OCdockskipper

I believe the point he was making is now that their are 80 anglers per tournament instead of 24 or 30, the coverage of each angler will be less. Even if they break the tournament up to an episode per day, there will be 40 anglers in each of the first 4 episodes as opposed to 6 - 10 that were in the previous MLF events. Most likely they will focus on those who are in the hunt, but even if they didn't, each anglers TV time is cut by 300%. If they had 10 minutes of camera time before, they will now get between 2 - 3 minutes. So his point, that those who didn't get much camera time with BASS still won't get much camera time in the new MLF series unless they win (in which case, they would have gotten camera time with BASS as well), is correct. Robinson & Fletcher got more exposure because of the small fields of the previous MLF events.

ScaleFace is the only one who can go 3 for 3 with Rook, Vinson & Avena, the rest of us lost at least 1 angler in the semi's.

Now that the brackets are filled for the Classic Bracket tournament, here is one last chance for everyone who participated in the Fantasy Fishing to play one last time. Listed below are the four brackets, just choose who you think will gain the classic berth in each bracket. Although we may only be playing for bragging rights, there is a rumor floating around that Glenn may sponsor this quickie contest and offer gift cards from Sears & Kmart to those who successfully pick the 3 winners. BRACKET A 1. Roumbanis 12. Rook 6. Swindle 7. McClelland BRACKET B 2. Vinson 11. Connell 5. Lane 8. Pipkens BRACKET C 3. Combs 10. Fukae 4. Hanselman 9. Avena I am choosing Swindle, Lane & Combs.

A few questions & notes on the Classic Bracket tournament that started today: This tournament was based on the first 16 Elite series anglers who were outside of the cut line for the 2019 Classic and who hadn't qualified in other manners. However, without any explanation, the field was cut to 15 and all mention of Greg Hackney (3rd outside the cut in the AOY standings) is gone. In fact, the article on the BASS website "Meet the Classic Bracket Competitors" states that they were to be 16 anglers and on Sunday had Hackneys picture in it. Now Hackneys picture is gone and there are only 15 photos. Curious what happened... If Hackney had to withdraw, BASS could have chosen the next angler out of the cut line to keep the field at 16 anglers. However, that next angler would have been Boyd Duckett. I think it is safe to speculate that BASS would prefer to keep Duckett out of any BASS tournament, especially one that gives him a shot at a Classic berth. I wonder if Hackney dropped just to put BASS in the awkward spot of having to either invite Duckett or alter the format at the last moment to exclude him. If Pro Bass Fishing was like Pro Wrestling, this tournament would have been rigged. Odd accidents would happen to those anglers who have defected from the Elite series to MLF, or they would have penalties called on them that would have bordered on ridiculous. In the end, Vinson, Lowen & Combs would have won their brackets while the other competitors would be left to wondering how they got hit with a metal folding chair while on the front of a bass boat...

I don't believe the contestants spend as much as spectators because for them it is a business expense as opposed to a couple days of vacation. Pros group up for sleeping arrangements or crash at an aquantainces house. They will be spending, but they will be more frugal.

One thing I thought of today as far as the differences in the tournaments is the impact on the local economies of those towns where tournaments are held out of. If I remember correctly, when the Elite series goes to most towns in the South & NorthEast, there is a positive impact for the local merchants. I don't think it is tourism dollars as much as the everyday money spent on food and gas by those who come to view or are associated with the tournament. Tourism dollars most likely come later after the event is shown on TV and folks elsewhere decide to come visit. If this is correct, the MLF tournaments won't have any immediate impact on these communities. Not that MLF or the pro anglers owe anything to these small towns, just a note of the difference the effect of these two tours will be. For example, my sister lives about 25 miles southeast of Bainbridge, Georgia, where most of the BASS tournaments on Lake Seminole are held out of. She had some damage from Hurricane Michael, but those towns closer to Lake Seminole took a beating. If BASS were to schedule a tournament on Seminole, either the season ending AOY for 2019 or one of the opening events for 2020, it would make a positive difference for the towns in that area. MLF really can't do that, they just aren't designed to bring people to an specific area.

