Sad day for KY anglers

[Dave Stewart]

Amazing isn't it, that KVD, who would obviously draw the most attention and biggest crowds is still bringing in the big bags...just goes to show that some folks just need to whine to make excuses for not doing well.

[wkerber]

I don't have much problem with people fishing an area where they saw me catch fish. Mainly because I fish for relaxation and personal gratification. It's not an ego thing for me and I feel that I don't own the spot.

As far as tournaments, I do tire of them. I don't have anything against the guys that fish them, but they need to understand from a local fisherman's perspective, it is one tournamnet after another. During peak fishing time on a given lake, there is basically one every single week. Locals get no relief from it.

Someone mentioned the money they bring into the local economy. I think the money they bring in pales to the money that people bring in that spend several $100 thousand on a house, buy groceries every couple of weeks, pay for utilities, and pay taxes in that local economy. I talking about people like me that wanted to live near a lake and enjoy some fishing and relaxation. We just hit town with very little fan fare and spend a lot of money so you really don't notice us much.

Someone else now owns my house at Dale Hollow for just these reasons.
I'm going back to fishing the rivers where I live. Very few tourneys held on those.

[thebassman30]

Bill you also live in a very special area and you make some excellent points with regard to economic influence. I've really enjoyed many of your posts.

Dave....we think very much alike my friend...well said.

I noticed that every elite pro that I read a quote from said that it's the same for everyone so they didn't see it as an issue. Hmmmm. I'd say that leaves a few frustrated co-anglers as the articles read. This is exactly how a pro would treat the situation.

I love sticking fish behind anyone. We're typically doing something different anyway so it's especially gratifying to stick some solid fish or a kicker behind someone who's cut us off....this is when you're gonna hear....MISSED ONE! It get's aggrivating when you hear it multiple times....I'm told.....2 funny...lol. Instant Karma's gonna getcha!


Happy Father's Day everyone!!

[GeoFisher]

Bill you also live in a very special area and you make some excellent points with regard to economic influence. I've really enjoyed many of your posts.

Dave....we think very much alike my friend...well said.

I noticed that every elite pro that I read a quote from said that it's the same for everyone so they didn't see it as an issue. Hmmmm. I'd say that leaves a few frustrated co-anglers as the articles read. This is exactly how a pro would treat the situation.

I love sticking fish behind anyone. We're typically doing something different anyway so it's especially gratifying to stick some solid fish or a kicker behind someone who's cut us off....this is when you're gonna hear....MISSED ONE! It get's aggrivating when you hear it multiple times....I'm told.....2 funny...lol. Instant Karma's gonna getcha!


Happy Father's Day everyone!!

I've heard it............but not because of cutting him off.

Do you remember my "you're late" comment at Boggs a few years ago.....Thought I was going to get killed for that one........



Later,

Geo

[Jbyrd]

HA HA what a joke to even start this thread. THE 'ELITE' as they are called get most of their "spots" from other people.They have people fishing the spots they are going to on the next lake or get spots from past events , and then just punch the points into their gps. "ALLMOST" I did say almost all the BIG name pros do it. Talk to some of the lesser known elite pros and see if what I say is true.......The leader of this event is notorious for that in the elite circle......yea they still have to execute but it is like most decent fishermen anybody can catch them if you can find them!!!!! Don't start running down someone for marking a spot on a PUBLIC WATER on the lake where THEY LIVE because some VISITOR might get his feelings hurt. How many times have you fished a weekend event and some one is on a spot you want to fish.You deal with it and go somewhere else.. Because you know about it doesn't make it yours. Chances are someone showed you or told you about it....

[Lee]

Wow, what a thread. It is not only the "pro's" that are a pain. A couple of years ago I was fishing Onieda Lake in New York with my bouy positioned. I was about 50' away from it and watched three (3) of the Pennsylvania Federation members go right over the top of my bouy and mark it on their gps. Get this, it was their State Championship on a New York lake that is about 200 miles away from their state. Rather than put up with them for the following 2 days I hauled up to Lake Ontario. Years ago it was fun to explain that my boat was a bass boat. Back then that was like someone here in KY saying they had a carp boat. Many of the locals there still consider bass to be like a carp and will not allow them in their walleye boats, my cousin being one.

[redneckshadrap]

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

Folks talk, listen, read, follow, ect,ect.....but few seldom know what to do when they get there....

[Bragger]

BRAGGER....

i believe u have fell and bumped your head..... i am a tournament angler in the BFL and some local tournaments and i think that you have the wrong impression about tournament anglers. Tournament angling is no different that football, basketball, or any other sport for that matter.... when they call my number and i blast off.... it nothing but cold chills and total focus until i come in for weigh in.. no i dont cut no one off but i will pull in a good 100 or so yards infront of somebody sometimes i even like to pull in behind someone and catch the fish they left or missed.... see what some people dont understand is that we are fishing for some big money and i dont know about u but 8 hours on the lake and 10,000 dollars aint that bad.... but i dont think it is fair to knock tournament anglers....

and about everyone gps'n pro's places... i would do it as long as i wasnt fishin against them but its like anythign else... if its a legal way to gain an edge on the competition... go for it....tournament angling is a cut throat sport...... gps'n isnt no different than lookin at a guys rods to see what he has tied on....

Ryan.....

Don't take my comments personally. I know that not all tournament anglers are rude. If you are not one of the tournament folks regularly cutting me off and flying by me very closely at 100mph nearly knocking my boat over then I'm fine with you.

