2024 State of Fishing Address w/ Clint Wade | March 26, 2024

Today, Clint Wade joins the show to talk about the state of tournament fishing. We’ll wrap up the Dylan Kyle Poche event on Toledo Bend, and other events from this weekend. All this and more on #TACKLETALKLIVE!

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This is tackle talk live an inside scoop on how when and where to catch bass with a primary focus on Toledo Bend and Sam rer interviews with Anglers who are consistent winners on the Tournament Trail your hosts C votes Pro staffer Steve graph and Gil fishing accounts manager Kevin Jean two Anglers who

Understand bass fishing with tournament success on all levels Anglers willing to share their knowledge to help you become a better fisherman so sit up and pay close attention as they get detailed tournament information and results here are the hosts of tackle talk live Steve graph and Kevin Jean welcome to Tacko talk live I’m D Pro staffer Steve graph along with Gil fishing accounts manager Kevin Jean Kevin today we’re going to wrap we got a lot to cover today we’re going to wrap up the Dylan poet event which was a great turnout on to B we’re going to

Wrap up the Texas team Trail which was a pretty good turnout Fishers of Men results which has been a good turnout for them they do very well and then we’ll wrap up the ABA pro league in Louisiana the first year of this organization and uh so so we got a lot

To cover today yeah we do Steve uh and and I just got back from the bassm classic there in Tulsa I just got back uh very late Sunday night so we can kind of talk about that as well man that was a great turnout people everywhere Tulsa

Showed out what was an absolute awesome Expo it was um so anyway just got back you know back from that Toyota started today on toita Ben and think they had a win delay which you don’t hear that very often no you don’t but the win was It

Was supposed to be calming down but so they didn’t do takeoff till 8 o’clock um so but that’s Tuesday Wednesday Thursday of this week so lot going on man huge turnout for the Post tournament hate I couldn’t be there uh just same week of the classic and there’s no nothing I can

Do about that but I heard another haven’t heard anything but great things uh from that tournament so uh yeah awesome week but but Steve we’ve got a we’ve got Clint way coming on who Clint has been on the show multiple times with us we always we always bring Clint on to

Get his opinion a lot of the tournament side of things just because he’s running Outlaw outdoors and uh very good interview very smart so and what we got very interesting topic today and what’s the state of of 2024 bass fishing and where are we at tournament wise he was

The uh they oversaw the desino tournament on toita Ben that was n for facing sonar tournament so we’re gonna get his thoughts on that and just kind of talks Tournament Fishing in general around the whole area yeah I’m I’m looking forward to having Clint on there’s some things I I’d love to pick

His brain about being especially a tournament director they got a little different Viewpoint than than sometimes an average angler or a normal person because yeah they’re looking at the the big picture not just uh a little bitty picture like an angler would just be looking at his little world uh so but

We’ll we’ll talk to Clint I’m I’m looking forward to having him on as we’ve had him on before he always does a great job uh we’re g to talk about the Toyota series as Kevin’s already alluded to this week started this morning on Sam rurn and uh we’ll hopefully kind of get

A little preview and maybe in Clint can even give us a little preview what the Lakes like right now how’s it fishing but rer and T have both been on fire so I don’t know why anything would have changed little cool Cool Front little cool front came through yesterday it’s

Kind of cooled the water down a little bit but uh these fish that are committed Kevin they’re committed and they’re going to go do their thing no matter what yeah I don’t I don’t see that cool front affecting those fish I don’t think it was enough of one or they two they’re

Too far gone we’ll put it that way to turn around and make a change on them so we’ll be interesting to see some weights the the post tournament weights were down I was very shocked to see those Tournament results um hats off good friend Andre Martin for winning it right

At 22 pounds uh excited for him and uh but you know really anxious to see what these Toyota weights are like today yep uh we’ve got all that we’ve got upcoming tournaments we’ve got late levels to give you and I’ve got a little short product of the week we got all this and

More today on tackle talk live let’s take a quick break recognize a few of our sponsors we’ll be right back with Clint Wade of Outlaw Outdoors we’ll be right back a good Marine dealer is hard to find but a great dealer is even harder but in Iowa Louisiana there’s a Marine

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Simol in Georgia and uh boy I tell you what they’re doing a great job I’m telling you guys if you’re coming up I 49 and you’re headed for toita bin or maybe Kane River uh stop in at this place man they’ve got everything under the sun they got stuff that that all the

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Iowa Louisiana and guys all you got to do if you mention tackle talk live you going to get $500 off the purchase of a new or used boat or you gonna get $50 off your first service ticket so hey all the incentive in the world to go to

Power implements Marine right there in Iowa Louisiana on the tackle talk hotline we’ve got the man who knows anything and everything about the world of bass fishing about anything and everything about everything he’ll tell you that Mr Clint Wade the owner of Outlaw outdoors and Clint hey man thank

You for being with us today we we’re gonna pick your brain today you know we’re not gonna get you in any trouble but we are going to pick your brain a little bit and and I guess the first question I got Clint as a tournament director I’ve talked to a buddy of mine

