BPT. Shuffield DQed for Cheating on Cayuga.

[Bill Babler]

Spencer is fishing Saginaw Bay.  To do this he had to pay his $45,000.00 fine. If he had chosen to fight it and missed the tournament he would have been disqualified from any further BPT/MLF event for life. 

He said it was a life lesson and regardless he did not cheat. He said both of his officials agreed that he did not cheat in either situation. 

Man what a sticky wicket. I believe Matt Becker probably pushed the grey line just as far if not further and got off Scott free. 

The fish under the ramp he could not see. He knew there were fish there but it was a blind cast and his official was told this by Spencer prior to throwing over there. I believe that is the one that got him, however he said it was hooked in the mouth and the hook fell out. 

I believe he did however move the hook on the other one. Just my thought.  

He said he should not have put himself in that situation as he didn’t need either fish to stay in 2nd.  

Tough deal he had no chance of winning. 





 

 

[Flysmallie]

I don’t care what he claims. Nobody, that is intelligent pays 45k and says their guilty, to claim their innocence. 

[Bill Babler]

Fly he had to. If he missed that tournament he was going to be banned. Even if he won the dispute he was going to be banned, for missing the Saginaw derby.

He really had zero options. I think he has won over a 1/4 million this year so the 45 large would hurt but he can fight another day. He is also in position to make Redcrest and more money this week. 

I’m absolutely sure after consulting not only family but legal council that discretion was better than valor in this case. 

I believe had he pursued this he would have lost and then been banned for life.  No one in their right mind would risk millions and millions for a 45 grand fine. 
 

[Gumboot]

"won over 1/4 million this year"

Pfffft...  Wrench does better than that and doesn't have to leave the house.

[fishinwrench]

250k  before travel expenses, insurance, wear & tear on vehicles, bills at home, taxes.....and then having a 45k withdrawal........Whew! He'd better win something big, real soon.  

The wolf is at the door 😳 

95% of pro fishermen are good at pretending they are getting by just fine as they juggle loan payments and credit card balance transfers.  

[Bill Babler]

There are some huge expenses, but most of the guys at that level have vehicle deals,  gas deals that are credit cards just for truck and boat fuel, and insurance deals. 

If it says Toyota/Chevy on their rigs they are getting memo deals or buying outright at Dealer cost. Insurance companies are huge spenders on both the BM-Elite and the MLF circuit. You see the name of an insurance company on a truck or boat and It’s no cost insurance plus a Big Check. 

There are a few BLF guys. Yes BFL that have gas cards. It’s really a popular way to get your company name on a boat or truck. 

One of my clients from St. Louis, a long time Bass Cat guy, he retired last year had memo deals with Ford, Bass Cat and had a BP gas card. He fished the FLW when it was just a pay as you go derby.  Lots of guys with BP gas cards. 

For several years back in the day as a low life guide I had both truck and boat deals. I had to pay insurance but got the truck and boat to use at no cost.

 Both the truck and boat were ran on dealer tags each year, no taxes. That program is gone  

The boat deal was thru Stratos/Evinrude and Smithville Marine.  The truck deal was thru Ford at Claycomo. 

The boat deal totally made my career, thanks to Joanne Austin the owner.  I had that deal for 16 years.  Had the Ford deal for four years and chose to stop, could have gone on with it. 
I had trouble with the trucks on a continuous basis and they just would not pull the boat and got 6/8 mph. 

On the boat deal I got to pick it out and if I sold it I got a great commission. If I didn’t I just turned it back in to the dealership and they sold it.  I turned 2 boats back to the dealer in 16 years so I did well on the program. 

They did all the maintenance on the boats including trailer  tires I had zero expenses on them. The trucks I had to pay for oil changes all repairs were  covered and there were a lot. 

What I’m saying here, it’s not what you know but who you know. 

Also a quick shout out to Gary Clouse at Phoenix. Back in the Stratos days he did me some fantastic favors and never asked for a thing in return. 

Excuse the ramble. 

No doubt the 45 Large hurt Spencer, but he can still afford a ham hock for his navy beans. 















