RE: Martens clinches AOY – Who is this guy? Told Aaron today the only downside ... his dad wasn't here to enjoy all of his success this year! I can speak for both of us that we couldn't be more proud and happy for Aaron and his family. We are all very happy for Todd and his long overdue win. We love him and his family.
Marshal shortage? Didn't seem to have that issue with co-anglers. I guess the list of people willing to pay $135 to be allowed to work for B.A.S.S. is dwindling. So if anglers are allowed to fish with no marshal, what does that do to the integrity of the sport?
RE: Marshal shortage at St. Clair – You mean they couldn't get enough guys to shell out $135 to watch a pro bust out 3-pound-plus smallies all day? It would kill me not to be able to fish.
RE: Marshal shortage at St. Clair – I am not surprised that they are short of marshals. The rides to Erie and Huron can be brutal. Two years ago I rode with Clifford Pirch to Pelee from Metro Beach. It was a 2 1/2-hour ride each way. At Pelee the waves were 5-footers. First time I was ever seasick in a bass boat.
Cliff needed the butt seat up front, so I had to sit in the passenger seat because you couldn't stand on the deck safely. I would marshal if they kept them in St. Clair, but those who ride to Erie are in for a tough day.
RE: Balog on the Forrest Wood Cup – Joe, I always enjoy reading your pieces, but my take on this championship and after watching all 4 days was how FLW cares for the fish at the weigh-in. I was outraged.
We as tournament anglers do everything in our power to help these gifts survive so they can be caught again, and then I watch as these pros bring their fish on stage with no water. Chris Jones goes over their career stats, finally hits the button, they (pros) get two fish out for pictures and then finally walk off stage. Outrageous!
On day 3 they didn't even have the scales ready when the first guy came up. He stood there and did a 5-minute interview with Jones with his fish in hand before they got the scales ready! I mean, come on, what are they teaching here! They need to take a lesson from B.A.S.S. on how these fish need to be treated!
Maybe if a person of your status in the tournament world could bring attention to this, it would help. You do a great job, as always.
RE: Balog on the Forrest Wood Cup – Joe, good article. However, nothing tests the pros like a tournament in the Southeast in August. The finale for all circuits should be held at this time.
RE: Marshal shortage at St. Clair – I thought the whole idea of marshals (besides making a few extra bucks) was that they helped to keep the anglers honest and make the event more trustworthy. I'm disappointed that B.A.S.S. allows anglers to go out without marshals.
B.A.S.S. has a publication called "How to Conduct a Bass Tournament and Yourself." It should be required reading for FLW and everyone else. We cannot do anything about the public, but they should read it also.
I tried, really tried, to watch the live weigh-in for the Forrest Wood Cup. It was so boring and completely uninteresting I had to turn it off to watch reruns of the Big Bang Theory. B.A.S.S. weigh-ins I can't get enough of. Why does one do things well and the other just bombs at it?
RE: Forrest Wood Cup – FLW needs to take a lesson from B.A.S.S. on how to take care of their fish. I watched the weigh-in today the fish are out of the water an average of 4 minutes from the time the pros walk on stage. That's not to mention the time they are put in the bag with no water (that we can't see) until they are walked all the way around the back (we can't see) until they are put in the release boat. Heck, they didn't even have the scales ready for the first boater when he came up and they did an interview for 5 minutes! Two minutes with no air starts brain damage! Come on, FLW, get your act together!
RE:2016 Cup at Wheeler – Great, a Tennessee River ledge-fishing tournament as the Forest Wood Cup. Bumper boats fishing 10 feet apart from each other, just wonderful. There are great rivers and lakes all over the country that wouldn't force the anglers to fish talking distance apart. Why not try a tidal river somewhere in the western U.S. or one of the 10,000-acre lakes all over the Southeast that aren't big enough for a regular tour event but plenty big for 50 anglers? Anything but a ledge-fishing lake in the dog days of summer.
A quarter of the fish caught will die, too, coming out of deep water and riding around in a livewell, then being driven to the closest events center.
