David Dudley is a class act. Great family man and very humble. His grandmother should be proud and I hope by the grace of God she pulls through and continues to fight.
Go, David. God Bless. Your grandmother is in my prayers. For you have taken her strength and converted it into inspiration for all.
RE: Morehead's DQ – Sounds like a man a wife would be honored to have.
I love reading about how these "homers" can beat any of these Elite guys. I do have to agree, some of them do have the money to just continue year after year. I love to see the hometown guy win at any large tournament, that's what it's all about. But does anyone really understand how good the top half of the Elite field is?
These guys are just good, they are machines. They figure it out and change daily with the fish and in different locations around the country. That is amazing. I know they get good help, best sponsors, great information, etc., but it is all about the days of the tournament, making the right decisions at the right time in the right place. They are Elite.
Congratulations to Brent Chapman on an awesome start to the 2012 season and leading the Elite Series and Central Open AOY points!
RE: Ellis' Santee Cooper EverStart win – Way to go, Ken. Mighty fine job!
RE: NC spot record – I wonder if the 2003 record was tested to this extent.
RE: Ledoux's Big O ordeal – Lake Okeechobee is bass heaven – none better in the USA. This guy should not feel bad about what he did. I have fished this lake since 1974 and seen the same thing many times. When the lake starts dropping water, lots of guys experence the same thing. Did I mention I did it once? The wife and I pushed for about 50 yards. Lucky me.
I had the pleasure of fishing as Jeremy Starks' co-angler at Lake Erie a few years back. Man, he was disappointed as his screen was loaded with fish. We tried three or four times to head back out, but it was killing him. He was still able to box 18-plus that day in what was probably a third of a day of fishing. Glad to see him back and doing well.
The inference that those on tour are "not the best fishermen" versus "home-lake homers" is misleading and generally false. The "best" fisherman is a term that applies to someone who can catch fish in different locales and in any set of conditions, not someone who can set out brushpiles every day from their house on their home lake or someone who has their buddies' GPS list from Kentucky Lake.
Are the tour pros going to consistently beat guys like Gerald Beck or Jeff Coble on Kerr? Probably not. But history has shown that while "home-lake homers" can make checks in a lot of the big tournaments, they do not win as often as guys "fishing the moment" like the tour pros so often do.
I will admit that a lot of us are disgusted at the reality that, as our economy tanks and gas skyrockets, the dream we might have had for competing at the highest level is gone. And it is true that there are a lot of guys in the sport who are there more because they have the money to do it than anything else.
But the fact is the guys whor are in the top half of the tours ARE the best. They're fishing day in and day out against a field stronger than any - on different venues in different conditions - and they make themselves better by doing so. Like it or not, we have to either put up or shut up.
RE: A-Rig patent application – It has been a while since I looked at patent laws, but from what I remember, you only need a 20% change in an item to make it your own. Also, when naming your item for patent you need to come up with as many names as possible to try and protect it, too. And, a patent on any item only lasts so many years. You have to reapply to keep it current.
RE: A-Rig patent application – Just like the ChatterBait. It'll be interesting to see how both of them turn out.
RE: A-Rig patent application – How is anyone going to patent something that's been out there forever (umbrella rig)? Sure, the U.S. Patent Office will issue anything they're paid enough money to, and sure, some of the "little guys" will run for the hills. But when Slick Lures LLC and their cohorts at Mann's bust heads with some of the "big boys," they'll have their shirt handed to them.
Not taking anything away from Andy Poss – he took an existing lure and prettied it up some and called it an A-Rig, but come on now. You're going to try and patent it and all of its various derivatives? Not!
RE: Wejebe tribute – It is appropriate that the IGFA be involved with a fine captain, friend and teacher. He was a wonderful role model for the fishing community. He will be missed.
RE Crochet's goals – I have total confidence in Cliff. He is a hard-working man and he can accomplish anything he puts his mind to. We, the community of Pierre Part, La., are behind him 100%. Good luck, Cliff.
RE: Howell eyes No. 1 – That is progress Randy, keep up the good work. All things are possible, we will just believe. Keep climbing.
RE: Crochet's goals – Awesome article! Cliff is an inspiration to us all.
RE: Elite Series AOY – Randy Howell MIGHT win it. This year I predict will be one of the tightest races in a long while,
I've always said those on tour are not the best fishermen; those on tour either have the money, or are willing to go bankrupt if they don't cash a check. On Kerr alone there are many who could spank the majority of the "Elites" on any given day.
RE: VanDam hooks cameraman – Tell KVD I need to show him how to get a hook out a lot faster with less pain.
