I thought you got better with more experience. 2024

The_Natural reply :

Why is it that anglers that were dominant in the '80's aren't competitive in tournaments today? Rick Clunn, Shaw Grigsby, Randy Blaukat, etc. aren't threats to win anymore, yet have more experience than anyone on tour. Why are they getting their butts kicked? I hyposthesize that as you get older...you are less subject to change, and bass fishing is constantly changing. You must constantly be on board with new baits and new techniques; you need to adapt to the times. Also...there are twice as many anglers today as there were in the '80s....so the competition is better. Older pros have admitted that it was easier to start a career back in the days of only BASS Invitationals. Now you really have to be 'elite' to make it to the elite series. Anyway...it's food for thought. It's interesting that someone can be voted the best angler of all time, yet with significantly more TOW and experience....not be dominant. I just think today's tournament anglers are more educated and just all-around better. It's kind of like comparing an old football team of the '70s like the Steelers to a current team. They were great back then, but I bet they would get their arse handed to them now days.

Sam reply :

Natural,

Interesting question.

I think you are correct with some of your assumptions.

Ike, Duckett and KVD, to name three, do things different today than was done years ago.

The tackle has improved as well, giving everyone a better opportunity to catch fish.

Going back to the 60's and 70's with college football, speed is a major factor today while in the good ole days it was the Woody Hayes style of three yards and a cloud of dust, knock their teeth out running the ball.

Good observation. Can wait to read the responses.

Big Fish Rice reply :

Natural,

I think you hit it head on about the constant change in technology and equipment. As a 26 year old, I still find myself reluctant to try some of the newer lures out today, but I still read and watch as many articles/shows as I can to learn the new gear.

I'm constantly adapting and trying my new gear, but haven't tried a few of the newest lures just because I tend to stick with what I know works. Still, education is a large part of fishing...and some of the older gentlemen aren't competing because of knowledge of newfound techniques and equipment by the younger men and women.

Great topic by the way, thinking outside the box! Good luck to all!

Mattlures reply :

I had about 1/2 hour phone call with Rick Clunn about 2 years ago. He wanted to order some baits and he wanted to know how to fish them. He told me that they never used to bed fish because they didnt know how and it took too long to get a fish to go. He said now when they have T's durring the spawn they have to bed fish because the winners do know how and he needed to learn to stay with them. I gave him my bed fishing routine from start to finish. I offered to give him the baits but he refussed and placed his order. He is a verry nice guy. One of the biggest reasons the older guys cant keep up is stamina. KVD probably makes 100-500 more casts in a day then the older guys. The younger guys are in better shape and have more indurance

Plus they are probably more hungry. They want it more and are working a little harder for it. When you are in deep concentration mode for hours it magnifies your exaustion. I used to play pool at a very high level. I would be completley exauhsted after an 5hr match. But I was only a little tired after practicing for 5 hours.

Fishing at the highest tournament level is a lot more physicaly demanding then it looks especialy when the T's are multiple days

tnhiker44 reply :

Quote
Why is it that anglers that were dominant in the '80's aren't competitive in tournaments today?

Although I agree with most of the responses on here, I have one question for you. Can you name me a single activity that those that were at the top of their game back in the 80's still are today? Chess maybe... but certainly not anything physical. Golf? Not hardly. Car racing? Naw... I find it sad how the older guys (i.e. Bill Elliot, Mark Martin, ect.) still try to compete beyond their years. Football, basketball, baseball? Nope, nope and nope.

I do not think this lack in performance has anything to do with skill or equipment. It is more a result of human 'nature', for a lack of a better word. We, as a species, have a rather small window to perform well at any physical/mental task at peak performance. But with that said... I would hardly call the winners so far this year in the B.A.S.S. events 'young'. Most were either in their 30's and 40's.

My $0.02

Catt reply :

2009 Classic Skeet Reese age 40

2009 Blue Ridge Brawl Kevin Vandam age 42

2009 Dixie Duel Tommy Biffel age 52

2009 Diamond Drive Mark Menendez age 45

2009 Battle On The Border Jason Williamson age 28

2009 Southern Challenge Aaron Martens age 37

1st question where are all these youngsters?

