Youtube vs Pros 2023

[InfantryMP]

Does the Ben Milliken recent Open Championship change the way you look at the tubers vs the pros?

 

If you didn't think the tubers could fish before, I think watching some of his recent podcasts since the win may help change your mind. I love to see people succeed at things in life or their career, and I think this is one of those things that has gone against the grain for so long, but now we are seeing some great talent out here coming from the tuber side of things. 

 

All the talk about Pros needing to get on socials to sell or stay a bit more relevant for sponsors just goes to show that it is extremely important and the way competitive bass fishing is going in the digital age. I believe it to be even more awesome to see someone who everyone dubbed a "Youtuber" and an expert social phenomenon come out and dominate the 2nd open, and doing very well in the 1st open.

 

He is leading points obviously right now. Is it sustainable? I believe it to be...

 

A couple cool things he mentioned on the podcasts were that he had 4.5 days of practice and he also pre-practiced before the cut off time. That is the same prep that Wheeler put in the last couple of years to be a 2-time AOY on the BPT/ MLF. He changed up techniques, adjusted to conditions, everything that seasoned pros have to do, but yet with little actual pro level experience. Not taking away from any of his previous tournament experience at all (10 years or so on clubs/ local derbs). The pressure though at the pro level....money, clout, personal mental health, goals and everything that goes along with it, and he is at the top so quickly. 

 

Is he going to be the big bass hammer every time? Probably not, but he has shown great composure and consistency thus far, and for those reasons alone he may be a force to be reckoned with for years to come. All eyes will be on him this year, and also the 2024 Classic.

 

What are your thoughts on his performance to include the Open Championship on Toledo Bend?

 

 

[Tennessee Boy]

Making YouTube videos might make you famous but it doesn't make you a good angler.  I've watched his videos a few times and didn't care for them that much but I was impressed with his knowledge, skills, and approach.  He reminds me a lot of Wheeler.  I'm not surprised that he's doing well and I expect he will continue to succeed in tournament fishing.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Ben is the most impressive Bass angler I've seen when it comes to modern Bass fishing.  

 

He's certainly next level, he's the future of Bass fishing, and represents perfectly the evolution of Bass fishing in 2023.

 

It's not just folks like me that are saying it, but rather guys in the game, his peers.  

 

[InfantryMP]

12 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Ben is the most impressive Bass angler I've seen when it comes to modern Bass fishing.  

 

He's certainly next level, he's the future of Bass fishing, and represents perfectly the evolution of Bass fishing in 2023.

 

It's not just folks like me that are saying it, but rather guys in the game, his peers.  

 

He did get some praise from some high level guys at Toledo Bend! 

 

The most impressive is may be a little stretch for me. I think Wheeler has secured that with his #1 ranking being the longest ever. Multiple pro level wins, back to back AOYs. 

 

Now, if Ben, and Jacob started at the same time on the pro level, we may have a good battle on our hands for #1.

20 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Making YouTube videos might make you famous but it doesn't make you a good angler.  I've watched his videos a few times and didn't care for them that much but I was impressed with his knowledge, skills, and approach.  He reminds me a lot of Wheeler.  I'm not surprised that he's doing well and I expect he will continue to succeed in tournament fishing.

It could though if you think about it. 

 

Ben fishes lot to make content maybe even more than pro anglers do a year, experience is experience at that point. He is just using that experience at a high level now, a little later in the game than a Wheeler or Connell, or even a KVD. 

 

I think he only goes up from here.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

3 minutes ago, InfantryMP said:

He did get some praise from some high level guys at Toledo Bend! 

 

The most impressive is may be a little stretch for me. I think Wheeler has secured that with his #1 ranking being the longest ever. Multiple pro level wins, back to back AOYs. 

 

Now, if Ben, and Jacob started at the same time on the pro level, we may have a good battle on our hands for #1.

It could though if you think about it. 

 

Ben fishes lot to make content maybe even more than pro anglers do a year, experience is experience at that point. He is just using that experience at a high level now, a little later in the game than a Wheeler or Connell, or even a KVD. 

 

I think he only goes up from here.

