Why is it that, in the fishing industry, we've decided controversy is bad? It works for every other major sport. But in fishing, if you go against the grain of the old guard, you're either not honorable, or you must have some other major character flaw.
I've followed BassFan closely for the last 3 years and I'm frequently amused by the stuff that gets submitted by seemingly passionate fisherman who must believe fishing should be viewed by everyone just the way they see it.
Here are some of my favorite FeedBack posts.
The first is, "These weekend guys fish just as well or better than the 'pros' (always in quotes), they just prefer to have a day job, don't have the money, blah, blah, blah."
First of all, for the entire fishing world, we get it. You put "pros" in quotes because you don't think they really are. Got it.
These other weekend guys may fish just as well as the 'pros,' but the fact is, they either don't have the guts to pull the trigger, or they lack the talent to raise the money. No one prefers to sit in a cubicle or hang sheetrock instead of fishing. Are you kidding me?
The mere fact that the guy's out there on the professional trail means there's a huge difference between him and you. His butt's on the line every time he launches his boat. Unless you've walked that mile please don't judge.
Now that I'm on a roll, let's discuss the "hypocritically disingenuous environmental standards guy." He doesn't want to catch release-fish, bed-fish, drive too fast, blah, blah, blah. He even goes so far as to insinuate that people who do such things aren't true sportsman and frankly they disgust him.
Guess what "hypocritically disingenuous environmental guy" – nannie-nannie-poo-poo. We're all going to do it anyway. Yeah, that's right. I said it. In a tournament I occasionally drive too fast, catch release-fish when I can, and jerk the lips off huge bedding females. Last time I checked, the purpose of the sport is to catch the biggest bag I possibly can. If you don't want to do all of those things then get a cane pole, bobber and walk to the lake. Your impact and carbon footprint will be much smaller.
I truly love this FeedBack (which typically comes from somewhere in Tennessee): "The 'Pros' (again in quotes) visited our home lake and were rude and acted like they were better than us."
Dude, if he talks with you, you just can't wait to tell him about your favorite fishing hole. Now he can't fish it because he has a no-help rule and worries about failing the polygraph.
Or even worse is this one: "If I'd have been in that tournament, I'd have made the cut easy. We always catch at least 12 pounds a day. How can these guys call themselves professionals and struggle like this."
I'll tell you what "Mr. 12 pounds a day," go to a pro's home lake – a lake he grew up on – practice for 5 days and bet him anywhere from $3,500 to $5,000 that you can take him. Go on – you can do it. You always catch them.
And oh, I forgot: Let 198 other 'pros' pound the fish for 4 days before you get started. See how that works out.
We could go on for hours, but you get the point. This sport has changed. Big money, big television and sponsorships have changed the landscape. The genie's out of the bottle and the guys in the old guard can't put it back in no matter how many insulting posts are written.
Like most things in this world, it's about money. If you don't like that, I suggest you stay away from the bigger tournaments, and please warm up that old Johnson 150 Fast Strike before you get to the lake, because we're tired of waiting at the ramp for you to get it started.
And please note, while most of this was intended to be slightly humorous, I'm currently upgrading my home security system and buying an attack dog because I realize many folks will be upset.
But you know what? That's okay. A little controversy is a good thing once in a while.
(Chuck Medley's a 3-year FLW Tour pro who's put his butt on the line in other ways. Prior to a fishing career, he served his country for 24 years in the U.S. Army and retired as Command Sergeant Major from the U.S. Army Military Police Corps. He's been deployed to Iraq and the Middle East and is currently a Level II instructor and senior analyst for the Department of Defense.)
