SkippinJimmy

Not contradicting at all. Reading comprehension is hard. One says if given time. The other says walk in and be successful.

Huh… Huh…you literally left this first sentence out and just cut the second sentence to try to suggest that I said there were no up and comers.

LOL…not even close to what I said. Just go up to my previous post if you want to know what I’m talking about.

I didn’t disagree and I said so in my post though you may have missed it. It’s not about bass behavior or casting accuracy or any other variables. A lot of anglers possess those skills. It’s about taking a local or regional angler and dropping them on an unfamiliar, 150k acre lake and expecting them to be competitive with elite pro’s who have fished most of the lakes many, many times. I’d bet they wouldn’t have much success on our Texas Team Trail. Could some small number be successful if given the time…sure. But the thought that there are anglers sitting on their couches who could walk in and be successful on a tour like the elites is just classic fisherman talk.

The MLF anglers say hi. Some of the results from their Texas swings are pitiful. It’s less about the behavior and more about knowing the bodies of water. And catching bass is different than competing with elite touring pro’s, most of which have fished the bodies of water for many years.

There is a difference between talent and the ability to compete at a pro level on a variety of lakes, targeting a variety of species from Texas to Florida to NY. There are a ton of talented anglers around but that doesn’t mean their success is going to translate when they move to unfamiliar waters or different states. I know a lot of anglers who are “on em” consistently on their home lakes. Let’s see them do on a lake they are unfamiliar with or targeting an unfamiliar species. If the question is “if time, money, etc., etc. were not an issue, could someone be successful on a national level”, I would say absolutely. And that also describes the journey of a typical pro. If the question is could I take a top notch hammer and drop them on tour and expect them to have success, I say highly unlikely.

A dream and tragic story.

I am an “average Joe” relative to national touring professionals. I am just not going to be competitive on a schedule like this. In a different life, who knows but in this life compared to national touring pro’s, it ain’t happening. And I am likely going to get completely embarrassed at the last two. 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Schedule Feb. 22-25, Many, La., Toledo Bend Reservoir Feb. 29-March 3, Yantis, Texas, Lake Fork March 22-24, Bassmaster Classic, Tulsa, Okla., Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees April 11-14, Leesburg, Fla., Harris Chain of Lakes April 18-21, Palatka, Fla., St. Johns River May 9-12, Columbia, S.C., Lake Murray June 13-16, Decatur, Ala., Wheeler Lake June 27-30, Cullman, Ala., Smith Lake Aug. 8-11, Plattsburgh, N.Y., Lake Champlain Aug. 15-18, Waddington, N.Y., St. Lawrence River

I don’t think you have to guess. The recent success of the rookie classes suggests there are likely anglers not on tour who could be competitive if/when given the chance. IMO, advances in technology have been a great equalizer.

Use the Revo 6.4:1 you said you already own on the other post and use the $50 on something else.

I like to fish lakes where I have limited history as often as I can as I enjoy the hunt almost as much as the catch. Pond v reservoir fishing are different animals. Usually if people get overwhelmed with a large body of water, it’s because they view it as a large body of water. I look at reservoir fishing like eating an elephant. While knowledge of bass behavior and conditions obviously play a big role, unless I have history, I look at the overall lake as the sum of a series of smaller lakes. However you choose to narrow the lake, if you don’t have some sort of plan, you can easily get spun out chasing the next good looking spot on a map and waste half a day and a tank of gas with little to show for it. Once narrowed, put the trolling motor on high, cover water until you get some clues…good or bad…and adjust from there. If you fish from a kayak, you’re just going to have to take smaller bites.

I highly doubt that is the case. Since there is little pressure, maybe you could track your catches using something like a relative weight calculation? It wouldn’t be overly scientific but it may help highlight a potential issue around overpopulation or a forage issue. There is likely nothing you could do about it if there is an issue are but at least you would know you haven’t lost your touch.

It’s is legal in Texas to place an ID tag on the exterior of the fish as long as it doesn’t produce a signal. That doesn’t mean we should. Fortunately, it is likely a non issue in our waters as I have never seen or heard of some random angler tagging bass and knowing Texas anglers, I think you would hear about it. With an angler n of 1, there is nothing of value to learn and a much greater potential for harm. I’m not one to tell others what to do within the law and I don’t know the laws of your state. However if you are doing this on public waters, you really should consider the cost/benefit of what you are doing, regardless of the regulations.

How big is the lake? Are you still catching numbers?

I’ll help you out. I think the flippin’ rod is the one with the spinning reel on it and the only lure you need is a Hula Popper.