My Marshal Weekend With The Elites

[GNSfishing]

One thing to add, these guys are all crazy when it comes to driving a boat. Wish I had a seat belt haha

I rode with Boyd Duckett Thursday & Casey Scanlon on Friday and you are on the mark on the way they drive their boats. We ran to the upper White River and King's river it was wide open and hang on. I was thinking the same as you about wishing I had a seatbelt.

[Bill Babler]

Thanks Sore and Alex, Something about Mike was that he would fish an area at least 3 times as long as I did. If he thought there were multiple fish on a location, he would hit it with 2 or 3 different baits at two or 3 different angles.

Here is a special note. He did at times catch multiple fish on a location, but every time and I mean every time, he put his best fish in the boat on his first cast to said location. subsequent cast produced fish, but never as big as the first fish.

His first stop he worked one point and 3 docks for 2 hrs and 30 minutes. I would have been there about 30 minutes total. He caught them his first pass thru and then refished it again. No results on the seconds, but he fished it as good both times.

[dtrs5kprs]

Thanks Sore and Alex, Something about Mike was that he would fish an area at least 3 times as long as I did. If he thought there were multiple fish on a location, he would hit it with 2 or 3 different baits at two or 3 different angles.Here is a special note. He did at times catch multiple fish on a location, but every time and I mean every time, he put his best fish in the boat on his first cast to said location. subsequent cast produced fish, but never as big as the first fish.His first stop he worked one point and 3 docks for 2 hrs and 30 minutes. I would have been there about 30 minutes total. He caught them his first pass thru and then refished it again. No results on the seconds, but he fished it as good both times.

Now that is a pro I would actually enjoy fishing with. Davis too, at least this past week. Wonder how many extra pounds those two weighed by being thorough?

[Sore Thumbs]

Ok guys. It's over so I can divulge some more info. First day Roy ran all the way to Roaring River arm. I timed it from State Park Marina to 3rd bend in Roaring River took 41min and 37 sec. That Triton with a Merc Pro XS was passing a lot of boats along the way. I have to say I'm truly impressed with the new Triton. The deck was huge and it rode fantastic. As for the fishing. Roy showed me tons of suspended fish on his graph. They would not bite. (A-rig comes into play here) He did manage to hook into a 5lb carp. It was quite comical. He thought he had a big ole LM. He did catch several fish in there but no keeps. Moved out to that first bank on the left coming into RR. It starts out deep vertical and transitions to 45 degree with tons of cover. He caught several there with a jig. Let me tell you guys. These boys have quick instincts and have hook sets that are extremly fast and powerful. Went to 86 bridge by Eagle Rock he caught a couple there. Lost a rainbow trout at the boat on a wiggle wart. Said trout was about 16-17 inches. Roy did not catch a keeper until after the rain came. After the rain he moved to Owl Creek and started catching them. 45 degree stuff with a WW. it was like clock work the rest of the day. He worked his way back stopping in the White river. Spots were coming off the bank and LM would come off lay downs. If there was a good size lay down it was gauranteed to hold a LM. Fun day and Roy is a class act.

Day 2 with Brandon Card was a little different due to windy cold conditions. We were on the White River about mid way I guess.(Bill saw us. He might be able to pinpoint.) Card couldn't buy a crankbait bite early. Everything he caught was on a main channel point on numerous jerkbaits. He was clobbering them guys. He just couldn't get the big bite. Later in the day the crankbait bite came on. He caught about 40 fish. Another great guy.

Things I learned. Im not meticulous enough,not patient enough and I'm getting too caught up in what I think works and what actually works. Before I thought you had to only use certain jerkbaits to catch them. Not true guys. These guys were wacking them on anything from megabass to a Rogue and everything in between. I had a great time and learned a bunch. I really think what I observed is going to make me a much better fisherman. I highly recommend this experience to all.

[dtrs5kprs]

Good stuff Thumbs. Maybe next time you will get a shorter boat ride.

[fishingaddiction]

Thumbs & Alex: Thanks for your take away's from the big show. Just goes to show us amateurs that we need to slow done and work a good area more, and make every cast the best it can be.

