Bass Tournaments...

[NJ All Day 0]

Hey i was watching the Bass Master Classics and i always watch them and i'm puzzled. These guys fish with Heavy Rods and 20-25 pound test for fish that are 5 pounds if there lucky. And they just horse the fish in and not give it a fighting chance.

 

I understand that when your in a tournaments you want to get as many fish to the boat in a certain amount of time. But with all of the oxygen running through the fishes gills does it damage them at all or are they completely fine?

 

IMO thats not fishing, to me fishing is the art of fooling a fish and then giving it a fighting chance once you do hook up on a fish.

[tidewaterfly 0]

The longer you fight a fish, the more chance there is of harming it. I don't fish in tournaments, but I do fish with baitcasting & spinning tackle. On some of my bass equipment I use 65lb braided line. It's the diameter of 12 lb mono. The heavy line is used in heavy cover, which allows me to get the fish out of the heavy cover quickly & with less stress on the fish. Not enough O2 is a problem for fish, but I don't think there's such a thing as too much.

 

The point of tournament fishing is not to give the fish a fighting chance, but to get them in the boat quickly and accumulate the most lbs, with the winner being the person with the most weight within the time allowed. It's a competition.

 

Tournament anglers also use lighter tackle at times, when the conditions dictate. They have to adapt to stay competitive. There's a time & place for all types of tackle.

 

Opinions will vary.

[smallieFanatic 0]

I'm against Bass Tournaments, it's not that I merely don't enjoy them, but that I am vehemently opposed to them

However, about the mono Tidewater is right, heavier mono=faster fight=Less chance of seriously stressing out the fish.

[NJ All Day 0]

Yes I know a long fight can put a strain on a fish but half the time the fish is skimming the top of the water. And once they lip the bass they get so excited they start shaking the fish.

[Batman 0]

i enjoy fishing bass tourney's and will continue to do so i even at times use my fly rods during the events, its great fun for me and my son, i would much rather him fishing bass tourneys than getting his kicks on some other venues, get over yourselves

[NJ All Day 0]

i enjoy fishing bass tourney's and will continue to do so i even at times use my fly rods during the events, its great fun for me and my son, i would much rather him fishing bass tourneys than getting his kicks on some other venues, get over yourselves

wow your taking it way to much to the head. I wasnt knocking bass tournaments i was just asking questions about them.

[tidewaterfly 0]

NJ All Day, proper handling of any fish should be a priority of all anglers, but it's not. It's not a problem exclusive of tournament anglers either. I've seen other anglers, including fly anglers, who had no clue about how to properly handle a fish to prevent harming them, and likely didn't care either. Not all tournament anglers shake bass, and it's a shame those that do often are doing it on camera. I also don't agree with it, but in the excitement it happens, and I won't say I've never been excited about catching a fish, and always did things the right way. It's human to make mistakes.

 

I see them lip a bass then bend them back while holding them up, which could possibly dislocate the fishes jaw. It also happens, and the only thing we can learn from it, is what not to do. However, there are far more tournament anglers who do take care of the fish they catch, then those who don't.

 

It's obvious you have issues with what you've been watching, and it's great that you don't agree with some of what is going on. I suggest if it's a real problem with you, then perhaps you should quit watching such shows. Bass tournaments have a big following, and they're legally operated. There will always be individuals who will do things that someone else will not agree with. That's life. :dunno:

[Big J 0]

And in my opinion Bass fishing is an art too. It does take knowledge and skill to choose the right lure and to figure out where the bass are located in a big lake. A big lake is harder to locate fish then in a stream.

[NJ All Day 0]

I agree Big J it takes a lot of skill, you need to know your structure, also you need to know how to present the lure, and have to feel for when the fish takes your lure.

[TOM PRUETT 0]

I have fished many bass Tournaments around here !!I like them because the bass have to be ALIVE AND WELL to be put back where they came from!!

As for the line most Tournaments have rules on there lines that can be used if it a pro Tournament. If it's a Tournament held by a shop which some are

then you can use what ever line you want. i allways use FLOUROCARBON as do most guys!!

[TOM PRUETT 0]

I have fished many bass Tournaments around here !!I like them because the bass have to be ALIVE AND WELL to be put back where they came from!!

As for the line most Tournaments have rules on there lines that can be used if it a pro Tournament. If it's a Tournament held by a shop which some are

then you can use what ever line you want. i allways use FLOUROCARBON as do most guys!!

[c-denby 0]

TOM- I have been fishing tournaments for several years in ontario and the US. I have never heard of a rule about what line you can use?? I have all the regulation books for any major tournament held in ontario or the US and there is no such rule. I'm just confused as to where you heard that?? Most tournament anglers use heavy braid for a multitude of reasons. With baitcasters, You should not use less than 20lb braid because it is so small a diameter that it digs into inself and then won't cast properly. Secondly, We use heavy braid because alot of times we are fishing around heavy structure or thick weed beds and need that extra strength to get the fish out of the cover as quickly as possible.

As for spinning reels, I don't see many people using heavier than 30lb braid which is only 6-8lb diameter of mono... Also, most will carry a large range of extra reels on the boat with different lines like flouro, mono, and braid just incase of a situation where lighter or clear line is needed.

 

I would estimate that 85% of serious bass tournament anglers use braid predominantly due to it's strength, durability and casting distance. Sometime a flourocarbon leader will be attached if using jerkbaits or crankbaits because when casting a lure with treble hooks it tends to catch the line in the air and foul the lure. With a heavy flouro leader like 20lb on the end of your braid, you greatly reduce this problem. And yes, There are still several people who mostly use straight flourocarbon, but you will see this alot less in tournaments these days.

