Fantasy Fishing 2023 - Official Thread

[TnRiver46]

This place is just ridiculous 

[gim]

7 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

This place is just ridiculous 

I just saw someone posted a 28+ pound bag.  Good god

[AlabamaSpothunter]

6 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

This place is just ridiculous 

It's like MLF Cayuga but without having to depend on uber stupid bed fish, and all the sketchy stuff.    

Agreed, this has to be the hottest SM lake in the world.   It's ridiculous, all you can say. 

 

eta:  I might take a trip there this time next year.    I'm not a SM guy per say, but this is a bucket list fishery, and sadly it won't always be.   OH Ivie is already on the down swing again according to biologists.  

[TnRiver46]

7 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

It's like MLF Cayuga but without having to depend on uber stupid bed fish, and all the sketchy stuff.    

Agreed, this has to be the hottest SM lake in the world.   It's ridiculous, all you can say. 

 

eta:  I might take a trip there this time next year.    I'm not a SM guy per se, but this is a bucket list fishery, and sadly it won't always be.   OH Ivie is already on the down swing again according to biologists.  

They’ve been holding BASS tournaments here for 30 years, it’s here to stay . Blaukat and @cyclops2 are the only people that think the end is near 

 

they have weighed a dozen anglers and I’ve lots count of how many 6 lb smallies hit the scale already 

[gim]

Mosely weighed in largemouth.  Mercer said "went after largies at the world's best smallmouth fishery, huh?"

[AlabamaSpothunter]

7 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

They’ve been holding BASS tournaments here for 30 years, it’s here to stay . Blaukat and @cyclops2 are the only people that think the end is near 

 

they have weighed a dozen anglers and I’ve lots count of how many 6 lb smallies hit the scale already 

It took 20lb bags to win just a decade or two ago according to Davy Hite on Bass Live.   

 

Trust me this lake will have another bust, and another boom, and so on.   All these fisheries are cyclical.   I don't think the end is near at all. 

[TnRiver46]

1 minute ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

It took 20lb bags to win just a decade or two ago according to Davy Hite on Bass Live.   

Trust me this lake will have another bust, and another boom, and so on.   

I don’t see that, it has only gotten better every time they go. To say the Great Lakes “reload” is quite an understatement 

 

i heard hite say a 2 lb was as valuable as gold 25 years ago, not worth livewelling nowadays 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

I don’t see that, it has only gotten better every time they go. To say the Great Lakes “reload” is quite an understatement 

Toledo Bend booms and busts....it's super booming right now......it's close to being a "Great Lake", and it's ability to reload is endless like the Great Lakes.     

 

 

29.5

 

 

 

29.5

 

29.5

 

 

29.5 

?

 

NEW BIGGEST SINGLE DAY RECORD FOR ALL SMS

[TnRiver46]

1 minute ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Toledo Bend booms and busts....it's super booming right now......it's close to being a "Great Lake", and it's ability to reload is endless like the Great Lakes.     

 

 

29.5

 

 

 

29.5

 

29.5

 

 

29.5 

?

 

NEW BIGGEST SINGLE DAY RECORD FOR ALL SMS

Toledo bend doesnt freeze and is tiny comparatively, this place is bust proof . All the things that are supposed to kill a fishery have failed. Tourneys during spawn, pressure, listed as top lake in country, dead fish after weigh ins, etc 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

5 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I don’t see that, it has only gotten better every time they go. To say the Great Lakes “reload” is quite an understatement 

 

i heard hite say a 2 lb was as valuable as gold 25 years ago, not worth livewelling nowadays 

Yeah no doubt, no arguments on the lake getting better.....my argument that is at some point in the future it won't be this great.   It would defy fishery stats, but I'm not an expert so who knows. 

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

Toledo bend doesnt freeze and is tiny comparatively, this place is bust proof . All the things that are supposed to kill a fishery have failed. Tourneys during spawn, pressure, listed as top lake in country, dead fish after weigh ins, etc 

Looking forward to 40-50lb bags then in a decade, it will be epic ?