Mike Eckles my co-host on my other show hooking up and tracking down and Mike runs the H&W Tournament Trail his numbers are way down uh I’m sure Outlaw outdoor numbers are down Texas team Trails down bass Champs is down what what is the Toyota at toita B today had

Like 110 boats oh w wow that’s way down so Clint what’s what is going on is it too much what is it you know Steve uh first of all I appreciate you guys having me on today and and I I hope I appreciate it you know I hope the

Conversation don’t get too sideways and you know I I think it’s kind of like we we have talked before it’s it’s going to be just all an opinion you know there’s no solid answer to any of these as far as how what kind of numbers why they’re

Down and all I look at it um as everything is a trend and I think fishing reached its peak postco in 20 late 2020 early 2021 mid 2021 everything whether it’s you know NASCAR NFL fishing golf everything can’t continue to climb as far as statistics and I just think we’re starting to fall

Off off of that Peak and why is that I think the the the most obvious thing is is money and you know the economy’s gotten it’s changed from what we had three to four years ago and things are tight the grocery store is expensive and guys can’t go and spend $250 on a

Tournament plus Motel plus expenses and plus their boat note and their truck note and just the cost of life and living is expensive now so I think that’s number one um number two is you know let’s let’s go ahead and address the elephant in the room forward

Facing sonar and let me go on record right at the beginning of this conversation I think forward facing sonar especially Garmin livescope is great technology I think we can all agree to that I mean it’s amazing and that’s probably why we’re having this conversation is it too good is probably the

Question um you know I think that does have a little bit of factor into the numbers but fishing has has changed a little bit now as far as the if you want to call it the ease of catching fish you know I can I personally can say Stacy

And I could five to seven years ago could go out on rer and you know I call them kidfish meaning there’s groups of of fish out there schools of fish that we could set on for 20 minutes at a time and practice catch them ever cast and

Just over the last or four years those schools have diminished and now I can’t take you to a school of fish you know that that you could set on for five minutes much less 10 or 15 and so fishing’s gotten more difficult now is that contributed to forward facing sonar

Is it contributed to just the sheer number of people on the water I don’t know probably a combination of both but now that fishing is a little more difficult for people you can’t just take a weekend guy and come to the lake and he catch 40 or 50 fish so it’s not as

Fun as it used to be plus it’s expensive when it anything that’s expensive is not quite as fun as it was when it wasn’t as expensive so that combined with all the others I think is is you know everybody wants to come and catch fish that’s when

It’s fun and when you can’t catch them like you used to that has a little takes a little toll on you I mean personally Kevin I know well both of y’all tournament fish obviously you go and and pay the expenses like I mentioned earlier entry fee and Fuel and stuff if

You go to a lake after you incur those expenses and you catch 40 or 50 fish and go home even though you don’t win a check you can justify you know man I had a good time we were one or two bites away from winning a check or winning a

Tournament but when you catch two or three fish five fish it hurts and yeah you don’t have fun and I think that’s taken away a little bit from the numbers well and there’s and there’s as you said and I agree with you 100% Clint I think

It’s it’s a mixture of all of this is happening everything you said plus I think life in general happens you take my myself for instance uh five 10 years ago five five six years ago I was fishing everything I was fishing every weekend I was either on toled I was on

Raer I was fishing your events I was fishing all the team circuits bfl so on and so forth life happens uh I’ve got a daughter and and as everybody knows as as as kid as their kids get older their kids get involved in things and I think

That has happened um I have to follow mine around playing softball and running track and everything else that she’s doing so I’m I’m running around after her and I’m not able to put in time to practice and if you’re not able to put in the time to practice nowadays you

Cannot compete no forward faceing sonar are not I don’t care about the for faceing sonar from that aspect if you’re not GNA be able to put in the time to practice you cannot show up on Saturday and and go compete would you agree I agree 100% with that and and and I’m

Right down the same road with you you know with Stacey and I having the real estate company and and then we you know tournaments you know we put on this year we’ll put on 19 tournaments and the majority of them are January through June so our time is taken up so it is

Personally taking us out of the tournament game to an extent we still fish as much as we can but it has it’s reduced the numbers you know from us yeah well and I can relate to Kevin’s situation because I had a daughter that came up and she was a travel ball player

And ended up playing at Northwestern State and and we had and she had a great career and and we followed her I was one of her coaches as they were coming up and uh fishing took a backseat for me well yeah when she graduated and through

With college and now she’s a coach at head coach at Rustin High School uh we still follow her but it freed me up to get back into the fishing game and I I did Toyotas I did the bfls I’ve done all that but now 6 3 years old and Clint I

Know Kevin’s not there yet I don’t know how old you are Clint but I know you’re not as old as I am but my perspective has changed when it comes to Tournament Fishing I’ve basically decided to take and pick the abas and focus on that and that’s my sole concentration uh I fish

Texas Division I fish the solo 150s and and and and it’s all it’s really it satisfies my itch to fish tournaments I mean I enjoy what I’m doing it’s still fun uh but your perspective changes as you get older too when it comes to Tournament Fishing especially when it

Comes to if it comes down to Dollars and cents I agree 100% with that and Sunday morning was a prime example we didn’t really have any major plans on Sunday and we woke up at 5:00 and there was a little jackpot there at Castle boyon that we could have fished and we heard

