Lund Explorer

Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Florida, and Ontario. Honorable mention for other species: For perch and walleye - North Dakota. For trout - Montana, Colorado, and Wyoming.

Congrats, it sounds like you've educated the guy on what it takes to live by those unwritten rules. Good luck this weekend!

Tipping the scales at a paltry 270lbs after coming down from 315lbs, I'd say the guy easily hits 350. The fact that his scrubby beard is the only way to find his original chin gives it away. The fish? Too bad he didn't have it thrown on a certified set of scales.

I really don't see this as a "secret spot" issue nearly as much as a competitor that can't find fish and has decided to run over someone else. While I was tournament fishing, this was a unwritten rule that you didn't burn someone else's fish. You went out and used your own knowledge to find good fish and then put them in the boat. This seagull is basically a no talent hack, but it doesn't give him the ethical right to infringe on the efforts of someone else. If he can't find fish on his own, perhaps he needs to hire a guide! Also, if I remember correctly, this same thing came up recently on the pro circuit as well where a rookie was questioned about the practice.

Finally. Raider has found the perfect date for his SIL!

Just the facts of tournament life. Every group will have a seagull or two, and there is little you can do about it until he has burned so many bridges that the other members can figure out a way to blackball him. Until then you've only got a couple of options. 1. Pray that you get a lower blast off number. 2. Decide to crowd right in on this bozo if he gets there first. 3. Find another place that is even better. 4. Burn that honey hole the day before the next tournament. Catch every fish you can and seed a spot that you can fish for retreads the next day. I'm guilty of doing all four, but the best option is #3. Maybe with a little of #4 thrown in for good measure. The biggest obstacle is going to keep this idiot from getting you so po'd that he takes you out of the game.

Agreed. The organization I was fishing draw tournaments with went through a year where boaters were dropping out all over the place. Most quit due to the very issues discussed here, and the fact that the TD didn't address it. I held out until the end of the year, but by that time there would be a dozen or so non-boaters left sitting on shore at each tournament. Needless to say, that division didn't survive. I have no idea what happened to all of those non-boaters at that point. As I also recall, the Elite Series pros dropped the co-angler in favor of marshals. Different reasons, but the same results.

Would anyone be happy if they relaxed the regulations for a group they didn't belong to? Say - - - - - - Bucket Fishermen?

Did you pick up that cake in Grand Haven? And while I'm thinking of it, here's hoping that you have a great Friday!

Not having access to the other forum mentioned by the OP, it would be impossible to fully understand how he came upon his opinions. The only thing I can say is that as a boat owner in these types of tournaments, I became very tired of the non-boaters. I got fed up with people who showed up expecting me to act as their guide for the day, who thought I should furnish lunch and ice cold drinks, and who saw no problem spraying their "Lunker Dunk" all over my back deck and motor cover. The worst non-boater I ever drew whined all day that he couldn't afford to pay the club's mandated boater fee, and then expected me to drive him home afterwards, even though he lived 30 miles in the other direction. When I hear the OP say that the non-boater shouldn't be responsible to cover the costs associated to owning a boat, he should understand that age old saying; "You Get What You Pay For!". This was the rule I lived by for years when it came to fishing draw tournaments. If a non-boater showed the desire to help pay for the day's costs, who came prepared, and who respected my property had a much better chance at getting equal access to the best fishing spots. The bottom line is that your tournament entry fee only pays for your chance to win something back. What you invest beyond that determines where you fish.

In the State of Michigan, the lakefront property owner has legal possession of the land. This includes the dry shoreline and the bottom of the lake. They also have the sole right to ownership of any dock, swim platform, or pier attached to that land, wet or dry. The State of Michigan(and by extension all of it's residents) owns the water and the fish that swim in it. Any boater or fisherman has the right to navigate (or fish) anywhere on the water itself, but they have no right to access the private property of the lakefront owner. Whether anyone likes it or not, boaters or fisherman do not have any right to use that property. When it comes to disrespectful people, its a large club and there are members from all the different users. To join that group, a person simply needs to think that their rights outweigh those that others have.

Friends are friends, and you aren't going to have any problems whatsoever. Until the first accident happens. If you read the thread about the two guys who got run over and died in California, apply that scenario to your little group. If the two that died were part of your group, expect at least one spouse or family to have their lawyer investigate the financial wellbeing of the other members. If the gentleman that ran over the two victims was part of your club, expect the exact same thing. There is a reason that lawyers exist in this world. The minimal cost of having one on your side before anything hits the fan outweighs the cost of having to hire one afterwards. Sad, but true!

Is it okay if I hold off any praise until you can pick up your SIL and toss her like a midget?

