Logan S

The situation you described would bother me too...But based on everything I've read/heard, I don't think that's really an accurate assessment of what happened. I'm not going to go further down that rabbit hole, though. Everyone knows what 'unwritten rules' are...It's another way to describe having a level of respect for the competition and/or other competitors that exists across all sports - not just bass fishing.

All I know is that based on the information that's out there, I wouldn't have done what what Lambert did...And if I were Haynes I'd be mad about it too. I guess I'm more on the side of the 'unwritten rules'. Everyone is saying the right things and the two don't seem to have a beef with each other, so I guess the statement has been made and everyone's moving on...Which is good. IMO, the 'community hole' argument is just a cop-out. I know all about community holes, the Potomac is a 60-mile long community hole . Getting cut off or spot jumped isn't negated just because everyone already knows about the spot. But like I said originally...I don't know either and I wasn't there, so I probably shouldn't comment (even though I am...But at least I recognize that I shouldn't )

It was a little more complicated than just a guy fishing in/on 'his' spot. That other guy knew the tournament leader (Haynes) was fishing there and knew that he was going there first thing on day 3...That other guy also had a better launch number so he was able to boat race him there and win, arriving just moments before. That other guy then proceeded to tell Haynes that they could 'share the spot' in an attempt to make it seem more friendly or amicable. IMO, Haynes left because because he didn't want to legitimize what happened...If he shares it or goes elsewhere, it's essentially accepting that tactic as somehow OK. Basically his way of saying, "I know the game you're playing and I'm not going to be a part of it." At least that's what I took away from it. I can't say I would have done the same thing, but I have a lot of respect for a guy that sticks to his beliefs that way...Especially knowing the potential consequences. IMO it wasn't quitting and going home, it was making a statement. I don't know either guy so I probably shouldn't even comment...But that's my take on it.

Eh, it was rude and would have irritated me too...As much as I wish it could be eradicated, we all know it can't so I don't let these little things bother me beyond muttering "really, dude?" under my breathe. Extreme example of rudeness as alluded to in the title and 1st paragraph had me thinking about a melee that ended in a flipping-weight barrage.

No, it has nothing to do with where I live (currently). It's because I don't think a few leap frogs with another boat on a tiny 100 acre lake - With no other confrontations/altertcations/exchanges/etc - qualifies as 'extreme' rudeness. There was no fighting, cussing, yelling, throwing of weights, boat-circling, or anything else...Just 'he got a little too close to me'. The level of rudeness of the situation, at least IMO, would appear to be of a normal inconsiderate fisherman - nothing more, nothing less. This is based on bass fishing extensively all over the country, including 'down there' where you are. In terms of what do about it? Why do anything? OP caught fish and they didn't, instant justice....Move on.

Sorry, but I'm not really seeing 'extreme' rudeness in what you described. More of a inconvenience than anything else and it didn't seem to effect your catching either. If anything, it just enhanced the story you got to tell. Also, the lake's only 100 acres...Sooner or later you're going to be leap frogging in water that small. Not saying the guy was a saint or anything, but if that's all you've got to get worked up over - you're living and fishing good . You'd go nuts on the Potomac...30 yards is someone being 'considerate' most of the time .

The same amount per mile as the guys going 30mph

Tournaments always add that little edge to things and that's part of the fun IMO. Just have fun, sounds like that's the main point of the particular event you're fishing anyway. Don't worry about bombing, you probably won't...But even if you do, it happens to everyone eventually - Even the best pros will have rough days occasionally. As for tips for a new co-angler...Keep it simple, fish the things you're good at, and don't overpack.

Been mentioned already, but you had it right...Chip in for gas, ramp, etc. There's a big club local to you that's always open for membership (see signature)...It's a good way to get started!

I went without poles/talons for a long time, I did just fine. You obviously don't NEED them for anything...But now that I have 2 poles I can't imagine not having them. They are useful for so many things and provide a huge advantage is so many situations. It'd be nice if they cheaper, but that's sort of obvious...I wish my boat, tackle, electronics, truck, and everything else were cheaper too.

Table Rock SP is a solid color with chartreuse sides. It's a fairly bright color but, good for stained water, cloudy days, or when you want loud colors for targeting smallies/spots. I personally use it most often when targeting smallies. GP Pro Table Rock is a ghost/translucent color and even though the sides are chartreuse-ish, they are see thru so it's not very flashy/loud. It's good in a variety of conditions from clear to stained water, I like to use it in lakes without shad to imitate perch, shiners, bluegill, etc...

FWIW, I bought replacement 110 Jr hooks directly from Megabass USA back when they still sold hooks in bulk. They're just standard light wire #8's...I think VMC's. Any light wire #8 treble should be fine on the 110 Jr size. Also FWIW, the A-Mart Nano Trebles mentioned earlier in the thread run about 1 size small. I haven't used them myself, but a friend confirmed that the #5 size Nano is needed to match the size of the #6 Katsuge hooks (he was replacing standard 110 hooks). I stick with the stock #6 Katsuge outbarbs for standard size 110's, I think it's the best hook for them.

I guess it depends on how much room you have to get through. If it's a normal safe distance there's no reason come off plane. If it would require you to 'thread the needle' to get through, drop to an idle.

