Honesty
In Tournaments
I
must start-off by saying many of my friends and colleagues are
darn good tournament fisherman, but there are a few bad apples
out there that are endangering the sport. Recently, a national
organization had some questionable things happen, yet they were
quietly swept away as to not draw attention to the situation.
While this stirred emotions of many anglers, most are honest and
trying to do the right thing.
There
are measures to protect the integrity of tournaments: (1) Strict
rules, (2) Draw tournaments, (3) Invitational formats, and (4)
Professional polygraph exams. And what should be the 5th - Bring
Back off limits!
Team
Tournaments have become scary as they have left the door wide
for any crooks in the crowd. I’m sorry, but some fishermen
are guilty of less than ethical activities, and not just for big
buck events. We have all seen or heard of guys doing it just to
feed their ego and win at any cost, just so they can be the best
(in their eyes).
Well,
here we are a week before the major tournament on the river and
many are getting ready by pre-fishing and doing the required homework.
Big money bass fishing tournaments are attracting more and more
attention in the press and sponsorships by major companies. We
see tournaments now sometimes pay $100,000 or more— There
are some really talented anglers around. Are they doing it on
their own? Most are, but others receive a lot of help. There are
even rules that allow it among other competitors. I witnessed
a nationally known star having beds pointed out to him during
an event by a liked sponsored boat. When reported, it was “within
the rules”. Still, is this the direction we want the sport
to go, with the rewards of success so high? But just like big
outgoing tides, there are “bad signs” in the rip current
that may surface at any time to rock the sponsor’s boat
and have money and integrity slip from the sport.
While
some will simply drive around watching what “the other guy”
is doing, most will honestly try to figure what they are doing.
While most honest participants rely on work they have done throughout
the week, and not by watching in binoculars to see what others
are doing, the event will go on and the best usually come to the
top. I wish nothing but the best to those that are able to fish
the event. My concern is this whole spot thing and what I saw
prior to the last major team event weekend here on the river!
That’s
“xyzexs” spot! Don’t fish there or they’ll
get really mad…Maybe we should make freakin’ signs
so that freakin’ everybody can have a spot! So that the
entrance to each ditch may say “xyzexs” spot, “Sam’s
Flat” two-hundred yards down on the left!
Hell
the river even during the week has become a place of private property…Boats
spinning donuts in places that they consider their spots. Others
complain about so and so being on their spot. Which leads us to
another problem, how are those fish getting to that guy’s
spot? If a person is genuinely familiar to how fish hold and relate
to structure in a particular area and can enhance that area by
adding fish to it regularly, there is a distinct advantage there.
Do you really think this is not being done?
There
are fished being moved on the river daily from one area to another,
otherwise why would someone have big fish in the live well the
day before an event? It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.
What does make sense is fishing hard and struggling through learning
everyday…I like many others love this sport and don’t
like these kinds of things, yet they have been going on as long
as tournament fishing has been around. Those on the river this
week are the only ones that can add to the integrity of the event.
The only way it will improve is those participating take an active
role keeping their eyes open.
As
far as that pro’s water, never share it during that tournament
with another pro, but take the opportunity to ask and learn why
that is a successful location and put the time in to try to duplicate
it with work on your own.
As
far as the dog carrier cages that have been “popping up”
from time to time, if they are seen, call the tourney orgs and
let them know what you have seen.
Just
fish, have fun, share information with friends, work hard to catch
your own fish! After seeing what I have over the past few weeks,
it’s ok to struggle and get my butt kicked, but at least
I did it own my own!
Enjoy!
Dan
Mathisen
FishDelta.com
- All Species, All Delta
The
Ultimate Resource For California Delta Fishing
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