The wind blowing a little bit outside and we hit the alarm off and we rolled over back to bed exactly yeah and 20 years ago You’ to run out there just with with clothes on and ready to go but absolutely hollering you know everybody’s got a fish in this

I can still beat them yeah what what about the high school side like we were talking off there a while ago 420 something teams fished on March the 16th out of Sam ran are you seeing more high school teams jump into your stuff Stu and college teams are

Those kids are these teams jumping into the other circuits are they just strictly fishing high school and college events I think the easy answer is I’m not getting any High School participation but it’s because I won’t allow a captain in the boat in any of our tournaments not to say they can’t

Fish with their dad or just fish with their Captain but it’s only two people in the boat so I think that’s kind of an unfair question or analogy or statistic when it comes to our Trail um we are getting some college kids you know we’re not far from Nacadoches and sfa’s got a

Pretty strong fishing program we do get some of those guys um but again I think money is more tight or tighter with a college kid than it is with any adult so they’re not going to be able to run down and and be able to fish a tournament plus

Expenses yeah yeah I agree uh Clint and I’m G I’m GNA jump kind of jump in here on this with with some tough questions for you and please I don’t want to get you in trouble with everything um I I just want your personal opinion on a on

A few different things so let’s start you Canad the fifth if you need to the fth want to or need to um the spino tournament was on to ban March um Outlaw Outdoors ran that tournament for for them despino is is a sponsor of Outlaw outdoors and I know you guys came over

Y’all did uh the despino tournament on Saturday and turn around did the Battle of the brands tournament on Sunday which I want to talk about Battle of the brands tournament will you he in a little bit but let’s go here first um on Saturday thepo tournament 280 something

Boats huge turnout no Ford fa and sonar was allowed in that tournament um way more entries and participants than they had in that tournament last year being at that tournament and running that tournament uh give me your opinion on it and also kind of what you heard behind the

Scenes and we’re going to jump into do we think we’re going to see more of these tournaments coming up so you’re exactly right 281 was the number and that’s the largest one that that Randy and his Crews ever had and the big question was is it because of

Not allowing forward face in sonar and you know that seemed like the whole conversation of the weekend and when when Randy I’ll kind of back up back about October of last year Randy called me and he said man I’m thinking about not allowing forward faing sonar

In my tournament and I said you know I’ll do anything you want to Randy I work for you in this case you’re we’re just contracted to produce that tournament and he said no that ain’t your answer I want you your opinion about it and I said well you know you’re

You’re stepping out there you’re pretty much the first one yeah that is targeting for faceing sonar I know we had a guy that put on a tournament last year on raver that was no electronics which I think that’s a totally different conversation here absolutely yes it is it is just prohibiting forward faed

Sonar is totally different and I said you know Randy numbers are down overall as far as participation and I think maybe the bfl had already released their schedule and I know Brandon Belt had and we knew that the desino tournament or fishing for kids tournament was on top of the belt

And the bfl and there was also a high school tournament on Toledo that that same day and I said Randy I almost think you’re setting yourself up for disaster because you’ve got a bunch of competition that day plus you’re really stepping out there with this Rule and he

Said man you’re the first one that’s kind of been a little negative about it let me back up and think and it wasn’t a week he called me back he said we’re going to do it we’re gonna do it and try it and I said hey that’s that’s fine

With me I just wanted to you ask for my opinion and I gave it to you and and I tried to you know I prepared a lot of people for his numbers to be down and by telling them man there’s a lot of guys that are strung out all across the lake

If he was only the only tournament on toita that day oh then I think we can we can I’m glad he wasn’t we might have got 400 teams that day there was 100 in the bfl and I talked to 20 of them that told

Me I had to fish I was man I hate I didn’t get to Fish despino then you had the Brandon Belt that would have drew now now let me say this despino also did not allow guides correct that’s correct right that is true that is correct yeah

And that’s nothing new he’s always uh prohibited guides from fishing but when you know when the entry started coming in I was I was surprised and and I would have been surprised at the numbers even if the subject of forward faing sonar wasn’t even a factor here I

Would have never thought in a regular event that he could have gotten that much now to be fair Randy really spent some money he did Two Digital Billboards down on I 10 he had one of his employees for two or three weeks ahead of time going and putting flyers on boat ramp

Trucks at boat ramps I mean he promoted this one probably more than he ever had yeah agreed so everything’s not equal and Clint he I I too was also a guy he called and picked my brain on this and that’s my opinion and and and I

Told him I said here’s the de and here’s how I still feel I feel like when you look at the poet or you look at the spino tire those are benefit tournaments guys are going to fish those I think no matter what they’re gon this is the one

This may be the only tourament they fish all year they’re gonna fish that I think what helped him a little bit and I don’t I’m gonna say 10% maybe he may have gained a few Anglers because I still think they’re coming to that event whether whether he banned it or not I

Still think they’re coming uh but that’s just my opinion uh no I do I do agree with that and you know our database once you put a team in there they’re in that forever and so Stacy can look and see what tournaments any team has fished and we do have a lot of

