March 19, 2025 • 28 mins
The ways that some pros have been accused of cheating is wild! Spencer and Daniel break down a recent trip to Guntersville and Daniels obsession with keeping catfish and crappie during bass tournaments!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Man, Gunnersville is on fire, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Oh my gosh, dure unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (00:04):
Danielle and I had an opportunity to fish Gunnersville a
couple weekends ago, and we were ecstatic. We landed on
a spot where we brought eighteen We called every fish
that we had there, right, every single one, eighteen and
a half eighteen point eight five pounds, and both of
us thought, damn man, we might actually be doing something
with this bag.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
We show up to weigh in.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
This is a club tournament, right, so just a small
thirteen boat deal. We show up to weigh in and
we're sitting in second place, and we're ecstatic.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
We're in check, but we don't win it.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
The winning team that had twenty pounds they got us.
We end up getting bumped down to third. But then
we look at the results from a big two hundred
and fifty boat tournament. Guys, when I tell you that,
we wouldn't even sniff like, we would have had an attaboid,
not even.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
That, not even not even a pat on the back.
And we thought we were hammering them, but we were
hammering them.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
They had sixty bags over twenty pounds in that two
hundred and fifty bow turnament.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
It is so crazy.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
It's just fishing unreal. And then I had an abt.
I went back to that same spot. Second cast, me
and my partner, we caught a six point six to six.
That's probably why we didn't catch that fifth fish, you know,
six six six.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
It's like, oh, the devil was against us.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
But we thought for sure like this was going to
be a lights out day and.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
It just didn't.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
It didn't turn out that way for us. But it
took nearly thirty pounds. Every one of these tournaments on Gunnersville,
it is taking thirty pounds for guys to win.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, yeah, I don't know. It's hard to say if
that spot even has thirty pounds on it, but the
way that we fished it, it's hard to stay. And
when a six to six comes off of it, like
the first couple casts, it's so hard to leave a
spot like that, you know, and just like want to
stay there all day.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
We sat there for a while.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
I want to go back to our tournament when we
were in that club, because I thought you and I
fished really smart throughout the day. We showed up to Gunnersville.
Didn't know anything. We didn't know where any of the
fish were. I'd had some knowledge on that there, you'd
only been there twice or that was your second time,
and we started to kind of look around. There were
a couple of things that we wanted to hit. We
wanted to hit some docks and just see if they
(02:09):
were on that. We wanted to hit some grass to
see where they were. And we went to a spot immediately,
and we knew there must have been fishing in the
area because we were surrounded by a couple other boats,
but we weren't on the juice. So we went over
and you wisely said, hey, let's fish this dock. You
threw a chatterbait out on the end in boom, you
got walloped. It wasn't a big one, but it was
(02:29):
good enough to get the ball rolling, and we built
off of that. What do you think the success was
with that cast and getting that fish? What did it
clue you into?
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Well? I think remember when we pulled back in there,
it did have the warmest water temperature on the entire leg. Yeah,
so that was the main thing. And then I guess
and we were fishing those docks fast. We were like
burning through those docks too. I remember we weren't fishing
them slow.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Can you explain to everybody why you want to look
for the warm water, especially in early spring that pre.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Spot era, you have to have the warmer water. I mean,
it just makes a fish want to move back and
like try to search out that warmer water from the lake.
And that's when that's typically when you'll catch some of
your biggest bass of the year because the females, you know,
they have their guard down, they're moving in and they're
looking for that warm water to try to set up
to spawn. So that's what we tried doing in the morning.
(03:17):
But it was strange that that didn't work out because
we had had some nice weather for those couple of weeks.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
I wouldn't say that it didn't work out because it
actually didn't get enough time.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
We give it enough time.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
We had three off the docks, and I think what
ended up happening is when we found that warmer water early,
because we got out of there before eight o'clock.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
The sun was barely coming up when we got out
of there.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
We had three fish in the live well. I just
don't think the females were up as shallow as the males.
The males are starting to get ready to clear out
those beds, and in some places on Gunnersville they're already
doing that. M Yeah, that's a difference a week makes.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Yeah, It's almost like if when the sun's even brighter
out this time of year, they move up and it's
like in the summer, like you're like, oh my gosh,
it's so freaking hot hot out the sun so high
in the sky. You know, there's not going to be
any fish up in two foot of water. But I
think the more that I'm starting to fish these areas,
the more I'm starting to realize during the springtime, the
hottest part of the day is the best time of
(04:14):
the day.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
For those that don't know, Daniel moved to Alabama from
West Palm Beach, Florida. He was fishing Okachobe all the time.
What have you kind of seen in the last couple
months of how different fishing a Florida lake is compared
to Alabama.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
It changes every day every single day. It's like almost
like the fish are bait oriented as well as like
seasonally oriented, so you have to like stay on top
of your game, which is really really strange as a
fisherman to be able to catch fish in one spot
one day and then you go back the next day
and they're just not there at all.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
It makes you realize how versatile some of the pros
that are from Alabama truly are.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Absolutely, and that's that is what I'm starting to realize
more because you and I just fished a little tournament
the other night where I thought we were on them.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
I want to talk about that because to me, it
was the one moment in fishing and I don't mean
this in a negative way where I actually felt like
I could show you something.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Yeah, absolutely, if you did me did You've.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Taught me a lot about fishing. But when we and
we'll get back to the Gunnersville thing in a minute,
but we'll talk about this Monday night wildcat. We were
putting in at a ramp that was about as far
away from your fish as we could get to, and
there were so many variables that came in, and one
of them came true.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
In my mind.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
I was like, we're going to go down to this
stretch of docks and there's gonna be somebody on it.
And I remember coming around the corner and when we
cleared this one dock.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
You went, damn it, somebody's on it.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
And then you looked at the next doc and you're like, shit,
somebody's on that way.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
And we just ran twenty eight minutes.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
And we're getting those due God just sitting on it
like literally power poles down like he's crappie fishing.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
So we, you know, punt and we go to another
spot and I end up getting tagged on a chatter
bait and I'm set in the hook and I'm sitting
there going, oh, this is the good one. I see
the flash. It was the biggest crappie I think I've seen.
And my favorite part of this is for those that
don't know, I'm your typical white Anglo Saxon Protestant white
(06:14):
dude from America. Daniel's last name is Vasquez, so you
know he's a sanded brown boy.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Baby. I'm eating them fish, dude, I don't care.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
We have fished several tournaments.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
We fished several tournaments where I've caught catfish and I'll
look at Daniels.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Daniels like, oh, dude, go ahead and throw that thing
in the live one.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
No the catfish, no more, no more. Calf is the
calfish just not good around here.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
So the crappy, right, we catch that, But it gave
me a clue.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
It made me realize that there was life and there
was activities underneath the docks, and they were in that
open part. Like I was throwing underneath a pontoon that
was in a lift.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
So once I noticed.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
That you were working these outside pilings and you started
to get bit but they were short striking short strike.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
So they were just trying to move it out of
the way.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Yeah, it was weird. It was I think that they
I think the spots are around the dock spawning right now.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
That makes sense.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
A lot of people don't know about spotted bass, but
they will spawn in six to eight foot of water.
