1 hour ago, Tennessee Boy said:

So let's say you have a choice.  

 

You can select any one of the Elite or Bass Pro Tour pros to come fish your honey hole with you as long as the pro you select has never fished the water before.

 

or you can fish with a successful local guide who has been guiding on your honey hole for decades.

 

Which would you chose?

In theory?  A guide.  They are professional anglers too.  And while they may not have the generalized skillset of the touring pros, they have more useful knowledge about that specific body of water.  The guide might not be able to read the conditions and adapt as well as the touring pro, but they'll know most, if not all, of the highest percentage spots in that lake.  

 

Though, the guides at my local lakes all specialize in other species.  Mainly catfish and white bass, with some crappie and walleye.  So my guess is the touring pros would be the better bet for black bass in my specific situation.  

At best, I would be learning what I'm doing wrong when I get skunked.  At worst, the pro would be as dumbfounded as I am when I get skunked.

I used to think about this too until one of guys in our bass club double qualified for the Elite Series and then I realized it's been happening all along. 

I watched KVD fish my honey hole.  He was throwing jerkbaits and I was fishing tubes and swimbaits.  We both crushed them that day.