Great topic/discussion! I am so over the drama in bass fishing. I have my opinions on stuff, but it's pushing me away quite frankly. Real substance is much better.
I'm not a big fan of ffs but i can appreciate the learning tool that it is. For guys to say that jacob or DC or some of these guys that are dominating the sport couldn't win without it is hilarious. Both have been hammers for years.
Well, there’s an easy way to prove that. Stop using FFS and see how they fair in the next tournament. It would be interesting to see the results regardless.
I believe Bassmasters should have another class of tournaments. The class would be “no live sonar” and let the anglers and spectators decide what they want to participate in.
I am fairly new to watching your videos. I do try and keep up with most everything you are putting out there. I do have FFS on my boat, it’s not as easy as these guys make it look. I get frustrated with it and resort back to my shallow water approach because that’s what I know. I live in Missouri, and I go to Texas every spring. I was at lake Palestine in March, I didn’t even turn on FFS. I didn’t need to. If you are going to compete at Table Rock these days and you’re not proficient with FFS, you are likely not going to win or even get a check. I don’t like it, that is the way it is right now. KVD, in my opinion is the GOAT!
Excellent point about "Did they say this about KVD". I think social media drives most opinions and unfortunately it just opinions and very little factual information. It allows anyone to voice their opinion to a national audience and then when they get someone agreeing with their opinion then it becomes fact. Opinions are not right or wrong. Facts are right or wrong. Opinions are feelings. They can be honest and genuine feelings but they are not facts. Wheeler has been dominating since he walked on a boat. The interesting thing about professional bass fishing is it seems to be the only professional sport that a lot of people think you should be able to do forever and be able to win forever. There is no other sport that I can think of where anyone over the age of 40 is dominating or even relevant. Heck you could probably even lower that age to 35. Great conversation. Enjoying your content.
'There is no other sport that I can think of where anyone over the age of 40 is dominating or even relevant. Heck you could probably even lower that age to 35.' Sailing, shooting, equestrianism, chess, etc.
@@romaloboda2280 seriously, you’re including chess. Since Bass fishing wants to be in a national spotlight and those “Olympic sports have no comparable fan base” I don’t think they are comparable. But let’s talk about: golf, (they actually have a senior tour to keep the old guys happy), nascar, Indy car, formula 1, football, baseball, hockey, basketball, tennis, swimming, gymnastics, track and field, just the name a few that only the young dominate.
@@MichaelBecker-jn8yi I am not here to argue, I just stated facts about something known worldwide as a real sport. How many fans it has doesn't matter. "Fishing may be considered a sport when the three elements are present within it, Namely: Physical Exertion Use of Skill Competition for entertainment.' If you think fishing is a sport, then poker also has old guys and literally any kind of activity that has those three elements, even making a Rubik's cube...
@@romaloboda2280 I think my point was made about the “old guy complainers “ in my original comment. If we going to bring in every activity that people can participate in, then we are straying quite off the original topic. I also made this comment weeks ago. I stand by my statement. No sport is dominated by the old.
It's always been there ,just didn't get to hear as much pre social media. The people more interested in the drama as opposed to the fishing are generally those that don't fish as much as hardcore anglers and don't catch as much when they do go in my experience.
I wish I had been old enough and involved with tournament fishing enough when sidescan and really detailed mapping/gps first hit the scene. To see how much of a ruckus it caused among the old heads and new guys at that time. I 100% believe most of the controversy over this ffs vs non ffs is social media caused. And people being able to view it and discuss it one way or the other at the click of a button on their phones and never miss anything with it. I think there will eventually be another big trail started up that will not allow FFS. It’s crazy how much this is discussed and given attention to
Information over entertainment for me 💯. I do watch or listen to the end of all your videos though. If I have an opinion I voice it if not I just soak it all in
Well, Kevin also has an FLW AOY. To your point, with KVD the haters made claims he got all the "secret" baits that no one else had, so that's why he won! But reality is/was is that KVD is actually a cyborg and he revolutionized fishing fast w/casting efficiency to dominate the reaction bite.
I would have liked to see Wheeler and Dustin fish the touring angler event on Lanier few weeks ago.....we know they were on the invitation list but didn't fish.....
Thanks for your comments!! Really makes me think and my mind begins to flow in a lot of different directions. The Fish are where you find em! Whatever tools are available to help me find em, I'm all for it! Its all progress to me... newer boats, GPS, alarms, better life jackets, down scan, side scan, FFS, sharper hooks, nicer nets & more instructional videos Like this Channel is what helps me find & catch more fish. You got my attention when you talked about a trip to Fork, looking forward to that one! Thanks Todd for your thoughts & Comments, Keep up Coming, so I can keep fishing!
I loved your points as usual, me I quit watching several of the big name channels because they spend way too much time being little bitches drama queens whatever you want to call them.There is way too much of this in a lot of our lives and I am tired of it. I can't wait for your new series especially if it is better than the Alabama Waters and the Toledo Bend series , that is a tall order!
Wheeler is probably the best angler in the world with or without Livescope. It’s also true that the every fish counts format benefits his fishing style and his mastery of the technology more than any other pro format. That’s not a knock on him either - every guy paying entry fees knows it’s every fish counts.
I would go a step farther and say not “probably” but Wheeler is without any doubt whatsoever the absolute best bass angler in the world and imo, there isn’t a close second. I do wish that they all competed under 1 league, so that their achievements in regard to AOY’s , classic/redcrest, regular season tour wins , etc could be looked at parallel across the board. Right now, it’s all over the place. A part of me does wish that Wheeler and DC would go to the elites just to watch them walk through the opens and then do what they do against the elite anglers and shut up all of the haters. I’m pretty sure that Wheeler actually voted for them to go back to the 5 fish format when they had a vote on in a couple of years back. I promise you he isn’t scared. And as far as him going back to the elites….look at the hammers that have gone back and they aren’t dominating anymore. It’s a new game with FFS. Master it or get wrecked.
Objectively speaking, when KVD was dominating, there was another tour of guys he wasn't fishing against that was being dominated by guys like Thrift and Dudley. Sure, you could say, that trail as a whole didn't quite have the perceived (keyword perceived) talent of the elites. However, many guys have come through that trail to go on and have major success in BASS and MLF. The same could be said with the BPT over the Elites, especially around the first few years of the inception of the BPT. At that specific time there was significantly more perceived (again keyword perceived) talent in the BPT vs the elites, since the majority of the top guys of the top trail left and went over to that trail. Also worth noting, several, if not most, of the guys that have left the BPT and went back to BASS were able to qualify relatively easy. Seemingly (keyword seemingly), showing that the caliber of the BPT is better than the rest. Although, at this level the difference in caliber is a cunt hair, that cunt hair is the difference in a good angler vs great vs one of the best to ever do it. All of that said, I don't mean any of to take away from the achievements of the current crop of the elite field, which has proven themselves worthy of being being there. I'm simply removing any opinion/subjectivity and looking at objectively. Logic is a wonderful discovery, within it there are laws which must be followed in the reasoning process for something to be logical. If the laws are not followed, the reasoning and/or conclusion become illogical (aka actual nonsense). Unfortunately a vast swath of people are unable to logically think and reason, leading to a host of nonsensical views within every rank of our society. Of which, the bass fishing world has sadly been included. Live imaging is a perfect example of that, as well as 5 fish vs every fish, catch/weigh/release (which is great and all but is damn near impracticable), the a-rig, boat size, etc... Taking the livescope example, most tend to fall on it's the worst thing ever or the best thing ever. It's neither. All of the arguments I've seen against it are illogical. Most failing to the law of noncontradiction, equivocation or false equivalence. Looking at it objectively, it's a great tool and has taught us more about fish than any other tool and most studies, and can be fun (and at times frustrating) to use. That said, it's horrible to watch. Personally, I watch to try and learn something to make me better at fishing. Apart from setup, there isn't much to learn about scoping suspended fish. Example, the biwa rig (now being called mid strolling) hit the scene in Japan around a decade ago with the fish arrow flash j (or whatever it's called). Through watching their content years ago I was able to learn and implement that into my own fishing. Of course, there was no livescope then, but it made for a much more fun way to get bites on really tough days than a finesse slow moving bottom contact bait. Tangent: note on the Japanese techniques coming over here, there is going to be a little finesse jig trend coming that is essentially the biwa rig but with a skirted jig and trailer that will catch on here. It works great on fish suspended in deep hard cover that won't come out to eat. Anyways, there isn't much to learn from watching a tournament where people are staring at a screen and catching bass that are essentially floating around in the middle of nowhere. Factor that in with the rise of guys like you putting out info on youtube, and I don't need to watch a tournament to learn something new about fishing. I can go straight to the source and get it from them. Back the point, there are pros and cons to everything, livescope is no different. Same with social media platforms, specific tournament trails, having multiple trails, etc. The biggest problem we face in and outside of the bass fishing world, is the premium that has been put on subjectivity and the dismal of objectivity. The root of which has its foundations in the protestant reformation, of which the fruits are postmodernism, which is why people have replaced objectivity with subjectivity. Nowadays and exceedingly unfortunate, it seems the only objective thing is that people will react subjectively to objectivity.