RE: A-Rig patent application – The umbrella rig has been used for many years in saltwater. Seems to me that the Alabama Rig is just another copy of the umbrella rig. I don't think it should be granted a patent because it is a copy of the umbrella rig.
RE: A-Rig patent application – Congratulations to Mr. Andy Poss for his invention of the Alabama Rig -haven't striper fishermen been fishing the same type of rig for decades? If I recall my patent law correctly, one can't patent X, Y or Z if it has a history of public domain. In other words, if X, Y or Z has been used before, one cannot claim ownership or design and patent it. With that said, if Mr. Poss has changed the rig enough to satisfy the patent lawyers, he may just be able to slip it through a review.
RE: Jose Wejebe killed – Very sad news. RIP, Mr. Wejebe.
RE: Major League Fishing – Watched the last few episodes on cable. Great show and great to see that there will be more with the additional support from the sponsors.
The VanDam hook incident reminded me of a very cool nurse several years ago. I was fishing Black Bayou near Monroe, La. when I was attacked by a Smithwick Devil's Horse. The middle set of hooks were in my upper eye lid. When I got to the emergency room with this thing hanging off my face, the nurse looked at me and asked, "Can I help you?"
As much as I would love to believe that Miles will "make it big," unless he has a money tree somewhere, his chances are slim. It is really no longer about fishing skill as much as it is about finacial survival. Can you get to the next tournament? I am usually a positive optimist, but at some point you have to say the numbers, money-wise, do not add up. Good luck.
It's interesting to see all these new programs start in the wake of ESPN's departure from the outdoors, and more specifically B.A.S.S. The MLF and "Attack of the Bass" are two upstarts that seem to be gaining a nice following. It really should serve as a lesson to anyone sitting in at ESPN who monitors the outdoors that bass fishermen, and women, want true-to-form and hardcore programming, not fluff and junk. I guess this is why ESPN never could make it with B.A.S.S., they never really had a clue what the fan/enthusiast/participant wanted. It will be interesting to see if other dedicated "meat 'n potatoes" type of shows and venues come along.
RE: Table Rock patterns 2-5 – "It took Spencer Shuffield a while to come around on the umbrella rig. At first, he was reluctant to use it, but when he watched other anglers who’d rarely or never had success in tournaments start cashing checks on a regular basis, he knew he had to warm up to it and make it part of his repertoire."
B.A.S.S. critics have just lost the argument once and for all. By the admission of one of their own anglers, FLW must now confess the A-Rig reduces the level of skill needed to make a check.
RE: KVD draws blood – That poor cameraman. Give me – no, him – a break! Being naturally clumsy, I have stuck numerous hooks in myself, plus performed the “hook trick” on other unfortunate individuals. Never have I had to have braided line in order to make it work. People rarely bleed more then a small drop, if the hook trick is done promptly and properly.
Someone needs to give the pros lessons on hook removal. I have killed hogs that have bled less than that poor cameraman.
RE: Ish's win with the Missile D Bomb – It really is a a bit silly to make a big deal of Ish winning with this "new" bait. There's nothing new about it! It's nothing more than a copy of a Beaver. I realize that the tackle industry traditionally tends to copy succesful baits, but let's don't go crazy over a reproduction. John, get innovative and design something! How about a square-bill that dives down and suspends like a Lucky Craft Pointer 100.
RE: Ledoux's zero for marshal aid – Why is this Okeechobee DQ even a topic of conversation? In sport, wherever there are rules, there are infractions. And where there are infractions, there are penalties.
All sports have their quirks. In soccer, the exact same foul at midfield is a penalty kick if committed "in the box." In basketball, you're not supposed to foul your opponent – until it's a greater advantage to foul him/her in order to stop the clock.
All the officials can do is try and fit the penalty to the transgression. This is not a career-breaker. Let it go.
I find it hard to believe that Ledoux was DQd and no one in the Classic was DQd. I was looking at the pictures from the Classic and noticed marshals on the front deck of the boats helping to rock it, while the pro was trying to get off a stump. I have no doubt this was not the only case, but the only one I saw in a photo. Check out the Elite rules regarding marshal help:
C3. (ii) During both the official practice and the tournament, a competitor may not have the assistance or advice of anyone for the purposes of locating or catching bass;
C12. BOAT OPERATION AND EXPENSE ... When idling in shallow areas, pros are allowed to ask marshals to move their sitting position as long as the marshal can place his feet in the bottom of the boat.
Most rules make a distinction between the front and back deck, but make no mention of the bottom of the boat. Does this mean the bottom of the boat between the decks? If a pro gets stuck and the observer is on the back deck, does he have to get down for the pro to free the boat?
By B.A.S.S. Communications Staff
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