Need an opinion

[chunter_ksu]

The KSU Team was approached to host a collegiate regional tournament in 2007. It needs to be an early spring T and will be quite a few schools. Hard to guess but 50-100 boats more than likely. My question is at this time of the year what would be the best fishery available at that time. Right now I am thinking Milford or Wilson but don't necasarilly have to stay in the state lines. If you guys have any ideas it would be help. Casey and I as well as the team would like to host the event if possible and they would like to have it here because of the centrality in the region.

Thanks in advance.

[Bassman25]

What about fishing down at Grand Lake???? great fishery to say the least

[Jiggernaut]

Even though Milford or Wilson are two of your better choices, they're still not very good for a 50 to 100 boat tournament. Too many boats for lakes that are too small, IMO. That being said it may be good for the home team, though, in that you might have to be able to find some smallmouth, esp. if it's at Wilson or if the largemouth aren't on at Milford. Would it be possible for you to host a tourney if it was at Grand or Table Rock or Lake of the O? Not saying you couldn't do it, as the facilities at either Wilson or Milford are both good and Milford is much better for lodging. It's been my experience that, at least this year and part of last, the fishing has been really tough on either lake when you get that many boats on it. It sure would be handy for you guys though. Maybe you should try Tuttle.

[chunter_ksu]

Yeah I totally agree with you on the size of the tournament. I just don't know if they want to go that far south. We need to talk to them a little more. I was just checking to see what everyone thought. I would definitely rather have it at Milford for the fact that it would be close to campus and be easier on us. Not to mention easier on the local guys.

[Jiggernaut]

There was a period in the mid to late nineties that Wilson could handle it and about 4 years ago, Milford was really doing well. It's been a lot tougher lately, IMO, esp. if you're not a local. There were some pretty good fishermen at Wilson in Sept for the BASS deal and I heard a lot of "this lake sucks" comments. Same with Milford. Remember the Central Pro-Am last year? The fishing was horrid. When in Early Spring would the event be? That would make a difference.

[TimS]

I would try and pull it off at Milford. Lots of advantages for you guys, fishing and logistics-wise. Going to be a lot easier with set-up recruiting help, etc. Let me know how it progresses, I will help however I can in planning the thing and helping out wherever needed. KSU has been on the edge of the progress in Collegiate bass fishing and I'm glad I was able to be in on the start of it and would love to see it continue.

[sclark]

Early Spring - the further south you go the warmer the water. Thus as a rule the better the fishing. Lake of the Ozarks has plenty of fishing area to handle that many boats, also plenty of rooms avalible and things to do other that fish. But Lake of the Ozarks can be treacherous ( look at Tim Hortons mishap two weeks ago ). But if you can get there before the tourist season the lake is fishable.

[chunter_ksu]

They haven't given us a time really. We just need to check the lakes schedule and see what will work I think. Too early and we run into the Ahearn. I do want guys to catch fish because Kansas doesn't have the best reputation as far as fishing goes anyways. I am really leaning Milford though just because of the facilities and closeness to Manhattan ( and Aggieville ). Thanks for the input from everyone though. I haven't fished Wilson ever so I was just throwing that out there.

[R.D.]

If your asking for Opinions ad thats it I'll say this.

THE ROCKin late March/early April?

Other than that you could host in Milford with no problems but won't count on bite until late April into May as always

JMO of coarse

[R.D.]

The Land Of Oz will work too but sometimes can be brutal in spring unless timed just right .

but then again I've only been there twice

[caseysmith14]

My original thought after talking with the guy looking to schedule this tournament was that it may be 50 boats MAX, if that is accurate I would lean towards Milford in April/June or if it needed to be earlier I always liked the thought of going to Sooner Lake, there were some awesome weights taken out of there in early spring this year.

The big plus for Milford is having Junction City right there for hotel/food for the out of town anglers. On another hand if I were an out of town angler I wouldn't be the happiest fishing one teams home lake.

If indeed this tournament will push 100 boats I'd say you have to look towards Grand or one of the Ozark lakes.

[chunter_ksu]

I figured if this tournament was deciding who was going to represent each school that each school is going to send multiple teams. From the way he talked he wanted to keep it in this part of the state (or at least that is how I took it). I agree Grand would be better for a bigger T but then again we are getting down into the homefield of the OK schools. Either way we are in someones home waters. Not going to get around it. From the format though I thought schools were competing as much internally as against each other to decide who was going to represent each university. I am not totally sure and then again I was curious as to what everyone thought the best lake would be. I really don't have alot of desire to compete with putting on a tournament within a week of the Ahearn so that is going to hurt the schedule as well. Oh well we have plenty of time to decide what to do.

[caseysmith14]

I need to send an email to the guy and try to get some info out of him as far as time of year and number of boats expected before we can really make a good decision.

[dukhntr]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tritonryan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If your asking for Opinions ad thats it I'll say this.

THE ROCKin late March/early April?

Other than that you could host in Milford with no problems but won't count on bite until late April into May as always

JMO of coarse </TD></TR></TABLE>

Usually the bite on Milford is mid to late March. April and May is when it is as good as it gets.

[R.D.]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by dukhntr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Usually the bite on Milford is mid to late March. April and May is when it is as good as it gets.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm sure you'll have to remind me of that if we fish in late march again all I remember when you and I was out this spring was a drum and very small 14" bass...Tyson and I were in the same area a week later and all he had was a 25+lb Drum. Now when I've fished in mid April and water creeps past that majic 55 mark..... smallies come alive.....but then again I don;t even know 1/3 of what you and Tim do on Milford. I all I seem to know is some decent community areas and a few others that I knew of before I had 3 of the best guys on that lake show me around a little


reading further to see it will be more along a 50 boat Tourney than a 100+, Milford should do you just fine for the area

[TimS]

Milford was unusually slow to turn on last year...ask the guys that fished the first ABA out there in late March...25 degrees at blast-off and one fish weighed in (yes, I'm still pissed about that deal too )...

[Jiggernaut]

The absolute safest bet for best possible fishing and weather would be in May sometime. Lots and lots of other tourneys, etc.. going on in May though. Just my .02.

[PII Magnum]

staying close would be better but if you have to go out of state I would vote POMME

[PII Magnum]

been some monsters come out of there in the last year

[R.D.]

Tim.......I fished all the ABA's the 1st of the year till May. I was there for the 25 deg blast off and your winning back seater who fronted you but all I will say is this............................2006 is not the only year this has happened. I have fished the Milford ABA's for 2 years now and have had NO luck in catching fish until mid-late April. Maybe it;s my skills, maybe it's not....maybe it's the areas that I fished and didn;t get in the right spots btu after I have been with RJ, You and finally Jason......there weren't too many places you guys were fishing that I was not in atleast once.....other than School creek

All I know is there are lakes that are great and others that are bad. Milford is a good lake but for someone who came down and fished it at least least twice a month in 2005 and could not catch as many fish as you guys but still seem to find areas that hold fish ......just goes to show I need to spend mroe time on the water than on here I guess