I agree about the best. Jacob is one heck of a fisherman but he will always be under KVD. A great quarterback in any other league will never be what a guy is in the NFL. MLF is just 79 other guys and less than that moving forward. NO TOURNAMENT has what the Classic has in terms of history etc. Enjoy all your videos! Hope you have a great season! (He doesn’t have 5 AOY’s either 👊🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻)
I have a bigger problem with JW being sponsored by the majority owner of MLF than I do with anything to do with FFS. If I could wave a magic wand, I would definitely make FFS go away, I do think it’s bad for the sport (I know I watch less, far less than I used to). But right now it is the way it is, and I have to use it when I fish tournaments.
Social media has made people lazy to the point where they don’t think for themselves. I get frustrated just reading all the garbage people spew out. I admire you for your patience and willingness to work so hard to help people understand how stupid they really sound!
Completely agree that there needs to be one overarching pro circuit. BASS needs to take control soon. They also need to expand their reach and try to monopolize every level of the sport and create WAY MORE tournaments and pathways to - making the classic, getting a bid to the opens, getting a bid to the elite series, etc.
I gave up on MLF after the first season Couldn’t keep up with all the changes??? The Opens and Elites are easier to keep up with. I just go back in time on the internet to check on’em.
This weekend I got 5th place and a decent check. The fishing turned horrible because they started dropping the lake. What would your game plan be when that happens? We were fishing Truman lake in Missouri. It's kind of like table rock, and feeds lake of the Ozarks
I would love to see Wheeler go back to BASS in the future. It would be interesting to see if he could dominate there. MLF is very much gear toward his strengths with every fish counts. Last year, he didn't fair as well with the 5 fish format.
As for Wheeler. He’s a great fisherman. My issue is more with his ties to Duckett, possible failed polygraph, constant shoving of him crammed down the audience’s throats and him saying “ Ding”. As for the state of fishing. I believe there is a combination of social class separation, ethical issues, distrust by fans that leagues will do the right thing in cases of cheating and possible boredom of the same ole coverage every week. MLF had the absolute best thing in fishing when they first started. They squandered it by trying to take down BASS. It’s been a muddled mess since. Thanks for posting.
The tournament fishing you're talking about Todd has been gone for years and your just now figuring this out lmfao 🤣 And it's never coming back but it is going to just keep getting bigger and bigger!
Just think of it like this before when a guy was winning it was they found them on accident or by working but by using live scope they can’t hide and my point is people like Jacob may have not won that tournament it may have been another person with little less weight that found a spot or knew of this spot but just imagine if they made spot lighting deer legal how many big bucks would be killed that’s what the live scope feels like
I didn’t look but would his top 5 fish still had him winning? I lost interest because he won by so much? How weird would it be if he finished second with just top 5 fish counting?
Agree that he is the best regardless of FFS. But the new method of just monitor scanning with TM on high and not casting till u see the live fish and chasing them down.. is not “fishing” and many of us l0st the passion to watch and follow because of it.m, and oddly I also seem to have list bass tournament fishing interest and left my club.
Unpopular opinion maybe - I think Wheeler is a great guy and arguably one of the greatest bass fisherman to ever do it. Unfortunately he's a victim of circumstance. He joined the wrong team and he's in the middle of this livescope drama. Also, a lot of people talk about the polygraph and waypoint stuff with him, but I think its over-exaggerated with him and largely fueled by rumors...someone correct me if I'm wrong.
The best fisherman ever is an 80 something year old man. They call him the griz. At least according to Al Linder. I am not against scoping. But I don't like how it is used. If you are fishing for bass 30' feet down. Catch your limit and go home. They die. Imo the "pros" should have access to things weekend anglers can't have. Like race cars. And at the top level. The open format should end. Keep that in the clubs. The expense is out of control. As far as hammers go. My brother had 116 walleye on his clicker last weekend. No live bait or livescope
Negative always speaks louder than positive. It’s very unfortunate but that’s the world we live in . I don’t post anything negative on my TH-cam channel therefore I have low viewership. Granted I don’t have a big channel anyways but I think videos that have “edgy titles” definitely get promoted more which can lead the “pulse” in a negative direction.
The problem with the Professional Bass fishing industry is Sponsors have taken over the business and are dictating to the PROS what they can and can't do. The crutch to this issue is that the pros are not salary-based and depend on their sponsors to support their profession. So, when someone speaks out they are automatically ostracized by them and threatened that they will lose their sponsorship. FFS is drastically changing your community, whether you believe it or not, so you (meaning all the pros) need to take a good look at this technology and the 2nd and 3rd order effects that are taking place within your profession. The Pros should be having lengthy discussions about all technologies being introduced to your profession and see if they will have deleterious effects on our fisheries, cost feasibility, and how these technologies will affect future Bass Pro fishermen. Don't let the sponsors dictate these standards and if CEOs of these tournament organizations are letting them do this, then they need to be fired because they are not looking out for the Pros or anyone who wants to become one.
You're wrong Todd there will be some young guy come into Bass and win 4 or 5 Classic's and a shit ton of elite wins and angler's of the year and he will be considered the best just like every sport in the history of sports and this is not going to change in Tournament fishing!
I'm surprised that lure making companies are letting this FFS thrive. TC you want sell another frog jig etc. Because every body crappie fishing for bass now with occasional jerk baits and big swim baits. Tackle boxes are gonna get small.🤷
There has been 4 MLF tournaments, and Connell and wheeler have won 2 each. These guys are top level. They both won elite series and more before FFS. They would still win without it. In saying that, I believe FFS is not good for the pro tours, period. I don't believe the pros themselves like the way its going as I believe they would love to flip or throw a frog at times, but that won't win the tournament. I think a lot of the "pulse" or disgruntlement is coming from the pros as there is understandably frustration. In my view, don't allow it in top-level pro tournaments. Use it in practice and still learn all the stuff that has been learned from FFS, but on tournament day, use your skills to win tournaments with all the techniques available. I love spinnerbait fishing and would hate it to get to the point where I can't buy one anymore because the manufacturers stopped making them because they now obsolete due to every manufacture making jighead minnows, as that is all you need.
Oh Man i dont know where to start.. Dam you bring up some of the best topics, Your the bomb you truly know your stuff. First of all as far as Kevin and Jacob... Those two guys could catch fish in a pot hole on interstate 55 in Mo. There just not normal, maybe even aliens from another planet.... In reguards to the best angler and if we will ever have one with all the different leagues, Dam thats spot on, now if we could somehow have a tournament with the top 5 from every league/ division, and yes every one ok maybe not the local clubs but you get what im saying could you imagine how amazing that would be..Thats one id drive to any where in the US to watch..
I started watching Jacob Wheeler in MLF when he was winning with a chatterbait/spinnerbait and buzzbait. I watched him dominate with those three lures long before FFS. He did seem to make the jump to FFS before everyone else in MLF/BPT. Now everyone that is winning is using FFS. He is still dominating either way.
