RE: Classic exemptions – Considering the fact that so few have won this event, why not allow it? For all who voted no, that's their right to do so. But believe me, you'd better look at the bigger picture. I'm not sure why B.A.S.S. has not done so already. Go forward and lead on this issue, do not end up waiting and say, "Well, we should have done that a long time ago."
RE: Classic exemptions – I think that all former champions and AOYs who are active in the Elites should get an exemption to the Classic if they didn't quallify to fish it a different way.
RE: Balog on Gagliardi – First, calling us fishing fans Internet lurkers just isn't right. That is the venue we have seeing how FLW just does not want to move around the country with their championship. Second, to say you would not fish if the big boys are in town, might be right for you, but what bout the guy who gets one weekend a month off? I know how that is because such was my case for years.
Gags needs to brush up on how to approach this situation. An explanation and appeal to the fellow should come first thing. It is his water, too. Your article shows that you still view big-time tour fishermen as a preferred-on-the water fisherman. What would Gags have done if there would have been multiple anglers there? Some know how to interact with non-tour anglers, some don't.
RE: Classic winner's exemption – I think they should have a past winners' slot, especially for the guys who fish the Elites full time.
Balog on Gagliardi – I agree with Joe. When the big boys come to town, I will stay off the lake. I think "spectators" need to really back off also.
RE: Classic exemptions – KVD is a great fisherman but did not earn his way in. Makes up for the 2 years that Skeet should have won Angler of the Year but KVD won by having one good tournament!
RE: Balog on Gagliaridi – Another great story by Joe Balog. I'm afraid that the fans are more interested in controversy then they are in the facts and the accomplishment. See you next week at St. Clair ... good luck.
RE: Classic exemptions – Stop cooking up a way for KVD to get in it for 2015. Nothing like this was done for Clunn. You earn your way into this event, period.
RE: Classic exemptions – The Classic is earned each year, not given. If a past or multiple winner got a free pass, they would fish under less pressure and take chances others could not afford to. Also, this would potentially keep some anglers out who had a better year than the past winner. Make them earn it.
Classic exemptions for past winners could add 40 or more to the Classic.
BassFan says: Well, not yet, since there have been only 44, with Rick Clunn and Kevin VanDam combining to win eight of those and several other winners having passed on. Eventually, though, that could be the case.
RE: Classic exemptions – Winning needs to mean more than just the prize money, which the anglers are still putting up. Winning an Elite/FLW tournament should make you exempt for next year and should waive entry fees for a year. I still believe winning should get you into the Classic and there should be some type of exemption for past winners and AOYs. Maybe they have to fish the entire Elite/FLW schedule, but make winning a bigger deal than just the prize money.
RE: Balog on Gagliaridi – I am glad the supposed "confronatation" has turned out to be a more of a mutual understanding between anglers working toward catching fish rather than a "you can't fish here" type of thing. Thank you, Joe, for the clarifying the incident.
RE: Classic exemptions – As much as we like our friend Kevin VanDam, he fell short this year. The streak ends and Rick Clunn will continue to hold that record for our lifetime, it seems.
Still, the poll question was should there be exemptions. I say yes in some cases, just not this one.
In the case of a catastrophic incident that required your attention, it should be considered. Especially if that incident was through no fault of your own and all efforts were made to compete. Even more so if it were a family emergency.
There are limited incidents. One I can remember way back in the original B.A.S.S. Invitationals, from the late 1980s or earliest 1990ss, when a friend of mine missed the last of six events due to the unexpected passing of his father-in-law the evening prior to competition. He, I believe from memory, finished one place out of that year's Classic. There are and will be others where the angler has proven the focus and tenacity during that given season.
I do believe there has to be some reasonable effect on others also considered. In the mentioned case only adding one position would have been required. The only effect would have been his impact on other placements at that event.
Still, in a one-person sport that climaxes a season finale, where no one can drop in and substitute for you, there may be valid reason for an exemption. We just have not realized it prior and years ago we were more able to accept hard lines. Today's politically correct world is more open to doing the right thing when instances necessitate such actions.
The challenge is entrusting certain parties to act with no favoritism or malice in orchestrating these decisions and judgements. Acting as "stewards" of our sport by for- profit entities is a hard aspect of trust when lobbying, sponsorships and long-term anglers may be able to construe that stewardship, which is entrusted them through the mere position or title they have been granted by corporate leaders.
It's a fine line.
RE: Gagliardi's run-in – If the pros don't want to deal with the locals, maybe the tours should start fishing Monday through Friday.
RE: Classic exemptions – As the format stands now, it weeds out older guys who can't cut it anymore. The past champ exemption would allow nostalgia to take over and clutter the field with 10 to 12 slots that have no chance.
RE: Classic exemptions – I think former winners should be included, however, turn it into a 4-day event and cut 25 percent of the anglers every day. A similar format to the Masters in golf.
RE: Classic exemptions – It needs to be a qualifying-type tourney to keep it a true Classic, no matter if they have won it before. This isn't golf.
RE: Classic exemptions – Only the previous year's winner should get an invitation, as it is now. No need for a change. Let's keep it a small field of the currently hot anglers who have earned a spot.
RE: Classic exemptions – In my opinion, past winners should be able to fish the Classic if they fish all the Elite tournaments for that qualifying year. Also, the exemptions should not be used to let other Elites into the Classic because the previous winner qualified through another means.
