If you believe that, you are sadly mistaken my friend. In any sport!

Some good point in this thread. I just wanted to add:

Yes they are that good, there is no doubt the pro's are better than most fisherman. That being said, there is little that seperates their skill from alot of local guys that compete well at our local levels. The difference being sponsorship and locations. Pure skill there are tons of guys on this very forum that match up to them. Resources and experience on certain lakes is what separates them from the locals. The mental side is another aspect, look at KVD, he's got the mental edge, just like Tiger.

The only true test of that is to put them all on Mystery lake 'X's for an entire season. A one off tournament is not sufficient because it's like an old football Adage "on any given Sunday". That's why I believe at any level, Angler of the Year is the true best angler. They prove over the year on many different lakes and weather conditions they can catch em.

Thanks Brother....

My Long time fishing partner and one of my best Friends puts it Perfect

"Everybody always wants to cry that things aren�t fair and that they could do it to with help. Truth of the matter is winners win because they do what they need to do to come out on top w/I the rules � fishing, life, work, whatever "

Give it 100%, 100% of the time and you will be a winner in his and your own eyes....NO EXCUSES!!!!

Great quote!

I've known this happens for a long time. But, honestly Peter T. is kind of selling out his fellow anglers.

For one, most of the guys readily will acknowledge they received help. I know Velvick has talked about it on tv, and others I've done articles for told me they had a guide or friend or both put them on some good spots.

Secondly, Peter T. isn't fishing blind himself. So as the saying goes, "those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."

I feel like he just wanted to be the first to put it out in the open as an excuse for his poor season and it really was selling other guys out... not cool.

We have seen a lot of "spot" fishing lately and that is a result of this knowledge. I know that a few tournaments you can look at the writeup and see that a guy sat on a "sweet spot" well guess what, its probably something they were shown.

Does it matter to me? Not really. I think these guys are still the best out there and the fact that they can take info they receive and put it together in a few days still amazes me. If you look at the best guys in the sport and how they finish every year you'll see guys who can figure out the fish each day individually and will make the changes necessary.

I must have missed this boat or am out of the metro inner circle, cause no one has ever offered me any waypoints or showed me where or how to catch any fish. I guess now any time someone is successful they will be labeled a cheater.

With everyone having different levels of income and sponsor support the playing field will never be totally fair. I cant afford side imaging right now. Should I cry and protest that everyone that can be required to turn theirs off because it is an unfair advantage. No, it just motivates me to fish harder.

CFRYE, who did you help on the RR, what place did you coach him to?

Man I would rather not say, but I can tell you this. Everything he did was inside the Rules of BASS. He is one Heck of angler....

He didnt Finish all that great...LOL! Just made some bad decisions. He was highly favored to win it!

My partner and I have over 10 brush piles sank in the area that Reese caught those fish in....and The guy I helped new everyone of them new all about that area and decided to make a last minute run south which happen to be the wrong decision at the time..."Obviously" but it could have went both ways.

So that is proof that even if a pro knows or any body else for that matter the exact area which an event "Can Be won in" Doesnt mean that he will make the right decision...at the right time.

When its your day, its your day. Any of those Elite hands can win on any day....there is a very small line that seperates the BEST FROM THE BEST.

Those guys are unreal! Im telling you! FREaKS when it come to finding and figuring out fish!

I think the question is ,can a pro angler ranked say #50 compete with the top 5 week to week?
I say no. I think that over a season the top 5 or so, have so much help that an angler without that kind of "Team" support cant keep up.
Now you could make it like cycling. one guy wins but he obviuosly has a team. Team Yamaha with Skeeter McGee as team captain and the guy that fishes on sunday alone. Although He has had support from the 3 other anglers on his team the rest of the week. Scouting, trying different patterns and lures etc.

I haven't seen anyone crying on here or saying that KVD or other top pro's aren't any good. Just not as good as they are made out to be by others. I am sure if you put KVD and I on a lake that neither of us has been on. He would beat me 99 out of 100 (I should get lucky one time ) Put us on the same lakes and give me the info that he would normally get (if what is being said is true) and I win more then I lose.

this absolutely happens on the local level as well. If you guys think for 1 second that some of the Bass Champs guys weren't helped when they fished Eagle Mountain 2 years ago, your fools.....

Its not ILLEGAL, so who gives a damn.

[/quote]Its not ILLEGAL, so who gives a damn[/quote]

Amen Brother....EXCUSES!

If its not against the rules....Get it done!

I havnt read the rule book so I dont know where the rules state what. Thats one thing that I havnt seen posted what the rule ACTUALY says. Or is it a grey area? If it is a rule, or is not a rule and like it ot be a rule. Then tell me how to fairly enforce this rule? That is the hard part. Someone said they were asked by SK reps about who is the best in LL. Ok so there is a rule of no info to the angler. Sponser A goes out and gets information and sends angler A a shipment of baits before a tournament. Is that sharing info or not? If it is you going to remove that sponser from that angler? Guess really all I am saying is how you enforce that rule.

Info is there its a matter of getting it. There is info all over the TFF about all lakes over texas. Its a matter of finding it. example. I fished a new lake on black friday. I got on here searched the lake took notes of all the info I could find. I took that info to a map and came up with a plan that I attcked the lake with. Did I catch fish that would win me a tournament on that lake. I Dont think so. But heck I just a weekend fisherman with a big dream!

Its not ILLEGAL, so who gives a damn[/quote]

Amen Brother....EXCUSES!

If its not against the rules....Get it done! [/quote]

EXCUSES?????

Are you reading another thread and posting your reply in here?

Side imaging changes everything. I'll buy a good map and with the side imaging have a half dozen good structure spots on any lake by noon. Patterning the fish comes next. IMO that's where they are exceptionally strong.

Not saying these guys aren't getting info on locations but picking apart a lake got easier with SI.