MLF discussions

[Team9nine]

1 hour ago, IndianaFinesse said:

Sounds like a plan for when you guys meet up this year.  That would make an interesting ultimate match fishing competition with the MLF format, Jacob Wheeler versus Brian.

 

I might get lucky and take him under that format, but he's become too good under normal tourney formats for me to compete against. It did take him until last year to finally get me on a crappie trip though ?

 

51 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

So Wheeler is the one you took under your wing? I saw one of your posts a week ago or so about a touring pro you've worked with along the way. I figured it was him since you're both from Indiana but didn't want to ask.

 

Yep, started taking him fishing when he was just 14 yrs old and his parents would have to drive him to meet me at the lake to go fishing. Saw his potential immediately and been working with him ever since. 

 

 

48 minutes ago, riverbasser said:

Jacob Wheeler has been doin some real damage, if he keeps up his pace he will be a household name in bass fishing

 

Won an amazing amount of stuff at a young age...keep watching MLF this year for more, plus whatever he does on the Elites. 

 

-T9

[12poundbass]

1 hour ago, Team9nine said:

 

I might get lucky and take him under that format, but he's become too good under normal tourney formats for me to compete against. It did take him until last year to finally get me on a crappie trip though ?

 

 

Yep, started taking him fishing when he was just 14 yrs old and his parents would have to drive him to meet me at the lake to go fishing. Saw his potential immediately and been working with him ever since. 

 

 

 

Won an amazing amount of stuff at a young age...keep watching MLF this year for more, plus whatever he does on the Elites. 

 

-T9

T9's School of Bass Fishing! I'll work on getting a trade mark on that! You have a pretty good résumé so far.  

[riverbasser]

Boy that was a tough MLF to watch. Too bad for Chris lane getting a skunk. Just shows it happens to everyone. 

 

Anybody else not care for Dave lefebre? No big deal if he didn't want to give away his tackle but he clearly lied even to the camera guy. He had just said at the end off the period he was guna tie on a DT10 at the break lol

[CTBassin860]

1 hour ago, riverbasser said:

Boy that was a tough MLF to watch. Too bad for Chris lane getting a skunk. Just shows it happens to everyone. 

 

Anybody else not care for Dave lefebre? No big deal if he didn't want to give away his tackle but he clearly lied even to the camera guy. He had just said at the end off the period he was guna tie on a DT10 at the break lol

Unfortunately for Chris its been a season long skunking.I feel kind of bad,its been tough to watch.Hes having no luck in the Elites,and hes getting crushed in MLF.

[A-Jay]

3 hours ago, riverbasser said:

Boy that was a tough MLF to watch. Too bad for Chris lane getting a skunk. Just shows it happens to everyone. 

 

Anybody else not care for Dave lefebre? No big deal if he didn't want to give away his tackle but he clearly lied even to the camera guy. He had just said at the end off the period he was guna tie on a DT10 at the break lol

 

1 hour ago, MassBassin508 said:

Unfortunately for Chris its been a season long skunking.I feel kind of bad,its been tough to watch.Hes having no luck in the Elites,and hes getting crushed in MLF.

 I watched it - and what was very cool is I fish that lake.  Really enjoyed watching them working for their fish - just like I do. 

My experience there, for that time of year - says they were all fishing Too Shallow & too slow. 

But like so many of these MLF derbies, when they can't find them, someone Always runs inside to fish for dock dinks - really weak.

A-Jay

[riverbasser]

32 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

 

 I watched it - and what was very cool is I fish that lake.  Really enjoyed watching them working for their fish - just like I do. 

My experience there, for that time of year - says they were all fishing Too Shallow & too slow. 

But like so many of these MLF derbies, when they can't find them, someone Always runs inside to fish for dock dinks - really weak.

A-Jay

That's cool that you know the lake. What do you mean by too slow? I ask because it seemed most of the field was throwing reaction baits all day(jerkbaits, cranks, and spinnerbaits.) 

[hoosierbass07]

I just finished watching the new episode.  I was going to start a new thread but I see everyone is are talking about it.  Cool!  

 

Wow, what a great show!  Every one was struggling in the first part and even a lot in the second part.  It stayed super close.  Seeing Chris Lane being crushed and not catching one fish was awesome!  Not that I don't like Lane.  I say it was awesome because I went out fishing Sunday afternoon and did not get one bite!  MLF shows it like it is - those that are catching them, those that are catching a few and those that are getting crushed.  

 

 It was fun seeing them struggle in the first and second parts, trying to figure it out.  I figured one would find a hot spot and blow the others away but nope.  I was sure Palaniuk was going to win.  Then I kept watching Poche catch some and then more and more.  At that time I was playing a little on my tablet and then looked back up at the TV and noticed he was in first place.  Wow!  That was so cool.  