RE: Classic exemptions – B.A.S.S. needs to stop trying to be like NASCAR and golf. The Kentucky Derby would be better – full of longstanding traditions that have stood the test of time. Quit changing the Classic rules and how you qualify for the most prestigious event.
RE: Classic exemptions – This will probably be one of the greatest turnouts at the Classic. When KVD is out fishing, he is not on the show floor meeting all the fans of the sport. Just think of the impact he will make this year!
RE: Classic exemptions – As much as I like KVD, he didn't fish well this year and doesn't deserve to fish the Classic. I also think they should to do away with the "win and you're in" format. The Classic should be for the best over the entire year, not the best at just one tournament.
RE: Classic exemptions – The reigning champ should always be at the next Classic to defend the title. All other non-qualifying past champs can have a fish-off at the AOY venue, winner gets in the Classic.
RE: Classic exemptions – The answers is yes. As in golf the past winner, should get to fish in the next year's tournament. KVD is the best fisherman on the planet and should be fishing in this tournament for the next 5 years. He is the best of the best and he has done more for bass fishing than anyone else who has ever fished.
RE: Classic exemptions – Only the previous year's winner should be invited back due to the hectic schedule following winning the Classic. Otherwise you will have 75-year-old retirees fishing as the years go on.
RE: Classic exemptions – I like to see established fishermen in a championship. Just think what the Classic would be like if it was filled with rookies from the Elites and unknowns form the Opens and Federation. If the big names are not fishing then I am not watching.
RE: Chaconas opinion – Good article on etiquette and tournament interference. I have been on both sides of this coin as an avid tournament fishermen and as a local on a very popular venue for tour-level events. Whenever possible, I choose not to fish when the "pros" are in town. I have, however, had times when I had to because I had an event that was scheduled at the same time.
Here are two observations:
1. Tournament pros must respect the local fishermen. I have on several occasions been in tournaments where I approached a non-tournament angler and asked if I could fish behind them. I have never been turned down. I didn't ask them to leave nor accuse them of following me. I have also been pulled in front of by tour pros and been accused of following them to a place that I have been fishing for years as a local. Nothing will make people hate tournament fishing more than arrogant tournament pros assuming that they have more right to the water than anyone else ... humility and manners go a very, very long way.
2. What I see missing in most of the Internet discussions on this topic is the fact that local fishermen are a variable that all tournament fishermen must deal with in their strategy. Just like wind, rain, sun, cold, boat traffic, current, etc., local pressure is part of the equation. I laugh every year when the pro tours come to Kentucky Lake and someone gets mad that there are locals fishing on the biggest community holes on the lake. There are places on the Tennessee River that get fished every single day of the year. That has to be part of tournament strategy. It is yet another reason that the winners are so good. Not only did they figure out how to deal well with the fish and the conditions, but also how to maneuver through the weekenders and other tournament fishermen on the water to boat the winning fish.
RE: Classic exemptions – I'm a huge KVD fan, but I voted no. If you aren't at the top of your game you don't get to go to the big dance! Bass fishing is it's own sport. We don't have to "be like" any other sports.
Past winners automatically in the Classic compared to golf or NASCAR? This is an easy one!
Remember how the other sports get prime time major network TV slots? Do you think they want to show a bunch of hard-working, climbing-the-ladder, no-name rookies on CBS from 3-7 p.m. running right into 60 Minutes or the Amazing Race? No. They want the biggest and best who ever played the game. If Arnold Palmer or Jack Nicklaus could still walk the links they would have automatic berths in the Masters at Augusta.
Bass fishing TV shows rank right there behind volleyball, dog shows and replays of high school football in summer. Also the hunting shows where those idiots pour the feed on the ground and dress like Santa.
Why are most bass shows on TV played Saturday or Sunday about noon when everybody who owns a boat is out on the lake fishing?
Back to the Classic exemptions. 1, A guy could lay back and catch nothing all year and still win the Classic or not have to fish at all to be in. 2, Golf lets one amateur in, the Bassmaster Classic lets in six.
Do you really think VanDam would want to qualify like that?
RE: Classic exemptions – The Classic is a tourney for the season's top anglers. A past champion who has not competed in the top levels of B.A.S.S. competition for 2 to 25 years would only take slots from deserving anglers and lessen the magnitude of the Classic.
RE: Classic exemptions – Golf is very different from the sport of bass fishing. The purses are huge in golf, whereas in bass fishing they are minimal. If anglers did not earn their way through points, they do not deserve to fish and possibly take away a major payday from someone who did earn their way. The Classic is supposed to be a championship for the best for that year.
RE: Classic exemptions – All anglers deserve their chance, if they get it. That's why we do it, for the one day that gives us a chance.
RE: Gagliardi's run-in – I totally agree that there is a tremendous lack of respect for these professional anglers and the tournaments they fish. There is no greater show of disrespect and lack of decency than to move in to fish a spot after a pro has left or trying to beat him to the spot the next day.
Just this year the Association of Louisiana Bass Clubs scheduled its "Best Six" tournament for all bass clubs in the state on Toledo Bend on the same weekend as the Elite Series tournament there. This was a complete disgrace for the entire state in my opinion and I refused to fish in the event.
There were reports of guys watching the pros on Thursday and Friday in order to find places to fish for Saturday and Sunday. I would completely understand if B.A.S.S. refused to hold another event here and let the economic impact to the area speak for itself!
RE: Classic exemptions – I appreciate Kevin VanDam's talents and his success over the years, but let's face it: the only reason we are having this conversation this year is because he didn't qualify. Bottom line, you have a bad year, you sit out.
