Pro vs Joe

[TOXIC]

First off, everybody think before they answer.  No emotional outbursts!!

 

The age old question comes up all the time about guys fishing the bent rod pattern, spot poaching, encroaching, etc.  Here's my question:

 

When a "professional" trail comes to your home body of water, FLW/Elite Series/Weekend Series/Opens, do you fish or do you find another activity for the weekend?  Now I'm going to eliminate the obvious answers....

 

It's a public body of water....fish it.

These are pro's who feed their families by fishing.....don't fish it, stay off the water.

 

I'll give my opinion and why.  I fish the Potomac where all summer long you will not find a weekend when there are no tournaments and some of the tournaments are higher level.  Personally, I have hosted Elite Series anglers at my home on many occasions while pre-fishing and actually during the tournament and my experience is that at that level, they expect there to be "locals" on the water whether it be jetskis/pontoons/wakeboats and or other fishermen.  IT becomes a problem when the local anglers follow them and then fish behind them or compete for the same spots so my answer is a blend.  Will I fish?  Yes.  Will I vacate any area a pro pulls into?  Yes again.  And yes, I am aware some of the "Pro's" are not so "Pro"fessional at times but I feel that I can and should giveway to them.  Not to say that I don't personally know of situations where the pro got totally out of line as well with local anglers.  What say you?

 

[.ghoti.]

An easy question to answer. I'll go elsewhere.

[TOXIC]

2 minutes ago, .ghoti. said:

An easy question to answer. I'll go elsewhere.

You would think.....but I have seen some heated discussions for both sides.  

[A-Jay]

I believe there will be an array of responses here.

Some on both sides of the fence & even a few 'in the middle'.

Perhaps if an angler is not at all a fan of tournament fishing or a competitive angler themselves, there could be a certain disregard for the derby participants.  This may or may not impede the contestants. 

If an angler happens to be a tournament fan or even a lower level participant - they could see fit to stand off or give way - and perhaps use this as an opportunity to learn.

I'm not a tournament participant but am a fan, so I'm hanging around to 'watch the show' but not fishing at all until it's over.

I will add that I'm in a part of the country where there are only a few local derbies on only the biggest waters so it would never really cut into 'my fishing time' which could be a determining factor for some anglers who have only a limited time on the water.

A-Jay

[J Francho]

I don't follow them around, but if I'm already fishing a spot, and one shows up, it would depend on the spot whether I'd stay or leave.  Some places fish small, some large.  I've fished club tournaments alongside Elite or Open level tournaments on Oneida.  No one was hurting for room.  I fished right next to Jaime Hartman, who was leading a northern open at the time.  The spot we had in common was pretty small, so I moved several yards away, and let him have the prime spot.  I ended up moving to a bridge piling close by.  He won that open, and I won my club tournament.  I believe he had two more pounds than I.

[Redlinerobert]

If there's a big tournament happening and you're there fishing in spots where the pros are likely to fish, you could alter the outcome of the tournament. 

 

You don't see two guys playing catch on the field during an NFL game.  And yes, I know, the water is 'public' all the time and you have the 'right' to fish it anytime you want.   These guys are fishing for a paycheck.  You're not. 

[.ghoti.]

3 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

You would think.....but I have seen some heated discussions for both sides.  

I hear ya. Let's hope we don't generate any "heat" about it here.

[Choporoz]

I don't fish tournaments, nor do I follow the pros.  I was somewhat interested when the elites were here last year, but I wasn't on the water when they were.  That said, I suppose I would be very unlikely to move from a spot that I was fishing just because a pretty boat roared up.  As to my 'altering the outcome'...wow...I don't see it that way....and even if I did, I don't think I'd care...if the spot I'm fishing is the only one on the lake/river that might allow that pro to be successful today,.....well, perhaps he's in over his head.  I'm also probably pretty likely to want to watch and learn from someone who appears to know what they're doing....so, I'm sure that I'd faux pas all over the place and talk to or interrupt or otherwise get in their way

[J Francho]

BTW, I've NEVER had a real pro be disrespectful.  Dean Rojas asked if he could cut along side me to get to fish he saw yesterday.  He never got any closer than 20 yards.  Timmy Horton was hysterical.  "I bet you caught my fish that's over here. " I'm like, "nope, nothing, but KVD beat this place up pretty bad." "That don't bug me, KVD doesn't know how fish right anyway."

BAHAHAHA!

 

The only issues I've gotten were "wanabe pros."

[Doelman]

I pay for a fishing license and I pay taxes, I have every right to be on that public body of water fishing.  With that said, if I know there's going to be a tournament I'll avoid that lake, but if I get there and there happens to be a tournament, I'm going to fish.  I'm not going to follow anyone or try to fish their spots, but I'm not going to move if they want to fish the spot I'm already at.  I work 5 days out of the week, someone who fishes for a living is not going to get any pity from me if I catch one of their fish. Dealing with other fisherman is part of fishing, if me fishing my spots is going to stop someone from putting food on the table, they should probably do the responsible thing and find another career. 

[RichF]

I just don't see the point in fishing a body of water when there's a big time tournament going on.  These events only last 4 days! It's not like they're gonna be on that particular body of water all year long. Let them do their thing.  

 

And yes, fishing the spots they find can absolutely have an effect on the outcome of the derby.  So many spectators will mark locations then fish after the pro leaves.  One more fish caught by the local is one more fish that will likely not be caught by the pro.  How will something like that NOT effect the outcome of the event?

