Tennessee Boy

Whoa.. you mean you don't spend half your day looking at spreadsheets just for fun?😊 At the end of this season we may have the answer to one of the greatest questions that has plagued mankind, or maybe just the greatest issue that has been debated on this forum. At the end of this season we will be able to say what percentage more or less the average MLF angler caught per period when using FFS. This could range from 0% (FFS made no difference) to 150% (they caught 2.5 times more weight when using FFS). Here's how I would interpret the results 150% or more: The world is ending. Anybody want to buy a boat? 100% - 150%: I was wrong. FFS should probably be banned in all tournaments. 0% - 30%: FFS is a great advancement to the sport. 30% - 100%: We will need to keep arguing about FFS. 😊 But that's just my opinion.

I'm not sure I follow your thinking. To me all of the data is interesting. The final round tells us how much the top angler's in the tournament relied on FFS. The average catch per period per angler for FFS periods and not FFS periods will tell us how much FFS improves the catch rate on average for all the anglers in the tournament. That stat for the entire season will be very telling. FFS can be used in many different ways and its impact on catch rates varies. In this tournament Scoping for suspended fish was the key to success for the top finishers. Others may only use it to find a weed line. Still others may have it turned on but not use it at all. Over the course of the season we can get a good idea what the total impact of FFS is to catch rates of top tier anglers. It's all very interesting to a data geek like me. 😊

I've been working on some numbers on the entire field. Unfortunately, MLF doesn't list what period each angler used FFS after the end of the day. I didn't realize that until after the first day. I have the data for days 2-4 and I've figured out the data for most of the anglers for day one so it's a work in progress. It will be very interesting to see the number at the end of the year. This issue needs some hard data. IF ANYONE HAS THE ANGLER FFS PERIODS FOR DAY ONE PLEASE SHARE IT WITH ME!

This is a one fish tournament for the top 3 with 45 minutes remaining. Wow!

Justin Lucas has two fish scoping this period. Big mistake waiting till the 3rd period to turn on FFS.

He’s gonna be hard to beat but anything can happen in this sport.

My interest level in watching this stuff skyrockets when they show the sonar screen. A picture of the angler’s behind might give you some idea how much he exercises but tells you very little about how he's fishing. This screen conveys so much information that is fascinating to me. Depth, cover, structure, temperature, baitfish and so much more.

Yesterday Shuffield caught 8-11 in the first two periods then caught 46-7 in the 3rd to move into 2nd place. That's why they're covering him so closely. Most of the guys near the top have nothing to fish for at this point so it's about the guys trying to make the cut.

Shuffield is the only one using FFS in period 3. He did well with it yesterday in the 3rd period. I assume scoping is not working as well for him today.

Others have echoed the same thoughts. The technology is proving that most of what we thought was true is not. Using the technology will teach you more than you ever imagined about fish. It can also help you know what the fish are doing on a given day. One guy fishes a point for a while and doesn’t catch anything. He leaves thinking the fish are not on points and asked himself where they’ve moved to. The next guy fishes the same point, but has FFS and can see the fish following his bait but not biting. That guy is more in tune with where the bass are and how they are acting. He has the opportunity to learn how to better catch them. To each his own but I want to be as informed as possible. To me the mystery of fishing is just another name for fishing ignorance.

Yes LeBrun skips tomorrow if he hangs on to first place. The other 19 of the top 20 fish tomorrow and the top 9 move on to the finals.

Yes weight go to zero tomorrow and in the final round. The guy at the top skips tomorrow and moves straight to the finals. Sometimes I wonder if being off the lake for a day doesn't hurt you more in the end.

If you don't think you can beat the guy on top and you're not worried about dropping out of the top 20 there's no reason to try to move up. He's scouting for tomorrow.

So let’s hear your predictions. When the year is over, how much higher (or lower) will the average weight caught per angler per period be during FFS periods?

I went to my eye doctor yesterday. I decided I would go ahead and buy some new glasses from him. I picked out a pair that looked good on me but didn't look at the brand or price. Then the lady told me the frames alone were $409. A couple of nice people helped be up off the floor and I decided not to buy my glasses there. I went to Costco and bought a nice pair for $69. 😊

https://majorleaguefishing.com/events/2025-bass-pro-tour-stage-one-lake-conroe/live/

Nick Lebrun is offshore, looking at his screen before every cast and moving up the score tracker. It's fun to watch now that you know he's not using FFS. 😆

... and Drew Gill takes the lead without his cheater box.

It's winter in Texas so FFS will play a huge factor. Takahiro has caught his fish on a bladed jig. He used FFS in the first period but he has not stopped catching them in the 2nd. He's up to 4th and is looking good right now.

9 of the top 10 used FFS in the first period. 4 of the bottom 10 used it. Mark Davis caught 36 pounds in less than an hour on a crankbait on sea walls. Then nothing since he's in 5th. 25 anglers have not chosen to use it in the first 2 periods.

The Bass Pro Tour started this morning with the new rules concerning FFS. The anglers can use FFS in one of the three periods. It looks like most are using it in the first period and the leaders are all in the same area doing the same thing fishing for fish suspending in standing timber shaking a minnow. Mark Davis jumped out to an early lead throwing crank baits without FFS but hasn't caught one for over 30 minutes and has dropped to third. This should be interesting.

I fished at the club level for about 10 years in the 90s and really enjoyed it. It was a very friendly club where everyone competed hard during the tournaments and then helped each other get better between tournaments. When I moved away I looked for another club like it for a while but never found one. If you want to be competitive you have to work hard. I'm not sure I have that much energy at this point in my life but might consider another club if I found the right one.

Take a look at how many pros live within 50 miles of the Tennessee River.

That’s exactly what I was saying in my post. You don’t see the separation of skill level at the different levels of fishing that you see in other sports. There was a guy in my club in the 90s that was very good. He won AOY like 5 years in a row. He fished a handful of BASS Opens and did well. He finished in the top 10 in his he first open. He finished in the top 20 in another. He clearly demonstrated that he was the best angler in our club and that he could compete with the best professionals in the world. He also lost more tournaments at the club level than he won and I beat him countless times. The guy had the opportunity to go pro full time. He had a great personality and made friends quickly in the BASS tournaments he fished. He was offered a boat deal and was encouraged to go full time. He didn’t go pro because he had a good job and family and could do the math to see it didn’t make financial sense. I have no doubt there have been countless others like him in the fishing world.

Many that fish the BPT fish the Toyota Series and sometimes the Phoenix league and they don't dominate every tournament. I've heard that Jacob Wheeler sometimes fishing a weekly wildcat tournament on Chickamauga. I don't know what his record is in those tournaments. When I say average Joe I'm not talking about someone that fishes twice a year. I'm talking about serious anglers that fish at lower levels. Ike once said the best angler he knew was in a club that he used to fish in. Again, I'm not saying the Elite guys are not good. They are amazing. I'm saying that an Elite level angler fishing in a local club tournament might be favored to win but would not be like Derick Henry playing in a junior college football game.