My statement was in regard to the future, not the past.   FFS has only been around for several years, and while the Wheelers of the world were fishing derby's, Ben was mastering it, and in return understanding Bass behavior unlike perhaps anybody else. 

 

Time on water is everything, the future is FFS....combine those two things, and you get Ben Milliken.  

 

I'm good with being wrong, but in a few years this dude will have amassed so much hardware if he stays the course.   

[InfantryMP]

11 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

My statement was in regard to the future, not the past.   FFS has only been around for several years, and while the Wheelers of the world were fishing derby's, Ben was mastering it, and in return understanding Bass behavior unlike perhaps anybody else. 

 

Time on water is everything, the future is FFS....combine those two things, and you get Ben Milliken.  

 

I'm good with being wrong, but in a few years this dude will have amassed so much hardware if he stays the course.   

100% agree with what you said initially except I hold Wheeler up there for his recent success to include FFS and of course the winning. 

 

I also believe Ben will have to build another house just for trophies if he keeps up his hard work.

 

Keep in mind, not to take anything away from Ben, he has over a decade of tournament fishing experience, just local and club type of fashion. 

 

 

[Tennessee Boy]

Wheeler has proven that he’s versatile.  He wins using FFS and also goes up north and wins using a Flogger.  Is Milliken that versatile?  Maybe so but he hasn’t proven it yet.  He seems very smart and logical so I think he will only get better if he’s not there already.  Time will tell.  
 

[InfantryMP]

2 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Wheeler has proven that he’s versatile.  He wins using FFS and also goes up north and wins using a Flogger.  Is Milliken that versatile?  Maybe so but he hasn’t proven it yet.  He seems very smart and logical so I think he will only get better if he’s not there already.  Time will tell.  
 

He is for sure...I also believe slightly that he is in a slump right now. Which happens often in professional sports. 

 

The maturity already is kind of what I am alluding to when it comes to the pro level tournaments. He talked about his adjustments, and switching from an 8" glide to a Carolina rig etc to land the fish needed. 

 

I think it is a bit tougher to do all that when you do not have a score tracker going off on every catch too.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

2 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Wheeler has proven that he’s versatile.  He wins using FFS and also goes up north and wins using a Flogger.  Is Milliken that versatile?  Maybe so but he hasn’t proven it yet.  He seems very smart and logical so I think he will only get better if he’s not there already.  Time will tell.  
 

Yeah for sure, we'll know by the end of this season if he's the second coming of KVD 

[Glenn]

Oh hey, it's a thread about U-tubers.  How refreshingly new.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

The man just punched his ticket to the Classic, leading points after two events in the BASS opens, and already has amassed an epic track record of DD fish......yet it's continually distilled down into "youtuber" by many.

 

It actually is refreshing and new for the industry, it's bringing thousands of new fans into the derby side of the game.  The pros watch this dude.  

 

 

[Glenn]

Nothing against the man.  It's just we have threads about U-tube 

every

other

day

 

So....let's make this thread about HIM instead of U-Tube.  Crazy idea, I know.

 

[PhishLI]

1 hour ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

The man just punched his ticket to the Classic, leading points after two events in the BASS opens, and already has amassed an epic track record of DD fish......yet it's continually distilled down into "youtuber" by many.

Like I said in the Open's thread, it's used by regular fishing schmucks to diminish anyone who would dare. I really don't get it, and the answers why are easy to see, but I won't bother. Check Milliken's insta and you'll see congrats by the heaviest hitters across leagues. Pros he'll be competing against. They have respect, but randoms on forums have an issue. Silliness. Nothing but accolades on the biggest bass podcasts too over the past two days. 

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

1 hour ago, PhishLI said:

Like I said in the Open's thread, it's used by regular fishing schmucks to diminish anyone who would dare. I really don't get it, but the answers why are easy to see, but I won't bother. Check Milliken's insta and you'll see congrats by the heaviest hitters across leagues. Pros he'll be competing against. They have respect, but randoms on forums have an issue. Silliness. Nothing but accolades on the biggest bass podcasts too over the past two days. 

 

The stuff he's so willing to share is mind blowing, those two hours of Podcasts have been just full of information.   

