J.Vincent

The whole industry needs an enama, and that includes the fans and spectators. At the very least, the new BPT is a shot in the arm to the industry ; a welcomed change for many and a total disruption for others. What I like, is there is now a tournament trail for Pros who care about entertaining the fans and there is a Tournament Trail for Pros who care more about the Traditional Tournament competition.

Many years ago , I fished RedMans and then BFLs when the primary sponsor was Walmart; this is the same tournament trail as the current Costa. I've been in 21 foot Rangers, 20 ft Tritons, 19 ft vintage Rangers, 18ft Lowe Mod Vs, Bass Trackers and I've also seen boaters competing from fish n ski boats at various levels of competition. Not everyone is going to be fishing from $80,000 dedicated fiberglass bass boats, so I wouldn't hesitate to compete; as long as you meet the boat length requirement, motor requirements, have a kill switch, life vest and functional divided live well ....then I think you are set .

So you find a center console to be a drier ride in general ? Because that's a pretty big advantage , if it's true across the board and especially if it's true on a fiberglass bass model

Plastic Trailers are a great way to add loft without having to change blades; when you are trying to tune everything in. But I would say I typically catch more pike when using plastic trailers than bass; probably because it gives the spinnerbait a larger profile (unless it's a thin split tail). Sometimes I will grab a grub and clip the whole tail off and just thread the body of the grub up the shank; again for a slower fall and more resistance along with giving the fish something to bite into which has a more natural feel and added scent. Can't remember where I picked this advice up, but I'm pretty sure it was an old school angler back in the 90s

Your point is interesting and something I haven't considered; but I must admit 90% of the time when I approach a dock to moor up, I leave the wheel anyway and typically approach while on the trolling motor. But i definitely see how for some this could be an issue. But do you agree a CDC is more stable in comparison or have boat hull and design changed enough in the past 10 years to equalize this specific benefit ? Because it seems having driver passenger centered in the middle would still offer safety benefits and a more stable ride ?

Pickwick Lake, Watts Bar, Kentucky Lake, St. Clair and Lake Erie; all have very strong populations of Smallmouth

All of these boats appear to be discontinued as of around 2014, and this sort of has me baffled as to how or why CDC or CC bass boats are not being mass produced and heavily marketed as the safest option for bass anglers ? The design itself offers greater boater safety and increased stability. So am I missing or overlooking the reasons why current and ongoing industry standard is still Single Console and Dual Console with one or two seats between passenger and driver ?

Years ago I remember Nitro manufactured center console bass boats ? Does anyone know if they still do? and also who else makes a similar design with the throttle control positioned in the center ?

50lb braid is almost always overkill for chatterbaits, even a 5 or 6lb largemouth is tamed with 17lb mono. Also the only way a chatterbait can effectively be thrown on 50lb braid is with a composite rod; and this is just not ideal , as it changes the action of the lure when it pulls free from vegetation. On monofilament or copolymer, a chatterbait will snap free and pop forward erratically because of the added stretch. When fishing chatterbaits to emulate a fleeing or stressed baitfish , the added stretch is crucial. This is how I fish and it's the way I encourage others to fish this lure. ModFast with Monofilament is king in 99% of situations . But of course, do what works best for you and your specific fishing conditions !

I've tried Pline CXX and Yozuri Hybrid in 15lb with great success. But believe it or not, my go to line for Chatterbaits on a Moderate Fast rod is 14 and 17lb Cajun Red Smooth Cast. Ive had ZERO issues with this line for my Chatterbait fishing, it's very dependable and casts well. I only wish I could find it locally in their new Gator Green color !

Storm Arashi SquareBills have been one of the best tracking Crankbaits I've ever thrown; and they have a more durable diving lip than anything else in my box. Next I would say anything Rapala and Strike King seem to hold up well and track nicely.....I also own a lot of the H20 by Academy and I like many of their Crankbaits because they usually have an oval split ring and nice detailing for a budget lure, but they seem to be the least durable

I've noticed 8carrier 30lb braided line on my Shimano Casitas will sometimes dig during casting presentations but I've never noticed this problem with 40lb, 50lb, 65lb. Something also to consider is spool size, type of backing and lures you are presenting ; all of these may contribute to the occurrence of line dig and looping.

The Yum Pulse is a spectacular Swimmimg style minnow....it's a bit different than Keitechs but far more economical. But don't be fooled by price here, as the Pulse minnow flat out catches fish.

Once the turnover process is complete, the water on most lakes should begin to clear up; in fact here in Michigan, one of the best times to fish is during these clearer water conditions in October and November !

A ML would probably be underpowered for a bass between 3 and 6 lbs. I recommend a 6ft6 to 6ft10 Medium Fast for a good all around smallmouth rod. But just like anything , every angler will have different opinions.

Figure out a way to get two different reels; you won't be happy swapping reels ; plus with the presentations you mentioned you would want a 6.3 to 6.6 for medium cranking and a 7.3 for Jigs/Frogs.

In the North, when the water touches 70 degrees, I start fishing shallow Spinnerbaits, Shallow Crankbaits, Walking Topwaters and Lipless Crankbaits more often. But from my experience, the optimum temperature for these lures in the fall would be 65 degrees and cooler.

Understanding Bass behavior and seasonal movements along with a solid understanding about a lakes age, depth, forage, cover options and structure.....are the keys to finding and consistently catching Bass......Nobody does this perfectly all the time......not even the most succesful and accomplished Tournament Bass Pro in the history of the world.

I'm a big fan of Iaconelli , and his Classic victory in New Orleans still gives me goose bumps whenever I watch the footage....As for the show, I wish Mike would stick to specific broadcast lengths and not stretch 1 hour into a 5 hour marathon. And the audio quality of the broadcast needs work, It sounds like the shows callers are on a CB radio

So I actually caught the last 60 minutes of the IKE Live broadcast, and man I'm happy I didn't watch the entire 5 hour broadcast : )

Would have been 1001 if I had left the river earlier; is there a re-broadcast or recording we can check out ?

Sounds like some of these anglers are already hinting at the development of a National Angler Ranking System ; ) so does anyone know when IKE Live starts ?

You are probably correct ! When I realized I forgot this lure , it was to late to change the poll because so many had already voted. Yes, and next time I will probably put both these lures into one category called Topwater Walking Bait. : )

After reading your comment, it actually got me thinking......and I agree somewhat because when I first got involved in the sport of bass fishing; 1/4 oz was pretty much standard weight for any lure I used and 1 oz was at the most extreme end of the range. But presently, and since the industry began gravitating towards selling and using 2 and 3 oz lures far more commonly (Alabama rig, punch rigs and custom SwimBaits) , my repertoire and range of lures has changed. I throw more 3/4oz and heavier lures now than I did 20years ago, and oddly enough, I know consider 1/4oz to be light tackle. It's probably an incorrect definition for me to have of finesse , but it's almost as if the industry unintentionally redefined finesse by introducing so many monstrous lures. Could this be the reason some of us now consider 1/4oz to be finesse?

They will have to invite quite a few formers to round out the field of 80. I’m actually very interested to see what the full field of B.A.S.S. elites will look like now !