(This is part 2 of a 2-part story on the new off-limits rule for the FLW Tour, which begins in 2008. To read part 1, which focused on those pros who like the new rule, click here.)

Wisconsin pro Tom Monsoor was one who felt the need to practice longer on most of the Tour lakes, simply because he lacks prior experience at most of them.

"I'm against (the off-limits) because, being from the North, I don't know the lakes down there," he said. "I like to give myself 8 days to learn the lake. I'd like at least a week because I've never seen a lot of the lakes, vs. guys who've fished them 30 or 40 times.



"Guys who've fished them all their life don't need that much practice, and I think they don't want anybody else to catch up," he added. "I voted against the change and explained why: It's a disadvantage to the new guys or guys like me coming from other parts of the country."

He's buoyed, though, by his belief that everything's headed in the right direction.

"Still, whatever FLW says, I'll go along with it, because I'm so glad just to be a part of it all and be fishing for a living," he noted. "I don't believe in luck, so I work hard, and if you don't do all your homework you're screwed. It's just a fact that some guys need more time than others – those guys who would rather spend time doing other things like seminars instead of spending more days practicing."

Also notable is his belief that the rules, and playing field, could have been improved without going to an off-limits.

"They could have tightened up some of the rules, like paying for information or fishing with guides. At Lake Travis this year a pro – I won't name any names – paid a local guide's entry fee so he could be on the waiting list as a co-angler. Then (the pro) could fish with him in practice (per the 2007 rules). He learned all the guide's spots and then the guide didn't get in.

"The pro got the deposit back and the guide got nothing after giving away his information. He was complaining to everybody so we all found out about it, and that probably inspired that part of the rule change." (Editor's note: After publication of this article, Monsoor wished to retract the above quote regarding Lake Travis. He said he now "knows" the story to be false. For his statement, click here.)

Moynagh Miffed

Minnesota's Jim Moynagh is not at all happy with the off-limits rule. "I do not like it, I'm not in favor of it, I am strongly against it," he said. "If a guy wants to put in long hours to better himself, why shouldn't he be allowed to?

"If you're a tennis pro, I bet you practice a ton. Why restrict what we do? I don't understand it. It'll really hurt newcomers. But 75% approved it in the vote, so apparently I'm in the minority.

"I know that some (pros) would rather be doing seminars, or doing other tournaments, or whatever, so they want to restrict (practice time) so that everybody else can only put in 3 or 4 days too. But it's their choice or their other obligations. It's just lame to vote for an off-limits based on your having something else to do."

Regarding the no-information rule, he said: "Personally I've (gone through a progression) where I used to never solicit information, then I got unsure and thought maybe I should, and now I'm where I don't need it and don't want it. However, if guys want to have it, what the heck? It's a rule you can't really enforce very well. Why even have it?"

And about the registration day being off-limits, he said: "I don't like at all having the whole day off on Wednesday. The last day is always the most important. It's when you have the most current conditions. The farther out you practice ahead of time, the more the fish can change. But then again, we're all in the same predicament on that one. And I think they're going to use that day to do sponsor work, so at least that way it'll be put to good use, I hope."

Ferguson's Funding May Flounder

Michigan pro Art Ferguson said that the off-limits rule, for 2008 at least, doesn't suit him.

"For me personally, it's not good," he said. "Because I guide on two of the six lakes we're having the '08 season on, this cuts into my job and will cost me potentially a lot of income. Plus, I didn't have a problem with the no-off-limits as it was. I think some tournament circuit out there ought to keep things as-is, so we can have longevity on these trails."

Nixon Nonchalant

Count legendary Arkansas pro Larry Nixon as one of the anglers who can take it or leave it – but likes it a little bit. "I just prefer 4 days (of) practice anyway," he said. "I didn't mind the unlimited practice, but an off-limits doesn't matter to me. I didn't even fill in the questionnaire they sent around.

"With the unlimited practice I could fly out and do sponsor appearances, then fly back for the tournament," he noted. "But I like (the off-limits) because it'll allow the lake to stand up under the pressure better. We'll see better fishing. This way there might be a little more life to the lake when we start."