 

 

The name of the game is, Certain time limit to catch as many fish as possible, Then you weigh in your 5 largest fish for a total weight for the day. If you weigh in ANY dead fish you are penalized usually about 1lb per dead fish or sometimes more. In some seriously strict competitions they have had rules where any dead fish weighed in means disqualification. It is quite hard to keep 5 or more large bass alive and healthy in a small livewell all day long, So alot of care and hard work goes into looking after your fish properly. You need to make sure they are getting enough oxygen and that they are handled properly. Also, You need to keep an eye on the water temp in the livewell so that the fish don't overheat and get stressed out. So in reality, Most tournament anglers are serious about keeping their fish alive and healthy and want those large fish to live and be there to catch another day.

There will always be those who just dont care.. But you will find that with any sport or group of people.

 

Cheers,

Chris

[JSzymczyk 0]

Yes I know a long fight can put a strain on a fish but half the time the fish is skimming the top of the water. And once they lip the bass they get so excited they start shaking the fish.

 

Don't forget screaming like a deranged fool and jumping around in the boat like an idiot too.

 

It always helps too if you have at least a 200hp outboard on your 17 foot boat.

 

When I was 10 or 11 (?) my Dad and I were trolling for walleyes in our canoe along the shore of Kinzua Reservoir in NW Pa, a huge lake, during some sort of bass tourney. Long story short, 40 feet off the bank we got run over by a jackass in a Skeeter going wide open. It quite nearly killed me and injured my Dad. Many years later, a friend and I were minding our own business fishing a cove on Lake Mead in Nevada, during a tournament, when another jackass came roaring into the cove and loudly, angrily, yelled at us that he had the "RIGHT" to fish this cove because he paid to be in the tourney and we had to leave. Yeah, my A$$.

 

Even though I know those are isolated incidents, I do not hold a high opinion of "Tournament" bass fishing.

[c-denby 0]

Yes I know a long fight can put a strain on a fish but half the time the fish is skimming the top of the water. And once they lip the bass they get so excited they start shaking the fish.

 

Don't forget screaming like a deranged fool and jumping around in the boat like an idiot too.

 

It always helps too if you have at least a 200hp outboard on your 17 foot boat.

 

When I was 10 or 11 (?) my Dad and I were trolling for walleyes in our canoe along the shore of Kinzua Reservoir in NW Pa, a huge lake, during some sort of bass tourney. Long story short, 40 feet off the bank we got run over by a jackass in a Skeeter going wide open. It quite nearly killed me and injured my Dad. Many years later, a friend and I were minding our own business fishing a cove on Lake Mead in Nevada, during a tournament, when another jackass came roaring into the cove and loudly, angrily, yelled at us that he had the "RIGHT" to fish this cove because he paid to be in the tourney and we had to leave. Yeah, my A$$.

 

Even though I know those are isolated incidents, I do not hold a high opinion of "Tournament" bass fishing.

 

 

That is the same as me saying, "Once I was fly fishing on the Cattaraugus river in NY, and while I was out fishing, Some locals came down and told me to get out of their river and that I was a disgrace for using a womens rod and not a float rod."

 

Yes people can be idiots and no matter where you are you will encounter people that are just ignorant and single minded. but they ARE isolated incidents for the most part and you can't label an entire style of fishing as idiot anglers that don't care about anything or anyone.

 

There is a reason that bass boats have large motors (also, you couldn't put a 200hp on a 17ft boat so I assume you are just being sarcastic??).. 1st- It allows the heavy boat to be able to get onto plane almost immediately in very shallow water and 2nd- When fishing a tournament with 100 other boats and a first place prize of anywhere from $10,000 to $150,000 it can make the difference of 20th place or 1st place by getting to your spots first. If you are fishing with 100 other boats, then likely you are in a race for your favourite spot with atleast 5 to 10 other teams.

 

There are alot of rules with tournaments too, including one that no team can fish within 50 or 100ft (depending on tourny) of another boat, and not within 50metres of any anchored vessel. So if you are ever out fishing while a tournament is taking place and someone tries to bully you off your spot or is getting too close to your boat. Just mention that you know that they have distance rules and that you have no problem calling into the tournament director and having them disqualified for unsportsmanlike behavior!

 

ANYWAYS-- I'm not wanting to start a war over who knows what or trying to put anyone in their place. I'm just trying to make everyone a little more open-minded when it comes to other types of anglers. I don't understand why there is such a large underlying tension between Bass anglers and Fly anglers. I notice it alot even in fishing stores. People make comments about the wussy over looking at fly rods or the knuckledraggers over looking at the big heavy overkill bass rods, etc.... Can't everyone just get along?? JEEZE..

 

 

 

Cheers,

Chris

[JSzymczyk 0]

I'm all about getting along, minding my own business, and being considerate of others.

 

It just happened that throughout a lifetime of fishing, the major negative experiences I have had all involved tournament fishing. It's a personal thing, I don't like NASCAR-Fishing. By it's very nature, it is the opposite of being considerate and quiet.

 

So very true that there are A-holes in every part of life.

 

Recently I spent four years in the deepest armpit of the southeast, where bass fishing is IT. I've dealt with all kind of ignorant fools regarding fly fishing. My best fishing buddy down there has won every tournament in the Ga, Al, Fl area, and fished well in many of the national level tournaments. This dude can just flat catch bass... any conditions, any environment, he will catch fish. He learned a lot of it through tournament fishing. He gave it up though because he said it just wasn't fun anymore. I agree.

 

I fish to get away from noise and stress, not to add more.