WEBVTT - Ep. 71: Pro Tips For Lizard Lickers 0:00:06.320 --> 0:00:08.760 The buddy with the regulator, who obviously had more money 0:00:08.760 --> 0:00:10.720 than I did at that age, kid to pay for 0:00:10.760 --> 0:00:12.600 my chicken sandwich. At the end of the day. I 0:00:12.640 --> 0:00:14.880 get a phone call about ten o'clock that night. He said, 0:00:15.040 --> 0:00:17.599 you got Google Maps. He said, yeah, sure, and he 0:00:17.640 --> 0:00:19.600 says pull it up. He says, you see that line, 0:00:20.000 --> 0:00:23.560 and immediately my heart sell up. One day, some red 0:00:23.560 --> 0:00:27.160 actor a full K and a W D forty square temple. 0:00:27.440 --> 0:00:29.800 You know, I kind of feel bad for that kide. 0:00:30.000 --> 0:00:35.080 I sort of want to invest in Lizard Liquors. Good 0:00:35.120 --> 0:00:37.919 mornings generate anglers. And welcome to Ben the Fishing podcast 0:00:38.040 --> 0:00:40.720 that would love to be your co angler but conveniently 0:00:40.800 --> 0:00:43.000 forgets its wallet when it's time to throw down half 0:00:43.040 --> 0:00:46.640 of the tournament entry fee. I'm Joe Surmelie, and I'm 0:00:46.640 --> 0:00:49.600 hating Sam Mack and Joe. I'll be your co angler anytime, 0:00:49.880 --> 0:00:54.960 But you already you already know that I basically have 0:00:55.120 --> 0:00:58.400 zero money to throw, but I'll split it six with 0:00:58.440 --> 0:01:01.480 you if we win. Hey, there, you deal is a deal. Yeah, actually, 0:01:01.720 --> 0:01:04.520 you say, I already know that we the collective we 0:01:04.680 --> 0:01:07.000 listening already knows that we've been pretty vocal about your 0:01:07.080 --> 0:01:10.360 lack of funds uh lately. But here's the thing, right, 0:01:11.120 --> 0:01:13.280 people gonna think meat Eater isn't paying me, Well, that 0:01:13.360 --> 0:01:14.960 is not the case. Again, I just like to point 0:01:15.000 --> 0:01:20.200 out I'm very irresponsible with gear purchases. I wouldn't do 0:01:20.240 --> 0:01:22.000 that to you anyway. I would never ask a poor 0:01:22.040 --> 0:01:25.759 person to throw in money for a fishing tournament. Reason 0:01:25.800 --> 0:01:27.440 being that there was a time when I was a 0:01:27.560 --> 0:01:30.520 very very poor person and I did that. I threw 0:01:30.560 --> 0:01:34.360 down and I regretted it deeply. Right because at six am, 0:01:34.400 --> 0:01:37.040 you're sure you're gonna walk away significantly richer, like you 0:01:37.120 --> 0:01:40.679 own that decision. You are fired up. But when the 0:01:40.720 --> 0:01:43.280 day is over and you just got your ass completely beat, 0:01:43.640 --> 0:01:46.840 you're dwelling on that money hard like you're upset. You know, 0:01:47.120 --> 0:01:49.080 I'll tell you what I can relate it to. Man, 0:01:49.160 --> 0:01:52.800 I know for certain that the ride to Atlantic City 0:01:53.080 --> 0:01:58.320 is oftentimes significantly different than the ride back. Not to 0:01:58.360 --> 0:02:01.000 be morbid, but like we I was just in Niagara 0:02:01.080 --> 0:02:04.640 Falls and they got all those casinos on the Canadian side. Now, like, boy, 0:02:04.720 --> 0:02:07.200 that's a bad place to have a casino, like fifteen 0:02:07.280 --> 0:02:17.280 steps away from Niagara Falls. So you know, we both know, 0:02:17.320 --> 0:02:19.920 I don't tournament fish, But I haven't really heard you 0:02:19.960 --> 0:02:22.880 talk about it very much, do you. Yeah? No, no, no, 0:02:22.960 --> 0:02:25.799 not really. In fact, just once in my life did 0:02:25.800 --> 0:02:27.600 I fish a tournament where there was money on the line. 0:02:27.600 --> 0:02:31.480 I fished a really fun bragging rights fly tournament years ago. 0:02:31.680 --> 0:02:33.840 That's a great time. That's just beers and bullshit. But 0:02:33.919 --> 0:02:36.239 I bought into an offshore at Turney one time, many 0:02:36.320 --> 0:02:38.600 years ago, and I was I don't know, twenty two 0:02:38.680 --> 0:02:41.600 or twenty three. So I threw in five hundred bucks, 0:02:41.639 --> 0:02:44.119 which at the time, like that was half my annual salary, 0:02:44.280 --> 0:02:46.880 you know what I'm saying, Um, But I didn't care, 0:02:46.919 --> 0:02:48.880 like I felt like a badass. Like we went to 0:02:48.880 --> 0:02:51.240 the captain's meeting. We had a plan, we're breaking the 0:02:51.240 --> 0:02:54.720 inlet and my buddies regulator, but it was it was 0:02:54.880 --> 0:02:57.560 just miserable out there, like people, there were guys on 0:02:57.600 --> 0:02:59.840 the boat pukin. You know, one of those days you 0:02:59.840 --> 0:03:02.000 had hang on for dear life. And we never touched 0:03:02.000 --> 0:03:04.480 a fish, which meant the buddy with the regulator, who 0:03:04.480 --> 0:03:06.840 obviously had more money than I did at that age, 0:03:07.280 --> 0:03:09.040 like he had to pay for my chicken sandwich at 0:03:09.040 --> 0:03:10.320 the end of the day. I had to. I had 0:03:10.360 --> 0:03:13.320 to basically beg for dinner and it wasn't fun. Anybody. Yeah, 0:03:13.360 --> 0:03:16.400 that's like some add some serious salt in the in 0:03:16.480 --> 0:03:19.959 the old wound there. I mean to be honest, dude, 0:03:20.040 --> 0:03:22.880 I've never this is just like personal hang up, but 0:03:22.960 --> 0:03:27.800 I've never really understood like the allure of like competitive fishing. 0:03:27.840 --> 0:03:29.840 Like you know, I've thought about it here and there. 0:03:29.880 --> 0:03:31.880 You know, I was supposed to ender a bass tournament 0:03:31.960 --> 0:03:34.880 one time with my dad, but you know, yeah, yeah, 0:03:34.920 --> 0:03:37.320 it's it's not my thing either though. I mean, I 0:03:37.440 --> 0:03:40.040 understand it perfectly, right, It's just that it doesn't do 0:03:40.080 --> 0:03:43.600 anything for me. I fished to chill with friends, relax 0:03:44.280 --> 0:03:46.840 and and have a good time. Um, immediately, we only 0:03:46.880 --> 0:03:50.680 fish for food, man, yea, or or to supplement your 0:03:50.760 --> 0:03:53.880 the elk in your freezer whatever. Um like that day 0:03:53.880 --> 0:03:56.560 that I like that day that I fished that off 0:03:56.560 --> 0:04:00.840 shore attorney, Um, you know, had it been a fun run, right, 0:04:01.240 --> 0:04:03.080 we have never even opted to go out that day 0:04:03.080 --> 0:04:05.000 in those conditions. You know, you're so like you're you're 0:04:05.000 --> 0:04:07.880 putting yourself out there. It's already miserable and now there's 0:04:07.880 --> 0:04:10.880 money on the line, and to be totally honest Um, 0:04:10.920 --> 0:04:14.480 just shooting fishing videos adds a similar element of stress, 0:04:14.480 --> 0:04:17.560 Like you're not entirely fishing just to catch fish anymore. 0:04:17.640 --> 0:04:19.200 You're there to make a video, and when it's not 0:04:19.279 --> 0:04:23.080 working out, it can be really stressful. Um, but I'm 0:04:23.120 --> 0:04:26.559 getting paid for that no matter what. Right. So even 0:04:26.680 --> 0:04:30.200 charter captains, if you think about it, you can have 0:04:30.320 --> 0:04:33.040 ship days and and still get paid. But if you're 0:04:33.040 --> 0:04:36.400 a professional tournament angler, it's another level. And while I 0:04:36.400 --> 0:04:38.640 know I could never do it, while it's not my thing, 0:04:39.360 --> 0:04:41.720 I have the utmost respect for the guys that can 0:04:41.760 --> 0:04:44.599 do that. Oh yeah, man, you know, I I totally 0:04:44.640 --> 0:04:49.080 respect somebody who can like consistently go and do that. 0:04:49.200 --> 0:04:51.560 Like I Yeah, I'm not sure if I could handle 0:04:51.600 --> 0:04:53.200 the pressure or not, But I think it's fair to 0:04:53.240 --> 0:04:57.520 say that, like fans of competitive fishing, like bass fishing 0:04:57.520 --> 0:05:02.000 in particular, don't fully grass what kind of pressure that is. 0:05:02.360 --> 0:05:05.240 I agree, Yeah, you tend to equate what you can 0:05:05.279 --> 0:05:07.280 do on like the weekend. Like even if you're like 0:05:07.320 --> 