Who's Going To The Classic Tulsa?

[Glenn]

I will be there Friday and Saturday. Hope to see you there!

 

Who's going to be there?

[TnRiver46]

I wish!!! I think that’s 13 hours for me one way and I’m working Saturday nights now 

[T-Billy]

5 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I wish!!! I think that’s 13 hours for me one way and I’m working Saturday nights now 

Does the new job involve a brass pole? 😁

[MN Fisher]

5 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I wish!!! I think that’s 13 hours for me one way and I’m working Saturday nights now 

10 hrs each way for me - and I'd need someone to take care of Nora while I was gone...and available PCAs are as rare as unicorns right now.

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, T-Billy said:

Does the new job involve a brass pole? 😁

Haven’t seen one yet but I will look around tonight! 
 

[greentrout]

BASSMASTER mag. gives a very positive review about Tulsa in this month's issue. Lots of things to do and great eateries. One of the best kept secrets in America. 

[Jig Man]

How far is the weigh in Tulsa from the lake?  It looks like quite a ways to be hauling fish around in a live well.

[WRB]

14 hours ago, Jig Man said:

How far is the weigh in Tulsa from the lake?  It looks like quite a ways to be hauling fish around in a live well.

About 60 miles.

Tom

[bowhunter63]

I’m 2 hours away. I’m there 

[gim]

16 hours ago, WRB said:

About 60 miles.

 

Holy Hannah.  I hope they aren't hauling bass in their live wells for 60 miles...

[Jig Man]

You can bet they are.

[DogBone_384]

I'd love to, but it's 3,000+ miles round trip... way too long a walk....

[gim]

21 minutes ago, Jig Man said:

You can bet they are.

 

Not that I don't believe you, but I need concrete proof of this before I believe it.  For a tour that prides itself on reducing mortality and yet insisting on having a live weigh in, if they are hauling 5 bass stuffed in a livewell for 60 miles, I find that shameful and disturbing.

 

I would certainly hope they have a system of keeping these fish fully alive for a release later on that is not just toting them in a live well on the highway for an hour, or more.

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

 

Holy Hannah.  I hope they aren't hauling bass in their live wells for 60 miles...

They’ve only done that for like 35 yrs  now…..

 

2021 classic was held at Guntersville and the weigh in was in Birmingham, just one example of very many . 
 

 

this is not the first classic at grand Lake, I’m sure they’ve done it the same every time

 

lake hartwell, same thing, weigh in greeneville 2022. 

 

The fish survive fairly well, lots of guys haul the fish 60 miles in a livewell during the tournament also 

[gim]

@TnRiver46 thanks.  Are you sure they haul them in their boat for 60 miles to the weigh in or do they use another system for that?  I've seen the pontoon-looking barge type thing they use to release fish after a weigh in.

[TnRiver46]

5 minutes ago, gimruis said:

@TnRiver46 thanks.  Are you sure they haul them in their boat for 60 miles to the weigh in or do they use another system for that?  I've seen the pontoon-looking barge type thing they use to release fish after a weigh in.

Yes they use the live release pontoon post weigh in . Individual competitor boat on the way to the weigh in. 

[Jig Man]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

 

Not that I don't believe you, but I need concrete proof of this before I believe it.  For a tour that prides itself on reducing mortality and yet insisting on having a live weigh in, if they are hauling 5 bass stuffed in a livewell for 60 miles, I find that shameful and disturbing.

 

I would certainly hope they have a system of keeping these fish fully alive for a release later on that is not just toting them in a live well on the highway for an hour, or more.

I’ve been to tournament weigh ins in Texas where the event was held in a town in an arena.  The boats were pulled in and stopped at the weigh in station to unload the fish.  Then they pulled forward to allow the next boat to do the same.  It took forever.

 

On a side note, my old boss provided a pontoon release boat for a regional series.  He was short handed one weekend and borrowed one of my salesmen to help him.  The guy came in to work the next week with horror stories about how many dead fish they had.

[Glenn]

Yes, they trailer their boat w/full livewells to the weigh-in (90 min drive one-way for Guntersville).  Post weigh-in, they're put into a release barge and trailered back to the lake. 

 

I'm not a fan.  I prefer places where the weigh-in is near the launch (Knoxville, New Orleans, Shreveport, etc)

 

I also wish they'd go to new places.  Seems they're locked onto the same 5 or 6 locations and rotate amongst them. *yawn*  With thousands of bodies of water to fish, it's a crime they don't go anywhere else.

 

[MN Fisher]

20 minutes ago, Glenn said:

Yes, they trailer their boat w/full livewells to the weigh-in (90 min drive one-way for Guntersville).  Post weigh-in, they're put into a release barge and trailered back to the lake.

I wonder if they've taken a count of how many fish don't even make it back to the lake alive after all that.

 

21 minutes ago, Glenn said:

I also wish they'd go to new places.  Seems they're locked onto the same 5 or 6 locations and rotate amongst them. *yawn*  With thousands of bodies of water to fish, it's a crime they don't go anywhere else.

Top 100 did Minnetonka a couple times in the 90s and a number of the pros loved the lake - it'd be great to see them back here again.

 

[gim]

14 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Top 100 did Minnetonka a couple times in the 90s and a number of the pros loved the lake - it'd be great to see them back here again.

Honestly, I'm not so sure it's great to have such a big pro event in town anymore.  It really ramps up the pressure.  Granted, Minnetonka is already stacked with pressure anyways at this point, so maybe it's a moot point there now.  The two AOY events they had at Mille Lacs were a blessing and a curse at the same time.  It put the lake on the map with a top ranking but it also showed everyone what kind of fish were swimming in there too.  Everyone and their cousin started fishing there after those back to back events.

[Bankbeater]

If the anglers are going through the toll station that could be another 1/2 hour depending on how backed up it is, and the number of open toll booths.

[Glenn]

Hey guys,

Too many times I hear "Hey I saw you at the Classic, but I didn't say hi because....."  So if you see me at the Classic, step up and introduce yourself!  Even if I'm talking to somebody else. You're not being intrusive at all.  I'd love to meet you!

[TnRiver46]

I wanna go!!!! I might have a new job by then but still have to work a two week notice so outlook is still not good 

 

if anyone has never been I highly recommend it ! It puts you smack dab in the middle of the entire industry, everyone is there 

[12poundbass]

On 2/24/2024 at 10:38 AM, Glenn said:

Even if I'm talking to somebody else. You're not being intrusive at all. 

[Glenn]

Is anyone going to the Classic this year?  Beuhler?