People that only fish that one tournament as far as we’re concerned they don’t come to Reg and fish ours exactly right and you don’t do a whole lot on to b anyway I mean you do some you’ve done some with me in the past but

You do a whole lot on to b anyway so right glint going to the forward faing sonar uh who’s gonna be the first like Randy despino was to change the game with forward faing sonar there’s going to have to be some teeth put into the rules of certain certain organizations

Tournament Trails whether it’s Alli let start with Elite Series let’s start with Elite series I mean okay the reason why start the reason why I don’t start with the elites to me they don’t matter it doesn’t matter what they do you’re talking a very small percentage of

People that fish the Elite Series they have no effect on I don’t think what Clint does what Mike Eckles does with SH Port uh Chris Wayan or ABA those are the organizations that when they start Banning it or put some teeth into it I think that’s when the game’s going to

Change Clint am I right or am I wrong so let me answer your first question first who’s going to be the first Trail to ban it or prohibit it it’s not going to be Outlaw Outdoors I’m not going to be the pioneer of the one that you know maybe

The first one to prohibit it is going to be the hero in the Grassroots fishing industry but I’m not taking that gamble I I I’m we’re happy where we are our numbers are good um I I feel like you’re going to really really set yourself aart

In the industry when you take that step and that could be good that could be good for an organization ation but it also could be bad and you know I’ve always had my business philosophy is a lot different than kind of the way I live my personal life I’m a gambler in

My personal life um you know when I want something I’m pretty impulsive I jump out there and I get it but in my business life if it’s not black and white or very obvious to me I won’t do it I will I definitely take the safe route when I make a business decision

And I think am I taking the safe route by just playing the course here and allowing it absolutely I am but it’s working for us currently are our numbers down yes like we discussed earlier but everybody’s is right right let me let me go to what you you touched on the Elite

Series yes it’s only a small percentage of fishermen but let me tell you what it would do for the amateur level if the Elite Series prohibited it it would almost be a hint of permission for some amateur trails to do it because everybody seems to why I was getting

That yes yeah right oh yeah I I agree with that I could almost use it as an excuse um if if the Elite series did ban it and I could say you know well the the pros did it so therefore I thought it was good for my business but you know

Let me be clear I’m I’m not considering it I have I have well I have not considered I have had conversations with no Rous people um I I’ll give you an example you know me and Cory Rambo talk about it a bunch I mean obviously Cory owns Rambo Outdoors down there and he

Jokes with me telling me how bad you know tackle cells are compared to the previous years because quote everybody’s coming in and buying lead heads and Minnows versus all the other tackle and you know that’s probably a little bit of an exaggeration because people are still

Buying jerk baits and stuff but it does but Clint let me hop in on that because I’ve had a lot I had a lot of conversation this past weekend Bas Master Classic with a lot of guys about this and I’m very glad I hate to say

This I’m not I’m I’m glad I’m out of the tackle industry now because look let’s be honest a guy can buy three or four spinning rods spinning reels a couple you know a couple ball head jigs and some little a couple packs of Minas and go fishing one weekend he’s

Good set for the weekend yeah a tournament guy tackle sales are down big time across the board and you know what else you’re not gonna lose those those lead heads in men because you know what you’re cast into and you’re probably you can see you can see where

You’re throwing it so and even the M when you you can catch three or four fish on that little Min I mean it’s so small it’s hard to tear up so yeah 100% you know compared to five years ago when we went out there and on the front deck I’ll just take me

I at this time of year I mean well earlier before the spawn I would have a Carolina rig a football jig a big worm so on and so forth we all on the front deck in February now you’ve got three spinning rods you know yeah yeah yeah

And one bag of a couple bags of Menace so yeah that’s a whole another subject um I’ll tell you this at the classic there are some very very nervous in people in the industry about that yeah and and you know two guys let’s let’s just F you got like you said spinner

Baits sitting on a peg right now you got jigs sitting on a spin on a peg right now that aren’t moving off these shelves and and and Clinton it a year from now are we GNA look at this like bellbottom jeans and white dress shoes this was a

Fad it’s going to be over it’ll be something else do you think this is going to be a something that’s going to have a lifelong or major impact on the industry forever now that the whole game is completely CH you know we’ve heard this for years when they came out with

Down image and side image and oh my gosh man it’s so easy to go catch fish now well now this is the newest thing so what’s next what is next is it gonna be video live actual video camera I I don’t know but I think forward facing sonar is here

To stay you know there’s no doubt about that I think it’s a little bit of a fad right now I think everybody thinks it’s a secret and that it’s easy so therefore everybody from the age of 12 to 70 years old has went out and bought Liv scope and just like you said

Bought instead of walking into a tackle store and buying a whole array of rattle traps and you know whatever else our cinkos you know we’re going in whereas if we did that we’d be walking out with 60 or 80 whereas now we’re walking in with that mentality I’m going to become

A scoper and we’re walking in and spending 10 or $15 and walking out and you know I I personally uh you know I I I have Liv scope and I I like Liv scope it’s a novelty in my book um yeah yeah it’s a tool no doubt I use it more to find