You feel more comfortable there, especially if that's a dock
that gets a lot of sunlight and you have to
look for that. Like those southern facing banks on a
lot of Southeastern lakes and just a lot of bodies
of water, it gets more sun throughout the day, so
you got to start.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Kind of looking at those things.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
Yeah, the uh the best part of that though, was
we took that crappie and we threw it in the uh.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
We threw it in the live Weell because you wanted
to try it. Did you eat it?
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Made a sandwich? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Okay, good?
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Yeah, it was delicious. It was I love craffee, man.
It was better than the calfish catfish no more that
you saw. We took really good care of it. That
we caught this catfish on Gunnersville, by the way, you caught.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
It right, yeah, and I always yeah, we.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Bleed it out and everything like that. I was like,
maybe this thing will be good. It was not good.
It tasted like soil.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Dude.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
It tasted like the bottom of the lake. It was terrible.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
I just love how we do this in tournaments because
I had a couple of tournaments when I lived in
Georgia and I caught a mammoth catfish and I brought
it back and the guys in the way in line
were like, what are you doing?
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Yeah, because our friends are making fun of me too.
Afterwards are They're like, there's your friend want there's drum
on club too. It's like, no, dude, I don't want
your drum bro catfish maybe well definitely not anymore.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
I think what we need to do in our club
tournament is we need to do a side pot for
trash fish, like who gets the biggest trash.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Yeah, we should also do a tournament one day's smallest bag. Oh,
that's fun.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
I might be a shoeing.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Smallest bag is fun. Like everybody bringing in little twelve intus.
That's hard. It comes down to ounces.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
Let's get back to the Gunnersville tournament, because it actually
was a really good tournament for us. You know, your
second time on the water. I'd been there a handful
of times, and I had some ideas where I wanted
to go. I treated it like a practice for the ABT.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
I just wanted to find some things.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
We end up going to a couple docks where and
bid on docks where you're getting bid out on a
miracle mile. Then we end up going south and we
found this one little spot that was an absolute gem.
Looking at it, it's very nondescript. It wouldn't It doesn't
look like anything right, It doesn't look like anything. But
I think the way that the current moves through.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
There is something. It just funnels a fish into this
little pocket because it's there's this narrow area that goes
back into another narrow area, and I think that's what
congregates them there. It's like the perfect spot for them
to stage, like literally the perfect stop.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
It was almost like you know when you go and
you have to stand in a long line, whether it
be for tickets or Yeah, it's kind of like tickets
you're going to a concert.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
The main river was the parking lot.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
We walk across it, we get to the next area,
which is the line before you go through security. Well,
the end goal is getting into the show. That's exactly
what these fish were doing. They were hanging out in
the line leaving the parking lot, getting ready to go
through security, and we whacked them. But Gunnersville is so
interesting because as big of a body of water that
(10:05):
it is on the Tennessee River, you have to find
the smallest little pieces of structure, and for us, it
was grass. It was just this one pocket of hydrilla
that was holding these big fish we pulled nearly twenty
pounds off of.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
And the crazy thing is Spencer. Imagine if we got
there earlier, who knows it would have happened?
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Right?
Speaker 2 (10:24):
Who knows?
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Well?
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Because we only spent what two hours there?
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Yeah, yeah, we were there in the middle of the afternoon.
I think we got out there like twelve thirty we
caught nineteen pounds off of there, and we.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Left, and people would go, why would you leave? Honestly,
you and I both.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Had to let him rest a couple times there worse,
a couple of times we had to let him rest.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Why wouldn't we have thought when we were doing the
way that we were working that pocket where we were
kind of starting here going down the line and then
we'd move over about twenty thirty feet we'd.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
Go down that line. Is that not enough of arrest?
Is still they get a lot of vibration.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Well, what happens is especially what happens when they're because
remember on Livescope, we could see them like moving around,
they'd like scatter around, and then they'd come back in
a group again. And when they'd come back in that
group again, we'd fire over into the hydrill. That's when
we catch them. But when they'd scatter all about, it
was almost like they were lost, or like they were
scared of our baits, or like they were searching out
and they were just harder to catch.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
They were just trying to get back to.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
It or something, or maybe try to get back to
where they wanted to be and I think I think
that's the reason why we had to leave them and
we can't. And we didn't leave them for that long,
I think because we only left them once once we
found that spot. Remember, we ran down to the other
pocket because you were like, maybe this other one will
set up the same, and it didn't. Well, because you
have certain there are four boats in there too.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
There's certain types of lakes.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
You have pattern lakes, right, guns it's.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Like a spot specific.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Yeah, with you got and you go to Tin House
and guys are like, we're whacking them in Tin House.
You can be in South Bay and they're not catching anything, right.
Gunnersville is very similar. There's guys that are like, oh,
I spent a lot of time in Sea Bowl. I
was whacking them in there. I go down to Brown's.
I didn't do anything.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
Yeah, guys try.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
To replicate, and that's when you get in trouble because
you can't run on Gunnersville. You have to kind of
expand your area where you find your fish.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
I learned this from a really, really prestigious fisherman back
in the day that eighty percent of the tournament winning
fisher and twenty percent of the lake and that's as
a tournament fisherman what I kind of take into consideration.
That's why we made that long run on Monday, because
I'm like, this is the only place where I've found
such a big group of fish that we could potentially
roll through numbers and catch a big one. Because during
(12:39):
the spring, that's the deal, right, and during the summer
that's the deal. And that's what we found on Gunnersville.
You know that spot was loaded, man, Well that next
weekend loaded. I've been like having dreams about it and
wanting to go back, but it's like and it's like,
do I want to go to Gunnersville and drive an
hour and forty five minutes or do I want to
go out and master my home lake, which is Logan Mark.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
Gunnersville also had that the weather that came through, the
tornadoes that hit a lot of places. We did have
some fatalities Alabama.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
It's terrible.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Yeah, it's awful to hear about. And we're fortunate to
be able to go out and fish these lakes. But
I've already heard Gunnersville is blown out and there's a
lot of float all that kind of stuff, and just
a matter of days.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
Yeah, you know, happens a lot.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
The mudline is still pretty prominent, but there's a real difference.
A lot of guys get scared of fishing clean water,
like clear water. We were fishing relatively clear water when
the stingy. But then when that mudline started to settle in, boy.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Did that bike pick up.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
It did well. We were we were fishing. We were
fishing the mudline, like literally the mudline, and then when
the mud line would roll in, it was almost like
they were change. Yeah, it would change. It was it was,
it would move around. Uh, and it was like almost
like the fish were like using that as like I
can't say to ambush prey because it's so hard to
say because we're still firing on hydrilla, you know.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
I think but they were more comfortable.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
I think Dustin Connell says, the water ain't dingy, they're
going to be stingy. Yeah, so you know, and it's true,
you know, especially with the way that that bite was
that day.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
There was some pressure. There was some pressure in that area.
