Bassmaster Elite at the Sabine River

[PhishLI]

Everybody ready for some 6lb bags?

[ironbjorn]

33 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Everybody ready for some 6lb bags?

I will feel seen and affirmed 

[scaleface]

On 5/30/2023 at 5:15 PM, PhishLI said:

Everybody ready for some 6lb bags?

A keepers a keeper and a kickers a kicker. I like these type of events.

[DitchPanda]

32 minutes ago, scaleface said:

A keepers a keeper and a kickers a kicker. I like these type of events.

I agree...I always like the tough grinder tournaments. More relatable to me to struggle for bites than catch a 30lb bag.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

I'm a big Bass factory derby kind of man, but the Elite series is currently my favorite pro sport, every event is fantastic and entertaining to watch.   

 

I know Brandon Cobb will somehow find a way in the top 10 and do so using a whacky rig ?

 

Brandon Palaniuk is making a charge at defending his AOY, like to see him in the top 10 as well.  

[PhishLI]

1 hour ago, scaleface said:

A keepers a keeper and a kickers a kicker. I like these type of events.

Never said I didn't, but I can empathize with the competitors who are struggling through a dinkfest. Sorta like seeing someone else take a shoe to the junk. You can sort of feel it yourself. Many come to the stage crestfallen, bewildered, and anything else on that end of the spectrum. Look at their faces at the weigh-in. Tough is one thing, but when you're pulling cocktail bass up much of the time it clearly wears on these guys. I'll be watching though.

[scaleface]

This tourney is fun to watch . Tossing buzzbaits, spinnerbaits... at shallow cover is the way I like to fish.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Lol, this has to be the worst Bass fishing place I've ever seen a derby at.   Sumrall is fishing right next to a major highway, another 3 guys are fishing the same creek about 30ft across. 

 

 

[InfantryMP]

I noticed that too. I like the tougher ones because it really goes to show how good you have to be. Cool to see some spinner baits getting thrown around!

[Texas Flood]

Im only able to watch the live stream every once in awhile but it seems like all the fish are around 1.5lbs.

[bowhunter63]

Come on Larry Nixon. Rockin old school 

[Texas Flood]

Why in the hell did I have 78lb 13oz as my tie breaker????

[gim]

18 hours ago, PhishLI said:

Sorta like seeing someone else take a shoe to the junk.

[PhishLI]

Poor Scott Martin. 2 fish for 1-12. Ouch.

[TnRiver46]

It is comforting to know there is at least one place in America with smaller bass than Knoxville, TN 

[volzfan59]

Like other's, I love the tough, grinder tournaments. I think that it was Patrick Walters, on Luke Dunkin's latest Low Budget Live podcast that said that "Anyone that catches 6 (or 7?) pounds a day will cash a check." I hope that the B.A.S.S. Elite series continues to go to the Sabine. Orange, TX seems to really roll out the welcome mat for them.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

2 minutes ago, volzfan59 said:

Like other's, I love the tough, grinder tournaments. I think that it was Patrick Walters, on Luke Dunkin's latest Low Budget Live podcast that said that "Anyone that catches 6 (or 7?) pounds a day will cash a check." I hope that the B.A.S.S. Elite series continues to go to the Sabine. Orange, TX seems to really roll out the welcome mat for them.

Didn't realize how many places apparently don't want them there based on all the interviews at weighins yesterday, especially Rick Clunns.

 

They are rockstars in Alabama, obviously loved in TX as well.  Wonder where they don't like these guys....maybe up north where Bass fishing doesn't dominate as much?

[volzfan59]

Good question. They must like them in New York state and the north east. They seem to go to Champlain or the St Lawrence every year.

[GReb]

5 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Didn't realize how many places apparently don't want them there based on all the interviews at weighins yesterday, especially Rick Clunns.

 

They are rockstars in Alabama, obviously loved in TX as well.  Wonder where they don't like these guys....maybe up north where Bass fishing doesn't dominate as much?

Every time Bassmasters comes to Ross Barnett it takes the lake a year to recover. They had an Open last year and 100+ boats showed up 7 days ahead to practice 10 hours a day. I know the Elites have a stricter and more limited practice schedule but the national tournaments in addition to all the local derbies really affect the fishing especially on smaller bodies. 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

28 minutes ago, GReb said:

Every time Bassmasters comes to Ross Barnett it takes the lake a year to recover. They had an Open last year and 100+ boats showed up 7 days ahead to practice 10 hours a day. I know the Elites have a stricter and more limited practice schedule but the national tournaments in addition to all the local derbies really affect the fishing especially on smaller bodies. 

I guess that's why places like Texas and Alabama love them, you could take away the Elite and BPT events, and it wouldn't make a dent in the pressure that Guntersville, Lay, Eufaula, Pickwick, Wheeler, etc. receive.   Lay Lake has a derby going day and night seemingly every day this time of year.   

 

That's pretty much where the sport is in terms of public fisheries, fishing pressure has never been as high as it after Covid.  

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Dudes are fishing a dozen deep in an industrial park ?

 

These Orange fans must be really special to keep bringing an Elite event back to this place.   Not very much fun to watch.  

[Catt]

A little insight into this tournament from a local angler.

 

The Sabine River is 30 minutes west of my house, I fish it 3-4 times a month. December through February is the absolute best time to fish it.

 

A few years ago for no other reason than greed the land owners on the Louisiana side formed a coalition to charge the anglers a fee. B.A.S.S. responded by declaring all waters on the Louisiana side off limits. The anglers can fish the Louisiana side of the main river only.

 

The turn out by locals is one draw but a couple of big draws is Lake Charles has a Golden Nugget Casino & a L'Auberge Casino Resort. There's a dozen world renowned restaurants.

[gim]

20 hours ago, GReb said:

Every time Bassmasters comes to Ross Barnett it takes the lake a year to recover. They had an Open last year and 100+ boats showed up 7 days ahead to practice 10 hours a day. I know the Elites have a stricter and more limited practice schedule but the national tournaments in addition to all the local derbies really affect the fishing especially on smaller bodies. 

That’s kind of what happened up here after the two AOY events at Mille Lacs. Those events put it on the map. Combined with a declining walleye population, and marketing the heck out of the smallmouth fishing created a perfect storm of bass fishing pressure that did not exist until recently. The fish have no doubt become much tougher to catch because of this and the ultra clear water. It was a blessing and also a curse.

 

Luckily, the walleye fishing has come back somewhat so smallmouth has taken a back seat again. I’m fine with that.

[Susky River Rat]

On 6/1/2023 at 11:40 AM, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Lol, this has to be the worst Bass fishing place I've ever seen a derby at.   Sumrall is fishing right next to a major highway, another 3 guys are fishing the same creek about 30ft across. 

 

 

Are you sure you aren’t talking about the Susquehanna? Lol

[PhishLI]

3 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Not very much fun to watch.

The only thing the commentary team can do to spice things up is to recollect about long gone tourneys that were even more torturous. I'm currently watching grainy old videos of paint drying instead.