2nd question what exactly about bass fishing is constantly changing?

3rd Name me one new technique?

It is easier to start a career in bass fishing today because it is widely accepted as a career back in the 70s no companies outside of fishing were willing to put out money.

RobbyZ5001 reply :

I have a feeling that anything I say will be wrong, but I will bite anyway.

Swimbaits

Dropshot

I am sure someone at some point used both these techniques to some degree, but they are both widely used now. I am sure Catt will know that someone and exactly when they were using it.

Grey Wolf reply :

Age factor + desire are some of the reasons.

Fishing Rhino reply :

All of the above, especially the age factor.

Youth seems to hold sway in all activities, including poker tournaments.

Stamina, stamina, stamina. In order to concentrate, and stay focused over a period of time requires stamina. The older a person is, the less stamina they have.

OK, ok, a sedentary person can begin to exercise and have more stamina than they did at a younger age. But they still will not have as much as they could have had, had they applied themselves earlier.

After stamina, comes "hunger", also known as desire. As one gets older, and has achieved certain goals, that hunger wanes.

Yesterday's top guns were the best in their time. Would they be today? Who knows?

fishfordollars reply :

I thought Biffle just won a tournament? He's right in there with the rest of the over the hill gang.

I do agree that the desire may wane after many years involved in the bass wars. Once you have made it you are not under the gun to produce to stay afloat. If you think the older guys can't get it done I totally disagree. A win a year is hard for anyone to do reguardless of age.

Formats and game planing have evolved over the years also. Years ago it was common to leave one tournament and arrive the next day and fish for 20+ days just to get ready for the next. Marriage, children, sponsership commitments, etc. have changed all of that. Now it's likely a tournament from week to week with a lot less prefishing time. That will level the playing field.

Eddie Munster reply :

With the popularity of Bass fishing having exploded over the last 20+ years, equipment definitely has alot to do with it. Electronics (side scanning, cameras), better rods/line, more realistic lures, etc....As with almost any industry; if you don't stay current, you'll be obsolete. Sure they can still catch fish but if they don't take advantage of the advances in technology they're at a disadvantage before they ever get their boat wet.

Note I never mentioned age because anyone who balks at technology is at a disadvantage. But that may have something to do with not taking advantage of today's technology. Something about an old dog and new tricks...........

George Welcome reply :

It amazes me that so many think age has something to do with using the latest and greatest of equipment.

I'm 64 and one hell of a fisherman, but I can't hold a candle to what I could do 20 years ago: 20 years ago, I couldn't keep up with what I could do when I was 24. It's called getting older.

I have to hand it to our older competitors, as I can tell you that the grind of competition in all weather conditions is one major grind. Very few can come close to hanging on over a 4-5 day tourney both physically and mentally. Then to move on to the next grind (tournament?) without a substantial rest. It's not so easy!

The discussion of whether or not fishing requires athletic ability comes up frequently with many judges on either side of the fence. Come out with me for 5 days straight. Then hop in your vehicle and take a 20 hour ride and let's go 5 days straight again. You may love fishing but I think your going to have a big surprise on how physically beat you are no matter what your age is.

These guys do this week after week, month after month. When I was young I thought that there would be no way my abilities would lessen: but guess what folks, they did and yours will also.

cart7t reply :

Quote

Quote
Why is it that anglers that were dominant in the '80's aren't competitive in tournaments today?

Although I agree with most of the responses on here, I have one question for you. Can you name me a single activity that those that were at the top of their game back in the 80's still are today? Chess maybe... but certainly not anything physical. Golf? Not hardly. Car racing? Naw... I find it sad how the older guys (i.e. Bill Elliot, Mark Martin, ect.) still try to compete beyond their years. Football, basketball, baseball? Nope, nope and nope.

I do not think this lack in performance has anything to do with skill or equipment. It is more a result of human 'nature', for a lack of a better word. We, as a species, have a rather small window to perform well at any physical/mental task at peak performance. But with that said... I would hardly call the winners so far this year in the B.A.S.S. events 'young'. Most were either in their 30's and 40's.

