Who is the current best Pro?

[Greg nicks]

1 minute ago, Greg nicks said:

When you side scan a sand flat with isolated boulders and know there not drum because of aqua Vu! There's a straight advantage on the tour. Trust me because I know people that are pissed, if don't have 15 to 20 grand in electronics then wave the white flag and that's the bottom line!!

I guess it's time for me to purchase livescope with my mega 360.

[Greg nicks]

4 minutes ago, Greg nicks said:

When you side scan a sand flat with isolated boulders and know there not drum because of aqua Vu! There's a straight advantage on the tour. Trust me because I know people that are pissed, if don't have 15 to 20 grand in electronics then wave the white flag and that's the bottom line!!

I mean do people not understand that every body on tour can't afford to take on that kinda money in electronics!! Not everyone has multiple event wins and made millions! There's guys that just came on tour and are sleeping in the bed of there truck and are doing everything they can to keep a float!! It should be an even playing field and when wheeler won the Forrest wood in 2012 it was shallow on a topwater In shallow water around docks! Watch intuitive angling with Randy blauket. He'll explain it all, if I don't make sense.

 

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

Every guy on tour does have top tier electronics. Some guys just dont know how to use them. Randy Blauket is against all the electronics yet, has a HDS12 at the console, two units up front, ultrex, power poles.   I think complaining about what other people have compared to what you have is just an excuse for not catching them. 

So if the aqua vu camera isnt fair, is a flogger fair?   Most guys spend more on gas in a weekend than an aqua vu camera is, so im pretty sure most guys could probably scrounge up enough to get one 

[DADAKOTA]

Video game versus knowledge/experience.  The trait that used to separate anglers was their ability to find fish.  Now the electronics find them for them.  No longer the same game.

[Champ188]

1 hour ago, DADAKOTA said:

Video game versus knowledge/experience.  The trait that used to separate anglers was their ability to find fish.  Now the electronics find them for them.  No longer the same game.

^^^ Bingo!!!! I don't see any of it as wrong or unfair. It's just a different means to the same end. I fished Central Pro-Am for 8 years and qualified 7 of those years for the championship. Not bragging, just saying that to underscore the fact that I could probably count the fish on one hand that I caught in all of those years after seeing them on my graphs.

It's not easy going offshore and finding fish in open water, then figuring out how to catch them. Neither is it easy to eyeball miles and miles of shoreline and be able to pick out the relatively few productive stretches and know how to present your lure in just the right manner to get bit.

Bill Babler and I are as polar opposite as you can get when it comes to our fishing strengths. Yet, I respect his ridiculously great prowess at catching fish in the middle of the ocean, and I'm confident that he respects my ability to catch em from the skinny water.

I'm just hoping that EVERYONE eventually has LiveScope and all those other toys so that I'll have all those miles of shoreline to myself. 😆

[Bassmeister]

4 hours ago, Targa98 said:

Every single one of them can use those resources, they just choose to use the company that writes the biggest check.  Wheeler is clear when he says that he chose to buy all 3 on his own coin this year and its helped him win over 350,000 bucks in 1 year. He made a video explaining his reasoning and not a single person should blame him.  Is it almost like cheating....seems that way but if that option is open to everyone then it levels that playing field.  

You’re making a big assumption that everyone on tour (MLF, BASS,FLW) can afford not to be sponsored and buy $20k in electronics. That just isn’t the case. Many of these guys are going into debt pursuing their dream.

I just don’t understand why they don’t limit equipment like they do in golf. 

[Bill Babler]

Lets rain in the horses on the cost of these electronics.  Here is a pretty good breakdown.

Hummingbird.Guide/ VIP  - which would be any of the pro-circuit FLW, TOYOTA series, MLF, and quite a few BFL is 55% off retail and Hummingbird is great, as they ask for nothing in return except using their products.   They pay very few guys to use their products but of course the top guys are getting them free for advertising.  Without a doubt class from top to bottom and just a pleasure to work with.

Lowrance  - Guide Program 50% off retail that would cover the above guys  They do want you to work for them some, and they do pay quite a few top pro's to use their equipment, in addition to free equipment.  Lots and lots of guides and tournament guys are getting even better than 50%, but they want your time.  KInd of tough to deal with.

Garmin  This is a Sticky Wicket.  Guide/ Pro discounts  35% off retail and most of the guys on any tour and all the guides are no more than this level, if that.  They are hard to deal with and getting harder by the minute as they can't build it as fast as they are selling it.

45% off retail discount, if you have friend or family working for Garmin but in very limited supply.  It's best to have a friend at Garmin.  They are being really tough on their Pro's and some of them that were on a 65% discount level are getting dropped back   I don't believe in 2021 they are paying anyone at any level a dime to use their products and I'm going to say not over a 1/2 dozen are getting a full product ride.  They do give some of the Pro's transducers and wiring components but their main electronics are not free.

So when some of these guys are saying they are not getting anything, that is not quite correct and to the pro's retail is also not correct as their are parameters in place for them and guides.

Now you know the rest of the story.

[Bill Babler]

Here is another deal.  Alton Jones Jr. and I just love this guy, he is another one of the up and coming studs of the sport and can catch them a foot deep or 35' deep.  Kid is unreal and going to be better than his dad.

When he says he does not have a Phoenix deal, he is right to a point.  Every component on any of these boats are a different deal.  He of course can get a Mercury deal ranging from free to a $4,500 rebate and of course totally free maintenance.  No cost for batteries and that is huge and the electronic/ trolling motor deals I stated above.

His Phoenix boat deal would be at least a dealer cost deal this year on the boat and trailer standing alone.

As far as Phoenix they don't pay but I think 2 or 3 guys to run their boats and they don't get much.  They do however give the top guys a manufacture cost on the boat and trailer but you are responsible for all the other components and on the boat you can either get a memo deal or a pay up front deal that is even better.  All these guys today have to sell their boats.

In 2021 on a $90.000 totally set up boat most of these guys are in it for about 1/2 that or what ever the retail is they are at 1/2 or a bit less and unlike the old days they own it.  No turn ins anymore.

[Bassmeister]

Thanks Bill, that does shine light on a lot of the costs. I knew there were discounts but not like that. Just wait until they discover underwater drones and I’ll revisit the thread 😂

[DADAKOTA]

The playing field is not really level unless all the boats are identical and set up identically.  Tourney fishing is really becoming a rich man's game.  Do the circuits still limit HP?