 

I care more about the Opens than the Elite series, and the MLF events.   There are thousands and thousands of fans like myself.    I remember the moment I became a fan of his......it was nailing a 5+ after watching a video the night before titled something like...."go here and catch a huge fish".   It worked, and I've watched at least 50 hours of his YT content since.    

 

He's also not above scrutiny, I believe his fish handling sucks.  That will change now that he's in BASS I'd imagine.   

[TnRiver46]

Carolina rig is underrated! 

[InfantryMP]

8 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

The stuff he's so willing to share is mind blowing, those two hours of Podcasts have been just full of information.   

 

I care more about the Opens than the Elite series, and the MLF events.   There are thousands and thousands of fans like myself.    I remember the moment I became a fan of his......it was nailing a 5+ after watching a video the night before titled something like...."go here and catch a huge fish".   It worked, and I've watched at least 50 hours of his YT content since.    

 

He's also not above scrutiny, I believe his fish handling sucks.  That will change now that he's in BASS I'd imagine.   

Absolutely, even on fish the moment, they pulled up lake maps, and he even mentioned he was fishing some of those points. That is crazy to see an angler share that. 

 

 

9 hours ago, PhishLI said:

Like I said in the Open's thread, it's used by regular fishing schmucks to diminish anyone who would dare. I really don't get it, and the answers why are easy to see, but I won't bother. Check Milliken's insta and you'll see congrats by the heaviest hitters across leagues. Pros he'll be competing against. They have respect, but randoms on forums have an issue. Silliness. Nothing but accolades on the biggest bass podcasts too over the past two days. 

 

Yea In my opinion, does it really matter where you came from or where people think you came from? I think it is a better story anyway from the doubt etc that he was a "youtuber".

 

The praise is huge. The real professionals will recognize real skills regardless. I like how he also mentioned his ego dozens of times. 

[TOXIC]

I’m surprised he’s not getting dissed for his skill with front facing sonar. I’ve been watching him ever since he lived in Nebraska because we are both from Omaha and I enjoyed watching him fish the same local waters I grew up on.  I don’t consider him a YouTube only fisherman.  He branched out since he moved to Texas and added a lot of content.  He doesn’t hawk products and is just straight forward a good fisherman.  I’ve seen him fish drainage ditches with dough balls for carp and a hidden lake in the northeast for trophy smallmouth.  What sets him apart is that he’s not a young gun and he is more like one of your fishing buddies.  It’s his fan base that talked him into going for the bigger tournaments.  Whether or not he can maintain the level needed to be successful remains to be seen because the mental side is just as important as the skill set. I wish him all the best and will continue to watch him.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

3 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Carolina rig is underrated! 

Guess who's going to buy some C-Rig stuff today ?

[TnRiver46]

Just now, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Guess who's going to buy some C-Rig stuff today ?

Buy some? Heck I’ve been harboring c rig stuff since 1990 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Just now, TnRiver46 said:

Buy some? Heck I’ve been harboring c rig stuff since 1990 

I C-rigged back in the day, but I thought it was kind archaic until the wonderboy showed me otherwise ?

[TnRiver46]

2 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I C-rigged back in the day, but I thought it was kind archaic until the wonderboy showed me otherwise ?

It’s a solid tournament producer, always has been. People even use it up north quite a bit for smallmouth on tour 

[InfantryMP]

39 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

It’s a solid tournament producer, always has been. People even use it up north quite a bit for smallmouth on tour 

The only time I have used a C-rig was smallmouth in Indiana lakes. It works well for smallies from what I have witnessed. 

[TnRiver46]

Just now, InfantryMP said:

The only time I have used a C-rig was smallmouth in Indiana lakes. It works well for smallies from what I have witnessed. 

I learned the tactic in 4-5 feet of water in lake Toho, FLA hahah

[Tennessee Boy]

I have two rods with C-rigs on them in my boat right now.  It’s a very versatile technique.  

[AlabamaSpothunter]

"I don't always fish a C-Rig, but when I do it's after a blowout victory by Ben Milliken" ?

 

Zero shame in my game, whatever puts the toads in the boat I say.