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Let’s Talk Fishing Tournaments
Does being in a tournament justify blasting through a line of waders and denying everyday fishermen this opportunity? I think not!
OK folks here's a topic that is sure to bring it on; maybe enthusiastic high-fives, maybe at the risk of a few single-digit salutes. Whatever floats your plug!
Lately, the topic of inshore saltwater fishing tournaments has become about as controversial as red vs. blue states in this election year. You either love the way things are running currently or you absolutely hate (and are very concerned about) the number of fishing tournaments being held, the direction of the sport of competitive angling, even the intent and methods of those doing the directing.
Our editor has commissioned me to go here this month and my basic contention is that with a bit of foresight and tweaking there can be better balance achieved for the good of the whole group, not to mention the good of the fisheries we are using.
Let me first say that fishing tournaments can be good or, they can be bad, and weve all seen at least a little of each. So with that said I would like to review the distinguishing factors.
Participating anglers are afforded some chance at recognition while fishing guides and sponsors can gain valuable exposure. I can speak well to the career boost aspect as I basically came out of the tournament crowd winning at both amateur and pro levels in the old Gulf Coast Troutmasters among others, and then being privileged to guide clients to wins in various events.
To further qualify my position, please do not accuse me of sailing in from the balcony just this morning. I believe my personal experiences over several decades have served as an observation platform to better field feedback from fishing clients, tourney anglers, magazine readers, and everyday fishermen. My bottom line is this for whatever good tournaments can and might contribute, we can do better and we certainly need to.
On the positive side; there is the obvious economic bump to an otherwise sleepy fishing village in the form of increased lodging and food service revenues when a tournament comes to town and also for starving fishing guides hired by tourney teams. Equally beneficial, solid money can be raised for worthy causes.
On the negative, many folks are adamant that high-stakes fishing tourneys bring out the worst behavior in fishermen and that they can (and actually do) often ruin an otherwise cosmic day for everyday people on the water. I have to agree to an extent, especially if you consider what might befall Uncle Joe in his tin boat taking a bunch of teen-aged hopefuls for a fun day on the water that just happens to also be tournament day. Lets dig a little deeper, even if it hurts.
Blasting through a line of waders or drifters simply because you are fishing a tournament will never make a good enough excuse. Monetary gain or prestige at weigh-in can and unfortunately will trump any normal sense of morals and boating etiquette for some. But trust me guys, a win WILL NOT make your penis any bigger. Put yourself in Uncle Joes booties, who really has the holier rightUncle Joe or the tournament crowd? Look back and ask yourself whether any of the guys you cut-off or burned will see you as a true champion. Granted, the corporate and benefit tournament is capable of inspiring a sense of camaraderie, networking, etc., and fostering stronger bonds between vendors and customers is valuable in many ways but, do we really have to ruin a precious day on the water for others when the prize is a mere piece of wood or plastic to decorate a shelf until we tire of it?
Heres a close-to-home example of things we sometimes find ourselves doing under tournament influence. Guiding clients in a big event last summer, Capt. Tricia and I put our groups of four anglers each on an incredible trout bite for two days, and allowed them to kill no fewer than eight per day over 25 inches, (one apiece) just as the law allows. Was that stuff necessary to obtain our goals as fishing guides and them as anglers? I think not; and it troubles me that we did it.
If we are going to reap the benefits of competition using natural resources, let us at least practice the sportsmanship and conservation ethic the bass and redfish guys live by. In all seriousness, they are doing things in a positive way.
Most obvious is the general format of the corporate and benefit fishing tournament. Come on guys, surely we can achieve our desired goals without an ugly slaughter fest that unfortunately leads to fish ending up in dumpsters with or without freezer burn. We have actually seen winning catches discarded after weigh-in and Heaven only knows how many of those big fish go to waste in the freezer. Organize a list of charitable or needy folks, ask each competitor if theyd like to donate their catch, and have somebody there to fillet and care for them appropriately while the anglers enjoy the rest of the festivities.
Next up and please do not brand me as a greenie weenie but, I do not comprehend why tournament teams are so hell-bent on retaining full Texas limits when the weigh-stringer for the day is so much less.
