Bassmaster Classic

Coming back to BJCC in 2014. They have not named which lake yet.

2.00$ says it is Lay.

It's Guntersville.

Should be a slugfest.

Guntersville....BJCC weigh in????

don't get me wrong, it will be great and a "slugfest" for sure.
But why the long drive from G to BJCC?? doesn't make sense. why not just have it in Huntsville?

Majority of that drive will be interstate, and then assistance through the county roads to the launch site will help smooth things. The final round will only have a handful of boats, half or less than half of the full field the first two days.

Huntsville's VBC expo hall does not have enough square footage to host the Classic show. The VBC arena would be fine for a weigh-in and probably would be filled, which would be nice. But the exhibition hall doesn't meet the square footage requirements in the contract (unless those have changed, and I don't think they have).

Honestly, I"m surprised the FLW Cup has not been held in Huntsville. They were greatly impressed when they came here for their Tour event a couple of years ago and did tour the arena. Charlie Evans told me it was all perfect for weigh-ins and the expo.

Huntsville talked with BASS about 4-5 years ago about the Classic. They almost got the 2010 event but the city balked on some money and BASS didn't like the size of the expo hall.

I had rather see them wrap up outside at the state park that know Birmingham was getting something out of it.

You have to consider the same guy owns the barrons and bassmaters. Probably working a package deal on both of them.

What would the Barons have to do with BASS? There's no correlation, plus Don doesn't even have a stadium or anything completed yet and the Classic has had a long history in Birmingham without so much as any sniff of anything involving the Barons, ever.

Even the last few years when it's been there, I've never seen anything remotely associated with the Barons at anything involved with the Classic.

I just wish Guntersville had a large enough location to hold it. I can't seeing Birmingham benefit off of something that they have no involvement in.

And what I meant by the barons comment was he moved them from a good location in Hoover to a smaller stadium in the hood. So he has no problem keeping bassmaters going there also.

Facilities are a problem in Huntsville - the VBC isn't big enough per B.A.S.S. expo hall size requirements. Location, however, is fantastic for Guntersville and Wheeler, of course.

B'ham has hosted eight or nine times. Centrally-located facilities, huge hotel, expo hall, interstate access. The drive to Guntersville will be potentially problematic through backroads, especially if there's any kind of weather problem.

Would be nice, for sure, to see it all stay in Guntersville or even Huntsville.

I am a member of BASS and follow their pros and tournaments. I will say this though. Bash me if you want, but I do not like this at all. With no restocking of Guntersville over the years, it has hurt it big time. I am just afraid this many fish being taken out will be the nail in the coffin. Guntersville just ain't the lake it was just a few years ago.

When has anyone stocked Guntersville?

As for the baseball. He moved them from a stadium that was hard to get to, hard to get in and out of and was never full to a new stadium in a city center. Just like all other teams in the country have done. Also, that isn't exactly a hood. It is practically on UABs campus. I know they have already sold more season tickets for the new stadium than they had in Hoover.

As for fishing, that is a long trip, but, they could always helicopter the fishermen and there catch.

Helicopters have been considered before. No joke.

Never and it shows. The pressure was headed down some, but this should get it back up good. The fishing gets worse every year.

It's not financially or biologically feasible to stock a lake of that size. Would be like dumping 1,000 gallons of water into the ocean.

All I am saying is you can't keep taking and not putting back. I watch lots of fish get knives put to them soon as they hit the boat. And lots get killed in summer tournaments too. This is good for Birmingham true, but not so sure it is a win for this area that has nothing going for it but the lake and fishermen.

You see that many fish literally being filleted on a boat?

If so, you need to have a game warden or marine police on speed dial and call them ASAP if you're literally watching it happen.

Stocking wouldn't matter on Guntersville, not a bit. It's too big and the cost and logicistics would be unreasonable.

Lowering the daily creel limit on bass, possibly instituting a slot or minimum size limit, and having more anglers be vigilant about reporting violations would go much farther than pouring money down the drain with any kind of stocking program.

Have seen it several times. More so at the boat ramp with out of state folks. You might be right with the creel and slot limit. Something needs to be done though.

I've heard about the ramp fillet guys, especially in spring with out-of-staters and campers ... fish in the morning, keep a limit or whatever they catch, put the knife to 'em, go back in the afternoon. Multiple days, coolers, etc.