0:05:11.360 a pretty dialed hardcore angler who's like, you know, you 0:05:11.480 --> 0:05:14.400 got your home lake dialed in, you're catching five pounders, 0:05:14.400 --> 0:05:17.080 you're catching you know, the occasional six seven eight pounder 0:05:17.160 --> 0:05:19.919 here and there. Uh, it's easy to equate that to 0:05:19.960 --> 0:05:23.440 what the pros do on some level, but it's really 0:05:23.480 --> 0:05:26.320 not like analogous. No, It's like, yeah, man, you might 0:05:26.360 --> 0:05:29.720 be like the best basketball player in your pickup league, 0:05:29.800 --> 0:05:33.720 but but like you get smoked in like a professional platform. 0:05:34.080 --> 0:05:37.880 You know, their pro athletes and I don't know, man, 0:05:37.920 --> 0:05:41.680 they just think differently. Yeah. No, And and now granted, right, 0:05:41.760 --> 0:05:43.760 a lot of the top level bass pros have other 0:05:43.800 --> 0:05:46.919 sources of income. It's not like like the top tier 0:05:46.960 --> 0:05:49.919 guys need to win to survive, but the root of 0:05:49.960 --> 0:05:53.799 what they do is still competitive fishing. Everything else comes 0:05:53.800 --> 0:05:57.760 from their ability to fish competitively. Yeah, a couple of losses, man, 0:05:57.880 --> 0:06:01.559 and like you know, your sponsorships start to dry up. Sure, 0:06:01.920 --> 0:06:05.640 exactly something on the line exactly now, Whether you're a 0:06:05.680 --> 0:06:09.200 fan of pro bass fishing or not, Um, I think 0:06:09.240 --> 0:06:13.520 you're going to enjoy a very special smooth moves we've 0:06:13.520 --> 0:06:17.520 cooked up um just for you. For the psychological aspect 0:06:17.560 --> 0:06:19.880 of it, it's kind of like like drawing the curtain 0:06:19.920 --> 0:06:24.680 back and exposing the less glamorous side of the sport. Yeah, man, um, 0:06:24.520 --> 0:06:27.360 I'm excited about this. Too, is like a means of 0:06:27.400 --> 0:06:32.279 a little introductory uh, you know, preface. We recently got 0:06:32.320 --> 0:06:36.040 to talk to elite pros Brandon Paul Nick and Carl 0:06:36.160 --> 0:06:39.800 Jocobson and and they were recently in Montana to record 0:06:39.960 --> 0:06:42.960 the Mediator Podcast and we got to talk in a 0:06:42.960 --> 0:06:45.719 little bit afterwards, and they were gracious enough to like 0:06:45.839 --> 0:06:48.719 stick around to sit down with us for Smooth Moves 0:06:48.800 --> 0:06:52.800 double feature. Uh, and you guys really want to hear 0:06:52.839 --> 0:06:55.880 this one because it includes one of the most well 0:06:56.000 --> 0:07:06.719 known smooth moves in all of fishing his street. Why 0:07:08.560 --> 0:07:12.880 all right, So we're here with bass Master, Elite anglers 0:07:13.440 --> 0:07:18.760 Brandon Politick and uh, Carl Jakobson and Joe. We're doing 0:07:18.800 --> 0:07:21.760 like a little bit of a deviation on smooth moves. 0:07:21.800 --> 0:07:24.400 Do you care to explain? Yeah? I will. At first, 0:07:24.440 --> 0:07:26.680 I gotta say I'm honored to have to have you 0:07:26.680 --> 0:07:28.800 guys here, and I think it's it's only fair to 0:07:28.840 --> 0:07:31.600 the Bent listener to explain how you're here. You are 0:07:31.640 --> 0:07:35.000 in Bozeman for the big show, the Mediator Podcast, And 0:07:35.040 --> 0:07:38.560 we were like, hey, wait one second before you guys leave, 0:07:38.640 --> 0:07:40.840 just real quick, can we have you on Bent? So 0:07:40.920 --> 0:07:43.720 I know you've already. It was the reverse of that, 0:07:44.080 --> 0:07:47.800 you know. Yeah, but no, I am. I am super 0:07:47.800 --> 0:07:49.320 pumped that you guys are taking a little bit of 0:07:49.400 --> 0:07:51.560 extra time for us. UM and I have not met 0:07:51.600 --> 0:07:55.280 either of you guys personally though, Brandon I am, I'm 0:07:55.360 --> 0:07:57.920 I'm buddies with Oliver and I and we were just 0:07:58.000 --> 0:08:00.400 fishing and talking about you. I I don't know if 0:08:00.400 --> 0:08:02.720 I should name it right, but at a very