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• Lori Avena of Vineland, NJ writes:

  Tuesday, June 30, 2015

  RE: Avena's Potomac finish – Way to go, Jersey Boy.

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• John Cregger of Hardy, VA. writes:

  Tuesday, June 30, 2015

  RE: Kentucky Lake dead bass – I'm not opposed to tournament fishing, but this is not the first time there has been a substantial fish kill from the rigors of tournament fishing. In this case, wind (current) kept the bass on top for all to see. It's going to happen every time at large bass wars with 300 to 400 anglers competing. The bass may not float and litter the banks, but a percentage of bass will struggle to the bottom and then die out of sight.

  Tournament directors need to establish a fund to replace and stock bass that met their demise from the rigors of competitive fishing. B.A.S.S. or FLW should not have the right to deplete a valuable resource and walk away with no penalty only to go off to another lake to repeat the process of killing more bass. I challenge B.A.S.S. and FLW to use the same rhetoric used to describe the sport of competitive fishing: Honesty, honor, and good sportsmanship. Well, gentlemen let's be honest – fish are dying. Let's be honorable – leave the lake just like it was prior to the tournament and we will be considered great sports. Don't shirk your responsibilities. Replace the bass killed by your anglers and organization. Step up.

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• Steven C. Rockweiler of Luling, LA writes:

  Monday, June 29, 2015

  RE: Martin's AOY win – Congrats to Scott Martin for his AOY title. Scott seems like a great fisherman, family mana nd person. A really good guy for our youngsters to emulate.

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• Errol Duckett of Charlotte, NC writes:

  Sunday, June 28, 2015

  RE: Balog's guide fee – There's a time and place for a co-angler in the back of the boat, but it's certainly not on the pro level. Imagine a co-golfer teeing it up with Tiger Woods on the final day at Augusta. Come on guys, let's try to elevate this sport to level it deserves.

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• Maynard Logan of Fort Wayne, IN writes:

  Saturday, June 27, 2015

  RE: Fukae's sportsmanship – Congratualtions to Shin Fukaie at the FLW Potomac event. What an act of sportsmanship giving his boat to Clark Wendlandt. This is the type of sportsmanship that should take place in BASS and FLW events in regard to fishing spots on the ledge impoundments. Whatever happened to respect for self and others. Great job Shin!

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• Jeff Hodges of Apex, NC writes:

  Friday, June 26, 2015

  RE: Balog on Ike – I agree with you, Joe. My first impression of Ike was much the same. However, over the past few years I have really come to respect Ike on many different levels. I find myself doing late night paper work all the time while playing Ike Live! in the background. Go Ike!

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• Rob Dixon of Lewistown, PA writes:

  Thursday, June 25, 2015

  RE: Balog on Ike – I know a lot of older folks don't like Ike. He dresses different than your average bass fisherman. He gets animated in a way that only younger people seem to relate to. He swears, he used to party a bit, but aside from all of that he has done more to promote the sport of bass fishing than any pro who's ever come before him – probably more than any pro who will come after him as well.

  Ike is a legend in bass fishing that we all owe a debt of gratitude to. I hope he wins another Classic and AOY because there's not a single person out there who deserves it more than he does. He signs more autographs in a week than the rest of the Elite Series does in a month simply because he will not leave a launch until he has signed for every single person who wants him to.

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• William McDonaugh of Thorndale, PA writes:

  Thursday, June 25, 2015

  RE: Balog on Ike – I agree 100 percent with Joe's article. Most times Ike is the last person to leave an Elite tournament site because he cares about the people attending. Many times Ike and people wanting to shake his hand, get an autograph or talk to him are the last ones in the parking lot. I was at one tournament when he left a young man drive his boat from weigh-in to the ramp. I don't know who was happier, the young man, or his family members that were at the ramp. The trip to NY was just a routine day for Ike.

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• William H Barnes of Mercersburg, PA writes:

  Thursday, June 25, 2015

  RE: Balog on Ike – I agree with Balog's assessment on Mr. Iaconelli. Initially I was put off by his antics, but as he matured and demonstrated his fishing abilities I have grown to respect and even like him.

