Delaware River Elite Series Your Opinion. 2024

Bobby Uhrig reply :

Ok so I got a call from someone that knows I fish the Delaware river a lot-This person knows someone that wants me to take them to my spot. The Bass Elites are going there in August in year. Believe me its tough there. Most will be catching 1 --1 1/2 lbrs Most will be scratching their heads wondering where to go. I have a spot their that produces around 10 -12 lbs a day. My best bag was 18 lbs in 20 years.For four days it can do it ..So that's a 100,000 pay day and instant birth to the classic..

What would you do-- just curious -then at the end I will tell you what Im doing

SPEEDBEAD. reply :

I would invite me over during that event for a day and let me ride with you.

SPEEDBEAD. reply :

And whoever is asking for the spot, I would tell him that I'd put him on it if he wears a Megastrike Jersey. EVERY DAY.

00 mod reply :

I would sign up and fish my spot!

Jeff

BassnChris reply :

On 11/22/2013 at 2:16 AM, 00 mod said:

I would sign up and fish my spot!

Jeff

Brian Needham reply :

got to go with Jeff here. Past that choice it is a tough choice. can the guys get info, sure. is it ethical? who knows, its a raging debate.

not that I am bringing anything to light, but here are the issues/choices I see:

1. keep your spot secret, MANY people will see where these guys are fishing and locals will continue to fish these "pro spots" after the tournament.......if a pro finds it on his own, so be it. but is it worth risking losing your spot forever (least as quality goes)

2. if you do give up your spot, GET PAID to do so. Make them promote megastrike AND give you cash out of winnings.......by paid I mean at least 40k if they win, they get to keep the Classic birth lol

3.don't give it up and know you can always catch fish on a spot very very few know of. There are very very very few of these spots left......take pride in you have one.

4.burn the guy for even asking for your spot.

5. pay your way in and blow doors off the guys and fish the classic if you win? (choose here I think)

Bobby Uhrig reply :

The Elites are qualifiers only.Holy crap $40,000 that's a lot-

Lets get some more on this --Shall we-

webertime reply :

I have a buddies that are guides on Champlain and they have been called/contacted several times by fairly big name pro's about going out and pre-fishing for them and asking about the good stuff. None of them ended up doing it because they knew locals/friends fishing the same tournament and didn't want to undercut them. A bit of cash is nice but friends are priceless.

alberto-1 reply :

I wouldnt show them anything. Your "spot" up there will be everyones spot after that. Also, get real, Noone is paying anyone 40k for a winning spot thats a little crazy.

Brian Needham reply :

On 11/22/2013 at 2:44 AM, Bobby Uhrig said:

.Holy crap $40,000 that's a lot-

well the win is 100K plus that can be parlayed into a classic win of 1 million + edorsement money. 40k is cheap then right?

I say, find out what its worth to the guy, he can be set up for life if it is a really good spot on spot deal.

You have to rememeber all the hours and work YOU put into finding the spot, whats that worth?

its a tough spot to be in.

SPEEDBEAD. reply :

On 11/22/2013 at 3:27 AM, alberto-1 said:
I wouldnt show them anything. Your "spot" up there will be everyones spot after that. Also, get real, Noone is paying anyone 40k for a winning spot thats a little crazy.

I don't know about you but if I have the choice between winning 60k and winning nothing, it's not too hard a decision. It's not like the guy would be paying him up front.

Up to you Bobby. Just like the other guys said though, you're spot's gonna get burned if it does kick out the winning bag.

BassWhole! reply :

You guys are funny...

SPEEDBEAD. reply :

On 11/22/2013 at 3:44 AM, reason said:
You guys are funny...

Brian Needham reply :

I mean ya a funny guy, ya know just funny......... the way ya tell the story, it funny....

WRB reply :

You can't buy your way into BASS Elite serires, you must earn it!

Giving up spots never turns out good and it's a rule violation for any Elite angler to seek information from anglers, they should discover spots on their own. Giving up presentations and specific lures is OK and within the rules.

Tom

BassWhole! reply :

On 11/22/2013 at 3:56 AM, Brian Needham said:
I mean ya a funny guy, ya know just funny......... the way ya tell the story, it funny....

While you're here, grab me a Cutty and water...

