RichF

Took me a bit to figure out myself! The top angler from the shotgun rounds moving straight to the champ round is new this year. Definitely a lot of new rules.

Day 1 - Group A shotgun round 1 (40 anglers) Day 2 - Group B shotgun round 1 (40 anglers) Day 3 - Group A shotgun round 2 (40 anglers) Day 4 - Group B shotgun round 2 (40 anglers) Day 5 - Elimination round: 19 from group A, 19 from group (angler with highest weight from A and B automatically move on to Champ round) Day 6 - Champ round (top 10 anglers)

Haha! Dude, the Sluggo was the bomb when I was a kid! Once I started using that instead of a spinnerbait all the time, my catch ratio skyrocketed. Maybe I should bust it out again...

I fish the river more than the others since it's basically in my folks' back yard. There are times when I wish I had a 20 footer but not very often. Those are the days you likely wouldn't venture out anyway. The Z7 has been great. It would serve you well especially with an ultrex (I don't have one but wish I did).

I can count on one hand how many times I've had one tied on in the last 5 years.

I think the 'ol stick worm is just a FL favorite. He's throwing it with a weight most likely due to the wind. Pretty much every guy they showed was throwing a stick worm. Shaw, Mark Davis, Tharp. Dudley (and I bet every other angler) had one tied on.

You need to take a trip upstate to Ontario in the fall and toss that A-Rig around...Those brownies might even make @A-Jay's fish blush;) As for jigsheads, SK Squadron heads are great for the price. I actually like SK's shakey head jigs, believe it or not, when using Keithech easy shiners on the rig.

You'll definitely want, at the very least, an 18 footer. Could get away with a smaller boat on Otisco but the others are massive and get rough. My dad and I run a Z-7 up there and most of the time it's ok. Oneida can get the craziest so definitely watch the weather before you hit that one.

Have you guys ever seen Hackney flip? Rod in left hand, right retrieve. Flip with your left and you never have to switch.

It might not be quite heavy enough, but the Daiwa Ardito travel rod is pretty special. I brought the 7'0 med heavy down to Lake Okeechobee last winter. Pitched 3/4 oz jigs on 50lb braid to reed heads all day and smashed'em. It's definitely on the heavier side of medium heavy. They have a 7'6 model as well.

Probably a longshot but anyone ever fish this place? I know it's located on a resort but I will be there in July for a friend's wedding. Pretty sure they have boat rentals but can't find much info online.

Skimmed through Wheeler's first video. Slightly off topic and not to be too conspiracy theory-ie....but 3 guys that made the final all roomed together. Not saying they shared info (since I'm pretty sure it's not allowed, per BPT rules) but a non-pro like myself can't help but wonder. Also, didn't hear much about the spot and what the fish were actually doing. Maybe in the next video?

I like bright colors. I'd use it...if it wasn't an Okuma..

Don't the pros do the same thing? Isn't that what you have to do if you want to make an actual living fishing for bass?

My guess is Wheeler will say a lot of the same stuff, maybe with lesser detail. I'm sure he has his own "explanation" of why the fish were there and why they bit one day and not the next. I take most things the pros say with a grain of salt....especially the fishing commentators. Their job is to make it sound like the anglers know exactly what they're doing at all times and that they're the best at everything.

I'm right there with you. Been wanting to replace my E5 on my deep crank setup. This sucker would've been to my door already if wasn't for that silly left handle.

Are you referring to the part where he talks about graphing schools in the main channel that eventually move up to the top of the ledge to feed?

I think a lot of bass school up and roam open water, looking for bait, like they do in those weird blue back herring lakes. The weed kill deal happens a lot in upstate NY waters as well. Makes things awfully tough, especially for a grass fisherman like myself.

I don't think this kid is saying anything that the "pros" don't. Sounds pretty standard. I'm not really sure what he said that was DEAD wrong considering none of us (even the pros) REALLY know EXACTLY what and why fish do what they do. That's why we catch them on dark colors in clear water, heavy braid in clear water, big fish on little lures, little fish on big lures, burning cranks in the winter, flipping in a foot of water in 99 degree water, etc. etc...Every angler makes claims about the basses' behavior and tries to explain why he/she catches them at certain times, on certain things, under certain conditions. You don't have to pay that close of attention to hear contradiction after contradiction when listening to the pros talk. I give props to the kid for making a video and trying to teach people something. I'm sure as heck not giving away my secrets to the fishing community.

There are definitely screws hiding in the carpet of that panel. At least, that is the case with my '08.

For jigs under 1/2 oz, I use a 7'0 MH St Croix Legend Xtreme. 1/2 oz and over, I'm using a 7'0 H Kistler Helium 3.

The 2lb min is great. Will definitely prevent guys from running away with an event after stumbling across a giant school of 1 pounders (Ahem, Edwin, ahem). And I agree, didn't see too many spinning rods, wacky rigs, and drop shots in this one, which was refreshing.

I have 2 Legend Xtremes. They're really nice but not without a few quirks. The reel seat is the worst. Not a fan at all. The 7'11 H is super heavy and really needs an extra stripper guide toward the handle. There's like 3 ft of blank without a guide and it drives me nuts. I'm glad they're revamping the line. Hopefully the keep the sweet teal blank!

That's insane! It's like fishing the salmon run in upstate NY in the fall. Elbow to elbow...not much fun.

I've thrown them around grass edges a bit and have caught some big ones doing it. It's definitely not the easiest bait to toss in grass but it can work, for sure. The Biffle Bug is hard to beat but I also like Rage Bugs and Keitech crazy flappers.