What the heck is going on in the bass tournament world? Drama, drama and more drama, tournament after tournament! It’s worse than watching daytime soap operas and it’s on every level across the country. It includes grown men who have become overly sensitive about people fishing too close, to those who think forward-facing sonar is ruining the sport, to people who think cheating is okay. What’s that old saying…”If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying!” I mean enough is enough with all the chit chat, griping and complaining about every little thing!
Anglers are taking to social media like bees going to honey, giving their side of an incident that took place at their last event. They’re attempting to explain their thought process and why they did what they did. Every little thing, every incident and situation are now public knowledge. Cameras are rolling in every boat so that these incidents can be posted on social media. Nothing is private anymore!
So why has bass fishing all the sudden become an episode of the Jerry Springer Show? Is it intentional, and a way to get more social media likes and followers, or is it just a sign of the times where we as a society are looking for just any little thing we can share with the entire world?
Part of the problem is the amount of money anglers are fishing for today. Whether it’s a big bass tournament or a team fishing circuit, the money anglers are fishing for in a lot of bass tournaments is insane.
The next issue: today’s lakes and waterways are more crowded than a Rolling Stones concert. We aren’t just talking about bass fishermen either. There are a ton of pleasure boaters and jet skiers who have the same rights to the lakes and waterways as anglers do. Now most anglers won’t agree with my last statement, but it’s the truth.
So, with so much money at stake and more people on the water now, conflicts are bound to arise from time to time. But excluding the recreational boaters, why are so many bass anglers having conflicts on the water? One reason is the lack of what is called “on the water etiquette.” These are the unwritten rules that today’s younger generation of anglers (high school and college) have not been taught.
Just like Little League, many dads or coaches are volunteers, and some have never played the game so they are not familiar with how the game should be taught. Don’t get me wrong, I love that there are people who will step up and take over a team that needs a coach. Volunteers are critical to the success of any sports league, but sometimes they need coaching themselves. This same rule applies for today’s high school boat captains; they need some coaching.
Here's where the problem comes in. Some dads/coaches/boat captains have a disease known as an “ego” and will let this get in the way of allowing them to be taught on how to be a better coach/boat captain. Trust me when I tell you that tournament bass anglers suffer from the same disease! They hate being told (me included) that we did something wrong, especially on the water! But once in a while, we all need reminding of how to act on the water.
But my generation was taught, and we listened to the older guys when we started our fishing careers. We had the utmost respect for the older guys and would seek out their knowledge frequently. We were always looking to them for advice because we all wanted to be better anglers.
I have yet to have a young angler, or a boat captain come up and ask me anything about the unwritten rules of the water or for any advice. If there’s one area high school bass fishing is failing, it is dad’s or boat captains not knowing the unwritten rules of fishing etiquette and aren’t asking for advice from the older guys.
Now I will admit that I have gotten a little testy with some high school anglers and boat captains. I have lost my cool with these guys more than once, and occasionally still do, especially when I see an experienced boat captain who fishes tournaments himself making dumb decisions on the water and setting a bad example for the young anglers in their boat.
My message to ALL anglers is this; if you’re doing something that you think might not be right, trust your instincts and don’t do it! If you’re not sure about a certain situation, ask an older angler for advice. It all boils down to one thing…. respect. Respect is not only for other anglers, but for the sport as well.
Coming soon, I will go over the unwritten rules of tournament bass fishing, and I hope my readers will share this very important information that all anglers need to hear. Till next time, good luck, good fishing and when in doubt…set the hook!
Steve Graf Angler’s Perspective