RE: Forrest Wood Cup – I was at the event and it was amazing to see all the vendors and the pros. It's a growing sport and I hope my fishing partner (my 14-year-old) reaches his dream of being in the mix one day. Great article, and bass fishing will only grow in the FLW and B.A.S.S. levels. See you at Hartwell for the Classic!
RE: Classic exemptions – Previous year's winner only. Fishing is not like other sports and should be kept that way. Earn it or learn to enjoy watching it.
Proven champions such as KVD or Rick Clunn should be exempt and get a berth in the Classic (maybe have a 10-year limit on the exemption from the last Classic win?). Having bad year should not exclude the best in the business!
Why would anyone want an exemption for previous Classic winners? Because their "favorite" didn't make it?
That's what makes the Classic what it is – the accomplishments of that year. Truth be told, it should be the 25 top anglers off the Elite trail and the previous year's winner and AOY. Period!
Four days, no cuts, let the best man win.
RE: Classic exemptions – I'd rather see KVD than college guys who don't have a chance to win the Classic.
RE: No Classic for KVD – I think that with his 11 titles he's sort of relaxing, knowing that he's far ahead, and it may have been just a bad year but also I'm sure he's still helping Jonathan VanDam put his foot through the door and showing him stuff, and that takes your mind off of your own things. Also he's 47 so maybe he's thinking about retiring, but I doubt it. He will continue to fish well and probably fish for fun and the fans.
KVD, never give up.
RE: Chaconas opinion – Amen, brother. Those same anglers most likely will park in front of a fire zone – just to show you they can.
RE: Chaconas opinion – Most golf tournaments that professionals play are on private clubs, so of course they can close them. If you have the money to purchase a NASCAR car, then you can drive it if you pay the entry fee.
You are comparing apples to oranges! While I try to give courtesy to a pro fisherman, I do not believe I should be required to stay at home on one of the few days I get to fish. I would also expect the pro to give me a little slack as well. How was I to know that a location was part of his milk run? I have given up a spot when asked if I would. And n,o I do not watch them and then fish their areas during a tournament!
The whole problem is a sense of entitlement amongst some people. Lakes are potentially large bodies of water so we should all be able to reside together. Besides, aren't these guys supposed to be the best in the world?
RE: No Classic for VanDam – Fishing is a funny thing. One thing I have learned while on the water is to learn from your experiences, both good and bad outings. It's something I think KVD knows all too well. It's also something that I believe will help him to get back to the top of the leaderboards next season.
B.A.S.S. and FLW both have a Sportsmanship rule stating the word "courtesy." FLW has a rule stating you cannot fish within 50 yards of another anchored contestant. B.A.S.S. had this rule for years before it was removed years ago.
Both B.A.S.S. and FLW should have a rule stating, "No contestant can fish within 50 yards of another boat." This would solve the problem of who controls which water.
RE: No Classic for VanDam – Everyone is overreacting. His streak had to stop sometime. He is still the same KVD. This will probably propel him to dominate again. Everyone relax, "the Man" will be back!
Bass tournaments are held on public waters. Public waters are open to everyone, regardless of whether they are local or not. No one owns any location on any public waterway. If they did, it would be clearly marked as private and would be off-limits to tournament competitors.
Harassment, whether verbal or physical, is illegal. There is no immediate fix to this problem. If you are harassed on the water, record every detail possible. Take photos with your cell phone and make it clear that you intend to press charges once you get off of the water. Most bullies are punks and will back off once they know you have a way of positively identifying them to the authorizes. Make sure you get a good close-up photo of the person and his boat and registration number. Then follow through. Contact the local authorizes and file a formal complaint.
With good photographic evidence, finding the perpetrator should be a breeze. If enough anglers follow up, this type of illegal behavior will soon disappear. These guys exist because too many people can't be bothered to do what has to be done to stop them. They figure that you cannot identify them, therefore you can't do anything about their behavior. Put an end to it. Report all violators!
Everyone will have a bad year. KVD is one of the best in fishing, he had a great run, one season is not going to hurt him. He will be back next year and look out!
KVD's off year is just that, an off year. I believe he has several titles, AOYs and Classic victories ahead of him. KVD is the man! Next to Zona, I'm his biggest fan.
The Classic should be limited to about 50 anglers. Giving a pass to last year's champ is fine, but that is all. Fifty is a manageable number of boats. As much as I think of Kevin VanDam, he should not receive a free pass even if he is the best angler. I bet he will work hard next year and be in contention. KVD is not going away ... after all, he's KVD.
I think Mr. Chaconas needs to do a little more digging as to the impact of fishing tournaments on areas they are held in. They do not pay for boat ramps, stocking or studies – our fishing license fees pay for them. The economic impact is minimal at best.
The pros don't live there, work there or pay rent there and when the competition is over they are gone right along with the money. And as far as local related businesses going away if tournaments aren't held there, in a word, no. That's so wrong the entire article should have been trashed for that one statement alone. After all, how long has pro fishing been a so-called sport and how long have people been fishing?
Now, concerning the man who didn't agree with the tournament guys, he was wrong. If someone asks to fish in an area you are in, all you have to do is say no and if that doesn't work, turn them in to the tournament director. Problem solved.
