Marty Stone of MLF

[Champ188]

On 2/7/2022 at 12:47 PM, Bill Babler said:

Yep pretty sure that's right Willy. That was a terrible struggle too. 

Yes, it was Pittsburgh. Another of BASS's stellar choices for a Classic site. KVD won throwing a really old Smithwick Rattlin' Rogue ... an RB1200 model that was out of production even in 2005, when VanDam won. He beat the late Aaron Martens by 6 ounces.

As for Marty, he knows his business. Donna and I just can't stand his droning voice and the props ... the sunglasses for More Than Meets the Eye segments; the binoculars around his neck for the Sig Sauer segments; and that dam Yeti cooler they sit between him and whoever he's interviewing at the moment. For gosh sakes, people, NO ONE carries and ice chest in a bass boat anymore and hasn't for 25 years. They are built in!!!! 

[Quillback]

Wheeler ran away from them today.

[Lvn2Fish]

50 minutes ago, Quillback said:

Wheeler ran away from them today.

It’s unbelievable how much better he is than everyone else . Tomorrow is what matters and my money would be on him with out a doubt . Hope MDJ beats him though 

[Seth]

1 hour ago, Quillback said:

Wheeler ran away from them today.

He's on another level. Doesn't seem to matter what species, where or what time of year they are fishing, he just gets it done time and time again! It's no surprise that Thrift and Jordan Lee are right there in the mix as well.

[Bill Babler]

I know I get a lot of grief here about Wheeler. 

But, remember this, fishing has been my sole source of income for the last 30 Plus years. It has made my life and put me where I am now. 

I have never, never seen anyone like this guy. KVD in his prime was the best. Prior to him, Denny Braur, Rick Clunn, and Gido Hibdon were the standard. 

Doesn't matter where he comes out tomorrow he is the most feared fisherman of the now modern age. Pretty much Patrick Mahomes of bass fishing. He won't win them all but he for darn sure is going to win way more than his share. 

The forward facing sonar, the Google Earth, the side scan and the 2D. He has no equal, nor do a lot of these young guns. Michael Neil and the rest of Wheelers Rat pack. Connell and the rest of them. 

Gerald Spohrer, Jordan Lee  even young is an old schooler. De'foe and several other ole schoolers compete well, but make no mistake we are in the computer age of bass fishing. Evers at time is getting better, probably the best old school guy in the new age. 

These guys see 99 out of every 100 fish they catch, dose not matter if the fish is 2' deep or 60' deep. Takes them 2 minutes to tell if it will bite or not. 

We'll see again how this year works out, but it is a totally different game at that level. 

These kids have turned fishing into pure science and money.   They have really removed the fishing in a fishing sport. 

The word of the day is technology. The phrase of the day is how to use it to make money. 

There is a handful of these youngsters that have it by the tail with JW leading the way. 

[Bill Babler]

Watched a video a few years a go with Dustin Connell, MPJ and Jacob Wheeler. Wheeler was kind of running it and they were talking about seasonal migration of bass and global imaging. 

Wheeler had just won a big money deal and was saying every fish he caught he had found on satellite imaging on Google Earth. 

He had located deep travel routes to staging locations in conjunction with spawning areas, visually looking at these instead of looking at a contour map. 

I forget what lake it was but he said he had like 30 locations. He went to all those and no other spots, using at the time pan optics to scan and see what was currently there. He found concentrations on 10 of those spots. 

Said he did not make a single cast in two days of practice, just used the technology. 

That is not how we fish or have been taught to fish. 

How many of us have caught our biggest fish in a derby on the day prior to the derby. 

As a guide I have guided tournament fisherman for 30 years. If you find fish for them they can't leave them alone,  always got to test them. 

Can't tell you the number of really good fishermen that say if you even think you may know where they are living on the White River Lakes stay as far away from them as you can prior to a derby. They don't replenish, leave them the HE&& Alone. 

This current crop of Pro's are doing that with tech. 

They still have to make them bite, but they are fishing where the fish are. They already know they are there prior to ever casting  and at times prior to even launching the boat. 

That is generational. 

 

[Champ188]

10 hours ago, Bill Babler said:

I know I get a lot of grief here about Wheeler. 

But, remember this, fishing has been my sole source of income for the last 30 Plus years. It has made my life and put me where I am now. 

I have never, never seen anyone like this guy. KVD in his prime was the best. Prior to him, Denny Braur, Rick Clunn, and Gido Hibdon were the standard. 

