Stratocat_Joe

It's also interesting that you mentioned Walmart and market forces. When Sam Walton started opening stores, he saw an opening in the market for smaller, rural localities. K-Mart had a corporate policy to not go into towns without a certain population size (i.e. 50,000 people). Sam started out by targeting smaller communities (some with less than 10,000 people) to build market share before moving in to larger communities to compete with other department stores like K-Mart. Walmart also developed a competitive advantage with their own distribution system in the 70's, which lowered the cost for them to distribute goods. Eventually, Walmart became who they are and K-Mart became...history. Dollar General has recently copied Walmart's strategy by going into even smaller localities. Comparatively, MLF filled a void in the bass fishing market with their original, made for TV product (i.e. the Cups), and were doing well with that product. However, they tried to evolve and grow too fast, before they had the necessary market support, amidst an evolving "distribution system" for media content. They also alienated a significant portion of the core bass fishing market with their marketing tactics. It's not unusual to see newer businesses rapidly expand to only then contract, if not downright implode, once the new excitement wanes. We'll see what happens with MLF...

I could be mistaken but I'm pretty sure I heard that Scott Martin was invited to the BPT but turned it down. What's sort of ironic about this situation is that Watson has previously been open about the fact that the only reason he was invited to join MLF/BPT in the first place was because BD knew he had the money to pay to play. Now, it appears that BD doesn't need Watson's money anymore. Plus, they're getting an early start on cutting the field, too. Watson had already made it clear he wouldn't be fishing there next year.

My Dad bought me an Abu Garcia Silver Max combo years ago when I was first learning how to use a baitcaster. It's a 6'6 MF rod and it's what I use to throw jerkbaits, poppers, and smaller crankbaits. When my Dad passed, I acquired a bunch of his higher quality gear, including a Powell jerkbait/topwater rod. But I still use the old Silver Max...it just seems to work better for me. I keep both rods in the boat though as it feels like I'm still taking Dad fishing.

I only watched a little bit of the Live Mix on Sunday morning, while Hackney and Mosely were commentating. But, from what I saw, McKinney wasn't following fish as they moved due to fronts. He was just trolling around areas "scoping" for fish to cast at. Listening to Hackney during the broadcast, I kind of understand his frustration with this new type of fishing. He stated that for 25 years, he studied bass to understand their behaviors and how they react to various conditions, structure, cover, etc. so that he could put himself in the best position to catch the biggest 5 he can catch. Now, all they have to do is put the scope in the water and look for them...they don't really need to know and understand the animal's behaviors. To me, instead of the aluminum/wooden bat argument, a better baseball analogy would be if MLB replaced pitchers with pitching machines. Sure, the hitter still has to make contact (i.e. the angler still has to catch the fish) but it's a lot easier when you know where the pitch will be (i.e. know where the fish is at). Even if it led to more home runs (i.e. bigger bags of fish), something tells me a lot of traditional baseball fans wouldn't be happy with that change...much like a lot of traditional BASS fans aren't happy with the FFS change. Perhaps it's a good thing some pitching machine company hasn't decided to sponsor MLB!

I bought a Jonny when they first came out but ended up preferring a regular kayak and traded it for a Dorado. The Jonny's use the same 8-ball steering and Beavertail rudder system that's on other FeelFree kayaks, like the Dorado. However, I'm not sure about adding a pedal drive since the Jonny's were designed to be motorized.

I imagine this move was likely the result of consolidation within the fishing industry. I think Rapala just finished the purchase of 13 Fishing and I imagine they will want to partner with anglers using 13 Fishing products, particularly their rods/reels. G-Man and Whelcher already use 13 Fishing products but we'll see what happens with other high-profile Rapala anglers (Wheeler, DeFoe, Feider, etc.) who use different rod/reel lineups...although, I suppose those specific anglers have partnerships with other outlets for promoting the Rapala/VMC/13 Fishing brand (i.e. Academy, BPS, Omnia).

To be fair, $95 in 1962 is equivalent to around $1,000 today...

Although I live in a fairly good sized town that is located in a prime fishing area of SW GA, Walmart is the best place for me to go locally for tackle. So, when I go there, I always walk down the fishing and clearance aisles to see what's there. I loaded up on the GY Senko's a couple of years ago when the old packaging went on clearance for around $2/pack. I used to work for Walmart years ago back home in SW MO and the store I worked at had Harold Ensley (aka "The Sportsmans Friend", for those that remember the show) in-store for an autograph session, which was kind of cool! For some useless trivia knowledge, if you're ever asked what the #1 selling item at Walmart is...it's bananas.