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• Eric Paugh of Accident, MD writes:

  Thursday, June 25, 2015

  RE: Potomac River – Well, FLW is one of the contributing factors to the decline of the river with their constant bombardment of tournaments, so they helped make the bed and now the pro's get to sleep in it like the rest of us locals who have sat back and complained for a long time that the DNR didn't step up to put a stop to the destruction of what was once one of the greatest fisheries in the world.

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• Charlie Hartley of Grove City, OH writes:

  Thursday, June 25, 2015

  RE: Balog on Ike – Joe, based on your columns, I consider you a "wise man." I have a very similar opinion of Ike. Keep writing the good stuff!

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• Jason May of Huntsville, AL writes:

  Tuesday, June 23, 2015

  RE: More FLW Tour withdrawals – So anglers pull out and they cut the payouts right before the tournament? That makes me wonder about the whole financial situation of fishing.

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• Jody Mullins of Glen Allen, VA writes:

  Monday, June 22, 2015

  RE: Potomac River FLW – Definitely not the Potomac of old anymore. The numbers have steadily been decreasing over the past few years. Hope we have not seen its best years!

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• Bill Wolf of Center, MO writes:

  Sunday, June 21, 2015

  RE: Balog on nets – I wonder why B.A.S.S. and MLF both claim to be most concerned about the health and proper care of bass that they do not mind if an angler basically just bangs a bass on the deck or bottom of the boat. I also think "pros" themselves think it takes to much time out of the catch to use a net. What a shame on all parts.

  BassFan says: While MLF does not permit the use of nets, it does assess penalties to anglers who allow fish to make contact with their boats.

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• Carter Northcutt of Frankfort, KY writes:

  Saturday, June 20, 2015

  RE: Balog on nets – I have to agree with you on net use. I never understood the reasoning behind banning nets. They can make it so that only the fisherman, not his co-angler or anyone else, has to be the one doing the netting.

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• Cooper Hall of Park Hill, OK writes:

  Friday, June 19, 2015

  RE: McGuckin profile – Cool article for a cool guy. I haven't spent a lot of time with Guck, but the times I have he's been such a down to earth, calm, collected individual. I hope to get a few more campfire sits with this guy!

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• Steve Kirby of Columbus, OH writes:

  Friday, June 19, 2015

  RE: Release Me trailer brake key - Wow, why didn't I think of that! Seriously, have you ever noticed how it's the simplest ideas that turn out to be just the ticket? Great idea and the right price point. Congratulations.

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• Mike Bingham of Florence, MS writes:

  Friday, June 19, 2015

  I think all the issues over use of nets goes back to the early B.A.S.S. days when "pros" were paired together and one guy would have to stop fishing to net the other guy's fish. And we know not everyone knows how to net fish, resulting in a fish lost. Some folks are slow getting the net ready and the other loses the fish and blames the netter. All issues that caused stress between partners. And some guys just got tired of spending all their time netting the other guy's fish.

  So B.A.S.S., I think in the '80s, banned nets in the name of fish care. But fisherman are hardheaded ... then they would still ask their partner to help them land the fish! And again, fish were lost by the partner and again causing hard feelings.

  To me, it always seemed like such a simple situation to fix. Allow nets, but make each guy responsible for landing his own fish. Simple. Make it a violation for the partner to assist. Remember DQ'S for pros having practice partners drive their boat while they looked for bedding fish? If a guy is a real pro, he should want to land his own fish. If something goes wrong and he loses the fish, he can't blame anyone else.

  One more thing: The use of nets will eliminate those scary moments watching guys try to land bass with a big crankbait or jerkbait sideways in its mouth. Are we really putting fish safety above humans? I mean, really, we just stuck a hook or hooks into them!