Catt reply :

On 11/22/2013 at 4:14 AM, WRB said:

You can't buy your way into BASS Elite serires, you must earn it!

Giving up spots never turns out good and it's a rule violation for any Elite angler to seek information from anglers, they should discover spots on their own. Giving up presentations and specific lures is OK and within the rules.

Tom

I don't think it's a rules violation unless it's done during off limits period or tournament.

Bob, that's a difficult choice!

2001 B.A.S.S. Top 150 I prefished with Larry Nixon, opening morning a front blew in shutting every where we prefished. He did end up in 3rd!

camovan reply :

I think I would look at the endorsement option. I think the info is worth $40k to them so make it a $40k sponsorship. I have no idea how much a bait co. typically pays a pro for the endorsement sticker/jersey/patch/boat wrap etc but you can figure all that out I am sure. Win OR lose the tourny they are contractually obligated to fill their end of the bargain for the specified time.

I think Catt is right on the nose about the rules, but I would get an official ruling from BASS if you seriously are entertaining selling the spot: http://assets.espn.go.com/winnercomm/outdoors/bassmaster/pdf/b_elite_marshal_rules_2009.pdf

flyfisher reply :

Tough call there. The other thing is have they even made it known where the boundaries are going to be for the tourney yet?

Ultimately it is up to you. If it was a great friend of mine i wouldn't even hesitate to share the info but a friend of a friend......no thanks.

backwater4 reply :

I've fished the Delaware a couple of times and man it's really tough. I wouldn't give it up for nothing, I'm not saying cash, but an endorsement or something. Once that area is fished, your secret is over. I think I'd keep it for myself. I'd enjoy it more myself, than watching someone cash a check out of it or possibly qualify for the classic, instead of you with info you gave him. Tough call.

Bobby Uhrig reply :

So heres what I think-With the new format there will be 110 anglers fishing

60 guys will catch 10 lbs or under in three days scratching their heads and cant wait to get out of there-

25 guys will catch 15-18 lbs in three days licking their wounds-

10 guys will catch 25 lbs in 3 days

Maybe 15 guys going into final day with 25 lb cut

Get a 10 lb average in 4 days -win it

Reasoning is its a huge river. not many bass or big bass-average 1 1/2 lbs so that's 7 1/2 lbs a day

the local holes will get ponded with not many fish to be shared so there wont be many limits and if there are -they wont be big ones.

SPEEDBEAD. reply :

LOL, sounds as brutal as the Classic in Pittsburgh.

flyfisher reply :

Just imagine if they lifted the rule you have to fish out of the same boat all season.....you throw a few jet boats in there and they could make a long run upriver and get into some good smallie water for sure.

buzzed bait reply :

My question is if you work out an agreement with this person and your spot does not produce for whatever reason is there any consequence on your part? As stated, I'd squeeze as much advertisement as possible and whatever kind of $$$ to boot, meanwhile weighing in the "negative PR" that could come from some local anglers and the fact that your hole will be no more....

A-Jay reply :

First off, I would respect your decision regardless of what you choose to do; I'd imagine you'll do whatever you can live best with.

Anyway I look at this, and regardless of the actual rules, there is a certain shady aspect to it all.

I guess you have to decide whether you / Megastrike want to be associated with it at all.

A-Jay

SPEEDBEAD. reply :

While the pros may be good at finding that "spot on a spot" you certainly don't think these guys find 100lb bags all by themselves, do you? :Idontknow:

Bobby Uhrig reply :

_{Let me tell you-The classic in Pittsburg was the best Classic ever- ANY ANGLER could have won it on any day. It was like 15 lbs in three days to win-no one was ever out of it. You have 5 lbs first day-blank the second and catch 10 lbs last day -you win It was great to watch-not like the ones where everyone is catching 20+ pound bags and if you do bad one day-youre done its over -Let me tell you-I would have thrown a cavitron all day there and never put it down-You would have gotten 3-4 good bites every day}

Bobby Uhrig reply :

There is a tournament there this sunday-I was all ready to go-Now they are calling for 34 as a high and 25 MPH winds--I'll watch the giants instead

A-Jay reply :

On 11/23/2013 at 12:12 AM, SPEEDBEAD. said:
While the pros may be good at finding that "spot on a spot" you certainly don't think these guys find 100lb bags all by themselves, do you?

