FLW Weigh-in

Jesse – you have your opinion on things and I have mine.
So be it. I’m fine with that.

But I’m still not wasting my time going to a weigh-in just to watch a bunch of guys holding up a fish.

All I’m saying is they could easily make these tournaments a whole lot more appealing to a much larger audience.

This is by no means the first time someone has asked for more disclosure on fishing techniques from tournament guys crossing the stage. It’s clearly something many in general public would like to see.

I’m not a fan of all the bs. Can anyone tell me mortality rates?

The thing that has bugged me the last two weeks is that the normal ‘general info’ on this website has gone away. Apparently held in check cause there were two tournaments going on?

So the 150 or so tourney guys are more important than the 1000’s of us that routinely both share and glean info on the bite?

I’m not anti tournament at all, but really, why did the reports dry up? There was definitely no shortage of recreational anglers out the last two weeks.

ET

Another point to be made in this discussion is that a few years ago the complaint was that the tournaments hurt the overall fish population of a given body of water. There was much discussion and the general point that was agreed on was that tournaments themselves have no affect on fish population but when the pro’s come to a body of water they find the best techniques for catching the fish and that gets passed on to the general population and that MAY have some affect on the number of fish taken from a body of water. Here we are a few years later and now the Pros are getting blasted for not sharing enough information. They are truly danged if the do and danged if they don’t. They caught flack a few years back for sharing too much and now it is for not sharing enough. I thought it was a great show they put on and the weigh-ins were cool so why not just be happy with that. Just my opinion.

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Here we are a few years later and now the Pros are getting blasted for not sharing enough information.

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I hope your not saying I was blasting the pro’s for not sharing more info. If so, please post a quote from this post where I blasted a pro.

My whole point has been: Why not share some info while crossing the podium. It may actually help give these tournament weigh-in’s a better turn out.
The info as others have mentioned will eventually get out to the general public regardless. And the tournament circuits have always proclaimed that these tournaments advance fishing techniques. Which most of us would agree is a good thing for the rest of us.

My comment was not aimed at you at all Joel just the discussion in general. I will say that I went out to the FLWoutdoors site this morning and their interviews with the top finishers has enough information for anyone that is interested. The truth of the matter is that the FLW brought one of walleyes best shows to Red Wing and even though the river was experiencing a rough bite it proved that someone will always be on fish—and that even great fisherman can be humbled by Old Man River on occasion.

I’m glad the tournament guys put on a good show.

My view point all along here has been simply that I don’t see the pro’s divulging a few details, regarding how they caught fish, as the cross the stage as a bad thing at all.

Others see it differently. So be it.

Looking for more info? Here is a interview with Tommy Skarlis on Outdoors first.

Tommy Skarlis Interview

Put yourself in there shoes Fish ALL week hard. Finnish in the top 10 and LOSE money for the week after expenses. After the tourney being exhausted and broke facing a 4 to 12 hour ride home and then be all Hunky Dorry about sharing info with some fans?

Try it sometime and get back to me ..

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Put yourself in there shoes Fish ALL week hard. Finnish in the top 10 and LOSE money for the week after expenses. After the tourney being exhausted and broke facing a 4 to 12 hour ride home and then be all Hunky Dorry about sharing info with some fans?

Try it sometime and get back to me ..

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Hunky Dorry?

That doesn’t sound much like what I was talking about.

But put it in whatever light you want to if it makes you feel better.

No one ever said these guys don’t work hard!

Oh and by the way, I have done it as a co-angler. I know it’s not the same as running the boat but it’s still pre-fishing all week, getting up at the same time as the pro and driving home afterwards.

Most of the information people are looking for comes out later (in more detail than necessary as pro’s walk across the stage) anyway.

I can certainly understand not giving much out until the last day but at that time, what’s the point in not giving the crowd a few tips?

<snicker>

Was talking about this post with a good friend and fishermen the other day. Truth is, any of those pros could have handed the keys to their boat over, told you to follow the gps track plot line back to the exact spot they caught the fish. Use the leftover bait in the live well, use all the fancy expensive rods, electronics, t-motors, auto pilots ect and most would still get skunked! Sad but 100% true. They know but most don’t! Just the way it is.

-J.

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Was talking about this post with a good friend and fishermen the other day. Truth is, any of those pros could have handed the keys to their boat over, told you to follow the gps track plot line back to the exact spot they caught the fish. Use the leftover bait in the live well, use all the fancy expensive rods, electronics, t-motors, auto pilots ect and most would still get skunked! Sad but 100% true. They know but most don’t! Just the way it is.

-J.

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You hit the nail on the head Jon.
I couldn’t possibly agree with you more.

I go to weigh ins for many different reasons, and when its an FLW event I do expect to hear some information about the techniques. I wasn’t at the Red Wing event, but usually they are pretty good about giving out information. I wouldn’t expect to hear exact spots but some insight into techniques is helpful. We watched Skarlis catch a couple nice fish on Friday. I know exactly where he was and what technique he was using, but like Jon said I don’t think I could have executed as well as he did. The spot he was fishing requires exceptional boat control and I don’t think I could have done it all day like he does.

If you really want to learn a body of water or techniques, sign up to fish as a co-angler. It shortened the learning curve drastically for me.

I’m with Fife on this one. I love going to tourney weigh ins. Don’t expect any kind of exact details, just good solid general info.

For instance, on a lake like Mille Lacs. At weigh in a winning angler may say something like “We were trolling cranks on deep rock for the keeper slots” There is a lot of underlying info in that comment. First, they were trolling cranks which is a fast – cover a lot of ground type of presentation. They were fishing deep and getting slot fish. (Rather than overs that go back) You can rule out a lot of the lake as many areas that are deep as they are mud/sand/clay bottoms. I don’t need any GPS coordinates to take that one pointer and turn it into a good day of fishing. Of course, as long as that is good info to start. And you know, well, fishermen never lie do they?

-J.

Fife and JJ, I expect to hear all your techniques and success when you cross the deck at the first weigh-in

Slip bobbering the Hunters reef.
DT

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Fife and JJ, I expect to hear all your techniques and success when you cross the deck at the first weigh-in

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I’ll tell you right now. Rigged leaches on 6-8 foot leaders on the rock/sand transitions. If I don’t weigh any fish, we won’t be doing it again in the afternoon or Sunday.