Lot of towing for me... The Potomac is 30 minutes to an hour and half depending on the ramp I go to. Upper Bay, Conowingo, and Anna are all about an hour and half away. Deep Creek is 2.5 hours and Gaston, Kerr, and Smith Mountain are 3.5 to 4 hours. There's other places around here that I fish occasionally, but they're all 1 to 3 hours away too. There's a 500 acre electric-only lake that's only about 15 minutes away so I fish there quite a bit if I don't have a full day, especially summertime after work...Fish a couple tournaments there each year too. There's a few other electric-only lakes that are 30 to 45 mins away too, but I don't fish them very often. I've gone as far as FL to the south and Canada to the north, but obviously those aren't regular trips. I do have a medium sized creek behind my house with smallmouth in it, so I take advantage of that quite a bit too...

The crowds are fine...Most guys out there know how to fish in a crowd and not be total d-bags about it. There are handful of community holes that will have the big flotillas on them, but the rest of the river is fairly normal for a good/popular bass fishery. There's a reason those spots draw so many boats .

Nose-up means the transfer weights are probably stuck in the tail (casting position)....They are supposed to roll back to the front as soon as you move the bait. As for floating, the standard Vision 110 is not a suspending bait, it's a slow floater - Depending on water temp and your expectations it's normal slow float could appear 'fast'. If anything damaged the bait I would have guessed it would sink rather than float more, but strange things do happen. I'd see if you can get the transfer weights unstuck and check it again...Just be careful with tapping or hitting it, the bills are not the strongest.

I haven't used the Levante Perfect Pitch to compare to the XX version...But I have the Levante Shakeyhead and the XX Shakeyhead. There is a very noticeable difference and the XX is definitely worth the price to upgrade. The Levante is a nice rod on it's own, but you can't really compare it to the XX. It doesn't blow you away when compared to other rods in it's price range like the XX does. It just doesn't really stand out from it's competitors. I'm not planning on getting rid of mine, but I also don't plan on adding any more. Having said that, the current sale price of $170 does make them more attractive.

I love the original EMTF for 3/8 to 1/2 oz swingheads, so I'm interested in seeing how the Braillist turns out....But I think you'll want at least an F6 in MB rods to handle anything 3/4. The swinghead technique is more similar to cranking than flipping/pitching and it's generally done in open water, so you can get away with less powerful rods for the head weights. IE, I wouldn't use an EMTF for flipping or pitching 3/8 and 1/2 oz jigs...But its darn near perfect for the same weight swingheads. I still think 3/4 will overpower the F5.5 Braillist though. The Perfect Pitch would do it well, although I prefer a longer rod for this technique. I've used it for heavier swingheads and it does fine, but I usually throw them on an X4 711 instead. In the current MB lineup, the Destroyer Valdiva looks like the best fit...But I haven't used it so I can't say for sure, it looks good on paper though.

The In-Fisherman Largemouth Bass book is great. I first bought and read it when I was about 13 or so and have re-read it several times over the years. Some stuff is a little dated, but the fundamentals are solid gold. Get the Smallmouth book too if you can. I keep both at/on/around my tackle bench for occasional or spontaneous references. I think it's a great book for beginners all the way thru to seasoned anglers...A solid foundation never goes out of style, which is why I keep them handy and not buried in storage .

It's super easy/quick to put them on standby these days...I sometimes do that to save power on tournament days (since livewells running all day), probably not necessary but easy enough to do. The backlight on the graphs use a lot of power, so just dimming the screen with everything else still running will save a good amount of power if you're worried about it but want to keep everything running. With a good battery and normal running around it's probably not going to matter either way. I like to turn off my transducers when fishing crowded community holes on the Potomac and Upper Bay...I don't need depth readings in 0 to 3 feet of water and a little stealth when there's a bunch of other boats around is never a bad thing, even if it's just a placebo (but I think it's actually real). Instead of depth I just use full screen GPS maps on the bow graph in those situations.

That's a toad, especially for Deep Creek...Nice catch!

Megabass warranty is to original owner only, so even if it's not expired you won't have it if buying used. If that's a major factor to you, then Dobyns might be the better choice from that standpoint. I'm a huge fan of the XX series and MB in general so I'd pick the Megabass...But both choices are good ones.

These are my thoughts as well even though I have the thru-hull setup. For navigation purposes, you're moving too fast to do anything if you find yourself suddenly in shallow water...Mapping is much more effective for staying out of trouble.

TotalScan has 2D sonar while the LSS-2 (Structure Scan) does not. LSS-2 requires a separate 2D transducer and TotalScan is an all-in-one package. If you are taking the transducer from the Elite up front and don't have another source for 2D on the stern (like a thru-hull), the TotalScan makes more sense I would think. You probably won't be able to mount the TotalScan in a place that will allow on-plane depth readings though...If that matters to you. I use the LSS-2 with a separate 2D thru-hull for my console HDS.

I think they are worth it, especially the Vision 110 series....If you're a color junkie like me, there's well over 100 different colors in the 110 series alone so you can always find something to match what you're looking for. Nothing is magic, but they are extremely well made products and I don't mind paying a little more for that. 'Worth it' is up to the individual...But if the question is "Does the quality/value match the price tag?"..IMO the answer is definitely yes. This video is pretty cool in showing how their baits are still hand assembled, QC'd, painted, etc...I have no connection to MB, just a guy that likes their stuff.