 

Lastly, to say these guys need to find a different career...c'mon.  These guys have invested ridiculous amounts of money into this.  It's no different than starting your own business.  They're essentially self-employed and the vast majority work their tails off to make ends meet.  Yes, paying the $30 for a license does give you the right to fish public waters.  However, just because you have the "right" doesn't mean you can't show a little common decency and just leave these guys alone for the couple days they're on your water.  

[Outdoors]

4 hours ago, Doelman said:

I pay for a fishing license and I pay taxes, I have every right to be on that public body of water fishing.  With that said, if I know there's going to be a tournament I'll avoid that lake, but if I get there and there happens to be a tournament, I'm going to fish.  I'm not going to follow anyone or try to fish their spots, but I'm not going to move if they want to fish the spot I'm already at.  I work 5 days out of the week, someone who fishes for a living is not going to get any pity from me if I catch one of their fish. Dealing with other fisherman is part of fishing, if me fishing my spots is going to stop someone from putting food on the table, they should probably do the responsible thing and find another career. 

That and many of the pros probably have more cash than I'll ever see in person.

[J Francho]

I would say maybe the top 10% are making good money.  There's a pile of them at the bottom that barely get by.  I know quite a few that huge debt, trying to break in the top level door.

[Outdoors]

3 hours ago, J Francho said:

I would say maybe the top 10% are making good money.  There's a pile of them at the bottom that barely get by.  I know quite a few that huge debt, trying to break in the top level door.

Point taken. When writing that post, I was thinking of top names for some reason; Bill Dance, Hank Parker, etc.

[Doelman]

I have no problem with tournament fisherman, if they can make a career out of it good for them!  I wish I could.  All I'm saying is if a few recreational fisherman are keeping them from putting food on the table, they clearly aren't good enough to be career fisherman and need to find some other way to make money, especially if they have a family to take care of.

 

Maybe everyone else is in a better location than me, but it's a couple hour drive for me to get to any big water.  I'm not turning around and wasting an entire day of fishing because of a fishing tournament.  We all try to make more money to be able to afford the things we want to do that make us happy right?  If I'm out there doing what makes me happy, with the money I earned already, why should I not do that because people are on the water trying to make money for the exact same purpose?  You can't get back a lost day of fishing.

[Catt]

I know a dozen or so top level Pros, I also know a lot of guys in the Bass Champs, Bass-n-Bucks, & Texas Team Trail, & plenty in smaller tournament trails.

 

Probably 95% of them are great guys so I don't mind giving them the right of way because they will reciprocate!

[A-Jay]

Seems both sides of the fence have been spoken for - not that there's anything wrong with that.

A-Jay

[12poundbass]

It would depend on the approach from the pro. If he approached like Rojas or Horton did to J Francho I'm out of the way quicker than quick. If someone came up with a chip on their shoulders, my ears might not work.

 

That being said, I most likely wouldn't fish if there were a tourney, I'd simply watch and learn. 

 

 I fish small lakes for a reason where nobody goes. Peace and quiet, and no people.

[david in va]

  Give them the water for a few days. No big deal. And I work 5 and a half days a week!

It just boils down to the type of guy you are in general

[MichaelCopeland]

Honestly I don't think I would ever have to make the choice to either stay and fish a spot or give up my spot for the pros. I'm a bank fisherman. Unless they're fishing from the bank too, I guess I would continue fishing. It would be cool to be able to get in one their boats and just learn, keeping as quiet as possible just watching them. Don't see that happening though. Don't even really know if any big tournaments come here in my area or not. I know they don't on Lake Buhlow anyways. Not the best place for bass fishing, at least in my experience there.

[J Francho]

No one, no one, should ever mess with a bank fisherman's spot.

[MichaelCopeland]

6 minutes ago, J Francho said:

No one, no one, should ever mess with a bank fisherman's spot.

I guess if they came to the spot I was fishing from the bank, you know fishing towards the bank I was fishing, I would reel in my line and watch them to see if I could learn something. 

[NHBull]

I have yet to meet any competitor that was an ass.  Truth be told, they have gone out of their way not to ruffle the feathers of the locals.

 

On an off weekend a couple came out to just spend some time on a quiet cove.

Asked if they could join us in a private cove and taught me more about the sport in an hour that I have learned in a couple years.

 

plenty of room on the water for all.....

[J Francho]

7 minutes ago, MichaelCopeland said:

I guess if they came to the spot I was fishing from the bank, you know fishing towards the bank I was fishing, I would reel in my line and watch them to see if I could learn something. 

 

 

Anyone in a boat should give a shore/bank fisherman a wide berth, unless invited by them.  People on shore are bound to their spot, and are not afforded the same level of freedom as a boater.  But, yeah if you want to invite a boater over, go for it.  I've been flagged down and even invited a few shore guys on board after talking to them.

[MichaelCopeland]

3 minutes ago, J Francho said:

 

 

Anyone in a boat should give a shore/bank fisherman a wide berth, unless invited by them.  People on shore are bound to their spot, and are not afforded the same level of freedom as a boater.  But, yeah if you want to invite a boater over, go for it.  I've been flagged down and even invited a few shore guys on board after talking to them.

Anyone in a boat should give a shore/bank fisherman a wide berth, unless invited by them.  People on shore are bound to their spot, and are not afforded the same level of freedom as a boater.

 

 

Where I mostly get to fish, Lake Buhlow, there's a fair amount of accessible bank to fish from. Just not really alot of good cover that I can get to along it, at least that I can see anyways. In the event I was in the situation, I would invite them in to where I was fishing out of respect for their knowledge over mine and the chance to watch and learn.