My $0.02

Yep. Not too mention a little thing called desire and the competitive edge. Once you reach a pinnacle like a Clunn or a Roland Martin your time is so much more taken up with NON-fishing related activities, primarily because you're obligated due to the success level you've reached. It's rare anyone can maintain that same level of performance year after year. Young anglers are still striving to reach that level, the desire burns great in the young jedi.

Quote
It is easier to start a career in bass fishing today because it is widely accepted as a career back in the 70s no companies outside of fishing were willing to put out money.

Yep. There are more people following bass fishing due to greater exposure on TV thus, more sponsors willing to back anglers because of that.

cart7t reply :

Quote
....It's kind of like comparing an old football team of the '70s like the Steelers to a current team. They were great back then, but I bet they would get their arse handed to them now days.

Uh huh... :

Give the those guys the same kind of training along with advancements in sports medicine that's available now and they'd wipe the butts of most teams out there now. Great athletes are great athletes, the only difference is the time and era they were great in.

J Francho reply :

Quote
The discussion of whether or not fishing requires athletic ability comes up frequently with many judges on either side of the fence. Come out with me for 5 days straight. Then hop in your vehicle and take a 20 hour ride and let's go 5 days straight again. You may love fishing but I think your going to have a big surprise on how physically beat you are no matter what your age is.

I think this guy knows a thing or two, LOL.

I'm 37 (as of this past Friday ) and just finished up my "spring tour" of Western NY: 10 days, 7 lakes. By Monday (day 10) I was spent. Literally could not get up out of bed at 6 AM. I managed to drag myself up at 8:30, and prepared for a 1/2 day of fishing, but wow. I wanted to get up, wanted to fish, but my body said no. Pros that fish every day must really do a lot of time management to be able to set aside time for rest.

Would I do it agin? Yes! I do it every year. ;D

WRB reply :

Lets put age into prospective; endurance. Tournament fishing requires a lot more physical endurance than fun fishing on weekends. When you are older than 90% of the competitive field your experience helps to locate bass quicker, however today knowledge is shared better then ever before, so finding bass isn't the edge it once was.

Fishing 4 days without a break, then trailering to another tournament a repeating the 4 day tournament plus practicing gets to be both a physical and general health issue as we age.

The skills are there, the desire is there for most top competitive pro's, taking the pounding is the problem, IMO.

WRB

NasTMcfingas reply :

Now let's reverse the question alittle. Take away all the advancements in technology of today's equipment such as all the electronics, trolling motors, advancement in reels and rod sensitivity, soft plastics(no senkos), swimbaits and really only having mono line as the main option. Now, how many of today's top guys would be on top in the 70's and 80's? Would they still be handing these older guy's arses then? IMO technology can take a level playing field and turn it on its side. If one can't make that adjustment then he will certainly be a step behind those who can, and are up todate with it.

Crestliner2008 reply :

I am not and have never been, a "fish for cash" fisherman. That being said, I spend a lot of time on the water each (open water) season (fishing 2 to 3 days a week on average) and have been doing so for about 50+ years now.

A good day on the water for me is finding - and catching - a dozen, or so, small mouth bass, each over 2 1/2 lbs., not counting any caught under that weight class. I had a lot of good days last year and I'm looking forward to equally as many this season.

There are guys, a lot younger than I am, than are what I call "power fishermen". They make hundreds of casts per day, sometimes per hour! I can no longer do that (physically), but I know bass pretty well and I don't "need" to make hundreds of casts, to have a successful day on the water any more (not to be construed as winning days in a series of tournaments). And my day on the water is more like 6 hours, as opposed to their day on the water being closer to 12.

I guess the point I'm trying to make - unsuccessfully as I might be - is that age does have a tremendous impact on success. I believe the older professionals, sometimes just get lucky. Being in the right place at the right time and using their vast years of experience to dominate the tournament. The fact that the older pros are not consistently lucky seems to prove this out. JMO.

WRB reply :

Quote
Now let's reverse the question alittle. Take away all the advancements in technology of today's equipment such as all the electronics, trolling motors, advancement in reels and rod sensitivity, soft plastics(no senkos), swimbaits and really only having mono line as the main option. Now, how many of today's top guys would be on top in the 70's and 80's? Would they still be handing these older guy's arses then? IMO technology can take a level playing field and turn it on its side. If one can't make that adjustment then he will certainly be a step behind those who can, and are up todate with it.

