Patterning Bass With a New Online Database

Just wanted to make a quick post about a website I ran across the other day. I received a flyer in my Vicious Fishing line order about a website called FindtheBass.com. The idea of this website is to create a searchable database of seasonal patterns soley from the contribution of members information.

The way this database works is by allowing members to catalog their fishing trips and make notes about water temperature, structure and cover fished, lures used, fish caught, etc. This information then becomes part of a large database that is searchable by as many as 15 different criteria (including body of water, state, water temperature, etc.) as well as a few sub-catagories. There is also a section for private notes which is apparently not available in the database - just for your own use.

Right now, it doesn't seem like there is much information available - I only searched Vermont and New York and there wasn't anything, but there may be for other states. Anyway, the first 500 members get a free one-year membership, so it might be worth checking out for, at least, a year - could produce some good information for you.

UPDATE: I received an e-mail from Keith Harnish, the owner of FindtheBass.com, and he provided me with a little more information about how the site works and how it should be used:

I wanted to give you a little more info on the site and how it works. We’re only two months old, so you are correct in that there is limited information available right now, but the beautiful thing about bass is they don’t know what state they live in.

To better explain my point, there is an article in the “Featured Article” section titled “Did you FindtheBass in April”. In that article I wrote about a generic search I did for reservoirs in April. The results were pulled from states as varied as North Carolina, Alabama, Arizona, Missouri, Tennessee, and Illinois. The really cool thing shown by that search was as long as similar water temperatures were used, the patterns in every one of those states were nearly identical.

The most productive pattern in April involved minor creeks in the upper third of the lake with only 12.5% of entrants fishing below 8’ deep. With this info, if I’m heading out on a lake I’ve never fished before in April, I know where I’m going to start my day. Is this the only place fish can be caught? Absolutely not! But by utilizing this information, I’ve eliminated about 90% of the water and can now focus on fishing and not spending time second guessing where I should be. That’s the entire premise of this site.

There are already a handful of sites that offer a fishing diary and allow entrants to post generic lake info and what they caught, but FindtheBass.com is the only site that is designed to make you a more efficient and productive bass fisherman by establishing patterns. With the other sites, if your lake isn’t listed, you’re out of luck.

With FindtheBass.com, as long as there are entries for the type of water body you are going to visit (i.e. reservoir, natural lake, tidal river or river) and the correct water temperature, you will be able to establish where on that body of water you should be fishing and what presentation you should be using.

Keith Harnish

2009 Bassmaster Classic: Bernie Schultz Weighs In

A few posts ago I wrote about the controversy surrounding WBT Angler of the Year, Kim Bain-Moore, and her appearance in the 2009 Bassmaster Classic. One of the Elite series anglers who I quoted was Bernie Schultz.

This morning I received an e-mail from Bernie explaining the "wag the dog" tactic that BASS and ESPN implimented on this deal. He also asked me to post the e-mail on my blog, so here it is:

Sean-

Just read your column regarding my comments on Kim Bain-Moore fishing the Classic, and I have to say you, like many others, missed the point. But don't feel bad, after ESPN edited my quote, I can see why you might have interpreted my statement as a personal attack on Kim.

The fact is, my comments began with a very complimentary assessment of Kim's ability as an angler, and as an ambassador for our sport. Sadly, in an effort to drive ratings, ESPN decided to edit the quote, televising only the critical aspects of my statement. If you watch the interview closely, you'll see that they run b-roll footage over my statement at the start, then switch to me speaking on camera. They did that in order to conceal what would have otherwise been a very obvious chopping of the clip.

So you can better grasp what I was trying to say, consider this: Kim competed in the WBT arena which averaged fewer than 75 participants, in a total of four events. Comparatively, all the Elite competitors who qualified did so through a grueling 11-event season. Further, WBT entries are in the hundreds...Elite Series entries are in the thousands ($5000 per event to be exact!). Federation Nation and Open qualifiers did fish fewer events, and at lower entries, but they competed against swarms of other anglers to reach the few coveted qualifying positions.

