Why I Quit Tournament Bass Fishing

I Googled that phrase earlier today and learned that the reasons are just as varied as I suspected they would be from the git-go. In some cases, it was because the angler had grown older and, after doing some serious risk assessment, had decided the enjoyment no longer outweighed the aches and pains involved. As one older fella put it, "If after taking three Ibuprofens before you even hit the water, followed by one every hour thereafter, you still feel miserable, it's time you found a new hobby."

In other cases, I found anglers who gave up tournament fishing because they incurred financial difficulties that dictated such a change, or because of work requirements that interfered drastically with their time on the water.

Then, however, I came across this item from an old 2012 Bass Boats Central posting, which really made a lot of sense. As explained by the dad involved, "This is why I quit tournament fishing. Connor had been asking to go fishing lately, and even with rain falling some yesterday, he couldn't wait any longer. So we loaded up with some crappie minnows and hit the water."

The dad concluded by saying, "There's not a bass trophy in the world that could compare to the two hours spent on the water with Connor and watching him reel in his first fish."

A reader of that BBC post added this commentary: "You are a 'reel' good daddy who knows his priorities, as you won't believe how fast things change in life. The opportunity to spend time with your kids goes by so quickly.

"The memories and the lessons in life your little one is getting from his folks with experiences like this are priceless. They also are very important to his future development and what kind of person he'll grow up to be. It appears he's on track to be a lot like his mom and dad, and in my opinion, that's good.

"Tournaments always will be there, and you can always fish a few when you don't have anything better to do."