12poundbass

There's a rumor Ike is going to retire if he wins? Hmmm sounds fishy to me ( pun intended ?) the last classic he won he said it was his last. Then he won it and well here we are today and he's better than ever. I don't think its in his DNA to give it up.

That would be pretty cool. I'd look at it the same way and as a 1 on 1 bass tutorial (as long as the guy you're with is having a good day). Even then there's still a lot you could learn just watching them. Living in central Michigan if have to travel a ways to do it but would be worth it for sure!

3 inside the cut for me. Alton Jones bombing today hurt.

That was real intelligent to schedule another tournament the same time as the classic. I realize it's public waters but come on. That could turn into a mess.

From what I've read from people who've been marshals it sounds like it's worth every penny. Does $150 sound right for the marshal fee? That's the number that poped in my head.

Yikes! Some of my fantasy guys better get on some fish then!

I didn't think there was a cut for the classic. Either way Swindle is out of it.

Lol you have a little cabin fever A-Jay? Or a little too much flammable coffee?

You'll get them on the helix. Sorry for the confusion.

It appears Ike way over estimated along with several others. Ehler way under estimated! Second time this year its been way off. Basstrakk is at the mercy of the anglers I believe.

Before you make your next cast fish number 6 must be released.

My boat had the same issue and I actually did use flex seal and it has worked so far. I only used it 3 times before winter came so we'll see what happens this year.

I'll be he had one hell of an "allergic reaction" when he caught that one! It's just getting started but hopefully that's a sign of a good weekend for Ike!

I hear ya. The first 2 tourneys it was slow at work so I had time to check in every hour or so but now that its warming up and the ground has thawed in busy and will only get to check in a time or 2. I'm not a nail biter but I might start today. A: Alton Jones B: Ike C: Defoe D: Zaldain E: Jones Jr

Looking good Wayne keep the Mega images coming! The second to last image you posted is that a school of larger fish on the left or is it a baitball?

Yes

I used it about 6-8 years ago. Must be I got the only good spool the produced. I wish I would've joined BR back then so I knew it was junk I would've kept it....it would probably be worth a fortune someday having the only good spool they ever produced! Seriously though I never had any issues. I haven't used it since but the one spool was good.

You're spot on with Ike! Love him or hate him he can fish and he's extremely smart! He has a degree in marketing and after reading his book you get an inside look at who he really is. He's absolutely passionate about fishing there's no question about that. Part of his "allergic reaction" to catching a fish as Zona likes to call it is from his passion for fishing the other part is pure marketing. In the cut throat business that pro bass fishing is you not only have to win but you have to stand out. He already has the resume he the only angler to ever win the Bass Nation title, Classic title, and AOY plus his other wins. Take those away we'd still know who he is. Look at Gerald Swindle, he's won 2 AOY's which is a big feat but he's never won an elite event. I think his biggest win is an Open. Don't get me wrong the guy can fish and he's one of my favorites on tour, but how long was it in between his AOY titles? Yet he's remains a household name and one of the highest paid anglers as far as sponsorship goes for a decade or more despite zero elite wins. Why? Because he's loud vocally and clothing wise, and we all tune in to see what's going to come out of his mouth at the weigh in. I personally wouldn't do what Mike does but you have to respect his out of the box thinking. It's paid his bills when tournaments haven't.

I do agree with you, I'd much rather see bigger fish caught. The problem though is if they were to target bigger fish the show it might not be as popular. Like OCdockskipper said watching someone go an hour or more without a bite is pretty boring. I watch Bassmaster live from time to time and it can get boring and they're chasing after a hand full of big bites. Maybe for the elimination and championship rounds they could head to big bass lakes like Falcon, Fork, Okeechobee, Mille Lacs lakes.

The dink fest does get boring at times. With that said I look at it as informative. I probably not on the level of experience as most of you so if I can look at what they're doing and do it on my lake and catch more fish in going to do it. Of course I want to catch bigger fish but if I can go out and catch more fish I'm going to do it. So I'm mixed on my feelings. I like seeing monsters caught but I also like how they have to figure the lake out as fast as possible and it helps me out.

Awesome thanks for the heads up I'll have to check it out when I get home and see if mine has it going on.

The skin cancer message has been pretty strong rightfully so. I haven't read all the posts on this so I apologize if its been said already but don't forget about your eyes! Most if not all of us wear our shades while fishing. I work in the utility field so I'm outside all day every day. When I first started I saw these guys wearing sunglasses even when it was really overcast. I eventually asked why and their response was simple but something I never thought about. The sun damages your skin and will damage your eyes. We've all been sunburned and see what it does right away and we learn from it. The damage that's being done to your eyes you don't see until your older and possibly too late. So whether its sunny, cloudy, winter, or any season don't forget about your eyes!

At one point there was 5 pounds separating first from fifth! That really was a great show. I think KVD's biggest downfall that day was the fact that he's KVD. He made the comment that the sun wasn't out and that would hurt the small mouth bite. He's the man when it comes to small mouth (large mouth too) he took a gamble and tried to get on a school of them but it just didn't work for him. I was glad to see ike pull it off and win. The past couple years he's gotten back to the Ike of old. He's settled down some, yes he can still be a spaz but it seems like since he remarried and had a couple more kids he's more focused and I think we'll see more good things come from Ike.

If you run both at the same time isn't there a good possibility of interference?

Maybe it's the coffee! ?