Tournaments

[bassfisher]

A few weeks ago I went to a lake that was holding a tourney, I had one of them jump right in front of me. (in 3 cast distance and I could had hooked him) We had words. So I backed out off the bank, went way around him, and started fishing on down the bank. He caught a keeper and raised it in the air saying. see that you @#$#%&%^. MAn I wanted to take my boat on the big motor and destroy the bank he was fishing, but didn't. Saying two wrong never make a right, screw him and the horse he rode in on. I kept on fishing.

What would you had done:

Go on like I did
Fish right on top of him
Start the big motor and destroy the bank

He could had started fishing behind me, but noooooo, he came right in on me!! The day before, just an angler did the same thing, and I said something to him, he backed out and went someplace else to fish. So what does that say about tourney fisherman? I would had thought they would had more respect for others then that.

[walkeraviator]

We had this discussion on a local board when teh Elites were on Kentucky Lake. There is a general lack of respect when tournaments are involved. This happens both ways. At pro events its always people driving up on a pro and GPS saving the hole they are fishin... which is ok, but some of them will sit and wait for the pro to move on and then jump on that hole and stay all day.

With amateur tourney guys it does seem like if they have the nice $50K ranger and they are tourney fishing and they come up on some dude in a tracker, they feel they have a right to muscle in and do what they want.

Just say your peace and move on. If you fire up the big motor and waste his bank you are no better than he is. I will however ignore his presence when i am determining when is appropriate to stop idling and go on plane...

And a general rule for me is follow a fisherman working a bank no closer than 100 yards and if you MUST get in front of him give him a few hundred yards (300-400)... dont hole jump... its just rude...

if i a guy appears to be working a point.. move on, because he may intend to turne around and hit teh same spot again...

[bassfisher]

I'm with you, I'd never jump in front of some one fishing a bank/point, that's just rude, and if I had to motor by someone fishing, I'd idle by or drop the TM if we are too close and troll pass. I'll start behind him, or like you said, give them LOTS of room. I'd like to treat folks the way I'd like to be treated. Sometime I get burned for being so nice, but I normally can live with that. It still burned me up though!! All though, next time it happens, I might just go ahead and fish on top of them, like they did, and hope I get their fish. I'm just torn on what I might do, IF it ever happens again.

[CMorg]

Originally Posted by bassfisher

A few weeks ago I went to a lake that was holding a tourney, I had one of them jump right in front of me. (in 3 cast distance and I could had hooked him) We had words. So I backed out off the bank, went way around him, and started fishing on down the bank. He caught a keeper and raised it in the air saying. see that you @#$#%&%^. MAn I wanted to take my boat on the big motor and destroy the bank he was fishing, but didn't. Saying two wrong never make a right, screw him and the horse he rode in on. I kept on fishing.

What would you had done:

Go on like I did
Fish right on top of him
Start the big motor and destroy the bank

He could had started fishing behind me, but noooooo, he came right in on me!! The day before, just an angler did the same thing, and I said something to him, he backed out and went someplace else to fish. So what does that say about tourney fisherman? I would had thought they would had more respect for others then that.

Just a thought , I caught a keeper on a lake that has a motor size limit , and mine was to big to use. It was very windy and my tracker was blowing all over the place. By the time I got the fish in the live well , I was in the grass mat I had been fishing. I lifted the trolling motor and it was loud getting out. I turned around , and threw right in the mat I just destroyed , and kid you not , caugth another keeper right where my motor was at. So , you may actually help him if you had motored up the bank.

[nofearengineer]

Originally Posted by walkeraviator

If you fire up the big motor and waste his bank you are no better than he is.

Sorry, Walker...but I gotta jump in here.

Why do people always use this line of reasoning? Like if a guy shoots me, and I shoot him back, I'm no better than him?

If a guy muscles in on me, I will certainly go away without a fistfight, but I'm not going to gift wrap it for him. I'll disrupt his fishing any way I can if it doesn't cost me any extra time or effort.

I don't have a particular dislike of tournament guys, but I have no love for them either. I still don't get the whole "I'm out here for money. so get out of my way" attitude. Really....I don't give a **** why you're out here. It doesn't supercede my right to a good time. Go tourney fish your own private lake, Mr. Professional.

And if his boat cost 50K, and yours cost 5K, I'd think that would give him an even bigger reason to steer clear of you. A collision would not be in his best interests.

[Bender]

It's tough to say what you should have done, I suppose the best thing would be to talk to the tournament director and let him know that one of his anglers was at the least rude and possibly breaking some rules. Any respectable director will at least talk to the guy and tell him to watch it, nobody wants their tournament to have a bad name.

