AlabamaSpothunter

Haha, I was just thinking earlier how much I was enjoying watching him fish.......running the bank skipping a whacky has to be in my top 3 favorite ways to catch them. I think he's fishing for the fans, he actually said at one point he was happy he caught one so the camera stayed in the boat

Agree, if you watch Wheeler or DC practice videos on YT it's no shocker why these guys win so much. They are always trying to find the one different pattern that can separate them for a win. So many of these other guys are just trying to make cuts, cash checks, make points and rightfully so considering how hard and expensive is. I'm sure both Wheeler and DC are clearing over $1mil a year, and it could be significantly more. Heck DC has won $900k in just Redcrest wins lol.

You knew Wheeler couldn't let the world think DC was the current GOAT for too long......make it exactly one event 😁 The biggest tragedy in pro Bass fishing is that Wheeler and DC aren't able to fish for Classics or compete against the kid wizard scopers on the Elites to prove who truly is the best in the world.

I've thought about the commercial thing a good bit when viewing the two trails.......my thought is that BASS is actually hurting those companies by playing those same commercials every 10minutes. After the first hour or two I'm hating those commercials and the products they're advertising 😆

That's a great point. One of the biggest flaws I've always seen with the BPT is how much they change the format, and this just throws jet fuel on that. Then again I wouldn't be watching the BPT a ton this year without the change to FFS usage so I guess you win some, you lose some.

I was coming to bump this thread saying the same thing.......just love watching dudes fishing below dams in strong currents......throw in some awesome topwater eats, and you got my attention I'm always surprised at how much more attention the Elite threads get vs. the BPT threads. How can you not love the BPT coverage......constantly making the anglers educate the viewers, 1000x fewer commercials, and the production value is off the charts in comparison. Tough time of the year to do it, but I sure hope we see a DD caught. Rojos caught a 9.6. I follow a guide who live bait fishes with big Gizzards, he's really shown what lives in Chick, he catches a bunch of 35-40lb bags in the winter with numerous 10-13lb fish. Lastly I'm not sure how I feel about them switching lakes for the second half of the event. Seems a bit weird.

Day 1 started today, about to take a break after period 1. DC has got a camera. Been a scope fest for the first period as usual, but the real fishing is about start for those interested 2025 Bass Pro Tour O’Reilly Auto Parts Stage 4 - Chickamauga and Nickajack Presented by OPTIMA Batteries - Major League Fishing

Lol, Drew went back the next day and tried to catch that big bed fish but it was gone. If that's not personal, I don't know what is. Great listen about all this on Mercer's most recent podcast. He also said he could have caught 13lbs no problem offshore as he had a great spot for it, and caught them on Monday there. Not to take anything away from Paul Marks, but Drew clearly lost this derby instead of Marks winning. I can't remember seeing an angler lose an event because of being stubborn, but this was a clear case of that.

Betting on a scope smash fest. I'm predicting a number of Candy Randy videos after this event 🤣

I've occasionally noticed those things on a sticker 9SV, but they always go away before I'm troubled to go into the setting and mess around. I've never had the problem where it won't show depth reading though, but the clutter up top and occasional blinking on the depth have happened. I always though it might have something to do with the bottom composition because the blinking depth thing happens when I usually over very soft muddy/mucky bottoms. To me this makes sense because the return isn't as hard as when it's hitting rock bottom for example. Maybe try cleaning the transducer really good since you said it's been in the water for 3 years. Mine has been in the water that long though as well but I also store the boat with the motor/transducer out of the water.

Daygum Musky kingpen Tim, congrats! Had no idea how much Musky loved/hated Crappie until your results. Sounds like they're what a Crawfish is to a Bass.......almost impossible for them to resist. Wonder why Musky are so attracted to Crappie, wonder if it's the taste, or if it's the way it might make them feel more full. I know that when I eat a big bowl of pasta, I feel like I got way more fuel in my body than when I eat Chinese food for example. I have to think predator fish can tell the difference in caloric intake in the different types of food they eat.

It's really quite remarkable how this thread follows the rhythms of the seasons......the thread roars back to life just like all the new babies and blooms do in nature during the Spring time. Way too many awesome fish catches and trip reports to comment on each one, but I truly enjoy seeing everybody able to get back on the water and chase these amazing fish we all love. It always strikes me as unfair when mother nature locks out seemingly half this forum's members late in the Fall. I guess the reward is having way more aggressive and less educated fish to pursue when you can fish for them. Congrats on all the great catches folks!

I'll turnaround and go back and get them if I forget them.......100% must have item. Beyond the incredible benefits to actual fishing, it's important to protect your eyes. I believe we should always where eye protections when fishing.....both from flying objects like lures, and from harmful sun rays hurting our eyes.