Doesn't matter where he comes out tomorrow he is the most feared fisherman of the now modern age. Pretty much Patrick Mahomes of bass fishing. He won't win them all but he for darn sure is going to win way more than his share. 

The forward facing sonar, the Google Earth, the side scan and the 2D. He has no equal, nor do a lot of these young guns. Michael Neil and the rest of Wheelers Rat pack. Connell and the rest of them. 

Gerald Spohrer, Jordan Lee  even young is an old schooler. De'foe and several other ole schoolers compete well, but make no mistake we are in the computer age of bass fishing. Evers at time is getting better, probably the best old school guy in the new age. 

These guys see 99 out of every 100 fish they catch, dose not matter if the fish is 2' deep or 60' deep. Takes them 2 minutes to tell if it will bite or not. 

We'll see again how this year works out, but it is a totally different game at that level. 

These kids have turned fishing into pure science and money.   They have really removed the fishing in a fishing sport. 

The word of the day is technology. The phrase of the day is how to use it to make money. 

There is a handful of these youngsters that have it by the tail with JW leading the way. 

I find Wheeler's mannerisms offputting. That's a personal thing and I shouldn't let something like that color my feelings toward him. But I do. I'm human.

Like Bill, my career for many years was in the sport of fishing. Heck, George Cochran was best man in mine and Donna's wedding. Been in dozens of pros' boats for hours and days on end. Seen the best up close and personal. And Bill is right ... Wheeler is one of those once-a-generation guys who is just heads above everyone else. His knowledge of bass is deep and he has special instincts to guide him. Pretty much the whole package.

I'd like him a lot more without all of the "Yeaaaahhhh!!!!" and "Ding" and other celebratory shenanigans when he catches one. But again, that's just me. 

[Bill Babler]

James,  I had 2 guides out yesterday from Lake O.  We were watching the derby while fishing. When he went on a run at caught 2 six pounders and 2 seven pounders those guys both shouted. 

                                DING!!

Then when either caught a good one they were dinging themselves. It was very interesting talking to the other guides about him, I had a great day, with them. 

Great win by your Hogs the other nite. 

 

 

 

[Lvn2Fish]

1 hour ago, Champ188 said:

I find Wheeler's mannerisms offputting. That's a personal thing and I shouldn't let something like that color my feelings toward him. But I do. I'm human.

Like Bill, my career for many years was in the sport of fishing. Heck, George Cochran was best man in mine and Donna's wedding. Been in dozens of pros' boats for hours and days on end. Seen the best up close and personal. And Bill is right ... Wheeler is one of those once-a-generation guys who is just heads above everyone else. His knowledge of bass is deep and he has special instincts to guide him. Pretty much the whole package.

I'd like him a lot more without all of the "Yeaaaahhhh!!!!" and "Ding" and other celebratory shenanigans when he catches one. But again, that's just me. 

I agree . YouTube and having to manage a personal brand identity to make money in fishing is what has killed the sport in my opinion . Now everyone has to have some slogan. It’s really not the competitors fault at all . With these tournaments not paying the bills they have to do something else . The cost of a new boat alone is 3-5x what it was even 10 years ago . And if you look at total tournament payouts it’s less than it was 10 years ago . So cost keeps going up , payouts are down . It’s crazy to me that some of the giant corporations in the fishing industry can’t get a tour together and follow golfs model . I know strike king isn’t a Rolex . But Toyota it’s self could afford this . Lowrance and the likes have to be making money too! Just annoys me to no end that even during an event the fisherman has to be selling crap . Has to be plugging his brand and sponsors . Wouldn’t it be crazy to see Dustin Johnson or Justin Thomas walk over to the camera before his putt for birdie and tell us he is shooting so good because of his brand of golf glove , or because he’s using the new Ping putter . It really doesn’t happen at all . 

[Bill Babler]

LVN2, I think they have chosen to follow the NASCAR model on advertising, as they have the platform to do so with all the add space on themselves, their trucks and boats. 

I think in golf you are only allowed a single sponsorship on your clothing. 

I was at the Mercedes dealership getting my wife's car serviced and they were talking about the golfer that represents them on tour. I forget his name, think its Ricky something but it is a young guy that wears a flat bill hat and both his hat and shirt have the car emblem on it.  Said he was getting 3 million a year for the sponsorship, just wearing the shirt and hat and a free $350,000.00 SUV. 

The guys on the BPT are getting free baits and equipment and some, from their title sponsor a stipen. 

Not apples to apples, but I do agree with you, I get tired of hearing it from race car drivers, fishermen and the worst is the hunting and fishing shows.