OCdockskipper

I have a 10 ft Pond Prowler and typically fish alone (from the front of the boat). I carry 8 rods (all between 6' - 6' 9"), usually 5 spinning & 3 casting and have a system set up to allow me to switch between them easily without cramping the boat. My tackle box & bags are in the middle to the back of the boat & I built a small brace that sits in the seat grooves directly behind my seat. 4 of the spinning rods are then in the middle of the boat, with the butts on the brace & the middle of each rod on the largest tackle box (I put a towel on it to eliminate sound & potential damage to the rods). The other 4 rods are placed in the gunnels, 2 to a side. Nothing tangled, all ready to go. What this does is keep all of the rods behind me, out of my way. A half turn either way gives me quick access to any rod, which is real handy for fast followup casts. All other gear that I grab (pliers, scent, additional soft plastics, etc) are all around the front of the boat, easily accessible whether I am sitting or standing.

I personally have been looking to buy some land in Florida, in a marshy area...

No, you are incorrect. I have posted before I enjoy MLF, I watch their shows & I wish them success. I have just had experiences in business & in life that have taught me that the organizational structure they have will implode if it is not changed. What you don't seem to understand is that the success that KVD & the others have had in pro bass fishing will not carry over in MLF if the organization they are joining has inherent flaws. I do agree that MLF is not concerned with your or my opinion, and that is part of their problem. You & I are the customer, their goal is to give us a product or service that we will buy. Unfortunately for them, they have taken a good idea (the Cup series) and are trying to expand it using an organization that places the financial gains of the competitors above the wants of the customers. A club that holds tournaments for its members and a sports business are apples & oranges. Clubs are not trying to attract an audience to watch their tournaments & buy their sponsors products. They do both have some commonalities, but the the reason for their existence differs. The club exists strictly for its members enjoyment while a business exists to make money.

Once again, the little guy get the shaft!! I'm taking them to small claims court ?

That indeed is the reason why change was coming and was needed. In the same way that I believe the MLF organizational structure is set up for failure because it will place the angler ahead of the customer, BASS did a similar thing in that it placed the sponsors ahead of the anglers. If BASS had more foresight, they could have cut this off at the pass by being better balanced. Yes, they are a fishing organization that holds tournaments, but when the tournament anglers become a major part of driving your business, it is worth considering changing how those anglers are treated. BASS could have incorporated some of the payout and tournament changes to create a better balanced organization, but they didn't. They left a void, MLF stepped in and (in my opinion) have swung the pendulum too far the other direction. If Duckett & Klein had started the organization and separated themselves as owners from the other anglers (& not fished themselves), I believe their organization would be better balanced.

Ok, now your comment makes more sense. However, since it isn't the topic of this thread, I am going to show restraint and not get into a discussion about that. However, I would suggest that calling other peoples opinions or perspective "crazy" just because it differs from yours is small minded. Go ahead & disagree and list your reasons for disagreement, but to summarily dismiss others without any rationale backing it is pretty weak.

I do enjoy watching MLF and I hope these guys succeed. I just believe they are ignoring human nature in the way they structured their organization and that will eventually be their downfall. Then again, I could be completely wrong. Not rooting for them to fail, just looking down the road and based on my life's experiences, expecting it. It will be interesting to revisit this thread in 2024...

The difference is that (in my opinion), being a marshal is the same as getting a front row seat at any professional sporting event. You get to carry on a conversation with the pro and you don't have a group of people cutting into your access to him. While you are observing and sending in BASSTRAK updates, you have no real responsibilities, heck you can take a nap if the action is slow and the pro is tightlipped. The MLF format is similar to the Texas Fest, where BASS doesn't charge anything to be in the boat. However, there you are an official, you have tools that you are using that will help determine the outcome of the event & you have to be alert the entire time. You really can't root for the angler you are with, that could be misconstrued as playing favorites. I have done both events and they are very different. For me, the marshaling was more fun because I could be a fan. As for the anglers being mature, I was surprised of the pettiness of many of the pros. It seems like they all have someone with whom there is an outstanding vendetta against. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed being in their boats & will marshal again, but there is something about being involved in competition that alters the way many folks look at others. That could easily carry over into the running of the organization.

No, but I will admit I have no friggin' idea what you are getting at with that comment.

I apologize for this off topic post, but everyone who just can't stand the white color of their carbonlite 2.0 rods, please feel free to send them to me. I will make sure they are well taken care of...?

You mean an organization run by the anglers chose to not have the anglers pay entry fees? Shocking I tell you, truly shocking... ? Where it will truly get interesting is when some angler gets in a disagreement with an on-board referee and does something dumb like curse at him. Will the other anglers vote to punish the offender or will they be lenient thinking it could be them next time? Further, what if a clique of 3 or 4 anglers is on the outs with the rest of the anglers, will you suddenly start seeing rule changes aimed at that group? I'm telling you, with the inmates running the asylum, it is going to get ugly. Also, I saw an ad for on board referees on the MLF site. They want local (to Oklahoma) folks, able to travel at the drop of a hat, all with no pay (although travel & lodging is covered). If they truly want a pro league, wouldn't you have paid officials? With the added power the refs have, trying to have a crop of unpaid volunteers travel with you is asking for problems (corruption, favoritism, etc). I believe an organization run by non-anglers would secured paid officials, this group is only looking out for the anglers.

