AlabamaSpothunter

Only the top 40 get a check IIrc, but I agree he's off to a great start. He dominates offshore, overtime maybe his shallow game can catch up to his deep game.

I've never caught a smart Bass, but I've hammered some really stupid ones ?

That's awesome, you got one on it before me.

Yeah it's funny you say that, just this morning I was watching the new tactical bassin video and Tim was talking about how when they hit a whopper plopper, they really hit it hard. That fish was but a couple pounds but it surely blew that thing up. It's a very fun bait.

Stupid high winds have had me off the water for a few days, but I chunked a Whopper Plopper around for about an hour.....we almost had a breakthrough Katie ?

These weigh ins take so long lol. 11-8 is ridiculous if true, truly a freak of nature This fish is a true anomaly based on some data I was reading Buggs Island Lake (Kerr Reservoir) | Virginia DWR PDF at the bottom.....fish up to 22" were observed in 2020. Obviously many to most of the biggest fish never get shocked, but still to never surpass 22", and then bam here's an 11.8. That's awesome, and that's the stuff that makes Bass anglers keep on going out. That single fish in a lake.

Nice ones, and that's great you and the bro got to get on some fish. Great looking bait as well!

Not bad, not great......he's gonna need to hammer them tom to make the cut

If he blanked, they might as well close that lake ?

Wow, a 11.5lb VA fish........That is a true monster! Looks like Ben is pitching a trigged and pegged Hogwalla by 6th sense

Yeah I've become a fan of his through Ben. I found BTL from @PhishLI when he was doing interviews with Ben after the first two events. Felt bad he was having to interview the guy who won, and took 5th in events that he did so poorly in. Seems like a classy guy, and more on a level I can relate to lol, I can't relate to Ben at all.

Yeah his FB post yesterday was pretty gloom, but this lake doesn't seem to be a big bass factory at all, so like you said if he can find a couple 3-4lb fish, he'll be money. I wanna see some daygum studs and slaunch-a-sauruses at weigh in ? ETA: Got to love seeing Pangrac doing well thus far, to me this is just another data point that bite must be shallow. Ben can hammer them shallow, but it's way more fun to see him hammer them deep imho. 10 Matt Pangrac 5 / 12-3 / 2-13 5 / 12-3 01:10 PM

Wish they televised the Opens like the Elite, but you can follow along throughout the day with Basstrak, and then watch the weigh ins live everyday on the Bassmaster.com 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Buggs Island - Bassmaster

May 3-5th, place your bets on how Ben will follow up his awesome Toledo Bend victory. Personally I think he'll make the 10 cut at the minimum. This dude makes these derbys so much fun because of his post derby show all youtube videos. Hope he wins, 10 cut will be one step closer to him on the Elite series next year.

I hope you catch a 10+......dreams do come true, and the lake has them!

Nice ones! That bigger fish is over 5lb with almost certainty. Get a 10lb barbell weight to periodically check your scale. I've had two digital fishing scales, and they always weigh it at 10lbs.

Truist is amazing, so much stuff to do, eat, see. The silver lining is that a 8/12 game most likely will mean way more than a game today would have. I get it though, Strider is beyond must see TV, he's a guy worth paying to see IRL. Seemingly ever time he takes the mound he breaks some kind of franchise or even MLB record. Like fishing confidence means so much in baseball, and he's one supremely confident young man. Before he achieved his star status he was dripping with swag and uniqueness. Dude makes rocking a peace sign look cool ?

So sorry buddy, that just sucks! Are you going to try for another game before they leave town? Sounds like you need to come to the South this summer, and visit me and Truist Park ?

Big SM tails never stop amazing me. There is no wonder why they fight so hard. They have 300hp engines pushing them ?

Dynamite ? My radar is showing that by game time the rain will just still be barely over NY, is there more behind it or something. If not seems like they could just start this game around 4 or something. Dang I want you to go to this game. My other friends went to his 16 K game last year.

How would I fish it? I wouldn't because I don't have your grit, tenacity, and canoe abilities ? You fish to the beat of your drum, highly unique fishing style for very unique Bass. I'd love to offer some advice, but I'd get blanked fishing the way you do. I can't manage 10-15mph changing winds in a jon boat, I'm not about to offer suggestions ? If you didn't catch them, then they just weren't in the mood to chew most likely, those fish aren't pressured in the least and you are very sneaky and know how to hammer them. Sorry it didn't work out well today, lot of work for one fish, but you didn't get skunked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is a great point, when it's cold that shallow water gets hit the hardest, there isn't a zone where the fish can slide down to warmer water like in deeper water. During my winter, when we had a big warming trend, I'd run shallow and most times the fish would as well, like really shallow.....1-3ft in mid winter. However, anytime outside of those warming trends, the fish were in or very close to deep water.

Really healthy and beautiful fish, congrats! Jackhammers usually payoff if you got the patience to fish for quality over quantity.

The weather seemingly half the time at Citi Field sucks, IIrc they had a lot of rainouts last year.

Tough act to follow, but somebody has to bite the bullet ? Big fish on big bait, little fish on little bait.

Hope the trip went great, and glad to see you guys got back home safe! Cute lil bugger ?