volzfan59

I agree with you @Susky River Rat. I raced stock cars in the 80's and early 90's. It was fun until it became a second job. Moved up to the NASCAR weekly racing series, racing two and three nights a week became a grind. I sold out and started serious bass fishing. When tournament fishing got to be a grind, I gave it up too. Fishing is supposed to be fun.

BPS had two lines of baits, mainly the hard baits when I worked there. The XPS line are really good, well made lures. The other, cheaper XTS line is fair at best. I would always advise customers to immediately change the hooks if they purchased them as they were junk. I own several XPS lures, mainly some jerk baits, Eggs and a few more, they're all fine. I've also got some jigs and BPS hooks, all great. When I was there, most of the bass style hooks were made by Mustad.

Welcome to BR!

I was just messing around about Randy. I've been a fan of his since he started with B.A.S.S. Was also a subscriber since his first video. Held on as long as I could, but the constant negativity and going on and on about FFS drove me away. Like it or not, it's here to stay. Some folks think that they have to have it, cool. I don't want it, don't need it. I've said it before, if it gets to the point that I have to have it I'll be having on heck of a yard sale. As always, to each their own.

Randy Blauket's head is going to explode!

I can't remember the last time that I opened a Sports Illustrated magazine.

I love stopping at Buc-ee's. While they are crowded at time's, we're always in and out as fast as we want to be. Can't believe that I'm writing this, but the restrooms are always clean and you never have to wait for a spot. Guess I'm finally growing up at 64. Same thing with the fuel pump, rarely have to wait for a spot. I have arthritis in my lower spine, hips and knees. It's really nice just to walk around in the store for a few minutes after sitting and driving.

Interesting, must be a store to store thing. I was working at BPS in 2015.

If you want something other than a base package, it's best order a boat, cheaper too. If a BPS store/dealership does the work, you pay for the new equipment , the labor to remove the old stuff and install the new. If you order a boat, the factory has to install a t/m or the electronics so the labor is a wash, you just pay for the product upgrade. At least that's how it was when I worked for BPS.

Things must have changed since I worked at BPS, we'd let people order boats with whatever they wanted on them. I've got a Minn Kota 45 lb on my 16'/ 55" boat with a 100a/h lithium. Love it, does everything I need it to. If I need to hold my spot, just pole down.

Happy Thanksgiving y'all!!!

I know that it was just a bfl, but there used to be an older gentleman that fished out of a 17' Bass Tracker back in the late 90's, early 2000's. I saw him on Lake Wheeler in North Alabama. Doggone thing had what looked like a 12" jack plate on it. He used to do pretty good in the tournaments.

They say that the reason is it's an unfair advantage. A lot of the pro's cried and complained that everyone can't afford an additional jet boat or tunnel hull rig. To my understanding , that's how jets were basically banned years ago when Roland Martin hauled one up north somewhere and waxed the field. Tunnels were banned after Ott Defoe won an Open out of his tunnel hull rig with a hydraulic jack plate and an angler complained.

"There is no entry fee." That statement sure didn't age well, boyd duckett talking about mlf/bpt. What a load of b/s. That lasted one season. They have had entry fee's every year since and the fee's have continuously increased. Just more b/s to get B.A.S.S. angler's to jump ship. Admirable goal, but not sustainable then, not sustainable now.

Because the ownership at B.A.S.S. had the good sense not to sell out to him.

I'm pretty sure that Keith Poche fishes out of a 17' Gator Trax. I think that it's either got a 90 or a 115 Mercury on it. Believe he uses it in the both B.A.S.S. Elite Series and the mlf/bpt. Edit, @Kirtley Howe may be correct concerning Keith's tournament rig. I'm probably confusing his tournament rig with his "Off the Grid" YouTube channel boat. Sorry for any confusion.

You, Sir, are speaking my language!

@WRB, I would like to see some sort of seniors tour too, as long as anyone but mlf runs it.

@Eric 26, Hello my friend! I have a spool of Yozuri copolymer, though I'm not sure of what pound test. Probably ten or less.

I got tried of playing the line game a few years ago. Went back to straight mono and have never looked back. I do have a spool of copolymer but haven't tried it yet.

First off, I am and will always be loyal to B.A.S.S. That said, I was a fan of the FLW Tour too, had a few family friends that fished it, some ended up in the Elites. I was a member of both organizations, continue to be a proud B.A.S.S. member. My complete and utter disdain for the mlf/bpt is the way things were handled, no integrity, no honor. I wasn't there and can't vouch for the truthfulness, but it was, and still continues to be said that boyd duckett and the other owners wanted to purchase B.A.S.S. When the owners refused to sell, mlf got their panties in a wad and attempted to destroy B.A.S.S. by taking some of their best angler's. Didn't work out so well for mlf did it? The angler's were pretty much told that it would all be rainbows and unicorns in order to get them to jump ship. Some were family friends that joined and still fish the mlf/bpt. Now, shame on them for falling for the b/s. Then mlf purchased FLW, a business decision that appears to be biting them now financially. In a nutshell, I don't care that there is an NPFL, a mlf/bpt or any of the other trails in their organization. What I do care about is honor, honesty and integrity. If mlf thought they had a better mouse trap, all they had to do is start holding big time tournaments. No need to intentionally try to steal (my word, probably not the best use) angler's from B.A.S.S. As a whole, angler's are pretty fickle. They would have moved over without being sold a sack of crap. There was no honor, little honesty and zero integrity in what mlf attempted to do to B.A.S.S. in order to fill it the bpt. When Walmart started, from my understanding it was never Sam's idea to kill K-mart. It happened due to his good business decisions and K-marts not keeping up. While it is a goal of both organizations, the mlf knew that there was no way the business model of no entry fees would ever work. It wasn't feasible then, sure as heck not feasible in this economy. Probably never will be without some really serious financial backing from outside the industry. EDIT: Per Andrew Upshaw, you can add the following to angler's bailing on mlf/bpt for one reason or another. Cliff Pace, Cody Myer, Brett Hite, Russ Lane, Randall Tharp, Jeff Kriet, Josh Butler, Mitch Craine, Roy Hawk, Tommy Biffle (didn't requalify) and Timmy Horton (retired). Some of the others may have not requalified, some did. Next?

@gimruis, yes, they're using some sort of three year average to make their determination. Pretty much putting the screws to last seasons rookie class and this year's rookies. They pretty much have to win to stay on the bpt from my understanding.

The mlf/bpt is firing their bottom 30 anglers starting in the 2025 season.

Bobby made it back on the mlf/bpt by using some sort of redquest winner's exemption. That is not "qualifying" to fish a tour, that is using an exemption.

A few things. 1. The mlf is allowing Bobby Lane to return without requalifying. Some sort of red crest, or whatever they call their lesser known championship, exemption. Didn't think that mlf/bpt used exemptions. Lane came within one point of making the Elites. WTHeck 2. Swindle, Palaniuk, Nixon and now Jordan Lee all used provisionals to get back in the B.A.S.S. Elites. I really don't have a problem with it, can't blame any of them. 3. I don't blame anyone for anyone for not wanting to put their eggs in boyd duckett's wagon. Hopefully there won't be a wagon left in a few years. I wish him and them nothing but the worst.