We had one low kid fish into.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
The like he'd go up and come back down, up
and bat.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
It was so interesting.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
He was doing similar things on his trolling motor that's why.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
But he also he also wasn't catching the size.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Yeah, because he was on the clean water because you know,
and he wasn't firing into that one little patch of
hydrilla that we were firing into on that mudline, and
that that made everything, you know.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
Wes Logan is a guy who's been on the podcast
numerous times. He's a super good dude, talented in the
bass Master Elites. In fact, this week, at the time
we recorded this, he's in the bass Master Classic on
Ray Roberts. You want to talk about weather, and it
looks like it's getting worse all week.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Oh, it's supposed to be bad. It's I didn't even
look at it. I haven't been paying attention to the cloud.
I know they had their little event.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Last night, but yeah, crazy windy, you know, twenty to
thirty mile an hour goes.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Oh my goodness, that's Oh. So it's going to be
like practice.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
It's going to be interesting.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Wonder how they'll cancel a couple of days. It seems
like the bass Master has been doing that a lot lately.
I'm really curious to see if they'll postpone or cancel
one of the days.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Of the class for safety.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
I could see him doing it, but for fish ability no,
like which is crazy. You don't want to cancel the
Classic because fishing could be hard.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
But if it's an unsafe lake, well that's unsafe lake. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
If it's thirty blowing thirty, you know they're gonna man.
I don't know if you saw some of those practice
did you see Trey McKinney's boat, and yes, oh my god,
just trying to load the dang thing.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
But there wasn't anything that the main event could have done.
It was his practice trailer to get practice out.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Yeah, he was trying to get out, right, It looked
like he was trying to get.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
Trey's boat, was trying to get on his trailer. He
offloaded his boat. He was going to try to get
out because it was a bad scenario. He went on
social media and talked about it and people were like,
why didn't you get out and try to help them.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
There's nothing you can do. The waves you're crashing like that.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
Trey has to try to ride the top of one
of those waves and it's gonna slam down on top
of that trailer just to get it close. And Ben
Milliken's account showed shared the video, but he wasn't there
one recorded.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Yeah, you know, there's a lot of so.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Much social media there.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
Yeah. In fact, we need to talk about some social
media hate. We also have to talk about some decisions
that bass Master has made and they're not the only ones.
The NPFL made the decision too. But the new information
rule has become highly politicized with people, and I don't
(16:45):
understand why. I'm lost because the anglers asked for stricter
penalties and better enforcement on their rules, no information rules one.
What's your feeling on that.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
If you do the crime, you god do the time.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
So you're in agreement.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
I mean, I'm not trying to be the rumor starter
gospel starter, but everybody knows like Scott Martin gets information,
everybody knows that, right, it's a joke in the industry,
you know, everybody makes jokes about it. So for him
to finally get dcu'ed on Okachobe, that just goes to
show that they're being serious about it.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
And I'm seth Fighter said the same thing. You know,
he was like two guys a bass master got pinched.
One of them is a really good dude, the other dude,
it was kind of expected exactly, and of course he
was on with Dave Mercer, and Mercer kind of pushed
a little more like can I ask who's and he's like, well,
I've never heard a bad thing about Matt Heron, That's.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
All he had to say.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Yeah, it is like there are guys, especially when you're
in the fishing world, you kind of know, yes, you
get senses and you get feelings, and then you find
out the way that some of these guys are getting information.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
I'm not saying it's Scott.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Watch the guy's YouTube channel for like an hour. Yeah,
just watch the guy's YouTube channel and you'll be like, yeah,
this guy.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
Gets some of the ways that I'm hearing these pros
can cheat is wild to me.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
Yeah, yeah, because the schedule drops and they have like
a certain amount of time to be able to get
information quote unquote, and they either do or they don't.
And some of the guys that are the best in
the world, sorry, guys, they get information. I hate to
be the breaker.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
And I'm okay with guys getting information, Yeah, but I
don't want you getting.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Information when the schedule comes out. That's the rule.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
If you want to go fish, Okachobe, let's let's talk
about Okuchobe. You want to fish Oka Chobe. Scott Martin
lives on Okuchobe. Yeah, he's been fishing it for years.
But to get information within the seven months eight months
when the schedule's out, No, Like you live by a
different rule because you play in that world. But if
you know that you're going to be there in April
or you're going to be there in March, and you
(18:40):
know kind of what the fish do, you already have
a heads up. Yeah, but you still got to go
out and find them. So I'm okay with guys getting
information outside of when the schedule gets dropped.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
And once it gets dropped, you can't talk about it.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
So Spencer, let me ask you this, what do you
think is the difference between like getting information from a
local guy and like going on a Facebook page before
it turns when it's no off limit or when it's
off limits, and like joining a Facebook page for the
local lake and just watching, you know, because that's that's
never been brought into any rule situation or a conversation.
(19:11):
Because there are some pros too that will go right
on the Facebook and join a local tournament group and
just look and watch. Do you think that's no information real.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
No, But here's the thing.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
I listened to a pod the other day and Gussie
was talking about this and Gussie was like, look, we
can't talk about it, we can't get information about it.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
We can only see what's readily available to us. You see.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
So that's that's a great area.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
But it's not really great area because no, because look
what we do for tournaments, right You and I will
sit down and we'll be talking about a game plan
of a tournament that we want to fish. We'll pull
up YouTube, we'll see what guys did a year ago.
But again, most of the time is a year ago
jumping on a Facebook group. You and I both know
the worst people to talk to about fishing are fishermen
(19:58):
because they're one not always going to tell you the truth.
I mean, how many guys across the stage at ABT
and they're like, I'm catching on rayburn red rattle trap
and I'm catching on chatterbait. That's not always the case.
They're not always catching it on that exact color. There's
variations of what guys do, there's techniques that they do,
so you don't always learn that the pros are smart
(20:19):
enough to delineate what information sounds viable and what stuff
is bullshit?
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Yeah, I mean, I don't know. It's so hard to say.
That's That's what I'm saying. It's so hard to police,
like who are you going to DQ? Next? You know,
like are you going to DQ a guy that you
know is in a tackle shop and just hears it
and there's some bass message like it's so hard to police,
like like who's gonna be the next guy that getsdcuted?