If I am out looking for some fish for a tournament that I have coming up and I am on a spot and a pro pulls up on me and asks to share the spot, no problem, but i will not leave just because a pro wants to fish my spot. I buy a license just like he does and I pay taxes year-round, not just for a week out of the year. Chattanooge is local for me and they choose not to sponsor big tournaments and they will survive without them. I wish they would have chosen to get them here, but they didn't.
RE: No Classic for VanDam – There is no reason B.A.S.S. cannot have an exemption clause for the Bassmaster Classic. Bass fishing is an individual sport and they should have a champion's exemption for guys who might not produce as well as they have in previous years. Example: the Masters – any previous winner of the Masters, the biggest tournament in golf, is always invited back to compete until he turns down the invite. In NASCAR, champion's exemptions are given at the biggest race of the year, the Daytona 500.
B.A.S.S. needs to consider something like this, and not only for KVD but for all past champions.
RE: Gagliardi's run-in – In Texas that's against the law – angler harassment. This local should have received a fine and court summons, in my opinion.
RE: No Classic for VanDam – Kevin's streak will never end because like Malcolm X ... I'm Kevin VanDam ... I look to my right, I see Kevin VanDam in the youth's style, and I look left and I see Kevin VanDam.
RE: Chaconas opinion – I'm personally sick of so-called pros and their arrogance. When I go to work and some has taken my spot, I find another.
If we don't buy what they're selling they don't have sponsor dollars to fish on, so we do count more than the singular pro. Think about it – who floats the industry and who lives off of it?
RE: Chaconas opinion – Actual revenue in terms of touring pros as discussed in this article is nothing for the local tackle shop or boat ramp. They stay in business because of the local fishermen. These pros owe their livelihood to the weekend fishermen who ultimately buy the products that they represent.
No, sir, it is the other way around – these pros are guests on the water and in the community and should humbly act that way.
If you're fishing out of a bass boat and using technique-specific, high-quality rods then you shouldn't be in the way during a professional tournament. If you are, then you are a total hypocrite.
If you're in a jonboat using an Ugly Stik and its the only day you can fish all summer, then you have every right to be fishing.
RE: Chaconas opinion – Ramps and shops will not close without tournament revenue, they just get a little boost. Their livelihood is from the locals every day, not tournaments every once in a while. Also, pros don't produce the new hooks and lures, lure companies do - granted with pro assistance, but the long-term sales are of baits that produce, regardless of sponsorship or pro endorsement. So quit giving the pros more credit than they deserve.
It really boils down to respect - all fishermen should respect another fisherman on a given spot, regardless of how, when, or why they are there. No one should ever fish over another fisherman for any reason. Public waters are exactly that and should remain that way for all the tax-paying public, even on tournament days.
I had made a post disagreeing about closing tournament waters during a tournament. I still believe in public access to water is a right that should not be given up freely. However, there has to be/is a point of common courtesy and decency for all users. If, in fact, the man did become aggressive I believe the DNR should become involve. But all tournament fishermen/women have the responsibility to act and behave as ambassadors for bass tournaments along with their sponsors. There are times someone may feel they are being wronged and they should contact the tourney officials.
I think you shouldn't watch someone fish, then go fish the spot after he leaves or beat him there the next day. Show some respect.
RE: Chaconas opinion – Despite the public nature of pro tour events, limiting public use will be a tough one. I feel all bass anglers should respect and yield the water the one time they can. These guys are our mentors. Watch, learn, stay out of the way.
RE: Chaconas opinion – All tournament and recreational anglers should cringe reading the opinion expressed by the author. His opinion can be construed as support for further restrictions on access to public waterways. The words "unintended consequences" come to mind.
RE: Chaconas opinion – The pro guys are trying to make a living. Can the clowns concede a few days per year?
I do not remember a closer daily standings in B.A.S.S. or FLW history than day 1 at Cayuga. Top 7 with 20 pounds plus, only 8 ounces separate the Top 7. Total 106 anglers with 99 weighing in a five-bass limit on day 1 – only 7 contestants who did not limit.
Mr. Chaconas, I enjoyed your article, but I disagree with your marketing blitz. Let me explain in three bullet points.
1) FLW, B.A.S.S., Ranger, et al and all other non-endemic sponsors involved in the tournament promotion genre generate privatized income from utilizing public resources. Most host sites pay organizers to showcase big tournaments so organizers bring no “skin to the game." The process creates Obamacare for the sponsors and the patients who have no “skin in the game” to manage their disease. So in the Dire Straigts mantra “money for nuthin and bass for free,” John Q. Public pays and cronies play.
2) Your paragraph, “Pure competitive fishing environments don’t exist.” This statement is true because of Obamacare for tournament organizers and sponsors. They have never been required to invest in plant and equipment to capture profit. Instead they reap returns from cronyism of public resources available to the organization. Tournament purveyors have two potential resolutions to this quandary. Firstly, the benefactors could invest in land and build fisheries on private property to showcase their anglers and products and then sell membership rights to customers to enjoy those resources when available. Secondly, they could negotiate with the governing authorities to pay more money for the rights to close public access for a stated period of time to create their plant and equipment. Maybe then we would believe in their asserted claims of “growing the sport.” Heck, they could even offer to stock fish fry into your state’s fisheries instead of sending you a hat and bait sample in gratitude for your business. But at this juncture most tournament organizations utilize public assets to create entertainment media to foster privatized profit.
3) Then this paragraph: “Giving up a few days on the lake for the growth of bass fishing is a worthwhile investment.” Dude, seriously. Drink some more Kool-Aid and embroider some more patches on your fishing jersey. Let's rework your sentence structure. maybe like this: “Avoiding crony tendencies to suckle off the John Q. Public teat by investing in private opportunities to rent or build fisheries resources for the growth of bass fishing is a worthwhile investment.”
