Well all of you elite haters think about this I've got ten brush piles in the six mile housen area that are huge. My dad is the only one who knows about them besides me. I almost never fish them on the weekend or when anyone is to close. He was out watching and said he saw 10 different pros beat the hell out of my piles. Point being I didn't sell the cordinates so guess what they found them. Am I mad? Not a bit I hope the smashed them. I fish Toledo more than most and it's not hard to find fish its hard to get them to eat. All you whining [censored] people are just jealous cause with three days practice they caught bigger sacks than you do and your locals. Hahaha. Some of you on here are fn idiots N!!

Similar story from the PAA's on Lake Conroe. I have a friend that grew up on the lake. Knows it like the back of his hand. Has sunk lots of brush and rock piles all over the better areas of the lake. No one but he or his brother know about them, except those who stumble on them through good research. He also has several little deals in a deal he's found over the years. Subtle stuff like a one foot depth change on a flat bottom that is 10 yards long and 5 yds. wide and not on any maps.

When these guys came to Conroe, he said he was going to be interested in how much of "his" stuff they were able to find. You guessed it, they found all of it. Even the subtle stuff.

Yes they get info but they're also the fastest and the best in the world at eliminating water and dialing in on the right stuff.

I live near Lake Conroe and paid close attention and talked to a lot of anglers while they were pre fishing for the TTBC. Randy Howell did not make a cast for the first day and 1/2 he idoled the entire south end of the lake marking brush piles and structure. Keith Combs did the samething! You spend 14 hours looking at sideimaging you'll find a lot of stuff to fish!! You combine that with lake maps, seasonal patterns, and a little luck you can narrow a new lake down real quick.

Thank you for articulating my thoughts exactly!!!!

That is what prompted my comments to you Bank Beater. I didn't have any problem with your origanal post. It was your comments as it went on. You come across as Holier than Jesus, with your comments. Just look at your statement a couple a posts back. You say and I am paraphrasing, It's ok to check out a spot you see someone sitting on to see what to look for, but you wouldn't fish that spot??? Well that's just crazy. I have fished on Rayburn for at least the last 15 years, and I have seen boats on every brush top, point, grass flat, and stump from the Angelina to Twin dykes, So if I follow your fishing ethics I guess I have to find a new lake now??

I think you should follow your own advice and go back and read your posts. Swallow a little pride and maybe you will hear what some of the rest of us are hearing. Maybe not, either way, like it or not, if I'm driving by and see your rod bent over pulling in a good fish, you can bet your a$$ you had better get up early tomorrow because if not you will not be happy when you pull up on me the next day. After all, IT'S A PUBLIC LAKE!! Now have a nice day

No one hates the Elite guys. I have a couple of friends and acquaintances that fish the elites. You do realize that Toledo is 9 times bigger than Conroe and probably has 20 times the structure that will hold bass that Conroe has.

As most also know, the north end of Toledo is not very well mapped. I just found it interesting that 5 elite guys ran at least 7 or 8 miles out of their way to fish a 20' by 20' spot. This is not a spot I normally fish, but I'm aware of someone who fishes there a lot. I understand they are great at finding fish, but what I don't understand is why they didn't find any of the other 4 spots that are within 1/2 a mile of this spot that are currently holding fish in the 2 to 4 pound class. I guess those just weren't big enough!

James, yessir I do realize. I'm 52 and been around the block once or more. The Conroe illustration was nothing more than that, an example. However, that was the first time 85% of the field had ever seen it. At least 85% of the field have seen TBend, more than once. Some, over many years. The size of the lake is inconsequential when it's fishing small. By that I mean, fish in specific areas of the lake relating to specific types of contours, structure, etc.

The locals all said, and George Jean proved the week before, that the event would be won on the offshore ledges, humps and assorted tops w/in those spots. How many thousand acres did that one piece of information eliminate? It danged sure wasn't a secret and was readily available to the field.

No one said they didn't get help. But to come on here and say that less than 25% of the Top guys found their own fish or to cry about them finding "my" spots is ludicrous. Put them in an area, they'll do the rest is all I'm saying.

Now, if Chapman and crew went to one 20'x20' foot spot that a guy you know fishes and no one else does, then it's obvious one of them had those numbers. Unless all of them fished that spot and only that spot for the entire four days, your argument still holds no water.

Whoa, whoa , whoa, oh omniscient one. Please check your facts. Nowhere did you hear me crying about anyone finding (MY) spots. I realize that it's a public lake and no one owns it, I have no spots that are mine.
I'm not going to argue Conroe vs. Toledo since they haven't had a Bassmaster summer tournament on Toledo since 1980. I think my 8 year old daughter can figure that one out!
Fouz, oh great one, as always you will get the last word! I will not respond to anything else you post. However, if you would like to tell me how stupid I am in person, my cell number is 936-591-5765. You have my name, number, and I don't hide behind some alias website name. Hell, I'll even take you fishing! I don't offer that to just anyone!

Who cares how they "find" it as long as it's within the rules. The thing that stands out is that he went and caught 84 lbs in 4 days off those spots. That's where the talent lies. We can all "find" it. It all comes down to catching the fish and maximizing the water.

Not everyone can find stuff man. I know plenty of guys you can take em out sit em over fish and say here and they can catch the fire out of em. Put em in their own boat and tell em have it it and they come back scratching their heads.

Them elites are great at finding and eliminating and great at catching but, it is too big of a lake for seven anglers to eliminate down to the same small patch of fish a 20 min or more ride away from the launch. They sure eliminated a tremendous ton of water that was not bad water to key in on the same stretch.

As for the previous week deep water was not a consistent pattern during the elite series. Georgie boy would have got mopped up too if it weren't for a BIG bonus bite. And george definetely knows the lake. I believe in fact most of his fish came from 12 to 14 ft not the deep water the boys in the elite's caught em in.

I think this thread has run it's course.

Whoa, whoa, whoa Mr. Elliott..... does this offer of the fishing trip apply to all of us?? Cause i can promise you that there is no one that knows TBend any better than YOU.

Wow, always love reading this stuff. Gonna go grab my popcorn

I had a chance to watch these guys fish Wylie in the classic in 2004. I lived in south carolina for 5 years and fished only Wylie. I have also watched them fish fork during the Toyota tournament. I fished several days of each just to see how I could measure up. I don't think I could qualify to wash their boats....these guys can find some fish in areas that I had never thought of fishing. I watched they guys pluck fish out of areas that I thought would never hold fish. They are not only good but they are machines...they do there homework and know what they are looking for. don't kid yourself, these guys area way above your average stick.

If I was an elite I would feel disrespected. These guys are the best at what they do. I believe jealousy is a good adjective describing the feeling of the some of the posters on here.

Try this buddy.

Google search
James elliott and click a few times. Tell me how long you have to add up find find all the times our buddy finished in top ten.
I believe he knows toledo better than most.