Chris Johnston SPEAKS On Bassmaster AOY, Sharing Water, Burning Down "Spots"!

On this episode of Low Budget Live (Actually Live), Luke runs his mouth about Mark Zona walking away from live coverage and his impact on the industry, Easton Fothergill seeing double, Carl Jocumsen getting off the Classic Bubble, and talks with 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series' AOY, Chris Johnston, about winning the title, the St. Lawrence River "Spot" heard round the world, accusations of playing defense for his brother, and more!
#bassfishing #podcast

[@andrewbrowning-gm7nd]

No Class in Bass anymore,

[@TmarkHigg-br4kw]

Blocking , protecting for Bro. Punk move.

[@claudewilliams8000]

100 percent bro

[@gregc2621]

You must want participation trophies

[@chrishampton8842]

@@gregc2621says all we all need to know about you, huh?😂

[@TmarkHigg-br4kw]

If I were leading the tourney I would not let a Johnston brother or anyone roll up on me. I would have parked on his trolling motor. Been there done it.

[@AnthonySmith-oi3fl]

Jacob wheeler sorta did that move to. Money makes guys turn in to nut sacks at times.

[@zimks]

I actually love the Johnston brothers but don’t be complaining next year Chris if someone rolls up on you when your leading the tournament, what goes around comes around! At least AOY will help ease the pain of hole buzzards next year lol

[@kballhog]

Excellent interview! Stuff happens in every tournament. Chris’s side of the story seems legit to me. Certainly seems like social media was trying to make this into something it likely was not on the water. Let the anglers work these things out!

[@chrishampton8842]

Lol

[@horbie5039]

Great to get Chris Johnson and Gees perspectives. I think people love drama and I’m here for it too. With that said, it’s hard to hate on any of these guys. These aren’t pampered, Pre Madonna athletes making millions. This sport is as blue collar as it gets. These guys sacrifice a lot under tough conditions for often little reward. Congrats on the AOY Chris!

[@angiespencer4156]

You don’t come in on the leader

[@dwa3093]

It always amazes me how a guy that fished a spot 2 years ago thinks he owns it for life

[@smallmouthfreaks7609]

If that's the case, me and my buddies own everyone of those St Lawrence and Ontario spots. We've been fishing those areas before most of these dudes were in diapers 🤣🤷‍♂️

[@dwa3093]

@@smallmouthfreaks7609 exactly

[@corbanrood2939]

I’m gonna need someone to create a Mark Zona BASS Highlight video that is no less than 2 hrs long on KZbin immediately!

[@jimbaumgardner1436]

Glad you was able to get the stories from them. It all makes sense now. I was counting on you to set the record straight LD!

[@LukeDunkinsTravelingCircus]

Thanks for always being there Jim!

[@mattressesunderwater]

Funny he mentioned who started on Gussy’s spot in the 23 classic on Tennessee river. Austin Felix, David Mullins, and Cory Johnston started on “Gussy’s spot” day 1

[@zimks]

I totally forgot about that but you’re right

[@byronhendrixfishing8393]

Yup. I put in at that ramp and chased for Scott with Dylan

[@keithbardolf9927]

Nothing like asking for the opportunity to clean up your mess and then showing up late for the show. What a professional. Those boys keep showing who they are over and over......and people in a place to call them out and provide some accountability keep giving them a pass. Wow

[@timreynolds277]

So getting your kids to bed is unprofessional?

[@LukeDunkinsTravelingCircus]

Our interview was scheduled for 7:30 my time and he came on a few minutes late because he was dealing with getting his kids to bed and had a technical issue with the software platform I use. He wasn’t trying to be late on purpose because he didn’t care haha.

[@realjeffgarrett]

@@LukeDunkinsTravelingCircusit kinda did feel like you did give him a pass though 🤷‍♂️ But that’s what everyone else is doing

[@samsquanchoutdoors.6271]

Gaslighting at its finest. Not even sure if that’s the right word… Chris is telling me what I saw with my own eyes didn’t happened. You guys split winnings! Of course you were blocking for you brother and trying to win….And it was Day 4 you told him you can fish whole break…Also if it was so “cordial” why did Corey give the Ewok interview. Lots of stuff ain’t adding up

[@spencers2420]

Ok but the Ewok interview was hilarious

[@HunterThomasFishing]

You don’t pull in on the leader. that’s insane. It doesn’t matter how many times you fished a spot. Start there day 1 if it’s that good. Then this wouldn’t be a thing.