specific 0:08:02.840 --> 0:08:08.600 damn in Virginia? Does that does that ring about it? Yeah? 0:08:08.800 --> 0:08:12.920 You guys are discussing, you're discussing that event and that 0:08:13.000 --> 0:08:15.720 took place. And while we were discussing that, and I 0:08:15.760 --> 0:08:19.240 was catching very very small stripers, Um, Oliver pulled like 0:08:19.280 --> 0:08:21.120 a six and a half pounder right out from under 0:08:21.120 --> 0:08:24.760 me at that place. So yeah, because that was after 0:08:24.840 --> 0:08:27.400 the tournament, right, oh yeah, this was this was way 0:08:27.440 --> 0:08:31.440 after the tournament. This was late September. But um, he 0:08:31.480 --> 0:08:33.120 was like, yeah, this is the spot where Brandon just 0:08:33.360 --> 0:08:37.120 destroyed right here. Um. And Carl, I mean, I think 0:08:37.240 --> 0:08:39.520 we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that you are 0:08:39.600 --> 0:08:43.320 the the first Australian to qualify for the Elite Series? 0:08:43.360 --> 0:08:46.559 Is that right? Yep? That's it? Yep. And I'm pumped 0:08:46.600 --> 0:08:48.800 her here because and I can't fully explain this, but 0:08:48.840 --> 0:08:51.640 believe it or not, VENT has a lot of Australian listeners, 0:08:52.160 --> 0:08:54.360 which I don't fully get because I think the fishing 0:08:54.360 --> 0:08:56.400 down there is cooler than here, Like I want to, 0:08:56.440 --> 0:09:00.000 I'd rather be there catching a murray cod. But i'd 0:09:00.040 --> 0:09:01.719 bet a bunch when we're gonna tune in. So, as 0:09:01.880 --> 0:09:05.280 Hayden mentioned, smooth moves is normally where we have guides 0:09:05.280 --> 0:09:07.440 and captains come on and tell the story about something 0:09:07.559 --> 0:09:11.800 ridiculous or funny that a client did. But seeing that 0:09:11.840 --> 0:09:14.760 you guys fish for living, your tournament anglers, you're on 0:09:14.800 --> 0:09:17.720 the road trailering boats all over, I figured we we 0:09:18.080 --> 0:09:20.520 gotta get a smooth move from each of you. So hey, 0:09:20.559 --> 0:09:22.240 and I don't think we care who goes first, right, 0:09:22.280 --> 0:09:25.120 it doesn't matter that gives That gives a disadvantage to 0:09:25.120 --> 0:09:27.200 somebody because it gives the other one more time to think. 0:09:29.080 --> 0:09:31.520 I mean, I can go because I'm in hands down. 0:09:31.559 --> 0:09:34.920 I have probably like for me, I have one very 0:09:34.960 --> 0:09:37.920 significant bone head move. And I won't go into all 0:09:37.960 --> 0:09:41.520 the details because we're gonna trying to keep it shorter, right, 0:09:41.920 --> 0:09:47.520 but this is will data back two thousand thirteen. I 0:09:47.559 --> 0:09:51.040 am in a very tough position in my career where 0:09:52.040 --> 0:09:54.520 I've had a little bit of success, but still haven't 0:09:54.679 --> 0:09:58.880 really fully broke out onto the tournament scene. Right I've 0:09:58.920 --> 0:10:02.320 qualified for the Elite Series, I'm way down in the points, 0:10:02.480 --> 0:10:06.240 not going to make our championship. And at that time, 0:10:06.280 --> 0:10:08.120 we had win in your end. So if you won 0:10:08.240 --> 0:10:11.640 a bass Master Lead Series event, you would qualify for 0:10:11.679 --> 0:10:16.080 the bass Master Classic, which is our championship. And I 0:10:16.120 --> 0:10:18.240 was way down the points, had to win an event. 