RE: Balog on sport's progression – I agree, agree, agree. We have had the pleasure of watching a young sport mature and we have yet to see the biggest bags and best competitors ever. The sky's the limit. Many records are yet to be broken ... there is always a bigger sack possible than the winning weight. What an awesome game we play! Fishing is wonderful ... full of wonder! Keep writing good stuff.
I'm enjoying the coverage of the Chesapeake Elite Series tournament. One thing I've noticed is that the tougher the bite, the better Bill Lowen does. He's quietly becoming (or has already become) the most consistent angler on the tour. In his "Day On The Lake" column, the writer mentioned Bill fishes slower than any of the other pros profiled up to that point. It proves that bass fishing can be approached in many different ways, and being a "machine" like Kevin VanDam isn't the only way to go. I'm a fan of his and hope he keeps up the top-notch performances.
Regarding Aaron Martens, I think B.A.S.S. needs to do a DNA check on him. They might find he is part bass!
RE: Short leaving Elites – Heck, Kevin is smart. He can still fish the Opens, it will cost him less cash to do so and he'll still have a chance at the Classic ... that is, as long as B.A.S.S. still offers that slot. And I don't see it going away, because if it does, so will the Opens. Just check out the Weekend Series numbers – they really dropped off after the ABA and B.A.S.S. went their separate ways.
RE: Balog on kayaks – I enjoyed Joe's article concerning the rise in kayak interests. However, I feel he left out one variable – could it be the sudden uptick could have something to do with the price of a bass boat approaching that of the average home in many areas? Just a thought.
Balog on kayaks – I can tell you why I chose to get into kayak fishing: To get into a decent bass boat nowadays you START at $50,000.
I watched the one-minute-plus clip from Dave Mercer where they released the bass with the camera mounted to it. Coolest thing I've seen!
RE: Slow bite at Chesapeake – They all said the Delaware was tough, but they came through. The Chesapeake will show up on tournament days ... they are the best!
RE: Short stepping away – While Kevin Short might have been a second-tier guy, the fact is not one of today's 40/50-somethings who we fawned over as dominant 20/30-somethings is Benjamin Button. Nobody wakes up tomorrow younger and stronger than they were today. Look at the points and rankings. "Team Rushmore" (you pick the era) always weathers and crumbles with age. Short is smart. He exits on his terms. But I can still name another dozen or so who should look for the egress.
The service crew is a huge "security blanket" for us out there. They all work so hard! As a full-time pro you don't always have the luxury of using your dealer. I really appericate them and make sure they are all on my Christmas list every year. Thanks, Bassfan, for showing them some love on your site.
RE: Oneida Northern Open – Randy Howell's co-angler on day 3 was Scott Schafer. He ended up winning in a tiebreaker. Interesting to note that Scott also won the Rayovac tourney in Plattsburgh (Lake Champlain) the week before as a co-angler. Two boats won in two tourneys.
RE: Lane's St. Lawrence incident – Good article, but why the "redneck" comment? More a jealous "jerk." We can only hope Russ gives the info to DNR and gets video/pictures next time, or at least a boat registration number.
RE: Balog on Menendez incident – I agree with my buddy Joey on this one – throw the book at this moron. I had a guy come running down his dock with a pistol (at Chautauqua Lake) once. I reported him and nothing was ever done. I've had a couple other heated encounters over the years, all in the North, go figure. But I'm reminded of the time at 1000 Islands a couple years ago when a dock owner started swearing at me for fishing around his boat. I told him and his drunk buddy that I wouldn't hit his boat unless I wanted to and that if he wanted, I could put my jig in his beer mug. He held it out, so I respectfully added a little Terminator/Yamamoto to his beverage, not to mention a little splash on his shirt. Strangely and thankfully, they laughed hysterically instead of killing me and we were best of friends for the next 2 days!
As fishermen however, we should never leave a hook or line behind when dock fishing (if possible). I can honestly see both sides to this story, but there's no excuse for harassment when you really get down to it. If you chose to live on a lake, that's just part of it.
RE: Mille Lacs regulations – I hope to see the Elite Series as Mille Lacs next year. I can't help but think they are in discussion about it and that's what's driving the regulation changes.
