MLF St. Lawrence River Massena, NY Jun 25 - 30, 2021

[ryanerb]

Well...they are crushing the smallies!! Mostly finesse stuff is taking the top scores...

 

I got one pro saying they will not flog ( I think it was Ehler) and then I got many other pros flogging and doing well...

 

I guess it's legal, but maybe everyone ought to do it if they want to try to compete....

[A-Jay]

Since these are Pro's,  this is a Considerably less impressive style of 'fishing'  IMO. 

Flogging ~ The original 'down scan' . . 

A-Jay

[ryanerb]

34 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Since these are Pro's,  this is a Considerably less impressive style of 'fishing'  IMO. 

Flogging ~ The original 'down scan' . . 

A-Jay

haha people get sick of watching the pros fish with livescope, this is even more funny watching them flog with one and and set the hook with the other! 

I won't deny it's a way to catch fish, but would love to see the pros work a little harder and show off their 'skills'

Just my .02 cents.

[RichF]

So many spawners right now.  Turns my stomach.  Hate seeing it right in my back yard.  And seriously, I just want to see these guys actually fish again.  No livescopes, no floggers, no mega imaging.  Just friggin fish.

Looks like spending that time with Mr. Clute of Gajo baits is paying off for Wheeler. 

[ryanerb]

1 minute ago, RichF said:

So many spawners right now.  Turns my stomach.  Hate seeing it right in my back yard.  And seriously, I just want to see these guys actually fish again.  No livescopes, no floggers, no mega imaging.  Just friggin fish.

Looks like spending that time with Mr. Clute of Gajo baits is paying off for Wheeler. 

Wheeler up to 108lbs... OMG... is he using the spirit shad from Gajo?

At least the spawners are being thrown right back in compared to how some other tourneys put em in the livewell....

[RichF]

1 minute ago, ryanerb said:

Wheeler up to 108lbs... OMG... is he using the spirit shad from Gajo?

At least the spawners are being thrown right back in compared to how some other tourneys put em in the livewell....

True, but the problem is, all these tournament organizations know that the smallies are still spawning once the season opens. Yes, I know, the season is open by law but still.  Catching a smallie off a bed may be the easiest thing in bass fishing.  Yes, I am 100% a hater.

And another thing...so many of these bass are going to get stuck multiple times by all these guys.  Most likely a death sentence for a lot of them.  

[TnRiver46]

I figured the whole field was throwing 65 lb braid since bass aren’t line shy. Why even bring all those spinning rods?

[jtharris3]

What's with this flogging crap?! I don’t like it! I think it cheapens the event!

[A-Jay]

5 hours ago, jtharris3 said:

What's with this flogging crap?! I don’t like it! I think it cheapens the event!

Agreed ~

Interesting that throwing the A-Rig is banned during professional bass fishing competition

but the Aqua Scope is quite acceptable ?

And what does this say regarding the Electronic packages most anglers have that are usually north of 10K

vs

$55 Bucks for an Aqua Scope ? 

https://www.amazon.com/NuovaRade-Jointed-Aqua-Scope-Red/dp/B01JGNPOOS/ref=sr_1_2?crid=AGFDXBGXUW32&dchild=1&keywords=aqua+scope+viewer&qid=1624709301&sprefix=aqua+scope%2Caps%2C179&sr=8-2

 

#baffling

A-Jay 

[roadwarrior]

What is flogging?

[A-Jay]

10 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

What is flogging?

Several MLF "Pros" (many are at The Top of the leader board) are using the below device (or something very similar) to spot Brown Bass on beds in deeper water.

They are actually using this thing WHILE presenting a bait (usually a drop shot) to feed the fish.  Holding it in one hand with the rod in the other.

I am not a fan 

#weaksalad

A-Jay

 

[Happybeerbuzz]

36 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Several MLF "Pros" (many are at The Top of the leader board) are using the below device (or something very similar) to spot Brown Bass on beds in deeper water.