@@toddcastledinefishing5924 Because they dominated people that fished both tournaments. It's not FLW didn't have hammers, they just didn't have depth and anyone could pretty much eventually join.
I hate ffs I think it’s terrible for bass fishing, that being said Jacob Wheeler is a certified hammer he’s really good at livescope, but anybody that’s followed tournament fishing for a good amount of time knows Wheeler can compete with the best of the best without ffs, I’m not a huge Jacob Wheeler fan but he’s good period.
I honestly believe if you were required show proof you’d paid a boater entry fee in the past calendar year before commenting, 95% of the ffs whining and cheating / spotlighting comments would disappear.
You’re at the point where you have a core following of people who will click on a castledine video because castledine posted a video. Substance drama fishing livestream whatever. Mixing in the clickbait and some things to grab outside viewers won’t hurt that group. Keep it up🤝
the drama is entertaining. it's the only entertainment I get from pro angling these days. It used to be my favorite thing on TV. I've been to 4 classics and have all the autographs of my fishing heroes, but I haven't watched in 2 years now. I'm not mad, it's just terrible TV so I watch other things....
I think we all knew that KVD was out working everyone on the water. He made more casts in a day and didn’t waste anytime. A lot of guys tried to imitate his style and respected it. Now we got guys standing with a rod in their hand while their ffs does the hard work. It’s not nearly as respectable IMO.
Social media definitely made it so that everyone's voice can be heard. Differing opinions make us Americans. Opinions are like as$holes, everybody has one and most of them stink. But they should be allowed to share it. Here's my opinion. Spotlighting for fish is unethical. Spotlighting for fish to make money, that says a lot about the person's ethics. Even more about the tournament directors ethics. I went fishing today. Put my cell phone in my bag and never looked at a screen.
I definitely think that the anglers leaving B.A.S.S. will go down in history as a mistake. They had their reasons and there is no taking it back now, but tournament fishing isn’t big enough to support multiple trails that call themselves “professional anglers”. The best of the be st should compete under one single umbrella. The way things are will have a negative impact on Wheeler and DC’s legacy. Clunn, kvd, and many other anglers legacy’s were built under the B.A.S.S. brand. They have X number of blue trophies, x number of classic wins, x number of aoy’s and those stats will follow these anglers for as long as tournament bass fishing remains a thing. With the leagues being split, the individual angler accomplishments are all over the place. Wheeler and DC will continue to stack bands, but it’s just a shame that the stats will be inconsistent when compared the greats of the past. And they weren’t even the guys who created the road to leave bass. Come to think of it, KVD and several others of elite status built that road and most of the young guns simply followed the leaders. In a perfect world, the 2 leagues would come together and form 1 strong league that takes the best rules from each and puts the anglers futures in a secure place. But we live in a world of pride and greed and I just don’t see this happening anytime soon.
My take on BPT at DH, when Andy Morgan and Bryan Thrift barely get a check, and struggling in the AOY, something is wrong with the world of professional bass fishing, meaning FFS is ruining the purity of the sport. Jacob won because Dustin drew the short straw this week and he (Jacob) got the best group spots. Thanks for your insightful input.
Only 3 tourneys in, still plenty of time for them to come back. People have down years all the time and besides, Wheeler/DC and everyone else didn’t just go out and get FFS for this year they had it for the last few and Morgan and Thrift did just fine. I think people also need to realize that just like in other sports, people’s careers at the top don’t last forever. As much as ESPN/CBS wanted Tiger to win or be in contention at the Masters again he was never a threat. At some point the younger competitors will pass up our favorite guys.
Jacob Wheeler has won a lot of tournaments without it, but Dustin Connell he won a Bassmaster elite event and I watched a video with him about four years ago maybe five he was broke and about ready to go back in the construction industry every tournament. He’s won in major league fishing. He has won with ffs. major-league fishing could have all its tournaments at the same lake. there’s no difference in any tournament this year it’s the same thing a guy with a spinning reel with minnow bait I don’t watch them anymore.
Controversy gets clicks, clicks mean views, views mean money. The same reason half of ESPN Sportcenter is still talking about NFL players contracts, in the middle of the offseason, when nothing is happening. It is the thing that gets the clicks and views and makes the ball keep rolling. That’s what social media is. There are ways to manipulate that system for the benefit of substance, but it’s gonna take a lot more effort and usually some clickbait video titles.
I am 58 yrs old and i cant wait to get ffs. i dont fish many tournaments anymore and i may never master it but i believe it may help me catch a few more fish on my outings and that makes it worth the money something new to play with. Heck now when i find brush piles its generally on 2D and ive already idled over them now i believe i can at least see a brush pile 80 ft away and make a accurate cast. I see it at a bare minimum as 2D sonar on steroids.
FFS is definitely super fun to use. It’s also not automatic that you’ll catch a fish like people make it out to be. You still gotta trigger them to bite.
I value your opinion.. because these pros are your peers and because of your personal take on the industry.. I may not always agree .. but I appreciate it..😊
Bottom line, these people aren't pro fishermen! They maybe are watching pro fishing, but they aren't pros! The pro is making a living! They have to learn all the time.If u can't compete then u better get with it! If it's boring to watch. Dont watch!! Randy Banscope is the one causing all the trouble about it! Listen to activists long enough and u become an activist!!
Kevin had structure scan years before everyone else and was the best with it. This is the pros they get things first. But I challenge anyone who thinks livescope is easy to come fish a tournament on my lake, and I promise a guy without it will destroy you.
@toddcastledinefishing5924 we all make the assumption that BASS had better fishermen than FLW. This is an unknown. If FLW's top 20 were better than BASS's top 20, then we really don't know how KVD would have done. I'm with you in saying KVD is the GOAT, but we really can't know for sure because of the split in talent.
I have ffs and I am 60 years old. Trust me when I say I’ve kept up with the sport of bass fishing over the years. I am only saying this so you know I am not the troll that just blurts out something. I understand what your trying to say and I don’t know the right answer to it all either. The only reason why I would like to see your Wheeler’s and DCs go to Bassmasters is because I feel like some of those younger guys are as good with ffs. Look at that Drew Gill at MLF! He is competing with those guys. Honestly though I don’t care either way! I know I am going to go fishing regardless!
I'm 2:00 minutes in and I gotta respond and I'm not trying to kiss ass. You do a great job balancing teaching, podcast boys talking, FFS, and these 12-18 minute what's on your mind videos. Always look forward to the next one.
I love the Alabama waters series! I just wish you would go live later in the day because I miss out on the all the interaction and chats! I know it’s hard I get it! Work sucks!
I’m ok with ff. I’m 73 and have watched the progress of bass fishing since the late 60’s. I remember first time on Bugs Island in a Ochita bass boat with stick steering and a green box flasher. Biggest boat mother we saw all week was a 40. Had a compass and Maputo get around. This was in 72. One of the best improvements is gps and mapping. I fished Dale Hollow back in the 70’s and had no idea that there was that many fish in it although my nephew told me. I’m fine with people fishing offshore. Leaves the bank to old guys like me.
Todd your insight is amassing to me you are giving food for thought every tournament angler pro and amature should listen to this and take stock what is going on in the fishing industry there is so much hate on TH-cam i barely watch anymore ppl ranting about ffs ruining fishery spring tournaments are killing beding fish and we all know who is screaming the loudest about this and stirring up the masses
JW could win with or without FFS. Now as far as FFS, as a viewer it is not fun to watch, and as fans of pro bass fishing, many people has the right to feel disappointed on where the sport is heading towards. I always find it funny and disturbing, how KVD most people consider the GOAT. Lost to a guy using FFS, I am sure KVD has used FFS as well, but the fact that the greatest went down staying true to his craft. Powerfishing using a bladed jig on a heavily wind blown point brings tears to my eyes, that for me is the true essence of bassfishing not FFS.
