Posted on 10/31/2005 11:24:30 AM PST by JZelle
After a column Oct. 16 in which I wrote that a seemingly never-ending string of professional bass fishing tournaments on the Potomac River did nothing for the health of the bass but instead only lined the pockets of greedy out-of-town contest operators, readers' e-mails began to arrive. My decision not to help these outfits any more by publicizing their big-money events was pushed by a concern for the Potomac's sizable largemouth bass population. It has been a magnet for well-heeled tournament operators who flock to the Potomac even on the hottest days of summer, allowing bass to be kept in small livewell tanks with water temperatures that have exceeded 90 degrees. Additionally, once these bass are released, there's ongoing concerns about delayed mortality and the permanent relocation of many fish from their home waters to new areas of the river.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Fish Nazis...
MIke
I, an avid fisherman and lover of outdoors, hate these tournaments. However, most people who fish them are good guys. Always a few bad apples.
I'm a fisherman. I'm not a professional tournament fisherman. I don't want to be a professional tournament fisherman.
Here in Minnesota, any sizabe lake that has a population of decent bass has a tournament just about every weekend during the season. Big tournaments, small tournaments, every sort of tournament.
Just about universally, these lakes are nowhere any sane fisherman wants to be during the tournament. Tournament fishermen, lured by prize money, boats, or whatever, simply take over the lake, and woe betide anyone who wants to just go fishing.
I've never in my life seen a ruder bunch of "sportsmen" anywhere as a typical group of professional tournament fishermen.
I simply no longer fish on any lake that hosts a tournament during the tournament. I just find a smaller lake or, most often, fish during the week. It's just not worth it.
Because of the outrageous behavior of professional tournament fishermen, I have dropped my membership in B.A.S.S. and all other organizations that sponsor these tournaments, and have told them why.
It's an ugly business, in my opinion, and spoils the sport of fishing.
First, professional bass fishing brings toooons of money to, very often small towns and commonly big ones as well. No one who is the beneficiary of this will jump on this band wagon.
Second, in ALL bass fishing tournaments, you must release your fish when done weighing them. NEVER can you keep a fish. Us bass fisherman don't even keep fish when we are fun fishing. NO ONE I know ever does. It's the weekend anglers that keep fish. I'm not against that I'm just making a point.
Third, bass fisherman are the leading contributers to keeping good fisheries and clean water. Their livelihood depends on it. So anyone who says they're messing things up don't know what their talking about.
Here's the reason the libs don't like it.
Professional bass fishing is a very "Christian" sport. Originating in the Bible belt, you commonly hear fisherman winning big tournaments thanking Christ at the awards ceremony. Even those who are not openly Christian, are generally very outdoorsy, conservative people. Not people who tolerate enviros telling them they are being "mean" to the fish.
Additionally, many of your big tournament organizations hold prayers before the day begins and ALL have the national anthem on the water before daybreak. All 100 boats on the water with silence and the national anthem playing, light in the eastern sky on glass water. It's a beautiful thing.
It is also telling that most bass organizations come out for Pubs for office. They don't want some tree hugger saying they're boat is hurting the water flow.
Plus, professional bass fishing is a results oriented sport. Bottom line, you don't put in the time, you don't make a dime. VERY CAPITALIST.
One more thing, about the Potomac. That place was a sewer hole years ago. IT IS BASS FISHERMAN that have lobbied to keep it clean as of late. Not crazy wacko water lovers, just guys wanting to see the fish live. That's all.
So the very fact that this guy can even talk about the fish in the Potomac or so many other fisheries, he has partly tournament bass fisherman to thank.
Sounds as if the best place to fish after a tournament is near the boat ramps where the bass were released.
The majority of fish swim back within days to where they were caught. Even tens of miles away.
Additionally, once these bass are released, there's ongoing concerns about delayed mortality and the permanent relocation of many fish from their home waters to new areas of the river.
Stupid lines like this make me think the author is a nut.
Yeah, I'm a tournament Bass Fisherman, (who in southern california isnt these days?) and only occasionally do you run into a jerk looking to get into a spot that someone else is fishing.
But the most overused line of all, is to suggest that an area is over-fished. That is just pure BS. If you have ever fished during spawning season, you know that you can hover over a nest, and catch the same bass 3-4 times. They just dont want anything around their nest and will hit anything that gets close.
90% of Bass are caught by 5% of the fishermen, because Bass fishing is science.
I've had the chance to fish with Kevin Van Dam. He said the same thing you said about the Potomac.
Lot's of small fish there, right?
Yes, lot of small fish, but I've seen some 10's come out of there.
Good post. Nothing wrong with it. You're right about the spawn.
"But the most overused line of all, is to suggest that an area is over-fished. That is just pure BS. If you have ever fished during spawning season, you know that you can hover over a nest, and catch the same bass 3-4 times. They just dont want anything around their nest and will hit anything that gets close.
90% of Bass are caught by 5% of the fishermen, because Bass fishing is science."
You're right about that last line. The paragraph before...well...I don't fish spawning bass. I don't mind if you do, but I just don't do it.
