An Unsolicited Assessment of Today's Tournament Bass Angler

The retired naval aviator and former Approach magazine editor pictured at right is a good friend of mine from our years together at the Naval Safety Center. These days, Jack spends a lot of time in their family lakeside property at Kerr Reservoir, where he gets a firsthand view of tournament bass anglers in action.

I had an opportunity yesterday to listen as Jack shared some of his perceptions. At the time, he, his wife, and I were invited guests to a farewell luncheon for another Naval Safety Center employee (and mutual friend of ours) who has decided it's time to "hang it up" and return home to Germany, where his wife and family reside.

Said Jack, "You always can tell when there's a tournament going on, just by the sheer number of boats that you see flying around the lake." He seemed particularly taken by the fact the boats always appear to be running wide open. "And when they pull into an area to fish, I'll bet they don't spend 15 minutes there before they're off and running again," he added.

"That's what they call 'running and gunning,'" I explained. I told him about a few instances I've encountered over the years when I saw tournament anglers pull up to a spot, throw over the trolling motor, and start fan casting--for maybe all of 5 minutes, at best--sometimes without ever removing their lifejacket or even killing the gas motor. I also told him about the one time Pop was with me when we witnessed such an occasion and how he never forgot that event in all the years afterward. It always was one of the highlights of our conversations whenever I visited him and Mom.

Something else that Jack finds fascinating is the casting accuracy of these tournament anglers. "I've watched guys sit there and toss a lure into what appears to be the exact same spot three and four times in a row. How much better can you possibly get than that?" he asked. "How do they do it?"

At this juncture in our conversation, I explained to my friend what I've heard from and read about some of these anglers. I talked about how they will create settings in their garage or backyard that resemble a bass boat's raised casting deck, then practice pitching and flipping lures to something as small as a distant Styrofoam coffee cup. In some cases, they do this for hours on end. "That's how they become so proficient," I said.

"But I see them catch so few fish," Jack countered. "I'll bet I haven't seen more than two fish boated," he said.

"That's why they don't stay long," I reminded him. "You have to remember all these guys are on a deadline, just like we used to be with our magazines. They have 'X' number of hours to boat a limit of fish, and then only those with the top weights go home with a paycheck."

The one thing that seems to bother Jack about the tournament bass anglers is their seemingly total disregard for the small boaters. "They don't affect me much in my pontoon boat," he said, "but I watch some folks in small craft get bounced around pretty good after one of those high-speed bass boats passes them."

I didn't really have an explanation for these actions that would satisfy even me, much less Jack or anyone else. The reality here is that it would take a lot more law enforcement on all the waterways than any governing body can afford to tame the monster that has been let loose as manufacturers build bigger and faster boats. Compound that problem with out-of-control adrenaline rushes and testosterone levels, as well as just plain bad headwork, and, for lack of a better way of saying it, "what you see is what you get." As I told Jack, "I have no delusions. I know, beyond any doubt, that it's just going to get worse."

As it turns out, situations between property owners and bass fishermen on major impoundments can be much more testy than anything my friend, Jack, apparently has encountered thus far. I offer as an example for your reading pleasure this link: http://www.kicknbass.com/anglers_and_property_owners.htm. Author Jerry Drazer discusses some issues affecting both sides as it pertains to lakes in the State of Indiana.

And if you think the same kinds of conflicts don't arise on lakes elsewhere, you have another think coming. I've personally witnessed similar incidents during fun-fishing trips to Lake Gaston with my good friend, Jim Bauer. You might be surprised what'll bring a property owner bursting out his door or chasing you down on a jet ski--yes, that latter actually happened to Jim and me.

The best advice I can give you is to put on your listening ears and watch what you say, especially if you're fishing the lake as an out-of-town guest.