In my opinion, Florida & Texas beat California for the number of DD largemouth available, but California beats those states as far as the potential to grow the largest possible bass. Florida & Texas lakes typically have a better forage base and a good growing season, hence the greater numbers of DD bass. California, or rather Southern California specifically, has the most stable climate for a largemouth to continue to grow, so when any of her lakes are held at a decent water level and enough forage (trout & crayfish) are introduced for a long enough time, the fish grow to unprecedented sizes. By stable climate, I mean not too hot, not too cold & no disruptive storms/floods. The Pacific ocean works as a tempering agent for our area, keeping both winters & summers moderate so that our inland water temps never drop below 50 degrees and always stay under 85 degrees. The fish get comfortable & with no predators and an introduced food supply, some can get REAL big (at which time, they are caught by WRB).

I can't confirm they are still there, but there were Spots there in 1978. As a 15 yr old, I had organized a tournament and the first day was fishing with a gentleman who was a member of the AmBassadeurs (his name escapes me). Towards the end of the day, he already had a nice limit and was coaching me on getting mine. With a few minutes until weigh-in, he pulled up to the lighthouse (on the channel side) and told me to throw a deep diving crankbait. First cast, I hook up with a nice bass, but when I get the fish in the boat, something doesn't look right. The fish is more football shaped than pot bellied and its mouth wasn't as big as i would have expected for a 2 lb fish. I said out loud "This doesn't look like a largemouth", at which time my "teacher" broke out in a big grin. He said "really? What do you think it is?". I had only seen largemouth before, so I said I didn't know, to which he responded "That's a spotted bass". Turns out he & a buddy had made about 2 dozen trips to Lake Perris that spring and kept bringing double limits of spots over, releasing them in the lake near the lighthouse. I would expect the spots to have done well, Canyon Lake has a lot of depth and rip rap and at the time, was loaded with crawdads.

I bet if he started screaming, ran back & forth on the street with the rod in his hand and kept repeating "it's a 10 pounder, dude" as he pulled up a 13 inch fish, most everyone would have realized it was him. To be fair, it also drives me nuts when Roland Martin stammers "I got him, I got, him, I got him, I got him, I got him" every time he hooks up. Roland, I heard you the first time. Cut back on those 5 hour energy drinks and you won't be so hyper...

I have thought about what would happen if I ever snagged a body and pulled it up to the surface. I think I would just open the spool, drop it back down & call 911.

Being a resident of Southern California, I thought you would know that isn't true. Most of the private "development lakes", those small man made lakes with homes completely around them, built to enhance the value of the homes when they were initially built, have no dam. They are more like a swimming pool than a lake, with an inlet consisting of a pipe and an outlet that goes into the storm drains. Small crankbaits often work well in these lakes, either squarebills along the retaining walls or deep divers in the few offshore spots.

Yes, but because everything in Texas is bigger, you need to throw different types of tubes. My favorites are inner tubes (truck size only) and tube televisions (they crush the fish).

One thing I noticed is how different the two tours have tried to market their anglers (at least in the past). BASS uses the the pros as an interviewee, some one who is answering specific questions about bass fishing. This is done in their "Day on the Lake" series as well as other how-to articles. There is a little background and personal information, but it is basically surface stuff and not always 100% relevant (i.e., calling Litner the "MilkMan" because he used to do that). MLF is trying to make them entertainers, not just pro anglers. They are trying to have these guys hold an audience without being interviewed, at least in the promo videos and how-to segments on their website. A few (Swindle, Ike, KVD) can do that, but most can't and look like they have been coached as to how to wave their hands around while speaking. It reminds me of the change the the TV show "The Bass Pros" made when they stopped having anglers host the segments (giving that job to Zona) and just had them teach while angling.

I believe there will be about 40 new Elites, but if some of them are guys like Carl Jocumson or other past Elites, there will be some familiar faces. I also have a sneaking feeling that Roland Martin may make a 1 year commitment via the Legends exemption. You know he would love a shot at a Classic title & 2020 might be a great opportunity against a less experienced field (2019 Classic will still be loaded).

Mark your calendars for Monday, November 19th, Chiefs at the Rams in front of a national audience. Currently the 2 best teams in the league, could be a battle of the undefeated. Odds are one of these 2 will be your 2019 Super Bowl Champs. Go Rams.

