MLF Announces FFS Restrictions for 2025 Season

[J Francho]

At least there's some transparency to the shenanigans. 👀

[Susky River Rat]

@Tennessee Boy I respectfully disagree with you. Pros are  coming out and saying FFS changed that you do not need the knowledge anymore. This has been on a few podcasts with different pros. 

[gim]

4 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

In the B.A.S.S. tournament on Toledo Bend this year why were so many anglers bunched up in one creek?

 

Maybe they found that area pre fishing.  They usually pre fish for every event for 3 full days in advance.

 

It's probably a combination of pre fishing/scouting, local knowledge, and scoping to be honest.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

5 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Ask yourself this question.   In the B.A.S.S. tournament on Toledo Bend this year why were so many anglers bunched up in one creek?  During the tournament @Catt was on here talking about how much he liked that creek.   Did they scope out all 186,000 acres of the lake and all find the same fish in the same creek?  or did they get local knowledge from locals like @Catt?

8 of the top 10 on the final day.

The week before, the MLF BPT showed the Elite Series guys the way. 

 

The Elite Series followed the BPT guys again on the SLR. 

 

Don't need way points when you can just watch the MLF live coverage.   So stupid the way these organizations schedule events.  

[Catt]

11 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

The week before, the MLF BPT showed the Elite Series guys the way. 

 

No they didn't!

 

If I remember correctly MLF was won on the Louisiana side, Elite was won on the Texas side. 

[Happybeerbuzz]

I somehow doubt these spots have been "secret" for a long time.  The way everyone is on top of each other would indicate that it is just understood and excepted that everyone will be in that general area.  They may not know what particular bait or technique to use, but even a new angler on tour will have a good idea where to fish by his second year if not by the second day of the tournament.  Throw in modern sonar technology and social media like the Toledo Bend thread going back to 2008, and you can imagine they will figure out the particulars in short order.  

 

I know sonar tech bares the bulk of the attention, but an academically adept angler on tour could shave decades off the learning curve by just mining information off of social media and message boards.  

[Catt]

@Happybeerbuzz You are correct!

 

During that time frame all of Housen' Bayou & 6-Mile Bayou are the #1 areas to be.

[king fisher]

4 hours ago, Team9nine said:

Don’t know, but I saw where Josh Jones posted to all Bassmaster Elite guys that he is offering to sell all his best waypoints on Fork, Tenkiller and St. Clair (for a price) between now and Jan 1 when the no-info rule goes into effect … and he claims two guys have already jumped on it  🤣 stir that pot!

I don't believe there should be any no information rule at all.  Why have a rule that is almost impossible to enforce?  As far as I am concerned if the only way to enforce a rule is to have the anglers take a polygraph, than that is not a rule that should be on the books.  A cut off date for fishing is reasonable, because it is possible to catch a person on the water breaking that rule.  Getting information on the internet is impossible to enforce.  Someone being honest will obey the rule while someone else will cheat.  The honest person may flunk the polygraph while the cheat passes the test.  There is a reason polygraph results are not allowed in court.

 

If there was no rules against getting information, the anglers would be so over loaded with info. it wouldn't help anyway.  Before I go on an offshore trip I call every charter captain I know, talk to all the anglers on private boats that have been out, and check any posts on Bloody Decks and other internet sources.  I will have at least a dozen way points of recent activity given to me by reliable sources. I look at the weather charts, as well as the sea temp. and chlorophyll charts.  On my way out to the fishing grounds I monitor the VHF radio, to hear how others are doing, and talk to any reliable sources I know over the phone or on the radio.

 

In the end I have so much conflicting information that I don't know where to start. I would have been better off if I simply would have checked the weather and went fishing.  When I get back I get the same calls from other captains wanting information.  The are always surprised to find I tried many of the spots that had been good, but ended up finding the fish someplace that wasn't on any ones radar yet.  I give them the new numbers, and they end up finding the fish in a different spot than me.

 

If the anglers on the pro bass tours had no restrictions on information, I believe they would all have the same information and would have to simply go fish to find out what information is working at the moment.  No accusations of another angler cheating, no lie detector test, just everyone out trying to decipher if the information they received was correct while someone that just went with their gut wins the tournament.

 

In other words no rule, would cause information over load, therefore there would be no use for a rule.

 

I would not submit to a polygraph.  I would say either prove I broke a rule, believe in my integrity, or kick me off the tour.  There are plenty of ways to make a living where, my honesty would not be questioned by an archaic machine.

[gim]

Good points @king fisher, pretty much impossible to enforce and prove that one unless the angler admits to it.

[F14A-B]

Well speaking of rule changes BASS just changed the no information rule again, it’s now effective immediately vs 1-1-2025..

[Catt]

Y'all laugh but there has been Pros incognito here for years. Some were active members.

 

 

[J Francho]

I know of at least one former pro that was on here like that, from the horses mouth. 

[Susky River Rat]

I know Glenn had said  Mililken was a member at one time too. 

[Gera]

So.... one day will be kind of watchable. 

 

Every time I read MLF..😄

[webertime]

No more MLF for me.  Even after the whole Champlain cheating thing a couple years ago and the FBD stuff, it still offered a way to compete at a reasonably high level.  You know we're all competitive and we need an outlet for that in some way.  BASS only had like 9 opens and none close.