Brush piles and see brush piles in real time than I do actually chasing fish but right you know I I think once people realize it it’s not a secret it’s not as deadly as people think it is it’s a tool it’s no different than that Carolina rig

You can’t just go by and set up a Carolina rig and go catch big fish you have to throw it in the right spot you have to know what you’re doing with it you have to find the right composition on the bottom and so on and and people

Are going to see oh you know those quote kids make it look easy but it’s not that easy and I think these the the majority of the fishing industry is going to stop buying that tackle and they’re going to come back to their old ways I I’ve tried

It I’ve been there and done that and you know we fished a tournament Saturday and I never turned the live scope on because it just wouldn’t fit my Mo for that day so I’m I’m kind of one that has went all in and then realized I’m not gonna be

Able to do this and then I come back to my traditional way so I think it’ll bounce back yeah so so kind of going back here Clint to what Steve was just asking while ago about tournaments going to I I want to say this about it I think

You will see a lot more benefit style tournaments like like despino um and Poe which Poe has already told us next year his tournament will be non for face on I think you’re going to see a lot more small tournaments like that or benefit style I say small they’re not small

They’re biggest ones in the year No but benefit style tournaments like that going to forward faing sonar I mean non forward faing sonar so I think you’re gonna have a lot more tournaments to fish here I don’t really see trails going to it but I can see a lot more

Individual tourament popping up I agree 100 % with that and that yeah that kind of leads me into what I was fixing to say um I I think these tournaments have a place in fishing that that prohibit farf facing sonar but it’s more of a novelty type tournament then it is a true

Trail um here’s what I think is going to happen if if let’s just say ABC fishing Trail had a series next year starting in January that Pro hibited far faing sonar and they had four tournaments in a championship they may get 300 Vats in that first tournament well you’re still

Only going to have 40 winners in that tournament and it’s right you know then they come to February they have another tournament they let’s say they do get 300 in that one you got 40 winners 30 of them are going to be the same guys just

Like it is on raver and to most all the time you have the majority of the guys that win the majority of the times and by that third and fourth tournament you’re par anticipation is going to fall off tremendously because guys are going to realize man I thought I had a chance

Without forward faing sonar but I’m still getting my butt kicked and the reason for that is it’s not secret you’ve got to put your time in on the water and whether it’s using forward faing sonar or dragging around a Carolina rig you’ve got to put time in

On the water and that goes back to exactly what I said a while ago Clint about you know me not fishing as as much as I used to and even if I can’t even if I’m open on Saturday to fish if I didn’t get to practice Wednesday Thursday

Friday whether it’s four faing sonar or non four if you’re not able to put the practice in nowadays like all of these guys are doing they’re putting their time in it don’t four face whether you want to fish with or without it you’ve got to put the time in or you’re you’re

Out there just throwing in the wind yeah and 20 years 20 years ago guys you could kind of do that Kevin you could have pulled up there on the 20 years ago and shotgun one just because of history and gone and today that don’t work I mean

You’re just donating today when you pull up at the ram you ain’t practice it’s just a donation and that’s not because the far faing son are there’s so many people on the water now a lot and these guys can catch them so okay so 10 15 20 years ago we we had the

Same thing we had you know your guys that was always at top of the leader board always was catching them but man and Clinton you correct me here if you think I’m wrong but these guys can C with without for and facing sonar it don’t matter these boys catch them every

Weekend so I can let me tell you about Derek Mundy that guy is a pipeliner or a welder he goes in welds for about six months out of the year and let me tell you it’s not January through June that he’s welding you know goes yeah yeah exactly he’s he’s

Cashing checks but that dude right now he’s on the water I don’t know that for a fact but I’d be willing to bet my lunch money that he’s on the water right now yeah and you and you get a lot more of them guys Cody pit Cody Pit’s going

Half the year but the the two weeks he’s home every day he’s on the water if there’s a tournament he’s ready that’s and and Clint here’s another thing I’m I’m bringing up on my other show this tomorrow hooking up and tracking down um I look looked at the bottom 50

Of the aoi standings this past week with bass when you look at that list of the bottom 50 we’re talking Jason Christie Greg Hackney Matt Heron Mike ianelli Rick kin we’re talking guys that are some of the best that’s ever wet a hook and you look at the top of 50 and you’re

Like who are some of these guys so that’s why I think the industry something’s going to change because there’s a lot of these guys they’re I’ve talked to several of them they’re contemplating retirement right now as we speak because they don’t either want to go learn it or they think it’s not right

Not good for the industry it’s not good for the Fisheries I mean they feel like our Fisheries are under attack right now and in the long run it’s not gonna be maybe they should retire I mean Brett far Tom Brady Troy aan everybody I use that same analogy in an

Article I wrote this past week that and that’s the analogy I use as a former pro player myself there comes a day where you’re not good enough you know and you have to hang it up and you’re you’re not fast enough you’re not strong enough you’re not quick enough that day does

Come and so I’m wondering is that what’s happening with these older guys has their day come so I think you’re exactly right now let’s back up 20 years ago and look at that the bottom 50 aoi standings versus is 40 years ago and you know I

Lord we’re getting way back there now so I don’t really know any names but the guys 40 years ago that was in the top 20 probably 20 years ago or in the bottom 50 you know father of time just does that to every industry and and it goes back to what we

