Be thankful!

[Cancatchbass]

Be thankful you don't live near Pittsburgh!

At the Bassmasters Classic, with some of the bass anglers in the world, guess what Big Bass was on day 1 and day 2?

























Give up?

Day 1: 2 pounds 14 oz.

Day 2: 1 pound 15 oz.

Yesterday, Mike Iaconelli — a New Jersey angler and former Classic winner moved into second place (8-3) with four tiny smallmouth that combined to weigh 3-12 Saturday. Two day total of 8 pounds 3 ounces and he's in SECOND!

Is it any wonder our waters are overrun with PA anglers? Who could blame them for wanting to fish some real bass waters?

CCB

Added: Just to clarify- this is NOT a dig at any U.S. anglers. If I lived in an area that had poor fishing I would be the first to travel to better waters (greener pastures?).

[Bass assassin]

WOW! That is incredible! good to herr I am not the only one catching small fish!
BA

[Jigs]

Nah, it's been a nice quiet summer, catchin fish, enjoyin Fish Hawk........I ain't getting started on this

[chubb]

Just caught the end of that on tsn

Hope the Bass liked the Motley Crue blasting

[topraider]

I caught the show on TSN as well

I found it amazing that over three days, not one three pounder was caught. Most guys were thrilled to catch a 13" 1.25 lb fish, one or two guys caught a 5 fish limit.

Yes, we are blessed.

[steve-hamilton]

i loved watching that episode....

reminds me of what real fisherman have to go through...

i always like to watch the 'tough' fishing condition shows....ANYBODY can catch a BASS when the conditions are right for it...

it doesn't take a 'pro' to get lucky.

BUT, and this is a big BUT, put a bunch of professionals in tough conditions, THEN you get to see who can really use their fancy, expensive, electronics and baits, and who is just there as poster boys...(and girls)...

Even around here...i wish more tournaments were on body of waters that had tough fishing....ya, we all know you can get 20 pounds for five fish on the kawartha's or Simcoe....but lets see ya do that in tough conditions....

Like in October, when its snowing, and the surface temps are 60 degrees.

[ontariodreaming]

CCB,

Real Bass Waters... I take exception to that comment although I live in MD (Born and Raised in PA). Like a few people said, the conditions were rough. From what I read the charleston lake trip people found it slow. A couple weeks earlier we could not keep them off hook.

[ganman]

Ontariodreaming I have fished the Juniata and Susquahanna for bass I would agree those rivers have every bit as good smallmouth fishing as we have here and depending what you're looking for maybe better.

I have had great trout fishing in Cumberland county and also up north at Slate Run/Pine Creek.

While I haven't fished a lake in PA I think the lake fishery is what CCB meant when he said that. Seems rather paltry. I did see a some great crappie catches on a lake (forget the name) near Meadville in western PA. I stopped there once to see what a PA lake (reservoir in this case) looked like. Great ramp and facilities. You'd never see that up here.

[ontariodreaming]

Understand Ganman. I had the opportunity to fish two lakes in PA during the charleston weekend. First two days we marked lots of fish but no takers. Last day we could not keep them off hook. That is how it works. I have only heard good remarks about the rivers around Pittsburg.

For the record I grew up in the Poconos and there lots of smaller lakes that offer great fishing. I went to Penn State and nearby are some of the best limestone trout creeks. With that said, I must admit I do see alot of PA plates down here on the potomac , but no one should be sorry for PA anglers.

[Cancatchbass]

Ontariodreaming:

The conditions were rough?

We are talking about the best of the best anglers. Guys that can catch fish under all conditions. And no-one over the course of three days could manage a single 3 pounder?

Conditions were rough on Newboro today. Another front moving through, the weedbeds are in terrible shape, there is no deep coontail to be found, and the waters were crowded with anglers. I still managed a dozen keepers, with the best being 4 pounds plus. Me, just an average bass angler- no pro.

Put the BASS Classic field on Charleston after the worst cold front, throw in a 20mph wind, and you'll still see some huge fish caught.

There are no long lineups at the border of Ontario anglers heading to PA to fish bass. The anglers are all coming FROM PA TO Ontario. Doesn't that speak for itself? Are they leaving equal or better bass waters just for a change of scenery? Not the guys I've talked with.

As previously stated:

"Be thankful you don't live near Pittsburgh!" Is there great fishing near Pittsburgh?

AND

"Just to clarify- this is NOT a dig at any U.S. anglers. If I lived in an area that had poor fishing I would be the first to travel to better waters (greener pastures?)."

Perhaps I should have said "less than great" fishing instead of poor?

Ontariodreaming: I don't feel sorry for PA anglers; I feel lucky to have the waters we have here in Ontario. That's not the same thing.

steve-hamilton:

"ya, we all know you can get 20 pounds for five fish on the kawartha's or Simcoe"

That is no easy feat, even under the best tournament conditions. Congratulations if you have weighed in 20 pounds in a 5-fish tournament.

CCB

[Markus]

Classic.

[Scumking]

Hey CCB,


We were listening to ESPN outdoors on the ride to Rockland early saturday and they were expecting low weights at this tournament, this might be even lower than they expected .

Maybe in Pittsburgh they shoul have tried for steelhead .

Ron

[sevendustfan#1]

i was watching the weigh in yesterday and i heard someone say( correct me if i am wrong) that it was the lowest amount of fish caught in # for a couple of years, i am happy for VanDam

[RJ]

Not a single 3 pounder over 3 days is a telling tale for sure....

RJ