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• Randall Kramer of New Braunfels, TX writes:

  Thursday, June 18, 2015

  RE: Balog on nets – I truly believe that those of us who watch tournaments as fans of the sport do not watch to see the anglers wrestle with the bass. Although it may create some extra drama, we know the true struggle is in locating tournament-winning fish and getting them to bite over 4 days of competition. We wake up early to tune in our TVs or stream it live while we're at work to see the anglers figure things out. We hope to learn as much as we can in hopes we can benefit from the techniques and tactics.

  If anything, all the flipping of bass in the boat and watching them careen off of windshields and flop on the floor probably turns more people off than it does good. I for one would prefer to see the use of nets and don't believe it would do anything to lessen the number of viewers. Most amateur or semi-pro tournaments allow the use of nets, so why are we asking the pros who we all look up to do something different? This sends the wrong message and the pros should be the ones to speak up and ask for this change.

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• Tony Arnold of Greenback, TN writes:

  Thursday, June 18, 2015

  RE: Balog on nets – I say this very thing all the time. I don't understand why they don't use nets. Great article as usual, Joe. Maybe somebody at B.A.S.S. will read it.

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• Terry Bonsell of Keyser, WV writes:

  Thursday, June 18, 2015

  Why in the world will B.A.S.S. not adopt the conservation-friendly method of landing bass with a proper net? Watching bass bang against the side if the boat, windshield, or any other number of things is a dark cloud hanging over B.A.S.S.' "conserve the resource" message.

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• Chad Hill of Goreville, IL writes:

  Thursday, June 18, 2015

  RE: Balog on nets – I totally agree with this view. I am tired of watching pros swing bass into the boat, giving them a hard landing on the deck or floor with them bouncing around all over the place. There's nothing unprofessional about a rubber-coated net.

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• Harold Sharp of Hixson, TN writes:

  Thursday, June 18, 2015

  RE: Balog on nets – B.A.S.S. allowed nets in all tournaments until 1982. It was automatic when your partner hooked a bass you grabbed the net. This took you out of the game until his bass was safely aboard, then you could start fishing again.

  I remember a tournament that I fished and we stopped to fish a point. My partner hooked a 4-pounder on his first cast, so I grabbed the net just as he lost it. Before I could put the net away and cast he had another one on. He lost four in a row and I never made a cast.

  In 1982 an angler hooked a bass and his partner grabbed the net and got it hung on the depthfinder, It took a few seconds to untangle the net and while his partner waited, he lost the bass. He also filed a complaint against his partner claiming he caused him to lose the bass. That caused us to outlaw nets.

  If you allow the co-anglers and marshals to net bass for the pro and he has the net in the water and the bass jumps, throws the hook and falls in the net, should it count? If it comes unhooked at the boat and the co-angler nets it quickly before it swims off, should it count? Is there anything in any rules that allows the co-angler or marshal to help land a pro's bass? Does it look professional on TV for the co angler or marshal to dip a pro's fish?

  Isn't landing a bass a skill the pros must learn? Nets have no place in professional bass tournaments.

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• Johnny McLean of Little Rock, AR writes:

  Thursday, June 18, 2015

  RE: Balog on nets – Totally agree – you would think that B.A.S.S. would recognize this as a conservation effort. Good article, Joe.

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• Jason Houchins of Clarksville, VA writes:

  Thursday, June 18, 2015

  RE: AOY races – A point system rewards the same for each victory. Also, a point system is the greatest invention for FLW and B.A.S.S. – it keeps fields full for the entire season.

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• Jeff Crow of Richmond, VA writes:

  Tuesday, June 16, 2015

  It really takes something special for me to stop and write a note to an editor, but I want to tell you this is the best source of news and information on bass fishing in print or on the Web. While tournament information as to who won with what weight is relatively easy to find, it is rare to find an in-depth report on how the fish were caught and the details that might help the rest of us go out and catch fish. Thank you very much for everything you do for the sport of bass fishing and I am telling all my friends about what a great website you have produced. You should be very proud of what you have produced here.

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• Harold Sharp of Hixson, TN writes:

  Tuesday, June 16, 2015

  RE: FLW AOY – If Bryan Thrift places 10th or better at the last event, then no one can beat him. John Cox can tie him with a win. This is the problem with a point system – it limits the amount that you can score. A total weight system limits the number of bass you can weigh, but not the total weight.