Speaker 3 (20:40):
But that's not what's happening. Kind of is if you
have a little bit. When I was working with Buddy Gross,
Buddy and I traveled to Florida. We get into the
truck and as soon as the door closes, he goes,
I just want to tell you we can't talk about
(21:00):
this lake in Florida and we can't talk about this
like okay.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
So it comes down to management as as as yourself correct.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
Yes, you have to be the one as a pro
to be able to say don't do it. I had
a friend of mine who called me and said, it
is like four days before the ABT and he says, hey, man,
I just fished the lake that you're going to fish
this next weekend. And I said, you can't tell me
anything about it, don't say a word about it.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
Okay, but then what happens if you when you still
fail the polygraph, When you still fail the polygraph, it's
so hard to police.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Well, polygraphs are only sixty six percent.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
It doesn't matter. If you fail the polygraph, you're disqualified.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
Most of the time.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
Most of the time they're not admissible in court. So
there's a part of me that feels like, yes, I
understand that's the golden rule, but I do appreciate the
guys who self report.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
Look the Scott Martin thing.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
Let me tell you about the Scott Mart's I don't
think he's self report. He didn't because he kept saying
at one point I had to be reminded of the conversation.
If you self report, you don't have to be remind.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Exactly exactly that was. That was what do they call that?
When you're saving face? He's saving face?
Speaker 3 (22:11):
Yeah, yeah, So I immediately thought that was a little suspect, right.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
The Matt Herron deal.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
I've noticed with Matt Herron and some of the things
that have surrounded him.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Unfortunately, I think it's kind of a coup. Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
Un I think I think I feel kind for him.
I do too.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
I think it was a way for for for best
to kind of look at it and go, now we
have an opportunity.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Yeah, that's exactly I agree. Because they knew he would
They knew he would probably just finish his season off
then because he has no he can't requalify once you
get decued and a certain amount of times you know
you're going to be the lowest in the standings every
turn you can't requalify for the elites. Yeah, now Scott's
going to have a really hard time requalifying.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
But because if.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
He's the lowest in the standings, there's like that's when
our buddies from the EQS run in and they take
their spot.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
But a lot of this up, a lot of the
information stuff came up.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
He had to cut his losses essentially, right, Yeah, so
which is it's You're right? I agree, it was a.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Coup with with some of the the things that people
continue to talk about with you know, self reporting in
this and the one in the MPFL. People are like,
it's not that bad and blah blah blah. Everybody knows
the rules. So even if you are on a live camera,
which happened in the NPFL, and you just ask how
your buddy's doing.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
He's in the tournament. That's gaining information.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
So that's what happened. What did he do?
Speaker 3 (23:32):
Essentially, he turned, he turned to the camera guy and
he was just talking about an area and he said, well,
I hope he's catching him down there, or have you
heard if he's catching them? Oh no, So it's it's
a matter of language, right, Like it just sounds kind
of easy to say, but if you have a guy
who validates the question, goes, yeah, he's catching him down there,
(23:53):
that's information.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Well wait, who did he get that information though?
Speaker 1 (23:56):
Is that like camera guy?
Speaker 2 (23:57):
It was a camera guy? Oh no, so oh man,
that stinks.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
But you say it on live, you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Like, it's because if you were to run down there
and then join his buddy, you know, that's that's gaining
a competitive edge.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
I've been in tournaments before where they're like, hey, look,
you can call anybody who's in the tournament and you
can talk about things. But they change that rule in
MLF now you can only talk to them while you're
on the water.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Yes, that's what I was just about. To say, because
when I first started fishing the opens back in twenty thirteen,
I was with a couple of guys that I jump
on the phone during the tournament and call their other
buddies and ask if they're a fisher around, what were the.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Rules for you guys in the open?
Speaker 2 (24:34):
Uh? To be honest, dude, I was so young. I
was following the rules obviously, but I wasn't paying attention
because my boater was responsible for most of them. You know,
as a co angler, you don't really have that many,
you know, rules besides making sure you're Fing'll tell you
a couple.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
Of things that might blow your mind when it comes
to gaining information. Apple air tags, yes, putting them in
a guide's boat, letting a guy dull.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
People will start their phone like Navionix app. They'll just
start their phone. And how hard is it to remember
a spot too? You know? So, and that's that's what really,
that's the man.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
I'm hiring guides for your friends, yep, and then having
them report back. Yeah, there's numerous ways the guys cheat.
But if we really want to save this sanctity of fishing,
you just can't have that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
But like I'm saying, Spencer, how are these guys? How
is bass master? And the I'm going to be able
to police this? Like one hundred percent, They're not going
to be able to.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
They they won't. But listen, I've seen a lot of
stand up things.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
Gerald Swindle will stand up in a in an event
where I can't remember exactly what happened, but something he
did where he caught a fish and he went against
the rule I think know he was trying to fish
for a better fish and the hook was outside the mouth.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Yes, yeah, I remember.
Speaker 3 (25:46):
He didn't have anybody in his bow. There was no marshall,
there was no cameraman. He had his go pro and
he self reported to the tournament director and said, I
caught a fish it was outside the mouth.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Well, I believe too. The elites have to have a
GoPro in their care. Were recording twenty four to seven
with their marshal and he didn't just even tho if
it doesn't go on live, they have to have it
in there.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
When I was marshaling, and I had Scott Martin, Greg
Hackney both in the Classic, and then I had Mike I. Kinelli,
all three of them told me like, hey, you can
stand in the back of the boat, you can send
the chair or whatever. Please don't block the camera. Yeah,
I said, no problem, so I knew, like at all
times where that camera was.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
It's a good way to keep him accountable. But it's also,
you know, good for them.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
They don't want any They don't want anything that happened
from somebody else possibly ruining their day on the water
because they don't know if they're going to go out
and bag them. And then they also don't want anybody
blocking the camera because if they have an epic day,
they want to be able to have that footage. So
it's good that the cameras are in there. It's great
for the organizations because they can use it. But as
(26:49):
far as information, I really do just love the way
that Bass has it set up. Once we put out
the schedule, you can't I think. I think the matter
of the scheduling is the big problem though, because when
the schedule comes out for the bas elites in the past,
the opens guys are still fishing and they're not held
(27:11):
to the same standards as the elite guys in the past.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (27:15):
Now I'm happy because that's like the minor leagues trying
to go pro. You have to be held to the
same standard.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
Absolutely, you're on Spencer, you nailed it. Nailed it, dude.
You're really good at this bass fish and stuff.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
You know a lot about it, bro, I know a
lot about it when it comes to fish.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
I looked at the old tournament.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
I looked at him and I was like, man, I
can't catch fish, and He's like, no, no, no, you always
catch the one, big one.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
Yeah, dude, You're always good for a big one and
a catfish, sure, and craffee.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
So I'll tell you what, if I come across the stage,
if they go Spencer Graves waghing into fish.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
It might be an absolute stud.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
You just don't know big fish.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
You just don't know. All right. Good.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
I'm glad that we got a lot of this uh
talked about today because the no information rule is such
a big deal and a lot of people have jumped
on social.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Media, Oh stop doing this. He's a good man, he's
a man of Christ and all this stuff.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
It's great that they are who they are, But the
reality is, when you sign up for any tournament, there's
rules you gotta follow.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Who is next to be d qed?
