Bassfishing message boards and magazines are a bad thing...

[Fish2win]

WTL you are exactly correct now at 3.25 a gallon it wont stop. Now at 6.00 thats a different situation. P n J is correct more quality fisheries will make a difference.I didnt say that it would destroy the sport, I said it would change things from the way we now know it. If you have ever fished from a 14 ft boat with a 10 or 20- hp motor then you should understand what I am saying. I here lots of guys saying that they cant go 2 or 3 times a week anymore or they cant afford to fish 3 or 4 tournaments a month anymore. yes there will still be folks fishing but not out of 20 ft boats where they can cover 30 or 40 miles of lake in a day. Fish2win

[Bob Smith]

I enjoy low key tournament fishing, not the big boy stuff where you pay several hundred dollars to go and fish. Not the sponsor seeking variety. I don't wear any sponsor patches or any lure patches of any kind. I think it is so bogus to sew on all of those patches or decals when you are not getting a cent from them! Most of the folks I know that have "sponsors" are not truely sponsored in the classic sense, they get a discount for the tackle or get a wholesale price for the boat as long as they trade it in every two years. Although they are expected to work the dealer's booths at the shows and give demo rides and the like. It's crazy, yet they proudly wear those shirts and hats, and some even pay for thier own special boat wrap. Most of the people in that category are riding thier egos with that "hey! look at me! aren't I kewl?" Does not impress me at all to see somebody throw good money around like that!

Now I really do like to see bass club garb, I've always liked belonging to a real bass club that simply likes to compete amongst a gathering of friends. A good club is something to be proud of and wearing those club emblems shows that. I don't like the fact that one club I belong to is a member club in the FLW (I wouldn't like being "affiliated" with BASS either), I believe it diminishes the real purpose of a club and that being a family oriented association of fishing folks who gather for the fun of it and promote the fishing for the sport of it.

As far as kids go, I've know a couple kids whose daddies dressed them up in pro gear, but underneath it all they were still just kids. I have 5 kids and 6 grandkids (and another due this week!). I take my grand kids fishing when the weather is nice, but I hardly ever take them out on the boat. Instead, I load up thier mommies and daddies and all of the camp chairs and we go down and spread out on the bank of a lake, creek or pond somewhere. Bait up the Snoopy rods with nightcrawlers and the grownups with minnows and just sit back and have us a good old time! My problem is tearing them away from the video games and DVDs long enough to do that now-a-days! If one or two of the family wants to go bassfishing, then I will take them one or two at a time with just bassfishing in mind.

There you have it, another longwinded dissertation by Bob! Sorry bout that! I love this thread, it is bringing a great subject to the discussion!

[WTL]

Fish2Win, I'm all about small boats, I just traded a basstracker pro 16 for a starcraft 14. When I'm not postin in this thread, this afternoon I've been outside foolin with a peice of angle aluminum making a mini jack plate for the little boat.

I actually think we'd be better off stepping back from the lunacy of v-6 outboards and fiberglass destroyers. Ray Scott recently went on a campaign promoting the effectiveness and enjoyablility of ultralight gear. Its the same principle. Ray Scott of course opened pandora's box and lookat what he is doing. If you need to travel 40 miles to find bass, find a ramp up or downstream for goodness sake.

[pignjig]

Ah, Shnap, WTL! I was just thinking the same thing! Ever notice that the guys from one ramp pass the guys from another ramp going the way they just came?

[zooker]

Originally Posted by WTL

Second, as you said people are just going to smaller rigs. That is a good thing. You don't need a battleship to catch bass, and burning 40 gallons of gas on a few dinks is a waste.

Originally Posted by Fish2win

Cut it way back or go back to the 14 ft 10 hp rigs that I grew up with. Those 14 ft boats work fine with one exception.I am seeing more guys fishing less times per month. Luckily I live on the lake and dont have to pull.But some guys pull 75 or more miles one way to the lake.

consider this.
what are the top selling new boats are for the last two years?? the smaller mid horse powered bass boats. such as the stratos 176tx,triton exporler 17,170tx bass tracker,and the g3 17 footer.. why are the sales off the charts?? easy go back and read what you both typed..