You touched on a lot topics all around with what's going on in today's era of tournament fishing and social media. I get where you was going with each thing you touched on. I think you should do a live on this and write down each topic to talk about, to make sure something doesnt get left out talked about. There to much for myself to reply on that you talked about. You should get one or two other guess. Have someone on that has little different outlook than you do on certain topics, that yall can bring to full understanding for others to understand.
I agree I'm trying to lock down some guys. Ish has a great understanding but he's fishing this week, Matt said he is out this week too. I might go live by myself but have a guy on in the very near future.
Jacob and Dustin just understand that MLF format better and they play that every fish counts game better. Jacob can win best five tourneys, he can win all the fish count tourneys, but he would win less in the five fish series. He is just tuned in right now on how to catch a 2 to 4 pounder, and he is doing it better than anyone else. Connell is close in the MLF, but I think there are several at BASS that would take a few wins away from Jacob more than the group at MLF does, but Wheeler is the best right now.
Kevin was winning with other "branches" like flw..... does that mean he was the best in the world....🤷🏽♂️ Also, it's been "greats" come from BASS get beat and go back to BASS. Wheeler has won even at BASS. Has won in every fish counts and 5fish format. I just dont understand how people are negative about him. The dude has won his entire career on any tournament trail even before ffs. Success brings a lot negative from people who can't beat him, have hurt egos, and money being on the line. At this point, they can have a canoe and paddle tournament trail, and he'll probably still win. Winning on the water and in business... it's tough for some to swallow their pride for the thought of that. I also don't understand how everyone essentially has the same equipment but can't "compete" when it's literally your job to be on the water. Is it really that hard to learn a piece of equipment to make your Job easier to compete? Oh and lets not forget "years of experience" paired with this piece of equipment. Now that sounds like a great advantage. You will always have above average, average, and below in this world with anything you do and some just can't except that.
To be completely honest, I'm so sick of hearing about FFS! Between that and all the drama in the MLF and BPT circuit, kinda makes me want to turn it off and never watch it again. FFS is here to stay for all of the crybabies out there, so either buy one or shut up! Geeezzzz! Or you could be like Randy Blockhead, sit and whine but still still fishing tournaments that allow it! If it bothers you that bad, don't fish the tournaments, don't support that team trail!
I agree with alot of your points. A lot of guys have different viewpoints on the scope dependent on where they live. Some areas of the country have been completely taken over by scoping. Dale Hollow is a prime example. If you live on the Mississippi River you may not see much difference with the FFS being around. Just some food for thought.
@jimharris714 I live on Tablerock and because of the fishing pressure the lake doesn't fish the same as it used too. It has turned into a livescope lake, but instead of griping about it i bought a livescope! Guess how many top tens I've made in tournaments? Zero!!!! Guess how many top twenties I've made? Zero! Guess how many days I go out and blank? A lot! 😆
Ok Todd you want a real discussion about all this nonsense here goes..... For our entire trny life we have fished for a very small percentage of the fish that live in a given body of water. We have always only fished for a small percentage because we are very structure oriented fishers. This did not change much over our entire life of trny fishing until now. Even when off shore became more popular we were still mostly throwing at some thing that we felt would hold fish or fish would relate to. In this fashion a large percentage of the fish population could swim with immunity and not be bothered. This is what has changed with ffs. We now fish for an increased percentage of the fish population. That percentage grows daily as humans train themselves with this technology. More and more fish are found and exposed to a real threat which suggests that we have zero idea how this will affect the populations or habits or health of a fish population. Most every other man induced interference does not end well as unintended consequences serve to annihilate any positive gains. Seems to me everyone is arguing and picking sides on a human basis to which that's an assinine basis to decide if anything is good or bad for fishes. That argument seems more selfish and dollar driven than any caring for environments. Ffs has already made its proclamation in trny fishing in that you get it and learn it or get off the train. Your question about KVD is not the same as ffs impacts. KVD was a lion in a group of sheep. He changed everyone's way of thinking about fishing. My way to describe it is he made fishing a verb instead of a noun. I bunked next to him at Eufaula back in the 80's and new then he was not like anyone else. Clunn was the phenom at that time and I tried to compare the two to get an understanding of why they are successful. Clunn is a thinking mans master and KVD is a man of action. He taught us that more casts with a crànkbait would on most days kick our butts. I learned from some of the best worm fishermen ever but that is a good way to make 1/10 as many casts. Took me a while to see the brilliance of more chances....duh. So I tried to think like Rick and fish like Kevin..... Wore me arse out I tell ya... Off point so my point about ffs is it has had a definitive effect on bass trnys and it's only in its infant stages. I just watched Harris Chain and every large fish caught by radar, Jacob the same. On a personal note I do not watch trnys like I used to. It simply is not equitable to the fish nor do I believe it to be sustainable over the long haul.
KVD won on both BASS and FLW. So did Wheeler . I think people have blown the cheating/ poly graph stuff out of proportion because the don’t like MLF. Zaldain. Interviewed one of the Polly graph examiners and I don’t think most people really understands how it all works.
Professional fishing is going to turn into a drama show that comes on after The Real Housewives of wherever. You are correct, there will never be another "Best". Actual fishing and knowledge of fishing is becoming less and less important to the masses every year.
His boy DC just won the last tournament. Go figure! You OG's better do something quick or y'all at winning 💩! Just imagine if all the pros learn how to use ffs. Protected suspended fish want be protected from season to season. And it will be more fish kills.
Controlling the narrative is what these people you speak of do on social media .. oppressed vs the oppressor .. fishing and hunting fans really need to see this bs for what it is .. Control
I wish I had some deep genius level thoughts that could explain what's going on in fishing and for that matter the world in general. But I'm just an average old school recreational fisherman that thinks bat shit crazy is becoming the new normal.
On another note, I watch every video you put out, they’re all good. Keep it up 👍🏽
Great topic/discussion! I am so over the drama in bass fishing. I have my opinions on stuff, but it's pushing me away quite frankly. Real substance is much better.
I enjoy your tip videos, fishing videos and commentary videos. You've become my favorite YT fishing channel. Lookin' forward to the Lake Tyler video!!
I'm not a big fan of ffs but i can appreciate the learning tool that it is. For guys to say that jacob or DC or some of these guys that are dominating the sport couldn't win without it is hilarious. Both have been hammers for years.
I absolutely believe they can win without FFS. I don’t believe they would win as much as they do without it.
Well, there’s an easy way to prove that. Stop using FFS and see how they fair in the next tournament. It would be interesting to see the results regardless.
I believe Bassmasters should have another class of tournaments. The class would be “no live sonar” and let the anglers and spectators decide what they want to participate in.
I am fairly new to watching your videos. I do try and keep up with most everything you are putting out there. I do have FFS on my boat, it’s not as easy as these guys make it look. I get frustrated with it and resort back to my shallow water approach because that’s what I know. I live in Missouri, and I go to Texas every spring. I was at lake Palestine in March, I didn’t even turn on FFS. I didn’t need to. If you are going to compete at Table Rock these days and you’re not proficient with FFS, you are likely not going to win or even get a check. I don’t like it, that is the way it is right now. KVD, in my opinion is the GOAT!
Excellent point about "Did they say this about KVD". I think social media drives most opinions and unfortunately it just opinions and very little factual information. It allows anyone to voice their opinion to a national audience and then when they get someone agreeing with their opinion then it becomes fact. Opinions are not right or wrong. Facts are right or wrong. Opinions are feelings. They can be honest and genuine feelings but they are not facts. Wheeler has been dominating since he walked on a boat. The interesting thing about professional bass fishing is it seems to be the only professional sport that a lot of people think you should be able to do forever and be able to win forever. There is no other sport that I can think of where anyone over the age of 40 is dominating or even relevant. Heck you could probably even lower that age to 35. Great conversation. Enjoying your content.
Great comment 👍
'There is no other sport that I can think of where anyone over the age of 40 is dominating or even relevant. Heck you could probably even lower that age to 35.'