Age has little to do with mastering bass fishing technology, everything to do with time on the water. Age doesn't factor into occasional 1 day tournaments, often won by bass fishermen in there 60's.

Denny and Chad Brauer are good examples of young verses older bass pro's. Who do you think has the edge in today's tournaments? or would win a nostalgic bass tournament?

WRB

Muddy reply :

Success has all to do with water time, not book time. There are a lot of 'knowledgeable" basser's here that would get their butts kicked because they are all about regurgitating what they read from books, and not how they fish.

T I get more out of a CRESTLINER or FISH FSH DOLLARS and CATT posts than many of the pro and big bass posts here.

I wonder how many of the older pros, fish tournies as part of their contractual agreements with both their sponsors and the Tourny trails tehy represent? Even the oldest and hardest playing Baseball players soner or later loose their competative desire and edge, I would guess this would be the case with any pro sport's man.

Paul Roberts reply :

Quote
George Welcome wrote on Today at 11:14am:
The discussion of whether or not fishing requires athletic ability comes up frequently with many judges on either side of the fence. Come out with me for 5 days straight. Then hop in your vehicle and take a 20 hour ride and let's go 5 days straight again. You may love fishing but I think your going to have a big surprise on how physically beat you are no matter what your age is.

J Francho wrote:

I think this guy knows a thing or two, LOL.

I'm 37 (as of this past Friday Smiley) and just finished up my "spring tour" of Western NY: 10 days, 7 lakes. By Monday (day 10) I was spent. Literally could not get up out of bed at 6 AM. I managed to drag myself up at 8:30, and prepared for a 1/2 day of fishing, but wow. I wanted to get up, wanted to fish, but my body said no. Pros that fish every day must really do a lot of time management to be able to set aside time for rest.

Would I do it agin? Yes! I do it every year. Grin

When John started out on those 10days he was GUNG HO! That catches up with you. But...he wasn't fishing T's or running a charter. He was in it for pure fun and probably happy to crash and burn -or not consider it until the end. He knew he was back to work right afterwards. Hell, I'd burn it all too, and used to. I had to have an understanding with my bosses

Here's where experience matters. An experienced T-angler will know how to pace him/herself and prioritize effort. Young guys, and weekenders with a free week , may be more prone to crash and burn. Thus, Catt's list: Old enough to know how to play the game (not just the fishing) but young enough not to wake every morning in pain.

John, I think your Dad/family ran a charter service? That's work, and it isn't hell bent. It's a business and a physically demanding one, from the experiences I had with that world.

I for one would rather do the former -have the luxury of crash and burn every now and then -then I would running my fishing as a business.

I've done the middle ground too: Spent days on end following fish, and there is always the point where you ask yourself just what the hell you're doing out there and why ! Then...for me, I grab a power nap and a sandwich and suddenly I know exactly why I'm out there . It's the coolest thing in the world to be running wild as a predator .

J Francho reply :

That about sums it up, Paul. It's my "Uncle Al" - who is actually my grandfather's cousin - that ran a salmon/trout charter. It was work, and at times, a grind for him. The thing about my week or so was that it coincided with the the spawn up here - no time to pace myself, I'm a very greedy man.

farmpond1 reply :

I am a better fisherman than I was twenty years ago but this body of mine can't handle anything near what it used to. So, while I catch more fish, I spend considerably more time resting and contemplating life's big questions (like what I'm going to eat that evening). I just think physical endurance has a lot to do with it. If the old pro's were able to retain the experience but shed the years/pounds, they'd still be kicking butt.

CODbasser reply :

shaw grigsby is still competitive...i think he recently got a top 5...and look at guido hibdon...the man can hardly get out of his seat...he doesnt even stand up to net his fish and he does extremely well on the flw tour..i think he won one recently....so i think the old guys can still compete...they just have to change their style to compensate for the physical disadvantage that comes with older age...

bass wrangler569 reply :

I think a lot of it does have to do with stamina. My familly stayed on a lake in the poconos last summer and I fished between 12-14 hours every day for a week and I made it through the week fine. My dad, on the other hand, was fishing maybe 6 hours a day at the most and after four or five days of this, he was dead tired so I do think age and what kind of shape you're in is a factor. However, I think a bigger factor than age is desire. When you're somebody like Rick Clunn, you've already accomplished so much, and despite the fact that you still love fishing, I don't think the drive to be the very best is there as much as it was when you were younger and had something to prove. Like somebody else said, when you're young and working you're way up you're still hungry, and I think that hunger diminishes when you've accomplished as much as some of the older anglers have.

