AlabamaSpothunter

Awesome job! Did you go with ShoalBandit with the Youtube channel? He's got the best info in the world on these upland Black Bass species, and his YT channel is one of my favorite, nothing like it. I'm going to see if we can meet up and fish together when he comes over to Bama to fish for the other sub species.

Robert Gee was on the juice rock ledge in the river mouth that he found on the first day of practice, and was there on day 1, hour 1. On day 2 Chris Johnston rolled into this spot where both Robert Gee and Trey McKinney were fishing. Both Robert and Trey proceeded to absolutely soul crush Chris Johnston when they both caught 25lbs+ feet away from Johnston while Johnston caught nothing and got spun out. After day 2 Robert Gee was tied for the lead with Cory Johnston who was fishing in the lake. Between day 2 and day 3 Cory Johnston basically bullied his brother about giving up on the juice and letting those two rookies dominate him amid his battle for AOY. On Day 3 Robert Gee launches well before Chris Johnston and goes to the same juice rock ledge. Some time later Chris launches and goes straight there even though he couldn't catch a thing the day before. However this time he was armed with the exact same bait Robert Gee was using........low and behold he goes on to catch 28lbs and spot locks literally right on top of the rock ledge and forces Gee to fish the perimeter where he still is able to get a 25lb bag. Gee is leading the derby after day 3. Now after day 3 Chris Johnston has won AOY, and realistically doesn't have a shot at winning being 5lbs back, but his brother does. Chris decides to go back to the rock ledge again on day 4 in what I believe was 100% defense for his brother. To throw salt in the wound of Robert Gee, Cory went on Mercer in morning and talked smack about Robert Gee to which he eventually apologized for. Again The Juice podcast with Robert Gee from yesterday has the whole story, and Robert Gee doesn't even try to throw the Johnston brothers under the bus. Just the facts, and the audience can draw their own conclusions. Besides that, everybody got to witness this on Live. ETA: Apparently this spot was a community hole, and Chris Johnston knew about it from years ago. This is why he thinks he had every right to fish the juice. I'm sure the Johnston brothers could make that claim about most of the juice spots on that water system.

If you can look back at the recent SLR derby and say everything is healthy in pro Bassing fishing, I got a bridge in Arizona to sell you. Between the disgraceful Johnston brothers, and then the alleged cheating by JT Thompkins' DQ, the sport is in a really bad place. If I was an older vet, this would be as good as any time to step off the ride. Honestly the way the Johnston brothers were not only allowed but celebrated for their behavior last weekend, I think I need a time out from the sport. Listen to Robert Gee on The Juice podcast from yesterday, absolutely disgusting behavior by the Johnston brothers.

The bait should determine the retrieve or how much rod action you impart in my experience. The Sakamata Shad requires a totally different retrieve than a Jackall Drift Fry. If you try to retrieve the Sakamata Shad like the Drift Fry with a 45 degree rod angle, the bait wants to rise to much and doesn't roll. Whereas if you put your rod on the side and make less, and more drawn-out twitches it causes the Sakamata Shad to stay at depth and dart more like a fluke vs. roll like a traditional strolling minnow. This is a Japanese technique and I default to their usage, and they believe in constant subtle twitching while retrieving.

Yeah Cowboy won ROY and Elite Series wins at Seminole and St. Clair. Clunn retiring is kind of odd, as has been mentioned, he made no secret about his hunger and desire to win an Elite Series event using FFS. He's said it over and over the last year, so one could think he didn't have retirement on his mind until very recently. This sport won't be recognizable in 5-10yrs in my estimation. The Opens EQ and MLF Invitationals process has ensured that only the most committed, and schooled anglers will be fishing on the Elite Series or the BPT. The days when you could get on the tours working a normal job and just fishing a division in the Opens are over. Over the next several years, those EQ and Invitational anglers coming up will be pushing out all the older guys, and unlike the past those EQ and Invitational anglers are much more likely to retain their tour card given the process that prepared them to be there, so old guys coming back isn't a reality either. There is a youth tectonic shift happening in pro Bass fishing. 25 years ago the best pro anglers had to have decades of experience to become the best, these days the best anglers simply have to have grown up with the internet and mastered FFS. All the waypoints are out there, and GPS/mapping tech has made it where anybody with a boat can access them. Technology has trumped decades of experience.