By my count, there will be 43 Elites left if Ike & MDJ leave, so they will need to fill 37 spots from the Opens. I wonder if they will temporarily offer a few more "Legend exemptions" to try to tempt the Roland Martins of the world to fish for a couple of years until they recover from the losses. Strategy wise, I wonder if MLF may have made a mistake by not leaving 2 or 3 top anglers at BASS. It seems like fan following drops if the same couple of guys are always winning. If MLF had not invited say Aaron Martens and Edwin Evers (just examples, not realistic), they might have goofy the growth of BASS. By taking all of the biggest names, MLF leaves a pretty even field behind, which can lead to some competitive tournaments in the future for BASS. Good competition leads to stronger fields and higher viewing levels, IMO. You also have to wonder if there were cliques involved and who Keith Combs, Steve Kennedy & Cliff Pirch ticked off to not be invited. It may be a blessing in disguise for guys like that because they don't have to make the decision and can appear loyal to BASS without really having a choice. Plus all 3 are probably odds on favorite now for the 2019 AOY.

Reading between the lines of the anglers announcements and the MLF press releases, I am getting the feeling that a good percentage of the anglers jumped as a way to give the middle finger to BASS as well as to make more money. I think one of their selling points to the anglers, that they have a seat at the table in deciding how the organization operates, may well be their downfall. For example, in one of the MLF press releases, the following is written as a positive for the new circuit: "Although the full schedule has not yet been announced, anglers and fans alike will be pleased to see a schedule that does not require anglers to travel or fish on major holidays such as Mother’s Day and Memorial Day, a welcome change to the schedule anglers have become accustomed to in fishing other leagues." As a fan, what do I care if a pro angler has to travel or work on holidays? If I am paying money to watch them (or spending money with the sponsors), I want to watch them when it it is convenient for me, not them. Professional golfers play on Mothers Day. Professional Tennis players play on Memorial Day. Professional Football players play on Thanksgiving. Professional Basketball players play on Christmas. Part of what you give up for being a big money professional in all sports is working on a few holidays. I sense the attitude from MLF is that since they as anglers now have control of the schedule, they will work when they want to, not when most people are available to watch (live). If I am reading this correctly, it makes me wonder what other changes will be done because the anglers want them? Anglers have always complained about spectator boats, will there be official MLF staff boats to keep the public away from the anglers while they are on the water? If the organization is run by the participants, their number one concern will always be for the participants. Having that tunnel vision perspective is really dangerous, especially when some of the loudest voices (Ike, Ish) appear to always have a chip on their shoulder. Don't get me wrong, if I was a pro angler, it would be very tempting to jump to an organization like this. It is akin to offering a kid cake & ice cream for dinner. I just have a sneaking suspicion that this organization is set up incorrectly, that the emphasis will be to please the anglers and the sponsors and that no one is looking out for the fans.

A couple of more thoughts on this to initiate discussions... Is it wise to have a tournament organization run by the tournament anglers? That is akin to the inmates running the asylum. When you have an independent organization running the tournaments, they are pulled in one direction by the anglers, another direction by the sponsors and a third direction by the public. Since the organization has no alliance to any of the 3, but has to please all 3, typically they figure out how to balance that or die. I wonder if MLF will be so focused on making the anglers happy (in order to attract them) that they will end up alienating either the sponsors or the public, making for a quick demise. All of those Elite anglers really became household names while being Elite anglers (or while on the BASS tours prior to 2006). Even guys like Ehrler & Christie, who were known commodities, jumped up in name recognition after participating successfully in BASS. Since BASS does a good job in taking talented individuals and giving them a platform to make a name for themselves, doesn't it seem logical that 3 or 4 years from now, the current crop of Elites will be as well known as the current crop of Elites? Is the new MLF format better for the average angler? I personally have enjoyed marshaling in the past, as well as attending Classic takeoffs, expos & weigh-ins free of charge. If the MLF format is aimed at creating a TV product like their Cup series, those experiences will be no longer available. It also seems like this may put a bit of distance between fans & anglers, that the access we currently have to these pros will no longer be available. Will the MLF format create the same problem some team sports have where guys know they are getting paid, so occasionally they will mail it in? I know Ish Monroe (as an example) believes he should be paid for showing up, regardless of how well or poor he performs. Rare is the individual in sports that people are interested in paying to see just to watch them show up. I know some folks knock BASS's coverage team, but they are heads and tales above the MLF cup announcers. It is as if there is a coach on the other side of the MLF camera telling each announcer "now, move your hands apart...back together...now apart". How many times are they going to do the same interview about "anything is possible" as they ride to the event? Don't get me wrong, I tape & watch all MLF cup events, but if they are trying to be the top dog, this is an area that needs improvement big time. If these questions & comments seem to be partisan for BASS, they probably are. I first became a BASS member as a teen back in the 1970's and the organization has done alot of good over the years, not just for tournament anglers, but for everyday anglers. BASS let opportunities slip by as MLF grew, but showed they are willing to change how their tournaments run by doing things like absorbing TexasFest into BASSFest. I know folks are shoveling dirt on BASS, but I am old enough to remember organizations like the WFL who grabbed Czonka & Kiick from the Dolphins (as well as other NFL stars), but didn't have the organizational aptitude to survive more than a couple of years. Remember that MLF never has run a live tournament, something all the talented anglers in the world can't help them with.