RE: Chaconas opinion – Your attitude is why we as bass fishermen get the bad rap. I have been washed off of anchor by these "pros," I have had them cut me off when fishing, I have had them tell me that this is their spot when I was there first. They need to be polite and give others consideration. Just because they fish for a living does not give them the right to encroach on anyone. I do fish a few tournaments, but I never squeeze anyone out of their spots.
RE: Chaconas opinion – Well stated, Steve! I have tried to get this point across to the "local ignorant fishermen" for Years. Technology (marine electronics, cell phones, Internet, etc.) have only made things worse. The "newcomers" to this sport would not last a year if they had to find fish the old-fashioned way as I and many others have. When information, techniques, locations are easily obtained they are easily released! All the fore-stated is the reason angler etiquette doesn't exist any longer.
The reason I am on the site, cannot speak for others, is that I enjoy the boats, the sport and learning – not the "blight."
Sharing Water, my opinion is they should enforce the 50-yard rule all the time, including 50 yards from locals, even if you're not anchored. Then it is first come, first served. But if a local lets a certain pro come in on him versus another, that's hole-sitting and the duo should punished.
There are very few "secret spots" and all are open game. Probably 90 percent of the field has prior information from somebody, so it's not like they found it themselves. Kudos to those who do, but you can't call dibs in this sport. So everyone go back into the sandbox together and play nice.
RE: Chaconas opinion – Umm, how many of those "privately owned stadiums" were built by taxpayers? The taxpayers were put on the hook (see what I did there?) with the promise of "economic development" for the home cities. When all is said and done, the city is stuck with the maintenance costs while the team owners are lighting cigars with $100 bills. The saps who financed the endeavor are paying $10 for a coke and $20 for a big foam hand with a big finger. Yeah, it's a big finger, all right!
RE: Chaconas opinion – I almost laughed at this opinion piece. Problem is, it is not funny in the least. To begin with the ramps, tackle shops, repair shops, the local DNR, as well as the local tax collector depend on revenue from the boaters, but their success hinges on the use by everyday anglers, not the revenue from 50 fishermen over a few days. Those monies were a drop in the bucket compared to the funds received from locals.
I grow so weary of folks comparing professional fishing to everyday careers. There is a difference between private enterprise and competing on public waters. There is a reason professional ball players compete in privately owned stadiums. If professional fishermen want those perks, then they need to finance private fisheries and charge admission. If they were forced to have fans pay for attendance to pay their salary, then we would see who should be thankful for whom.
Were it not for the "wannabes," as you so eloquently put it, the pros would be working normal jobs and fishing local derbies like the rest of us unworthys. I think most of the elites have forgotten that without us little people purchasing the products that they promote (unethically more often than not) they wouldn't have the sponsor dollars and products they enjoy, nor the opportunity to fish professionally.
Somehow this keeps getting painted as a local invading the pro's space when exactly the opposite occurred. Had Anthony been there first, everyone would be preaching how you do not move in on another angler. The same should apply to the "professional."
I wish a venue would close the lake for a professional tourney. The repercussions would alienate the very base touring pros need to survive.
Based on the comments I've read, it seems as if a not insignificant number of the readers of BassFan.com are of the opinion that professional bass anglers and professional bass tournaments in general are a blight on the sport of bass fishing. Given that, I have to wonder why those readers are spending time on a site dedicated to professional bass tournaments and anglers? Just wondering.
RE: Chaconas opinion – The majority of the locals wont even know about this article. It would be nice if this article would appear in each local newspaper for the duration of the tournament in the city they are fishing. I dare say most of these folks do not own a computer.
While I'm at it, what about all of the locals in their boats following some of the pros? I've seen upwards of 50 boats follow some pros, many taking videos and camera photos for triangulation of the pro's spot. Common courtesy? Forget about it.
RE: Gagliardi's run-in – As a retired bass guide who loved to fish tournaments, you never have a right to a certain hole if someone is there. Basic courtesy, no tournament angler should behave in this manner.
RE: Chaconas opinion – Well said. Couldn't agree more.
RE: Chaconas opinion – Steve, very well put. Hopefully some of these folks will read this article and realize that everyone is better off for these tournaments on their lakes and rivers.
Gagliardi's run-in – Please find out this idiot's name and us locals will handle it. There is no room for people like that on our lake, especially in a high-stakes tourney like the Cup!
RE: Chaconas opinion – Since there will always be two opposing sides regarding the issue of "interference," I feel I can be equally ambivalent. One side of me says: Sometimes you just don't get to fish your stuff. Maybe it's the weather/rough water, or the fact that other anglers (regardless of how they found the area) are there first. Waiting in line is a way of life in the real world.
Worst that ever happened to me, I ran 45 minutes up past Temple Bar on Lake Mead, ducked into my money pocket – and there was a houseboat and three or four Jetskis. I wasn't going to be able to wait for them to leave – so I did.
On the other hand, I interviewed Don Iovino (doodling/finesse guru) at the onset of his bass fishing career (he was a trout guy previously) and it was telling. He squawked to me about some "tournament guys" crowding him at a reservoir near L.A. because they were "in a tournament."
But in perspective he added, "These guys were the same '-holes' they were the week before they put on their bass patches."
So yes, I understand the Golden Rule, the rule book and the concept of "unwritten rules." Unfortunately, not everybody plays by them.