Personally I've only had this happen to me in a tournament once. I was even fishing out of my partner's brand new Ranger Z520 so it's not about the boat. The guy that came in on us is a pro and guide. I lost all respect for him and will never recommend for anybody to use his service. My partner cast within 5 feet of his boat and he made one or two casts then left.

For me I would rather not win and be known as a fair player who isn't a jacka#@ that steals spots or comes in on somebody else's spot. It only takes one bad time to get known as a jerk too. Maybe that's why I'm not real big on tournament fishing and will never be a pro or want to. It does make winning that much better when you figure out something that nobody else is doing or some special spot on your own.

[carolina-rig-01]

Sorry that you had a bad experience. It sounds like you handled it as well as you could have. However not all of us tournament anglers are like this. There are good and bad ones just like there are good and bad recreational anglers. All too often I hear people bash tournament anglers or lable them all as a-holes and this is very unfair. Most of us are very good guys that treat other anglers with respect.

[CamG]

Originally Posted by carolina-rig-01

Sorry that you had a bad experience. It sounds like you handled it as well as you could have. However not all of us tournament anglers are like this. There are good and bad ones just like there are good and bad recreational anglers. All too often I hear people bash tournament anglers or lable them all as a-holes and this is very unfair. Most of us are very good guys that treat other anglers with respect.

Very well said. Nothing ticks me off worse than cutters on the water (well maybe jet skiers).

Where I live there are no courtesy "standards" in place. I've had more recreational anglers cut in than I ever have tourney guys.

[geezer1]

Scoundrels are everywhere. Everything is about them..."I'm fishing this tournament, therefore, I've got more right to this point than do you" or, "I'm not fishing this tournament, therefore, I don't need to worry about rules regarding etiquette". Most tournament fishermen are courteous, but as in everything else,there are a few exceptions. Just as that of a rose, a jerk is a jerk by any other name.

[walkeraviator]

You know a few weeks ago i caught and episode of The Bass Pros where Rick Clunn talked about this very scenario. I wish people would simply open their ears... then they would know what the common courtesy is...

[Embrey]

i fish one but it wouldnt bother me a bit to ban the whole mess...

[geezer1]

Originally Posted by Embrey

i fish one but it wouldnt bother me a bit to ban the whole mess...

Why? Do you actually believe that tournaments are the problem? You must know that this is the same guy who cuts you off in traffic, cuts in line at the store, etc., etc. He's not going to change because of tournaments existence or non existence. If that would remedy the problem, most of us would probably support it.

[carolina-rig-01]

Originally Posted by geezer1

Why? Do you actually believe that tournaments are the problem? You must know that this is the same guy who cuts you off in traffic, cuts in line at the store, etc., etc. He's not going to change because of tournaments existence or non existence. If that would remedy the problem, most of us would probably support it.

Very well said!

[bassfisher]

I guess I'm starting to realize, that's what he probables does. I've been fish (again) for the last 5 years, and I had folks fish the same bank as me, just never in my lap. (in my eyes) Heck the same day two other turney guys fished the same bank, but that's just it, they were so far away it shouldn't had matter.

Just yesterday, this other boat and I passed each other head on, we exchanged hi's and how we did, neither of us had done anything. We were still within talken distance when I hooked up with a 15"er. He said, why to go, and what ya useing...laughing.

Well it's stoming here, I better get of this thing, the lights just flickered!

[Embrey]

Originally Posted by geezer1

Why? Do you actually believe that tournaments are the problem? You must know that this is the same guy who cuts you off in traffic, cuts in line at the store, etc., etc. He's not going to change because of tournaments existence or non existence. If that would remedy the problem, most of us would probably support it.

i could care less what they do off the lake. the lake would be way less chaotic without em. dont worry, they aint goin anywhere. theres too much money involved for that to happen

[carolina-rig-01]

Originally Posted by Embrey

i could care less what they do off the lake. the lake would be way less chaotic without em. dont worry, they aint goin anywhere. theres too much money involved for that to happen

So you don't get upset with rude people on the roads, just on the lake huh.

So I take it that you are assuming that if there were no tournaments then none of these disrespectful people would be on the lake? Stop and think, they would still have boats and would still fish even if it were just recreational fishing so you would still have rude people on the water no matter what you do. And you are acting like the only rude people on the water are tourney anglers, lol that couldn't be further from the truth and eleminating all tournies like you are wanting would be punishing all of the good honest, respectful anglers who fish tourneys. There are far more rude and disrespectful pleasure boaters than anglers, and don't even say that they don't bother you because they will do some of the most dangerous dumb @$$ moves in a boat you will ever see, not to mention they will spend all day turning circles and throwing huge wakes in the same 5 acre part of the lake whether you are trying to fish there or not. Like I said not all of us tourney anglers are rude like the ones we are talking about, in fact guys like that are in the minority. We can not police what other anglers are doing on the other end of the lake so why do we all get the lable of being rude or disrespectful when it is only a few of tourney anglers that are like that?

