After hitting a wall with ‘jerks’ who follow Elite anglers to see where they’re fishing, and move in on those spots to fish them, Michael Iaconelli took on the problem in his regular Bassmaster.com column. “Let me say it bluntly: These men are not true fans of our sport. We don’t need them,” Iaconelli wrote.
His words sparked a debate on our site and our social media accounts with over 700 comments on the topic. We’ve gathered a sampling of those responses here so you can see the highlights of the debate, without having to read all the comments yourself.
Take our poll to let us know where you stand on the issue:
Do you agree with @mike_Iaconelli‘s column about hole jumpers? https://t.co/DwaowiCz0L
— Bassmaster (@BASS_nation) June 1, 2016
“Wanna fish with the big boys make the elites.”
On Instagram man_vs_bass summed up a point we saw a lot in the debate, if these anglers want to out fish the Elites, then they should qualify for a tournament.
- man_vs_bass: These wanna be pros are pathetic … They have a point and all you sorry wannabes should stay out of their way. Wanna fish with the big boys make the elites.
- Kevin Brown: Let the Pros have their space. Mark a waypoint and fish it after the tourney. If you wanna outfish them qualify for the Elites
- Chad Bleeker: If the elites are on the water your pole should never leave the rod locker. Watch and learn. Have some respect
- Ryan Hoffmann: I’ll never understand the impulse to mess with a person trying to make a living. Drop a waypoint and come back next weekend.
Tournament anglers aren’t perfect
Several readers were quick to point out the bad behavior of Elite anglers.
- Woo Daves: You didn’t mention the other anglers in the tournament. That do the exact same thing setting the example for the guys you mentioned
- Dave Carroll: My brother was fishing a spot last year on KY Lake during BASSfest our home lake and had a couple Elites run up in him and mark his spots. So this is a double edge sword.
- Robert A. Strickland: As a recreational fisherman, I have been cut off from my bank I was fishing by tournament anglers many times. They seem to think they own the lakes just because they are in a tournament. Most of them seem to be jerks to me not the other way around.
- Markus Rodriguez: Remember when You ( Mike Iaconelli ) fished right next to KVD during a tournament?? I sure do! Practice what you preach man!
- Roland Belzer: Ike I love the tournament fishing but you guys don’t own the lake ? I would gladly move if someone were fishing in my spot, out of respect. But you guys run full blast thru us and shore with no respect that’s where I draw the line.
“It comes with the territory of being a Bass Pro.”
Is this issue really a problem? Across all the comments, there was a common thread of ‘get over it’.
- Herman Kunz: As far as the tournament itself… get over it you chose your job, as a guide i know exactly I how you feel and it is a job and work but others don’t think about it or even care you’re “having fun!”
- jporterfield20: The water is public, quit your bitching. If you don’t want someone to fish your spot, fish a private lake. I put up with people hunting my holes on WMA land all duck season, it’s part of it, quit complaining.
- cast_eazy: Personally, I would never do it because it’s disrespectful and I would hate to have it happen to me. However, these guys are the elite of the elite Bass fishermen and they should be able to, as the best in the world, figure out an alternate spot or pattern. It comes with the territory of being a Bass Pro. Not to mention, quit whining, you get paid to fish!!!! That’s my dream!!!!!!
- Buck Stephens: If you can’t find them and catch them with a little pressure around you I guess you’re not really a professional
- bengeee73: All of this isn’t a big deal? Give the Elite anglers their space, and then if you want to fish in the same area then that’s fine. Everyone is making a huge deal out of this which I don’t see why. Let the Elite series guys fish what they have found, and if you want to fish, go somewhere in the same area and fish.
- jake_johnson1123: As @fishing_with_flair would say. YOU DONT OWN THE WATER BRO
Find your own fish
Agreeing with Iaconelli, many commenters pointed out the true challenge and reward in fishing is finding your own fish.
- Coachkylemorris: Nothing in fishing is as rewarding as finding fish on your own, making the bait selection on your own and catching fish. Going about it another way is cheatin
- Jonathan Edward Rife: True fisherman find their own spots and patterns. The rest are just pretenders.