Were just saying about age you know we don’t have that drive at 60 that we had at 35 so those same professionals are the same way they don’t have the drive at that older age or most of them don’t so they’re G to fall down in a standing

So and Rick Klein Rick Klein he’s number 100 out of the 100 Anglers on the elite he’s number 100 and here’s the greatest maybe the angler of all time yeah Steve he’s 70 75 77 he’s he’s in his mid uper 70s to be able to do it go ahead Clint

He don’t belong I mean I I and that’s no disrespect at all but I get aggravated every time I I hear see this conversation because he’s a hero okay I I’ll I’ll give him every Kudos in every category the guy is a professional athlete he has done very well in the

Fishing industry he’s gota go he’s old what other a sport I mean we if we want to call fishing a sport then father a time is your biggest enemy and he should have been gone 30 years ago you know 20 years ago and so yeah I hate to see

Anybody go you know should bill Dan be on tour no is he a legend absolutely but you’re trying to to convince people that Tom Brady needs to still be in the NFL at the top of the game or or Troy Aman or Tony Romo or no you know father time

Got them and they’re washed up and they’re gone now are they good football players yeah I would want Tony Romo or Troy mman on my you know High any day absolutely but they’re not they don’t deserve to be competing at the top level and and same thing with some of those

Guys on tour here’s a novel idea you got the senior tour for the golfers how about a senior tour for it’s not there’s not enough money to go around Steve there there’s not enough money to go around in the industry now for what we have there’s just there’s just not

Enough money to go around yeah one thing I want I want to get your we’ve been putting you in bad spots here the whole interview but uh one thing I want to pick your brain on before before you leave man this past weekend Texas team

Trail on rurn showed out um I think 230 pound back 30 37 Monday and uh what they have 37 I’m trying to look here and then I think Hayden heck and them had 32 I believe um out so kind of let’s talk a little bit Sam rer here I know you’ve

Been on did y’all fish TT we did not we fished another little Trail and had 18 pounds and all I would have done is got my feelings hurt had we F drill right right what’s going on with raver right now I mean it’s it’s it’s kicking out some Mega bags over the last

Couple kind of give us a quick little fishing report on Sam raver hey it’s it’s awesome for the for the winners and that’s that’s something that that I think Raven has really done in the last couple years is it’s separating guys which I don’t like as a tournament

Promoter I don’t like it doing this to fisherman I like it when 21 WI it and then last place is 16 and they’re just stacked in there when somebody catches 37 it hurts some feelings and now with that said I’m glad it was Derek Mundy because I can tell you why he’s catching

37 pounds because he’s out there day in and day out grinded and paying absolutely the the good guys are winning you know now do I want some as a tournament promoter do I want off name people to win 100% I don’t like to see the Derek Mundy’s win and the Clayton

Bulles and and the rusty um you know Rusty Clark Cory rambos and and the reason for that is now is that personal heck no it ain’t personal I like every one of those guys but as a tournament promoter you want new blood in you want new winners you want people to look over

There and say oh man Bob and John won that tournament that means I probably can too yeah exactly as a personal fisherman I love to see them win because the good guys are winning the guys that put in their time on the water are winning so and that’s that’s why I

Struggle sometimes having these interviews or even conversations or really on Facebook that I’ve got to be careful Which hat I wear Which hat is typing because personally I have totally different beliefs sometimes than I do as a tournament promoter right and right I agree 100% I’m very good friends with

Cole Moore and I mean grew up fishing with the kid and you know live right down the street I watched him grow up from diapers and loveing and nobody works harder I’ll tell you that right now and that sucker catches them every weekend I’m glad but man let me just

Tell you Cole Colby Cody pit Tater Reynolds those right there is putting the fear of fishing for people around till B when they show up because they putting in the time they’re putting in the work and I love it for I’m good friends with all of them but man it’s uh

Man they when you show up to the ramp you you know then you’re probably fishing if they’re all in it you’re fishing for four fifth or six just cuz they’re putting their time in well and and two guys you know when you when you got the same guys winning all the time

It’s like Clint just said it’s not good for the circuit because there’s guys I I’ve talked I’ve seen Facebook posts by guys well I’m not fishing rer anymore you gota they too many shotgunners and the same guys always win I’m tired of donating to those guys they complain and

They’re vocal they’re vocal about it um I I really similar to I played on a softball team Home Depot was our sponsor and we had players from all over Louisana and we were really good we were won we won a World Championship well when we showed up at a tournament there

Were teams would literally drop out yeah because they knew they were playing for second or third they wasn’t gonna win and and that hurts that hurts I don’t care what sport it is that hurts the sport when somebody just dominates like that and uh so and Clint’s looking at

From a tournament director standpoint he wants as many people there as he can possibly get so a business it is a business that’s exactly right and uh but hey Clint real quick uh y’all have your your uh sweet 16 current coming up in a couple weeks right and that’s the only

One of the year yeah it is you know we had for three years we had that sweet 16 Sunday series and I think it kind of run its course and you know the I think the economy kind of took its toll on it and the numbers dipped and plus Stacy and I