[abkeenan]

Ok guys. It's over so I can divulge some more info. First day Roy ran all the way to Roaring River arm. I timed it from State Park Marina to 3rd bend in Roaring River took 41min and 37 sec. That Triton with a Merc Pro XS was passing a lot of boats along the way. I have to say I'm truly impressed with the new Triton. The deck was huge and it rode fantastic. As for the fishing. Roy showed me tons of suspended fish on his graph. They would not bite. (A-rig comes into play here) He did manage to hook into a 5lb carp. It was quite comical. He thought he had a big ole LM. He did catch several fish in there but no keeps. Moved out to that first bank on the left coming into RR. It starts out deep vertical and transitions to 45 degree with tons of cover. He caught several there with a jig. Let me tell you guys. These boys have quick instincts and have hook sets that are extremly fast and powerful. Went to 86 bridge by Eagle Rock he caught a couple there. Lost a rainbow trout at the boat on a wiggle wart. Said trout was about 16-17 inches. Roy did not catch a keeper until after the rain came. After the rain he moved to Owl Creek and started catching them. 45 degree stuff with a WW. it was like clock work the rest of the day. He worked his way back stopping in the White river. Spots were coming off the bank and LM would come off lay downs. If there was a good size lay down it was gauranteed to hold a LM. Fun day and Roy is a class act.

Day 2 with Brandon Card was a little different due to windy cold conditions. We were on the White River about mid way I guess.(Bill saw us. He might be able to pinpoint.) Card couldn't buy a crankbait bite early. Everything he caught was on a main channel point on numerous jerkbaits. He was clobbering them guys. He just couldn't get the big bite. Later in the day the crankbait bite came on. He caught about 40 fish. Another great guy.

Things I learned. Im not meticulous enough,not patient enough and I'm getting too caught up in what I think works and what actually works. Before I thought you had to only use certain jerkbaits to catch them. Not true guys. These guys were wacking them on anything from megabass to a Rogue and everything in between. I had a great time and learned a bunch. I really think what I observed is going to make me a much better fisherman. I highly recommend this experience to all.

Fantastic report. Next time they come to the Rock I will be putting my name in for being a marshal. Sounds awesome.

[Goggle-Eyed]

Thanks Sore and Alex, Something about Mike was that he would fish an area at least 3 times as long as I did. If he thought there were multiple fish on a location, he would hit it with 2 or 3 different baits at two or 3 different angles.

Here is a special note. He did at times catch multiple fish on a location, but every time and I mean every time, he put his best fish in the boat on his first cast to said location. subsequent cast produced fish, but never as big as the first fish.

His first stop he worked one point and 3 docks for 2 hrs and 30 minutes. I would have been there about 30 minutes total. He caught them his first pass thru and then refished it again. No results on the seconds, but he fished it as good both times.

Could it be the difference in "knowing" a lake, Vs. fishing a new lake? Obviously, he knows what he is doing to win tournaments.... He is one of the best in todays world, I guess they would all fish there "local" lakes different than they fish on the tournament trail. Guess that is why they are pro's making bank, not guiding the rest of us!!! LOL.

[Bill Babler]

Gogg, that is a very good point. Something else is and you touched on this is how well they can fish. Saw Mike hit the corner of a dock once with a bait and it thumped on the dock, but of all the presentations he made all day that was the only cast that I thought did not go where he wanted it to within not feet, but inches. He probably missed that cast by several inches, no more.

From 120 ft. how many times can you hit the green with a golf ball, let alone put it within inches of the pin. Something to think about

Let me restate here the wind was just howling and the waves were crashing, throwing his Stratos Elite up and down and all over the place. There are fish they can catch that we cannot catch and by watching these guys it is very easy to see that.

I fish everyday and could not even when I was in my prime fish like Mike. As a guide I cannot expect my clients to fish like that either. These guys have made the major leagues just like in any other sport and they are professionals. They not only have to deal with equipment and fish, but with the environment as well.

Thank goodness there are some out there we can catch and help others to catch.

[Fishin Hodge]

I followed Evers yesterday. He fished from the Beardsley down to Big Cedar.

In contrast to fishing slow, he was blazing most of the day. Threw a wart 95% of the day. He was chunking and winding, and I mean he put in a day of it. I could not have stayed as focused, as persistant, as anything really. It was a grind, as would be expected. He was relentless.

He was not as discriminating about what bank he fished as I would have been. He pretty much did not make the same cast twice all day. At times he was really scooting and winding the ever loving heck outta that wart and doing it for hours on end.

There was a time or two that I thought I noticed a pattern of where his bites were coming, that he seemed to completely overlook, or likely just disregard. But at least a couple times he fished a bank farther than I would have and was rewarded. The man had over 15 pounds with a wart in an area of the lake I know I wouldn't have caught that in, so second guessing anything he did is completely goofy on my part.

You really can't put into words how meticulus he was in checking line and other stuff like tuning his bait. All the while he was a completely fluid maching. Beast mode.

They are a different bread. Always dreamed of being a pro fisherman, but I'm not sure with the best of everything money could buy and 200+ days on the water a year, that I could do it. Very impressive.