Bad deal. Then, to top it off, they toss the carcasses into the water by the ramp. They may disintegrate or be eaten by turtles and birds, but it doesn't look good. Have seen the same with carp tossed by bowfishermen. Doesn't help anglers' image with others.

Yep, I am just keeping my fingers crossed it will get better.

Part of it is anglers and guides need to keep the game wardens and Marine Police telephone numbers for their districts/areas on their phone and contact them when they see these things going on ... hunters should do the same for deer, ducks and critters, too.

Today's idea of "I don't want to get involved" and "they won't come do anything anyway" is too rampant, IMO, when there's a clear-cut case of a violation occurring.

I remember several years ago, some yankees were caught with close to 1000(?) bream. I think i'm right on that number. Anyways, I can see that as illegal...but if you're camping and catch 30 bream and are gonna eat 'em that afternoon...is it illegal to clean at the waters edge? I've done it while camping/trout fishing the elk...

You're right, Gman, about the Yankees and fish. They were more than a bit surprised when the badge came out.

Probably nothing illegal about cleaning them at water's edge. Discarding the scraps in plain sight in the water or grass is just a BS thing to do, though, especially with a garbage can there.

Its not only yankees. When I lived near west Point hoards of Ky fishermen did the same thing there. They often had problems with flat tires,super glued wipers and toothpiks in door locks.Those locals didn't like them one bit.

I met two men from Kentucky on Mitchell that said they have been coming down for years every spring. One of the guys lived here once before. Anyway they had a cooler full of bass. They said they would be here all week catching them. They fill their freezer with filets every year.

So did anyone contact the GW to have them checked out?

Clem, you may not remember me, but do you remember the time we sat on the dock with binos and radios with the warden and he busted those yankees filleting those fish at signal point on Guntersville? Thats one of my favorite stories! When we walked over there and they thought he was one of the guys and they were bragging about all the fish they had caught and cleaned, and they had all those 3 inch bream and 6 inch crappie and bass. I would love for you to fill the aldeer folks in on that one. It was an all time classic!!

I remember, fondly. That's the one mentioned earlier in this thread. How are y'all doing?!?




Here's the story:


I get a call at the fishwrapper from a pal about some nonresidents (Indiana, I believe) who were putting the wood to bluegills and shellcrackers at Guntersville in spring ... probably May, although I can't be sure.

My caller ain't happy about it and already has contacted the game warden. They've already been doing a little surveillance and watching these good ol' boys go fishing in the morning -- multiple people in multiple boats -- and bring in a shitpile of fish, fillet them, put them in the upright chest freezer (strapped into the back of their pickup truck!), eat lunch, and then go back in the afternoon for another round.

My pal said he checked one or two really good shellcracker bedding areas and it looked like a vacant moonscape. Y'all know how a good shellcracker bed can be, but it's possible to put a bigtime hurting on it. He was pissed and disappointed.

I get invited to watch the bust. Game warden walks up "undercover" in his greens and boots but with a plaid shirt over his regular shirt (and badge, and gun/belt). Exchanges the "How y'all doins?" and such, and after they start bragging about how well they're doing he asks to see licenses, fish and shows his badge.

No harsh words were spoken, but they looked like puppies being chastised for peeing on the carpet. Not a damn peep out of any of them as the GW is looking through the freezer, counting what he could count and getting his work done.

By this time, my pal and I have walked over. The violators -- nine of them, I believe -- don't know if we're also game wardens or who we are. We didn't say anything to them but talked with the GW. Walked around a little bit. I had my notepad and pen, making notes.

One of the violators walked up and sheepishly asked, "May I go to the bathroom?" Now, this is a group of men probably 55-years old or older, and older. I'm almost that age and God help me if I ever do anything that stupid, because I'd be embarrassed, too.

"Yes," I replied firmly, "but don't go anywhere else and come right back."

I had to walk away to hide my grin, I wanted to laugh so hard.

I think there was something like 256 or 276 counts of being over the limit. Maybe more. It was huge. Their freezer was chocked with bags of fillets. It pissed me off, too.

And I wish more guys were like my pal - vigilant, pissed, disappointed, and ready to contact the GWs to try to get something done. The GWs can't do it all or be everywhere, and can use hunters' and anglers' help when possible. They ain't always the bad guys ... but they want to catch the bad guys.

I knew clem would tell it better than I could. It was one of the funniest times I can remember. I still remember like it was yesterday, when they were bragging away as they cleaned 6 and 7 inch crapie and every other little thiing that bit their hooks that day.