[@joelbabin4365]

58:00 mark is what I've been waiting to hear. RG specifically asked JG to go fish right on top of Chris, and somehow the J brothers are catching all the drama backlash for bullying or undermining RG.... ridiculous. It was on Bass Live clear as day. Kudo's to Chris for coming on and speaking on this nonsense. And huge congrats for a fantastic year and AOY

[@TmarkHigg-br4kw]

Gee was trying to pay a wrong with a wrong. He didn't turn the other cheek. Johnston was wrong. I would have parked right on his trolling motor.

[@TmarkHigg-br4kw]

Ain't no Bama or Tennessee boy scared to rub boats with the Johnston's.

[@jodywright9138]

Have Clark wendlant on next week.

[@timothyverdine6431]

I really hope yall come to sturgeon bay next season! I wish it was this year so i could have gotten my clunn edition nitro signed by him...

[@Jbj1234n]

Awesome you give zona so much kudos..and let's not forget hes buddys with the greatest angler ever and hes an absolute hammer fishing his self

[@GregDelR33]

I'm surprised so many people come after Chris and no one comes after Gee for the way he handled this. Seemed like a bit of a crybaby sore sport who acted all cool with Chris being there but then got all butt hurt when he was catching them and went and got others to fish on top of him. Glad Chris won AOY. Heck of a freaking angler and way more professional than so many people in the comments claim.

[@samsquanchoutdoors.6271]

@@GregDelR33 Listen to Gee on other Podcast. I don’t think he was cool at all with it. Chris claiming he gave him as much space as he possibly could is BS. Chris knew Gee was drifting down to him… It be no different then if they were dock fishing and Chris pulled up two docks ahead and gave him one more dock… Gee also said on another podcast Chris never said anything to him other than “I’m the reason this spots famous” or some BS…. An to whine about BASS putting spot on map during Live is ludicrous… B.A.S.S. Live is for the fans! Do you not want you fans who buy stuff from your sponsor to have best experience watching so don’t you want them to keep watching?

[@spencers2420]

@@samsquanchoutdoors.6271 The glazing is insane

[@rickrobinson7032]

The drama is caused by social media, not so much by the anglers.

[@chrishampton8842]

Really, calling Gee an Ewok wasn’t the media that said that, dick moves from both brothers

[@rickpurcell4920]

Great show.

[@LukeDunkinsTravelingCircus]

Thank you!

[@GarryMurray-i1y]

Chris is an incredible angler. I know as I have fished against him up in Canada. He has. Spent his whole life dedicated to fishing and cut his teeth on shallow water weeds lakes. He is extremely versatile with or FFS. Cory is also an incredible angler. These two brothers are definitely different personalities but remember. Cory is Chris’s big brother. Chris is a super nice guy period ! Get over it.

[@byronhendrixfishing8393]

Fucking drama just let them square up behind the stage. People’s lunch money will really start getting taken. Like little Trey lol unfortunately I don’t see him being able to fight for spots. But get enough taken and he’ll learn lol. But hell ratings go up and the shit talking stops because they know they can be called out to fight lol

[@ufcguruofficial]

Facts!

[@BigCatOutdoors44]

That’s how it was when I started fishing tournaments. No bullshit happened then

[@richwarren2475]

Mr Dunkin you I respect, Mr Johnson I no longer have any respect now includi ng his new Aoy title for sure because now that we know his real character by his actions on my home waters, the mighty St Lawrence river/Lake Ontario since 1985 I question everything else he has done. This also includes now his brother winning the event and my reason is simple. They sha4e all information together so this includes his actions of his brother. They already know that whole area onside and out but try to tell the world that's his water which it simply is not. I surely would never use either brother again for any fantasy fishing events just for this simple gesture when he showed us all his true face. Thank you for your content Mr Dunkin.

[@stevenbates5921]

You don't come in on the leader on day 3..... period.

[@GregDelR33]

Sick and tired of hearing everyone say that. It's not a one person spot. Everyone get the f*ck over it. Even Gee got all pissy. Chris could have done that to him on Day 2.

[@stevenbates5921]

@@GregDelR33 Then clearly you aren't a tournament angler or at least if you are you don't have much class. There are unwritten rules and this is one that us older guys live by. Integrity has been lost with the younger generation.

[@GregDelR33]

@@stevenbates5921 no I'm actually a big-time tournament angler and won an AOY this year too (nowhere near the level of Johnston's AOY) lol. Chris was defending his AOY and had to get on the juice that he initially discovered anyway and that Gee found out about watching live. Gee still finished ahead of Chris by taking 2nd, so really don't see the big deal...

[@stephenknight7601]

Great interview glad Chris stepped up like a man and cleared all the BS up. They are BA fisherman. Congratulations to Chris he deserves the AOI. Love those guys can fish anywhere against anyone and anyway.

