The Great Experiment Has Begun

[Tennessee Boy]

7 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

It could increase catch by 3000% and not effect population dynamics, you can still only kill 5 

I agree.   Still you have to admit that there is a huge difference between a gadget that increases your catch 5% and a gadget that doubles your catch.

[Team9nine]

The problem is the FFS/tourney conversations always seem to conveniently overlook ‘size structure’ and go straight to ‘population’ effects. It’s the former where I believe you’ll see the negative effects show up if early studies are any indication.

[Tennessee Boy]

Wheeler made a long run, giving everyone else a 2-hour head start. Now, after 30 minutes of fishing, he's leading the tournament. The guy is unreal. Oh, and he's not using FFS.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

I wanna see Poche win this one after the Heavy Hitters he got so close to winning last year.  

 

His camera man is terrible, how can he not know there is a huge smudge on the lens. 

 

ETA:   I love how even the pros big eye fish......Poche losing his mind over a 6 just now.      

[GReb]

Thought Poche was about to go on a James Watson level MLF rant there for a second. 

[A-Jay]

It's it just me or does a Minimum scorable weight of 1 pounds, 8 ounces seem

mostly on the dink side of the line for that fishery ?

A-Jay

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Yeah I'm not a big MLF guy so I don't know all the differences and rules, but I seem to remember different lakes having different min. scorable sizes.    I seem to recall some events where the min. was 2lbs.    

 

I don't mind having the min. being a pound, but I think it makes for better viewing if it's at least 2lbs.   

 

MLF BPT has always been a very confusing product imho.  

[A-Jay]

10 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Yeah I'm not a big MLF guy so I don't know all the differences and rules, but I seem to remember different lakes having different min. scorable sizes.    I seem to recall some events where the min. was 2lbs.    

 

I don't mind having the min. being a pound, but I think it makes for better viewing if it's at least 2lbs.   

 

MLF BPT has always been a very confusing product imho.  

https://majorleaguefishing.com/events/2025-02-13-stage-two-harris-chain-of-lakes/details/

 

A-Jay

[AlabamaSpothunter]

I feel like Keith is going to catch a monster any time now.   Even though this type of Bass fishing isn't anything I can do around here, it's refreshing to watch pure Bass fishing.

 

Flipping and ripping lips is quite enjoyable to watch.   I love the scenery, something about watching guys flipping nasty cover.  

[A-Jay]

11 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I feel like Keith is going to catch a monster any time now.   Even though this type of Bass fishing isn't anything I can do around here, it's refreshing to watch pure Bass fishing.

 

Flipping and ripping lips is quite enjoyable to watch.   I love the scenery, something about watching guys flipping nasty cover.  

I was thinking the same thing.

Not flippin' for Brown bass much here, especially right now.

But I like watching it mostly because it's been a proven method of getting a few Hawgs

for a Looooong time.

And us Old Guys like things that last the test of time.

btw - I would change 'something' tackle wise if I were Poche.

It's not like he's frog fishing.

These fish are choking his bait and he's got a fairly miserable landing percentage so far. 

Makes for some entertainment, but I hate seeing guys losing fish.

Just how I'm wired.

A-Jay

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Agreed, you can't beat an on his game Wheeler without fishing super clean.   

 

It's like when you watch an underdog football team win against the #1 ranked team.....they have to play a turnover, and penalty free game usually to win.   Meanwhile the #1 team has to commit numerous turnovers and penalties.   

 

You can hear Wheeler constantly reminding himself to slow down, dude's a savant if I've ever seen one.  It will be tragic if he never has the opportunity to fish for a Classic win or two.   

 

 

[GReb]

1 hour ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

It will be tragic if he never has the opportunity to fish for a Classic win or two.   

 

 

He fished the Elite series for years before MLF. 

[Tennessee Boy]

I’m I reading the ScoreTracker correctly?  3 of the top 10 including the leader Jacob Wheeler are not even using their FFS period today.   Don’t they know it’s impossible to win without it? 😄

[AlabamaSpothunter]

10 minutes ago, GReb said:

He fished the Elite series for years before MLF. 

Yeah I know, but I want to see the modern version of Wheeler get the opportunity.

 

Really hard to believe he wouldn't win one or two if he had the opportunity every year like the Elite guys do.

 

Hard to be the goat when you haven't won a Classic in my book.  

3 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I’m I reading the ScoreTracker correctly?  3 of the top 10 including the leader Jacob Wheeler are not even using their FFS period today.   Don’t they know it’s impossible to win without it? 😄

Surprised somebody hasn't flipped the transducer and tried to copy Scott Martin's epic win on the big O last year.

 

Drew Gill is in 2nd and he was using FFS to get back into the top 5 last period.   

 

Somebody will figure out a way to make FFS a factor I'm betting.  

[TnRiver46]

Wheeler darn near won the classic in ‘19 in Knoxville, seems like he had an 18 lb bag of smallies one day which is not easily done

 

I’m predicting silence from  blaukat on the subject of wheeler slaying fish without livescope  😂 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

I mean I understand why they keep coming back to Knoxville for the classic since it keeps breaking the record for attendance, but I couldn't have been more disappointed when they announced it's going back again in 2026.    

 

Kind of the problem with the Classic, it requires such a unique venue to host it.  

 

Redcrest should be an absolute banger this year though.  

[TnRiver46]

As you might imagine, I’m pumped ! Always fun when they have it on your home water about 2.5 miles from my driveway 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Haha, I figured you're the one bribing them 🤣

 

Selfishly I just want the Classic to come near me so I can attend the Classic expo.   It's the Super Bowl for tackle buyers 😁

[Tennessee Boy]

According to Scoretracker Michael Neal caught a fish at 2:58PM.  According to my calculations it’s now 2:02PM Eastern Time.  How does that work?
 

[TnRiver46]

Come on up in ‘26! It ain’t far 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

I really should, maybe scratch an item of the bucket list as well by hiring a guide on Chick.   

 

Imagine a Classic on Chick 😎 

[Pumpkin Lizard]

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Amazing how this format neutralizes or at least illuminates the pure scopers like Drew Gill.   

 

Dude caught 40+ lbs using the scope in the 2nd period, now he can barely catch a single fish by the mid-way point in the period.   

[A-Jay]

29 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Amazing how this format neutralizes or at least illuminates the pure scopers like Drew Gill.   

 

Dude caught 40+ lbs using the scope in the 2nd period, now he can barely catch a single fish by the mid-way point in the period.   

Pretty sure if I had any success it would have happened in the exact opposite order ~

😎

A-Jay

[AlabamaSpothunter]

No doubt A-Jay, and I'd be the same way.

 

That said, a really talented angler such as yourself would only need a season with a scope to get dialed in with it.   

 

That's one of the biggest negatives I see with FFS usage and young anglers.    If you take a guy that could hammer them without it for years, and give him the scope, he's just going to be that much better.

 

Now take a kid who has never known Bass fishing without FFS, take it away, and he's going to struggle mightily going forward. 

 

 

ETA:

 

Poche...."  I shouldn't have to teach you out here"    in regard to weighing his fish and holding the scale at an angle.

 

I never thought about the angle of the scale making it inaccurate.   Anybody seen something like this before?