Sailing, shooting, equestrianism, chess, etc.
@@romaloboda2280 seriously, you’re including chess. Since Bass fishing wants to be in a national spotlight and those “Olympic sports have no comparable fan base” I don’t think they are comparable. But let’s talk about: golf, (they actually have a senior tour to keep the old guys happy), nascar, Indy car, formula 1, football, baseball, hockey, basketball, tennis, swimming, gymnastics, track and field, just the name a few that only the young dominate.
@@MichaelBecker-jn8yi I am not here to argue, I just stated facts about something known worldwide as a real sport. How many fans it has doesn't matter.
"Fishing may be considered a sport when the three elements are present within it, Namely:
Physical Exertion
Use of Skill
Competition for entertainment.'
If you think fishing is a sport, then poker also has old guys and literally any kind of activity that has those three elements, even making a Rubik's cube...
@@romaloboda2280 I think my point was made about the “old guy complainers “ in my original comment. If we going to bring in every activity that people can participate in, then we are straying quite off the original topic. I also made this comment weeks ago. I stand by my statement. No sport is dominated by the old.
It's always been there ,just didn't get to hear as much pre social media. The people more interested in the drama as opposed to the fishing are generally those that don't fish as much as hardcore anglers and don't catch as much when they do go in my experience.
I wish I had been old enough and involved with tournament fishing enough when sidescan and really detailed mapping/gps first hit the scene. To see how much of a ruckus it caused among the old heads and new guys at that time. I 100% believe most of the controversy over this ffs vs non ffs is social media caused. And people being able to view it and discuss it one way or the other at the click of a button on their phones and never miss anything with it. I think there will eventually be another big trail started up that will not allow FFS. It’s crazy how much this is discussed and given attention to
Information over entertainment for me 💯. I do watch or listen to the end of all your videos though. If I have an opinion I voice it if not I just soak it all in
When you going to get the chalk board out?
I gotta find time at my wife's work but its coming😂
Well, Kevin also has an FLW AOY. To your point, with KVD the haters made claims he got all the "secret" baits that no one else had, so that's why he won! But reality is/was is that KVD is actually a cyborg and he revolutionized fishing fast w/casting efficiency to dominate the reaction bite.
I would have liked to see Wheeler and Dustin fish the touring angler event on Lanier few weeks ago.....we know they were on the invitation list but didn't fish.....
Thanks for your comments!! Really makes me think and my mind begins to flow in a lot of different directions. The Fish are where you find em! Whatever tools are available to help me find em, I'm all for it! Its all progress to me... newer boats, GPS, alarms, better life jackets, down scan, side scan, FFS, sharper hooks, nicer nets & more instructional videos Like this Channel is what helps me find & catch more fish. You got my attention when you talked about a trip to Fork, looking forward to that one! Thanks Todd for your thoughts & Comments, Keep up Coming, so I can keep fishing!
I loved your points as usual, me I quit watching several of the big name channels because they spend way too much time being little bitches drama queens whatever you want to call them.There is way too much of this in a lot of our lives and I am tired of it. I can't wait for your new series especially if it is better than the Alabama Waters and the Toledo Bend series , that is a tall order!
In my circles of fishing friends, We all have FFS and know how to use it. 9/10 of us wish they would ban it and we could all just go fishing again.
Wheeler is probably the best angler in the world with or without Livescope. It’s also true that the every fish counts format benefits his fishing style and his mastery of the technology more than any other pro format. That’s not a knock on him either - every guy paying entry fees knows it’s every fish counts.
wasn’t the BPT a best 5 format last year? Wheeler was second in AOY points last year too. He’s one of the few that excels in both formats.
@@Etec86 Yes he is insanely good at both formats. But he’s untouchable with every fish counts. The dude is a fish catcher
I would go a step farther and say not “probably” but Wheeler is without any doubt whatsoever the absolute best bass angler in the world and imo, there isn’t a close second. I do wish that they all competed under 1 league, so that their achievements in regard to AOY’s , classic/redcrest, regular season tour wins , etc could be looked at parallel across the board. Right now, it’s all over the place. A part of me does wish that Wheeler and DC would go to the elites just to watch them walk through the opens and then do what they do against the elite anglers and shut up all of the haters. I’m pretty sure that Wheeler actually voted for them to go back to the 5 fish format when they had a vote on in a couple of years back. I promise you he isn’t scared. And as far as him going back to the elites….look at the hammers that have gone back and they aren’t dominating anymore. It’s a new game with FFS. Master it or get wrecked.
When you say about " the best angler in the world ", maybe you should say " the best angler in the USA".
Thanks.
Objectively speaking, when KVD was dominating, there was another tour of guys he wasn't fishing against that was being dominated by guys like Thrift and Dudley. Sure, you could say, that trail as a whole didn't quite have the perceived (keyword perceived) talent of the elites. However, many guys have come through that trail to go on and have major success in BASS and MLF. The same could be said with the BPT over the Elites, especially around the first few years of the inception of the BPT. At that specific time there was significantly more perceived (again keyword perceived) talent in the BPT vs the elites, since the majority of the top guys of the top trail left and went over to that trail. Also worth noting, several, if not most, of the guys that have left the BPT and went back to BASS were able to qualify relatively easy. Seemingly (keyword seemingly), showing that the caliber of the BPT is better than the rest. Although, at this level the difference in caliber is a cunt hair, that cunt hair is the difference in a good angler vs great vs one of the best to ever do it. All of that said, I don't mean any of to take away from the achievements of the current crop of the elite field, which has proven themselves worthy of being being there. I'm simply removing any opinion/subjectivity and looking at objectively. Logic is a wonderful discovery, within it there are laws which must be followed in the reasoning process for something to be logical. If the laws are not followed, the reasoning and/or conclusion become illogical (aka actual nonsense). Unfortunately a vast swath of people are unable to logically think and reason, leading to a host of nonsensical views within every rank of our society. Of which, the bass fishing world has sadly been included. Live imaging is a perfect example of that, as well as 5 fish vs every fish, catch/weigh/release (which is great and all but is damn near impracticable), the a-rig, boat size, etc... Taking the livescope example, most tend to fall on it's the worst thing ever or the best thing ever. It's neither. All of the arguments I've seen against it are illogical. Most failing to the law of noncontradiction, equivocation or false equivalence. Looking at it objectively, it's a great tool and has taught us more about fish than any other tool and most studies, and can be fun (and at times frustrating) to use. That said, it's horrible to watch. Personally, I watch to try and learn something to make me better at fishing. Apart from setup, there isn't much to learn about scoping suspended fish. Example, the biwa rig (now being called mid strolling) hit the scene in Japan around a decade ago with the fish arrow flash j (or whatever it's called). Through watching their content years ago I was able to learn and implement that into my own fishing. Of course, there was no livescope then, but it made for a much more fun way to get bites on really tough days than a finesse slow moving bottom contact bait. Tangent: note on the Japanese techniques coming over here, there is going to be a little finesse jig trend coming that is essentially the biwa rig but with a skirted jig and trailer that will catch on here. It works great on fish suspended in deep hard cover that won't come out to eat. Anyways, there isn't much to learn from watching a tournament where people are staring at a screen and catching bass that are essentially floating around in the middle of nowhere. Factor that in with the rise of guys like you putting out info on youtube, and I don't need to watch a tournament to learn something new about fishing. I can go straight to the source and get it from them. Back the point, there are pros and cons to everything, livescope is no different. Same with social media platforms, specific tournament trails, having multiple trails, etc. The biggest problem we face in and outside of the bass fishing world, is the premium that has been put on subjectivity and the dismal of objectivity. The root of which has its foundations in the protestant reformation, of which the fruits are postmodernism, which is why people have replaced objectivity with subjectivity. Nowadays and exceedingly unfortunate, it seems the only objective thing is that people will react subjectively to objectivity.