0:10:18.400 --> 0:10:21.200 We have three events left. Come into one of the 0:10:21.240 --> 0:10:26.200 final events, I figure out a phenomenal smallmouth pattern on 0:10:26.240 --> 0:10:30.199 the Mississippi River. Mhm. The tricky part with the Mississippi 0:10:30.240 --> 0:10:34.040 River is it's winding, it's full of islands, and it's 0:10:34.080 --> 0:10:38.920 a bordering water between Minnesota and Wisconsin. Sure date back 0:10:38.960 --> 0:10:41.120 even further. I don't know what the exact date was, 0:10:41.200 --> 0:10:44.880 but there was a law passed in Wisconsin that said 0:10:45.480 --> 0:10:48.439 you're not allowed to coal of fish. Once you put 0:10:48.480 --> 0:10:50.760 it in the live will, you're not allowed to release 0:10:51.200 --> 0:10:53.320 a fish. So when you put it in the live will, 0:10:53.440 --> 0:10:55.320 you're done. That's it. You catch your five for the 0:10:55.320 --> 0:11:00.000 tournament and you move on Minnesota, their state laws say 0:11:00.040 --> 0:11:04.680 it on bordering waters. They just accept the most restrictive law. 0:11:05.280 --> 0:11:09.720 So they accepted Wisconsin's law of not coaling. But our 0:11:09.840 --> 0:11:14.360 tournament organization had a permit to be able to coal 0:11:15.320 --> 0:11:18.520 in Wisconsin waters, but because it wasn't a state law, 0:11:18.720 --> 0:11:23.120 Minnesota still said no coaling. So there's the ground rules 0:11:23.160 --> 0:11:28.199 for what is about to happen. This is if you're 0:11:28.200 --> 0:11:30.360 in the bass circles. This is a pretty famous smooth 0:11:30.400 --> 0:11:37.000 move if you've if you have followed bass fishing, or 0:11:37.040 --> 0:11:40.680 maybe if you're just a Minnesota slash Wisconsin resident, then 0:11:40.760 --> 0:11:44.480 you might have heard this because some laws got changed. 0:11:45.559 --> 0:11:49.280 Uh So I'm, you know, way down the point. It's 0:11:49.280 --> 0:11:52.040 gotta win. Figure out this amazing pattern. I go out 0:11:52.160 --> 0:11:58.000 Day one, plan goes, you know, perfectly, flawlessly. I'm leading 0:11:58.000 --> 0:12:01.440 the event. Day one, got a pretty sizeable lead and 0:12:01.480 --> 0:12:04.800 away eighteen a half pounds on the Mississippi River, which 0:12:04.880 --> 0:12:07.760 is a really big bag for there that time of year. 0:12:08.880 --> 0:12:11.880 And Day two comes along and I'm catching all my 0:12:11.920 --> 0:12:14.600 fish in the morning, we get a thunderstorm, we get 0:12:14.600 --> 0:12:19.080 a delay. I roll out there worried that the that 0:12:19.200 --> 0:12:23.040 bite window had passed, and I get out there, and 0:12:23.080 --> 0:12:27.560 because of the cloud cover, everything just continued to work out. 0:12:27.600 --> 0:12:31.480 It was like I was meant to win that event. Right. 0:12:32.200 --> 0:12:35.760 So I'm I'm fishing this area in what I assume 0:12:35.880 --> 0:12:40.560 is Wisconsin, and I'm really have two main areas. There's 0:12:40.600 --> 0:12:43.240 the main river channel and I'm fishing the main river channel. 0:12:44.080 --> 0:12:48.320 Majority of the Mississippi River, the boundary between state lines 0:12:48.400 --> 0:12:51.480 or county lines is the main river channel, you know, 0:12:51.559 --> 0:12:54.560 the majority of that. That's how most rivers and lakes 0:12:54.600 --> 0:12:58.680 and stuff are in the country. Well, I assumed I 0:12:58.720 --> 0:13:01.400 was in Wisconsin. I moved in Minnesota to my other spot. 0:13:01.480 --> 0:13:05.199 I catch five bass. Knowing that I cannot catch another 0:13:05.240 --> 0:13:08.439 one in coal, I decided to leave it. I'll come 0:13:08.480 --> 0:13:11.199 back to it on day three, Right, Like, why pressure 0:13:11.240 --> 0:13:15.079 that area if I can't coal? Like, don't burn those fish. 0:13:15.360 --> 0:13:18.319 So I moved back to the other side, the Wisconsin 0:13:18.440 --> 0:13:22.000 side of the main river channel. I catch one more bass. 0:13:22.240 --> 0:13:24.800 I let go my smallest one, and I cold. Because 0:13:24.800 --> 0:13:28.000 in Wisconsin we could call all is fine and dandy. 0:13:28.080 --> 0:13:31.000 I go back. I weigh in. I have got an 0:13:31.000 --> 0:13:33.200 even bigger bag than I have the first day, and 0:13:33.240 --> 0:13:36.079 I've got a six pound lead going into day three. 0:13:36.559 --> 0:13:39.920 So everything is setting up for me to win this event, 0:13:40.400 --> 0:13:44.880 qualify for the Classic, and win a hundred thousand dollars. Great. 