OCdockskipper

Considering the number of available "playing fields" out west compared to most of the rest of the country, I think it would be expected that the major tournament organization chooses to keep most of its tourneys where they have. I don't know this is the case, but it wouldn't surprise me if a majority of surfing competitions were held out on the West Coast & in Hawaii, with few or none on the East Coast or in the Gulf of Mexico. In that sport, the "playing fields" are out here as are the crowds that will attend an event. That sucks for the little gremlins growing up in Boston & Miami, but that is how things have fallen out. I do realize the cost differences between being a professional bass fisherman & a professional surfer, I was just using this as an analogy to point out the organizations go to where the best places to compete are. I still have a hunch that B.A.S.S. is going to go back to Lake Mead for their 50th Classic. While the fishing wouldn't necessarily be the greatest, it would still be an intriguing competition and Vegas is one of the few cities that would draw spectators from all over the world to come to. You would also get a lot of casual anglers checking out the tackle show & weigh-ins because folks are always looking for free things to do in Vegas. Further, no city knows how to promote an event better than Vegas. If the lack of big fish at Mead is a hangup, maybe they could have a "1 striper per bag" rule for this event only...

I understand it is just day one of the 1st event of the year on an unfamiliar (to most) fishery in cold weather, but... It is interesting that the top 6 bags came from lower buckets. Bucket D had 1st & 2nd, Bucket C had 3rd, Bucket B had 4th & 5th while Bucket E had 6th. It doesn't often fall out that way, albeit it won't be surprising if things change a bunch tomorrow.

I just saw that, 4 of his 5 picks are in the 90's. I don't think any of us could do that if we tried!! What I think is most amazing is that Kyle does a great job analyzing the tourney & anglers. I doubt that anyone here does more research than him, and logically, he makes good choices. Heck, after I read his earlier post, I started doubting MY choices. Turns out my only real bad one was the one we both chose, Jacob Wheeler. I'd bet my BR membership that he is in the 90's percentile by years end.

One thing about Wheelers bad first day is that he never seems to mail it in the following day. (Palanuik is like that as well). He may not make the cut, but I will be shocked if he doesn't move up at least 35 spots tomorrow.

My team: A - Jacob Wheeler B - Jesse Wiggins C - Mike McClelland D - Alton Jones Jr. E - Boyd Duckett My Wife's team: A - Ott Defoe B - Mike Iaconelli C - Paul Mueller D - Brian Snowden E - Wesley Strader

What is funny is to now switch back to a lower gear ratio and try fishing with it. I put some 4lb test on an older Shimano spinning reel to test if I got more bites on a Ned Rig than with 8 lb test. The combination of a no feel retrieve and having to reel like a madman to take up slack was really unnerving.

It is a little known fact that LMB have a random number generator in their brains, similiar to those found in computerized slot machines or video poker. Every morning, the RNG spits out a number that that particular bass will use that day to determine how far they will chase a bait. Some fish have faulty RNG's that continually give them different numbers throughout the day...

Growing up, we had neighbors who had 2 Great Danes and a Dachshund. The big dogs names were Prince & Duke while the weiner dog was named King. The names fit the personalities.

That is what I thought, especially how sharp they are on small catfish. It definitely had no chance of coming back out once she committed to eating it head first.

Answer - when she gulps down a catfish prior to eating your jig!! This nice prespawn female was just short of 20" long and should have been in the mid 4 lb range. However, she had a hankering for catfish and still hadn't digested it when she thought she would add a small crawdad-looking jig for desert. She ended up weighing 5lb 2 oz, but didn't look odd or misshapen with the whisker fish on its way to her belly. She looks to have the frame to continue to grow over the years, especially if she continues to gorge herself like this.

Saw something kind of rare for the middle of suburbia. While at the back of a cove, I heard a group of coots scatter from the shore towards the water. I turned around and saw a Golden Eagle pinning a coot to the ground. Within moments, about 2 dozen crows appeared and started swooping & harassing the Eagle. After a minute or so of that, the Eagle released the coot and took to the air. As the stunned coot tried to get to his feet, the Eagle circled a few times with the crows still attempting to chase him away. Finally the Eagle did leave the area, after which the coot limped to the water to join his buddies. Pretty amazing for a non-country boy to watch.

So this dude was reproducing with his great, great granddaughter? I think that was an episode on the original "X-Files".

Zman TRD finesse jig in green pumpkin with a Zman Batwingz trailer in green pumpkin/red flake. I dip the last 1/2" of the trailer in red Spike It.

Five. One in 1999 (age 36), one in 2005, the last three in 2011, 2012 & 2013. I think that is evidence of the easier scoring conditions I mentioned, for one does not round into athletic shape as we approach 50 . I actually haven't picked up a ball in nearly 3 years, as I began to fish more in 2012, I cut back on leagues until I stopped completely in 2015. Knowing that you left 10 pins for your 299's tells me you are right handed. That is good, that means your scores count (a little biased sarcasm to our lefty brethren). I have been fortunate in that I have never shot a 290+ game, all five times I have had the first eleven, I struck in the 12th. Have you ever shot an Andy Varipapa 300? That's 12 in a row, but stretched between 2 games.