But what stands out the most is the fact that Kim qualified through a system that is exclusive to her gender. Neither the Opens, Federation, nor the Elites are exclusionary. Men and women are invited to participate. And so long as they qualify, would be welcome to advance to the Elite Series.

I know and like Kim. But it doesn't matter if it's Kim or Roseanne Barr who won AOY on the WBT... no one representing a tour that excludes either gender should be allowed to fish the Bassmasters Classic. And it might surprise you how many WBT anglers feel the same way. Lucy Mize has gone on record saying exactly that, and she's more than qualified to make the statement.

Realize this, Sean. This whole thing was contrived by ESPN and BASS purely as a promotional stunt. And it worked. The truth is, BASS could care less about a woman fishing, unless of course she can improve the bottom line and/or television ratings.

And regrading your comments on my career....whether or not I've won any BASS events in my 20+ years really has no bearing on the subject. As a qualifier to that Classic, I am entitled to my opinion. And if taking shots at my resume somehow helps you elevate your status, I feel sorry for you. I'm a survivor, Sean. I'll be here when your blog is long gone.

Print that!

Bernie Schultz

I have exchanged a few other e-mails with Bernie today and hopefully I will have Peter T, Kenyon Hill, and Mark Tucker weighing in on this subject in the not too distant future.

Accu-Cull: The New Paradigm in Culling Systems

Just when I thought I had found the ultimate culling system, Lucky2Creations, LLC, introduced the new paradigm in culling systems -Accu-Cull. Although it has only been on the market for three weeks, Accu-Cull is giving the big companies a run for their money and has completely revolutionized culling - it is the better mousetrap. What makes the Accu-Cull so revolutionary is that it is compatible with any scale and culling clip, it can be mounted inside your livewell lid, and above all, it is fast and accurate.

One of the shortcomings of other culling systems is their inability to accurately cull those "cookie-cutter" fish. Imagine having three fish marked at 2 pound 5 ounces. Which one do you cull? Generally you would have to either guess or get out the balance beam and check the fish against each other and the new fish - time spent sorting fish is wasted time. Accu-Cull allows you to weigh your fish in hundredths which virtually eliminates guessing or the need for a balance beam. Even without the "cookie-cutter" fish, Accu-Cull is much faster and more reliable than other systems.

With the Accu-Cull mounted in your livewell lid, you can cull at a glance of the board - no running through the tare weights on a computer and hoping to cull the correct fish. No searching for your grease board only to find it smudged, and no sifting through tangled balls to find your cull fish. Just open the lid, check the weights, and cull - done deal!

Accu-Cull is hands-down the best culling system available. It is going to dramatically speed-up your culling time and keep things more organized in your livewell.

** If you are interested in becoming an Accu-Cull dealer, please fire me an e-mail and I will get in touch with you shortly.

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Elite Series Eliminates Co-Anglers in 2009

The Elite Series will officially be "Elite" in 2009 when they remove the co-angler from the tour. I am not sure how I feel about this, but I can tell you that it is going to cause quite a bit of debate and send a ripple through the industry. I hope we will not see a trickle-down effect and have the co-angler removed from the FLW Tour and Series.

I was really suprised at how many Elite anglers were rejoycing B.A.S.S.'s decision, but I guess I can see their point - when a co-angler puts a fish in the box that is one more that the elite angler will not catch the following day. And if you get a co-angler who can fish (like Gander Mountain Pro-staffer, David Ottman who won the co-angler title on Lake Erie last year) that could make the difference between cashing a check and going home empty-handed.

However, I think this format really humanizes the Elite Series anglers and has keep them out of the "untouchable"catagory and more like regular guys who can really fish. Peter Thliveros makes a really good point saying that the co-anglers are the guys who "perpetuate the myth" of may of the top guys and if the stories don't get out, pretty soon "everybody knows you, but they don't know you."

Here is a link to the story: No Co-anglers In 2009 Elite Series Events