 

 I'll say this again - MLF is a great way for people to get to know the pro bass fishermen.  The only thing I knew about Poche was that he was the one that got into that incident with Ish Monroe a few years ago.  Besides that, he was just another nobody/pro in a large field of BassMaster fishermen.  But after watching him today, he's now on my "like" list because of how/what he did in MLF.  Scott Ashmore is another, I really enjoy watching him on MLF but besides MLF, I don't really know who he is except he fishes in FLW.  

 

 Right now I would say MLF is one of the best shows on cable TV.  Definitely the best show on The Outdoor Channel.  I get over 200 cable channels and hardly watch any of that crap that's on those channels.  MLF is one of the few shows I look forward to.  Gotham (on Fox) and Agents of Shield (ABC) both are taking long breaks off TV which I find crazy.  Saturday Night Live has been in repeats the last four or five weekends which is ridiculous.  At least MLF is putting on new shows Saturday afternoons in the last part of winter and early spring.  

[hoosierbass07]

 Oh, I almost forgot - one of the best lines I've heard on TV ever, from Chris Lane:  "I came all the way to Michigan, fifteen hours, and got nothing but one bite, and didn't even catch it!"  Yeah, Lane got knocked out by Mike Tyson aka Mother Nature!   

 

 I thought Poche was going to start banging his head on the boat like Iaconelli was doing a few weeks ago.  Glad he stayed in control though and did not go nuts like Ike. lol.   

 

  

[RichF]

I thought it was hilarious how almost all the guys that caught a smallmouth commented about the fish eating crawfish but never tried to fish a crawfish imitating bait.  Whatever happened to "match the hatch!!?"  

 

I think Rose did throw a tube for a second, but man oh man...There's no way I could chunk a spinnerbait or jerkbait for that long without bites and not try something completely different.  It was very cool to see Poche ditch the smallmouth and make the comeback with green ones.  

[A-Jay]

8 hours ago, riverbasser said:

That's cool that you know the lake. What do you mean by too slow? I ask because it seemed most of the field was throwing reaction baits all day(jerkbaits, cranks, and spinnerbaits.) 

 

In advance of my response here, I'd like to say that I do not fish competitively so I've won nothing.  My response is based solely on my experience on the waters here as to what works there for me.  (works being a relative term)

  So for the baits mentioned, in the conditions the anglers had,  spinnerbaits are good but seem to be best when really burned. 

Some of what I've learned prompted me to post this

And as for depth, Deeper running, larger Lipped Jerkbaits have been a better option for me.  And they seem to produce more in the warmer months if they are worked fast & hard - especially for SMB.  The typical technique looks a lot like what KVD did the last day of this recent Classic.   A lipless bait has been good to me there.  Cover's water & a heavier one can be fished lower in the water column. 

But remember, I'm a hack who gets skunked just as much as anyone - difference is, I've got some time on that water, which these anglers are not afforded.   With Crawfish as a staple forage, a medium-deep running crayfish looking bait burned & ground into the bottom, at the first or second drop / break (12-15 ft) is often very good.   (Spro Rock Crawler or 5XD)

 So deep & fast.

A-Jay

[riverbasser]

55 minutes ago, RichF said:

I thought it was hilarious how almost all the guys that caught a smallmouth commented about the fish eating crawfish but never tried to fish a crawfish imitating bait.  Whatever happened to "match the hatch!!?"  

 

I think Rose did throw a tube for a second, but man oh man...There's no way I could chunk a spinnerbait or jerkbait for that long without bites and not try something completely different.  It was very cool to see Poche ditch the smallmouth and make the comeback with green ones.  

I agree completely and thought the same thing. But at the same time id have to confess I've done it. Catch a bass early and spend the rest of the day duplicating that only bite instead of changing it up. 

[Tim Kelly]

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

But remember, I'm a hack who gets skunked just as much as anyone - difference is, I've got some time on that water, which these anglers are not afforded.   With Crawfish as a staple forage, a medium-deep running crayfish looking bait burned & ground into the bottom, at the first or second drop / break (12-15 ft) is often very good.   (Spro Rock Crawler or 5XD)

 So deep & fast.

A-Jay

 

A-Jay Is that water color usual on the lake, or was it cloudier because of the wind?

[A-Jay]

3 hours ago, Tim Kelly said:

 

A-Jay Is that water color usual on the lake, or was it cloudier because of the wind?

Most all the lakes up here are routinely very clear- 12 feet plus so less than that is not the norm.  Grand Lake too.   Can't say why it was dirty as the wind blows like that all the time.   Usually a big rain can color it up.  And sometimes the color is good and sometimes not so much.  It does allow me to fish shallow cover from closer range but there's not a lot of it and without time to find it, unless one bumps into it it's unlikely you'd find it.  Those spot are Gold for me and produce most all season.  Just have to adjust the presentation.

