Frustration with Bass Tournaments

[C_M_25]

Ok folks, I need to vent for a minute. The past 4 times I have gone fishing, there has been a bass tournament! The first day was a Saturday, so I figured I would go fishing on Sundays. Two Sundays in a row and there were bass tournaments! I decided to take off work today and go fishing and there is another freaking tournament. These bass fisherman are a-holes too! I'll be fishing shoreline all by myself and the next thing I know, I'm being crowded by two bass fishermen. I've been buzzed twice by people irritated that I was in a spot that they wanted, and today, every single one of those fishermen looked in my cooler as they walked by my truck (it was on the ground and opened) to make sure I wasn't taking fish. WTH?

Aren't there supposed to be limits on how many tournaments a lake can have? Nothing like having a day nearly ruined by a bunch of bassholes!

[NonHyphenAmerican]

I'm curious, if you're fishing, why can't you take fish home?

What damn business is it of theirs?

[smltooner]

The only thing worse than tournament fishermen ruining things for recreational fishermen, is jet-skis ruining things for everyone.

[JBO]

Bass aren't exactly the best eating fish. I'd assume most serious bash fisherman are catch and release?

[C_M_25]

Some tournaments are strictly catch and release so they were probably looking to make sure I wasn't stealing fish. They probably didn't know that I wasn't fishing in their tourney. It was super strange though.

The tourney fishers were also fishing the same bank where they were releasing fish after weigh in. Seemed like cheating to me. Also seen 2-3 good sized dead largemouth. Probably didn't handle the livewell too well. Kinda sad....

I really enjoy keystone. I'm actually able to catch fish, but the elitism attitude from those guys can damper the fun spirit of the sport. Good thing I have a cast net and can go fish for stri per or carfish...

[HandymanHerb]

I just confused and showed up with a Bass, I guess I was in the wrong place

[Gonefishing]

I fell your pain know how you fell it is a pain when they have them. They get up set when you are fishing and they want the spot. Then the fly past you cause they are in a big hurry to get to a spot. Load help you if you catch a big one and they see it.

[joe20toon]

Here at the Harris Chain (FL), there are bass tournaments every weekend and some during the week. While some of these competitive bassers aren't rude - many are. . .

The tournaments are catch and release (like at the Mexican border) but, if these bass have roe and are released miles away from their beds, that's just not good. Another issue I've seen is a lack of respect for the environment. When there's a "No Wake" zone, many think it doesn't apply to their 'competitive spirit.' Many have never heard of 'erosion' or care about other boats at docks.

I think the country has enough laws but, I'd support another for limiting bass tournaments. The tournaments have become so massive that an average boater may not have 'comfortable access' to the ramp - and parking.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkGtjektxkE

[rancherlee]

My problem with them is one local lake I fish has a dirt ramp and 90% of them seem to need all 250hp to power load their boat as it seems they don't want to get the trailer wet. Lots of fun backing a 30' long pontoon trailer in a big hole then having the rear of the trailer hit dirt/rock bar created from the propwash........ Rant over

[C_M_25]

I wonder if these guys are being super douchy because they see me in my big ole pontoon back in skinny water that they seem to think only their $70k bass boats can go and outfishing them?

Seeing a guy in a bass boat powerloading their boat at the ramp makes me wish I could smack them in the back of the head and show them what to do. If there was ever a boat that doesn't need to be powerloaded, it's a bass boat. Put your trailers in a little deeper you dimwits!!

Ranting is fun. Feeling better already now that I know I'm not the only one irritated with some of these guys!

[mpilot]

On our lake the fisherman think they own the whole thing. Last year I had two run ins that were particularly fun. Both were in the runabout. It's a 20 footer that's around 3300lbs dry and drafted 30 inches roughly off plane, so she's a healthy girl.

First one was a bass fisherman in a cove that was on one side casting clear across to the other side. I was going into that cove to a friend's house and he cussed me when I came in even though I was no wake a hundred yards or so out as not to disturb the delicate flower that bass boats are. I was just dropping off a part so I didn't stay long and left. At this point the fisherman was heading down the point the direction I was heading so I left the cove and revved up to plowing soeed since he didn't like my no wake speed. The look as he hung on to his casting seat with waves crashing into his boat was priceless. He yelled again, more obscenities I'm sure, but I played dumb and rode on. Not my finest moment but oh well.

The other was a guy that was anchored in a pass that's less than 150 feet wide fishing. I saw him and leveled out to a speed and trim that caused the least wake possible and got over to one side as far as possible. He still proceeded to flip me off and yell. I got passed him, dropped off plane, and turned around. I calmly asked if there was a problem and he proceeded to tell me the laws of the state about no wake zones within 50 feet of an anchored boat. I told him I was aware but it's a state and federal law that it is illegal to anchor in a way that blocked normal navigation and I'd be more than glad to call DNR and let them come down and sort it out, but if they did they would more than likely check both boats for safety equipment, alcohol, fish, etc. He quicky declined and wished me a nice day.

I've had numerous encounters with guys trolling massive spreads of planer boards blocking coves too, but that's another story for another day.

[boocat]

yes, bass tourny guys are afflicted with an abnormally high testosterone level, it's a requirement, along with the bright multicolored shirt covered with manufacturers logos like they are actually sponsored. I do hangout on a fishing forum and in the bass section one guy was going on about being worried that a large screen graph on his bow might slow him down from like 74 to 72 mph, Bragged about the distance he had to cover in a tournament. Someone else pointed out that a 40 mile run at 72 would take 1 min 29 sec longer at 72 mph.

[kryptonite]

I do have one positive thing to say about bass tourneys. At least bass fisherman can handle their boats and trailers. They are really fast loading and unloading. If you had to launch that many rec boats, you'd be there for 3 hours.

[boocat]

.....and i'm sure they are not all jerks

[joe20toon]

yes, bass tourny guys are afflicted with an abnormally high testosterone level, it's a requirement, along with the bright multicolored shirt covered with manufacturers logos like they are actually sponsored. I do hangout on a fishing forum and in the bass section one guy was going on about being worried that a large screen graph on his bow might slow him down from like 74 to 72 mph, Bragged about the distance he had to cover in a tournament. Someone else pointed out that a 40 mile run at 72 would take 1 min 29 sec longer at 72 mph.

Bassers like that will wonder one day when speed limits are posted on they lakes they frequent. It takes just a few, or even one idiot to ruin it for others. For those who haven't seen it - the law does have radar guns on the water. There are lakes in Florida that have 'speed limits.'



[Hopefully, when you Quote someone's post, it will separate the "Quote" from the posting, like it used to..] I know...they are working on it....