[@chrishampton8842]

😂now the most unpopular AOY ever

[@stephenknight7601]

Oh well. They can fish anywhere good guys. They don’t do anything different than the scoping Rookies

[@chrishampton8842]

@@stephenknight7601 well the rookies didn’t bully lol, they just blatantly broke rules lol

[@stephenknight7601]

true that 😂😂

[@billljones979]

I love these boys. The Johnston are both hammers , I north or south, glad you pointed out. Aoy wasn't won just won at the st Lawrence it was so 9 grueling events against 100 of the best of the best

[@jefftaylor9915]

Don't believe all the drama you hear on social media, or you see get spun on television broadcasts. Marshalled with Chris Johnson on Murray this year. Was an outstanding guy.

[@MJ_Bass]

Good to hear it from his perspective. That said, he's doing some serious framing to make it look not as bad as it was. Especially after they threw a fit at the St. John's event about guys crowding Cory. IMO they gave the whole field a green light to come in on them even if they have a lead going. I will say, Mercer did not have those guys back's by putting Cory's rant up. Some stuff is meant to be kept behind the scenes, and I think Dave's meltdown about the public reaction to it is partially guilt for putting it out there.

[@bcm1892]

Great show

[@seantaylor6953]

So you set up on the corner that he was drifting to and cut him off. Try and justify it all you want, if he did it to you, you would have had choice words. You are a pro on your home body of water., find another spot. Throw in the mix you and your brother share winnings, it's a bad look even if you weren't doing anything dirty. The guy was direct competition to you getting a bigger paycheck. BASS should implement ac rule you two can't share winnings after this. Lost lot of respect for you.

[@GarryMurray-i1y]

Can’t share winnings. You are kidding correct. Come on! Ridiculous

[@seantaylor6953]

@@GarryMurray-i1y they have it set up as LLC, look into it.

[@michaelmelendez9902]

Hopefully the locals will block all next year fish next to him in the tournaments

[@CasualBassGuy]

If you’re a professional fisherman. FFS is 1,000% too easy. For us common folk, that may not be true. But we aren’t professional fisherman doing it for a living

[@horbie5039]

You’ve obviously never used it. And professional anglers are as common of folks as it gets. Most make less than 50k per year

[@jfriendagain389]

Chris is the best fisherman on the elite series, glad he won aoy.. Crybaby couch ponies run their mouths about stuff they know nothing about. I've fished the exact same spot on the St. Lawrence while I was on it,no less than 10 other boats pulled on it. This was on a Thursday when no tournaments were going on. If rookies want to claim spots, they should learn to find them with theirs equipment instead of on Bass Live.

[@byronhendrixfishing8393]

I think that’s hilarious people can’t tell the difference. Chris was cool as hell at Knoxville when we were at the boat yard about to ride over I said congrats to Gussy and Chris standing there was like you want me to take a picture? I was like hell yeah thank you. I have video in Matt’s boat on day 3 because Scott didn’t make day 3 Mandy hooked me up as a media marshal for Robertson and on the way to check in Matt and Corey are running and Corey looks over and flicks Matt off 🤣🤣🤣

[@jeromywalker4362]

All the “bullying, shouldn’t have fished” etc comments aside. I think we can all agree he should have laid off of it when he was at 28lbs instead of fishing till the buzzer

[@fishhook1034]

He said he went at night with drop a camera down and saw hundreds of fish what kind of camera ? Gopro , aqu view

[@realjeffgarrett]

Aqua view

[@ShawnKearns-y8d]

Pretty sure you said that was a prick move but I don't think you said that to him one on one

[@LukeDunkinsTravelingCircus]

Actually I did. In a conversation we had last week, but thanks.

[@ShawnKearns-y8d]

Thanks Luke that's why I've been driving to work listening to your podcast would love to meet you someday

[@ShawnKearns-y8d]

I appreciate your response

[@ShawnKearns-y8d]

Sorry Luke I try to keep up better I'm not on any social media but I do love your show and the butterflys thanks luke

[@Landhammer_fishing]

Is the hat a jab at BTC?🤔

[@OKFisherman]

Where do you get your viewer numbers? 261,000? Really? I see 4363 total 18 hours after the stream.

[@LukeDunkinsTravelingCircus]

Let me let you in on something bud…. It’s called a joke. People sometimes use sarcasm. I’ve done this show for 7 years. We joked on the original episodes about the “thousands” of people that were watching. If there were 200… it was 200,000. Again, jokes. Inside jokes that a lot of not uptight fans of the show get. Hope I cleared that up 👍

[@angiespencer4156]

Any place on that river system that the Johnstons have caught a fish that got weighed in is now considered theirs, sorry fellas that’s just the way it is

[@wingort9]

Im not against FFS, but isn't it ironic that parents would love to see a kid go out and fish instead of staring at a computer screen and now we are consumed with it to fish?