I really have no idea.

However, a brief review of the official rules on the Bassmaster Elite Series web page certainly leads one to believe that is the case.

A-Jay

Brian Needham reply :

there is always rumor.

I think the "big names" always get waypoint cards and such, or at least that is what you hear from other elites.

Do they say that because it really happens, or just because those guys beat them week in week out.

I have read accounts of a pro fishing a couple of mile long ledge all day in practice and finding TWO schools of fish on it. Two schools of fish on a several mile stretch of river...... only too have a "big name" pull directly up to both schools towards the end of the day . Pulled directly up to the school without fishing anyother part of the river or ledge.

As I remember the quote it was the first time they had fished there and there was no way the "big name" could have pulled directly up to those two schools unless someone told him about it.

is it against the rules? IDK, it is in the BIG grey area though...... however a guy can sleep at night and keep sponsors happy is the rule more than anything I guess.

SPEEDBEAD. reply :

On 11/23/2013 at 12:42 AM, A-Jay said:

I really have no idea.

However, a brief review of the official rules on the Bassmaster Elite Series web page certainly leads one to believe that is the case.

A-Jay

The rules are only as good as the willingness of the participants to follow them and the governing authority who may/may not enforce them.

A-Jay reply :

On 11/23/2013 at 1:43 AM, SPEEDBEAD. said:
The rules are only as good as the willingness of the participants to follow them and the governing authority who may/may not enforce them.

A fair point - I'm going to take the role of the "see no evil, hear no evil & speak no evil " Fan and simply believe that these competitors are conducting themselves ethically until proven otherwise.

A-Jay

WRB reply :

A fews years back a Elite angler spent a weekend on a houseboat with a B.A.S.S. official on one of the lakes scheduled during the same year, months prior to the event. This was determined to be a rule infraction in the spirit of the rules.

We like to think we know our home waters better than a visiting Elite pro, sometimes this proves to be correct, more often the top pro discover new water that leads to a win. I don't see where there is any question of what to do, you do nothing to influence the outcome of a tournament.

Tom

Zach P reply :

Personally I would ask for some sort of payback, prob no more than 10 grand (if they win) since you aren't the one fishing but you are the one helping them out. You have to remember that you don't make the full 100k, there are taxes just like everything else and these guys probably only take home half of that payday.

Zach P reply :

On 11/22/2013 at 10:23 AM, backwater4 said:
I've fished the Delaware a couple of times and man it's really tough. I wouldn't give it up for nothing, I'm not saying cash, but an endorsement or something. Once that area is fished, your secret is over. I think I'd keep it for myself. I'd enjoy it more myself, than watching someone cash a check out of it or possibly qualify for the classic, instead of you with info you gave him. Tough call.

I definitely agree with this as well. I think there would be more satisfaction gained from knowing you could catch more lbs per day than the elites if they aren't able to match what your spot has to hold.

Megastink reply :

Here's a senerio I ponder about..... What if an angler were to run from South from Philly to the C&D Canal, then into the Northern Chesapeake? Its a LONG run..... but it could be worth it. Why? Because the caliber of fish in the Bay is quadruple that of the Delaware. Think of it this way: if you're gonna catch five Delaware bass for 7lbs, you could catch three Bay bass for 9lbs. And the Bay produces some huge limits (18-23lbs). So why not risk it?

Problem is the run itself.... 40ish miles from the launch (in an "oxbow" south of the city) plus 15miles of canal at 40mph speed limit, then run to your spot, however far that might be.... Two and a half hours one way??? Five hours gone... three hours to fish. Then there is the tide... If you make it to your honey hole, the tide has to agree with you. Anyone who fishes tides is probably laughing right now. But, if you can sack a 20lbs bag just ONE day, you can just about ZERO another day and still make the cut, if Bobby's predictions are accurate.

Its a stradegy, thats for sure........ and it wouldnt shock me to see someone attempt it, and less shocking if they win it on day 2.

backwater4 reply :

Mega,

Funny you should say that. A tournament I was in there was won in just that way. A few boats locked through and ran to the upper Chesapeake. Fished a few hours and ran back with a few decent limits. No contest, game over. You just need the b**ls to do it. This was a one day tournament. I'm sure the elites would have no problem with it and some have even realized it already. Good call! The upper Chesapeake, now that's a fun fishery.