0:13:44.960 --> 0:13:47.120 Two days left a piece of cake, Like I got 0:13:47.120 --> 0:13:49.280 a six pound lead. I don't even have a Yeah, 0:13:49.320 --> 0:13:50.679 I don't have to catch him as good as I 0:13:50.720 --> 0:13:53.080 did the last two days. I can kind of just 0:13:53.120 --> 0:13:57.160 slide by under the radar. And I get a phone 0:13:57.160 --> 0:13:59.960 call about ten o'clock that night from our tournament director 0:14:00.200 --> 0:14:03.400 from the organization, and he says, where are you fishing 0:14:04.440 --> 0:14:06.920 in this area? And I said yes. He goes, did 0:14:06.960 --> 0:14:10.040 you cool in this area? And I said yes, I 0:14:10.200 --> 0:14:13.680 called one time. Uh, when I came back from Minnesota. 0:14:13.760 --> 0:14:17.240 He said, you got Google Maps, you know, on hand. 0:14:17.480 --> 0:14:19.120 I said yeah, sure, and he says, pull it up. 0:14:19.160 --> 0:14:21.320 So I pulled up go to the area that we're 0:14:21.320 --> 0:14:24.840 talking about, and he says, you see that state that 0:14:24.920 --> 0:14:29.720 you see that line? And immediately my heart sunk. He like, 0:14:29.880 --> 0:14:33.600 he like, really, they kind of walked you onto it, man. Yeah, well, 0:14:33.640 --> 0:14:37.400 I think just because he wanted to see, like because 0:14:37.440 --> 0:14:40.120 they I don't know exactly how it got reported, right, 0:14:40.480 --> 0:14:43.440 but from the way I understood it is that I 0:14:43.480 --> 0:14:47.800 believe another angler or someone saw me fishing in this 0:14:47.920 --> 0:14:53.400 area and said, hey, I believe he's fishing in Minnesota. 0:14:53.560 --> 0:14:57.160 They didn't know whether I had cold in that area 0:14:57.280 --> 0:14:59.480 or not, right, So I think they were trying to 0:14:59.560 --> 0:15:02.480 understand and like what had happened so that they knew 0:15:03.200 --> 0:15:08.000 how to proceed with, like what laws were broken or whatever. Right, 0:15:08.080 --> 0:15:13.000 I mean, like technically I didn't break any I guess, 0:15:13.040 --> 0:15:16.680 but I did based on the tournament rules. And so, 0:15:17.120 --> 0:15:19.560 I mean, instantly right when he said that, I realized 0:15:19.600 --> 0:15:22.640 what that line was, and that line was the state line. 0:15:23.040 --> 0:15:28.560 And for whatever reason, it comes out of the dam 0:15:28.680 --> 0:15:31.480 um from Pool seven, runs down into Pool eight for 0:15:31.640 --> 0:15:35.120 maybe a mile mile and a half and then decides 0:15:35.200 --> 0:15:38.280 to divert from the main river channel and goes across 0:15:38.400 --> 0:15:41.680 an island down into this back channel for about another 0:15:41.720 --> 0:15:44.000 mile and then back out to the main river channel. 0:15:44.480 --> 0:15:47.760 And that's and then the rest of the border is 0:15:47.840 --> 0:15:49.680 the main river channel for as long as I can, 0:15:50.360 --> 0:15:54.640 you know, think of I'm sorry. So it goes into 0:15:54.640 --> 0:15:58.160 this like inlet and like cuts down into the inlet 0:15:58.160 --> 0:16:00.840 and then comes back out exactly so goes there's a 0:16:00.880 --> 0:16:03.800 back channel, and it comes straight out of the main 0:16:03.920 --> 0:16:06.920 river channel. Right. It runs through pool seven. I believe 0:16:07.200 --> 0:16:10.480 the entire main river channels. The border comes down, goes 0:16:10.480 --> 0:16:13.160 through the dam, runs another mile mile and a half 0:16:13.480 --> 0:16:16.720 and then makes a forty five degree angle across land 0:16:17.200 --> 0:16:20.360 to the back channel for another mile down the back channel, 0:16:20.400 --> 0:16:22.560 and then back to the main river channel. And I 0:16:22.640 --> 0:16:27.640 was a hundred feet, you know, give or take just 0:16:27.800 --> 0:16:30.800 south of that place where it makes that forty five 0:16:30.840 --> 0:16:36.760 degree angle, and you know, terminent director like has to 0:16:36.800 --> 0:16:39.320 do what they have to do. They zero my weight 0:16:39.400 --> 0:16:44.200 for that day, and that cost me a hundred thousand dollars, 0:16:44.400 --> 0:16:48.840 cost me making the