Pro Angler Advice

[Zeeter]

How much credence do you put into the recommendations of pro anglers when it comes to gear? After tournaments they tell us what they used to catch the fish and it's always the baits and gear of their sponsors. I wonder how much of that is actually true?

 

Or, perhaps these guys are good enough that if you give them any old worm they can catch a lunker with it, and so they'll use whatever gear their sponsor gives them. 

 

After the 2004 Classic I bought a bunch of stone jigs because that's what Iaconelli used. I think it was 2004 - don't bother correcting me if I'm wrong; doesn't matter. Anyway, nice jigs. I caught a lot of fish on them, but I wonder if it was the jig itself or that I was simply presenting it right. I know for a fact that I've caught more bass on the BPS senko clones than actual Senkos. 

 

So maybe it's really is all about the fishing and less about the brand, just so long as you don't have a crap brand. Pound for pound maybe it's all the same, but we have more confidence with a certain brand. I know that if I'm not using a Stone Jig but rather a different brand if that's the reason why I didn't catch a fish on the first ten casts. 

[Darren.]

To be honest, not much. I did put stock into some for

a while, but after spending $$ on their gear hawking

I came to learn those things didn't seem work for me.

 

I find more help on this forum than from the pros.  

[Scarborough817]

i find i learn more from raw footage of pros and reading than anything else

[12poundbass]

Their marketing works very well! I've seen comments before on Bassmaster where a pro shows off their boat and show their "catch all box" and readers comment "they have brand x in there, they're not sponsored by them". I really don't buy into it anymore either, I buy what I want to try and try it. I'm with Darren I've learned and trust more on here than I do from someone getting a check to push a product.

[J Francho]

Turn off the volume, and watch what they're doing, and with what....

[Darren.]

11 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Turn off the volume, and watch what they're doing, and with what....

 

And if you record it, play it at double speed, then add Benny Hill

music. Especially if it is Bill Dance's outtakes. Hilarious  

 

No really, good advice. I've done it with one or two shows back 

when I used to get them. Now I get zero shows with basic cable.

[Team9nine]

Very little, because they are paid to promote their sponsors. Watch the on-the-water footage closely, as well as some of the photo coverage on the websites. Many are using what they say, just not to the degree you might think, and there are always a few baits they are trying to keep quiet about, or that are local/regionally "hot" they'll use for an event. When it's all said and done, I usually just call up Wheeler and ask for the scoop ? 

 

-T9

[Zeeter]

I've always been weak at flipping and so have been watching a lot of videos on it lately. Especially Scott Martin as he really goes through step by step on the gear setup and he's not a drone to listen to. 

 

Sometimes if a guy uses a certain technique that I am trying to emulate it does help to have the same gear as he does. And so I bought the same $2.99 baits and hooks he was using. Heck - if he can make me a better fisherman by showing me how to do it then I don't mind spending a few dollars to match the gear. On the other hand, he uses an Okuma rod and I've always been a G. Loomis guy. I posted a thread on the tackle section of the forum about this, so if anyone has a minute please check that out.

 

I agree about the catch-all box. Not everyone is sponsored by, say, Senko but I'll bet almost all the pros use them.

[Sam]

You have to listen to what they say very carefully.

 

They do not say they caught them all or just the big ones on the baits and tackle they are hawking.  They say they used the baits and tackle in the tournament.

 

Ike is a master at promoting his sponsors' products. So listen to what Ike says at the Classic's weigh in or an interview and focus on his words.

 

 

[IndianaFinesse]

3 hours ago, Team9nine said:

When it's all said and done, I usually just call up Wheeler and ask for the scoop ? 

 

-T9

Btw, in case you haven't seen, Wheeler's sitting in second place on Cherokee right now.  

To the op, I don't pay attention to what the pro's are claiming to use either.  Seen to many instances where they claim that they only use brand x crankbaits, then when the pro switches sponsors that new brand of cranks is now the best.

 

Edit, basstracker showed wheelee in 2nd, but it turns out he's actually in 5th.

Edited February 10, 2017 by IndianaFinesse
Incorrect info.

[Senko lover]

Take all of KVD's sponsors away and watch how fast he'll be promoting other equipment.....It's all in the money.

