The pros dont know much more than we do

[scaleface]

  Looking at the lures that the top ten pros used at the recent Mississippi river tournament in Wisconsin . Gerald Swindel used dark frogs for dark skies , light frogs for bright skies . Chris Johnston , on the other hand , used light frogs for dark skies and dark frogs for sunny skies .  Just goes to show it wasnt the colors but the people throwing them .

[garroyo130]

Color is largely preference IMO. They both threw frogs. If a pro doesn't know much more than I do they are likely dipping into savings to fund their dream. 

[FrnkNsteen]

Seems like you are contradicting yourself a bit there! You start off saying the pros don't know much more than we do, and finish by saying it's the people catching the fish, not the colors.

 

They know enough to have made a good living off what we all like to do!

[PaulVE64]

The pros are guessing.

But they have alot more experience.

Pablo Picasso didnt always paint like a spaz, he learned how!

[the reel ess]

42 minutes ago, scaleface said:

  Looking at the lures that the top ten pros used at the recent Mississippi river tournament in Wisconsin . Gerald Swindel used dark frogs for dark skies , light frogs for bright skies . Chris Johnston , on the other hand , used light frogs for dark skies and dark frogs for sunny skies .  Just goes to show it wasnt the colors but the people throwing them .

The fact of the matter is that a light color frog casts the same shadow as a dark color frog. And the back of the frog is not visible to bass. That pattern is only there for the angler.

[lynxcat]

The same lakes get fished so much that these guys have way points accumulated over the years that are typically the key. I rarely think a pro has that much more knowledge when it comes to different types of baits; rather, how they read conditions, position boat, and present said lure is where they distinguish. 

[Deleted account]

1 hour ago, scaleface said:

 The pros dont know much more than we do

Some know much less and yet are very successful in college and pro football...

[the reel ess]

1 hour ago, PaulVE64 said:

The pros are guessing.

But they have alot more experience.

Pablo Picasso didnt always paint like a spaz, he learned how!

Their guesses are better educated. I've caught fish in front of less experienced anglers and they'll say "How did you do that?" or "How did you know that fish was there?" The answer is usually so complex I can't explain it adequately. They just get that glassed over look in the eyes when I try. I'll just say I knew from experience, seasonal patterns and luck that a fish might be there and might bite this lure.

[BigAngus752]

2 hours ago, the reel ess said:

Their guesses are better educated. I've caught fish in front of less experienced anglers and they'll say "How did you do that?" or "How did you know that fish was there?" The answer is usually so complex I can't explain it adequately. They just get that glassed over look in the eyes when I try. I'll just say I knew from experience, seasonal patterns and luck that a fish might be there and might bite this lure.

^^^this^^^

 

They don't know more than us to start.  They eventually learn more than us...but any of us could with that amount of time on the water.  

[AlabamaSpothunter]

I couldn't disagree more having personally fished with a guy that lost the Bassmaster Classic because of dead fish penalty.    Truly next level fisherman.   

 

These guys are on another level, why is debatable.

[WRB]

Watching the Oahe BM tournament the winner Austin Felix used what looked like a can of Mountain Dew poured in the mouth of bleeding bass...shocked!

Using C-rigs a high % of the Smallies were throat hooked fish, you would think circle hooks.

The bottom line Austin won by making good decisions on where to fish when. When to hold them, when to fold them is the primary difference in tournaments, knowledge helps to make good choices.

Tom

[Scott F]

Next level fishermen are better, more accurate casters than you are. They are better at presenting lures, getting them to the depth and speeds that fish are reacting to because they are paying more attention to what is happening. They have more experience and can adjust to the conditions better than you. They probably have better electronics and know how to use them better than you. They also probably work a lot harder and longer at their job fishing than you do at your hobby of fishing. 

[Mike L]

17 minutes ago, Scott F said:

Next level fishermen are better, more accurate casters than you are. They are better at presenting lures, getting them to the depth and speeds that fish are reacting too because they are paying more attention to what is happening. They have more experience and can adjust to the conditions better than you. They probably have better electronics and know how to use them better than you. They also probably work a lot harder and longer at their job fishing than you do at your hobby of fishing. 

Exactly 

The definition of a professional is one who gets paid to do a certain activity or job. 
 