#1 any of the above mentioned boats are cost effective. monthly payment averages $200.
#2 they are fuel miserly they average burn around 7-8 gallon of gas in a days fishing -even if run wot-
#3 they can be pulled buy a 4 banger truck/car/suv.

i own a small stratos with a 50 horse moter. i run 10-12 miles to my first hole and work my way back to the launch. i average 4 gallons of gas burned in an 8 hour tourny. i pull it with a ford ranger 3.0l v-6. but i could just as well pull it with my dads 2 wheel drive nissan pick up.

the smaller boats handle better with a troller and turn on a dime.. i have been in places big boats won't/can't go. there is no condition that i have faced with my lil startos that it would be better if i had a bigger boat..

as i have stated else where. i figure you are going to see a big movement toward the smaller boats packin a mid sized moter. i seriously will be considering a couple of the above mentioned boats for my next ride..

zooker

[Fish2win]

All good points if you dont fish lakes like we have here. Take Loudon or Watts Barr as an example.Between the 35 to 50 foot pleasure boats or the barges that are pushed by tug boats and the amount of really big wakes you have is horrible. They are very hard to cope with in a 14 foot boat. Consider this, I have a 20 foot Norris craft. I was at Loudon setting dead in the water off the channel.Two 30 foot Sea Rays came down the main channel racing. The were probably running 25 MPH each. I know thats real slow in Bass boat terms'.They decided to pass me on either side There wakes came over my gunnels form both sides dumping a huge amount of water in my boat. Thank goodness for bilge pimps. case 2 Several times I have been fishing a hump or point at Watts Bar when a barge came up the river . The wake they kicked made water come over the front of my bow with the trolling motor pulling into the wakes to keep me from being washed away. I also own a 16 foot Fiberglass L Craft with a 40 HP Yamaha It is great for floating the rivers below the dams that dont have locks. I also own a 14 foot Texas Craft Jon boat with a 10 HP Johnson. It has its use also. All the lakes from Knoxville down stream are international sea ports that connect both to the Tom Bigby and the Mississippi. They have big boats and lots of barge traffic. So bigger bass boats do have there place. I live on Norris It does not lock thru. My NC holds 22 gallon of fuel and I usually fish 5 times on a tank. i have a ramp on my property so i pull about 50 feet. Lets say I live in Ohio or Indiana where I need to pull 75 miles to a lake. I use a Toyota or Nissan to pull my 14 foot boat. When I am pulling on the Interstate I get 20 MPG. Here in Tennessee regular gas is 3.12 per gallon right now. 150 miles divided by 20 is 7.5 gallons . Thats 25.00 for gas. Now you said 4 gallons of gas for fishing. Thats another 12.00. Now say you go fishing 3 times per week Like most of my fishing buddies do. Thats 37.00 X 3 = 81.00 per week for gas. Now you fish 1 wild cat tourney per week at 30.00 per boat. Now thats 111.00 per week. Multiply that times 4=444.00 per month. Now some one said you could by a good boat for 200.00. Not a tourney boat but a fishable boat. So you drop the tourneys thats 514.00 for fishing per month. Thats not lures ,license,insurance , maintanence or other misc equipment.
My original statement was that the future of Bass fishing would not be like it is today. The fact that you are advocating smaller boats proves this. Tourney style rigs are the norm here and I would think they are at Guntersville near Huntsville.
I bought my first boat at age 12. I lived on Cherokee lake in Tennessee and mowed yards 2 summer to save the money. It was a new 14 ft aluminum jon with a used 12 HP Elgin. My dad had a state of the art fishing boat. It was a 14 foot Lone Star with a 20 HP Mercury. That was about 1962. I know about small boats. I have seen most every innovation that has come down the pike in bass fishing in the last 50+ years. I fished my first Tx in 1974. It was the St Jude Bass Classic on Sardis Lake in Mississippi. The first one they ever had.
Bass fishing as an industry has peaked and will change in the next 10 years. Those numbers I used are at todays prices. Do you really think those prices wont change. I remember .19 Gas. Do we need to promote fishing with our youth yes. But sadly it wont be the same for them as it has been for some of us.
Thats all I have to say. Fish2win

[WTL]

They are still gonna fish. Yea it will be different, and just let what is gonna happen, happen. People are adjusting, but the urge to fish is gonna be constant.

[Bob Smith]

Well said, Fish2Win. Sounds like we have very similar backgrounds and about the same duration in terms of bass fishing. I must say that I enjoy being able to spread out in my 20' 4" Astro and I like getting on top of the water and waves with the 200 Mariner Mag EFI. I have slowed down considerably due to the gas prices, but I would still prefer the comfort and convenience of my large rig. I dread the day if I ever have to scale down in size (will probably go with aluminum first). As for the tow vehicle, I have a great bunch of friends, here in Georgia, in Tennessee and in Texas too. We don't mind the buddy system and share the expenses. That helps these days and it's always nice to have a friend on board!

[Patrick Krueger, Jr.]

I was completely obsessed with fishing long before I had a boat. If I had to sell it I'd still know where to go and when, and never get skunked.

As far as kids being exposed to the pro tours through magazines, it's up to us to point out that only professionals who are sponsored by companies should wear tournament clothing (apart from wearing a Rapala hat because you love their lures).

I lived in rural Tennessee from age 8 to age 14, and I've always enjoyed the "redneck' aspect of angling. I still can't understand why anyone would pay money for waders, just strip to your skivvies, BE A MAN!

