St John’s River

[TnRiver46]

See no evil speak no evil 🙈 🙊 

[Dan N]

Was Mercer not working the weigh in? 
only had it on for a few minutes.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Mercer is sadly sick, hopefully he'll return tom.  

 

[Woody B]

9 hours ago, hokiehunter373 said:

Also, did anyone get the scoop on what happened with Milliken's boat yesterday?

 

I read on FB he had a busted prop hub.   

 

I see Matt Arey mentioned.  He lives a couple miles from me.  I occasionally see him fishing around here during the winter.  A couple years ago I ran across him and Hank Cherry fishing together.   

[Pat Brown]

Top 10 is pretty interesting group of guys!  Wild that Tyler Williams missed the cut, kinda bums me out but a lot of my guys are struggling out there.  Super happy to see Chris Zaldain and Mark Menendez and Jason Christie within spitting distance of the top ten. Tomorrow should be very very interesting!!!!

[AlabamaSpothunter]

6 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

Top 10 is pretty interesting group of guys!  Wild that Tyler Williams missed the cut, kinda bums me out but a lot of my guys are struggling out there.  Super happy to see Chris Zaldain and Mark Menendez and Jason Christie within spitting distance of the top ten. Tomorrow should be very very interesting!!!!

To me it's a pre FFS top 10......it reflects who heavily dominated pre FFS pretty well.

 

The Johnstons are wizards on the scope, but they built their quite legendary names especially on the SLR way before FFS.   Then you got guys like Cox, Hackney, and Canterbury who are about as anti FFS as you can get and still be on the Elites.

 

Toledo Bend and Lake Fork were so dang exciting, that I stopped minding FFS derbies as much.   The Lake Fork event was arguably the most exciting derby I've ever watched.      

 

I'm just ready for an event to end with some drama......I'd love to see a finish like last year's Lay Lake event.    Nobody knew who was going to win until Will Davis Jr weighed in last. 

[12poundbass]

15 hours ago, hokiehunter373 said:

Swindle reported him for flying under the bridge. How's things like that work between the guys? Seems like GMan did the right thing and I don't think Trey will be crappy about it but do other guys think one way or the other about someone reporting you?

 

11 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

G man was disqualified from a classic for blasting a no wake zone, he’s familiar with the process

I remember that and him crying and saying he didn’t ‘cheat’ (I’m paraphrasing). 
 

Either he forgot about what he did in 2007 or he learned and wanted to teach others from his mistake? 

[Dan N]

Swindle’s best years are behind him…

and he never won a single elite event.

24 years. 

[F14A-B]

Gerald Swindle is a loser, Guy cry’s about FFS, and can’t even junk fish tbh. He should retire and take up stand up comedy somewhere. (Except he isn’t funny at all) 

 

My question is this: If it was so egregious what Trey did ( State of Florida says otherwise) why didn’t the Marshal in Trey’s boat report him? And yes I know the tournament rules explicitly explain the tournament rules in multiple formats.. 

 

The St. John’s river system is awesome. I’ve got a hundred story’s easily about it. I lived in Jax and Green Cove Springs which is 25 or so miles north of Palatka. It’s a river system you could fish a lifetime and never cover it all. Back to Trey, I hope the kid recovers, he’s quite a fisherman. He was 1 min. late last tournament and he dropped 2 places over it and that cost him money. A 90 minute punishment could cost him tens of thousands. He has to tighten up and I hope someone is coaching him proper. He was even fearful about traveling to his day one location because he thought he would run out of fuel. He’s got to do better on these calculations and I mean now. He’ll learn though, maybe the hard way. 

13 minutes ago, Dan N said:

Swindle’s best years are behind him…

and he never won a single elite event.

24 years. 

Exactly, he’s a lousy competitor. 1 AOY.. & I don’t know how..

