redux

I did a BFL a few weeks back and I learned a ton about the tournament world. Not much about fishing, per se, but a lot about tournaments and tournament anglers--the lifestyle, the mind set, losing the winning fish, the bitter face of defeat, missing the check you need to pay your bills...the stuff you only learn in the real world by failing or seeing someone fail right on front of you. I went in with no goals of even catching a fish. I just wanted to learn so the entire experience was a huge win for me. Think about getting into tournaments as a learning experience first and a chance to win money and/or bragging rights as a second or third goal. Personally, I think of fishing as a way to become a better person by facing down adversity not as a way to earn a pay check or an ego stroke. Anyway... I got in late in the season so I only have 1 more BFL for '19 and I am already planning to register for all of '20 when it opens.

I have 3 Shimano 71 XGs, 2 Curado 201 XGs, and 1 201 HG all with full ceramics bearings. I'm going to go with the 71 on the MH 7'2" Xpride. The 201 XG on my Flacon 7'2" Christie is my second. Both are versatile setups and handle a variety of situations. But the 71/Xpride is too sweet. My Stradic 3000 on a MH 7'2" Xpride is also very nice, but I haven't fallen in love with spinning gear yet.

Very sad situation. Prayers to everyone affected. Hope they can all come away with positive memories and live in a manner that honors his life.

Clarify with your boater any and all expectations, but these are good things to start with: Be on time in the morning Go to the bathroom before you get on the boat Be able to pee off the back without getting the boat wet 5 rods max 1 medium sized bag of tackle Don't cast in front of the console Tell him if you can actually back his expensive boat safely. If you're not comfortable tell him instead of damaging his property or just looking stupid and starting the day badly. IMHO $60 is good at the end of the day Bring water not soda or anything that will stain or leave a sticky mess if you spill No messy food Do not bring any bait dyes Clean up baits, line, etc as you go Keep all your equipment organized as you go Offer to clean the interior of the boat at the end of the day Help put up any equipment KNOW HOW TO NET FISH

I originally thought it would be for taxes. But BASS doesn't seem to award any prizes for their marshals. I assumed BASS would have some type of prize system since FLW awards cash to marshals for all tour events and they also give away a boat at the end of the season.

Any and all baits in June bug and Candy bug. Worms, craws, creatures, spinner baits, swim jigs, hula poppers, I don't care what it is get it in June bug or Candy bug when you see it.

I actually like a swimming senko with a 3/0 EWG. An 1/8 ounce weight (no peg) is optional but I tend to use it. You can soak it, swim it, bounce it, drag it over vegetation. Yum makes a very good one. I'd go with whatever color is most natural for the area. A quick look online for Ohio baits that work in tournaments and I would think green pumpkin, watermelon, or white.

How did you catch them up north? Were you catching green fish or brown fish?

Makes good sense and seems like a good move for both groups. Assuming it does happen, I hope FLW can keep producing content without heavy oversight from MLF. I enjoy the goofy stuff Jody and Kyle put together.

I'm surprised so many guys are standing straight up with their rods waving around while trying to catch bedding fish.

Thank you. Was wondering if it was some weird way to bait them. I found some articles about using soap for catfish and got very worried that "we" were going down a dark path. ?

Can someone explain the soap?

You can also forget to screw your drain plug in the next time you launch then start scratching your head when your boat starts to pee out the side NOT speaking from personal experience.

Thanks for that info. Christie can get in by that route if those other guys did. Assuming the BPT schedule doesn't get in the way.

MLF should track the biggest 5. Some of those guys still catch big fish and it would be fun to see a better track of stats too. I would also like to see the species tracked when that is part of the fishery. I first though about this when Hack caught that 7+ smallie on Chataqua (?). Made me wonder if knowing the species would make the field think about trying a different approach.

Tow rope. Never know when you may need a pesky jet ski to tow you in...personal experience...

They can qualify via the Opens. That's what Christie said he was going to do to get back in 2020. Win an open and fish all of the remaining events for that region gets you into the Classic. Unless that rule changed.

I'm torn between Hack or Christie.