When asked how he felt about the whole day off on registration day, he was a little surprised. "I didn't realize the whole day before the tournament is going to be off-limits," he said. "But that doesn't bother me either. I hadn't even fished that day much since it was only a half-day anyway.

"It's all the same for everybody so let's just go fishing."

Martin Mixed

Florida's Scott Martin said he's using less practice and local help as time goes by, but still feels that he's at a disadvantage being from Florida, where the fish don't change as much and the lakes aren't as varied as many tour lakes.

"I have mixed emotions, like having the day off right before the tournament," he noted. "But I'm going to take my family (on tour) next year, so it might be a good family day. The 4 days (of practice) is better than 3 (like in the FLW Eastern Series, where he was 20th in the points going into the last of 4 events). That fourth day allows me to experiment a bit and use lures I'm not as familiar with.

"The no-information rule doesn't bother me," he added. "But growing up in Florida, I'm at a disadvantage. For instance, Okeechobee has no real annual migration, but other lakes (on the Tour) do, so I don't have any (experience). It puts me at a disadvantage in how the body of water fishes. (And) now I can't just talk to somebody to get an idea of how the lake fishes in general."

Hibdons Might Miss Money

Missouri's Dion Hibdon and his father Guido do a lot of seminars, frequently on the Friday and Saturday before a tournament week. With the off-limits, Friday's doable, but an early start for Saturday-morning practice would then likely be out of the question. It's a tough choice between making money for an appearance, or making the most of a limited practice.

"It cuts a week out of seminars for me," Dion said. "I was against it (initially) for the seminar reason, and the tournaments are in the middle of seminar season. Most seminars are on weekends.

"But I guess I don't care. It's the same for everyone. In some ways it'll be better – kind of equal the playing field. There were a very few who'd spend a long, long practice time and make it work, anyway. Shin (Fukae) was about the only one.

"In springtime stuff changes so fast, so a long practice doesn't seem to help a lot then," he added.

Robertson Reckons It's Okay

Oklahoma's Darrel Robertson has won over $1.5 fishing the FLW Tour since 1997, and won the 1999 FLW Tour Championship. All of that was with wide-open practice and information sources. Still, he's okay with the changes.

"It's fine," he said. "But I'd have kept it like it was if I had my druthers. I usually spent 5 days in practice, so I could take off a half-day Sunday for church. The only reason I don't like 4 days is that kind of takes that out of the picture – I'd better use all 4 days.

"But it's good for the fishing," he noted. "We pressured the lakes to death with 200 pros averaging 7 to 8 days, plus 40 or 50 co-anglers with their boats for a week or two. That's what was making the FLW circuit a lot of finesse fishing."

One rule change he's 100% in favor of is "co-anglers may practice only with confirmed pros."

"I like that rule about the co-anglers not being able to (take their boats) anymore," he said. "I hope they don't change it. It seemed every co-angler who brought his boat was fishing for a pro that was a buddy of his, and giving him the information. I think this will make it more even."

But not all of the no-information rules sit well with him. "I don't like that I can't talk to anybody (during off-limits and practice). I've never won any money because somebody helped me out on the water. But I've made a lot of friends talking to folks out on the lake.

"I think that was one of the things that made FLW more popular, but you can't do that now. I wish they hadn't have done that rule that way. I liked being able to talk to folks – just meeting and being friendly with folks. Now I can't."

Notable

> Moynagh normally used 6 or 7 days of practice for FLW Tour events. "I balance my family life with my tournament life, and the compromise was about 6 or 7 days to practice," he said.

> Martin noted: "I like to practice about 6 days usually, and do a lot of experimentation to try to figure out how each lake fishes."

> Dion Hibdon wasn't so sure about the co-angler practice restriction. "I don't necessarily like not letting the co-anglers take their boats," he said. "I think everybody should be allowed to fish."

> The lakes will be off-limits for 12 days prior to official practice. Practice runs from Saturday through Tuesday. Wednesday (registration day) is off-limits, and then competition is held Thursday through Sunday.

– End of part 2 (of 2) –