 

I fished an MLF Toyota on Champlain this year as a co.  I got drawn with a scoper day 2.  He caught 50ish fish by noon.  He knows what hes doing but its not hard...  We were going back and forth from 20-46' from .1 to 4mph zigzaging all over.  Impossible to drag a bait like that.  Tried topwater only to have the boat turn and run my line over a dozen times.  I sat down as it was just impossible to compete.  He said he would give me a heads up to toss a senko for followers, cool, only to have him demand the net within 5 seconds of tossing the senko so i reel up.  At noon he tells me that one fish is dying and he wants to go weigh in.  His fish died...   I was showered and watching Netflix by 140pm.  

 

Now I'm not bragging but I'm a d**n good partner to have, I snatched 3 of his keeper fish out of the air when they jumped boatside and threw the hook (30 years of lacrosse will build that skill).  I pay well for gas, give baits, rigging, food etc.  Heck I sold a rare rod, super cheap to a touring pro because it's his favorite rod ever and cant find them anymore.  I've never not ended up friends with my boaters, becoming best friends with a few and even this guy wasn't a jerk.  But as a co...  if it's an FFS tournament, going forward I just won't do it anymore.  I know it's part of the game, but at some point, the game becomes unwinnable.  The sport (tournaments) is becoming elitist like skiing, and that's sad.  The "buy a boat...  put the time in..." comments are a big f off to thousands of people that work, have kids, illnesses, actually have boats and the such.  

 

I sound frustrated, and I guess I am.  I've spent tens of thousands of dollars over the years to pursue some competition and fun while working full time, raising kids, helping ill relatives, and being a great husband.  For what now?  To be told too bad so sad spend more.  That sucks.  So I don't really care about period one or three or whatever it's too convoluted to watch. 

[F14A-B]

49 minutes ago, webertime said:

No more MLF for me.  Even after the whole Champlain cheating thing a couple years ago and the FBD stuff, it still offered a way to compete at a reasonably high level.  You know we're all competitive and we need an outlet for that in some way.  BASS only had like 9 opens and none close.

 

I fished an MLF Toyota on Champlain this year as a co.  I got drawn with a scoper day 2.  He caught 50ish fish by noon.  He knows what hes doing but its not hard...  We were going back and forth from 20-46' from .1 to 4mph zigzaging all over.  Impossible to drag a bait like that.  Tried topwater only to have the boat turn and run my line over a dozen times.  I sat down as it was just impossible to compete.  He said he would give me a heads up to toss a senko for followers, cool, only to have him demand the net within 5 seconds of tossing the senko so i reel up.  At noon he tells me that one fish is dying and he wants to go weigh in.  His fish died...   I was showered and watching Netflix by 140pm.  

 

Now I'm not bragging but I'm a d**n good partner to have, I snatched 3 of his keeper fish out of the air when they jumped boatside and threw the hook (30 years of lacrosse will build that skill).  I pay well for gas, give baits, rigging, food etc.  Heck I sold a rare rod, super cheap to a touring pro because it's his favorite rod ever and cant find them anymore.  I've never not ended up friends with my boaters, becoming best friends with a few and even this guy wasn't a jerk.  But as a co...  if it's an FFS tournament, going forward I just won't do it anymore.  I know it's part of the game, but at some point, the game becomes unwinnable.  The sport (tournaments) is becoming elitist like skiing, and that's sad.  The "buy a boat...  put the time in..." comments are a big f off to thousands of people that work, have kids, illnesses, actually have boats and the such.  

 

I sound frustrated, and I guess I am.  I've spent tens of thousands of dollars over the years to pursue some competition and fun while working full time, raising kids, helping ill relatives, and being a great husband.  For what now?  To be told too bad so sad spend more.  That sucks.  So I don't really care about period one or three or whatever it's too convoluted to watch. 

Totally understand. I fished some Redman way back when as a co, life got real busy with promotions and kids. So I stopped and took my own rig fishing for fun when I could. This year I got pumped to do the BFL thing, hoping, hoping they would snuff FFS..

Well, they didn’t and that’s it for me. I can endure any other type of fishing a boater can throw at me except FFS. 
 

Fun fishing and saltwater fishing here I come 🤣 Good luck dude, ya never know it might come back around for us, (I’m kinda old though lol) 

[Woody B]

On 9/7/2024 at 5:34 AM, Susky River Rat said:

I am willing to bet that most of the winning weight will come from the FFS period.

 

I'm not sure I'm understanding the rules, and periods correctly.  I suspect many of winning fish will come during the non FFS periods.   IF (big if) a competitor has some really good spots, and thinks certain times will be best I suspect they'd use those times, and spots for the non FFS periods.....then us the FFS period to try and add some thought some tough bite/times, areas.   

[webertime]

50 minutes ago, F14A-B said:

Totally understand. I fished some Redman way back when as a co, life got real busy with promotions and kids. So I stopped and took my own rig fishing for fun when I could. This year I got pumped to do the BFL thing, hoping, hoping they would snuff FFS..

Well, they didn’t and that’s it for me. I can endure any other type of fishing a boater can throw at me except FFS. 
 

Fun fishing and saltwater fishing here I come 🤣 Good luck dude, ya never know it might come back around for us, (I’m kinda old though lol) 

I hear you.  Vermont state record Muskie was caught 150yds from my front door.  Maybe I'll go after the 12 muskie we have!  Now I know the owner of NPFL very well maybe I can plant a seed in his ear for opens.

[Tennessee Boy]

I thought this was a very interesting discussion on how MLF anglers might adjust to the new rules.