I enjoy sports and I am sure I would find tournament angling fun, but that would not give me the right to disrespect the other people on the water. That is what it comes down to, I don't care if you have 10 million dollars on the line it doesn't make it OK to behave that way!

[thebassman30]

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

Folks talk, listen, read, follow, ect,ect.....but few seldom know what to do when they get there....

How very applicable to our situation. Maybe this is how KVD seems to do well just about everywhere he goes.

I also remember seeing the younger guy who beat KVD at Wheeler wait a little while till some locals got off his spot so he could really jack them.

It's all about adjustments, changing it up when conditions change, map study, time on the water, etc. The correct focus and attitude is also helpful.

[bassin_bug]

This is unbelievably poetic! I can't tell you how many times I've been disrepectfully treated by a tournament fisherman. Recently, during a BFL in April, I was in a small pocket...only big enough for two boats. South KY, opposite the LBL. Dave this was the Wednesday after you were catching some 6-7 lbers schooled up in creeks on South KY. Anyway, back to my story, it was about 1 p.m. and these guys where watching us sticking fish. The jumped around us, fish the entire bank, main lake point, boat dock, until they came back into the pocket with us...past us...then chatted us up. They were from Florida and said they were fishing the BFL.....like that makes it okay! We could'nt even turn around till they left....like being check'd by the warden.

One other post I saw had it right. There are always going to be people (fun fisherman or tourney) who make bad decisions out of desperation. It boils down to a little respect out on the water. The great thing about KY is that you can have several tournaments or (great fisherman) on the lakes and still go find fish that you'll have to yourself. If you're on a lake like Barren River, there is no place to go. They'll just roll up on the same point your on, cut you off, go between you and the point, etc. Amazing and when calmly asked "What are you doing?" they say "I'm prefish'n for a tourney or "I'm fishing a tourney" like that makes it okay. Bottomline and my point is that good fisherman DON'T have to do this. So I got to believe that if your whining about this type of pressure you aren't going to win anyway and your just bitter. It's very sad if this coverage gets any air time, because the locals don't deserve it. That is a special place for us and we love the people down there.
Mark

I was fishing a spot on Cherokee and a fisherman ignored the fact that I was about 20 ft. out in the water fishing a bank. He ran right between me and the spot I was fishing. I just kept on chunkin' across his boat and over his head. He asked what in the h--- I was doing. I said, "I'm still fishing the same place I was before you ran in front of my boat." You'll just have to duck when these hooks go over your head. I fired the lures hard and fast and he ducked a few times, cussed, and took off.

[MASBASS]

Well I do not know what happened, I was not there. I heard from a friend that this was happening, OR SAID TO BE HAPPENING, last night. I am sure this happens, if it happened, every lake they fish. I am also sure that the pros did their own GPS of local’s spots during practice, but I am sure they would not say that.


I guess what I am trying to say is this as a friend told me and it took me a while to figure out what he was saying "IT IS HARD TO CATCH ANOTHER MANS FISH". I have spots on Nolin I like to fish, I have certain bait I use on those spots, I can tell most people the spots, give them waypoint info, give them the same jig and in most cases it is still hard to catch the fish. It is just a fact of fishing.

This is totally my way of thinking. The Elite pros are pros, they are men and women just like you and I, The only difference is they have worked hard to get where they are because they love to fish. They have the knowledge from thousands of hours on the water to find and catch fish. I totally applaud them for that, but as for me that is as far as it goes.

I would much rather listen to Dave Stewart sit and talk about what to try, what to look for on Kentucky and Barkley or sit and talk to Beachum and Long about Nolin and Rough, or Kevin Snyder talk about the win at Hamilton than any of the pros. Now if I could say ok, KVD, Rick Clunn or Shaw Grigsby come on down here and let's fun fish on Nolin today I would really enjoy that, but I would not waste my time to follow them in a boat on any lake to watch them fish any Tourney on any lake.

They are not going to tell you anything and if you believe they are I am sorry to burst your bubble. They make their living this way, they may tell you they lure they are using (they have too for their sponsors); they may tell you they are fishing a long point or a hump. They may even tell you they are fishing a stump on the end of a certain point. But they are no going to tell you everything or they may not be able to win the next one.

Instead of watching them every Saturday morning, fish your local lake that way you may learn something that you did not know. Go to Kentucky and book Dave for a day, promise you will learn more than watching the pros on the TV. I do watch the Saturday morning tourney once in a while, if it is raining or I happen to be at home in the house while it is on I think I have seen three so far in 2008 and it is enjoyable to a certain degree but I have never and will never drop everything I am doing to watch it that is just me I guess, I have more important things to do, I know I am never going to fish at the pro level do not even care too. I like the competition of tourneys but I love to fun fish even more.

I guess what I am saying with all of this is ESPN, B.A.S.S. and the pros have got everyone believing in them so much and on such a high pedestal that if and I said IF someone or 20 different people GPS their locations every time they stopped they brought it upon themselves with all of the publicity and such so you will spend your money on a certain bait, a certain GPS/Sonar, rod or reel or what ever it is. How many Sexy Shad has KVD sold just by winning a tourney on it, how many do you own? I am not bad mouthing anyone or anything I am just saying this, it is their job, they chose it and most people buy it because they said it or used it. If they are truly professional as they claim then they would have done what KVD stated he did. Anticipated the BFL and other local tourneys and prepared for it is all I can say and stop their whining. I know I am such a bad boy!

[Toadman]

KVD said it is public water and there is always the chance that somebody will be fishing were you would like to. That is just the way it is and that we (the pros) don't own the lake.