I shoot sporting clays a good bit and one of the guys I shoot with is a recently retired-pro who used to finish very high in national competitions. He spent half of his life shooting 50,000+ rounds every year, and he's beginning to get burnt out. He's still as good as he used to be but the drive to be the best isn't there anymore and I think this is what happens to a lot of older fishermen to.

bilgerat reply :

Quote
Why is it that anglers that were dominant in the '80's aren't competitive in tournaments today? Rick Clunn, Shaw Grigsby, Randy Blaukat, etc. aren't threats to win anymore, yet have more experience than anyone on tour.

Keep in mind the guys you mentioned WERE the KVD's, the Ikes, the Reeses, etc. of their generation. They smoked the generation that preceeded them.

The same fate awaits KVD and the current crop of anglers. Absolutely NO disrespect intended, it's just the evolution of the sport. It applies to just about everything these days. My middle school age daughters take math that I didn't learn until high school.

Somewhere out there is a twelve year kid no one has heard of fishing from a bank. You'll know his name in ten years when this comes up again in a future forum; "What ever happened to......?"

Grigsby, Clunn, Nixon and the rest laid the groundwork for the current ruling class. The cycle continues.......

CODbasser reply :

i think KVD might be the exception...he seems to get better with age lol

The_Natural reply :

Quote
2009 Classic Skeet Reese age 40
2009 Blue Ridge Brawl Kevin Vandam age 42

2009 Dixie Duel Tommy Biffel age 52

2009 Diamond Drive Mark Menendez age 45

2009 Battle On The Border Jason Williamson age 28

2009 Southern Challenge Aaron Martens age 37

1st question where are all these youngsters?

2nd question what exactly about bass fishing is constantly changing?

3rd Name me one new technique?

It is easier to start a career in bass fishing today because it is widely accepted as a career back in the 70s no companies outside of fishing were willing to put out money.

Who said only 'young' anglers were winning? I'm not sure where you are getting that. You listed only one angler that was a big name in the BASS Invitationals of the '80s. I'm talking about dominant pro's of the '80s.....why aren't they dominant anymore. That is what my thread states. As far as why, it's only speculation....I'm just throwing stuff out there. There are tons of new techniques though....fishing chatterbaits, mainstream use of swimbaits, swimming paddletail tubes, 'flick shake' fishing, etc. As far as bass fishing changing...I wouldn't even know where to start. Bass fishing is constantly evolving; I can't imagine anyone would think otherwise.

The_Natural reply :

Quote

Quote
....It's kind of like comparing an old football team of the '70s like the Steelers to a current team. They were great back then, but I bet they would get their arse handed to them now days.

;D

Uh huh... :

Give the those guys the same kind of training along with advancements in sports medicine that's available now and they'd wipe the butts of most teams out there now. Great athletes are great athletes, the only difference is the time and era they were great in.

No Way....men are significantly larger than they were 30 years ago. The largest guy on the '75 Steelers line was 275lbs. That would be considered a featherweight in todays standards, where lines average well over 300lbs. The average height and weight of man has increased since then. Bigger guys, better plays, more black atheletes, etc. Much larger pool to pluck athletes from as well. I'm not sure how many guys were playing football in the '70s, but I bet the number has drastically raised since then.

RoLo reply :

Quote
It amazes me that so many think age has something to do with using the latest and greatest of equipment.
I'm 64 and one hell of a fisherman, but I can't hold a candle to what I could do 20 years ago: 20 years ago, I couldn't keep up with what I could do when I was 24. It's called getting older.

I have to hand it to our older competitors, as I can tell you that the grind of competition in all weather conditions is one major grind. Very few can come close to hanging on over a 4-5 day tourney both physically and mentally. Then to move on to the next grind (tournament?) without a substantial rest. It's not so easy!