I'll have to check but I'm pretty sure the most recent Lews reel I purchased earlier this year had a Republic address for returns, which might explain why the warehouse on the other side of town was closed. And, I wasn't saying that the reason you see Lews stuff at the outlet store is because they have/had a warehouse in the area. I'm saying that BPS and Strike King/Lews have a partnership and I wouldn't be surprised if the BPS house brand for some of their tackle/reels is manufactured by the same company that manufactures Strike King/Lews products. I know BPS works in conjunction with Z-Man for their house brand Chatterbait. I was fortunate enough to Marshal for Gussy (who is sponsored by Z-Man) last year and he told me about the BPS model and highly recommended it.

Maybe, but the only large tackle manufacturers I'm aware of that have set up shop in Springfield, MO (Bass Pro's HQ) is Strike King/Lews. When I'm back visiting family there, I like to walk through the Outlet store and it's usually packed with BPS/Lews reconditioned reels and BPS/Strike King products. I was just in the BPS in Macon, GA and I noticed the BPS packaging was changing. The BPS Nitro is probably just a rebranding of the original product, similar to what Academy did last year with their H2O/H2O Express line-up.

The last time I was on Seminole was right before Thanksgiving. I was up the Chattahoochee arm of the lake and caught several throwing a finesse jig around wood lay-downs in about 8-10 ft. The water temp was in the low 60's then, which is kind of cool for Seminole, and the fish didn't get active until the afternoon. I always keep a swimming worm and chatterbait ready to throw around grass edges. If you end up in clearer water (Spring Creek, Fish Pond Drain), I've had good days this time of year on a jerkbait. Of course, a drop-shot will play around there, too. Although the water temps may be a little cool, if it's a warm and sunny day, a topwater bite might be available along shallow cover. If you've never been there before, be careful running around.

It was part of a series of commercials Orkin ran with a variety of sports personalities....Milliken was just the fishing personality.

It caused quite a stir in the fishing world, since it referenced Milliken as a Fishing Pro. There were a few Pro Tournament anglers that were upset about that. But, in all honesty, Milliken was probably more well-known to the average consumer Orkin was targeting outside of the fishing industry than 95% of Pro Tournament anglers. As for the video, and Pro Fishing as a sport, it's always appeared to me to be similar to the old Gold Rush days of the late-19th century. People dreamed of striking it rich and set out on the adventure...but first, they needed supplies. Sure, a few of the early ones made it big (i.e. Bill Dance, Roland Martin, Jimmy Houston, etc.) before the masses clamored to the adventure. Then, there would occasionally be others that worked hard, but also got very lucky, and struck it rich which kept others dreaming. By the end of it all, very few who embarked on the adventure had much to show for it. Most came back broke and broken, but with a (fish) story to tell. The one's who truly made it rich during the Gold Rush was the shopkeepers selling the miners their supplies and promoting the dream to keep the miners/customers coming (i.e. Johnny Morris). One thing that Milliken's video loosely hits on, but didn't fully explore, was the amount of "free" money that corporations had access to in 2020-2022, including PE firms that managed billion-dollar portfolios but were considered "small-businesses" because they had relatively few employees (i.e. less than 100). Those PE firms then used the "free" money to invest in growing markets, like the fishing industry at that time, which caused the conglomeration in the market that Milliken addressed in his video. Some have said that his video has been rehashed before. But I'm not sure the fishing industry has ever experienced the movement in both the consumer and corporate markets that was seen between 2020-2022, nor has it seen such effects as the predicted fall-out as things return to whatever the new "normal" in the industry will be.

I don't mind fishing in the rain. Unfortunately, the compartments in my boat aren't water-tight and I end up having to pull everything out and air dry it in my garage for several days afterwards, which is a pain. I've seen some of the Pro's Garage/Man Cave videos and they usually have an industrial type fan mounted above where the boat is parked, I surmise for this very reason. I just try to make do with a box fan. Now, if I hear a rumble or see a flash of lightning in the distance, I'm heading to the dock. There isn't a fish out there that is worth it to me to take that chance.

Did you see this commercial a couple of years ago? And, this was way before he jumped into the Opens. https://www.ispot.tv/ad/btTi/orkin-hire-a-pro-ft-ben-milliken

I have a 2021 version of the boat advertised. I actually bought it in 2020, just before the price increased $4-5K. It's a package-deal; so, they won't switch out the fish-finder or trolling motor. Of course, you can buy a separate trolling motor or fish-finder and have the dealer install it. I bought mine from BPS and they gave me a discount card that was good for 10% off purchases up to 2 years after the boat purchase date, which helped buy some upgrades. Also, when I bought mine, BPS waived the shipping fee if you picked it up at their store in Springfield, MO. I'm from the area originally and my Mom still lives outside of Branson, MO; so, it wasn't a big deal for me to drive the 12+ hours each way from SW GA to save an extra $1,000. I primarily fish Lake Eufaula and Lake Seminole here in SW GA and the boat works great for me. Admittedly, it's a smaller boat so it's impacted by wind easily. But, I graduated to it from a kayak and was used to dealing with wind in a kayak. I just plan my fishing areas based on the weather. I also stay away from the main-lake body if it's windy or if there's a bunch of boat traffic. Storage may be an issue for some and it's not a tournament boat since it only has a 9-gallon live-well. I put a 7-lb bass in there while I was getting ready to take pictures of it and I couldn't imagine trying to put 2-4 more fish in there with it for a tournament. The 50hp motor moves the boat just fine with me and my family in it (wife + 2 boys ages 3 & 1) and we cruise between 33-35 MPH. The 6-gallon fuel tank is limiting but manageable and easily upgradeable, if one wanted. I probably can go about 40-miles with one tank of gas, so I haven't upgraded the tank. Again, I just pick an area of the lake I want to fish and generally stay in that area. My one complaint is that it lacks a rod locker but rod-storage is okay as I usually keep 10-12 rods in the boat, with the longest being 7'6". I've thought about upgrading but I can't really justify spending more just to have a little bit more room.