Speaker 1 (28:17):
That's a big question. That is a big question.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
Could we see a disqualification in the Bass Master class.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
Gosh, that would be wild.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
We'll see you guys next week.
Man, Gunnersville is on fire, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Oh my gosh, dure unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (00:04):
Danielle and I had an opportunity to fish Gunnersville a
couple weekends ago, and we were ecstatic. We landed on
a spot where we brought eighteen We called every fish
that we had there, right, every single one, eighteen and
a half eighteen point eight five pounds, and both of
us thought, damn man, we might actually be doing something
with this bag.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
We show up to weigh in.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
This is a club tournament, right, so just a small
thirteen boat deal. We show up to weigh in and
we're sitting in second place, and we're ecstatic.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
We're in check, but we don't win it.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
The winning team that had twenty pounds they got us.
We end up getting bumped down to third. But then
we look at the results from a big two hundred
and fifty boat tournament. Guys, when I tell you that,
we wouldn't even sniff like, we would have had an attaboid,
not even.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
That, not even not even a pat on the back.
And we thought we were hammering them, but we were
hammering them.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
They had sixty bags over twenty pounds in that two
hundred and fifty bow turnament.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
It is so crazy.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
It's just fishing unreal. And then I had an abt.
I went back to that same spot. Second cast, me
and my partner, we caught a six point six to six.
That's probably why we didn't catch that fifth fish, you know,
six six six.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
It's like, oh, the devil was against us.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
But we thought for sure like this was going to
be a lights out day and.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
It just didn't.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
It didn't turn out that way for us. But it
took nearly thirty pounds. Every one of these tournaments on Gunnersville,
it is taking thirty pounds for guys to win.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, yeah, I don't know. It's hard to say if
that spot even has thirty pounds on it, but the
way that we fished it, it's hard to stay. And
when a six to six comes off of it, like
the first couple casts, it's so hard to leave a
spot like that, you know, and just like want to
stay there all day.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
We sat there for a while.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
I want to go back to our tournament when we
were in that club, because I thought you and I
fished really smart throughout the day. We showed up to Gunnersville.
Didn't know anything. We didn't know where any of the
fish were. I'd had some knowledge on that there, you'd
only been there twice or that was your second time,
and we started to kind of look around. There were
a couple of things that we wanted to hit. We
wanted to hit some docks and just see if they
(02:09):
were on that. We wanted to hit some grass to
see where they were. And we went to a spot immediately,
and we knew there must have been fishing in the
area because we were surrounded by a couple other boats,
but we weren't on the juice. So we went over
and you wisely said, hey, let's fish this dock. You
threw a chatterbait out on the end in boom, you
got walloped. It wasn't a big one, but it was
(02:29):
good enough to get the ball rolling, and we built
off of that. What do you think the success was
with that cast and getting that fish? What did it
clue you into?
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Well? I think remember when we pulled back in there,
it did have the warmest water temperature on the entire leg. Yeah,
so that was the main thing. And then I guess
and we were fishing those docks fast. We were like
burning through those docks too. I remember we weren't fishing
them slow.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Can you explain to everybody why you want to look
for the warm water, especially in early spring that pre.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Spot era, you have to have the warmer water. I mean,
it just makes a fish want to move back and
like try to search out that warmer water from the lake.
And that's when that's typically when you'll catch some of
your biggest bass of the year because the females, you know,
they have their guard down, they're moving in and they're
looking for that warm water to try to set up
to spawn. So that's what we tried doing in the morning.
(03:17):
But it was strange that that didn't work out because
we had had some nice weather for those couple of weeks.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
I wouldn't say that it didn't work out because it
actually didn't get enough time.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
We give it enough time.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
We had three off the docks, and I think what
ended up happening is when we found that warmer water early,
because we got out of there before eight o'clock.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
The sun was barely coming up when we got out
of there.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
We had three fish in the live well. I just
don't think the females were up as shallow as the males.
The males are starting to get ready to clear out
those beds, and in some places on Gunnersville they're already
doing that. M Yeah, that's a difference a week makes.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Yeah, It's almost like if when the sun's even brighter
out this time of year, they move up and it's
like in the summer, like you're like, oh my gosh,
it's so freaking hot hot out the sun so high
in the sky. You know, there's not going to be
any fish up in two foot of water. But I
think the more that I'm starting to fish these areas,
the more I'm starting to realize during the springtime, the
hottest part of the day is the best time of
(04:14):
the day.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
For those that don't know, Daniel moved to Alabama from
West Palm Beach, Florida. He was fishing Okachobe all the time.
What have you kind of seen in the last couple
months of how different fishing a Florida lake is compared
to Alabama.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
It changes every day every single day. It's like almost
like the fish are bait oriented as well as like
seasonally oriented, so you have to like stay on top
of your game, which is really really strange as a
fisherman to be able to catch fish in one spot
one day and then you go back the next day
and they're just not there at all.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
It makes you realize how versatile some of the pros
that are from Alabama truly are.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Absolutely, and that's that is what I'm starting to realize
more because you and I just fished a little tournament
the other night where I thought we were on them.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
I want to talk about that because to me, it
was the one moment in fishing and I don't mean
this in a negative way where I actually felt like
I could show you something.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Yeah, absolutely, if you did me did You've.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Taught me a lot about fishing. But when we and
we'll get back to the Gunnersville thing in a minute,
but we'll talk about this Monday night wildcat. We were
putting in at a ramp that was about as far
away from your fish as we could get to, and
there were so many variables that came in, and one
of them came true.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
In my mind.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
I was like, we're going to go down to this
stretch of docks and there's gonna be somebody on it.
And I remember coming around the corner and when we
cleared this one dock.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
You went, damn it, somebody's on it.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
And then you looked at the next doc and you're like, shit,
somebody's on that way.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
And we just ran twenty eight minutes.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
And we're getting those due God just sitting on it
like literally power poles down like he's crappie fishing.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
So we, you know, punt and we go to another
spot and I end up getting tagged on a chatter
bait and I'm set in the hook and I'm sitting
there going, oh, this is the good one. I see
the flash. It was the biggest crappie I think I've seen.
And my favorite part of this is for those that
don't know, I'm your typical white Anglo Saxon Protestant white
(06:14):
dude from America. Daniel's last name is Vasquez, so you
know he's a sanded brown boy.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Baby. I'm eating them fish, dude, I don't care.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
We have fished several tournaments.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
We fished several tournaments where I've caught catfish and I'll
look at Daniels.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Daniels like, oh, dude, go ahead and throw that thing
in the live one.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
No the catfish, no more, no more. Calf is the
calfish just not good around here.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
So the crappy, right, we catch that, But it gave
me a clue.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
It made me realize that there was life and there
was activities underneath the docks, and they were in that
open part. Like I was throwing underneath a pontoon that
was in a lift.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
So once I noticed.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
That you were working these outside pilings and you started
to get bit but they were short striking short strike.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
So they were just trying to move it out of
the way.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Yeah, it was weird. It was I think that they
I think the spots are around the dock spawning right now.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
That makes sense.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
A lot of people don't know about spotted bass, but
they will spawn in six to eight foot of water.