Personally, my objection to tournaments has nothing to do with fishing techniques or release techniques. I have never kept a bass in my life. I just release 'em all. I release most fish, except for a very few walleyes for the table.
My objection to tournaments has to do with the behavior of the tournament fisherment toward anyone who is not in their group. I long ago gave up ever being on the water where a tournament was taking place. It's just not worth the tsuris.
Do I catch bass? I do. I catch lots of bass. I'm not some beginner fisherman out there thrashing the water.
Personally, I think that they should just close the lake to all other boating when a tournament is on. It'd be a lot safer for the recreational boater or fisherman.
And don't get me started on the opinions of those who own property on the shore of a popular tournament lake. They aren't amused, and I'll bet you know why.
The professional tours really need to get their act together regarding their behavior on the water. They're respectful of each other, but everyone else on the water is dirt.
Oh, one more thing. Go out on the lake the morning after the tournament, and do a tour around the shoreline, counting floaters.
I'm a northern pike fisherman. Just huge garbage fish that aren't too bright, ugly as hell, and are more or less inedible.
http://www.rook.org/earl/bwca/nature/fish/esox.html
(These guys claim you can eat them. They can have mine.)
I like fishing them because nobody else does, and you don't have to deal with anyone who takes the process too seriously. Whenever you deal with pro's or semi-pro's the fun just seems to go away in a big hurry.
"I'm a northern pike fisherman. Just huge garbage fish that aren't too bright, ugly as hell, and are more or less inedible. "
Oh, yes, indeed. When I'm not fishing bass, I'm fishing northerns. I'll catch a muskie, if it's biting where I'm northern fishing, but northerns are my favorites.
I do eat some. They're best at about 5 pounds or so. Done right, they're dang near as good as walleye...a fish I don't really care about catching all that much, except for food.
But a big Northern Pike. Now...that's fun! And you don't have to spend a year trying to catch just one, like with muskies.
Esox Rule!
Never have I seen this. I've never seen a bunch of floaters after tournament day.
Additionally, let's assume there were 20 floaters. One in each cove for 20 coves. That would be amongst 200 fisherman. TWO weekend anglers would keep 20 fish themselves.
Even if there were 20 floater ( which I've NEVER seen) That's the equivalent of a couple of guys getting some dinner on a Saturday.
No negative impact at all.
These are the guys who promised their wives that they would be livin' large in a couple years, having nailed down some sponsors and won a few tournaments. These guys cant come home and say they misjudged the lake or conditions, so they tell their honey that someone took their spot, or that they wished they'd switch to circle hooks, cause they lost that big one right at the boat.
Yeah, I'm talking about my neighbor.
"Never have I seen this. I've never seen a bunch of floaters after tournament day."
Well, the floaters I've seen were after a big amateur tournament. Nice big bass boat as the grand prize. It was lots more than 20 floaters the next day. Lots more, including some 6+ lb. fish.
Personally, I don't know anyone who eats largemouths. Smallies, maybe, but not the bucketmouths. Most folks would rather catch crappie if they're looking for something to eat.
Catch and release is pretty much the rule, in tournaments and among the "weekend anglers" too. I suppose I'm one of those, although I do most of my fishing during the week, to avoid the crowds.
Fishing used to be a friendly sporting activity. It's less so these days, tournament or no tournament. One of the lakes I fish on regularly is about 500 acres. A small lake, to say the least. No tournaments there.
What is there is a bunch of guys who have been sold on the idea that they have to have a 21' bass boat with a 250hp outboard hanging off the back, and that when they're not actually fishing, they have to run it wide open.
Makes that 500 acre lake pretty uncomfortable on the weekends, that kind of boating does. They're not tournament fishermen...but they pretend to be. They fish like the boys they see on the fishing shows. They're dumb as rocks, though.
They think the fishing shows are how it is. Every cast hooks up a 6+ lb. bass. They'll cast three times into an inside turn in the weeds. Nothing. So they slam the throttle and blast off to the next place they're not going to catch anything. In the meantime, they've put the fish that were there right off the bite...spoiling it for everyone else who actually knows that fishing isn't like on TV.
So, I fish the weekdays, in my little 14' aluminum boat with the 9.9hp Johnson on the back. I catch fish every time I fish, in whatever lake I'm fishing in.
TV has spoiled fishing in many places, by convincing amateurs that they should act like the tournament fishermen, even if that isn't really how those guys fish at all.
That 500 acre lake has a couple of nice features, though. There are two unmarked rocky shoals on the lake. There's some good fishing around them. They're also good for slowing folks down some, once they've discovered those rocks with their outboard. Works a treat.
I have noticed that the BASS guys also HATE wakeboarders. Wakeboarding is not a crime.....hehehe
"I have noticed that the BASS guys also HATE wakeboarders. Wakeboarding is not a crime.....hehehe"
Everyone except wakeboarders hate wakeboarders. It's a given. Another reason to fish during the week. Even then you might find your fishing boat being swamped by some idiot wakeboarder who ought not to be that close to shore in the first place.
And don't even get me started on jet skis.
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