Was just trying to run ourselves ragged I guess running tournaments but we we quit the series um this is our second year without it or we went two years I believe without it and then few people why don’t y’all do that man I love that tournament so we’re coming back with

Just one this year and I I think it may be something that we continue to do every year is just have that one tournament and it’s such a different format and you know basically weighing 16 pounds you’re guaranteed a check and so you’re almost you know in my book

You’re not competing against the other Anglers you’re competing against the lake in a format like that yeah weigh in 16 you’re definitely getting a check it just depends on how much of a check yeah that is exactly right if you know and in April there’s probably going to be quite a few people

Catch 16 PBS um you know yeah and weigh in so we’ll ride a bunch of checks but you never know you get a coldfront come in and a bluebird Day there might be only five or 10 teams weigh in 16 pounds and it may pay really really well right right Clint thank you

Man you got something else you want to add yeah I was gonna you you mentioned the battle of the brands tournament Kevin yes um yes I wanted to bring that up so you had that this on Sunday this first year you’ve done the battle of the

Brands on to B and my understanding is and the turnout was okay but we’re still you’re still trying to get it out there it’s new it’s a new style ter to everybody U but we are having that on to bin again next year correct absolutely everybody GSM was very pleased with that

Um it lost money I mean anybody can do the math 170 something Anglers ain’t the 17,000 and it cost a little over 31 to put it on but you know it it’s a it’s longterm and these big companies companies they look at long-term projects and goals and they know the

Potential that toita being in in the format of that tournament so they’re not worried you know we’ll come back next year I think we’re going to do it on the Sunday right after the fishing for kids tournament and uh same time same place the the pavilion’s already book so it

Should be bigger and better next year for sure I’m glad I’m glad to hear we’re getting more tournaments like that start coming back to toita B um it’s much needed and and I I’m I’m proud to see you the support it had and really look forward to watching that tournament grow

Moving forward yeah it’ll be good hey man thank you as always we can’t say thank you enough for coming on with us and sharing your opinion and giving us some great insight as to whatever Hot Topic we’re talking about and uh again we just enjoy having you on

Your opinion that’s valued and and somebody that’s been in the industry as long as you have and the success you’ve had in this industry uh Hey hats off to you buddy and uh thank you for coming on with us I appreciate you having me and looking forward to the next time all right

Thanks Clint take care Clint W Clint w owner of Outlaw outdoors and Kevin you did a great job and uh we got a lot to cover real quick I know you got an appointment so we’re going to have to get with it here when we return we got

Tourn or we’ll wrap up some other tournaments we got lake level reports and more when you’re watching Taco talk live we’ll be right back Pride rods custombuilt fishing rods made to handle any and all techniques fishing rods designed for sensitivity and made to last in Montgomery Texas

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Out Keith’s Toledo bin tackle located just off Highway 21 on the Texas side of Toledo Bend or call 409 62518 you’re watching tackle talk live a show dedicated to making you a better Angler now back to the guys with all the inside scoop Kevin Jean and Steve Graph welcome back to tackle talk live our final segment this segment is presented by Pride rides Kei toita B tackle Lakes Insurance of nadas Texas two locations one in nadas and one in broadest Texas right there on the shores of Lake Sam rurn and power impls Marine located in Iowa Louisiana Kevin tell

Them the special we get if you mentioned tackle talk mentioned tackle talk live when you pull up to power implements Marine receive $500 off the purchase of any new or used boat or you can get $50 off the service ticket Steve I talked to them guys power HS Marine last week

They’ve had several guys taking advantage of our Pro T talk live program so make sure you get on that get in on that and save some money uh I’m gonna start out with the ABA Pro League results from B to no it’s a new circuit here in North Louisiana it’s uh had a

Pretty good turnout uh Johnny Van Arsdale on Lake bisto he had five fish for 1956 Robert Sparks was second with 1816 Paul Wilson was third with 1761 Jacob white was fourth with 17 uh 1674 and fifth was Coulson white uh he was fifth with 16.68% by Zach Willis so weights dropped

Off there pretty good but B to know not a great lake right now it’s is not fishing as well as it has in the past Kevin but uh moving along to I think you got Texas team Trail so Texas team Trail um Jason Bonds Derek Mundy

3713 to win that event on Sam Raven this past weekend second place Hayden het and Ken his grandpa Ken ber berlet I believe it is uh 358 um third place make sure I get it right here uh yeah Marshall Hughes Co Stewart had third place with 2915 fourth place Easton Higley and

Blake Schroeder had 2603 and Fifth Place Austin quiet and Brian Arabi 2209 and I’ll let Kevin do poet but I’m gonna do Fishers of Men while he’s okay do you have poche I can get it go ahead uh Fishers of Men first place is on Sam Ren and they caught him pretty good

Cameron Ron uh was fishing by himself he had one big fish fish for 937 had a total of 2708 for first place tat Reynolds George Jean Jr were second with 2374 uh Brad Beasley Landon Beasley was third with 1814 big drop off right there fourth place was Zack hard grer and