If a guy has to use a sophomoric pseudonym with a couple of Z's tacked on to the end of it, I most likely am not in his target demographic.

The closest BPS to me is an hour away, I go to it 1 or 2 times a year. Typically it will be for a higher end purchase that I want to get my hands on to feel or test. As long as the price is close, I have no problem paying a little more because BPS incurred the cost to have it there for me to do that. I personally would feel a little chintzy if I used their store to test out the goods and then went & purchased it elsewhere. All other purchases are BPS online (using gift cards & CC points), Tackle Warehouse (for resupplying baits I have used before) or a couple of local stores (for something I want today or a very small purchase). Each of the local stores (Turners, The Longfin or Anglers Marine) are of course limited in their selection, but between the 3, they cover most of what I want.

Bowling was the other way I spent my youth, but since I married a woman who enjoyed bowling, I never took a break from it like I did fishing. I was fortunate to befriend a man who had been on the PBA tour when I first started. It sped up the learning curve because I understood what was possible and avoided having to unlearn bad habits. Statistically, 140 is an average average, while 180 is considered good. 200 used to be considered pro level, but recent advancements in ball materials and lane conditions have raised that to 220. Those who don't bowl much have trouble understanding how much easier the scoring has gotten for higher average bowlers. To use a fishing analogy, bowling now is like fishing in a So Cal lake that receives weekly trout stocking. It may not make a difference to the average angler, but someone like Tom is able to take advantage of the conditions and "score" higher at levels most find amazing.

We started the same year. As for casting, it depends on the technique. I don't do or have the need for pitching or underhand roll casts on my lake, so I am average at best with those. However, I am very accurate overhand, both with casting & spinning gear. I can also skip real well, both forehand & backhand. On vacation this year, we got to know a man who lived on the lake we were at. As luck would have it, his dock was the sweet spot of the lake. One morning, he watched as I fired small jigs & Senkos under his dock, pulling out a half dozen bass including a 4lber. He shook his head & said "amazing", because he had never seen that technique or how effective it could be. Ironically, I had the same feeling warching some pros while marshalling for an Elite event.

I would say a 33", 14 lb bass is actually a pickerel...

I would suggest that Dottie was one of those freaks. Not only did she attain a weight over 10% larger than any other LMB ever caught, she did it even though she was caught multiple times. She shook off the stress of being landed as a giant multiple times and continued to grow. Obviously, Dotties genetics are still in Lake Dixon, yet another 20 lb fish has not been caught there. She had the genetics to get to 25 lbs, but may have only made it that big due to being a freak.

Back when I was a teenager, I joined this organization called BASS, read their magazines and after a year or so, thought I was a pretty good bass fisherman. In my 20's, I got married and would vacation at the California Delta or Lake Mead. After fishing those lakes, I realized I wasn't so good as a teen, but had become a good angler since then. I cut back my fishing when my kids were young, but as I got in my late 30's, I started taking my youngest out to catch catfish & bass. I realized then that, as a 20 year old, I really wasn't that good but the experiences I gained fishing with my child had made me pretty good since then. In my late 40's, as my kids became more independent, I started back bass fishing more consistently. As I gained skill & knowledge by spending more & more time on the water, I realized how ignorant I had been just a decade prior. Now in my mid 50's I believe I finally have reached that status of being a good bass angler. To Be Continued...

Before the first event next month. Go to Bassmaster.com and click on the Fantasy Fishing tab for all the info.

Uh oh, I just saw this online http://www.richmond.com/business/local/circuit-city-brand-returning-website-to-relaunch-next-month-with/article_51f10820-afb6-5a3c-bfe2-a813f93d7c87.html Just in case there is someone who didn't understand the joke, let me clear Glenn's name. Neither he nor Bass Resource were offering any Circuit City giftcards to the Fantasy Fishing winners, I made that up on a whim last year. So much for using a company that was out of business & wouldn't come back. Thank heavens I didn't say it was from Kenny Rogers Roasters, turns out they have a bunch of restaurants still all through Asia. However, I wouldn't doubt the news that Glenn is considering offering lifetime film developing from Fotomat for the overall winner...

You know, one could pick Wheeler automatically for each event no matter what bucket he is in and probably be happy with the results by years end. There are a handful of guys who you could do this with. In 2016, I kept kicking myself after each event for not picking Jordan Lee. So in 2017, I would choose him first and then see if there was anyone else in the bucket that I felt forced to choose over him. Luckily I kept him for the Classic...

Keep this on the down low, but rumor has it that Glenn is negotiating with Pan Am to provide the winner with air fare for a LMB fishing trip in Alaska, with George Perry as the featured guide...