I agree about the best. Jacob is one heck of a fisherman but he will always be under KVD. A great quarterback in any other league will never be what a guy is in the NFL. MLF is just 79 other guys and less than that moving forward. NO TOURNAMENT has what the Classic has in terms of history etc. Enjoy all your videos! Hope you have a great season! (He doesn’t have 5 AOY’s either 👊🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻)
I have a bigger problem with JW being sponsored by the majority owner of MLF than I do with anything to do with FFS.
If I could wave a magic wand, I would definitely make FFS go away, I do think it’s bad for the sport (I know I watch less, far less than I used to). But right now it is the way it is, and I have to use it when I fish tournaments.
Your thoughts are always all over the place Todd we're used to it😂
my grandpa would say, "He's going around his feet to get to his elbows" say what you gotta say and go on 😂
Social media has made people lazy to the point where they don’t think for themselves. I get frustrated just reading all the garbage people spew out. I admire you for your patience and willingness to work so hard to help people understand how stupid they really sound!
Man when you have a house to build and everyone has a nail gun but you show up with a hammer what do you think will happen?
Someone’s gonna get left behind😂
Where always gonna want to hear what castledinehas to say🤟🤟🤟🤟🔥🔥🔥🎣🎣🎣🎣🎣🎣🎣🎣
Completely agree that there needs to be one overarching pro circuit. BASS needs to take control soon. They also need to expand their reach and try to monopolize every level of the sport and create WAY MORE tournaments and pathways to - making the classic, getting a bid to the opens, getting a bid to the elite series, etc.
I gave up on MLF after the first season Couldn’t keep up with all the changes???
The Opens and Elites are easier to keep up with.
I just go back in time on the internet to check on’em.
This weekend I got 5th place and a decent check. The fishing turned horrible because they started dropping the lake. What would your game plan be when that happens? We were fishing Truman lake in Missouri. It's kind of like table rock, and feeds lake of the Ozarks
I would love to see Wheeler go back to BASS in the future. It would be interesting to see if he could dominate there. MLF is very much gear toward his strengths with every fish counts. Last year, he didn't fair as well with the 5 fish format.
As for Wheeler. He’s a great fisherman. My issue is more with his ties to Duckett, possible failed polygraph, constant shoving of him crammed down the audience’s throats and him saying “ Ding”. As for the state of fishing. I believe there is a combination of social class separation, ethical issues, distrust by fans that leagues will do the right thing in cases of cheating and possible boredom of the same ole coverage every week. MLF had the absolute best thing in fishing when they first started. They squandered it by trying to take down BASS. It’s been a muddled mess since. Thanks for posting.
More profitable for Duckett to sweep the failed polygraphs under the rug….
The tournament fishing you're talking about Todd has been gone for years and your just now figuring this out lmfao 🤣 And it's never coming back but it is going to just keep getting bigger and bigger!
Like Josh Jones said, "I don't want guys to win, based on how well they read a scope". The scope master said it.
Just think of it like this before when a guy was winning it was they found them on accident or by working but by using live scope they can’t hide and my point is people like Jacob may have not won that tournament it may have been another person with little less weight that found a spot or knew of this spot but just imagine if they made spot lighting deer legal how many big bucks would be killed that’s what the live scope feels like
I didn’t look but would his top 5 fish still had him winning? I lost interest because he won by so much? How weird would it be if he finished second with just top 5 fish counting?
I have no idea I didn’t ever look at the result that hard that would be interesting. I wonder if they keep track of that
I used to watch every tourney, no I don't even tune in... No need for it during competition, enough is enough
Agree that he is the best regardless of FFS. But the new method of just monitor scanning with TM on high and not casting till u see the live fish and chasing them down.. is not “fishing” and many of us l0st the passion to watch and follow because of it.m, and oddly I also seem to have list bass tournament fishing interest and left my club.
I have been fishing for 30 yrs. I watch all your videos. The Deep water and Alabama water s series. Keep these going. Thanks
+1
Your Alabama Waters series was one of the best fishing "series" I've ever watched on TH-cam.
Agree 💪
Unpopular opinion maybe - I think Wheeler is a great guy and arguably one of the greatest bass fisherman to ever do it. Unfortunately he's a victim of circumstance. He joined the wrong team and he's in the middle of this livescope drama.
Also, a lot of people talk about the polygraph and waypoint stuff with him, but I think its over-exaggerated with him and largely fueled by rumors...someone correct me if I'm wrong.
KVD done it the wright way,if you know what I mean.
Before ffs… not much drama.. after ffs… all hell breaks loose.. no brainer. Simple fix if money wasn’t involved.
And to add to your point the game is extremely watered down now with all the circuits but we have created our own monster there.
The best fisherman ever is an 80 something year old man. They call him the griz. At least according to Al Linder. I am not against scoping. But I don't like how it is used. If you are fishing for bass 30' feet down. Catch your limit and go home. They die. Imo the "pros" should have access to things weekend anglers can't have. Like race cars. And at the top level. The open format should end. Keep that in the clubs. The expense is out of control. As far as hammers go. My brother had 116 walleye on his clicker last weekend. No live bait or livescope
Negative always speaks louder than positive. It’s very unfortunate but that’s the world we live in . I don’t post anything negative on my TH-cam channel therefore I have low viewership. Granted I don’t have a big channel anyways but I think videos that have “edgy titles” definitely get promoted more which can lead the “pulse” in a negative direction.
Wheeler has been a hammer for a long time and he can do it with or without ffs, I've watched him do it plenty of times
The problem with the Professional Bass fishing industry is Sponsors have taken over the business and are dictating to the PROS what they can and can't do. The crutch to this issue is that the pros are not salary-based and depend on their sponsors to support their profession. So, when someone speaks out they are automatically ostracized by them and threatened that they will lose their sponsorship. FFS is drastically changing your community, whether you believe it or not, so you (meaning all the pros) need to take a good look at this technology and the 2nd and 3rd order effects that are taking place within your profession. The Pros should be having lengthy discussions about all technologies being introduced to your profession and see if they will have deleterious effects on our fisheries, cost feasibility, and how these technologies will affect future Bass Pro fishermen. Don't let the sponsors dictate these standards and if CEOs of these tournament organizations are letting them do this, then they need to be fired because they are not looking out for the Pros or anyone who wants to become one.
You're wrong Todd there will be some young guy come into Bass and win 4 or 5 Classic's and a shit ton of elite wins and angler's of the year and he will be considered the best just like every sport in the history of sports and this is not going to change in Tournament fishing!
I'm surprised that lure making companies are letting this FFS thrive. TC you want sell another frog jig etc. Because every body crappie fishing for bass now with occasional jerk baits and big swim baits. Tackle boxes are gonna get small.🤷
There has been 4 MLF tournaments, and Connell and wheeler have won 2 each. These guys are top level. They both won elite series and more before FFS. They would still win without it. In saying that, I believe FFS is not good for the pro tours, period. I don't believe the pros themselves like the way its going as I believe they would love to flip or throw a frog at times, but that won't win the tournament. I think a lot of the "pulse" or disgruntlement is coming from the pros as there is understandably frustration. In my view, don't allow it in top-level pro tournaments. Use it in practice and still learn all the stuff that has been learned from FFS, but on tournament day, use your skills to win tournaments with all the techniques available. I love spinnerbait fishing and would hate it to get to the point where I can't buy one anymore because the manufacturers stopped making them because they now obsolete due to every manufacture making jighead minnows, as that is all you need.
Oh Man i dont know where to start.. Dam you bring up some of the best topics, Your the bomb you truly know your stuff. First of all as far as Kevin and Jacob... Those two guys could catch fish in a pot hole on interstate 55 in Mo. There just not normal, maybe even aliens from another planet.... In reguards to the best angler and if we will ever have one with all the different leagues, Dam thats spot on, now if we could somehow have a tournament with the top 5 from every league/ division, and yes every one ok maybe not the local clubs but you get what im saying could you imagine how amazing that would be..Thats one id drive to any where in the US to watch..