[gim]

2 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

my argument that is at some point in the future it won't be this great

I am in agreement with this.  Nothing lasts forever.  Hard to imagine it getting better, but it might.

[scaleface]

Does anybody have Bryant smith?

[AlabamaSpothunter]

3 minutes ago, scaleface said:

Does anybody have Bryant smith?

wasn't like he was gonna be a sneaky pick either....I considered him, but atlas I didn't take him.   I like my horse though.   

 

If he can repeat 29.5, it'll be stupifying 

 

ETA:  my tiebreaker was 102lbs LOL.....I was being an optimist 

[TnRiver46]

Quote

2 minutes ago, scaleface said:

Does anybody have Bryant smith?

 

Crazy!!!!

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Big Bass predictions?

 

7.4 before it's over and done with, Mercer is gonna freak out, it's going to be epic! ?

[TnRiver46]

I’m guessing 6  lb 14 oz 

13 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I am in agreement with this.  Nothing lasts forever.  Hard to imagine it getting better, but it might.

All it has to do is stay the same and it’s the best in America, at least on the tourney trail. Simcoe might could hang with it 

[gim]

6 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

All it has to do is stay the same and it’s the best in America 

Easier said than done.  Some factors are not in our control.  A new virus or invasive species could show up and wipe it out.  The sea lamprey almost completely wiped out the salmonids in the Great Lakes until we learned how to limit their impact.

 

For now though, its a smallmouth mecca.  Strike while the iron is hot.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

5 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Easier said than done.  Some factors are not in our control.  A new virus or invasive species could show up and wipe it out.  The sea lampreay almost completely wiped out the salmonids in the Great Lakes until we learned how to limit their impact.

I always forget how much importance I place on the Bass species, and how little importance the State and Federal agencies place on Bass in the grand scheme of other species especially.      This is a huge reason fisheries are constantly changing imho.  Spraying, not spraying, letting one invasive species thrive while trying to target others....playing God when they don't have the full tool kit.  

 

 

ETA:  WOW, Christie might have just crushed his Classic chances on his home lake.  That sucks!  

[TnRiver46]

Or an invasive species might make the fishing way better, oh wait that already happened! Twice 

 

it’s been smallmouth Mecca for ten years or more 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Either way this is such an exciting event.....so much on the line, AOY, Classic and Elite berths, and for me the historic nature of this event potentially.    

 

Century belts are getting handed out, already biggest single day SM record.  Epic stuff.   Great time to be a BASS fan.  

 

ETA:  Perch, what's the deal with that story of dude attacking him and dying on his deck.

 

5.5lbs.....I might have actually beat somebody today.  What a humbling sport. 

[gim]

What's with Ike?  Weighs in 17 pounds and just walks off the stage.  Completely ignores Mercer.  Total dip sh**.  At least entertain the host for a minute even if you had a bad day.

[TnRiver46]

Nixon said 17 lbs was a monster bag on st Lawrence back in his hey day 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

4 minutes ago, gimruis said:

What's with Ike?  Weighs in 17 pounds and just walks off the stage.  Completely ignores Mercer.  Total dip sh**.  At least entertain the host for a minute even if you had a bad day.

Did it last week on day 1 as well when he turned up with a bad bag.....very poor sportsmanship, agreed.

 

Perch handled it with dignity and so does pretty much everyone else.  He's always been an emotional child lol. 

[scaleface]

26 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Perch, what's the deal with that story of dude attacking him and dying on his deck.

https://www.bassmaster.com/bassmaster-classic/news/daily-limit-pirch-still-trying-to-make-sense-of-grisly-event/  Crazy

[gim]

10 minutes ago, scaleface said:

https://www.bassmaster.com/bassmaster-classic/news/daily-limit-pirch-still-trying-to-make-sense-of-grisly-event/  Crazy

That is a wild story.