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

[ryanerb]

2 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

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.  

Very true, healthy population!

 

2 hours ago, InfantryMP said:

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!

Can't blame the anglers, they are working within their given work parameters! If someone doesn't like flogging, they need to have MLF ban it just like they banned A-Rigs. (I think A-rigs are banned from I recall...)

[TnRiver46]

On 6/27/2021 at 1:24 PM, TOXIC said:

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.  

Which brand of cigarette and which hook? Asking for a friend 

[ryanerb]

So it looks like there is a new angler Jason Abram the commentators kept talking about. Maybe he got pulled in because Martens is sick? I don't recall seeing his name before, the commentators kept saying something like this is his first BPT event.

 

Do they really pull in new anglers mid way through the season? 

 

He didn't make the cut today, so he said he would have to re-qualify? 

 

Is there a list of guys on the 'waiting' list to get into the MLF BPT?

 

How does this all work? Maybe there is a link on the MLF website that describes it all so you can save your breath. 

[billmac]

It's not a big deal to me, but it's interesting that flogging is legal but standing on your yeti cooler to see better isn't.

[MIbassyaker]

My objection isn't about laws or regulations, and it isn't about individual anglers using an allowed tool or technique that can give them an advantage -- their role is to compete, and so they must use the tools at their disposal to compete.  It's not even entirely about sight fishing beds, which I don't like, but accept because in most events it is not anywhere near this easy, reliable and lucrative as a strategy. 

 

But in choosing the timing, location, rules and format of this event, MLF seems to have decided that an exercise in barrel-shooting would be a sporting activity worthy of professional competition and spectatorship. Were you entertained? I was not. I tried watching a little, found very little entertainment value in it, and turned it off.

 

There is also @RichF's point that being stuck multiple times (which they are at high risk of) is likely a death sentence for many of these fish.  While obviously there is no law against this, and the fishery as a whole is almost certainly far too healthy (and massive) to suffer noticeably from some delayed tournament mortality, it is still arguably inconsistent with MLF's ethical stance on fish care and high standards of fish-handling.

[GReb]

Any tournament where the fish are primarily caught on beds immediately goes down a notch in my book. It’s just not entertaining 

[Hawkeye21]

There are always complainers.

[RichF]

2 hours ago, Hawkeye21 said:

There are always complainers.

Call it complaining if you'd like.  Some people just have strong feelings about things that are very important to them. 

[moguy1973]

From what I've seen of any bass tournament on the St. Lawrence River the past several years since the goby invasion it's like catching fish in a barrel regardless if it's spawning season or not.  The fishery has big fish stacked in it and it doesn't look like they are hard to catch.

[ryanerb]

1 hour ago, moguy1973 said:

From what I've seen of any bass tournament on the St. Lawrence River the past several years since the goby invasion it's like catching fish in a barrel regardless if it's spawning season or not.  The fishery has big fish stacked in it and it doesn't look like they are hard to catch.

Super good to see it is so healthy!!

[RichF]

1 hour ago, moguy1973 said:

From what I've seen of any bass tournament on the St. Lawrence River the past several years since the goby invasion it's like catching fish in a barrel regardless if it's spawning season or not.  The fishery has big fish stacked in it and it doesn't look like they are hard to catch.

Totally untrue.  Go out once the bass are deep (and not spawning).  Oh, and don't bring a 112lb thrust spot-locking trolling motor.

 

I agree, the zebras and gobies have made the river absolutely incredible.  

[ryanerb]

22 hours ago, ryanerb said:

So it looks like there is a new angler Jason Abram the commentators kept talking about. Maybe he got pulled in because Martens is sick? I don't recall seeing his name before, the commentators kept saying something like this is his first BPT event.

 

Do they really pull in new anglers mid way through the season? 

 

He didn't make the cut today, so he said he would have to re-qualify? 

 

Is there a list of guys on the 'waiting' list to get into the MLF BPT?

 

How does this all work? Maybe there is a link on the MLF website that describes it all so you can save your breath. 

Any feedback on this?

[Team9nine]

22 minutes ago, ryanerb said:

Any feedback on this?

 

There were a few people leave the circuit, so they have been pulling in the top 4 anglers from each pro circuit event to fish the following BPT event. A chance to see some new faces, but they still have to qualify over an entire season of points to get pulled in permanently at the end of the year as I understand it. 

