I’ve been tournament fishing since I was in high school 20+ years and I do understand the frustration you show up at your lake and it’s packed or they are in a big rush everywhere. But tournaments do a lot for bass fishing. We wouldn’t have the quality fisheries we do if it wasn’t for catch and release and that’s something tournaments pushed. All the new lures, electronics, boats ect a lot of that comes from the competition of tournaments.
The biggest complaint I’ve heard is why should tournament anglers get special treatment. By working with tournaments your providing a huge economic boost the area. Large national tournaments have avoided Cumberland, Laurel and dale hollow due to size regulations costing the state millions. Not just what the tournaments bring but by showcasing what can be caught will bring in tourism. For years Florida hurt themselves with regulations but attracted big pro events partly by allowing tournament exemptions. Normally you can only keep one fish over 16in. And the result has been more and more people going winter fishing there not that they needed more tourists lol.
Another point not mentioned is it promotes better fish care. I participated in a test event and they made sure we had aerators and the exemption will not be available in summer months when fish mortality is higher. As a result if the exemption is available more tournaments will be scheduled in spring and fall.
Will a few more bass die because of the exemption? Yes in cases where more fish are weighed in but I think it’s going to be very minimal. Also to be honest I’ve noticed lot of the bass that I had die in tournaments are hooked deep or in a bad spot and in my opinion would not have made it anyway, taking them for a boat ride isn’t a big factor when it’s not the summer months.
I just haven’t heard a good reason there shouldn’t be a tournament exemption vs the positives. Saying your putting more bass at risk isn’t a good point in my opinion you have to weigh the positives if that’s your reasoning for management policy you might as well outlaw live bait, barbs and treble hooks.
I guess we will find out what they decide in 2021 but for what it’s worth everyone involved in the text tournament studies and tournaments in general have also expressed their support