[rangerjockey]

4 hours ago, alonerankin2 said:

Gerald Swindle is a loser, Guy cry’s about FFS, and can’t even junk fish tbh. He should retire and take up stand up comedy somewhere. (Except he isn’t funny at all) 

 

My question is this: If it was so egregious what Trey did ( State of Florida says otherwise) why didn’t the Marshal in Trey’s boat report him? And yes I know the tournament rules explicitly explain the tournament rules in multiple formats.. 

 

The St. John’s river system is awesome. I’ve got a hundred story’s easily about it. I lived in Jax and Green Cove Springs which is 25 or so miles north of Palatka. It’s a river system you could fish a lifetime and never cover it all. Back to Trey, I hope the kid recovers, he’s quite a fisherman. He was 1 min. late last tournament and he dropped 2 places over it and that cost him money. A 90 minute punishment could cost him tens of thousands. He has to tighten up and I hope someone is coaching him proper. He was even fearful about traveling to his day one location because he thought he would run out of fuel. He’s got to do better on these calculations and I mean now. He’ll learn though, maybe the hard way. 

Exactly, he’s a lousy competitor. 1 AOY.. & I don’t know how..

I agree 100%. That hillbilly act has gotten old.  His mouth has kept him relevant or so his sponsors seem to think.

He and Mercer on the same stage is painful to watch.

[ak6388]

12 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

To me it's a pre FFS top 10......it reflects who heavily dominated pre FFS pretty well.

 

The Johnstons are wizards on the scope, but they built their quite legendary names especially on the SLR way before FFS.   Then you got guys like Cox, Hackney, and Canterbury who are about as anti FFS as you can get and still be on the Elites.

 

Toledo Bend and Lake Fork were so dang exciting, that I stopped minding FFS derbies as much.   The Lake Fork event was arguably the most exciting derby I've ever watched.      

 

I'm just ready for an event to end with some drama......I'd love to see a finish like last year's Lay Lake event.    Nobody knew who was going to win until Will Davis Jr weighed in last. 

The Johnston brothers are probably 2 of the most consistent anglers on the elite series. No matter where they go or how the lake is fishing one of them have a chance to be fishing Sunday. Their record is impressive with such a short time fishing with BASS. 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Personally I like Gman, however I don't think he's nearly the angler he was back in the day.

 

As far as Mercer goes, he's easily one of my favorite things about BASS.   His podcast has also taught me a ton about the anglers, and the sport as a whole.   

 

Things could be worse, this could be a MLF thread 🤣

[Tennessee Boy]

I wish I could walk a dog as well as Hackney.  It’s amazing to watch.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

I don't love seeing two anglers working together so closely.  This has been getting worse since I've been back in the sport.     The anglers are forming little packs, roommates, etc., and they agree to share information.  The MLF is even worse. 

 

Walters and Hamner, and the Johnston brothers are the most notable examples recently.   

 

This isn't a team sport imho, sharing fish, sharing locations, giving bed fish to your brother, none of that stuff feels right imho.  

[F14A-B]

2 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I wish I could walk a dog as well as Hackney.  It’s amazing to watch.

He’s having a great tournament. 

24 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I don't love seeing two anglers working together so closely.  This has been getting worse since I've been back in the sport.     The anglers are forming little packs, roommates, etc., and they agree to share information.  The MLF is even worse. 

 

Walters and Hamner, and the Johnston brothers are the most notable examples recently.   

 

This isn't a team sport imho, sharing fish, sharing locations, giving bed fish to your brother, none of that stuff feels right imho.  

Watching these guys today definitely made me more aware of this teamwork on the water issue, particularly in today’s example the brothers. I know what you mean, it just feels wrong to me also, I’m not saying it is wrong, but it really is a solo sport at this level. 

[F14A-B]

9 hours ago, rangerjockey said:

I agree 100%. That hillbilly act has gotten old.  His mouth has kept him relevant or so his sponsors seem to think.

He and Mercer on the same stage is painful to watch.