[Zeeter]

Another thing - back in the days before youtube became so prevalent we had to learn everything from magazines and watching fellow anglers. I never bothered reading too much into what they say. Once there was an article on "kicker fish". Once you reach your string limit you go after that kicker fish. Of course it was all nonsense. Who doesn't keep trying to catch that bigger fish after the limit is reached? yet these guys went on for two pages about how important the kicker fish is. It was ridiculous and I felt stupider for reading it. The pros back then weren't giving away any real information like - what do you do to get that kicker fish?

 

Now, with so much competition for video views I believe these guys are being more honest with what they're doing. Of course they're going to push their sponsors, but the content is much better than the half-hour shows they had in the early 2000's. They really go through things step by step and tell me why I am doing it. I think the latter is the most important thing. Early 2000's all they did was throw their sponsor bait on there and catch fish all day. Now they're showing you how.

[fishballer06]

I pay more attention to what the pro's are throwing that they AREN'T sponsored by...

 

There are pro's out there who don't have reel sponsors. Take a look at what they're using. 

 

There are pro's that are sponsored by crankbait company "X", and yet you see them reel a fish in and you notice brand "Y" in the fishes mouth. A minute later the pro is telling you how great brand "X" crankbaits are and how they helped him catch that last fish. 

 

Happens all the time...

[blckshirt98]

When it comes to actual gear, not a whole lot of credence if it's one of their sponsors because it's a part of their profession to sell and market the sponsor's gear.  If you think about it, every major equipment company has had pro anglers they sponsor that have been very successful so it's probably not the equipment that makes them all so successful.  I give more credence when they talk about technique/location/patterns/etc because that's really where the expertise of a pro can help, not in the equipment they use.

[The Bassman]

1 hour ago, Darren. said:

 

And if you record it, play it at double speed, then add Benny Hill

music. Especially if it is Bill Dance's outtakes. Hilarious  

 

No really, good advice. I've done it with one or two shows back 

when I used to get them. Now I get zero shows with basic cable.

 

25 minutes ago, blckshirt98 said:

 

Agree completely.  You might have to explain who Benny Hill was.

[Darren.]

3 minutes ago, The Bassman said:

 

Agree completely.  You might have to explain who Benny Hill was.

 

I dunno, don't wanna corrupt this young generation  

[A-Jay]

I believe it all.

 

Cause if'n it's on the dern Telemavision , Interwebs or Snapface - it's gots to be true . . . .

 

A-Jay

 

[whitwolf]

2 hours ago, Darren. said:

 

 

I find more help on this forum than from the pros.  

 

Exactly! One of the greatest aspects of this site is how Information Is shared freely and those that share do so with no monetary motive.

[Catt]

Really depends on who we talking about, I know several Pros & they talk fishing like we do here.

 

As sales pitches for gear I don't listen to any of them or watch videos.

 

I get more honest opinions on gear from Y'all

[A-Jay]

9 minutes ago, whitwolf said:

 

Exactly! One of the greatest aspects of this site is how Information Is shared freely and those that share do so with no monetary motive.

 

Very True

Although ~  Sometimes 'The Posey' is more determined than 'The Dollar'

A-Jay

[jr231]

I just rip off @A-Jay 's  lures. You can creep on his posts in the fishing reports. See what he caught and how he did so. Then boom; stickin the fat mommas

[noway]

What topwater was Chris Lane fishing on the last MLF episode?

 

[WRB]

On February 9, 2017 at 3:17 PM, noway said:

What topwater was Chris Lane fishing on the last MLF episode?

 

He was using a Whopper Plopper in one episode I watched.

Tom

[Gotfishyfingers?]

You can always sign up to be a Marshall. That way you can see first hand what exactly they are throwing and techniques their using.

[Brayberry]

Years ago, I had a buddy win a Bass Invitational, he led wire to wire.  I read every article I could on the tournament, as I personally knew the guy, and had already spoken with him and knew all the details on the win.  Every magazine, including Bassmasters, said he won the tournament with 2 lures, a "unidentified bait" and specific Shad Rap.  Technically True,  but the unidentified bait they had a picture of and it was obivious to everyone is was a old Smithwick Rogue (not a sponsor), and the Shad Rap (Rapala was a sponsor).  The articles led you to believe the Shad Rap did most of the damage and the Rogue just caught one here or there, in reality it was the Rogue that caught all of his keepers, and the Shad Rap he only threw for 5 minutes on the last day just to catch something on it to say it caught fish.  After that I never trusted the magazines or pro's.  I jut watch what they are doing, not what they are saying