You feel more comfortable there, especially if that's a dock
that gets a lot of sunlight and you have to
look for that. Like those southern facing banks on a
lot of Southeastern lakes and just a lot of bodies
of water, it gets more sun throughout the day, so
you got to start.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Kind of looking at those things.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
Yeah, the uh the best part of that though, was
we took that crappie and we threw it in the uh.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
We threw it in the live Weell because you wanted
to try it. Did you eat it?
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Made a sandwich? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Okay, good?
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Yeah, it was delicious. It was I love craffee, man.
It was better than the calfish catfish no more that
you saw. We took really good care of it. That
we caught this catfish on Gunnersville, by the way, you caught.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
It right, yeah, and I always yeah, we.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Bleed it out and everything like that. I was like,
maybe this thing will be good. It was not good.
It tasted like soil.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Dude.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
It tasted like the bottom of the lake. It was terrible.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
I just love how we do this in tournaments because
I had a couple of tournaments when I lived in
Georgia and I caught a mammoth catfish and I brought
it back and the guys in the way in line
were like, what are you doing?
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Yeah, because our friends are making fun of me too.
Afterwards are They're like, there's your friend want there's drum
on club too. It's like, no, dude, I don't want
your drum bro catfish maybe well definitely not anymore.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
I think what we need to do in our club
tournament is we need to do a side pot for
trash fish, like who gets the biggest trash.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Yeah, we should also do a tournament one day's smallest bag. Oh,
that's fun.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
I might be a shoeing.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Smallest bag is fun. Like everybody bringing in little twelve intus.
That's hard. It comes down to ounces.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
Let's get back to the Gunnersville tournament, because it actually
was a really good tournament for us. You know, your
second time on the water. I'd been there a handful
of times, and I had some ideas where I wanted
to go. I treated it like a practice for the ABT.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
I just wanted to find some things.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
We end up going to a couple docks where and
bid on docks where you're getting bid out on a
miracle mile. Then we end up going south and we
found this one little spot that was an absolute gem.
Looking at it, it's very nondescript. It wouldn't It doesn't
look like anything right, It doesn't look like anything. But
I think the way that the current moves through.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
There is something. It just funnels a fish into this
little pocket because it's there's this narrow area that goes
back into another narrow area, and I think that's what
congregates them there. It's like the perfect spot for them
to stage, like literally the perfect stop.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
It was almost like you know when you go and
you have to stand in a long line, whether it
be for tickets or Yeah, it's kind of like tickets
you're going to a concert.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
The main river was the parking lot.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
We walk across it, we get to the next area,
which is the line before you go through security. Well,
the end goal is getting into the show. That's exactly
what these fish were doing. They were hanging out in
the line leaving the parking lot, getting ready to go
through security, and we whacked them. But Gunnersville is so
interesting because as big of a body of water that
(10:05):
it is on the Tennessee River, you have to find
the smallest little pieces of structure, and for us, it
was grass. It was just this one pocket of hydrilla
that was holding these big fish we pulled nearly twenty
pounds off of.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
And the crazy thing is Spencer. Imagine if we got
there earlier, who knows it would have happened?
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Right?
Speaker 2 (10:24):
Who knows?
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Well?
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Because we only spent what two hours there?
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Yeah, yeah, we were there in the middle of the afternoon.
I think we got out there like twelve thirty we
caught nineteen pounds off of there, and we.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Left, and people would go, why would you leave? Honestly,
you and I both.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Had to let him rest a couple times there worse,
a couple of times we had to let him rest.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Why wouldn't we have thought when we were doing the
way that we were working that pocket where we were
kind of starting here going down the line and then
we'd move over about twenty thirty feet we'd.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
Go down that line. Is that not enough of arrest?
Is still they get a lot of vibration.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Well, what happens is especially what happens when they're because
remember on Livescope, we could see them like moving around,
they'd like scatter around, and then they'd come back in
a group again. And when they'd come back in that
group again, we'd fire over into the hydrill. That's when
we catch them. But when they'd scatter all about, it
was almost like they were lost, or like they were
scared of our baits, or like they were searching out
and they were just harder to catch.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
They were just trying to get back to.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
It or something, or maybe try to get back to
where they wanted to be and I think I think
that's the reason why we had to leave them and
we can't. And we didn't leave them for that long,
I think because we only left them once once we
found that spot. Remember, we ran down to the other
pocket because you were like, maybe this other one will
set up the same, and it didn't. Well, because you
have certain there are four boats in there too.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
There's certain types of lakes.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
You have pattern lakes, right, guns it's.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Like a spot specific.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Yeah, with you got and you go to Tin House
and guys are like, we're whacking them in Tin House.
You can be in South Bay and they're not catching anything, right.
Gunnersville is very similar. There's guys that are like, oh,
I spent a lot of time in Sea Bowl. I
was whacking them in there. I go down to Brown's.
I didn't do anything.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
Yeah, guys try.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
To replicate, and that's when you get in trouble because
you can't run on Gunnersville. You have to kind of
expand your area where you find your fish.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
I learned this from a really, really prestigious fisherman back
in the day that eighty percent of the tournament winning
fisher and twenty percent of the lake and that's as
a tournament fisherman what I kind of take into consideration.
That's why we made that long run on Monday, because
I'm like, this is the only place where I've found
such a big group of fish that we could potentially
roll through numbers and catch a big one. Because during
(12:39):
the spring, that's the deal, right, and during the summer
that's the deal. And that's what we found on Gunnersville.
You know that spot was loaded, man, Well that next
weekend loaded. I've been like having dreams about it and
wanting to go back, but it's like and it's like,
do I want to go to Gunnersville and drive an
hour and forty five minutes or do I want to
go out and master my home lake, which is Logan Mark.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
Gunnersville also had that the weather that came through, the
tornadoes that hit a lot of places. We did have
some fatalities Alabama.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
It's terrible.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Yeah, it's awful to hear about. And we're fortunate to
be able to go out and fish these lakes. But
I've already heard Gunnersville is blown out and there's a
lot of float all that kind of stuff, and just
a matter of days.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
Yeah, you know, happens a lot.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
The mudline is still pretty prominent, but there's a real difference.
A lot of guys get scared of fishing clean water,
like clear water. We were fishing relatively clear water when
the stingy. But then when that mudline started to settle in, boy.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Did that bike pick up.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
It did well. We were we were fishing. We were
fishing the mudline, like literally the mudline, and then when
the mud line would roll in, it was almost like
they were change. Yeah, it would change. It was it was,
it would move around. Uh, and it was like almost
like the fish were like using that as like I
can't say to ambush prey because it's so hard to
say because we're still firing on hydrilla, you know.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
I think but they were more comfortable.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
I think Dustin Connell says, the water ain't dingy, they're
going to be stingy. Yeah, so you know, and it's true,
you know, especially with the way that that bite was
that day.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
There was some pressure. There was some pressure in that area.