RE: Chaconas opinion – I do agree with some of what the author says regarding ethics and such, but I don't think some of the analogies he used are fair. No one would expect to be able to drive a car on a NASCAR track or play ball in a pro stadium. On the other hand, I would expect to be able to fish on a lake or river whenever I choose.
I fish tournaments and I fish just for fun, too. The lakes used for tournaments by the major circuits are typically large impoundments or rivers. There is plenty of room for all. I think it is rude to just move in on a spot when someone else is fishing it, whether they are in a boat or on the bank. If I wanted to fish it I would ask if they mind if I fish through. Otherwise I would move on.
In a sense we all own the water because of taxes we pay, but it does not give us the right to be rude. On the subject of closing the waters during the tournament, I have to disagree. Why should anyone be subject to that? Not everyone has the option of going to a different body of water when a tournament is being held on their home water. I think that closing of a ramp area is okay because who would want to go out of a congested ramp when others are available. Other than that, we all need to show courtesy to those sharing the water with us, whether that means passing on a spot because it is already occupied or, if on the spot but not in the tournament, then letting someone fish through if they ask politely. I doubt we will ever have a 100-percent agreement on this topic so we all need to work together to keep the peace.
I find it interesting and slightly amusing that all of the "anti-tournament" fishermen would be commenting on articles from a website specifically designed for professional tournament fishing and is even called "The Leader in Pro Bass Fishing News."
Anyway, couldn't the same argument be said about the other guy? He obviously knew there was a tournament going on, couldn't he have said, "Well, I live here, and can fish this spot anytime I want, and you guys are only going to be here for another day or 2, so I'll go ahead and ease on down the way."
Seems pretty reasonable to me.
RE: Chaconas opinion – This about the dumbest thing I've ever read. I really don't where to start on this.
RE: Chaconas opinion – Steve should read the recent articles on why the Potomac fishery is in trouble. If the bass fishing keeps going downhill there won't be any fish for anyone. Tournaments at the wrong time of year have been a major factor, according to people who know.
RE: Chaconas opinion – I don't necessarily agree with the author's line of thinking. To say that the weekend angler should sacrifice his day on the water so the tournament pros can earn a living is short-sighted in my mind. Public waterways are just that – public. Angler traffic needs to be treated just like any other factor in a tournament. The pros do not have a divine right to all spots on any lake.
I have been told by local tournament anglers that I had to grant them access to the area I was fishing because they were in a tournament and they had a permit. The permit is to hold the event, not to own the lake for the day. As far as being indebted to the pros for what they provide, I disagree with that, too. The pros are paid advocates for product. Their job is to create a buzz around a product so it sells. Without the weekend angler buying this product, there is no sponsorship money.
What we need on the water is mutual respect and sportsmanship. The lake belongs to all.
RE: Chaconas opinion – I think that the most important part that you miss is that the waters that the tournament is being held on is public water. Pointing out the fact that you would not like someone sitting at your desk when you came to work proves nothing – that is private property, not public.
As more and more tournaments are held on public waters, the public and the vast majority of fishermen do not care about tournaments or tournament fishermen. You can hardly enjoy a day at the lake anymore with out being overrun by tournament fishermen and wannabe pros. Most of us non-tournament fishermen, and I will use Kentucky Lake as an example, would prefer that B.A.S.S. and FLW stay away. Let us enjoy a day at the lake in peace.
RE: Chaconas opinion – The only statement in your article that holds any truth is that there is no feasible venue to hold major tournaments on with no "interference." The rest of your points and analogies are unrealistic.
RE: Chaconas opinion – The problem, Steve, is that there is a bass tournament on most bigger lakes almost every weekend and not including weekly jackpot tournaments. When bass tournament fishermen at any level see the top guys do this, some of them follow suit, thus grinding the anti-tournament fishing sentiment even deeper into the recreational fisherman's mind ... and rightfully so. Until an organization can pay a state enough money to close a 50,000-acre reservoir down for a week to hold their tournament, this is going to happen.
Don't kid yourself, either – the states aren't making that much money off of tournament fishing or else they would do that. Kind of like shutting down Bethpage Black for the U. S. Open. It's a public course ...
RE: Chaconas opinion – As a tournament fisherman, I want to be able to fish any spot I believe will hold fish. But do I believe other fishermen/women should not be allowed to have access to the water? Absolutely not! The locals pay taxes, access fees, and buy equipment to pursue their sport. Is it sporting for a local to not let a pro to have access to their spot? I believe it is up to the local's belief(s) about having a "pro" take/catch the fish from the local's fishing spot.
I ask the writer does he believe the state(s) should deny access to all outdoor users? If so, what about the dreaded jet ski users, large pleasure-boat owners, marina owners and dock owners/renters, and what about the other businesses that may experience a loss of revenue because of a "big tournament" is in town? I agree that a tournament does have a positive impact for a location, but at what cost? Do the pros live or work there all year long?
I suggest people are people and there will always be someone who will not will not give access to a tournament angler.
Gagliardi run-in – There are disgusting people with no regard or respect for anyone else out there. Even on small local lakes these people are out there who run across your fishing spot, ski around you, Sea Doo you. Just a pack of people who are out for themselves only. Hit them in the head with a hammer. They just don't get it.