[moguy1973]

10 hours ago, RichF said:

Totally untrue.  Go out once the bass are deep (and not spawning).  Oh, and don't bring a 112lb thrust spot-locking trolling motor.

 

I agree, the zebras and gobies have made the river absolutely incredible.  

BASS has been up there the past few times in late August (2018 and 2019) and it took 95lb and 87lb to win each year.  Seems pretty good to me after the spawn.

[RichF]

7 hours ago, moguy1973 said:

BASS has been up there the past few times in late August (2018 and 2019) and it took 95lb and 87lb to win each year.  Seems pretty good to me after the spawn.

Didn't say it wasn't good.  I said it's not nearly as easy.  I've fished a team trail up there for years and it always takes 22-26lbs to win a single day event.  It's not like shooting fish in a barrel.  It's a pretty tall task to maintain boat control, fight current, and present a bait in that current, especially in 20-50ft of water.  And again, take away spotlocking trolling motors and see how easy it is.  I'm not saying these guys wouldn't still catch them but they wouldn't catch nearly as many.  When you fight a 4+ smallie in this current, it's impossible to stay on your spot.  The current will take you an awful long way in that couple mins.  Do you think Wheeler would've been able to catch that many out of that school if he had to crank up his outboard and drive back to it after every fish?

[BassNJake]

On 6/25/2021 at 4:00 PM, TnRiver46 said:

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

You're gonna hear crickets from the line size dont matter guys

[Hawkeye21]

38 minutes ago, BassNJake said:

You're gonna hear crickets from the line size dont matter guys

They're not all throwing small diameter line.  I one was using 16lbs test.

[ryanerb]

ohhhhhhhh boy i was hoping wheeler wouldn't come up from behind, but sure enough, now he's in first... great guy, just rooting for the underdogs...

[Tennessee Boy]

2 hours ago, BassNJake said:

You're gonna hear crickets from the line size dont matter guys

Until just now when Wheeler just yanked a 5-2 in the boat with his baitcaster to take the lead. 

[InfantryMP]

I say this on every one of these tournaments. Jacob Wheeler is at the top of his game, and will be the next KVD in terms of career success. 

 

I always root for him as he is from around my neck of the woods originally in Indiana. Always root for the hometown kind of guys. 

 

He's just on another level when it comes to planning, and making a game plan and executing it. I am honestly shocked he has not won more tournaments on the MLF tour than he has. 

[ryanerb]

I'm giving Skeet Reese some credit for fishing something else other than a drop shot or ned rig. Looks like he's bringing in a few on the jerk bait!

[RichF]

3 hours ago, InfantryMP said:

I say this on every one of these tournaments. Jacob Wheeler is at the top of his game, and will be the next KVD in terms of career success. 

 

I always root for him as he is from around my neck of the woods originally in Indiana. Always root for the hometown kind of guys. 

 

He's just on another level when it comes to planning, and making a game plan and executing it. I am honestly shocked he has not won more tournaments on the MLF tour than he has. 

Gotta throw it out there again...Wheeler is good...but I have a hard time overlooking the fact that he spent time on the water with the owner of Gajo baits right before this event.  Not accusing anything but it's hard for me to believe that he didn't get any "intel" from the St. Lawrence guru.

[ryanerb]

Just now, RichF said:

Gotta throw it out there again...Wheeler is good...but I have a hard time overlooking the fact that he spent time on the water with the owner of Gajo baits right before this event.  Not accusing anything but it's hard for me to believe that he didn't get any "intel" from the St. Lawrence guru.

I'm sure it helped, I'm sure the help was nice to have, but honestly, all the guys were slammin fish. I don't know that the intel helped 'all that much'... I think Wheeler just is very tenacious, and has a lotta energy... He doesn't let up, etc. The intel would have mattered if he came out of no where and hasn't won events before, but he's won plenty, so this will just go down as another for him. 

[jbsoonerfan]

Wheeler caught 101 fish for 351 lbs in 3 days of fishing and was on cruise control on day 2. That's almost a 3 and a half pound average. I dont care what anyone says, that is impressive!!!! There isnt a single person on here who could dream of doing that. 

[12poundbass]

4 minutes ago, jbsoonerfan said:

There isnt a single person on here who could dream of doing that

I dream of doing that all the time! Reality kicks in shortly after, then I’m usually left taking the dreaded “I got skunked” sunset photo to post on here. ?