A-Jay 

[12poundbass]

12 hours ago, A-Jay said:

 

 I watched it - and what was very cool is I fish that lake.  Really enjoyed watching them working for their fish - just like I do. 

My experience there, for that time of year - says they were all fishing Too Shallow & too slow. 

But like so many of these MLF derbies, when they can't find them, someone Always runs inside to fish for dock dinks - really weak.

A-Jay

I knew that was in your neck of the woods and wondered if you fished it. Pretty cool. Did you know they were up there again before the show aired?

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, 12poundbass said:

I knew that was in your neck of the woods and wondered if you fished it. Pretty cool. Did you know they were up there again before the show aired?

 

No I didn't. I don't believe they announce in advance of perspective locals to avoid whatever that brings.  I would liked to have known though.

I'd a followed a few of them around (from a distance).  Maybe even poached one of them pretty good just to let them know their loved and of course - to get on TV.

Probably would have ended up on the cutting room floor, especially if the moon came out.

 

A-Jay

[12poundbass]

11 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

 

No I didn't. I don't believe they announce in advance of perspective locals to avoid whatever that brings.  I would liked to have known though.

I'd a followed a few of them around (from a distance).  Maybe even poached one of them pretty good just to let them know their loved and of course - to get on TV.

Probably would have ended up on the cutting room floor, especially if the moon came out.

 

A-Jay

I didn't figure they announce anything but you know these small towns...word travels quick. 

 

I could picture you trying to photo bomb every one of them LOL or sitting in a lawn chair at the ramp holding a cardboard sign "WAY POINTS $100 EACH" 

[hoosierbass07]

Haven't watched the whole thing but Wheeler is on a hot streak!   

[RichF]

Those guys crack me up.  Birge starts the show saying how he's gonna watch to see where guys are so if they start catching them, he'll know where to go.  Then in the third period Wheeler started fishing in the same area Birge was catching them in the second period, which ticked him off.  Freakin cannibals man.  

[riverbasser]

Well wheeler got the points to garuntee his spot in MLF. I was rooting for him after Ott Defoe didn't make it. I definatley think Jacob deserves it more than Keith poche. 

 

That was definately my favorite select round from Michigan so far. Lot of healthy largemouth in that lake. Plus its always fun watching them eat the frog.

[jtharris3]

Those guys struggled big time out on the big lake! It was interesting watching Shryock's approach to fishing that water, with him being a northern boy! ? I keep missing the shows on the weekends, so I opted for a subscription to MyOutdoorTV.com, so I can watch it on demand when I miss it.

 

i think it's one of the best fishing formats yet. The raw episodes and the all angles episodes are pretty cool too. 

 

Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with MyOutdoorTV

[OCdockskipper]

The Ned Rig got some TV time on the most recent episode, first from Kevin Short & then from Mark Rose.  Short kept calling it the "turd bait" and explained that he uses 1/2 of a Strike King Zero, while Rose said he uses 1/2 of an Ocho.  No love for ZMan...

[hoosierbass07]

Where did that Birge guy come from?  Two shows ago he was cocky but fun to watch.  Seeing him go toe to toe with Wheeler was fun.  Now the newest show, I was sort of pulling for him because I wanted to see more of his funny cocky attitude.  lol. 

[IndianaFinesse]

7 hours ago, OCdockskipper said:

The Ned Rig got some TV time on the most recent episode, first from Kevin Short & then from Mark Rose.  Short kept calling it the "turd bait" and explained that he uses 1/2 of a Strike King Zero, while Rose said he uses 1/2 of an Ocho.  No love for ZMan...

Don't know why rose was using an ocho, but the zero's are the same thing as the zinkerz.  Zman makes the zero/zinkerz and then strike king puts there name on it.

[riverbasser]

Well whatda ya know today's MLF episode was held on my home lake eufaula. No more than 20 mins from my house and I had no idea they were even here! It says it was filmed in the fall, I took a several vacation days last Oct/Nov and might have been there at the same time. There was one day I was watching 2 guys ride around the lake with a helicopter flying low like it was filming beside them. Idk if it was for MLF or not I just assumed it was for tourism or advertisement. Wish I could a met some of the guys

[OCdockskipper]

At the end of the show, they showed the standings for points.  I guess the top 10 or 12 make it to a World Championship event.  Next to each of the anglers, they listed "Active" or "Finished" based on if they are still fishing in the current event.  However, next to Mike Iaconelli, they had listed "Forfeited".  Does anyone know the story behind that?

 

With his history, the first thing that comes to mind is maybe he threw a temper tantrum about something...