We had one low kid fish into.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
The like he'd go up and come back down, up
and bat.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
It was so interesting.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
He was doing similar things on his trolling motor that's why.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
But he also he also wasn't catching the size.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Yeah, because he was on the clean water because you know,
and he wasn't firing into that one little patch of
hydrilla that we were firing into on that mudline, and
that that made everything, you know.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
Wes Logan is a guy who's been on the podcast
numerous times. He's a super good dude, talented in the
bass Master Elites. In fact, this week, at the time
we recorded this, he's in the bass Master Classic on
Ray Roberts. You want to talk about weather, and it
looks like it's getting worse all week.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Oh, it's supposed to be bad. It's I didn't even
look at it. I haven't been paying attention to the cloud.
I know they had their little event.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Last night, but yeah, crazy windy, you know, twenty to
thirty mile an hour goes.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Oh my goodness, that's Oh. So it's going to be
like practice.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
It's going to be interesting.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Wonder how they'll cancel a couple of days. It seems
like the bass Master has been doing that a lot lately.
I'm really curious to see if they'll postpone or cancel
one of the days.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Of the class for safety.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
I could see him doing it, but for fish ability no,
like which is crazy. You don't want to cancel the
Classic because fishing could be hard.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
But if it's an unsafe lake, well that's unsafe lake. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
If it's thirty blowing thirty, you know they're gonna man.
I don't know if you saw some of those practice
did you see Trey McKinney's boat, and yes, oh my god,
just trying to load the dang thing.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
But there wasn't anything that the main event could have done.
It was his practice trailer to get practice out.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Yeah, he was trying to get out, right, It looked
like he was trying to get.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
Trey's boat, was trying to get on his trailer. He
offloaded his boat. He was going to try to get
out because it was a bad scenario. He went on
social media and talked about it and people were like,
why didn't you get out and try to help them.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
There's nothing you can do. The waves you're crashing like that.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
Trey has to try to ride the top of one
of those waves and it's gonna slam down on top
of that trailer just to get it close. And Ben
Milliken's account showed shared the video, but he wasn't there
one recorded.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Yeah, you know, there's a lot of so.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Much social media there.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
Yeah. In fact, we need to talk about some social
media hate. We also have to talk about some decisions
that bass Master has made and they're not the only ones.
The NPFL made the decision too. But the new information
rule has become highly politicized with people, and I don't
(16:45):
understand why. I'm lost because the anglers asked for stricter
penalties and better enforcement on their rules, no information rules one.
What's your feeling on that.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
If you do the crime, you god do the time.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
So you're in agreement.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
I mean, I'm not trying to be the rumor starter
gospel starter, but everybody knows like Scott Martin gets information,
everybody knows that, right, it's a joke in the industry,
you know, everybody makes jokes about it. So for him
to finally get dcu'ed on Okachobe, that just goes to
show that they're being serious about it.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
And I'm seth Fighter said the same thing. You know,
he was like two guys a bass master got pinched.
One of them is a really good dude, the other dude,
it was kind of expected exactly, and of course he
was on with Dave Mercer, and Mercer kind of pushed
a little more like can I ask who's and he's like, well,
I've never heard a bad thing about Matt Heron, That's.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
All he had to say.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Yeah, it is like there are guys, especially when you're
in the fishing world, you kind of know, yes, you
get senses and you get feelings, and then you find
out the way that some of these guys are getting information.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
I'm not saying it's Scott.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Watch the guy's YouTube channel for like an hour. Yeah,
just watch the guy's YouTube channel and you'll be like, yeah,
this guy.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
Gets some of the ways that I'm hearing these pros
can cheat is wild to me.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
Yeah, yeah, because the schedule drops and they have like
a certain amount of time to be able to get
information quote unquote, and they either do or they don't.
And some of the guys that are the best in
the world, sorry, guys, they get information. I hate to
be the breaker.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
And I'm okay with guys getting information, Yeah, but I
don't want you getting.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Information when the schedule comes out. That's the rule.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
If you want to go fish, Okachobe, let's let's talk
about Okuchobe. You want to fish Oka Chobe. Scott Martin
lives on Okuchobe. Yeah, he's been fishing it for years.
But to get information within the seven months eight months
when the schedule's out, No, Like you live by a
different rule because you play in that world. But if
you know that you're going to be there in April
or you're going to be there in March, and you
(18:40):
know kind of what the fish do, you already have
a heads up. Yeah, but you still got to go
out and find them. So I'm okay with guys getting
information outside of when the schedule gets dropped.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
And once it gets dropped, you can't talk about it.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
So Spencer, let me ask you this, what do you
think is the difference between like getting information from a
local guy and like going on a Facebook page before
it turns when it's no off limit or when it's
off limits, and like joining a Facebook page for the
local lake and just watching, you know, because that's that's
never been brought into any rule situation or a conversation.
(19:11):
Because there are some pros too that will go right
on the Facebook and join a local tournament group and
just look and watch. Do you think that's no information real.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
No, But here's the thing.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
I listened to a pod the other day and Gussie
was talking about this and Gussie was like, look, we
can't talk about it, we can't get information about it.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
We can only see what's readily available to us. You see.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
So that's that's a great area.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
But it's not really great area because no, because look
what we do for tournaments, right You and I will
sit down and we'll be talking about a game plan
of a tournament that we want to fish. We'll pull
up YouTube, we'll see what guys did a year ago.
But again, most of the time is a year ago
jumping on a Facebook group. You and I both know
the worst people to talk to about fishing are fishermen
(19:58):
because they're one not always going to tell you the truth.
I mean, how many guys across the stage at ABT
and they're like, I'm catching on rayburn red rattle trap
and I'm catching on chatterbait. That's not always the case.
They're not always catching it on that exact color. There's
variations of what guys do, there's techniques that they do,
so you don't always learn that the pros are smart
(20:19):
enough to delineate what information sounds viable and what stuff
is bullshit?
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Yeah, I mean, I don't know. It's so hard to say.
That's That's what I'm saying. It's so hard to police,
like who are you going to DQ? Next? You know,
like are you going to DQ a guy that you
know is in a tackle shop and just hears it
and there's some bass message like it's so hard to police,
like like who's gonna be the next guy that getsdcuted?