Going to recommend watermelon seed as well. Yesterday on the Maitland chain I was getting my fish on a weightless Bitter's mega vibe in watermelon seed on the clearer water. In the dark water it was candy bug. I started the day sunny in clear water with candybug and got nothing. Switched to watermelon and things changed. Went back over my used water and just kept catching. Early they were mainly eating it top water over grass. They were roaming so they were in open water, by docks, mats, etc. They'd get it fished slow along reeds or on exposed sand too. Later in the day they moved to pads so I was frogging speed worms. The candybug was just dropped next to cover and allowed to sit. That's pretty standard FL. They weren't interested in moving baits sub surface for me. Met a guy who was getting small fish on a crank bait in grass though so...a gold lipless along deeper outside grass lines should work. But I am not comfortable with that so I rarely do it.

Agree. I'd let the bottom 10 anglers fish from the bank on Sunday. Put a camera on them, give them the same zones as the boaters, and only let them use banks that are public access. Give them the same time as the anglers in boats. Same take off time and same return time. They can drive or walk. They get 5 rods and whatever tackle they can carry.

Completely forgot about this. You can rent a small jon boat $30 for 4 hours. Contact the park directly for reservations. I believe the boats are provided by Bass Pro and were recently updated so it should be all new equipment. Scroll to the bottom of the page in the Other Park Amenities and Fees section. https://beta.orlando.gov/Parks-the-Environment/Directory/Bill-Frederick-Park-At-Turkey-Lake

One thing to keep in mind is fences. Parks, neighborhoods, and office parks should not be fenced, but if you see something that looks interesting go to street view to be sure. A lot of times you can see them in the satellite images, but double check instead of wasting a trip. Do the same for any ponds that look like they have access roads as those roads get fenced where they turn off the main street most of the time. Also, private property. Especially around that area people could have security guards or posted no trespassing. Not that people are crazy...but no one wants to go on vacation and leave on probation. I'm not super familiar with the fishing between south Orlando and Tampa so I can't recommend any spots. Looks like there are a few small shops close to Championsgate. If you want to go to a Bass Pro there's one closer to the city. If you want to make the long haul and visit Bitter's Baits I think it's worth it as part of a day trip into Orlando proper (There are a lot of good restaurants in the city). They are good people, you might see old man Jim, the dog is awesome, literally tons of plastics, and they carry brands and items you won't find in a major retailer. Especially higher end rods and line. You can also pick up a signed bottle of Cox Juice. Good luck on the water.

Shimano 70 XG. It is small, light, and strong. It also has a fairly shallow spool so you don't have to pile on tons of line for a short-range technique. If using flouro I like to add some braid backing to fill up a little less than half the spool so I am not wasting expensive line. If using braid I have been using 30# PP because the warranty is void if you use heavier braid. And I have not had an issue with the line breaking. If you can afford it swap the bearings for full ceramics or hybrids. If you can't swing that then carefully pry one of the shields off each bearing (there are only 2) and soak them in acetone to get all the grease out. IMHO you want your bearings dry so they spin freely and require as little startup force as possible.

Where did you plan your trip? The well-known public lakes in the Orlando area get a lot of pressure on weekends so they can be tough with the fishing, recreational boaters, and jet skis. I often forego taking my boat out on weekends if I can't get out of town and just beat the banks. You're going to be out on a week day so you won't have that to deal with. Hopefully Central FL can live up to the hype. My last 3 trips: Saturday - Bank fishing - Small pond at a mall gave up 20 fish between 1-2 pounds. 18 on a dark spinner bait. 1 on a bright spinner bait. 1 on a dark senko. Most of these fish were schooling in open water. One was on a foot of water under a tree and bit the dark spinner I pitched into the hanging vines. Yes, FL is a swampy jungle even in urban settings ? A second small pond in an office park gave up 3 in the same size range on the dark spinner bait and a worm. Sunday - Boat - Medium public lake. Lots of boats. Lots of empty beds. Fished every depth with anything from a dead-sticked senko to a square bill. Not even a bite after 5 hours ? Monday - Boat - Large public chain of lakes. A few boats. 5 fish in the boat. 3 lost dreams. All on a senko dragged like a frog or dropped in lily pads (1-6 feet depth). Couldn't buy a bite any other way so I ran the pattern after I figured it out (that took a few hours). Largest was 5 pounds 11 oz and the rest were 1-2 pounds. My point is you can find some great fishing in FL in the boat and on the bank so do not limit yourself to just guided trips if you can bring your own equipment. If you can't then I get it, but realistically you are going to miss out on some great bank fishing.

Funny, earlier this week I was re-listening to your interviews after the FWC on the FLW and Bass Edge podcasts. I really enjoy how you explain your approach to fishing. Keep on keeping on, brother.