[@rickpurcell4920]

Heard GMan’s name thrown around

[@williamknight5142]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@grantloiler4571]

👍

[@jamescarbone4857]

So people who fish with Livescope are calling someone else unethical? 😂😂😂

[@justinmarbut4331]

So what he said about the veteran respect and the ethics they have the knowledge that someone won a tournament there and they know but they go right by it just out of respect! That's the part of fishing that is going away! The ethics and respect part of it is going away real fast and in a hurry!

[@robertgallacher7214]

It's not just that it is your own personal integrity. Anyone that goes to a spot found by someone else that put in the work to get a win from it will forever be seen as a lesser angler by the type of angler that goes and does their own thing to win. When i fish a competition here in the UK i already have that type of person beat before i even start. Always make a point of brief conversation prior to starting and looking them right in the eye and smile when they look away because they KNOW you have them in your back pocket.

[@justinmarbut4331]

@robertgallacher7214 your 100% right....I have to be able to lay down at night and know I've done the right thing and in today's world that does not matter to many!

[@robertgallacher7214]

@@justinmarbut4331 Yep, some of those young guys are going to have plenty time to think about their behaviour in the their first season and how they are being viewed by their peers. Some will realise they need to change their approach and others will double down. The ones that double down i don't expect to have long careers, a good reputation takes years to build and it doesn't look like some can think beyond the next week. That will bite them hard.

[@CrankCaveBaits]

I’m an idiot and I would never hand the reins to my KZbin to Matty!!! Why in the world is Matthew Robertson in charge of putting videos on KZbin????🤣🤣🤣🤣 Matty, get off feet finder and you wouldn’t get hacked!!!🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@BigCatOutdoors44]

Do you think he wanted to get on the podcast just to save face so he doesn’t get slammed by southerners down south next year on the water?? Just a thought

[@LukeDunkinsTravelingCircus]

I think he wanted to explain his side of the situation so I had him on. Glad he did. I enjoyed talking with him.

[@BigCatOutdoors44]

@@LukeDunkinsTravelingCircushe definitely seems more level headed than his brother 😂good show brother

[@DanielDalienVignjevic]

Detail which 100% proves he was messing with leader just to let his brother win is on day three - he had 29+ LBS aoy in the pocket and instead of leaving with some class, he kept pounding leaders fish....I was curious to hear his side, but now I truly lost respect for Johnsons...

[@1980chardison]

My opinion no one owns any spots on any lake period no matter who you are place your in or anything who cares deal with it. Bunch of spot babies

[@mikeharris130]

Trying to do damage control, and you ate it up.

[@LukeDunkinsTravelingCircus]

When you have him on your show you can handle it different

[@Jbj1234n]

Here's a huge plus...and I'm not for or against ffs its technology but maybe blaukat will stop crying and he can win a bfl lol

[@erickquarles3267]

Crying is how irrelevant people get clicks.

[@Jbj1234n]

You were on vacation with your best friend and soulmate ..so your taking a break Tito's in a month lol

[@LukeDunkinsTravelingCircus]

😂😂😂 exactly

[@BrianWykoff]

to me it doesnt matter if you won a tournament there in the past. it is a new tournament. he didnt go there day 1 so he lost that spot. tough shit. by Chris’ logic i guess i own a point on logan martin bc ive won multiple tournaments on it. unprofessional and unsportsmanlike to do what he did

[@BlackBerry-w8x]

Dont care for him or his brother. Not what fishing is about

[@CBGRTR]

Folk saying clunn KVD and zona all retiring cause of FFS is stupid how long are tou pose to stay at a job KVD been rimning all over the country for 33 years and clunn for 50 so how long you pose to do that and clunn at almost 80 year old KVd no spring chicken anymore either

[@davemonaco103]

Chris did absolutely nothing wrong. I think people have it flipped!

[@RustyWells2]

And then when these rookies go and kicks their ass next year without ffs it's going to be the biggest embarrassment in the history of all sports what the veterans don't understand is these rookies are spending 300 days on the water the only way to beat that is get on the water like they are doing and another thing they are doing is working together like it's us against them and that's all happened because of the attitudes of the veterans against them so let's see if the veterans can come together and work together cuz if they don't get on the water way more than they are and come together and work together they're just going to get their asses handed to them next year with or without ffs!