I purchased a Meta spinning rod (7'2 - Medium) just a couple of months ago. Academy had them on clearance so I figured I would try one out. On my third trip out with it, the rod snapped on a light hook-set, right at the third eyelet from the top. I was pretty disappointed in the rod...it reminded me of the tournament a couple of years ago where G-Man broke a rod on the hook-set and said "Don't worry, you'll never see those rods in a store." But, Academy allowed me to return it, so it wasn't a complete loss.

Couldn't help but notice the foreshadowing/irony of this post, given the BPT's fiasco at Lake Cayuga earlier this year...

I listened to it and, to me, Watson came off as being "entitled" with his claims that he "deserves" to be on the BPT. He's previously openly admitted that the only reason he is in MLF and on the BPT is because Boyd knew he had the money to pay to be there. Watson's biggest complaint was that the BPT is "his" platform to promote his brand/sponsors and he's concerned about that platform being pulled out from under him. Conversely, I've also listened to Todd Castledine and Matt Stefan talk about their realization that they don't need to rely on a tournament trail as a platform to promote their brand/sponsors. Both Castledine, Stefan and, shall I say, R. Blaukut have been fairly successful in this model and I think Watson will be fine if he followed in that direction. As a fan of the sport, I prefer watching anglers achieve the top level based on their talent, not their marketing ability. Watson's a good angler but not an elite angler, as his performance has shown. He is a terrific marketer, though! As Stefan has said, if bass fishing is to become a true professional sport, then the professional trails need to be built upon angling talent first with marketability further down the list...just like any other sport. But, as it currently stands, professional fishing is more about marketability than angling talent.

How do you like the "Breakaway Mount" on the Maxxum? Some of the reviews I've read say it's a pain in the grass. Yeah, my MG has a similar feature. But those features are only as good as the GPS system driving the features. Unfortunately, for me, MG's system (including the wireless foot pedal) hasn't worked out too well and I'm not sure I want to continue throwing money at it.

This is exactly why I feel like a foot-controlled TM is the better route. When I bought my boat, I didn't really know what I needed. I just read everyone saying that the first upgrade needed to be the TM and to get one with spot lock. So, that's what I did. After fishing out of it for 3+ years, and having both spot lock and a foot-controlled pedal stop working in that time-frame, I feel like I miss the foot-control more than the spot lock due to how I fish. I tend to just put the trolling motor down and fish an area, so I'm constantly moving. The remote is nice at times but frustrating more often-than-not.

Thanks, @immortl! I've had to replace the shaft on my TM, which involved opening up the head to take it off. So, I could probably handle this install...it's just the question of do I spend the $400+ on fixing the GPS or invest that in a foot-controlled TM. At this point, I think I'm leaning more towards the foot-controlled TM...but I'm still undecided.

Thanks for the reply, @Captain Phil. Lake Eufaula doesn't have the grass it used to (or, so I hear) but Lake Seminole is still full of it! I usually put in up a ways on the Spring Creek arm. Sometimes, I'll run down to the main lake and grass is everywhere! Even running in the boat lane, there are places where I don't want to slow down because I'll land on grass and it's a booger trying to get up and going again with only a 50HP on the back. What MK model do you run?

If I end up going to a basic, foot-controlled TM, I know there will be times that I miss the remote control, too. There have been plenty of times that I've been in the back of the boat (or sat down to retie) and it was nice being able to still control the TM with the remote. Decisions, decisions...

I'm pretty sure that it's a GPS issue but my MG doesn't have a separate puck...it's all self-contained in the TM. As this is my first boat and TM, I don't have a ton of experience with others. So, the lag on the foot pedal wasn't an issue for me. The first one just stopped connecting to the TM and the second one stopped turning left, both of which are common issues with the wireless MG pedals. When the product worked, they worked great for me as a weekend angler. I just expected more longevity than 3 years on something I spent $1,200+ on. Perhaps that's why I'm not interested in spending $1,500 now for a similar setup and am leaning towards a basic, old-school, cable steer TM.