Like stocking deer.

Fishing pressure is a beotch to the fish, but the populations aren't hurting I assure you.

It's interesting that after years of anglers complaining about gill netting on the river and how it affects game fish but nothing being done, now the DCNR has ruled it can restrict gill netting and will begin doing so immediately.

Guess it takes a big tournament championship here in 15 months or so to get something done. Maybe not. Looks funny, though.

Also interesting is that after years - and I mean, years - of anglers complaining about the daily creel limit for black bass (largemouth, smallmouth) being 10 a day and nothing being done, I'm told that a reduction to 5 per day will be considered in early 2013 for proposal by the CAB.

Two very long overdue changes that have been requested by anglers for years and rebuffed with differing reasons. Now, a championship tournament put on by an organization based in the state is coming here in 15 months and, "Voila!", we have changes.

Coincidence? Maybe. Darn sure doesn't look like it, though.

I don't see the big deal with the creel limit being 10.

The 10 to 5 creel limit would be great, I hope it happens.

I think doing away with hot weather bass tournaments would be better than that

Bass would be protected more by doing away with tourneys (including catch & release)than lowering the creel limit. I fish a couple of small tourneys each year & about 10% of the fish are belly up at or near the scales, more in hot weather. I also would rather eat a 1-3 lb bass than any other game fish out there but to each his own. I guess that's why real tourney fishers don't like me. You can't please everyone & that includes me so what ever they decide is best I'll live with & abide by.

What this guy said. I used to fisheye baseball country tournament at lay every year the last time I fished it I picked up 15-20 dead bass that were thrown back in right at the ramp at paradise point!!! Most of these were three to six pound bass!!!

those tournaments held during bedding/spawning times are the real killers. You take 100 fisherman on a lake and each one has caught 2-5 bass each off the bed then drove them 10-30 miles away to the weigh in, then dumped in the lake at the boat ramp. It can decimate a whole year class of bass. I think bed fishing should be outlawed.

Can you statistically prove this? Cause I can statistically prove you wrong. Guntersville has never took the weights to win or place in tournaments it took in the last year and a half, ever. Go to FLWoutdoors.com and check all the weights for this year. I guess the fishing got worse, but the fisherman are so much better now than they were 2 years ago?

Oh, it took over 32lbs, 5 fish to win this past Saturday in the fish Life tourney out of Browns Creek.

Poor lake must hardly have any fish with tiny little bags like that winning.

I am going by my club weights and the drop off on say like the BFL tournaments after the top 2 or 3 finishers. There are still going to be big sacks. The consistency just doesn't seem to be there like it used to be. I ain't just talking about the top weights. And it could be pressure having a lot to do with it, but we fish from daylight till noon and if you didn't have 20 pounds you didn't even weigh. Now, 14 and 16 pounds is winning big and I don't get it. The guys I fish against are some of the best around.

Well here are the facts, last place in the money in each Choo Choo BFL at Guntersville:

February:
2010: 12lbs 1oz
2012: 17lbs 4 oz
UP 5lbs 3oz

March:
2010: 16lbs 5oz
2012: 15lbs 9oz
DOWN 12oz

April:
2010: 17lbs 9oz
2012: 15lbs 9oz
DOWN 2lbs

May/June
2010: 17lbs 10oz
2012: 13lbs 15oz
DOWN 3lbs 11oz

Sept 2 day:
2010: 12lbs 2oz
2012:13lbs 11oz
UP 1lb 9oz

In total the last check for BFL is up 5oz in 2012 compaired to 2010, and the winners blew the winning weights out of the water from two years prior in all but 1 event.

Everstart Series
2012- May - 3 day event
Winner: 82lbs 15oz
Tenth Place: 58lbs 14oz

Way back in the good old days......
2004- May- 4 day event
Winner: 79lbs 9oz
Tenth place: 47lbs 13oz

FLW Tour:
2009:
Winner: 83lbs 3 oz
Tenth: 60lbs 13oz

2010:
Winner: 95lbs 7oz
Tenth: 61lbs 4oz

2011:
Winner: 102lbs 8oz
Tenth:62lbs 10oz



You guys must be right pressure is killing this place. Check out those Everstart weights both from the month of may. Amazing how pittiful 2012 makes 2004 look with one less day to fish, and 5 less fish in the total weight.

They should probably just drain the place the way it's falling off.

The weathers been so crazy te last two years the fish don't know what to do