RE: Chaconas opinion – You are way off base. First, as I read Gagliardi's account, he had been driving by this spot each previous day, so the local was not "poaching" fish that Gagliardi had been working. Second, pertaining to ramp fees, at my lake, all ramp fees and park admissions are waived for the bigger tournaments. Chaconas gives the impression that local anglers should automatically give way when these guys come to their lake because it is their "job." Most locals work their jobs daily with only a couple of days off a week. On our lake, if you give way to Elites, Everstart, BFL, Bass N Bucks, four different Oilman's tournaments (500 boats each) and McDonald's starting in February and continuing each weekend through June and all encompass the weekend, when exactly should the locals try to fish?
Also, at these big tournaments, the public is not able to use the public launch that I pay an annual fee to use. That's not counting all the smaller club tournaments. My last experience I had five tournament boats come in on me on a small hump. I could cast into each boat. As a result the fish shut down and none of us caught fish.
Bottom line, these are public waters and we are the public. Respect earns respect.
RE: Gagliardi run-in – I am a casual fan of this sport but a not-so-casual fan of sports in general. This situation is fairly unique to tournament fishing for several reasons. There is already a significant and growing disdain among local fishermen to large, big-money tournaments invading their home lakes.
I am pretty sure Gagliardi could not shove off before a designated time. The local fisherman could leave whenever he wanted. Gagliardi is making a living and representing sponsors that pay him big bucks to win tournaments. He is a professional doing his job. I get the sense that some (and maybe this guy is one of them) locals are looking to compete unofficially or even confront the pros. Shut up and fish!
RE: Gagliardi run-in – I hope the local will talk. Would love to hear his (distorted, I am sure) view.
RE: Chaconas opinion – Great article. Spot-on in all respects. The pros have made us all better anglers. I only hope that the local angler in question gets a chance to read this article and think about the "big picture."
RE: Chaconas opinion: I agree with most of this article. I saw the some of the same interference happen at the B.A.S.S. Northern Open on Lake Champlain. One complaint I heard several times from the locals at Ticonderoga, which is 70 miles south of the Open weigh-in site, is that the fish are all caught in Ti and taken to Plattsburg and released. Maybe its time the major organizations and Fish and Game release fish back to TI to help replenish the fish taken north.
I don't agree at all with what the local anglers did to the leaders of the tournaments down in Ti, but I do understand what they are saying about the fish being taken north and not coming back. Addressing this might help with community relations.
Had Anthony or Scott have respected the fact that the local angler was there first, we wouldn't be talking about this. It doesn't matter that the local was "aggressive." I think a lot of us would be upset if a "pro" acted like we weren't there and moved in, no matter how respectful the approach. Give the guy a break, go find another spot until the first one to arrive there is done.
RE: Forrest Wood Cup sites – Please quit going to the same lakes over and over. FLW is getting stale.
RE: Martin's run-in with local – I was there when he plowed between me and Scott. I've had several confrontations with this guy myself.
All the people saying Gagliardi fished someone's spot need to point the finger at FLW. You can't hold a tournament with a half-million dollar first prize on a blueback herring lake and expect guys not to fish near someone else. You almost have to wait for schooling fish to bust the surface because there isn't enough shoreline to last 4 days.
I blame FLW for putting a tournament with stakes this high on a blueback herring lake. With half a million dollars on the line and in a sport where the payouts are laughably low compared to the cost to compete, I'd be muscling in on someone to and if that makes me a bad person, I'm sorry.
The first B.A.S.S. rules had a rule stating that if you anchored your boat, you controlled a circle of 50 yards around your boat and no other contestant could fish in this 50-yard circle. You could not invite another contestant to fish it. Years ago B.A.S.S. did away with this rule. It's time for it to be re-instated and it should read that you cannot fish within 50 yards of another boat that was at the location first.
Gagliardi fished over and around someone who was already fishing - what a jerk. He is not a real sportsman or champion. Shame on him for being selfish and not respecting another fisherman. No class at all.
Gagliardi is no champion. He should be stripped of that crown for unsportsmanlike conduct with a non-contestant. This paints a black eye on the sport for recreational anglers and sponsors. Tournament fishing is becoming a burden to the waters in which it operates. Have a backbone, FLW, and make a stand for the everyday angler who makes your jobs possible!
RE: Forrest Wood Cup sites – Let me know when it gets to Lake Champlain.
Gagliardi, nice job. That's what we need on the water are more guys thinking that just because they are in a tourney they can come in and muscle in on your spot. What would it have hurt to have shared the water, Tony? FLW should institue rules (wait, don't they have them?) about unsportsmanlike conduct.
While I understand the stakes Gagliardi was fishing for, that does not excuse coming in on top of another fisherman. Had the roles been reversed, the local would have been painted the bad guy. Had he done this to me, pro or not, we would have had us a problem.
Courtesy goes a long way. Most guys would move or share a spot if approached in the right manner. I, for one, won't be bullied off a spot just because someone is in a tournament. I won't do it to others and won't have it done to me.
RE: Cup coverage – Well done, son, great detailed coverage. I am so proud of you, as would be your mom!
RE: Forrest Wood Cup – Guys like Gagliardi fishing through and over a local angler who was on a spot first are what give bass fishermen a bad name. He is supposed to be a "professional" angler.
We are living in a different world now. Twitter, Facebook, smartphones have taken over. It leads me to wonder where we are heading. My grandkids don't look up anymore, or look at you when conversing ... they are too busy texting.
I go into a family eatery every now and then. It host a bass club on certain Thursdays. I was in there listening to some of these guys complaining that nobody was telling them where the fish were biting. Another was complaining that a fellow member was on his phone during a tournament ... getting fishing info from another angler.