They are actually using this thing WHILE presenting a bait (usually a drop shot) to feed the fish.  Holding it in one hand with the rod in the other.

I am not a fan 

#weaksalad

A-Jay

 

Huh?  I can not decide if "flogging" is any more or less legitimate a way of fishing than $10K+ electronics systems or even just sight fishing spawn beds in general.  

[TnRiver46]

Yeah I thought that was banned. Definitely should be, maybe I’m thinking of another trail. Could have a spear fishing tournament and see who the real men are?? Sight fishing isn’t so easy when you have to swim and hold your breath 

[A-Jay]

4 minutes ago, Happybeerbuzz said:

Huh?  I can not decide if "flogging" is any more or less legitimate a way of fishing than $10K+ electronics systems or even just sight fishing spawn beds in general.  

I get that and  can not totally disagree.   Perhaps this is why I feel somewhat conflicted. But something about it just rubs me the wrong way.  Thus my reaction here. 

Maybe I'll buy one.

A-Jay

[MIbassyaker]

I have no desire to watch this.

[jtharris3]

12 hours ago, MIbassyaker said:

I have no desire to watch this.

I’m not going to throw the baby out with the bath water over it but, I just don’t like it, as I stated above.

At least with the electronics they have to interpret what they see and present the bait without the advantage on staring right at the fish.

[ghost123123]

I can’t watch it. Why don’t we just change genetics of fish to bright neon colors and dorsal fins that are 6 feet long? This isn’t fishing, this is the equivalent of road hunting at night with spotlights. IMO this is the lowest of lows for MLF.

[Team9nine]

To be fair, its not just an MLF thing, as the Bassmaster guys used them also. It’s just a question of schedule timing as to whether you’ll see them in use or not. Very common across every circuit, big or small, that fishes northern lakes during the spawn.

 

Not a fan of seeing them allowed on tour, but I don’t care for FFS being allowed either. If I had to pick between banning one or the other, I’d let the flogger in and disallow FFS in a heartbeat.

 

 

[TOXIC]

Does anybody really think that catching a bedding smallmouth is any reflection of fishing skill?  The skill is to find the bed after that bait choice plays little to zero role in catching them.  So the flogger helps them see the bed and possibly the size of the fish.  I had a local friend on lake St Clair drive this point home when he caught bedding smallmouth on a gummy worm, a shoestring and a cigarette butt.  

[ryanerb]

Pros bed fish largemouth all the time in 2ft of water during tourneys, this is only different because its 12ft of water. I guess everyone is excited because for this kind of bed fishing they are using a tool. 

[RichF]

Just saw Roumbanis catch one off a bed and say "she weighs less than she did yesterday, I guess they can shrink"  I knew this crap happens but now it has been officially caught on camera.  So skillful to catch one off a bed one day of competition then again the next day.  

 

I should've known better than to tune in for a few mins.  Yuck

[moguy1973]

I guess this is easier than putting on a pair of goggles with a snorkel and sticking your head over the side of the boat into the water.  I don't have an issue with it if they allow super megaview panoptix finders.  They do the same thing with those on dirty lakes.  At lease with MLF they are releasing the fish right back where they caught them so they can go back to their beds instead of hauling them all over the lake.

[jbsoonerfan]

One thing about it, no matter how they are catching them there are always going to be people complaining. People don't like when they just chuck a chatterbait all day and catch fish, don't like bed fishing, don't like sight fishing, don't like using a flogger, don't like using FFS and a jerkbait, don't like drop shot fishing, the list goes on and on. 

[InfantryMP]

I could care less about the flogging. If there is something out there that can help you in your job you will want to use it. 

 

I think some folks forget that, these anglers are "working" right now. This is what they have chose to do for a living. I do not know about you, but if there is a tool out there to help me in my career do as well as Jacob Wheeler has done in this tournament. I think I will grab it!

[Tennessee Boy]

They have local fishing laws that allow using a flogger.   The laws must be working pretty well to protect the fishery based on what I’m witnessing.   No shortage of smallmouth in that lake.