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• Rob Dixon of Lewistown, PA writes:

  Tuesday, June 16, 2015

  I hope John Cox wins Angler of the Year. A short two years ago he was dead broke and was only able to continue on tour by winning the Red River tournament. He fishes out of an aluminum boat with only basic GPS for navigation and old-style 2D sonar. He's an extremely rare breed this day in age. I can't help but always pull for him and Steve Kennedy.

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• Mike Burke of Breinigsville, PA writes:

  Monday, June 15, 2015

  RE: Balog's guide fee – I got the chance to meet you, Joe, in the parking lot after pre-tourney registration for this event. It was a pleasure. As I co-angler waiting to make a move to front of the boat, I take notice of the pro and co relationship a lot. The pros who conduct themselves the way you do make this sport great for all. There are bad ones on both sides and it's unfortunate you had an inexperienced co who expected way to much.

  I find most pros feel you out before launch to see what your level of "green" might be, which is good for all. Its seems most appreciate a good stick on the back of their boat. These co's can and have unlocked patterns overlooked by the pro or get onto something when they realize the pro's pattern is fading (this happened with my day 1 pro). My pro filled the remainder of his day-1 bag on a pattern I got onto when I noticed his was fading. He acknowlaged this and made me feel very good about it. I think we both learned from each other and had a wonderful day on the river. Going into day 2 I was in the Top 10 and in position for a good check. I drew another class-act pro who treated me with nothing but respect. He wasn't in position for the cut, so we stayed in the James instead of running to the Chick. I knew this was going to drastically hurt my finish, but I didn't let it hurt my mindset and good time. We struggled to find keepers in the James that day and I watched my possible day 3 slip away. I didn't get mad or upset. I learned and took note of everything.

  We have to remember as a co, we are there to learn and take from the experience. Fishing behind some of the best sticks in the country can only lead to making you a better angler if you approach it right, win or lose. Many of us are boaters and understand what it takes to be the boater at that level. It's those who think of it as a cheap, multi-day fishing trip that lead to problems on the water. Hope to see you at the next event.

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• Harold Sharp of Hixson, TN writes:

  Thursday, June 11, 2015

  RE: Balog's guide fee – Joe hit the nail on the head. Co-anglers and marshals are provided a boat and driver, they ran up the cost for the pro's entry fee and add zero to the event. I'm surprised someone in the industry hasn't complained to the tournament organizers, as the co-anglers do not need a boat, motor or trailer and the marshals do not need any equipment as they do not fish.

  The word "marshal" tells you why they are there, and that is to be sure the pro obeys all the rules.
  Go back to pairing two pros each day in the same boat and a rule stating they must work out a schedule allowing each one to select the boat and fishing waters for half the time. It worked for B.A.S.S. for many years before co-anglers were invented.

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• Rick Pierce of Mountain Home, AR writes:

  Wednesday, June 10, 2015

  RE: BASSFest – Not exactly, Harold. Kevin Short managed 16-08 on Barkley in the last chance to earn that $10K. Add the 16-08 to 1-11 and you still fall short at 18-03, under a unique format. Not more weight, though he saved his week. Plus he backed off and gave other anglers cleaner water and less competition when there were no AOY points at stake. He couldn't advance past a $10K check so he was honorable.

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• John A. Argese of Sayreville, NJ writes:

  Tuesday, June 9, 2015

  RE: Dead fish at Kentucky Lake – Anglers should be just as outraged about gill nets, poisoning vegetation and out of control cormorant populations.

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• Harold Sharp of Hixson, TN writes:

  Tuesday, June 9, 2015

  Can you believe that Kevin Short fished Kentucky Lake 3 days during BASSFest and caught one bass weighing 1-11, finished in 122nd place and won $10,000? He could have done it without catching anything at Kentucky Lake under the BASSFest format. This broke the record set by Mike Kernan at the Sabine River earlier this year – he fished 2 days, weighing in 18-05, placing 12th and winning $10,000.

