In the June issue of Bassmaster Magazine, I wrote a column with the headline, “Just Enough Tourneys.”
As that headline clearly suggests, it was written as a response to all of the keyboard warriors out there who keep insisting we have too many tournaments on lakes across the country.
They feel our lakes and our fish populations are getting hammered, and the only way to fix that is to put a cap on the number of tournaments held.
I love promoting discussion about important topics like this one — and in 25 years of writing, I’ve learned there’s no better way to promote discussion than to ruffle a few feathers.
That column certainly did that, but I stand by its main points — and no matter how many times I’m called out on social media, I always will.
While I agree that our fish populations need to be protected, especially during these hot summer months when they’re most vulnerable, keeping anglers off the water will always be a bad idea.
Restrictions like that always favor the wealthy, the privileged and that strangely entitled individual who just happens to lift a glass once a month with a member of the city council.
In states like Alabama — which I call home — it would be easy to predict which tournaments would survive such a restriction and which ones would die an unceremonious death.
That big 250-boat tournament on Saturday with a $250 entry fee and a $10,000 first-place prize? That one would be safe.
The one you enjoy fishing from 6 to
9 p.m. on Tuesday night with a $25 entry fee and a winner’s purse that doesn’t cover the gas you spent getting there and back?
It’d be gone with no apologies.
You’ll never find me rooting for such restrictions. In fact, you’ll probably always be able to come to this space and find me preaching about how silly and prejudicious they are.
If we, as bass anglers, truly want to protect the fish, then let’s focus on the fish — and not on bullying the fishermen.
Ladies, I always prefer the word “angler” because it’s more inclusive. But I hope you understand “fishermen” just flows better there.
Let’s protect the fish by putting stricter regulations on all tournaments. What does that mean? I don’t know, I’m not a fisheries biologist.
But off the top of my head, I’m thinking an 18-inch minimum length limit from the day after Memorial Day until the day after Labor Day in places where the summer heat index often reaches triple digits and water temperatures often push into the 90s.
Does the thought of fishing for 18-inch fish — instead of the usual 12-inch keepers we’ve all become accustomed to — scare you? If so, you’re probably better off keeping your money in your pocket anyway.
Maybe the number’s not 18. Maybe it’s 15 or 16. Maybe it’s different for every lake based on the health of that lake at the moment. But it would almost certainly mean fewer bass in less-crowded livewells.
We could even take it a step further by imposing a three-fish limit for all summer tournaments. This one bothers me a little bit because five fish has been the tournament standard for so long.
But if it means protecting more fish for just a few months out of the year in particularly perilous times, so be it.
Of course, we’d have to adjust to a new standard. I mean, 20 pounds has long been the benchmark for success in tournament fishing. But maybe on the summer tournament circuit in some states we could be happy with three that weighed 15 pounds. That’s still pretty good.
I’m sure every potential measure I’ve mentioned is flawed in some way. But you get the general idea.
If we want to protect fish, then let’s put together legislation that protects the fish without punishing the fishermen (and again, you know I mean anglers).
I’ve watched slowly through the years as the hunting world has been overtaken by the wealthy and the privileged. I don’t want to see that happen to fishing.
Let’s not hand one of our last free, public pastimes to a bunch of folks more concerned about keeping you off their spots during the week than they are about truly protecting anything.