I believe you & I would do well if we were sharing a boat together, Mercer drives me insane with his clown act 🤣

 

Trip was on live mix this morning, nice to see him, I always liked the guy. Although not an MC, he was a solid director. 

[Team9nine]

1 hour ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I don't love seeing two anglers working together so closely.  This has been getting worse since I've been back in the sport.     The anglers are forming little packs, roommates, etc., and they agree to share information.  The MLF is even worse. 

 

Walters and Hamner, and the Johnston brothers are the most notable examples recently.   

 

This isn't a team sport imho, sharing fish, sharing locations, giving bed fish to your brother, none of that stuff feels right imho.  

 

41 minutes ago, alonerankin2 said:

Watching these guys today definitely made me more aware of this teamwork on the water issue, particularly in today’s example the brothers. I know what you mean, it just feels wrong to me also, I’m not saying it is wrong, but it really is a solo sport at this level. 

 Which is why I posted a couple weeks back that anytime a Johnston bro doesn’t win an event is a good tourney in my book - lol. Looks like I‘ll be a little sad come tomorrow though - but they’ve been doing this since they started fishing the US tours.

 

Also never watch weigh-ins because I can’t stand Mercer. Haven’t cared for him since before he was selected as BASS MC, back when he was a Canadian Swindle that I never found funny. Actually, I almost never watch any tournament coverage these days unless following a specific angler. Just not happy with where the sport has gone.

[12poundbass]

1 hour ago, alonerankin2 said:

I believe you & I would do well if we were sharing a boat together, Mercer drives me insane with his clown act 🤣

 

 

1 hour ago, Team9nine said:

Also never watch weigh-ins because I can’t stand Mercer

You mean to tell me you guys don’t find,

 

”Llllllllllllllet’s get ready to weight them!”

or

”Gggggggggiant bass!”  Catchy? What’s not to like about hearing those catchy phrases multiple times a day/tournament? 🤮

[TnRiver46]

Whatley with a 31 lb bag? Sheesh 

[ak6388]

Benton catching some bigs throwing a spinner around. So awesome to watch!

[TnRiver46]

Congrats Cory! Ran away with that one. I heard someone, I believe drew Benton , mention using the new nano alpha gamakatsu hooks as well 

[gim]

On 4/19/2024 at 11:34 PM, alonerankin2 said:

Exactly, he’s a lousy competitor. 1 AOY.. & I don’t know how..

I was there in 2016 when he won AOY. He said he was never going to back to “roofing houses” on stage. “I can’t do that again.”

 

[Pat Brown]

My biggest issue with G Man is that he teaches poor hookset technique and makes new anglers feel like idiots for not doing it badly the way he does it 🤣🤣🤣. 

 

'Slackliner' my @$$.  Enjoy not catching the fish you got to bite.  Beyond that, the dude probably knows his time has come and gone and is just trying to show everyone how much he can talk so he still has a job in 10 years.

 

Cory Johnston wrecked em.

 

As far as information sharing and little cliques of anglers.....

 

Been that way since the beginning.  Don't kid yourselves.  I'm not saying it's the finest aspect of pro bass fishing....but it's an aspect and always has been.

 

 

[MN Fisher]

12 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

My biggest issue with G Man is that he teaches poor hookset technique and makes new anglers feel like idiots for not doing it badly the way he does it 🤣🤣🤣. 

Can't argue with results though - 321 tournaments, 223 times in the money, 58 top 10 finishes....he produces.

[Pat Brown]

I think he's a good angler over all and earned his spot on the pro circuit.  Probably  should have a win or two under his belt that slipped away.  Not dogging the guy.

 

I'm actually trying to be empathetic to his current moment in his career and saying I can see why he's more personality  and less performance at this current stage.

 

Slackline hooksets are just generally not the best way to go (honestly, a lot of the hook sets I've seen him do live, despite what he says in instructional tutorials, are not snap setting on slackline) unless you're into the hook falling out in the net or halfway to the boat...but it's good branding for a t shirt or hat.