If he did in fact break those rules, he's crossed the line from rules infractions to 100% cheating in my book. With evidence, and with a guilty judgement........I'd blackball him for life. Zero room for that, the sport should be held higher than any one person or thing. Think about the guys who were on the bubble for the Classic or like John Soukup who lost his tour card today. Imagine losing your dream to a guy using his cell to get updated waypoints and information competing against you.

Truly shocking 😲 Every single week it's some wild new thing. The fallout from this will be long and severe, very bad thing for the sport in my view. Dang. ETA: After reading the rules he's alleged to have broken, it's like he picked the perfect rule to break/evidence to hand to those who have been screaming about the rookie class getting an unfair advantage on info gathering and pre fishing.

1. FFS has become the most dominant technique in Bass fishing. 2. Young adults without families and adult obligations can literally fish every single day, they can pre practice way more than vets with families. 3. Young anglers are being exposed to derby fishing, and major derby lakes across the country far earlier, and with far more frequency than at any other point in Bass fishing history. 4. The internet has shrunk the world, and by extension amount of time to learn things. Technology and youth are hard to overcome.

Yeah, and I think he was the first or second one weighed......now the whole weigh in has been sad. Really sucks because just a few months ago he said he was fired up to learn how to scope and win a derby using it. At 78 years old it's beyond incredible that he's been fishing the top tour in pro Bass fishing. Hopefully he has lots of years left to enjoy his retirement.

God Speed Mr. Clunn, there won't ever be another like you! I thought he was going to retire after Jay Kumar's Bassblaster had tipped it off. ETA: Dang, now Frank the Tank is retiring.

Gee's burned down 3 fish for close to 14lbs......hard not to think that will come back and bite him. He might only know one technique, but it's the technique right now in Bass fishing.

Gallant was a strong play. 9 minute penalty for being late is a derby killer. Tough break for those who played him. Mckinney screwed me at Harris Chain on a penalty. Thought I might win the day for once, nope tied with the leader of the group, BassNJake 😁

Pro Bass fishing really needs to find a way to incorporate the West, I hear it discussed on the inside baseball podcasts I listen to quite frequently. Dworshak Reservoir would be incredible for a number of reasons. Imagine if they did a special derby or 'heavy hitters' type event on both Dworkshak and then on Ivie

Not in the least and I only fish with Daiwa and Shimano reels. To that end, I have a Team Daiwa-X from before 2000, it's been a mainstay in my lineup from day 1, to just having caught a fish on it an hour ago more than 25yrs later. It's as smooth or smoother today than any reel I own.

Go to the 10:30 mark in this video....."Dude's got his own portable livescope" On another note, that's easily one of the most impressive Derby wins I've ever seen or heard of.

6.15 SM......said it was his PB Kyle Patrick caught a 8.1 SM during practice as well. I'd imagine we'll see a 7lb fish before the derby ends.

It'll run off the tracks tomorrow, but I got 3 anglers in the top 4 currently. Last two anglers are 11 and 24. Thinking it'll be my best single day of the season.

Yeah I let Basstrak make a fool out of me. Never seen this level of sandbagging. Seems a 20lb bag is like a default party gift for simply launching your boat, place is ridiculous.

Dang, 9 minutes late for Cooper. There goes his derby, I know he's disappointed since he could have been a real player.

They should just do away with Basstrak......it's amazing how far off it is today. TAKU TIME! Man he sandbagged that monster bag.

Beautiful, magical, whimsical, and a bunch of other adjectives 😎

How can you not respect a move like this, just shows the lengths Bassheads will go to 🤣 I never throw away my used plastics, save them for a kid for likes to melt them down and pour his own. That ain't working on me, but then again I'm not setting the world on fire 😁

Maybe the weights will go up, but I was afraid that all the pressure would make the weights go down from the last couple of years. SLR is like a typical lake in Alabama when it's open water, there is a derby fishing it every week, usually multiple derbies. At some point BASS has to showcase all the other awesome fisheries up north. I'd be good with not seeing Champlain, St. Clair, or the SLR for a few years.

Mercer just dropped an interview with Wes Logan talking about the incident

Owner Zo Wire STX 38s are magical. Inevitably fish will be lost on treble hooked baits, but I'm always amazed at the difference these hooks make. Outside of Jerkbaits, all my hardbaits get these hooks. The sharpness, bend of hook shank, and strength really make the difference. Owner STX-38 Zo Wire Treble Hook | Tackle Warehouse