Speaker 3 (20:40):
But that's not what's happening. Kind of is if you
have a little bit. When I was working with Buddy Gross,
Buddy and I traveled to Florida. We get into the
truck and as soon as the door closes, he goes,
I just want to tell you we can't talk about
(21:00):
this lake in Florida and we can't talk about this
like okay.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
So it comes down to management as as as yourself correct.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
Yes, you have to be the one as a pro
to be able to say don't do it. I had
a friend of mine who called me and said, it
is like four days before the ABT and he says, hey, man,
I just fished the lake that you're going to fish
this next weekend. And I said, you can't tell me
anything about it, don't say a word about it.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
Okay, but then what happens if you when you still
fail the polygraph, When you still fail the polygraph, it's
so hard to police.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Well, polygraphs are only sixty six percent.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
It doesn't matter. If you fail the polygraph, you're disqualified.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
Most of the time.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
Most of the time they're not admissible in court. So
there's a part of me that feels like, yes, I
understand that's the golden rule, but I do appreciate the
guys who self report.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
Look the Scott Martin thing.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
Let me tell you about the Scott Mart's I don't
think he's self report. He didn't because he kept saying
at one point I had to be reminded of the conversation.
If you self report, you don't have to be remind.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Exactly exactly that was. That was what do they call that?
When you're saving face? He's saving face?
Speaker 3 (22:11):
Yeah, yeah, So I immediately thought that was a little suspect, right.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
The Matt Herron deal.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
I've noticed with Matt Herron and some of the things
that have surrounded him.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Unfortunately, I think it's kind of a coup. Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
Un I think I think I feel kind for him.
I do too.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
I think it was a way for for for best
to kind of look at it and go, now we
have an opportunity.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Yeah, that's exactly I agree. Because they knew he would
They knew he would probably just finish his season off
then because he has no he can't requalify once you
get decued and a certain amount of times you know
you're going to be the lowest in the standings every
turn you can't requalify for the elites. Yeah, now Scott's
going to have a really hard time requalifying.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
But because if.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
He's the lowest in the standings, there's like that's when
our buddies from the EQS run in and they take
their spot.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
But a lot of this up, a lot of the
information stuff came up.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
He had to cut his losses essentially, right, Yeah, so
which is it's You're right? I agree, it was a.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Coup with with some of the the things that people
continue to talk about with you know, self reporting in
this and the one in the MPFL. People are like,
it's not that bad and blah blah blah. Everybody knows
the rules. So even if you are on a live camera,
which happened in the NPFL, and you just ask how
your buddy's doing.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
He's in the tournament. That's gaining information.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
So that's what happened. What did he do?
Speaker 3 (23:32):
Essentially, he turned, he turned to the camera guy and
he was just talking about an area and he said, well,
I hope he's catching him down there, or have you
heard if he's catching them? Oh no, So it's it's
a matter of language, right, Like it just sounds kind
of easy to say, but if you have a guy
who validates the question, goes, yeah, he's catching him down there,
(23:53):
that's information.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Well wait, who did he get that information though?
Speaker 1 (23:56):
Is that like camera guy?
Speaker 2 (23:57):
It was a camera guy? Oh no, so oh man,
that stinks.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
But you say it on live, you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Like, it's because if you were to run down there
and then join his buddy, you know, that's that's gaining
a competitive edge.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
I've been in tournaments before where they're like, hey, look,
you can call anybody who's in the tournament and you
can talk about things. But they change that rule in
MLF now you can only talk to them while you're
on the water.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Yes, that's what I was just about. To say, because
when I first started fishing the opens back in twenty thirteen,
I was with a couple of guys that I jump
on the phone during the tournament and call their other
buddies and ask if they're a fisher around, what were the.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Rules for you guys in the open?
Speaker 2 (24:34):
Uh? To be honest, dude, I was so young. I
was following the rules obviously, but I wasn't paying attention
because my boater was responsible for most of them. You know,
as a co angler, you don't really have that many,
you know, rules besides making sure you're Fing'll tell you
a couple.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
Of things that might blow your mind when it comes
to gaining information. Apple air tags, yes, putting them in
a guide's boat, letting a guy dull.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
People will start their phone like Navionix app. They'll just
start their phone. And how hard is it to remember
a spot too? You know? So, and that's that's what really,
that's the man.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
I'm hiring guides for your friends, yep, and then having
them report back. Yeah, there's numerous ways the guys cheat.
But if we really want to save this sanctity of fishing,
you just can't have that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
But like I'm saying, Spencer, how are these guys? How
is bass master? And the I'm going to be able
to police this? Like one hundred percent, They're not going
to be able to.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
They they won't. But listen, I've seen a lot of
stand up things.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
Gerald Swindle will stand up in a in an event
where I can't remember exactly what happened, but something he
did where he caught a fish and he went against
the rule I think know he was trying to fish
for a better fish and the hook was outside the mouth.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Yes, yeah, I remember.
Speaker 3 (25:46):
He didn't have anybody in his bow. There was no marshall,
there was no cameraman. He had his go pro and
he self reported to the tournament director and said, I
caught a fish it was outside the mouth.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Well, I believe too. The elites have to have a
GoPro in their care. Were recording twenty four to seven
with their marshal and he didn't just even tho if
it doesn't go on live, they have to have it
in there.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
When I was marshaling, and I had Scott Martin, Greg
Hackney both in the Classic, and then I had Mike I. Kinelli,
all three of them told me like, hey, you can
stand in the back of the boat, you can send
the chair or whatever. Please don't block the camera. Yeah,
I said, no problem, so I knew, like at all
times where that camera was.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
It's a good way to keep him accountable. But it's also,
you know, good for them.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
They don't want any They don't want anything that happened
from somebody else possibly ruining their day on the water
because they don't know if they're going to go out
and bag them. And then they also don't want anybody
blocking the camera because if they have an epic day,
they want to be able to have that footage. So
it's good that the cameras are in there. It's great
for the organizations because they can use it. But as
(26:49):
far as information, I really do just love the way
that Bass has it set up. Once we put out
the schedule, you can't I think. I think the matter
of the scheduling is the big problem though, because when
the schedule comes out for the bas elites in the past,
the opens guys are still fishing and they're not held
(27:11):
to the same standards as the elite guys in the past.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (27:15):
Now I'm happy because that's like the minor leagues trying
to go pro. You have to be held to the
same standard.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
Absolutely, you're on Spencer, you nailed it. Nailed it, dude.
You're really good at this bass fish and stuff.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
You know a lot about it, bro, I know a
lot about it when it comes to fish.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
I looked at the old tournament.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
I looked at him and I was like, man, I
can't catch fish, and He's like, no, no, no, you always
catch the one, big one.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
Yeah, dude, You're always good for a big one and
a catfish, sure, and craffee.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
So I'll tell you what, if I come across the stage,
if they go Spencer Graves waghing into fish.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
It might be an absolute stud.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
You just don't know big fish.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
You just don't know. All right. Good.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
I'm glad that we got a lot of this uh
talked about today because the no information rule is such
a big deal and a lot of people have jumped
on social.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Media, Oh stop doing this. He's a good man, he's
a man of Christ and all this stuff.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
It's great that they are who they are, But the
reality is, when you sign up for any tournament, there's
rules you gotta follow.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Who is next to be d qed?
Speaker 1 (28:17):
That's a big question. That is a big question.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
Could we see a disqualification in the Bass Master class.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
Gosh, that would be wild.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
We'll see you guys next week.
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