classic um you know, cost me 0:16:48.920 --> 0:16:52.240 the hardware of the trophy. And that was a tough one, 0:16:52.720 --> 0:16:55.120 you know, and because when it all came down to it, 0:16:55.120 --> 0:16:58.480 it was my own mistake, right, Like I didn't do 0:16:58.560 --> 0:17:02.720 the homework to see where that state line was. I 0:17:02.800 --> 0:17:08.119 just assumed that the you know border that water or 0:17:08.200 --> 0:17:12.040 that border line was the main river channel. Yeah. I 0:17:12.119 --> 0:17:14.560 mean obviously that could that cost you a lot, but 0:17:14.600 --> 0:17:16.760 I think it's also just a great example, and you 0:17:16.760 --> 0:17:18.560 see things like that happened all the time in hunting 0:17:18.560 --> 0:17:21.119 and fishing, where it's an honest mistake, like you weren't 0:17:21.160 --> 0:17:24.439 doing anything certainly devious. But I remember when this happened. 0:17:24.440 --> 0:17:27.120 I was at fielding stream at the time, and while 0:17:27.160 --> 0:17:31.480 I'm sure privately you were fuming and like just losing it, 0:17:32.240 --> 0:17:35.760 you were so praised for publicly just accepting that like 0:17:35.840 --> 0:17:38.800 it happened and you owned it, and that That's what 0:17:38.920 --> 0:17:42.760 I remember the most is how people said you took 0:17:42.800 --> 0:17:45.560 that and sort of just said it happened and it 0:17:45.640 --> 0:17:48.560 is what it is. But I'm sure, like you know, 0:17:49.359 --> 0:17:55.040 and residents like, yeah, it was really bad. It still 0:17:55.200 --> 0:17:57.359 was my bank account because I can still use that 0:17:57.440 --> 0:18:01.359 hundred thousand dollars, And but I mean a lot of 0:18:01.560 --> 0:18:03.720 good did come from it, and I mean I learned 0:18:03.760 --> 0:18:06.359 a valuable lesson of any time we're in that situation 0:18:06.880 --> 0:18:13.119 double triple checking. And then that law actually got rewritten 0:18:13.480 --> 0:18:18.440 so that that doesn't happen now, because even in Wisconsin, 0:18:18.560 --> 0:18:24.119 that law wasn't um specifically written for tournament anglers or 0:18:24.160 --> 0:18:27.520 bass fishermen at all. It was written for salmon anglers 0:18:27.560 --> 0:18:29.639 from a long, long time ago, and it was just 0:18:29.840 --> 0:18:34.960 never revisited because that situation never occurred. And so now no, 0:18:35.240 --> 0:18:37.760 it's uh, they created an up waring change. Well you 0:18:37.760 --> 0:18:40.560 know what I mean, you could either have like you know, 0:18:40.640 --> 0:18:44.119 and it's very it's like super easy for me to 0:18:44.200 --> 0:18:48.040 say this, like having being totally removed from that experience. 0:18:48.720 --> 0:18:51.000 But on one hand, like you could have some additional 0:18:51.040 --> 0:18:54.399 prize money attached to like a successful career, or you 0:18:54.400 --> 0:18:58.080 could have like a legacy of like honesty attached to 0:18:58.119 --> 0:19:01.919 your career, and you know, if it's more valuable. Yeah, 0:19:02.000 --> 0:19:05.679 you know, I also have to say, uh, that that 0:19:05.800 --> 0:19:08.080 is that is the most costly smooth move we've ever 0:19:08.160 --> 0:19:10.280 had on here. I've had a lot of things breaking 0:19:10.400 --> 0:19:13.000 stuff on guides, but I don't think any of it 0:19:13.040 --> 0:19:16.840 cost anybody a hundred grands. So, uh, Carl, I've been 0:19:16.840 --> 0:19:18.800 watching you that whole time. Have you have you been 0:19:18.800 --> 0:19:21.679 thinking like you're like, I'm not watching you, Like have 0:19:21.760 --> 0:19:23.840 you lost my key? Story? Like that's a hard one 0:19:23.880 --> 0:19:26.399 to follow, man. Yeah, that's a tough one because that's 0:19:26.440 --> 0:19:28.560 about as rough as it gets as a as a 0:19:28.560 --> 0:19:31.560 pro angler. I've done, you know, a little similar things 0:19:31.640 --> 0:19:34.560 like just recently let a fish guy that should have 0:19:34.600 --> 0:19:36.680 been it was a fifteen