Megastink reply :

I'm almost willing to bet money it will be won on the Bay.

Side note: 1991 BM Vlassic was held on the bay. Find it on YouTube.

Brian Needham reply :

most folks ran to venice, LA during the 2011? classic(KVD won fishing much closer)...... so long runs are in their nature.

Basscat7 reply :

On 12/31/2013 at 4:32 AM, Megastink said:

Here's a senerio I ponder about..... What if an angler were to run from South from Philly to the C&D Canal, then into the Northern Chesapeake? Its a LONG run..... but it could be worth it. Why? Because the caliber of fish in the Bay is quadruple that of the Delaware. Think of it this way: if you're gonna catch five Delaware bass for 7lbs, you could catch three Bay bass for 9lbs. And the Bay produces some huge limits (18-23lbs). So why not risk it?

Problem is the run itself.... 40ish miles from the launch (in an "oxbow" south of the city) plus 15miles of canal at 40mph speed limit, then run to your spot, however far that might be.... Two and a half hours one way??? Five hours gone... three hours to fish. Then there is the tide... If you make it to your honey hole, the tide has to agree with you. Anyone who fishes tides is probably laughing right now. But, if you can sack a 20lbs bag just ONE day, you can just about ZERO another day and still make the cut, if Bobby's predictions are accurate.

Its a stradegy, thats for sure........ and it wouldnt shock me to see someone attempt it, and less shocking if they win it on day 2.

Mega, ( Moot point as it is off limits ) it's not that long a run from Philly to the Flats, from the Philly launch to the Canal is 45 miles by river, about a 45 minute ride, thru the Canal is 15 miles ( at 40 ) so another 25 minutes, then to the top of the Flats is about 10 miles, maybe 10 minutes, so one way can be done in 1.5 hours.

But

BASS has made the Susky Flats off limits for the upcoming Delaware River Elite tournament.

They will launch out of the Frankford Arsenal Ramp on Tacony St. in Philly.

Weigh in will be at the Grand Plaza on Penn's Landing each day at 3:15

2 days Thurs / Fri of full field ( 110 boats ), Saturday cut to 50 boats and the 4th day, Sunday the field is cut to 12 boats.

Off limits for Pros to practice start July 7th.

The entire Delaware River and all tributaries are on limits south to about half the Delaware Bay..

Off limits will be about half way thru the Chesapeake and Delaware canal, the Summit Bridge , Route 301 will be the off limit mark. They made no off limits going north on the river so if any of them get adventurous they can run the rapids at Trenton and go north. They cannot bring a jet boat unless they plan on using that boat the entire Elite tournament season.

They put that rule in after Roland Martin brought a jet boat to the Connecticut river tourney and won, after practicing in his regular glass boat and tearing it up trying to run the shallow water.

launch

http://binged.it/1cCWxug

weigh in

http://binged.it/1cCWZJf

Off limit in C & D Canal

http://binged.it/1cCXgvM

flyfisher reply :

Upstream from trenton it gets dicey even with a jet boat that time of year.....should be interesting to say the least. I may try and make my way up there.

jhoffman reply :

brandon palaniuk ran 200 miles in one day on the st lawrence into lake ontario, 100 miles each way and had a guy waiting at the pump because he needed gas to do it. running an insane distance if you can get there is not out of the question at all.

jhoffman reply :

Im guessing the flats are off limits due to the restrictions on tournament fishing with the low low low reproductive rates they are having.

Megastink reply :

On 1/14/2014 at 2:12 AM, jhoffman said:
Im guessing the flats are off limits due to the restrictions on tournament fishing with the low low low reproductive rates they are having.

My local club, along with probably a dozen others, always fish the Flats. Judging from the catches, I never would have known the bass had an issue. Where did you find that out?

Basscat7 reply :

On 1/14/2014 at 2:12 AM, jhoffman said:
Im guessing the flats are off limits due to the restrictions on tournament fishing with the low low low reproductive rates they are having.

There is no restrcitions on tournanet fishing on the Flats.