The discussion of whether or not fishing requires athletic ability comes up frequently with many judges on either side of the fence. Come out with me for 5 days straight. Then hop in your vehicle and take a 20 hour ride and let's go 5 days straight again. You may love fishing but I think your going to have a big surprise on how physically beat you are no matter what your age is.

These guys do this week after week, month after month. When I was young I thought that there would be no way my abilities would lessen: but guess what folks, they did and yours will also.

Kudos George, I couldn't have said it better myself.

I'm pushing 70, but I have today the same burning passion that I had in my 30s and 40s.

Today, I'm a far better fisherman than I ever was before, and have stayed abreast with every new lure and fishing technique. What I don't have today however is the same indefatigable stamina. Just like George, I was sure that I would definitely be the exception, but age is inevitable and age is humbling. The only way to avoid old age is to die young, and that option never appealed to me.

In his 60s, Roland Martin emerged from denial and announced his retirement from professional angling. Roland said that he was no longer able to compete against youngsters like Mike Iaconnelli. He picked the right guy, because Jersey Ike has enough electricity to light two cities, and he makes more money with TV programs than most tourney anglers make on the water. Though Roland may not have the same endurance, he still has more enthusiasm than most anglers half his age.

Roger

Muddy reply :

Thanks to Both George and Roger! Roger fished with Moses the first year Greewood Lake was up and running! He's seen it go from drop lines to spears and then rods and reels

The_Natural reply :

Rolo- Roland Martin has my vote for the greatest angler of all time. He absolutely dominated!

RoLo reply :

Quote
Thanks to Both George and Roger! Roger fished with Moses the first year Greewood Lake was up and running! He's seen it go from drop lines to spears and then rods and reels Smiley

I resemble that remark >

Quote
Rolo- Roland Martin has my vote for the greatest angler of all time. He absolutely dominated!

Bill Dance zoomed to stardom right out of the box (1967), but Roland Martin absolutely dominated the entire 1970s decade, and he got my vote too (darn Clunn). I'm just grateful to have lived during the era when Ray Scott incepted BASS and witness all Roland's remarkable feats.

Roger

SJex reply :

The overall competition is better today thus making it harder to win consistently. Also not winning wears you out mentally, and fishing is more mental than physical.

dmac14 reply :

I would say it has a lot to do with competition. Sure they were great back 20-30 years ago, but to the extent that the elite series skill level has increased has been dramatic. Just looking at my own club, every year some new record is broken for heaviest fish, or biggest bag. You can probably see this across the whole bass fishing world. A good bag back 20-30 years ago is not the same that it is today.

Great post. I always think the same thing about other sports. Looking back at hockey would the old players that are in the hall of fame survive today? Probably not competition has just gotten so intense. And with population increasing it is making the world more and more competitive because everyone needs to work hard to become successful.

Z06-VETTE reply :

Because they sit on tv and tell you how to fish and make millions.Look at bill dance.That dude never has to fish again.Any thing with his name on it,and he waits on the mailman.

Muddy reply :

I love reading remarks about age and experience from young folks, reminds me of when I knew everything by the time I was 19 and then realized how little I knew when I hit 30.

Now that I am knocking on 60, I realize how much more there is to learn.

CODbasser reply :

Quote
I love reading remarks about age and experience from young folks, reminds me of when I knew everything by the time I was 19 and then realized how little I knew when I hit 30.
Now that I am knocking on 60, I realize how much more there is to learn.

isn't that the point of this thread?

Muddy reply :

Yes, that is why I made this comment on this thread. Maybe I should have put this comment on a Senko Thread??????

Lot of smart young men here, it is fun to watch them go through similar situations and learning progressions

Paul Roberts reply :

Quote
Maybe I should have put this comment on a Senko Thread??????

I have a very old Senko. And it CAN'T outfish the young ones. It's more glue than plastic now -it creaks when it tries to wiggle. Most of the time it can't wiggle at all. I'd retire it but I'm too cheap. And it still has it's good days.

Muddy reply :

That gets this

You need help Paul

Eddie Munster reply :

I'm 41 years old and I know there are things I used to be able to do that I can't do these days. Few things (edit to include WITH MOVING PARTS) get better with age and my physical abilities aren't one of them.