I believe they went to white while still 1.0, like for the last year or so of that version. Only reason I know is I had a pair of 1.0's that were black, one broke and they replaced it with the current 1.0 model that was white. As an aside, it broke because i'm an idiot, but they still replaced it.

I have a 2.0 spinning rod, 6'6" , ML with a fast tip that I use exclusively for Ned rigs. I like it a lot. I have a few 1.0's that get used on every trip, but the Winn Grips on the 2.0 have won me over.

A couple of summers ago, we spent a week in Arizona in late August. Apparently my wife felt that Southern California wasn't hot enough... Anyway, I fished the 3 ponds over by the Phoenix zoo a couple of days. The upper pond (the smallest) produced the biggest fish, most of them on a small (1.5) squarebill. The middle pond was the most pressured & least productive (for bass) while the lower pond produced well with a small jerkbait. So for those ponds, my general advice would be to downsize & look for reaction strikes. On a different note, lookout for homeless dudes sleeping in the bushes..

"MOM, MEATLOAF!!"

Do you mean miss by throwing a bad pass to an open receiver or miss by not spotting an open receiver? I would disagree with the first, but if the latter is true, it may be because of the way the offense is set up. Troy Aikmen said a similar thing Sunday, which I found odd because the only other Ram game Aikmen called was when Goff threw for 400 plus yards against the Vikings & had a perfect rating. If Goff isn't that good, his receivers sure do a great job of making him look that way. I am looking forward to that game, although I have a hard time rooting against the Chiefs. I want KC to finish ahead of NE for playoff home field, but a Chief loss to the Rams with the Patriots winning out would give stupid Boston the top seed.

Their DB's have given up some big plays, but the last 3 weeks they have given up 27, 10 & 20 points - far from shredded. KC's defense has given up similar amounts, with the exception of the loss to the Patriots. I think you know the only way KC puts 60 on the Rams is if the Chiefs defense gives up 70... Being that the game is in New Orleans and as good as the Saints are, even seems a pretty fair read. The Saints are more than good enough to beat them and vice versa. The Rams are tough to pick against because this year, they can (& do) win even if they don't play great. Last year, they had to click on all cylinders to beat good teams.

You may find out next week... The Rams beat the Saints last year and are markedly better this year. They played their worst game of the season yesterday and still beat a good Packer team. However, Brees is the type of quarterback they struggle the most against, a wily veteran who is just mobile enough to buy a little time. The Rams aren't invincible, they just have a very good offense, a very good defense and very good special teams.

Add a 2nd motor (in the back)? Most small 2 man boats need some kind of rear rudder with a bow mounted electric, otherwise the back end tends to fishtail on you. A 2nd electric on the back would work as a rudder and then be pressed into duty for loading on the trailer. I wouldn't even hardwire it to the battery, just use clamps when you want to use it and remove them when you don't. When getting ready to load, sow the bow mount, connect the rear and you are off & running. In an emergency, you could use both at the same time & it would be like 4 wheel drive...?

Please don't tell me you only fish retention ponds...

You kind of insulted your own parents in a roundabout way. Based on your posts, I don't believe you are qualified to judge the parenting skills of others. It may be best for you to just sit back with your bong and enjoy yourself until mom has the meatloaf ready.

I know a few people who say the same thing. They typically get skunked most trips and rationalize it by saying they are targeting the largest fish in the lake. I doubt they have ever had a 20 fish day ( a great accomplishment the first time you do it) in their lives. Your buddy may have figured out his lake, good for him. If you feel a need to compete with him, rather than inviting him to your lake, ask if you can join him at his. Start of with a Ned Rig and see who catches more. If he does, commend him for figuring out his home body of water. In Caddyshack, Ty Webb tells Judge Smails that he doesn't play golf for money. Smails asks how does he measure himself then, to which Ty replied "by height".

Your fish is what an 8 lb bass looks like, big head, broad back. The first time most people (myself included) see a LMB over 7 lbs up close, it is so shocking that we believe it has got to be over 10 lbs. For me, it took catching 3 over 7 lbs to get the scale in my head right for a bass like yours.

With or without a 3 lb bluegill in her mouth? ?

Yaaah, I won with 2 out of the 3 (Swindle & Lane). In a statistical oddity, everyone else got 1 out of the 3. Unfortunately, I missed in the 3rd bracket when Combs laid an egg, so I will just have to dream of all the gear I could have bought with that Sears gift certificate. I understand shopping there is real easy, there is like no one else in any of the stores...