Champ188

I failed to mention a 1/2 or 3/8 football jig in PBJ with a green pumpkin double-tail trailer for those who might despise spinning tackle.

What caliber rifle? 😁

Event - Big Bass Tour

Lower one-third of the lake, gravel main-lake or secondary points that slowly taper into deep water, Ned rig or 5-inch Yamamoto grub in your favorite shade of green. Can't miss em.

I'm gonna let abkeenan's long-but-on-the-money report stand for most of what I would've said. I do want to throw in that I was a vocal opponent of the BBT event until I fished it one year. Like others, I have to say their fish care is first class and that regardless of my feelings about Johnny Moneybags, the tournament staff certainly seems to have the fishery first on their priority list. Personally, I do wish they wouldn't come at a time when the fish should be spawning but fortunately, there were few, if any, fish on beds this year. But then they'd be at another lake during the spawn and someone else would be complaining, so I'll conclude by saying good job to the BBT and we appreciate you taking the best care possible of our fishery. Frankly, we'd be better off turning our attention to the come-one-come-all summertime "jackpots" that weigh 'em on the tailgate of someone's pickup then toss 'em back into shallow, oxygen-depleted water at the ramp and drive off to let half or more of them die.

Dang, now I know what's wrong with MY left hip! And all this time I thought it was golf. 😆 And I would lose $100 bet on that fish on the right because I would wager that amount that it weighed 5 pounds. Good grief, what a gorgeous pair of fish. Lisek can flat-out catch em.

The only time I notice any kind of current-related bite on TR is in really hot weather, when they are generating a lot of power and shad do seem to collect on points at that time. Of course, bass will join them. But the only lake where I've really seen it make a difference is Truman. They often run a LOT of water up there during the weekdays, and you can deep crank or drag a football jig on points near the dam and get your junk wrecked by 3-6 pounders. You can actually see the water moving at these times and again, it's a hot weather deal. Problem is, they rarely run much water on weekends so that pattern dries up until they open the gates again on Monday. LOL

Reminds me a lot of trying to tell people they shouldn't keep a limit to eat every time they catch em. All you get back from the meathogs is, "Hey, it's legal so get off my posterior about it!" It's 2022 and ethics are as gone as dinosaurs. Add money to the equation and it REALLY becomes all about what's legal vs. what might be considered shady. I fished regional tournaments and the occasional national event for nearly four decades and never hired a guide or chased after local information. My screwed-up head doesn't work that way. In fact, one thing I learned about myself is that 99% of the time, when someone would volunteer information or I'd overhear some dock talk and try to make it work, I couldn't figure out someone else's pattern to save my life. I'm confident saying that 100% of the checks I made were on fish that I'd found and figured out how to catch on my own. The lesson in that is, do what your gut tells you and stick with it. Not everyone lives and dies on "bought" information. Dave Barker from Hollister led the career earnings list for once-prestigious Central Pro-Am circuit and I'd dare to say he never sought or accepted info from anyone.

If you eat too much ice cream, YOU will be at your heaviest limit! 😂

That's the JM Signature Series Model of Retailing. Create a fervor with false/deceitful marketing, push brand-name merchandise out of your store, peddle your own crappy store-brand merchandise, then wiggle out of caring for the customer when the crap you sold them falls apart. And now he's got people PAYING to enter the store? SMH

North side pockets from Duck Creek to dam are good this time of year.

Not sure it's fair to call weights like the ones below "in the tank."

If you don't like the way AIA runs their tournaments, no one if forcing you to fish them. Plenty of other choices out there. No need for all the drama ... unless you're into that kind of stuff? (e.g., last saving grace, screwup of epic proportion ...) It was a mistake. My friend and his partner made a mistake. AIA made a mistake. Simple as that. Mistakes should serve as reminders that (a) they can and will happen as long as we are on this earth and (b) the best we can do is take what we can learn from them and move forward. And no, I wasn't there. But when you start suggesting that a good man/friend of mine tried to steal $10k, then I'm going to come to his defense. And when you say they had multiple chances to turn themselves in and didn't, then yes, you are pointing the cheating finger.

Guys, this stuff about the team weighing six fish is being blown way the heck out of proportion. I know the boater half of those two guys and he's as straight up as they come. I had him as a back seater on at least two occasions when fishing Central Pro-Am and can personally attest to his character. Look, even BASS and FLW pros have made this mistake. Happened at the FLW Walmart Open on Beaver Lake one year. Bottom line ... no one was trying to "grease one by" anyone. As much as the anglers, the bump board guy should've caught it. My friend put a lengthy post on Facebook explaining what happened and that there was no ill intent. Honest mistake. Crap happens. Don't blow it into something it's not.

Will do, my friend. I haven't had sidescan on the bow previously, only on the console, so looking forward to seeing what it will show me in terms of brush and fish on points and around docks.

That's just about as candid and truthful as it can be put. I just put two new units on my boat but not livescope. They are Lowrance Elite FS 9's with top-notch built-in mapping, sidescan, downscan, and thank heavens, Lowrance's industry-best, old-fashioned 2D sonar. Been trying to embrace Humminbird sonar for 8 years and I'm done. Ready to look down at Lowrance units again. Not saying there's a thing wrong with Humminbird, just never suited my eyes like I thought they would when I bought em.

Those two old codgers couldn't find the off/on switch on a livescope unit. 😂

Not a fan of the red ones myself either, Arch.

That Ray guy is about as much a "pro" as these wannabes running around our lake wearing jerseys on weekdays. 😁🤣

I believe the day needs to come --- and soon --- that fisheries leaders in every state that profits from bass fishing sit down and discuss the effect this new sonar equipment is going to have on our resources. Seems we are constantly improving technology but not spending enough time/money improving our lakes and rivers. Can't keep taking more and more fish out without putting some back in. Does not compute.

Was fishing a club tournament on DeGray in Arkansas back in the 80s and found a northside pocket where they were starting to move in to spawn. In 15 minutes, I had a seven-fish limit on a brown jig/black Uncle Josh #25 crawfrog that weighed north of 25 pounds. Right place, right time.

I was once able to find them in bulk packs of 100 but no longer. They're really expensive by the 5-pack but probably still worth the price.

Hi snkrohn, this is a known issue with Humminbirds of that era. I have a 998 with the same issue. The unit is 8 years old and it's been doing that for 7 of those years. Just never bothered to have it serviced. It comes on with no issues ... turning it off takes some finagling and sometimes sorcery/witchcraft. A flying scissor kick might work but that's not something I've ever been willing to try given my age limitations. Ironically, today I am taking that unit off for good and replacing both it and my 958 up front with new Lowrance units.

Bobby, just ask Vernon ... golf brings A WHOLE NEW SET OF CHALLENGES! LOL

Good to know, 1farmer. Where do you procure these Hayabusa hooks?