The dyes are hit & miss, but the Spike it paint works well. For the TRD finesse Hogz, I like to use a touch of the orange paint on the two "claws".

It is getting to the point that many "good" Elite anglers can cash in if they don't jump. Someone like Matt Lee could easily become a more recognized angler if they stay in the Elites. Lucas, Lee & Palaniuk, already stars, could push themselves into rarefied air by being top of the heap with all of those other stars gone. Also, I wonder how this affects Toyota's sponsorship with BASS? Will Toyota follow their anglers to MLF, creating an opening for Chevy, Ford or Dodge to become affiliated with BASS & their new crop of Elites?

Hey, sorry if you were offended, by your post it appeared the point went right over your head. If you understood it the first time through, wonderful, here is a cookie. There really is no reason for you to be so upset or call people names, we were just discussing a topic. If you still don't agree with me or others following the discussion, thats fine. While I may disagree with your point 100%, I am not interested in ridiculing you for having it. I'll post why I disagree with it, but that doesn't mean it bothers me if you disregard my points in forming your opinion.

I believe the whole concept of "Walmart Shopper" is a smear campaign started by the grocery unions since Walmart refuses to unionize. It also has a regional tilt, with those on the coasts turning up their nose at a company with roots in the south. Look at the posts on this thread and a majority of the time, the location of the author will dictate their opinion on Walmart. I came to these beliefs a few years after my son began to work for the Walmart corporation out here in California. As an employee, he has been treated much better than he was at a unionized Albertsons prior to that and reports the customers he sees at his store are really no different than he saw at Albertsons. While he has seen some odd folks late at night at Walmart, the most amazing thing he ever saw was at Albertsons at closing time. A man who looked like Howard Sterns doppelganger came in wearing a shear black dress & matching black heels.

No problem, but I think you missed the point @BassNJake made. While recommending others to stop telling people what to do, you told people what to do. That was the irony & it didn't take any cherry picking to reveal it.

I live in California and I would love to be able to vote to raise taxes in Massachusetts, or at least in the city of Boston. I'd be so enthusiastic, I would probably vote 7 or 8 times... ?

Here is a left turn on the topic, but staying within the concept of improving Professional Bass Fishing in relation to how it is viewed in comparison of other sports. The Professional Bass Fishing League. 16 teams are franchised, with the owners choosing a location as their home body of water. It can be a public body of water or a private one, doesn't matter, it is their "stadium" and the teams take the name of the cities or states they are in or near (ie, the Dallas Hookers could have Lake Fork as their home body of water). The owner pays all of the expenses, provides the boats & tackle and signs anglers to contracts. Teams compete against each other each week (or every other week), 8 matches with the details of match play to be determined (i.e., your team could consist of 5 "starters" and a few alternates). Have a season that is a few months long, winners of divisions or conferences complete in (or for the chance to be in) a "Super Bowl" at a neutral site for the championship. It would have some interesting changes. Right now, anglers are small business people, in this scenario, they could focus more on the fishing. Choosing your home lake and corresponding anglers would be very strategic. Sponsors would get more quality time because they would be sponsoring teams & not individuals. The owners could be wealthy individuals, but more likely would be major players in the Bass fishing industry (boat manufacturers, lure makers, etc). BASS, FLW or MLF could all create a league and schedule it around their other tournaments.