Philly put up money for the Elites to fish the Delaware that is why they put the Flats off limits. The entire field would make the 1.5 hour run to the Flats to fish had they not.

There would be no TV footage of any fishing in the Philly area on the Delaware.

As far as poor reproduction, catch rates say otherwise, the DNR shock boat sampled areas that had few Juveniles, but other areas not sampled had good populations of juvenile bass.

jhoffman reply :

Correct you are about no restrictions in the flats HOWEVER... if anyone encroached on the susquehanna river and decided to run up it you would be in violation of a PA law. Which if youre gonna make the run to the flats, youd be and crazy to not just keep pushing it and run the susquehanna, it can handle a big boat if you know how to run it right and where to set down.

NOTE: For bass regulations, power dam pools and recreational dam pools on the Susquehanna River and navigational dam pools on the Ohio River drainage are "rivers." It is unlawful to conduct a fishing tournament on the North Branch, West Branch or main stem of the Susquehanna River that allows tournament anglers to harvest bass.

If they are having the weigh in in Philly, theres gotta be some say by the fish commission. You would also be fishing three seperate states in one day and need to abide by all those states regulations. Lets not even touch on the subject of transfering live fish across state lines or aquatic invasives that could travel via a livewell or hull.

Basscat7 reply :

On 1/14/2014 at 10:44 PM, jhoffman said:

Correct you are about no restrictions in the flats HOWEVER... if anyone encroached on the susquehanna river and decided to run up it you would be in violation of a PA law. Which if youre gonna make the run to the flats, youd be and crazy to not just keep pushing it and run the susquehanna, it can handle a big boat if you know how to run it right and where to set down.

NOTE: For bass regulations, power dam pools and recreational dam pools on the Susquehanna River and navigational dam pools on the Ohio River drainage are "rivers." It is unlawful to conduct a fishing tournament on the North Branch, West Branch or main stem of the Susquehanna River that allows tournament anglers to harvest bass.

If they are having the weigh in in Philly, theres gotta be some say by the fish commission. You would also be fishing three seperate states in one day and need to abide by all those states regulations. Lets not even touch on the subject of transfering live fish across state lines or aquatic invasives that could travel via a livewell or hull.

You do realize that the part of the Susky that anyone running to the Flats to fish is NOT in Pa. right ?

jhoffman reply :

I realize that you lack the ability to comprehend what you are reading. Try reading this again without looking to always be right.

Basscat7 reply :

On 1/15/2014 at 12:27 AM, jhoffman said:

I realize that you lack the ability to comprehend what you are reading. Try reading this again without looking to always be right.

Correct you are about no restrictions in the flats HOWEVER... if anyone encroached on the susquehanna river and decided to run up it you would be in violation of a PA law. Which if youre gonna make the run to the flats, youd be and crazy to not just keep pushing it and run the susquehanna, it can handle a big boat if you know how to run it right and where to set down.

I realize now I am dealing with someone who has no clue on tournament fishing. Thanks for your effort though.

jhoffman reply :

Yeah you must be right because no one has ever had an issue with culling in the wrong states waters of a tournament. Its not my fault you dont understand the states regulations. If you dont think you cant get from the flats into PA water on the susquehanna then theres nothing I can do to help you realize thats entirely possible. Furthermore, if youre weighing in via Philladelphia you are in PA, you are playing by PA rules. In order to even get to the flats from Deleware via Philly you would need to cross pa state lines, into deleware, into maryland and back again.

PA isnt going to say, well go ahead and run to the susqehanna and pile em up because youre elites, youre a special breed. In fact it would be exactly the opposite, those guys would put an immense amount of pressure on an already struggling fishery. Do you think that if you went to lake erie and killed all the steelheads that somehow mirraculously that next spring the tribs would run full of steelhead again without stocking?

From the mouth of the susquehanna to the pa state line is less than 13 miles by land. Not exactly a long run unless youre row row rowing.

Whether or not you feel I "have a clue on tournament fishing" has nothing to do with this subject. However you have neglected to add why you think its not valid. So wheres your valid argument here mr tournament director?

flyfisher reply :

On 11/22/2013 at 2:13 AM, Bobby Uhrig said:

Ok so I got a call from someone that knows I fish the Delaware river a lot-This person knows someone that wants me to take them to my spot. The Bass Elites are going there in August in year. Believe me its tough there. Most will be catching 1 --1 1/2 lbrs Most will be scratching their heads wondering where to go. I have a spot their that produces around 10 -12 lbs a day. My best bag was 18 lbs in 20 years.For four days it can do it ..So that's a 100,000 pay day and instant birth to the classic..