 

[Bill Babler]

Here is a bit more on the story. In 96 my boat was on the floor at the KC Boat Sport and Travel show.  Just down the isle was the Grandview BP booth. At the time it was a huge Bass Pro outlet, don’t know if any of you remember it. 
Manager came up and asked if I would like some BASS pro sponsorship as he was good friends with Joanne and Catfish. I said sure. 
Made an appointment,  went down there and he showered me with equipment including boat bags and boxes  rods/reels and tackle. Free.
Becky figured it up at close to $1,750.00 retail. We just could not believe it.  This was back in the Power Hump days.   I also filled out an application for a membership in Bass Pro Outfitters Rod and Gun. I think it was 5 free combos a year and anything else you wanted at 50% off retail. That program is also gone  

I’ve told the story 1000 times of showing up at Big Cedar for my first BC guide trip proud as a speckled pup with all this gear laying on the deck, and every other Big Cedar guide was  using all Shimano, telling me you’ll learn. 

As for Shimano, in late 90’s they started giving me VIP cards. Again thru the KCBST show.   One year they gave me 5 cards. Each card gave  you 5 free reels but you could only get 1 of each model per card.  That’s 25 reels FREE.  Every other year then you could get 1 VIP card, but it changed to 50% of retail.   Don’t know if they still have that program, but it was sure sweet. 

In those days as I believe Wrench pointed out, you had best not let a Stradic get wet or it would get sticky. Keep it dry and it was great. Get it rained on and it was done. 

Then Orvis came along and also Falcon, Daiwa, Spro, Battery Outfitters, Phoenix/Mercury, Lowrance Minn Kota and later Phil Lilley with Garmin.   I did have a Garmin deal but Phil had a better one by 10%. Thanks. 
I’m leaving out a laundry list. 

Quick story on a rainy day. Orvis is more than a great equipment company they support their guides to the fullest. Just unbelievable, fantastic support. 
I have bags and clothes that I got from Orvis 20 plus years ago that I still use today

In the early teens they sold spinning rod combos with Shimano reels. Their  3 piece travel spinning rods were at that time and still perhaps the best spinning rod I’ve ever had the pleasure to fish. Way way ahead of their time.  No longer in production. 
At that time Shimano was upgrading their Reel just about every year and every time they would,  Orvis would make these available to their Endorsed and Pro-Guide staff at 75 to 90 percent off retail. 

One year I bought 20 Stradic reels after the sticky problem had gone away  I think retail at the time was $119.00. I believe I paid $29.00 each for them. 

There is lots of help out there and I appreciated all of it and most probably deserved none of it. 

Enjoy this nice rain. 







 

[fishinwrench]

What ended up being the cause of the Shimano reels binding up issue ?  

Myself and plenty of others tore them completely down, cleaned, and studied the construction of them.......and none of us could ever figure out what the problem was.   A single drop of water in the right place would totally put the reel out of service......but I never could figure out where that "RIGHT PLACE" was. 🤔. 

I finally just stopped using them entirely.  

[Dutch]

7 minutes ago, fishinwrench said:

What ended up being the cause of the Shimano reels binding up issue ?  

Myself and plenty of others tore them completely down, cleaned, and studied the construction of them.......and none of us could ever figure out what the problem was.   A single drop of water in the right place would totally put the reel out of service......but I never could figure out where that "RIGHT PLACE" was. 🤔. 

I finally just stopped using them entirely.  

It was the anti reverse roller bearings.  Even a little oil did the same thing.  Kept clean and dry was the ticket.

[Bill Babler]

I was told by one of the Shimano tech’s in Irvine, Cal. at the national repair center it was a grease issue.  If you remember the internal body was full of a white very heavy grease similar as he said to cosmoline.  
Once it got wet it gummed.  As Dutch said it had to be ran almost totally dry. And again as Dutch mentioned, perhaps multiple issues.

Now if you look in a reel it has a coating similar to graphite, or just a sheen. I’ve not had one bind in the last close to 10 years, using them 1000’s of hours. 

They fixed it