RE: Monroe's 2023 plans Did Ish really just say this?: "I feel like next year will be as easy as it's ever going to get for a guy who's fished all over the country to qualify for the Elite Series." Okay then, we'll see how that works out for him. Big talk ... better back it up.
The internet is the ultimate form of dock talk ... the trick is figuring out fact from fiction. Only way to do that ... go fishing.
I have fished all over the world. Being a dad and watching your kid catch any one fish is the best fish you will ever catch.
RE: BPT scoring change Limits were 10, then went to seven and now five. The offshore anglers had an advantage in the good old days, but this new format just gave it back to the flippers. Take a child fishing and put him with a flipper he would quit.
RE: BPT scoring change I don't really understand this. If you want to do 5-fish limits, bring them to a stage and weigh them in front of a crowd. If you want to do immediate release, just count all the scorables and stream it live. Not really much point in going to 5 fish without a live weigh-in. This "compromise" approach is watering down a good format alternative to the 5-fish traditional format.
RE: Balog on BPT scoring Im as surprised as you, Joe. I thought we signed up to try and get a different fanbase other than the hardcore weekend tournament anglers. I really thought that novice and beginners could learn from the all scoreable fish count format. Everyone that I have told we are going back to the best fish fish looks at me like Im lying.
RE: Nixon to fish Elites Excited to see Larry back where he belongs.
RE: BPT scoring change A welcome change. I believe this will not be a big change as to who does well, and it will certainly change daily strategies. Quality fish are definitely more challenging to catch consistently.
RE: BPT scoring change It's OK, they will change the rules another 10 times during the season to always keep their "owners/fishermen" happy and in a career.
RE: BPT scoring change They had a nice little product going with the original TV show but like with everything, greed was their undoing. There was potential to make that original product even better but they went too far, made poor estimations and acted with arrogance, which turned people off. Greed is almost always anyone's undoing ... take note of that when it comes to technology in bass fishing as well.
MLF was exciting while it lasted, a real energy drink. Now its just another cola. Job well done, suits. Job well done.
RE: Balog on hypocrisy Is it bass fishing? Yes. Is it enjoyable to watch or fish that way? No? Is it good for the sport? Definitely not. Let's get the kids off the electronics and out into the great outdoors so they can stare at electronics all day? I'm a bass junkie and with the way things are moving I have completely lost interest in watching live or fishing tournaments. Anyway, just my 2 cents. And FYI, I'm only 41 and have worked in the IT industry for 20 years, so I'm definitely not an anti-technology person.
RE: Balog on hypocrisy Forward-looking sonar has proven one thing: That old saw that, "You're not fishing against the field, you're fishing against the fish" is just not true. Today, you're only fishing against the other fishermen.
RE: Balog on hypocrisy While FF sonar and "video game fishing" may be the current rage, it looks boring and takes away from the total experience of fishing. It might be good for those who are totally fixated on nothing but catching the most fish, but I believe there is much more to the sport.
RE: Balog on hypocrisy I quit watching tournaments on TV due to everyone staring at their forward-facing sonar all day. Absolutely boring.
RE: Balog on hypocrisy At what point is it not fishing? Where are we headed? It's all about money that gets poured into B.A.S.S. and MLF by the big electronic companies. It's about building future consumers, not what's best for the sport. It's business, that's the bottom line. I cant help but wonder if Aqua Vu had had enough money to pour into fishing, would it be just another tool? Look I don't begrudge anyone for using LiveScope, I applaud you for learning, it is reality. Its definitely a skill. I just hate that certain times of the year are dominated by technology. I don't think technology should be your most important tool in fishing.
If you want to learn how to hook your Aqua-Vu up to a Lowrance HDS 12 Live or any units with an HDMI port, check this link out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as2RxaWAEjo
Team tournaments with large payouts are ripe for cheating and difficult to police. As you recall, Ray Scott was a visionary and he only believed in draw tournaments in order to protect the integrity of tournament fishing. It looks like the walleye guys are going to be prosecuted, something the BFL/FLW should have done to Tony Christian also rather than just sweeping it under the rug and hoping everyone would forget about it.
RE: Balog on walleye cheating incident Great article, Joe. Well-written! Keep up the great work.
RE: Balog on walleye cheating incident I agree with Joe on almost everything he said. However, the tournament director probably had had enough of the rumors surrounding these two cheaters. At the end of the day, yes, his actions were less than professional. But I dare say if any of us were in his shoes, knowing the reputation of these two and that here it was in his tournament, they were busted, would it be any different? Highly unlikely. Thanks, Joe.
By John Johnson BassFan Senior Editor
Mike McClelland enjoyed the drama-inducing aspects of the all-legal-fish-count scoring format that the MLF Bass
By John Johnson BassFan Senior Editor
For the first time in more than two decades, Ish Monroe will not be a tour-level angler in 2023. He's relinquished
By Jonathan LePera Special to BassFan
Northern tour-level anglers Cory Johnston, Cooper Gallant and Seth Feider love to fish cover, and in certain situations,