  Another record was Jim Bitter holding a bass for a photo that jumped back in the lake and cost Bitter the Bassmaster Classic by 2 ounces. Here's another record: Jimmy Holt weighed a 10-bass limit at Beaver Lake for a total of 12 ounces. Ray Scott did not have a length limit in his first event.

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• Martin D. Lamb of Albia, IA writes:

  Monday, June 8, 2015

  RE: Dead bass at Kentucky Lake – I believe as much as any true sportsman that we have a responsibility to provide our fish the best care possible. However, with all the attention around the event at Kentucky Lake, I think we sometimes exaggerate the situation. Ever ask yourself how many bass leave the lake on a daily basis and fall prey to a filet knife? After all, those fish suffer 100% mortality.

  Before the horrible sport of tournament fishing came to be, if a bass was caught he was dead and no one thought any more about it. Perception means everything.

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• Terry Bonsell of Keyser, WV writes:

  Monday, June 8, 2015

  RE: Amerson drops out – This is what, the fifth or sixth FLW pro to pull out this year? Something's fishy here.

  BassFan says: In past years, numerous FLW Tour pros have dropped out prior to the conclusion of the season. The difference this year is that the organization has announced each departure.

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• Harold Sharp of Hixson, TN writes:

  Friday, June 5, 2015

  RE: Dead fish at Kentucky Lake – Too many boats and too many fish in hot weather. There's a way to run bass tournaments and count everything you catch and release as you catch it, if anyone is interested in how to do that, but that does not look good on TV and TV people are now in charge of bass tournaments. They do not think the same way bass anglers do. They are all about hype and sponsors.

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• Joe Muszynski of Barrie, ON writes:

  Friday, June 5, 2015

  RE: Balog on expenditures – Wow! you summed it up perfectly again! Your column is always the first thing I read on BassFan.com and i find it amazing that you hit the nail right on the head with this opinion yet again. I honestly think you're one of the only ones who actually "gets it." I look forward to your next column.

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• Jason Houchins of Clarksville, VA writes:

  Friday, June 5, 2015

  I just don't understand the reward an angler gets from moving up the ladder in tournament fishing. Each step up means at least three times the money and time to fish a season. A guy can fish one season in a BFL division for about $2,500, a Rayovac season for about $10,000 and a Tour season for about $40,000. Am I missing something?

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• Rob Dixon of Lewistown, PA writes:

  Friday, June 5, 2015

  RE: Balog on expenditures – I couldn't agree more with Joe about the entry fees into the Opens and Rayovacs. They're filled with wealthy men and rich kids with parents who bought them boats and pay their entry so after a few years, when the kids do well, they can pretend they actually accomplished something on their own.

  There needs to be a middle ground – something with a $500 entry and a payout with $10,000 to win. The fields would be huge because you'd still get the rich-folk crowd, but you'd also get the good BFL anglers who know they had a decent chance at prize money.

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• Chuck Cregger of Hardy, VA writes:

  Thursday, June 4, 2015

  RE: Dead fish at Kentucky Lake – I'm not opposed to tournament fishing, but there is mortality during every tournament. I've seen it. The high winds just swept them to shore instead of sinking them to the bottom. It should be catch and immediate release. Take a picture on a scale and release.

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• Johnny McLean of Little Rock, AR writes:

  Thursday, June 4, 2015

  RE: Dead fish at Kentucky Lake – Nothing new here, just a typical bass fishing tournament where you have hundreds of "sportsmen" who think they know everything about bass. I would guess that 90% of the participants do not know hot to fizz a fish and 70% do not know how to properly care for fish in the livewell. And people wonder why recreational fishermen hate bass tournaments.

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• Howard Schneider of Brandenburg, KY writes:

  Thursday, June 4, 2015

  RE: Dead fish at Kentucky Lake – A three-bass limit would definitely help. We use this limit on my local lake and it works out great!