My only suggestion would be to take the reply below as your best possible answer. Someone who has fished the lake you are asking about should trump all the others.

Rat Finkies in Glow colors with a wax worm.

Use a Google search for "paddle tail worms" and take a look at the available images.

I'm seriously thinking of going to 200lb Power Pro, if I can find some Fluorocarbon leader material that matches up. http://www.amazon.com/Power-Pro-Spool-Mossy-Braided/dp/B003X0374A/ref=sr_1_34?s=hunting-fishing&ie=UTF8&qid=1406461788&sr=1-34 At least as serious as one can get when faced with trying to catch a 5lb bass!

Look for open windows on all of those flooded cottages along the shoreline!

All of this reminds me about a story where a guy asked a girl if she would sleep with him for a million dollars. She thought about it, and then agreed. So then he asked her if she would for $20, and she got all upset and asked him if he thought she was a prostitute. His reply was that they had already determined that, and they were now just negotiating the final price! Every time I hear about some guy(s) deciding its time to cheat, you have to know they've set the price of their reputation. Sadly, there are a lot of people who have set the price much lower, and it happens way more than most think.

To begin with, I don't think trolling is so much a lost art as the fact that modern bass boats aren't setup to troll. It's pretty hard to get a 150hp plus engine to idle down slowly enough. There is also the issue of carbon buildup if that big engine is a two stroke designed to run best when it's wide open full throttle. Secondly, I think the fact that a Senko and most other soft plastics aren't designed for trolling is part of the issue. From reading many of the threads on this forum, you can imagine that the majority of anglers prefer sitting still over the idea of steadily moving. Like you, I have caught quite a few bass when I'm trolling for other species. It has given me the idea that I might be better off dragging baits on some days when my normal routine isn't working the way I want it to. But then I think about all the bother of putting away my regular gear, dragging out all the trolling gear from the rod locker, listening to the complaints from my partner(s), and the option is shelved for another day. If I ever get back into trolling for bass, I would also utilize my planer boards. Run the drop offs with shallow running baits over the weed tops to the port side and deeper stuff to starboard. My shallow baits would include small bladed spinnerbaits and minnow style baits like a Rapala or Bombers. On the deeper side, Shad Raps, Hot-n-Tot's, and perhaps a minnow bait on a leader behind a bottom bouncer would be my choices. One last thought is in regards to all of the posts I read about people having a hard time learning a new lake. Imagine if they could figure out a way to cover lots of water trying to find active fish or locations where these fish hang out at. You just have to wonder if they could figure out a way to do that!

If you're that worried about it, just give us a list of the lakes that you don't want us to fish!

Gut & Gill and leave the heads on. Stuff the body cavity with lemon quarters, and the wrap with foil. Toss on the grill turning them every 10 minutes for about 1/2 hour total. What skin doesn't come off with the foil should peel off easily, then just pull the meat off the bone with your fork. Fish will have been fully steamed with lemon. Good eats, unless you are someone more inclined to eat that muddy mush also known as catfish!

So what's wrong with the Great Lakes? There's plenty of fairly decent inland lakes in the UP from Caribou in the east to Gogebic in the west, but I wouldn't make that far of a drive if I wasn't planning on hitting the waters around Drummond Island, Les Cheneaux Islands, or the Bay DeNoc area. As A-Jay said, plenty of great smallmouth water around Alpena. As a matter of fact, there's lots of lakes north of M-72 going from one side of the state to the other. If you want to target those green fish, there are many lakes south of the Mighty Mac that I would go to first.

Not going to say it was the best I've ever read, but if the author's intent was to state his case, then I guess he'll be happy with it. I will agree that if you are of the same mindset, then everything "Ace" said might make sense. I only say might when I think back to his comment that he "On several occasions, I have gone out into a feedlot and killed a sheep, pig, or cow to be butchered for my table." which runs contrary to what most people who raise livestock would do. I mean why kill something where you then have to drag it into the slaughter house to hang and process. On the other hand, the author's piece isn't going to change the minds of those who aren't charter members of the "I Am Carnivore, Hear Me Roar" fraternity. It completely ignored any of the science behind to harvesting of sustainable wildlife, and he fails to understand that since the industrialization of this country that the vast majority of the population does indeed only has a direct connection to their protein from a grocery store. In my research of the author prior to commenting, I didn't find any reference to where this gentleman lives, but let's hope it's not in the middle of an urban setting. I have to wonder if the author gave any consideration to what this country would look like, and what little hunting land would be available if the majority did live in a more rural setting. Once again, I guess he did a good job of self promoting his chosen lifestyle, but if he was trying to accomplish anything else, it was an epic fail.

Where was this guy when I was drawing non-boaters?