Many years ago we had a tournament on the St. Johns River in Florida. At about 10 a.m. a contestant came to my room to file a complaint. He said the day before he was fishing a canal when a property owner told him he couldn't fish there and threw rocks in the water where he was fishing. He went back to same canal again that day and the man was standing in his yard with a .22 caliber rifle, so he cast his lure in front of him and the man shot it three times and he left to file a complain with me.
I handed him my phone and said call the sheriff, and try not to argue with people holding a gun on you.
RE: Balog on Menendez incident – Joe, I agree 100 percent. There seems to be the mentality that If i am a shoreline proper owner, I also own the water. It is far worse up north than down south. I have fished all over and I have never run into that kind of bull in our Southern states.
RE: Menendez files complaint – I was at Minnetonka in 1995 as a co-angler. While fishing docks with Tommy Martin, a property owner came out, frothed the water with his Jet-Ski, smiled at us and said "Catching anything?" Tommy just said to me, "There's not much you can do," and we left. I was not there in 1996, but I heard and read it was more of the same. I can't blame them for not coming back to Minnesota or anywhere else where they are treated like that.
RE: Harassment at St. Lawrence – I think the pro tournaments should have local game wardens available to respond to this kind of harassment.
RE: Harassment at St. Lawrence – Looks like we need to educate the people who want to disrupt these tournament fishermen. Maybe a spot on local news stations that the event is coming to the area and that they have the same rights as locals have on the water.
RE: Harassment at St. Lawrence – I agree with Russ Lane. There needs to be enforcement of the angler harassment laws, not just as it pertains to tournament anglers, but all anglers. Enforcement requires evidence and often these incidents come about so quickly that we don't have the chance to record it. Cell phones are great for that, but cameras like GoPro would be even better since they have a remote which can be worn around the neck. Who ever thought that such a cool invention as the GoPro would need to be put to use as a surveillance cam?
What is it with Skeet? This no-comment thing has been going on for years. Did one of you date and dump his sister once upon a time? Or is it what many suspect who have watched him closely.
You'd think he'd be smart enough to realize what he looks like when he doesn't cooperate with those who have the power of the pen in this ultra-competitive market. Guess not.
RE: Menendez files complaint – Mark, I personally hope you see this all the way through. Public waters are just that and these individuals who think they own the water beneath their docks need to be reminded of this. His dock is his personal property, not what's underneath it or what lives in it.
I hope the new culling allowance at Mille Lacs gets the Elite series or FLW Tour to go there just so I can watch it on TV. On top of being one of the best smallmouth fisheries on earth, it's also one of the most beautiful places to take a boat.
RE: Menendez files complaint – This is an issue that needs to be addressed, as it is very common. I don't think most anglers know what their rights are on the water in regard to "angler harassment." I believe in most cases anglers confronted by dock owners simply move on and avoid confrontation.
On the exact same day that Mark Menendez had his experience on the St. Lawrence, I witnessed a similar experience on my home water, Chautauqua Lake. There was a College Series tournament here this weekend. I witnessed two college anglers being shouted at and threatened by a dock owner. The comments ranged from, "Don't you dare hit my boat, and learn to control your equipment", to "I'll get my BB gun out and shoot you." The college anglers never replied to the man, they simply moved on to the next dock and called the county sheriffs department, whose marine patrol boat responded within minutes. I know they spoke to the man at his home, but do not know the outcome.
This and the Menendez incident have given me a new outlook on how to handle these situations. I have been confronted many, many times by dock owners on Chautauqua Lake, as have other anglers in my local B.A.S.S. chapter. We've been shouted at and had rocks thrown at us. Once a guy came out and dropped a length of framed chicken wire off the end of his dock to prevent me from skipping under it, while others simply start up their boat motors to scare the fish around the dock. A buddy of mine even had someone stand on the end of his dock and smack the water violently with a boat paddle.
Mark Menedez's recent experience and the way he handled it, along with his commitment to pursue it legally, should be an inspiration to any and all bass anglers who've been harassed by dock owners on public waters. I hope that you and your website give this matter more attention in the future.
RE: Menendez files complaint – They don't own the water. Verbal abuse isn't acceptable.
RE: Balog on boundaries – Yeah, but they still had the California Delta event out of Sacramento. Not a single boat fished within 1 1/2 hours of the launch. The risk of fish harm, mechanical issues and human injury was too great – just ask Byron Velvick.