James Lee they were fourth with 1794 and fifth place Rick gillery uh and Richard Garcia they were fifth with 1779 10th place was 1642 that was Chris Wy and step Briggs so uh but uh they had a good turnout for that I think they had over 100 100 teams

In that event and officiers of men continues to do well Steve the uh Dylan post shap tournament was this past week in s b I believe 280 something boats again are around that yeah 281 281 correct 281 uh awesome turnout great benefit tournament uh excuse me 284 284

Okay there we go um hey hate I missed this tournament but uh man eighth annual and it gets bigger and better every year Steve um has hats off to the postet family Bert and his wife Shelley and all those guys for putting it on amazing event that they do there uh first place

Andre Martin oh Andre Martin and Thomas Lorry had 2.98 pounds won $15,000 second place was Justin Martin it’s Andre’s son Justin Martin and step Briggs had 2117 third place Travis Merritt which was our guest my my team partner that guest we had on last week and Jeff Merritt had

20.98 pounds for third place big bass was Chris brim and Jimmy Hickman had 799 big bass Steve weights was down a little bit in the turn I never expected the weights to be what they were but uh man huge turnout a lot of guys call a lot of

Guys got paid they paid way down a lot a lot of uh a lot of thing a lot of giveaways um again guys if if you’ve never fished or you know in this event you need to make sure go ahead and make the make your plans now to attend next

Year because it’s an awesome awesome event and I’m with you I’m surprised the weights were down because they were all it was right on a full Moon I mean so there was another wave coming they would have been coming and but there was a lot of boats on the water steeve oh there

Were that’s pretty much every weekend now it’s ridiculous uh upcoming tournaments I think Kevin’s got one he wants to mention in a minute MLF Toyota series is on to B uh uh uh March 20 well today tomorrow and Thursday uh Brandon Belt is on Cedar Creek April 6th and 7th and then the

Skeer sweet 16 will be April 7th uh on Sam rurn so uh you got another one you want to mention yeah this weekend Steve uh the Mike hodnet the annual Mike hodet tournament which is my uncle the man that taught me taught me fishing taught

Me how to fish took me every time we went right there on Vernon Lake in my hometown in anak coka um that is the annual Mike hodnet tournament it’s the cancer uh it’s a benefit cancer tournament that they do right there for the Vernon Paris Sheriff’s Department it

Is on Vernon Lake this weekend um so any of you guys that man and Vern Lakes got them like it’s got them um any you guys able that tournament is this weekend on Vernon Lake Veron Paris Sheriff’s Department is putting it on uh so make sure and they’ll have a bunch of

Giveways I know we’re sending some Gill stuff um bunch of giveaways at that one also uh real quick lake levels uh it’s changed a little bit 16979 at toita bin a difference of 2.2 feet low uh 10day loss of one of 0.12 Ines uh 24hour gain is 2.4 Ines Sam rer

15838 it’s 6.0 feet low right now very dangerous know where you’re at on S reron 10day loss is 11.52 in 24hour loss on R has been 48 inches and uh oh I think I said loss on to B it’s actually come up 2.4 inches in the last 24 hours

Probably because of all the rain we got yesterday and uh so uh it poured here at Naish I don’t know what they got but I’m telling you right now I bet we had 2 and a half to three Ines in about 3 hours here uh it it poured here at na so uh

But anyway uh Kev what else you got I think that does it for us for the week uh I mean good luck to all the Toyota guys over on toita bin I know it’s pretty windy over there today they had the delayed wind takeoff so hopefully everybody gets back safe and sound and

Uh good luck to all of our tackle talk live viewers over there also thank you to everyone that came up to the booth at bash smash classic and it just just to say hello it was a tackle talk live fan and Tackle talk live listeners um I had

Several several come all the way up to all the way up there in Tulsa Oklahoma Steve that uh guys from all over we had there was a guy from Illinois I believe that came and talked to me that listens to the show because they come down to

Fish Raven couple cool year um but had a lot a lot of people come up to me at the classic just want to talk T talk live and said they appreciate us and enjoyed the show wanted to say thank you for that that means a lot uh we really

Appreciate it oh heck yeah uh real quick I’ve got a a tool this is a hook removal tool if you don’t have one of these in your boat you need one because the these can help we’re always talking about taking care of the fish this is one way you can do that

With this little tool right here uh Bill Dance came out with one years ago has a Bill Dance model this is another company but I’m telling you right now if you’ve got a fish that’s hooked deep in the gullet this is a life-saving tool right here to keep not only you tournament

Fish alive but just keep fishing alive if you’re releasing fish it helps keep them in good good shape uh releasing them with this particular tool gets that hook out without damaging them uh too much at all so uh it Sav me several times on some fish that I’ve hooked deep

So uh you might want to get you one of those put it in the boat comes in very handy Kev you got anything else I’m good for today Steve all right well we can’t say thank you enough for tuning Us in we appreciate each and every one of you

Check us out on YouTube Facebook Instagram however way you listen to any of our podcasts uh if you’d like to become a member of our sponsorship ship team please send us a message on our Facebook page and Kevin will make sure he gets out a detail packet to you as

Soon as possible for Kevin Jean Yours Truly Steve graph thanks for watching we’ll see you next week with more tackle talk live