RichF

That's good to know. Does the waterproofness compare to gore-tex?

For the anglers out there that have experience with these, just how waterproof are they? I'm curious to try them (as I'm looking for a pair of bibs right now) but the fact that they only offer 10K waterproofing and 5K breathability makes me skeptical of their ability to keep you dry. Thanks!

Is it sad that I'm more shocked that a lake in this part of the country actually has grass that grows in deeper than 3 ft?! HAHA, seriously though, that's an awesome fish and great story!

Congrats man! Nice fish!

Academy.com has a few Ike Delay series rods on clearance for $49.98, Castaway Skeletons for $79.98, and 7'1 MH Fast Mojos for $79.98.

I totally agree that consistency is 100% NOT luck. I just think that major blowouts are strongly influenced by it.

I have to agree with Rook there. I'm definitely not saying KVD can attribute all of his dominance to luck, but that particular event...yeah I'd say luck had something to do with it. There were tons of other anglers in Cataouche, fishing the same exact cover, with the same exact baits. If I recall correctly, Martens was fishing d**n near next to him. KVD had a couple magic stumps that for some reason attracted more 5's than the stumps 30 yards away. Now obviously, his skill with casting, hitting the right angles, repeated bait placement, fish landing ability, etc. helped tremendously but I highly doubt he KNEW FOR A FACT that those couple stumps were going to attract more of the 5's rather than just 3's and 4's like the ones nearby, when he found them in practice. Wheeler can catch them for sure. I'm not denying that. But he got lucky this last event. I would even argue that his win on Eufala last year was pretty lucky. Most of the guys were fishing in that same area but he happened to hit the exact spot where a giant school was actively feeding in the morning and loaded the boat quickly. He did very little damage in the last 2 periods while guys like Faircloth and Shryock were catching them (and their fish weren't schooling). I'm not saying it's just Wheeler. Anytime a MLF'er stumbles across a massive school (Martens at Pokegama, KVD at Lacrosse come to mind) it's pretty much luck. They didn't find those fish during practice, obviously (since there's no practice), they just happened to bump into them. I'm just super skeptical when these anglers hit a school of fish like that and claim afterward that they knew they would be there...c'mon. How many times do the guys say "ooo that spot's got'em" or "I'll check that later cuz they'll definitely be loaded up there in the afternoon," then strike out? The answer is: way more often than them saying that and actually having a giant school of 4 to 6 pounders be there.

Obviously, I have a problem with online tackle window shopping...Basspro has Revo Rockets for $129.97.

Wheeler can be a bit annoying sometimes. He's definitely good but I think he's also gotten pretty lucky at a few of these places. A lot of the guys find "spots" that are holding multiple fish. He just happened to find the one holding really big ones. I'm sure what he saw on his graphs looked exactly like what Timmy, Shaw, and Brent saw. It just happened to hold a better class of fish. I just don't bite when these guys say they knew exactly what to look for to find the biggest fish and win a round. He didn't have a single fish until the last round...then found a group of 4 to 5 pounders. It's hard not to think there was a little luck at play. Oh and another thing...why is it that every time these MFL guys catch smallmouth that spit up crawfish, they never change to a tube?! At least pretend you're "matching the hatch" like you so often like to say! Still the best fishing show on TV though haha.

Curado K fits the bill. I don't see a reason to get an uber expensive reel for frogging. I used a Curado E7 then switched to a Daiwa Zillion TWS. Both worked awesome. Just got a K and was bombing a spro jr around Lake Fork a week ago.

My experience...none of the branches know what they're talking about. You never know what you're gonna hear when you visit. I've never been able to ship a rod USPS (always $100+) but have heard of people shipping tubes priority for less than $20. I use UPS because it's close to me. Every rod I've shipped has cost me $35 to $40.

Another solid deal from Field and Stream online store...Loomis E6X rods (only a few models) $99.97.

Those frogs walk incredibly well but hookups are tougher because they're so flat (small hook gap). You can try and bend the hooks out a little but even then it's iffy. Mine get very little use.

Hey man, did you ever get a link to the BFLs on the Potomac?

The Tackle Tour guys gave them a good review. I ordered a pair just to see how they are. Just returned a pair of Stormr Aero bibs I picked up a few days ago.

Field and Stream online store has Simms Challenger bibs for $99.96 right now. Black/grey only.

Spros are my favorite but Koppers are nice too. They're much softer than Spros but that does make them a little less durable.

Had a great time with the family last weekend on Lake Fork. Unfortunately the weather kinda stunk and the fishing was really tough for us northern folks. Finally put a little deal together on our third day and caught a few. No TX giants but it was still fun fishing a new lake with my dad, sister, and brother in law.

Im surprised nobody mentioned Ontario.

I hear ya. I've bought 2 from there and a Curado K since last November. Trying hard to keep myself from getting more!

Or you can get a brand new tatula sv for $105...

Dustin was in the Elites last year. He won ROY and the Ross Barnett event (edging out KVD). He's got skill for sure.

The Nation Championship top prizes are pretty awesome. I feel like the paid entries into the Opens is relatively new but I'm glad that's a thing now.

The St. Lawrence River will...again. If I understand it correctly, cities bid on where the events will be held. The cities will pay B.A.S.S to hold tournaments there because of the economic impact they have. There's also the issue of accommodating facilities. Most of the famed reservoirs in the southeast are best equipped to handle events of this size. You also have to look at the fanbase and overall interest. Again, the southeast wins. I totally agree that some of the locations are pretty lame but from a business perspective, B.A.S.S is doing the most financially logical thing. And I don't know if anyone paid attention...the first Eastern Open on the Big O drew over 200 boats. Like most of you, I thought for sure, the new format was going to reduce the field fairly significantly. I know it's only the first event but I was pretty shocked.

I was pretty disappointed that they went back to Ouachita for the Select final. Dinkfest for sure.