My only opinion is Todd will win AOY in everything he fishes almost every yr
Not this year
@toddcastledinefishing5924 yea but if I was a betting man I'd bet next yr in one of them you fish ! TOD. Todd of the Year
I started watching Jacob Wheeler in MLF when he was winning with a chatterbait/spinnerbait and buzzbait. I watched him dominate with those three lures long before FFS. He did seem to make the jump to FFS before everyone else in MLF/BPT. Now everyone that is winning is using FFS. He is still dominating either way.
FLW started in '96. There have been 2 major tours.
True but everyone still thought of him as the best, why was that
@@toddcastledinefishing5924
Because they dominated people that fished both tournaments. It's not FLW didn't have hammers, they just didn't have depth and anyone could pretty much eventually join.
I hate ffs I think it’s terrible for bass fishing, that being said Jacob Wheeler is a certified hammer he’s really good at livescope, but anybody that’s followed tournament fishing for a good amount of time knows Wheeler can compete with the best of the best without ffs, I’m not a huge Jacob Wheeler fan but he’s good period.
I remember when wheeler got in Dc
's boat and showed him how to use it in BASS
Look @ em now
I honestly believe if you were required show proof you’d paid a boater entry fee in the past calendar year before commenting, 95% of the ffs whining and cheating / spotlighting comments would disappear.
You’re at the point where you have a core following of people who will click on a castledine video because castledine posted a video. Substance drama fishing livestream whatever. Mixing in the clickbait and some things to grab outside viewers won’t hurt that group.
Keep it up🤝
That couch looks comfy AF!
the drama is entertaining. it's the only entertainment I get from pro angling these days. It used to be my favorite thing on TV. I've been to 4 classics and have all the autographs of my fishing heroes, but I haven't watched in 2 years now. I'm not mad, it's just terrible TV so I watch other things....
Interesting take, and I think more people look at it like you do.
I think we all knew that KVD was out working everyone on the water. He made more casts in a day and didn’t waste anytime. A lot of guys tried to imitate his style and respected it. Now we got guys standing with a rod in their hand while their ffs does the hard work. It’s not nearly as respectable IMO.
Bingo
The best guy keeps winning. Wtf are we complaining about?
Not sure but look at the comments it’s crazy on social media
The fact that Professional Bass Fishing has gone to shit.
Social media definitely made it so that everyone's voice can be heard. Differing opinions make us Americans. Opinions are like as$holes, everybody has one and most of them stink. But they should be allowed to share it. Here's my opinion. Spotlighting for fish is unethical. Spotlighting for fish to make money, that says a lot about the person's ethics. Even more about the tournament directors ethics. I went fishing today. Put my cell phone in my bag and never looked at a screen.
IMO Conflict > content ie: April fools vid
Exactly, and that was not meant to be a big deal I just went and did that on a whim goofing around. I put about 10 seconds of thought into it.
I definitely think that the anglers leaving B.A.S.S. will go down in history as a mistake. They had their reasons and there is no taking it back now, but tournament fishing isn’t big enough to support multiple trails that call themselves “professional anglers”. The best of the be st should compete under one single umbrella. The way things are will have a negative impact on Wheeler and DC’s legacy. Clunn, kvd, and many other anglers legacy’s were built under the B.A.S.S. brand. They have X number of blue trophies, x number of classic wins, x number of aoy’s and those stats will follow these anglers for as long as tournament bass fishing remains a thing. With the leagues being split, the individual angler accomplishments are all over the place. Wheeler and DC will continue to stack bands, but it’s just a shame that the stats will be inconsistent when compared the greats of the past. And they weren’t even the guys who created the road to leave bass. Come to think of it, KVD and several others of elite status built that road and most of the young guns simply followed the leaders. In a perfect world, the 2 leagues would come together and form 1 strong league that takes the best rules from each and puts the anglers futures in a secure place. But we live in a world of pride and greed and I just don’t see this happening anytime soon.
My take on BPT at DH, when Andy Morgan and Bryan Thrift barely get a check, and struggling in the AOY, something is wrong with the world of professional bass fishing, meaning FFS is ruining the purity of the sport. Jacob won because Dustin drew the short straw this week and he (Jacob) got the best group spots. Thanks for your insightful input.
Only 3 tourneys in, still plenty of time for them to come back. People have down years all the time and besides, Wheeler/DC and everyone else didn’t just go out and get FFS for this year they had it for the last few and Morgan and Thrift did just fine.
I think people also need to realize that just like in other sports, people’s careers at the top don’t last forever. As much as ESPN/CBS wanted Tiger to win or be in contention at the Masters again he was never a threat. At some point the younger competitors will pass up our favorite guys.
Andy Morgan is a great angler, but the days of being able to sell the boat in August and hunt all fall are over.
I don't get this whistling past the graveyard crap? TV pays you.
Whats the deal with team tournaments and MLF? I know that I'm not watching them!
Jacob Wheeler has won a lot of tournaments without it, but Dustin Connell he won a Bassmaster elite event and I watched a video with him about four years ago maybe five he was broke and about ready to go back in the construction industry every tournament. He’s won in major league fishing. He has won with ffs. major-league fishing could have all its tournaments at the same lake. there’s no difference in any tournament this year it’s the same thing a guy with a spinning reel with minnow bait I don’t watch them anymore.
Don't change what your doing. There know one like you out there. Looking forward to your next one
Controversy gets clicks, clicks mean views, views mean money. The same reason half of ESPN Sportcenter is still talking about NFL players contracts, in the middle of the offseason, when nothing is happening. It is the thing that gets the clicks and views and makes the ball keep rolling. That’s what social media is. There are ways to manipulate that system for the benefit of substance, but it’s gonna take a lot more effort and usually some clickbait video titles.
Yes Jacob we were dead when
I am 58 yrs old and i cant wait to get ffs. i dont fish many tournaments anymore and i may never master it but i believe it may help me catch a few more fish on my outings and that makes it worth the money something new to play with. Heck now when i find brush piles its generally on 2D and ive already idled over them now i believe i can at least see a brush pile 80 ft away and make a accurate cast. I see it at a bare minimum as 2D sonar on steroids.
FFS is definitely super fun to use. It’s also not automatic that you’ll catch a fish like people make it out to be. You still gotta trigger them to bite.
I'm with you I'm 77 ffs and a new Lawrence trolling motor Thursday took quite a while to learn an iPhone looking forward to it though
I value your opinion.. because these pros are your peers and because of your personal take on the industry.. I may not always agree .. but I appreciate it..😊
Bottom line, these people aren't pro fishermen! They maybe are watching pro fishing, but they aren't pros! The pro is making a living! They have to learn all the time.If u can't compete then u better get with it! If it's boring to watch. Dont watch!! Randy Banscope is the one causing all the trouble about it! Listen to activists long enough and u become an activist!!
Kevin had structure scan years before everyone else and was the best with it. This is the pros they get things first. But I challenge anyone who thinks livescope is easy to come fish a tournament on my lake, and I promise a guy without it will destroy you.
KVD only fished 5 seasons of his career where there was just BASS. He started in 1990, and FLW started the season of 1996.
True but there was no debate he was the best regardless of the league. That’s not true today
@toddcastledinefishing5924 we all make the assumption that BASS had better fishermen than FLW. This is an unknown. If FLW's top 20 were better than BASS's top 20, then we really don't know how KVD would have done. I'm with you in saying KVD is the GOAT, but we really can't know for sure because of the split in talent.
And he doesn't dig FFS
I have ffs and I am 60 years old. Trust me when I say I’ve kept up with the sport of bass fishing over the years. I am only saying this so you know I am not the troll that just blurts out something. I understand what your trying to say and I don’t know the right answer to it all either. The only reason why I would like to see your Wheeler’s and DCs go to Bassmasters is because I feel like some of those younger guys are as good with ffs. Look at that Drew Gill at MLF! He is competing with those guys. Honestly though I don’t care either way! I know I am going to go fishing regardless!
I'm 2:00 minutes in and I gotta respond and I'm not trying to kiss ass. You do a great job balancing teaching, podcast boys talking, FFS, and these 12-18 minute what's on your mind videos. Always look forward to the next one.