[everettvet]

If an angler cuts you off while he/she is fishing a tournament, there is a good chance they will cut you off while they are out pleasure fishing. Just my thought. I have seen people pull up next to a boat so close that you could step from boat to boat. It is one thing if the first boat says "come on up," but that usually doesn't happen.

[rangerryan]

Ive ran into some rude tourny anglers but ive also ran into alot more pleasure boaters and weekend anglers. ive had jet skis drive between me and the weed bed i was flippin. I fun fish every weekend and some week nights when im fun fishing i dont care if a boat wants to fish the same stump as me. because im FUN fishing.

[Embrey]

Originally Posted by carolina-rig-01

So you don't get upset with rude people on the roads, just on the lake huh.

So I take it that you are assuming that if there were no tournaments then none of these disrespectful people would be on the lake? Stop and think, they would still have boats and would still fish even if it were just recreational fishing so you would still have rude people on the water no matter what you do. And you are acting like the only rude people on the water are tourney anglers, lol that couldn't be further from the truth and eleminating all tournies like you are wanting would be punishing all of the good honest, respectful anglers who fish tourneys. There are far more rude and disrespectful pleasure boaters than anglers, and don't even say that they don't bother you because they will do some of the most dangerous dumb @$$ moves in a boat you will ever see, not to mention they will spend all day turning circles and throwing huge wakes in the same 5 acre part of the lake whether you are trying to fish there or not. Like I said not all of us tourney anglers are rude like the ones we are talking about, in fact guys like that are in the minority. We can not police what other anglers are doing on the other end of the lake so why do we all get the lable of being rude or disrespectful when it is only a few of tourney anglers that are like that?

i never said any of that. you are just assuming. thats not the only part i dont like about them. i hate how i pretty much cant fish the weekends anywhere unless i wanna rub elbows with 5000 boats. kinda takes the fun out of it.

[rangerryan]

5000 thousand boats? Im not going to defend my self or other tournament anglers for putting our boats on the water and going fishing because some weekend angler wants the lake to himself.

[Embrey]

Originally Posted by rangerryan

5000 thousand boats? Im not going to defend my self or other tournament anglers for putting our boats on the water and going fishing because some weekend angler wants the lake to himself.

you call me a weekend angler,yet i probably fish more than you do. i dont really care. not much could be done if i wanted to...lol. like i said,too much money involved.

[bcklash]

Originally Posted by Embrey

. i hate how i pretty much cant fish the weekends anywhere unless i wanna rub elbows with 5000 boats. kinda takes the fun out of it.

You can fish any weekend you want, just pick and choose your time. On Smith Mountain Lake on Saturdays is a ZOO with Tournaments, pleasure boaters, jet skis so we go on Sunday mornings early. We pick our time.

Originally Posted by rangerryan

5000 thousand boats? Im not going to defend my self or other tournament anglers for putting our boats on the water and going fishing because some weekend angler wants the lake to himself.

You shouldn't have to and I'm a weekend angler. And good luck in all your tournaments

[carolina-rig-01]

Originally Posted by Embrey

i never said any of that. you are just assuming. thats not the only part i dont like about them. i hate how i pretty much cant fish the weekends anywhere unless i wanna rub elbows with 5000 boats. kinda takes the fun out of it.

Tourney anglers have just as much right to the water as you do, whether they are fishing a tourney or fishing for fun. So if you don't like sharing the lake my advice would be to stick to pond fishing.

Chances are the tourney guys would rather you not be on the lake too, but they don't run around blaming all recreational fisherman for the lakes being crowded. It's public water and you will either share it or not be on it, simple as that. If the guy who crowded bassfisher been a crappie angler, or just out for a fun day of bass fishing would we be setting here talking about them banning recreational fishing? Of course not, even though what he did would have been just as wrong.

[CamG]

Originally Posted by Embrey

i never said any of that. you are just assuming. thats not the only part i dont like about them. i hate how i pretty much cant fish the weekends anywhere unless i wanna rub elbows with 5000 boats. kinda takes the fun out of it.

You don't think there'd be a ton of boats on the water anyway? Sounds to me like you should go find some small waters to fish all by yourself.

[carolina-rig-01]

Originally Posted by CamG

You don't think there'd be a ton of boats on the water anyway? Sounds to me like you should go find some small waters to fish all by yourself.

Yeah CamG didn't you know that guys who fish tournaments don't ever go fishing if they aren't in a tourney? Yep they only go to the lake on tourney days, and the weekends are the days that they would never be found on the lake if there isn't a tourney going on. If they would do away with tournaments then the lakes would never be crowded.