That being said, because of experience, there are things I can do now that I couldn't do 20 years ago. I can work on airplanes, cars, HVAC systems, laying ceramic tile, etc.. as well as being 10x more patient.

senile1 reply :

Quote
Because they sit on tv and tell you how to fish and make millions.Look at bill dance.That dude never has to fish again.Any thing with his name on it,and he waits on the mailman.

Bill Dance gets mentioned a lot and I think he is a good example of just how good some of these old guys can be. In the "Day on the Lake" series in Bassmaster he caught a 15 lb sack under less than ideal conditions. If you read this series on a regular basis you will realize that very few of those who participate have beat his 15 lbs. I can only remember two or three with more weight over the last four years and that includes a number of young guns. I know this is only for one day on an unknown lake with no pre-fishing so it could have just been dumb luck. However, it could also be that old Bill is pretty good at figuring out an unknown lake after all these years. Now if you stretched this out over a few days like a tournament then the stamina of youth would probably win out, but that doesn't mean that these old guys don't know as much about fishing or don't have the skills of the younger guys. It just means that their old bodies and minds can't keep up the pace and the intensity of concentration over a multi-day tournament.

Catt reply :

Bass fishing is constantly evolvingBass catching is still the same

Natural, I listed 5 Elite series and the Classic winners none of whom would be considered young in any sport other than fishing. Of the techniques you listed only one the flick shake is a technique the others are lures and none of those are new with exception of the chatter baits and those aren't new either.

Now for the dominate anglers from the 80s who are you talking about?

The closest to anyone dominating ever would be KVD now or maybe Rick Clunn but other than that no one dominates this sport.

One can not compare athletes from one era to the next because there is no way factor in the heart of the athlete.

RoLo reply :

There are many ways to evaluate professional anglers. For example, you could base it on monetary earnings, total stringer weights,

prestigious awards like Angler of the Year and so on. I've devised my own pro ranking system, which is based on the following:

# of 1st place , # of 2nd place, # of 3rd place, # of Top-10 and # of Top-20.

Based on cumulative scoring, the top tourney pros during 80s decade would look something like this:

EARLY 80s

1> Larry Nixon Score 64

2> Roland Martin Score 56

3> Rick Clunn Score 46

LATE 80s

1> Rick Clunn Score 41

2> Guido Hibdon Score 40

3> Larry Nixon Score 35

Although Roland Martin literally dominated the 70s, no tourney pro dominated the 80s,

but I'd definitely give the nod to Larry Nixon (aggregate score: 99)

Roger

CODbasser reply :

Quote

There are many ways to evaluate professional anglers. For example, you could base it on monetary earnings, total stringer weights,

prestigious awards like Angler of the Year and so on. I've devised my own pro ranking system, which is based on the following:

# of 1st place , # of 2nd place, # of 3rd place, # of Top-10 and # of Top-20.

Based on cumulative scoring, the top tourney pros during 80s decade would look something like this:

EARLY 80s

1> Larry Nixon Score 64

2> Roland Martin Score 56

3> Rick Clunn Score 46

LATE 80s

1> Rick Clunn Score 41

2> Guido Hibdon Score 40

3> Larry Nixon Score 35

Although Roland Martin literally dominated the 70s, no tourney pro dominated the 80s,

but I'd definitely give the nod to Larry Nixon (aggregate score: 99)

Roger

you have way to much time on your hands... lol just kiddin

Muddy reply :

No this is what age teaches you, know what you are talking about and talk about what you know. Rolo was just backing up his take on it by using the facts from which he drew his conclusion

RoLo reply :

Thank you Muddy

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you have way to much time on your hands... lol just kiddin

I suppose I had that coming

While we're at it, this offers a rough draft of the 70s:

Late 70s

Top 10 Finishes

Roland Martin 16

Rick Clunn 12

Bill Dance 12

Early 70s

Top 10 Finishes

Roland Martin 30

Bill Dance 18

Ricky Green 13

(It's pretty safe to say that Roland Martin dominated the 1970s)

Roger

10771

I thought you got better with more experience. 2024

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