I love the Alabama waters series! I just wish you would go live later in the day because I miss out on the all the interaction and chats! I know it’s hard I get it! Work sucks!
I’m ok with ff. I’m 73 and have watched the progress of bass fishing since the late 60’s. I remember first time on Bugs Island in a Ochita bass boat with stick steering and a green box flasher. Biggest boat mother we saw all week was a 40. Had a compass and Maputo get around. This was in 72. One of the best improvements is gps and mapping. I fished Dale Hollow back in the 70’s and had no idea that there was that many fish in it although my nephew told me. I’m fine with people fishing offshore. Leaves the bank to old guys like me.
Time to get the poppin perch out! No drama will be involved in that!
Todd your insight is amassing to me you are giving food for thought every tournament angler pro and amature should listen to this and take stock what is going on in the fishing industry there is so much hate on TH-cam i barely watch anymore ppl ranting about ffs ruining fishery spring tournaments are killing beding fish and we all know who is screaming the loudest about this and stirring up the masses
JW could win with or without FFS. Now as far as FFS, as a viewer it is not fun to watch, and as fans of pro bass fishing, many people has the right to feel disappointed on where the sport is heading towards. I always find it funny and disturbing, how KVD most people consider the GOAT. Lost to a guy using FFS, I am sure KVD has used FFS as well, but the fact that the greatest went down staying true to his craft. Powerfishing using a bladed jig on a heavily wind blown point brings tears to my eyes, that for me is the true essence of bassfishing not FFS.
You touched on a lot topics all around with what's going on in today's era of tournament fishing and social media. I get where you was going with each thing you touched on. I think you should do a live on this and write down each topic to talk about, to make sure something doesnt get left out talked about. There to much for myself to reply on that you talked about. You should get one or two other guess. Have someone on that has little different outlook than you do on certain topics, that yall can bring to full understanding for others to understand.
I agree I'm trying to lock down some guys. Ish has a great understanding but he's fishing this week, Matt said he is out this week too. I might go live by myself but have a guy on in the very near future.
Awesome job guys!!!!
Never say I can’t.. its I haven’t done it yet.. be Legendary. Your the man.
Jacob can catch fish any way he puts alot of time learning fish habits most guys just go fish anyway the fish still have to bite
Jacob and Dustin just understand that MLF format better and they play that every fish counts game better. Jacob can win best five tourneys, he can win all the fish count tourneys, but he would win less in the five fish series. He is just tuned in right now on how to catch a 2 to 4 pounder, and he is doing it better than anyone else. Connell is close in the MLF, but I think there are several at BASS that would take a few wins away from Jacob more than the group at MLF does, but Wheeler is the best right now.
I not a fan of FFS, but it is what it is. I'm not Sure MLF anglers are the best in the nation. MLF has become the good ole boys club..
Kevin was winning with other "branches" like flw..... does that mean he was the best in the world....🤷🏽♂️
Also, it's been "greats" come from BASS get beat and go back to BASS. Wheeler has won even at BASS. Has won in every fish counts and 5fish format. I just dont understand how people are negative about him. The dude has won his entire career on any tournament trail even before ffs. Success brings a lot negative from people who can't beat him, have hurt egos, and money being on the line. At this point, they can have a canoe and paddle tournament trail, and he'll probably still win. Winning on the water and in business... it's tough for some to swallow their pride for the thought of that. I also don't understand how everyone essentially has the same equipment but can't "compete" when it's literally your job to be on the water. Is it really that hard to learn a piece of equipment to make your Job easier to compete? Oh and lets not forget "years of experience" paired with this piece of equipment. Now that sounds like a great advantage. You will always have above average, average, and below in this world with anything you do and some just can't except that.
To be completely honest, I'm so sick of hearing about FFS! Between that and all the drama in the MLF and BPT circuit, kinda makes me want to turn it off and never watch it again. FFS is here to stay for all of the crybabies out there, so either buy one or shut up! Geeezzzz! Or you could be like Randy Blockhead, sit and whine but still still fishing tournaments that allow it! If it bothers you that bad, don't fish the tournaments, don't support that team trail!
I agree with alot of your points. A lot of guys have different viewpoints on the scope dependent on where they live. Some areas of the country have been completely taken over by scoping. Dale Hollow is a prime example. If you live on the Mississippi River you may not see much difference with the FFS being around. Just some food for thought.
@jimharris714 I live on Tablerock and because of the fishing pressure the lake doesn't fish the same as it used too. It has turned into a livescope lake, but instead of griping about it i bought a livescope! Guess how many top tens I've made in tournaments? Zero!!!! Guess how many top twenties I've made? Zero! Guess how many days I go out and blank? A lot! 😆
Show the minimum of restraint and control of your sport.
So what you’re saying is live scope is one of the many tools of the devil ? Big fan from Ottawa Canada 🇨🇦
In a every fish counts format ffs is definitely going to dominate
Ok Todd you want a real discussion about all this nonsense here goes.....
For our entire trny life we have fished for a very small percentage of the fish that live in a given body of water. We have always only fished for a small percentage because we are very structure oriented fishers. This did not change much over our entire life of trny fishing until now. Even when off shore became more popular we were still mostly throwing at some thing that we felt would hold fish or fish would relate to. In this fashion a large percentage of the fish population could swim with immunity and not be bothered. This is what has changed with ffs. We now fish for an increased percentage of the fish population. That percentage grows daily as humans train themselves with this technology. More and more fish are found and exposed to a real threat which suggests that we have zero idea how this will affect the populations or habits or health of a fish population. Most every other man induced interference does not end well as unintended consequences serve to annihilate any positive gains. Seems to me everyone is arguing and picking sides on a human basis to which that's an assinine basis to decide if anything is good or bad for fishes. That argument seems more selfish and dollar driven than any caring for environments. Ffs has already made its proclamation in trny fishing in that you get it and learn it or get off the train. Your question about KVD is not the same as ffs impacts. KVD was a lion in a group of sheep. He changed everyone's way of thinking about fishing. My way to describe it is he made fishing a verb instead of a noun. I bunked next to him at Eufaula back in the 80's and new then he was not like anyone else. Clunn was the phenom at that time and I tried to compare the two to get an understanding of why they are successful. Clunn is a thinking mans master and KVD is a man of action. He taught us that more casts with a crànkbait would on most days kick our butts. I learned from some of the best worm fishermen ever but that is a good way to make 1/10 as many casts. Took me a while to see the brilliance of more chances....duh. So I tried to think like Rick and fish like Kevin..... Wore me arse out I tell ya... Off point so my point about ffs is it has had a definitive effect on bass trnys and it's only in its infant stages. I just watched Harris Chain and every large fish caught by radar, Jacob the same. On a personal note I do not watch trnys like I used to. It simply is not equitable to the fish nor do I believe it to be sustainable over the long haul.
Articulated very nicely, thank you.
Thanks.
KVD won on both BASS and FLW. So did Wheeler . I think people have blown the cheating/ poly graph stuff out of proportion because the don’t like MLF. Zaldain. Interviewed one of the Polly graph examiners and I don’t think most people really understands how it all works.
Professional fishing is going to turn into a drama show that comes on after The Real Housewives of wherever.
You are correct, there will never be another "Best".
Actual fishing and knowledge of fishing is becoming less and less important to the masses every year.
The drama BS is already there!
His boy DC just won the last tournament. Go figure! You OG's better do something quick or y'all at winning 💩! Just imagine if all the pros learn how to use ffs. Protected suspended fish want be protected from season to season. And it will be more fish kills.
Like all BIG sport does.
These videos have a loud minority in the comments. I think the people who will think logically about things don’t comment as much.
Controlling the narrative is what these people you speak of do on social media .. oppressed vs the oppressor .. fishing and hunting fans really need to see this bs for what it is .. Control
I wish I had some deep genius level thoughts that could explain what's going on in fishing and for that matter the world in general. But I'm just an average old school recreational fisherman that thinks bat shit crazy is becoming the new normal.