All events should have a maximum run allowed to keep it local to the venue and help these anglers keep their costs down.
When EFI and Carb. outboard motors were beginning to be phased out in the late '90s, many of us bass guys worried about the "new Optimax , E-Tec and VMax motors. Thankfully they are all great motors and we're all keeping the environment cleaner. Then I read in a boating article that in one year a Major League Baseball team burns more fuel and has more emissions from airplane flights than all boats in the country in a year's time.
Now think about all sports – college football, baseball, basketball (boys and girls teams) then think of all professional sports. I don't feel bad about burning 400 gallons of gas through my bass boat each year now.
RE: Menendez files complaint – I have had the exact same experience on a lake called Pend Oreille just north of me. I feel very strongly about this issue as a fisherman. That is only one instance of at least half a dozen times I have been harrassed by homeowners and recently actually a swimmer swam to my boat to harrass me. Eveytime I was legally fishing, low-keyed and did not intiate the conflict.
I try to be polite and respectful until I get disrespected. We have rights, too. There must be cosequences for their actions and behavior. I applaud Mark.
RE: Balog on boundaries – Joe makes a lot of sense, as usual. I still think when B.A.S.S. dropped the 150-hp limit is when the sport started to go the wrong direction.
RE: Menendez files complaint – To the gentleman from New Hampshire who states we should be thankful for lakeshore property owners who build boat houses to "give" fish a place to live ... While a lakeshore homeowner bought the land his house is on, hit did not buy the land his boat house is built over. That boat house is sitting over state water bottom, a truly public resource. State agencies issue permits for lakeshore homeowners who apply to build a boat house. This is the state being nice ... since this was done decades before permits were needed.
In my mind, these homeowners who have boat houses built on public lakes need to feel beholden to the public for letting them have usage of a public area they do not own. Any homeowner who threatens the public like this idiot did to Mark needs to have the permit revoked and the boat house removed.
RE: Menendez files complaint – Please pass on my appreciation to Mark for following through with this. The homeowner, and folks like him, cannot be let off the hook after acting like he did.
RE: Menendez files complaint – Awesome for you, Mark, for taking a stand. I'm proud of you for this and if you need that ride, I would personally be honored to see you get there as well to take that stand for yourself and all the professional anglers who love this great sport we are blessed to participate in. May God Bring an abundance of blessings.
RE: Menendez files complaint – I think he should flie a complaint. I have had a man pour gas into the water where i was fishing. I sould have called the EPA on him. I let it go.
RE: Menendez files complaint – I saw this guy off my island jigging by the docks on Saturday. Very friendly, he told me about catching the biggest fish so far the day before. I saw him take another fish right off the neighbor's dock and take one out of his livewell. I do hope it was not one of my neighbors who was so rude to him. The guy I am thinking it might be I saw run over three guys' tip-ups a couple of winters ago with his truck on the ice.
Some people have no respect for others and on behalf of the good people of upstate New York, I apologize. If it is the same guy, know he has never had respect for other people's fishing rights.
RE: Menendez files complaint – A woman asked my partner and me not to fish her dock one day and explained that a fisherman hung a crankbait on her dock and one of her grandchildren got hooked pretty badly! We moved on and told her we understood. We as fishermen should not leave lures snagged on docks.
RE: Menendez files complaint – Follow though – it's the right thing to do! I had a landowner throwing rocks at my boat when I was fishing a local lake.
RE: Menendez files complaint – This guy deserves to sit in jail. What kind of role model is he for the grandchildren he claims to worry about? That being said, the sport needs to do some serious PR. Culling tags that put a hole in a fish's mouths should have been made illegal 10 years ago. It makes me cringe to see that and probably makes the PETA types irrate, as it probably should.
Club tournaments and other low-level events need to stop walking fish a hundred yards in a bag with no water to dump them back in after weighing. Weigh them right beside the water and stop letting guys stand in line with their bags for 10 minutes. Get yourself organized and make fish care a priority, or don't hold a tournament. It's that simple. Don't make ourselves a target. If we care about the fish, we need to act like it.
