RichF

I don't know if I would trust any scientific info coming from the king of Cryptozoology! lol

I may be alone on this one but I don't think there's much of anything to learn from MLF. Maybe the spoon in the dock thing but other than that... The competitors all approach it relatively the same and that approach is really no different than how most bass anglers would approach new water. Find visible cover and go to work. This actually isn't an issue for me because I think the intention of the show is more for entertainment purposes rather than education.

I don't think having a largest 5 (or some form of that) would remove the effectiveness of the score tracker or limit the competitors' nervousness. I imagine a large number of anglers would continue to do the same thing they always do because they know it's such a gamble to try and fish for bigger ones. But, can you imagine if a guy is tossing a shakey head all day, catching 12 inchers and he sees KVD in the distance graphing off shore? I bet he'd be pretty dang nervous. I know I would be. He'd be telling himself "If Kevin catches 2 out there, they'll likely be heavier than my 5 dinks. Should I switch to a big jig and try to entice a big bite, go look offshore also, or just hope he blanks?" Adding that element gives the anglers another extra tough decision to make. On the flipside, the offshore guys would see the scoretracker lighting up frequently and even if they're small keepers being caught, they'd still be thinking..."Crap, should I just go in a try and get a limit then do this? I don't wanna get beat by a 7 pound bag." There will always be enough excitement and fish catches for each episode as well. Six top pros with six+ cameramen surrounding them for six hours....plenty of footage for an hour and a half show. When it comes down to it, I would just like to see these guys fish something different from time to time and I feel the only way that will change is if the scoring method is adjusted.

Maybe it's just a feeling thing? My reels with larger handles feel like they're picking up a little more line than ones with smaller handles. For instance, my older Quantum Energy and Curado E7 both have the same gear ratio and hold about the same amount of line. I "feel" like my E7 pulls in more line than the Energy. Since they're similar in the other respects, I equate the "different feel" to their handle sizes. The Energy's is smaller. This could just be in my head though..

How big (how much line does it hold) the spool is and how full the spool is can affect IPT. Handle size can as well, although I'm not sure if this provides a significant difference.

I lost a little respect for Kevin Short after he did that and I'm by no means a Watson fan. MLF is entertaining but I'd really like to see them adopt the biggest five rule (or something like it) to discourage the shakey head, bank-beating, dink-fests a little.

I'm not trying to be a butt, but...you may be climbing a slippery slope here, especially since you're pic shows you spreading the mouth of a bass pretty wide with a foreign object, all while holding its body with your bare hands (which we all know aids in the removal of the fish's slime coat)... Now in all honesty, I don't like seeing fish on the ground/carpet in pics either and do my very best to handle fish with the upmost care. That being said, I also think that bass are a pretty hearty species and can handle being handled quite a bit better than others like trout. Obviously, this is not an open invitation to treat bass like trash. Most of us on here don't wanna intentionally cause any harm to the resource we love so much.

Those do look nice. Have you tried his bladed jigs? Do the jigs have bait keepers on the hook shank for trailers?

I had that intention a few years ago. Got all the stuff to make my own but could never find a jig head that I liked. Now that TW jacked up the price on my ATs I may have to start looking at that option again!

Amazing how expensive this crap has become. Everything was on sale and it still cost $160 bucks!

You could get lucky and draw an Elite guy or high profile FLW pro, not that they always know what to do or how to catch them, it can still be a cool experience. I've fished 5 Northern Opens as a co-angler and I can't say it was 100% worth it. It was great to see how a big, professionally run tournament is run and I got to fish with John Murray and Ish which was cool. Ish showed me you can catch bass in ridiculously shallow water. John Murray was a super nice guy. Other than that, I can't say I learned a lot. If you're going to get into fishing big events in the future it's worth doing one or two.

The new Elites have torzite guides which puts their pricetag a little higher than the Extreme. Pretty sure they are built on the same blank though.

That was the only size Red Label I would buy. Hate that they stopped making it. I've used Berkley Vanish Transition, Berkley 100% Flouro, Seaguar Abrazx, and Sunline Super Flouro and Sniper (in 16lb). They're all pretty decent lines. The Sunline Super is the least abrasion resistant of them all (but it's also the cheapest so it makes sense). I'd say the Trilene 100% seemed to have the thickest diameter of the bunch and was also the stiffest. It's a little less manageable but it's crazy strong. I have a ton of confidence with that stuff. I just got a bunch if 17lb and 20lb Lews Flouro for dirt cheap a couple months ago so I'm eager to try it out. Honestly, I don't find major differences in flouros 17lb and over. They all handle relatively the same. I like the Abrazx a lot and I think you'll like it too. I'd use it more often but I'm a bargain shopper and won't throw down $25 for a filler spool unless I absolutely have to lol.

Be aware too, that unlike the ABA, you really have no say as to where or what you wanna fish. It's always a good idea to talk with your boater before the tourney and see what his gameplan is for the event. That way you can prepare by bringing the right stuff and leaving things you don't need/won't use during the day. Good luck!

Gotcha

Pretty sure its black. It is on the Zillion so I assume it's the same.

This is how I got good at it! Eventually added bowls and cups into the mix as targets.

Although the Chronarch E appears to be the same exact reel as the Curado E (minus the paint job), it really does feel more refined than the Curado. I really don't see a difference in their casting distance but the Chronarch is smoother and has no backplay in the handle unlike the Curado. Both are awesome reels, regardless. The Curado I is also a great reel. Like some others are saying, I think it does palm a little better than the E series but definitely doesn't cast better. You can't go wrong with either but considering the E series reels aren't easy to come by (and you will have to pay near retail for them if you do) you may be better off going with the I.

If you have the room (in your boat/tackle bag), I like Plano 3730's. I keep the plastics in their original bags and put them in their own divided slots in the box. You may have to trim the bag edges a little with certain brands. I'll post a pic when I get home this evening. It really comes out quite nice and neat. I actually don't have a ton of room in my boat so I only take one of these and fill it with the plastics I know I'll use and keep all my extras in speed bags/worm wraps. The box provides quick and easy access.

You make a very valid point! And yeah, you're definitely right...I just dropped over $100 last night on jigs...what's another $8 bucks. Super nice gesture A-Jay! I appreciate that. Probably not a bad idea. I could test it out when I fish with my father this year. We fish very similar styles and our catch rates are almost always pretty close.

In that case I 100% agree. Some baits are just not meant for casting gear.

You certainly can but casting gear gives you so much more control when pitching and flipping. Put some cheap line on your baitcasting reel and practice, practice, practice! I promise you'll be glad you did.

I really shouldn't knock it until I try it...but I just can't get into the whole scent thing. I have no problems catching fish without extra scents so why spend the extra money. I also take a bit of a different approach to fishing though. I think bass will only bite because they are actively feeding or something makes them react instinctively. I'm not going to sit and soak a scent loaded bait for 10 mins in hopes it will turn an inactive fish active. I'll just move on and find the active ones. I get the idea that the fish might hold onto the bait a little longer if it's highly scented but more often then not, the bass will hang onto my jigs plenty long enough for me to feel and set. If it hits and spits or pecks, 9 times out of 10 it's not a bass. But seeing how mental the sport is, whatever can boost your confidence on the water is what really matters. I certainly see how scents can do that for an angler. Maybe I'll experiment with them someday.

I get the most consistent action between 9am and 11am then again from 1:30pm to 3pm.