I'm so happy to hear that Katie, and equally thrilled to see it producing your typical fat and healthy Maine style Bass! It's such a rare and special opportunity when you can find a small lake that isn't too big to eventually learn it all, but not so small that it doesn't take you very long to do so. The universe brought you and that lake together for a reason, and I don't think there is a better person alive to unlock the mysteries of it, or care for it and it's special critters.

Thanks! I've tried just about everything at this point, double o rings, Crossovers, other types of sleeves, the best I can do is average about 4-5 fish per senko. I just can't envision the Neko Hack being better on the senkos, but I listened to a YT video from Alex Rudd earlier where he said that's what he uses. Guess I need to try it out. Since mid March, I've burned through 17 packs on Yamasenkos, and 6 packs of the VMC crossovers whacky rigging. About $200, but that's yielded over 500 Bass on those baits so I really can't complain. My concern is all the plastic that ends up in the lake.

Three 1200+ events in a row doesn't sound like luck to me. Congrats on the great picks!

That's awesome @IYAOYAS, and I can't recommend going to an Elite Series weigh in enough, it really makes you appreciate the sport we love even more because of how genuinely nice and approachable these anglers are. BMP after losing the Lay Lake Elite event a few years ago on a dead fish penalty made time to talk with me. You can go anywhere you want, nothing is off limits, you can go around back and watch the guys in the weigh in line, you can wait after and talk to any angler you want, it's complete and total access for the fans. Can't think of another pro sport where you can approach and talk with the pros so easily as pro fishing.

You think those Neko Hacks work better than a VMC crossover ring, or even a simple O-Ring? I've got a pack of them that I used to with some JDM pancake style baits, but I didn't think they would be that effective with traditional stick bait styled worms.

Prayers sent for Noah and the rest of your family! Can't imagine how tough it's been for Noah growing up in a wheelchair, that experience has likely made him stronger than 99% of the population, so I'm sure he'll beat this thing, and come out on the other side much better for it.

Haha, I actually asked him on facebook if he went back and tried to catch it. Doing the math on the move where he gambled and released the 2.5lb male.........it cost him $7500, he would have ended up in 2nd but instead finished 4th. He dumped a 2.5lb fish for a 12oz fish. I don't blame him on that move because he was already pot committed to that fish and strategy that late in the day, but not leaving that fish mid day was the move that cost him it seems.

Naw, and the more I think about it, the more I think Cook lost this event, more than anybody else winning it. It's wild that Cook only lost by about 3lbs and his final day's weight was like 8lb 2ozs. He let a single fish cost him $100k. He seemingly made the biggest mistake in bed fishing which is to never let it get personal with an individual fish. He could have stopped sight fishing at 11-12 and still had time to scope a couple 2.5lb spots or find another couple 2-3lb LMB on bed, he could have won this event doing just about anything but what he did.

I suspect Randy caught that big fish so easily because he stood back so far from it and casted in the blind. It's amazing how hard a bigger female is to catch once she's seen you. This year I started making my first pass casting in the blind on high percentage spawning grounds, and then I'll cruise those areas with my eyeballs as a follow up. Agree on the senko, the Wacky Rig senko is THE king of Spring baits imho.

Yeah BASS's product is hardly watchable. It got so bad yesterday that I had to look up the next MLF BPT event which is next weekend. It's mind blowing how much more entertaining, and most importantly informative MLF's product vs BASS's, I've been a BASS man since I was about 8-10yrs old, but at some point I'll stop watching 4-5hrs of the same commercials during a day. Another thing that drives me crazy is how BASS thinks anglers who got cut are more valuable to listen to than the anglers actually still competing. This event proves what I've learned over the last several years, sight fishing/bed fishing for LMB is the toughest technique in Bass fishing imho. It's far more black magic than science.

Gotta be one of the most next level and ballsy moves I've ever seen in pro fishing......Drew Cook just released a boxed male to try and settle down a female....bear in mind he caught the male hours before. Just wild, if this pays off it will go down as one of the most epic moves ever.

Looking at the group results, it seems a bunch of you guys had really great events, congrats! One thing I'm learning is that you should never go against your gut, the first pick is usually your best pick. Kicking myself for pulling Welsey Gore for Hackney, and I let Hackney's NPFL win cloud my judgement. Guys like Cox, Hackney, Christie, and even Walters screw me vastly more than they help me. At some point I'll learn lol. Mckinney is like the cheat code of fantasy fishing, so is Hamner. You don't fully realize or appreciate the consistency of certain anglers until you play fantasy fishing. Jay P is another one of those guys but I've never picked him a single time......he's just too boring for me, but man can he fish.