I try to pass the hillbilly mentality on to my kids and nephews. My son will swim to unsnag a plastic lizard. He makes me so proud.

This all reminds me of an article I read about taking really young kids fishing and letting them be kids. Let them throw rocks and explore the nature around them. Let them get too close to the water. Too often I hear people shushing their kids claiming it will spook the fish. They scold them for skipping stones. Nobody has any fun that way. I digress.

[brushhog]

The way I see it there is no purer way to get into this sport than catching whatever is biting with the simplest presentation possible...

I certainly believe that there is too much information available at times.. who amongst us hasn't stood in front of a wall of crankbaits or plastics and felt that sensory overload trying to remember what we had read about or heard about? And of course the monkey screams "BUY IT ALL!!!

[BassMoJo]

The thing that got me hooked on fishing was being able to just striaght up catch fish ...I never really got in to livebait but always loved the thrill of knowing the fact that I could catch them on soft baits among other things !

[Lilmoosecountry]

I purpose Goverment fuel standards on Outboards. There is no need for a 225 on a bass boat. We already have a 2 couple of lakes thatz lowered the H.P. rating locally. That is another alternative. But i do fill somthing has to give.

[Wishing2BFishing]

Originally Posted by Lilmoosecountry

What ever get's a kids fishing is fine with me. We need to perserve this sport. So what ever put's a pole in there hand is fine with me. They can dress however up the way they want if it get's them on the water.

Lilmoosecountry, this might be the first time that I flat out agree with you.

From my perspective, instead of being upset with the commercialization of fishing, we should be glad. We live in an age of computers, X-box, MP-3s, porno DVDs, Hi-def, ect. . . Most kids are caught up in these things but there are many that eventually get hooked on fishing, some of which may get "lured in" by the ads, commercials, fishing shows/ads. At least fishing has a future.

As a side note, it seems that we have more lure companies and rod/reel choices than ever. I enjoy collecting the gear and buying those new purty' lures. It is just one more thing to enjoy about fishing (especially when it is cold and going out to fish on the ice does not seem attractive).

[WTL]

LilMoose,

if they do horsepower limits, I would onl support it if it were local legislation. Say residents of Dallas County Alabama voted to limit small (under 24') vessel hp to 125 on the Alabama River as it flows through the county, I could support that. No state or federal input.

But if the federal government gets involved, God help us all. Before you know it they'll be limiting trolling motor thrust and paddle size.

[Lilmoosecountry]

Originally Posted by WTL

LilMoose,

if they do horsepower limits, I would onl support it if it were local legislation. Say residents of Dallas County Alabama voted to limit small (under 24') vessel hp to 125 on the Alabama River as it flows through the county, I could support that. No state or federal input.

But if the federal government gets involved, God help us all. Before you know it they'll be limiting trolling motor thrust and paddle size.

No i don't think so. Besides most lakes built & rivers managed are under the ARMY Corp of Engineers. This is a fedral agency. Which would give them the legal authority to do so on these Bodies of water. I know you may not like it. But i see i comming. Plus they do have the authority.

[WTL]

I'm not arguing the legalics of their authroity. They take whatever authority they want by envoking national security or interstate commerce all the time. If we can go to war without a declaration, horsepower limits are well within their authority.


I'm saying it wont be a good thing. I don't even like the big engines, and I still dont think federal government control of stuff like that will be a good thing.

[Lilmoosecountry]

So your saying Emissions control is not a good thing. I'm not a treehugger at all WTL. But i recognize a responsibility to take care of our fisheries. This is all i have to say.

[WTL]

Lilmoose, you sometimes have trouble following the point.

I didn't make a value judgement on emissions at all. I made one on the efficiency of the federal and most state governments. All else being equal, I would love to have lower emissions, but at what beaurocratic and financial cost?

I said that if we are going to limit horsepower for emissions or especially other reasons (safety, noise, gas consumption, aesthetics) then I would much prefer it be the local government that does the controlling and not some 65 year old desk jockey in washington.

Local control would give people the right to more effectivly manage their fisheries and aquatic resources to their tastes, and tastes do differ. If you arent careful, bub, you are gonna get 1 local group deciding the law for every lake in this country. That would be incredibly stupid, but I don't put anything past people these days since we have apparently lost the basic ability to comprehend anything or even think rationally.

[Buzz Wing]

Originally Posted by WTL

Local control would give people the right to more effectivly manage their fisheries and aquatic resources to their tastes, and tastes do differ. If you arent careful, bub, you are gonna get 1 local group deciding the law for every lake in this country. That would be incredibly stupid, but I don't put anything past people these days since we have apparently lost the basic ability to comprehend anything or even think rationally.

Great point. Local control good; federal government control bad. Look what Bush has already dragged us into...

-Buzz