Opinions Please

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

Uncle Homer

+1

[CDobber]

Uncle Homer

+2  Love Uncle Homer

[aavery2]

I will be the one that goes with KVD,  I think he is most dominant fisherman that the sport has ever seen, and I don't think he is done yet.

[FrogFreak]

I vote for some guy that"s never entered a tournament in his life but always catches em. He's the guy that doesn't say much when you ask where he was or what he was using. We all know someone like that.

 

I bet there are some folks on this forum that fit this description.

 

But if we are talking famous folks, I would say KVD is hard to argue against. I haven't heard anyone mention Hank Parker yet?? 

[VAHunter]

KVD is the best bass fisherman of all time.  However, there have been many great bass anglers (Martin, Parker, Dance, etc.).  Some stayed in the game for a while, others left early in their careers.  Who is to say what may have tranpired if Hank Parker continued as a touring pro (he left when he was pretty young).  IMO, it's very hard to beat the numbers KVD has posted during his career.

[G8RBob]

The most knowledgeable bass fisherman was Doug Hannon.  He wrote the book, literally.  

[Josh Smith]

You know, I would put Tom Mann in the running.  I'm not old enough to remember him as much as some of the newer crowd (and Bill Dance, of course), but in reading his books, man, I think he really understood bass.  I'm testing his techniques and ideas and am finding them sound.

 

The more I live and the more I fish, the more I find myself going back to the pioneers like Tom Mann, Jimmy Houston, Bill Dance, and the rest.

 

Josh

[Comfortably Numb]

Bill Dance.

 

LOL. He fishes private ponds for days and condeces it to 30 mins

 

He was good in the early days but not dominate.

[Comfortably Numb]

+2  Love Uncle Homer

 

His son Bart is a hoot too

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

LOL. He fishes private ponds for days and condeces it to 30 mins

He was good in the early days but not dominate.

Not dominate?!?!?!?! He took a treble hook in the nasal septum and fished the rest of the day!!!

BOSS !!!!!!!!

[FL Bass Abducter]

I vote for some guy that"s never entered a tournament in his life but always catches em. He's the guy that doesn't say much when you ask where he was or what he was using. We all know someone like that.

 

I bet there are some folks on this forum that fit this description.

 

But if we are talking famous folks, I would say KVD is hard to argue against. I haven't heard anyone mention Hank Parker yet?? 

This is the best answer! It's amazing how people put these famous fisherman up on pedestals. They're NOT superhuman. Heck, some of em aren't even that good, believe it or not. It's all about marketing themselves. What makes some of you think Doug hannon is better than YOU? If he knew so much, why did he struggle so much when he repeatedly came to Stick marsh and didn't do squat? I saw it with my own eyes. The fishing world is a world of deception.

 

Last Winter, we had the displeasure of a bunch of the FLW pros invading our little lake near Big O. Have you ever sat and watched Roland, Scroggins, Gagliardi, and quite a few others not catch jack, while "weekend warriors" whacked em? I did. The guys you see on TV are just the guys who had the financial breaks in life, whether it be a trust fund, or maybe they owned their own business, etc. Or more importantly, a good line of bull.......

 

Don't let the marketers con you into worshiping these guys. 

[Comfortably Numb]

Pro anglers are more versatile. Local anglers are good on their home waters. Pros even consult with them.

 

Hey look at Butch Brown. None are better at that style of fishing on his home Cali lakes.

 

KVD in Michigan might be unbeatable.

[FL Bass Abducter]

Pro anglers are more versatile. Local anglers are good on their home waters. Pros even consult with them.

 

Hey look at Butch Brown. None are better at that style of fishing on his home Cali lakes.

 

KVD in Michigan might be unbeatable.

 

EXACTLY! That's why pros are so "versatile". The pros with the best info network wins. In his heyday, Roland would have MULTIPLE guides out prefishing for him before a TX. LOL Please keep believing that the pros are superheros. There's literally billions of dollars riding on it!!LOL 

[aavery2]

This is the best answer! It's amazing how people put these famous fisherman up on pedestals. They're NOT superhuman. Heck, some of em aren't even that good, believe it or not. It's all about marketing themselves. What makes some of you think Doug hannon is better than YOU? If he knew so much, why did he struggle so much when he repeatedly came to Stick marsh and didn't do squat? I saw it with my own eyes. The fishing world is a world of deception.

 

Last Winter, we had the displeasure of a bunch of the FLW pros invading our little lake near Big O. Have you ever sat and watched Roland, Scroggins, Gagliardi, and quite a few others not catch jack, while "weekend warriors" whacked em? I did. The guys you see on TV are just the guys who had the financial breaks in life, whether it be a trust fund, or maybe they owned their own business, etc. Or more importantly, a good line of bull.......