What would you do-- just curious -then at the end I will tell you what Im doing

Do we have an update on your decision? I may have missed it in the bowels of this thread

Koofy Smacker reply :

On 1/15/2014 at 1:40 AM, jhoffman said:

Yeah you must be right because no one has ever had an issue with culling in the wrong states waters of a tournament. Its not my fault you dont understand the states regulations. If you dont think you cant get from the flats into PA water on the susquehanna then theres nothing I can do to help you realize thats entirely possible. Furthermore, if youre weighing in via Philladelphia you are in PA, you are playing by PA rules. In order to even get to the flats from Deleware via Philly you would need to cross pa state lines, into deleware, into maryland and back again.

PA isnt going to say, well go ahead and run to the susqehanna and pile em up because youre elites, youre a special breed. In fact it would be exactly the opposite, those guys would put an immense amount of pressure on an already struggling fishery. Do you think that if you went to lake erie and killed all the steelheads that somehow mirraculously that next spring the tribs would run full of steelhead again without stocking?

From the mouth of the susquehanna to the pa state line is less than 13 miles by land. Not exactly a long run unless youre row row rowing.

Whether or not you feel I "have a clue on tournament fishing" has nothing to do with this subject. However you have neglected to add why you think its not valid. So wheres your valid argument here mr tournament director?

No offense but Id stop ranting. You do realize in order to get into PA from the flats that you have to figure out a way to get over that MASSIVE concrete thing called the Conowingo Dam right? Im down there 3 times a week during the summer and run up the susky all the time. No way would I ever say that the fishing between Havre de Grace and the dam has ever outproduced my spots from the Northeast down to the proving grounds whether it be on the flats themselves of other special spots I got.

Koofy Smacker reply :

And fwiw the section between Havre de Grace and the dam, while considered the Susquehanna, is not held to the same restrictions which you are referring to which is mainly for areas much further west out towards the main problem areas around Harrisburg and on the other branch as well. The only restrictions held in place on the flats are a change in size limits for the spring to 15" over all other times of the year when it is 12".

Not trying to bust your balls just telling it how it is.

BTW if you ever wanna go down and fish for a day but shoot me a message. I literally live at Anchor Marine over the summer.

jhoffman reply :

Hey, at least you make a valid arguement other than just "philly paid the money so they dont want the boats there". Your explination makes sense, I was throwing out a possiblity.

Basscat7 reply :

On 1/16/2014 at 9:59 PM, jhoffman said:
Hey, at least you make a valid arguement other than just "philly paid the money so they dont want the boats there". Your explination makes sense, I was throwing out a possiblity.

Here's an explanation on why :

Maybe you are not understanding how Elite tournaments work. B.A.S.S. collects a very large fee, around $ 60,000 from the Host city to hold their Elite tournaments in that city. The City also puts out around another 60 - 90,000 + in other fees and associated costs. So Philly is putting out somewhere around $ 150 - 200,000 to hold the Elite tournament.

In return, the city gets promoted in a good light , which draws in tourism dollars. Philly, in hosting the tournament is looking to promote the city and their waterfront region.

Having the entire field run to the Upper Chesapeake to fish the 4 days would defeat that purpose as they would not be showing anyone fishing on the Delaware in the Philadelphia region. That is the main reason for putting the Flats off limits.

As far as " crossing " state lines. It can be done, happens a lot in major tournaments. Permits can be issued. The Delaware and Upper Bay share common tidal water because of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal connecting both bodies of water. The tide flushes in and out of the 15 mile length of the C&D Canal, so any " invasive "species is already in both waters. As long as permits are issued and each competitior has the correct licenses for each state, it can be done.

The tidal Susky which they would be a able to fish if not off limits, is not under the regulation parameters you listed earlier ( neither is Conowingo Reservoir above the dam , it has its own special regulations. )

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Delaware River Elite Series Your Opinion. 2024

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