Please consider the Shallowsport Owners Tournament, one of the biggest and most successful on the Texas coast. Their weigh-stringer is one trout, one red, and one flounder. This event enjoys exceptional participation without trampling the fishery. I cannot imagine a better example to demonstrate that fishing is about the thrill, way more than the kill. There are ways to encourage responsible use and competition at the same time. What Im driving at are things like a "redfish spot pot" that allows everybody an even chance without freezing unnecessary poundage. Another great example is the old Marburger's Sports Tournament and its trout closest to 24-inches category. That one was very popular and you never had to kill a bunch of trophy fish to win it.
We only do this once a year you say? Thats great! But when there are three or four big kill tournaments in any given port each week of summer, you need to remember that each snowflake in an avalanche will proclaim innocence. Let's think harder about what were really trying to attain here. You want to do this again next year, right?
The stain of cheating is worst of all. So lets throw in some polygraphs before this sport of ours dies an unnecessary and untimely death.
Safety is another area that needs re-thinking. The boat race that accompanies a shotgun start will never qualify as safe boating practice. Better to let them leave as early as they like to secure their fishing spot with a start-fishing time specified in the rules. Better yet, draw numbers at the captains meeting to establish a flighted starting order. Ol Joe and his crew in the jonboat will love you for it, and so will a whole bunch of other white-knucklers.
Tournament boundaries also make sense as too often nowadays only the folks with go-fast boats can compete effectively, which is a total shame when I know full well some of the most passionate and greatest fishermen of our time still run slow beater boats. Its not about speed, and they never tried to buy that advantage, but you sure won't see them participate because of those who do.
Chamber of Commerce people please listen up; if greater participation is your goal, then modern reality suggests separate divisions between May and September. Your lure guys will usually have a hard time competing with live crack and your bait guys usually laugh at those who try. Just sayin....
A final observation is giving back to a limited resource instead of just using it for party favors and brownie points. Heck, we can probably take corporate clients bowling or golfing and still get the deal signed. It is likely there will come a time when tournaments will have to pony up a pounds-killed fee, penalized accordingly for using resources belonging to all of us for personal or corporate gain. This one might need to happen sooner than later if you give it enough thought.
In short, within certain venues, I think we have all seen tournaments grow from the occasional great event to the current plethora with ability to strain the sustainability of the ecosystem. If we feel the need to compete by using our natural resources, lets be responsible leaders and try to promote things beyond immediate human interests. Competition is fun, potentially beneficial and productive in many ways, but only if we do it the right way. Lets beat more than our fellow competitors; lets also beat the odds of continued great fishing!
Ayn Rand said, A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.
Lately, the topic of inshore saltwater fishing tournaments has become about as controversial as red vs. blue states in this election year. You either love the way things are running currently or you absolutely hate (and are very concerned about) the number of fishing tournaments being held, the direction of the sport of competitive angling, even the intent and methods of those doing the directing.
Our editor has commissioned me to go here this month and my basic contention is that with a bit of foresight and tweaking there can be better balance achieved for the good of the whole group, not to mention the good of the fisheries we are using.
Let me first say that fishing tournaments can be good or, they can be bad, and weve all seen at least a little of each. So with that said I would like to review the distinguishing factors.
Participating anglers are afforded some chance at recognition while fishing guides and sponsors can gain valuable exposure. I can speak well to the career boost aspect as I basically came out of the tournament crowd winning at both amateur and pro levels in the old Gulf Coast Troutmasters among others, and then being privileged to guide clients to wins in various events.
To further qualify my position, please do not accuse me of sailing in from the balcony just this morning. I believe my personal experiences over several decades have served as an observation platform to better field feedback from fishing clients, tourney anglers, magazine readers, and everyday fishermen. My bottom line is this for whatever good tournaments can and might contribute, we can do better and we certainly need to.
On the positive side; there is the obvious economic bump to an otherwise sleepy fishing village in the form of increased lodging and food service revenues when a tournament comes to town and also for starving fishing guides hired by tourney teams. Equally beneficial, solid money can be raised for worthy causes.
On the negative, many folks are adamant that high-stakes fishing tourneys bring out the worst behavior in fishermen and that they can (and actually do) often ruin an otherwise cosmic day for everyday people on the water. I have to agree to an extent, especially if you consider what might befall Uncle Joe in his tin boat taking a bunch of teen-aged hopefuls for a fun day on the water that just happens to also be tournament day. Lets dig a little deeper, even if it hurts.