inch limit. It was a 0:19:36.720 --> 0:19:39.199 fourteen inch limit, and I was letting them go and 0:19:39.200 --> 0:19:42.119 it was actually legal fish and it cost me you know, 0:19:42.400 --> 0:19:46.800 three grand you know, in an open But story wise, 0:19:46.840 --> 0:19:50.479 I think just I was thinking about like when on 0:19:50.520 --> 0:19:52.680 that third day of Santi Cooper when I went through 0:19:52.720 --> 0:19:55.800 all like stuff and prop to get back and then 0:19:55.920 --> 0:19:59.160 oh my gosh, that was the biggest bonehead smooth move. 0:19:59.240 --> 0:20:02.320 Yeah it last year Brandon and I went back and 0:20:02.359 --> 0:20:04.919 forward at Santi Cooper and the bass Master Elites, and 0:20:05.119 --> 0:20:08.359 like I was leading day one, he was second. Day two, 0:20:08.480 --> 0:20:12.159 he's leading on second and so like it was just 0:20:12.240 --> 0:20:14.680 awesome with like camp next to each other. We're both 0:20:14.760 --> 0:20:18.640 like fishing kind of similar areas. We're both just cracking them, 0:20:18.720 --> 0:20:20.480 and we'd figured out the pat and it was like 0:20:20.520 --> 0:20:23.240 one of the funnest tournaments ever. But we both knew 0:20:23.359 --> 0:20:25.359 like one of us is going to win this the 0:20:25.400 --> 0:20:29.040 way it was figuring out. So day three roles in, 0:20:29.400 --> 0:20:33.399 Brandon's back in the lead, and um, I go on 0:20:33.480 --> 0:20:36.320 fish areas. I think I got one or two good ones, 0:20:36.359 --> 0:20:38.760 and I run way back up in this creek that's 0:20:38.800 --> 0:20:42.399 like super dangerous. There's just stumps everywhere. You can't um, 0:20:42.440 --> 0:20:44.320 you can't run it. You have two idle in the 0:20:44.320 --> 0:20:46.920 whole time you're idling, you're just running over logs, the 0:20:46.960 --> 0:20:49.520 boats just up and down. Santi is famous for that, isn't. Yeah, 0:20:49.560 --> 0:20:53.359 it's like one of the most like a prop killer. Yeah, 0:20:53.440 --> 0:20:57.080 it takes, it takes. It takes lower units off every day. 0:20:57.400 --> 0:21:00.200 It's bad. And so I go all the way back 0:21:00.240 --> 0:21:02.840 into this area. Stuff's not working out. I catch like 0:21:02.880 --> 0:21:06.760 my third one, and the weather and whatever was lining up. 0:21:06.800 --> 0:21:08.959 It was tough fishing anyway, so I knew just like 0:21:09.040 --> 0:21:11.159 catching four or five, I think I caught my fourth 0:21:11.480 --> 0:21:13.600 and so I'm like, I need one more fish for 0:21:13.720 --> 0:21:15.679 my fifth, and like I'm going to still be in 0:21:15.720 --> 0:21:18.520 the hunt going into the final day to have a 0:21:18.520 --> 0:21:20.159 shot to the wind. So it's all coming down to 0:21:20.200 --> 0:21:24.080 the wire. I've had, Like didn't I have battery issues 0:21:24.119 --> 0:21:26.480 or something? Battery ram flat for a couple of hours, 0:21:26.480 --> 0:21:28.560 like all of this stuff. It was like one after 0:21:28.560 --> 0:21:31.040 the other. After that, I was just like everything that 0:21:31.080 --> 0:21:33.480 could go wrong was going wrong. But I battled through. 0:21:33.800 --> 0:21:36.720 Now I got my fourth fish and I've had the 0:21:36.760 --> 0:21:39.240 timing down perfect to leave this creek. I knew what 0:21:39.240 --> 0:21:42.160 would take to get back. So I'm telling my cameraman 0:21:42.280 --> 0:21:45.960 e k who's sort of famous in bass Master. Everyone's 0:21:46.000 --> 0:21:48.880 had him fish with him. He's just well known and 0:21:49.200 --> 0:21:52.679 I've put him through hell and back in some boat rides, 0:21:52.760 --> 0:21:55.920 like he's been with me at chess Peak Bay. He's 0:21:55.920 --> 0:21:58.680 had blood off, skin off all of his knuckles from 0:21:58.720 --> 0:22:01.720 hanging on. He's like he's got stories with me where 0:22:01.760 --> 0:22:05.280 he's like not not me again. And so like I'm 0:22:05.320 --> 0:22:07.240 trying to look after e K and I'm like, man, 0:22:07.280 --> 0:22:10.320