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• Tim Brown of Ridge Top, TN writes:

  Wednesday, June 3, 2015

  RE: Dead fish at Kentucky Lake – Novel idea to keep fish from dying during tournaments: If the event is not a points tourney, maybe only allow contestants to bring their catch to the scales if they have four or five fish. That way those who have three keepers or fewer, they get let go while they are still alive. Only thing is, during a tough tourney, someone with three fish could be losing out. Just a thought.

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• Dave Smoot of Lexington, KY writes:

  Wednesday, June 3, 2015

  RE: Dead fish at Kentucky Lake – The last Triton tournament I fished was on Picwick. We had 386 boats, if I remember correctly. Day 1 they fished half the field and cut it to the Top 100. Second day was done the same, leaving 200 boats the last day. It was in mid-summer with air temps in the upper 90s and water temps in the upper 80s. We stood in line for about 20 or 30 minutes to get a weigh-in bag. We had a limited fish kill that day because we only had 200 boats.

  Why send almost 400 boats out on the last day? Are we forgetting about the fish? Don't keep this format. Go back to the 400/200 boat tournament format. I also like the three-fish limit.

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• Thomas J. Muton of Dallas, TX writes:

  Wednesday, June 3, 2015

  RE: Dead fish at Kentucky Lake – Summer mortality problem again? Need answers? Look at the poor livewell water quality in bass boats that anglers provide for their catch for that 7- to 8-hour boat ride with no oxygen. Yet at the weigh-in and on release boats, oxygen tanks are very, very important for a final 30-minute dip before release at the weigh-in where the media is watching. Fish care in bass boat livewells is always the anglers' personal choice and it sucks. The sustained livewell hypoxia caused by that 7- or 8-hour boat ride is the real killer in summer tournaments.

  Check out some science and you decide, and then you chose how much fish care you are really willing to provide all day. I think the reasons for the kills are crystal clear.

  Bass Fishing Tournament Mortality – http://oxyedge-chum.com/bass-tournament-mortality/

  Oxygenation of Livewells to Improve Survival of Tournament-Caught Bass – http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/didyouknow/inland/livewells.phtml

  Livewell Oxygen Injection Systems – http://www.slideshare.net/raminlandfish/livewell-oxygen-injection-8773301

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• Michael Chappell of Dresden, TN writes:

  Tuesday, June 2, 2015

  RE: Dead fish at Kentucky Lake – I think these big tournaments wear out the lake. I've been fishing this lake since 1992 and between commercial fish nets and the Asian carp and big tournaments, the fishing has really gone downhill.

  I think a slot size limit of 18 to 24 inches would help Kentucky Lake come back. The lake needs a break!

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• Terry Bonsell of Keyser, WV writes:

  Tuesday, June 2, 2015

  RE: Dead fish at Kentucky Lake – Way too many boats. Weigh-in facilities had to be overwhelmed.

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• Jim Maggart of Henry, TN writes:

  Tuesday, June 2, 2015

  RE: Dead fish at Kentucky Lake – This happens every year this time of year. I've been fishing this lake for 30 years and have seen it. I complained and documented it last year on the BBC Triton board about the Triton Owners Tournament and again with the FLW held around the same time. FLW actually hauled the bass to Walmart 20 miles away to weigh them in. Ridiculous!

  This was a perfect storm from a public visibility standpoint because of north wind following the tournament caused the fish that had died to be washed up on the levee on the Highway 79 bridge. Normally with our typical June winds from the southwest, the fish are dispersed into the main channel and washed downstream and distributed over a wide area, and therefore not as visible.

  Long-term, this will be a good thing, I believe, for the attention it has drawn to the problem to which those of us who have been aware of it have known for years. I am not a tournament fisherman but I do not hold any animosity to those who enjoy it. I just want the facts to be known and steps taken to lessen the incidence of these events.

  Thank you for covering this story and bringing it to the attention of others.

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• Don Rucks of Tulsa, OK writes:

  Monday, June 1, 2015

  RE: Evans on the front deck – You go, Charlie! Keep on keepin' on!

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