RE: Menendez files complaint – I am an avid bass angler myself and have had two altercations in my 50-plus years of fishing public waters in Oklahoma. One was with a dock owner who brought out a gun and shot in our direction. The second altercation was just 3 weeks ago with another angler.
Myself and my buddy were fishing Grand Lake when a boat with two guys pulled into the cove we were fishing and the operator of the boat pulled at most 20 yards in front of us, dropped his trolling motor in the water and began fishing. I asked him to leave and told him that his actions were totally unsportsmanlike conduct. His reply was he was fishing a tournament and we needed to find someplace else to fish. I contacted the tournament director and explained what had happened and his reply was he would check into it, and that's the last we heard about it.
These are not situations that occur on a regular basis, but nevertheless need to be addressed by law enforcement. I hope Mr. Mendez gets the results he so deserves.
RE: Menendez files complaint – This guy is in the wrong. I am a fisherman, too. This happens often. The DEC should inform all lakefront homeowners that fishing people have rights, too.
RE: Menendez files complaint – Mr. Menendez has all the right to defend his fishing. People like that have got the wrong sense of ownership and that could be dangerous and should not be allowed!
RE: Menendez files complaint – I am glad you stood your ground and notified the law about this. It's about time people realize they may own the dock, but it is on public water. Good job, Mark!
RE: Menendez files complaint – It's an interesting scenario regardless of legal rights. The reality is that those bass would not be there if not for the docks installed by the homeowner. I can also understand the homeowner's frustration, since he probably spent tons of money on this house. I almost wonder if it would make sense to consider a ban on fishing within so many feet of a shoreline dock connected to private property.
Regardless, the guy would have just been better off tossing some boulders or other large objects in the water to temporarily scare off the fish rather than confronting Menendez.
I'm an avid fisherman myself and I dig docks all the time, but if a homeowner kindly asked me to move on for a legitimate reason, I would consider it, rather than yelping about my legal rights.
There's plenty of fish in the lake, guys. Why bother fighting this time-wasting cause. Just move on to the next dock where the guy doesn't care.
RE: Menendez files complaint – Well, it's about time! Thank you, Mark, for standing up for the outdoors people. I am very familar with the Gary Klein incident and I was also very disappointed that B.A.S.S. dropped the charges. It's good to know that New York has legislation that protects the anglers. Trust me – the Anglers in Louisiana have lost a lot of access to a lot of areas due to people like the gentlemen in this incident. I really do think this is one of the main reasons why B.A.S.S. is so reluctant to hold another Classic on the Louisiana Delta again.
I would hope that B.A.S.S. takes a stand with Mark here and also that they would place some provisions in the rules to protect anglers.
RE: Menendez files complaint – I have met Mr. Menendez both on and off the water. He is a true gentleman and should not have been subjected to such irrrational actions. He is correct to pursue legal action against this person.
RE: Menendez files complaint – Good for you, Mark. Stick to your guns and see this to the end. I've encountered the same type of harassment myself and it's just plan stupid. It goes back to the old saying, "Treat people like you want to be treated." Proud of you for sticking up to this mess. Best of luck.
RE: Menendez files complaint – I too have been harassed on the water. It makes a good day a bad day. We as anglers enjoy the out doors and all it has to offer. I agree that this person should be prosecuted to the full letter of the law. It's no fun being yelled at and threatened when you're out enjoying what you love.
RE: Menendez files complaint – You go, Mark. I'm sure every fisherman has your back. Hope you are all well.
RE: Menendez files complaint – I hope you take it to the end and justice is served, Mark.
RE: Menendez files complaint – I commend Mr. Mernandez for his actions. I hope that man and others learn a lesson. No one owns the water – we are all just borrowing it.
RE: Menendez files complaint – Way to go, Mark! We're on your side all the way. Anyone who has spent time fishing has encountered this in one way or another. My normal action is to greet property owners with a "good morning", taking the lead for a pleasant exchange. I love catching people off guard with that. But if people have a bug up their behind about some form of perceived encroachment, I'm quick to remind them that they don't own the water. Of course we avoid kids on docks who are fishing, swimming or whatever, but most of the time they're the ones who are friendlier and more interested in how we're doing.
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