The pro circuit is just a microcosm of today's society. There are very few pro fishermen who do it the old way.
RE: Delaware River Elite Series – Tide water bass fishing is a unique thing. I've done a lot of it and find the Delaware very predictable and easy to fish. It fishes a lot like the Connecticut and Hudson rivers. If you know what to look for at low tide you can run around and see most of what is worth fishing. The fish are easy to catch if you're where they feed at that tide. Most of the fish you catch are on shallow, visible cover and when it's right, they bite!
Mike Iaconelli had to fish against a bunch of guys who knew how to fish these waters in his Federation days and we made him work for it back then. He knows how to fish tide water. Goes to show you that even the best anglers don't know everything and it was fun to watch them. I was disappointed to see a lot of anglers be so negative about a river that's about on a par with the dozen or so tidal Rivers the Fed guys fish between Philly and Boston. Hope they go to Boston next year!
On the B.A.S.S. website people are still complaining about all the complaining about the Delaware River and talking about the large crowds at the weigh-in. Compare that to the tournament before the Delaware at Dayton, Tenn.
The population of Philly is 1,553,000. The population of Dayton and Rhea County, Tenn. is 32,247.
B.A.S.S. estimated the crowd at Dayton at 20,000. What was it at Philly?
The winning weight at Philly was 47-14, 12th place was 30-09, 20th place was 21-14, 24th place was 19-13.
The winning weight at Dayton was 90-06, 12th place was 61-10, 20th place was 47-11, 24th was 45-07 and 82nd place was 20-02.
There was no complaining at Dayton.
RE: Pooley Dawson dies – My introduction to Pooley came as a fan. The weigh-in backdrop back then was a Bluebird RV. I was on its roof taking pictures of the pros when he called me down. He gave me a yellow B.A.S.S. hat and asked me to be a fish-runner. I was 15 years old.
Years later I became assistant tournament director in 1986. That year my father died. Pooley became a father figure to me. As we traveled the country he shared wisdom and advice. Some about work. More about life. I still have the yellow hat and lots of memories of this great man.
RE: MLF format – I find the format one of the safest for the fish. I thought the reason for catch and release was to keep more fish in said waterway, and this format greatly reduces stress.
Fred Couples, No. 202 on money list, has played two tournaments on the PGA Tour and has made over $100,000.
Minimum MLB salary is $500,000.
Minimum NFL salary is $285,000.
Minimum MLS salary is $36,500 while average is $141,000.
Steve Kennedy is at 18th on money list at $104,000. The median for bass fishing (place No. 125 approximately) is $30,000.
No idea how anyone can make a living out there.
I remember when we were looking for Bassmaster magazine so we could read how other bass anglers caught bass. They were eager to tell Bob Cobb exactly how they did it so he could write about it in Bassmaster.
I remember when we paired two anglers together each day and the rule stated they had to work out a schedule that allowed each equal time to operate the boat and select the fishing waters. I remember how this created many lifetime friendships between the B.A.S.S. members. I remember when most every newspaper sports section had something about the B.A.S.S. tournaments.
Now my home paper never has anything about B.A.S.S. tournaments. If I click on the B.A.S.S. website I see stuff about tournament anglers in a debate about who is fishing whose fish or how bad the tournament is going to be. or if I tune in Bassmaster TV I see some clown throwing a fit over catching a bass or missing a bass.
Seems all the attention is on TV or Twitter or Facebook or web pages where everyone can complain about something, even people who complain about people who complain. Where are we heading?
RE: MLF format – First of all, each boat has a marshal to keep everything on the up and up. Locals can't afford it. Second thing, cameras also are onboard. Just two things not cost-effective.
RE: Balog on Forrest Wood Cup – Great article, Joe! We look forward to serving our anglers, sponsors, vendors and certainly the media. Our team is ready to showcase the event to the highest level possible. See you in Columbia!
BassFan says: Bill Taylor is the tournament director for the FLW Tour.
RE: Christie's tin rig – Sorry guys, but an article like this just makes most of us regular guys shake our heads. You don't really expect us to believe that J.C. installed all top-of-the-line stuff out of his own pocket, do you? So, cool boat; but like always totally out of reach for any of us normal anglers. We have to buy our stuff.
Good luck to J.C., he seems like a good guy.
It will be man-up time on the Delaware River. Not an easy place to fish. Going to have bring your A game this week. Good Luck and be safe, watch the wake from the tug boats. They are dangerous.
I was at Pittsburgh and it was bad. KVD did a great job and multi-day events take the luck out (one big fish). I think KVD did have the largest single limit though.
The best test is the old-style Classic or Busch Shootout on a mystery lake, but it does not work business-wise. I have fished the Delaware and it's a good venue. The fishing is better than you think. I think a quarter to a third of the field will limit each day. There will be several 13- to 15-pound bags and a lunker over 4 pounds every day.
I think this is the perfect place to have this level of event and I cannot wait to see the results.
RE: MLF format – The condition of the fish can't be observed for how it was caught or if it contains any lead weights that may have been placed in the fish.
The Bondy Perch dropshot bait is killer on Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie, especially when the bass aren't biting anything else.
Jeff Coble and David Wright are two of the best fishermen who ever played the game. That region in Carolina has really produced some great fishermen – besides those two are David Fritts, Marty Stone, Randy Howell, Hank Cherry, Hank Parker, among others.
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