 

Don't let the marketers con you into worshiping these guys. 

I would say to someone who thinks that they are as good or better than an Elite Level Angler  "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is"  go ahead and jump into a FLW, Open, or Elite Level Tournament,  if it is as easy as you  make it sound you should be rolling in cash in no time.

 

My thought is this, you only reach the pinnacle of any sport by being very very good at what you do.

[F14A-B]

Linder Brothers....

Doug Hannon, my personal favorite...

[OntarioFishingGuy]

The Linder brothers and Doug Stange from In Fisherman.

 

For bass, Clunn gets my vote.

[mad basser]

Right on Sam that's great

[roadwarrior]

Heck, some of em aren't even that good, believe it or not.

 

Well, guys come and go. For whatever reason there are those that give the top circuits a try

and it doesn't work for them, much like any other sport. However, for the guys at the top, and

especially those that are in the hunt every year, it's a different story. "Marketing" is important 

and that's where the money is really made, but it doesn't put fish in the boat.

 

 

[Siebert Outdoors]

Dont forget about good ol  Denny Braur.  One of the best bass guys out there.  Clunn is also awesome. 

 

For all around fish catching I'd also vote Linderers.

[FrogFreak]

Just to clarify my earlier post, I'm just saying there are some great anglers out there that don't get the recognition because they don't want it. I have the utmost respect for the pros. They have to fish in horrible conditions and it's the ultimate test. Catch em and keep fishing or don't and go home when the money runs out! I don't *** them on those cold days when they go hours between bites. Heck I'd just go home and watch football at that point.

[uncustered]

It's like NASCAR.... New era (KVD, Ike etc) or old era (Parker, Martin, Mann, Dance)...

Could KVD have been this dominant without the technology he had today???

Good question....

[starweldpro16]

Wow! What a topic. It brings back a flood of good memories. I'm going to weigh in with a vote for Rick Clunn. I was just over on his Facebook page and realized IM OLD! d**n. He was my hero back in the 80s. My b-in-law and I were all about bass fishing in the day. We watched all the cable network fishing shows of the time. He was a devoted Roland fan,and I was all about Rick Clunn. Lets say we had some spirited debates on occasion,lol! Good times. 

 

  I pulled away from bass and boating in the early 90s. A little burned out and raising a family took over. A couple months ago I bought myself another boat. Been loving it big time too. Man! There are a bunch of new techniques out there now. Having fun with all that too. This thread caused me to pause and reflect. I just realized I missed 20 years of something I love. All the old names like the Linders,Roland,Mann,Parker and my old hero Clunn. In my mind a lot of them are timeless. I have a bunch of catching up to to. And who is this up-start VanDam?   ......................just kidding.

[Ginosocalbass]

EXACTLY! That's why pros are so "versatile". The pros with the best info network wins. In his heyday, Roland would have MULTIPLE guides out prefishing for him before a TX. LOL Please keep believing that the pros are superheros. There's literally billions of dollars riding on it!!LOL 

Bingo! 

 

 

 

KVD at the delaware river....   

[Dinky]

EXACTLY! That's why pros are so "versatile". The pros with the best info network wins. In his heyday, Roland would have MULTIPLE guides out prefishing for him before a TX. LOL Please keep believing that the pros are superheros. There's literally billions of dollars riding on it!!LOL

Of course pre fishing is done at least 30 days prior to the week before the tournament and usually they are preparing for another tournament.

And, since they are not allowed to obtain any info in that period that is not public info, the pre fishing would be wasted, and if they got info that was not available to everyone they would be disqualified.

The pre fishing they are allowed to do that is helpful is the 4 days just prior to the tournament. They are only allowed to fish with another competitor- though rarely do any do so. They normally fish from dawn to dusk and though many will cross paths and know where others are marking spots, it is very much frowned on to fish areas in the tournament you have not pre fished and fished in the first few days of it. In other words, no jumping competitors spots.

As for your claim re they are trust fund folks or just good at marketing and this is what makes them good fishermen, I beg to differ.

If they are good fishermen it is because they are good fishermen. Period.

Many, more than one would think, actually have a job or business that they work at in the off season. Pro fishing is a pyramid, with the very successful, financially, at the top in small numbers compared to the total number of competitors.

Sponsors? They won't pay you unless you catch fish and win! It is not the other way around.

As for locals having success on their lake while tournament pros struggle, I am sure it can happen. Yet the locals are not in the tournament and not subject to the rules, so it really is not a level playing field.