply yearlings with no guarantee that any of those yearlings will ever reach trophy size.
It is the love of truly giant bass that prevents many anglers from actively pursuing spawning bass when they have a choice. Life isn't all about quantity – quality matters, too.
RE: Colliding with coots – I was down in Florida pre-fishing for a B.A.S.S. Open and I saw one of the competitors run over some coots. But about 5 minutes later the local alligator meandered out to where they were hit and had lunch – just took his sweet time out and back. All that tells me is that nothing goes to waste and they were put there for a reason.
RE: Colliding with coots – I think Randy Blaukat's point is that bass anglers better start policing themselves, otherwise somebody else will start doing it.
As for the personal attacks on him, I think they are completely unwarranted. As a 30-year-plus pro with over $1 million in earnings with both B.A.S.S. and FLW, he has nothing to prove. If he was the No. 1 angler in the nation, someone would blast him as for using his angling rank as a pulpit – he can't win either way.
Regarding the gentleman who can't fathom anglers purposely maiming wildlife, I applaud his positive, altruistic view of humanity, but unfortunately he is wrong. There are charter captains in Florida who have been ticketed for purposely running over manatees. There are plenty of unethical anglers out there.
RE: Colliding with coots – Is this the same Randy who took a shovel and dug his way into a duck refuge at Old Hickory in Megabucks? Didn't it drain out and the game and fish people have to come fix it? And ain't this the same Randy who at one time didn't believe in toilet paper because it hurt trees?
RE: Bohannan's renwed vigor – One of the really good guys in fishing, glad to see him off to a great start. Old Spice picked a winner to represent them!
RE: Bohannan's renewed vigor – I fished with Greg as a co-angler a few years ago and it was obvious he was driving for success. A better person to spend time on the water with you could not find. You can learn from him while he's working things out. He's great with kids and has a strong family to stand behind him. He will figure out something that will improve his ability to figure out a lake. A winner in all ways on the move. Good fishing.
I think Luke Clausen's presence at B.A.S.S. has surely concerned some of the anglers because he will most likely knock someone out of check range in most of their tournaments and out of contention for AOY. Good luck, Luke.
RE: Colliding with coots – If you slow down and they don't get out of your way and you run over them, is that any different? What if you are running 50 mph and they scatter and then get in front of you? Granted, it's different if you are aiming for them (can't imagine doing that, as I would imagine it would hurt a bit if you took a head shot from one).
They aren't the smartest bird on the planet.
RE: Colliding with coots – We all need to be careful about casting judgment on the intent and actions of other bass fisherman. Hitting coots with a boat, hitting deer with a vehicle – I do not know anyone who would do this on purpose. In many cases - hitting deer/hitting coots - these wildlife become overpopulated due to various reasons, some of which are manmade. Let's all just stay home, quit fishing and leave all wildlife alone – NOT!
RE: Colliding with coots – Really? Next thing you know Randy will be complaining about hooks hurting fish and that we should all resort to photographing the fish instead of catch and release.
RE: Colliding with coots – Gotta agree with Randy. Come on guys, no excuse for that nonsense. There's no reason to not point it out! You can be DQd for miniscule rule violations, this should be automatic.
RE: Colliding with coots – Not only should FLW step up and start holding anglers accountable for sportsmanship, they need to step up and hold professionals to a professional level. Drugs, alcohol and PEDs need to be tested for. There is no room for this in the sport.
RE: Colliding with coots – Really surprised that a veteran like Blaukat would bring something negative like this to public attention. Not what the sport of bass fishing needs. Fueling the fire of those against the outdoor sportsman and professional fishermen is a really bad move.
RE: Colliding with coots – Careful, Randy ... people might start asking about all the bass being caught and inadvertently maimed and killed in the pursuit of monetary reward. All on public water.
Pick your battles carefully ... they may come back to haunt you.
RE: Colliding with coots – I think sportsmanship needs a little emphasis here. I read quite a few anglers that fished the FLW Okeechobee event complaining about driving all the way to the tip of Florida, the wind, the cold, the rain and tearing up their $80,000 boats. Now this crap.
RE: Colliding with coots – This guy does a lot of crying and whining in general and probably should spend more time trying to catch a bass. Seems to struggle with that. The last thing any sport needs right now is elevated sensitivity.
RE: Colliding with coots – I agree with Blaukat. The fact that FLW removed the video from their website says a lot. At the end of the day, it is about the money and a lot of these tournament participants are not going to slow down for anything. Actions like this are why a lot of people, including recreational fishermen, do not like tournament fishermen. A little common sense goes a long way.