- norman2675: Fish behinders not fish finders
- Gaius Tew: Something should be done about those who follow during practice and on tournament days. Put a fine on them! BASS, FLW and others should work with Conservation Officers/Game and Fish. These jerks need to find their own fish! Courtesy should be shown in every way. Some of these jerks could not catch a fish in a bath tub!
- Brad Tramell: It’s the ethics code of fishing..Go find your own fish don’t fish another person’s spot..Same as stealing in my book..
- Steven Bates: Find your own fish. Otherwise you are poaching!
- Dan Roberts: It’s bass fishing’s version of plagiarism.
- Paul Nielsen: Anyone who needs to follow the pros around and mark spots or move in on them to fish them should go hire a local guide and learn how to fish better. Most likely they won’t be all that productive anyway.
Lack of respect the big issue.
The bulk of the comments touched on the fact that this type of behavior shows a lack of respect, and that this is a bigger problem across the sport of fishing.
- Ken Bragg: There used to be a lot of respect among competitors, and there was a lot of people who looked up to those like Rick Clunn, Hank Parker, KVD and many others. We grew up looking at them as role models and felt fortunate just to learn from them by watching. … Now times have changed and respect for anyone or anything is rare to say the least.
- Chris Johnson: Whether you are pleasure fishing or tournament fishing you should be respectful to others.
- Arthur R. Harris: It is public water financed by taxes, but common courtesy dictates to show respect. I really liked the work related analogy. These perpetrators are week minded selfish individuals that need to be exposed by showing their faces for the viewing public.
- alexfaiella24: It comes down to ethics. The water is public and the pros do not own the lake but common decency would be to let these guys fish their event for the three days it’s being held
- Jim Cheshire: Personally, I would like to see more polite behavior on the water from everyone! Older guys like me need to teach all the young guys courtesy and consideration. It’s rare these days. I’ve had guys who were so shocked when I stopped and asked if I can fish a bank that they’re close to that they didn’t even know how to answer. It shouldn’t be that way.
- Tracy Everhart: Well said Ike. Seems the only way some can understand respect is to look it up on their phones. I remember reading about a fisherman (and I use the term loosely) more like JERK sunk a battery on a structure spot that Clunn was fishing to ruin his spot. What has happened to human compassion for one another?
- Andy Costa: Easy answer – if you talk with them and be nice and maybe kindly ask them if they could give you the spot – maybe that would work! Seems to work for other elites – that’s 100% true I have witnessed it. Who would of thought being nice and kind would work! Maybe even gain another fan and follower.
“Is there any other pro sport that allows spectators on the playing field?”
When coming up with possible solutions to the issue, commenters focused on the issue of tournament waters being open to the public. While some asked for tournament areas to be closed to the public, others balked at the idea.
- Michael Scimone: It may come down to a simple solution and that’s just close the lake. Don’t allow other anglers on the lake. I only make this statement as someone who use to bowl competitively and is now an avid bass angler. The bowling alley would be close to non competitors and open bowling would resume after the tournament.
- rogersimmons59: The lake should be no fishing allowed during major bass tournaments
- jepan70: Is there any other pro sport that allows spectators on the playing field? Maybe I can drive my car at the next Dayton 500 or play catch at a Yankee game. Just saying it’s seems strange that spectators are allowed on the water during a pro bass tournament
- c0per32: Where would it end? Next we couldn’t fish during practice either and when they fish a river system could we not fish the entire river system? Some of the pros do some pretty big runs in the chains of lakes here in Florida. You can’t sensibly say fishing is closed for an entire chain of lakes. Most of the
- spjim_howard1954: If you start closing lakes for tournaments you will lose a ton of support. I agree there needs to be lake rules that are enforced with fines such as no fishing within a 100 yards of another fisherman and that should be all the time.
- Brian Hunter: As much money that is involved, maybe the State could close the lake to public boating/fishing during the week of the tournament. {for elite tournaments, especially the Classic, etc. }
- Charles Duke: You can’t complain about the public when you CHOSE a career fishing public waters!! Lemme guess, cab drivers should be able to honk in traffic, and everyone should just get out of their way because they’re working?? They chose a career driving public roads just as the pros chose a career fishing public waters.. Stop crying
Didn’t get to share your open on Mike’s column last week? Please let us know where you stand on the issue in the comments below.