Blasting through a line of waders or drifters simply because you are fishing a tournament will never make a good enough excuse. Monetary gain or prestige at weigh-in can and unfortunately will trump any normal sense of morals and boating etiquette for some. But trust me guys, a win WILL NOT make your penis any bigger. Put yourself in Uncle Joes booties, who really has the holier rightUncle Joe or the tournament crowd? Look back and ask yourself whether any of the guys you cut-off or burned will see you as a true champion. Granted, the corporate and benefit tournament is capable of inspiring a sense of camaraderie, networking, etc., and fostering stronger bonds between vendors and customers is valuable in many ways but, do we really have to ruin a precious day on the water for others when the prize is a mere piece of wood or plastic to decorate a shelf until we tire of it?
Heres a close-to-home example of things we sometimes find ourselves doing under tournament influence. Guiding clients in a big event last summer, Capt. Tricia and I put our groups of four anglers each on an incredible trout bite for two days, and allowed them to kill no fewer than eight per day over 25 inches, (one apiece) just as the law allows. Was that stuff necessary to obtain our goals as fishing guides and them as anglers? I think not; and it troubles me that we did it.
If we are going to reap the benefits of competition using natural resources, let us at least practice the sportsmanship and conservation ethic the bass and redfish guys live by. In all seriousness, they are doing things in a positive way.
Most obvious is the general format of the corporate and benefit fishing tournament. Come on guys, surely we can achieve our desired goals without an ugly slaughter fest that unfortunately leads to fish ending up in dumpsters with or without freezer burn. We have actually seen winning catches discarded after weigh-in and Heaven only knows how many of those big fish go to waste in the freezer. Organize a list of charitable or needy folks, ask each competitor if theyd like to donate their catch, and have somebody there to fillet and care for them appropriately while the anglers enjoy the rest of the festivities.
Next up and please do not brand me as a greenie weenie but, I do not comprehend why tournament teams are so hell-bent on retaining full Texas limits when the weigh-stringer for the day is so much less.
Please consider the Shallowsport Owners Tournament, one of the biggest and most successful on the Texas coast. Their weigh-stringer is one trout, one red, and one flounder. This event enjoys exceptional participation without trampling the fishery. I cannot imagine a better example to demonstrate that fishing is about the thrill, way more than the kill. There are ways to encourage responsible use and competition at the same time. What Im driving at are things like a "redfish spot pot" that allows everybody an even chance without freezing unnecessary poundage. Another great example is the old Marburger's Sports Tournament and its trout closest to 24-inches category. That one was very popular and you never had to kill a bunch of trophy fish to win it.
We only do this once a year you say? Thats great! But when there are three or four big kill tournaments in any given port each week of summer, you need to remember that each snowflake in an avalanche will proclaim innocence. Let's think harder about what were really trying to attain here. You want to do this again next year, right?
The stain of cheating is worst of all. So lets throw in some polygraphs before this sport of ours dies an unnecessary and untimely death.
Safety is another area that needs re-thinking. The boat race that accompanies a shotgun start will never qualify as safe boating practice. Better to let them leave as early as they like to secure their fishing spot with a start-fishing time specified in the rules. Better yet, draw numbers at the captains meeting to establish a flighted starting order. Ol Joe and his crew in the jonboat will love you for it, and so will a whole bunch of other white-knucklers.
Tournament boundaries also make sense as too often nowadays only the folks with go-fast boats can compete effectively, which is a total shame when I know full well some of the most passionate and greatest fishermen of our time still run slow beater boats. Its not about speed, and they never tried to buy that advantage, but you sure won't see them participate because of those who do.
Chamber of Commerce people please listen up; if greater participation is your goal, then modern reality suggests separate divisions between May and September. Your lure guys will usually have a hard time competing with live crack and your bait guys usually laugh at those who try. Just sayin....
A final observation is giving back to a limited resource instead of just using it for party favors and brownie points. Heck, we can probably take corporate clients bowling or golfing and still get the deal signed. It is likely there will come a time when tournaments will have to pony up a pounds-killed fee, penalized accordingly for using resources belonging to all of us for personal or corporate gain. This one might need to happen sooner than later if you give it enough thought.
In short, within certain venues, I think we have all seen tournaments grow from the occasional great event to the current plethora with ability to strain the sustainability of the ecosystem. If we feel the need to compete by using our natural resources, lets be responsible leaders and try to promote things beyond immediate human interests. Competition is fun, potentially beneficial and productive in many ways, but only if we do it the right way. Lets beat more than our fellow competitors; lets also beat the odds of continued great fishing!
Ayn Rand said, A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.