Congrats to John Cox. No matter what he fishes out of, going wire to wire and winning the Forrest Wood Cup is a big deal, period!

Congrats to Cox , winning in an aluminum boat versus fiberglass is classic .
I fish out of an aluminum boat , fits my needs fine and it fit my budget at the time . I only negative about aluminums is the wind can move them easier making it hard to fish plastics , using a TM is harder in an aluminum versus fiberglass .
Towing them is easier , less cost for gas and repairs etc...
Lastly , I think some guys that see me in a an 18' aluminum (without a boat wrap ) versus their own 21 foot Ranger with boat wrap and patches on their jacket absolutely think they are better "sticks" than me , I see it all the time .
Tight lines ,
Robb

Of the guys in the Top 10 I am glad Cox won but it is not about a tin boat or using/not using sonar. He is an exceptionally good shallow water angler that reminds us that many times there are enough shallow fish to win the tournament. I purposely said reminds us because it happen last year in the FLW Cup and many other times during the Summer but we often think deep.

Its not the arrows, it's the Indian......

Jeff Gustafson who finished I think 6th in AOY also fishes out of a Aluminum boat. A little different though as it's more of a multispecies boat than a shallow water boat.

Yep.

I think it's funny how caught up people can get over "stuff" these days. Yes it is a tool that can absolutely make you better as an angler; and there's nothing wrong with having it. And I'm not blaming anyone who is caught up in it, because I've definitely been there. But the thought that there is a shortcut to becoming the best at something by spending all this money on a fancy rig will magically make you fish at a top level is false. It's your skills and knowledge that make you good or bad.

Here's a story:

I used to think this way in college when I was a semi/professional guitarist; recording music and playing shows in front of thousands of people. I had this old $500 beat up Martin guitar that played great and had great sound and had character, but I so desperately wanted a $3,500 Martin D-35 guitar so it could make me "better" and I could really take my skills to the next level.

So I finally saved up enough to buy one.

I got to the little guitar shop where I had been eyeing my dream guitar and asked the guy to take the D-35 down from behind the counter because "today was the day". It was so pretty, and perfect. It sounded amazing. So as I began to warm up a play some solo's and picking faster and faster; I noticed that it played exactly the same as my little old $500 Martin from "Santa". This fancy dream guitar wasn't making me play like a big timer like I thought it would. I was shocked. I realized that day that it was me, my fingers and hands and soul, that effected what sound came out of a guitar; any guitar.

That guitar that I had thought for so long would take me to the next level, didn't.

There is no magical tool that will make you a master at a craft. Although, in a way it did take me to the next level, because it made me realize that I had to make myself better by studying and putting in the work to be the guitarist I wanted to be.


I feel the same thing is true with fishing. Its the person on the end of a bass' line that determines how skilled the fisherman, not the stuff that he is holding or standing on.



Not knocking anyone with nice stuff either; I love to use the best tools I can also. But I just feel like there's this thought out there in today's society that the Arrow makes the Indian, when it's really the other way around.

The Big Deal is that he won The Forrest Wood Cup out of that tin boat! John Cox is a great guy, accomplished angler and Crestliner is fortunate to have him on their team. Jeff Gustafson also fishes out of a Lund and competed at this years Cup! It is the second largest championship held in America each year, with the Classic being #1.

Let John Cox, Crestliner and all of his sponsors enjoy their time of celebration without sour grapes!

Congrats Again John Cox on Your Wire to Wire WIN!

I tournament fish from my Alumacraft 195 with 150 mercury. Love it!