RE: Colliding with coots – Wow! So cool that Randy B. brought this out. I have seen this for years as well. I slow down all the time and most anglers do. I am thrilled Randy had the nerve to say something. The fishing and outdoor world are proud of you.
RE: Colliding with coots – Great job, Randy! You are 100% right!
RE: Colliding with coots – I fished with Randy once and found him to be a very nice and professional guy. I also think he may have a valid point here, however, approaching it in this manner after the tournament is over is not professional. The same rules he wishes to use to DQ anglers state clearly that he has a duty to step forward and make a protest within the specified time. Using social media in this way rather than filing a proper protest is not professional and leaves me a little disappointed in him.
It is illegal to intentionally kill waterfowl and not secure the killed or maimed bird, according Florida game rules. Is that not enough, FLW?
RE: Colliding with coots – Check out the Florida waterfowl rule book – it outlines what should happen in this situation.
RE: Balog on bed-fishing – In my area we have a reservoir of approximately 11,000 acres which has no closed season due to half the lake being in Ohio. It gets pounded with tournaments throughout prime spawning season for 2 months straight. A study was done on the lake proper and the 2,500-acre propagation area in which no fishing has ever been allowed.
The findings were that the fish densities were the same. Twenty years ago it took 16 to 18 pounds to win a tournament. It now takes 21 to 22 pounds to win. I would say that's pretty compelling evidence.
RE: Schultz back in Classic – Great article about Bernie and an interesting look back at his 1991 Classic on the Chesapeake. I was his press angler for one of those days, covering my first Classic, and can vouch that Bernie was on some winning fish. Traveling across that huge, shallow bay with Bernie to reach his fishing areas was half the adventure.I still root for Bernie all these years later and hope he hammers them at this this year's Classic!
RE: Balog on bed-fishing – Joe, I wouldn't spend too much time being horrified over the removal of some trophy-class fish, There are many giant bass down here. What you should do is make a difference rather than trying to divide this community even further. Now that you live here you should spend some time following around the spray boats, document what they do, what happens afterward and such, note the frequency and if it is really even needed.
In my opinion, if you truly want to see a world-class fishery it is right here. The key is letting the vegetation alone and very selective application in our waters. Instead of talking to someone on the payroll of a governmental agency because you believe it to be scientific, spend time talking to the people that use it. If this area had its vegetation left alone – and I mean left the heck alone – the bass will get everywhere, they use it, they can be caught from it and yes, they get huge. There is nothing more frustrating to me than to constantly spend my time searching for the stuff they missed so I can go fishing.
With your column you could do wonders to restore what once was. Sorry to ramble and rant, but you truly have an opportunity to get this out.
RE: Balog on bed-fishing – Good article, Joe. I have always been in the opposing camp, believing that it is just not ethically right to sight-fish.
Yes, it is to hard to make it as a pro. But when you cannot make it with the big boys it is time to drop down to the FLW level.
RE: Watson on MLF – Giant spoon-flipping in the docks! That might be the greatest episode ever. Well done, Mr. Watson.
RE: Balog on bed-fishing – I would be very leery of any study done by fishery biologists on the effect of bed-fishing on spawning bass. First off, almost every bass caught in the spring is in some stage of the spawning process. Most bass are caught either staging or guarding a bed you can't see. Secondly, bass caught off beds during tournaments are a tiny fraction of the fish caught in any tourney.
What you've got is a situation where it's impossible to know the fish population and without that, there is no way to project your findings (sample) accurately enough to give you any useful information.
RE: Watson on MLF – I watched him in the survival round 1 and couldn't believe this guy is a "pro." I guess to get sponsors you have to act like a jerk when you lack talent. Sad part is he fell into a bunch of fish and won the round.
RE: Dove switches over – Kurt is a great fisherman, a great product rep, a great friend and, most importantly, a great person. Looking forward to his FLW career. Good luck!
By John Johnson BassFan Senior Editor
A look at the ages of the anglers who comprise the current Top 10 on the Bassmaster Opens Elite Qualifiers Division
By Dustin Wilks Special to BassFan
(Editor's note: "Catching Bass with Dustin Wilks" airs four times per week on the Sportsman Channel – 6
By B.A.S.S. Communications Staff
PALATKA, Fla. — Cory Johnston fished a full tournament. But with all due respect to nine other competitors, he could’ve