A master carpenter isn’t better than you because he uses a better hammer. 

A journeyman electrician isn’t better than you because he knows which wire is the ground. 
 

Are certain carpenters and electricians better than others, of course there are. 

They’re better because….

”They also probably work a lot harder and longer at their job fishing than you do at your hobby of fishing”

 

However, there is NO probably about it. 
 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[crypt]

5 minutes ago, Mike L said:

Exactly 

The definition of a professional is one who gets paid to do a certain activity or job. 
 

A master carpenter isn’t better than you because he uses a better hammer. 

A journeyman electrician isn’t better than you because he knows which wire is the ground. 
 

Are certain carpenters and electricians better than others, of course there are. 

They’re better because….

”They also probably work a lot harder and longer at their job fishing than you do at your hobby of fishing”

 

However, there is NO probably about it. 
 

 

 

 

 

Mike

they also care more about what they do.......

[Cbump]

It’s insane how accurate their casting is. I feel like I’m pretty good, but daaang. Especially skipping frogs way in the backs of flooded brush. 

[Deleted account]

1 hour ago, Mike L said:

A journeyman electrician isn’t better than you because he knows which wire is the ground. 

 

On a heat pump or AC, the start winding leads of the compressor and fan motor are connected to the respective terminal of a dual run capacitor (labeled herm and fan), the run winding leads of each are connected to the common terminal of the capacitor with the same side of power, and the common leads of the compressor and fan motor are connected to the the other side of power. 

And more importantly, 240v doesn't tickle...  

[TOXIC]

Time….on…..the…..water.

[scaleface]

I made my statement and I'm sticking to it . LOL

2 hours ago, Cbump said:

It’s insane how accurate their casting is. I feel like I’m pretty good, but daaang. Especially skipping frogs way in the backs of flooded brush. 

I'm not in awe of touring pros . The only part I feel inadequate at is casting . I cant cast like Swindle but I'm working on it . 

[Tennessee Boy]

Rick Clunn used to be the GOAT.  Now he’s struggles to complete.  Is it because he forgot how to fish?  Do you think Jordon Lee won his second Classics at age 26 because he knew as much about fishing as Rick Clunn and KVD?

 

Knowing about fishing and being good at fishing are two different things.  

[Columbia Craw]

I think your level pros know how to maximize their tools and technology.  But at the end of the day they go through the same process as most of use to find fish and then get bites.  MLF has demonstrated this.  

[WRB]

Being a professional bass angler is a lot of tiring work. 

The knowledge is only 1 aspect, endurance to travel, eat and sleep on the road, fish in all types of weather and stay competitive in multiple day tournament is a grind.

You also are under the gun to promote your sponsors.

Not everyone can stay competitive with the same drive and desire year after year, time takes it’s toll. There isn’t a senior tour in bass fishing.

 

[lynxcat]

50 minutes ago, WRB said:

Being a professional bass angler is a lot of tiring work. 

The knowledge is only 1 aspect, endurance to travel, eat and sleep on the road, fish in all types of weather and stay competitive in multiple day tournament is a grind.

You also are under the gun to promote your sponsors.

Not everyone can stay competitive with the same drive and desire year after year, time takes it’s toll. There isn’t a senior tour in bass fishing.

 

Agreed. The lifestyle on the road is horrible. Living in campers and driving 100s of hours from spot to spot. It isn’t glamorous at all by “professional” standards. 

[geo g]

We may know as much as a pro on our home waters, or waters that resemble the water we usually fish.  Pros on the other hand, must fish all types of waters, from shallow weedy bowl lakes, to deep reservoirs, to rivers with running water, and big northern smallmouth lakes.  So much respect for the guys that have some success under all these conditions and always in contention to succeed!  These guys are in the zone, and in another level then your local weekend guy! The cream always rises to the top!

[KCFinesse]

13 minutes ago, geo g said:

 These guys are in the zone

Stay in that zone for four straight days...

[NorthernBasser]

I feel like I'm a pretty good angler. I've been fishing for some time (I'm 47) and I'm still constantly trying to learn new things and tweak things I already know.

 

With that said, in a 1 V 1 challenge, I'm 100% certain Jacob Wheeler would smack me into next week. Even if he weren't using his forward-facing sonar.