Sad day for KY anglers

[TritonKTB]

A few of our fellow anglers are really giving the majority of us a bad name. Down on KY lake there's guys following the pros around marking their spots. This wouldn't be bad if they were going to fish them next weeknd but these guys are going to be on them at first light in the morning long before the pros launch at 8AM. I know the BFL guys want to make it to the regional but the pros depend on catching fish to make their living. It's SAD. I watched the day 1 and 2 weigh in and a lot of pros talked about guys coming by them within 25ft on plane marking their spots on GPS. There is several stories on Bassmaster.com about it.

[Dave Stewart]

I read those stories and I did not see anywhere where they mentioned that some of the elite pros were following us guides and other people that were fishing tournaments around while we were fishing earlier this week during practice. I guess that is ok because they are "Elite".

It is possible I am sure that some folks may be following them around and gps'ing the spots they are on...but there is no way the pros can tell that those folks are fishing the BFL...come on...could you tell who is out there right now on the water that will be fishing the BFL three days from now?.....didn't think so...use some common sense here...these guys are whining about this just to try to disuade anyone from fishing a spot they are on. I can tell you one thing...none of them are fishing any "secret" spots that we locals don't know.

[LarryG]

Get real. Hot fishing spots are probably 75% visible to anyone with a minimal amount of fishing skill. A part of the remainder are available to some mid grade sonar units, and some of trhe remaing small % are man made hidden magnets.I've seen some of these tourny guys roar up to spot, fish it 5 minutes, crank up the engine and zoom away, a couple of minutes later, here comes another fishermen, and this goes on all day. Its equitment, and technique thats makes them different from us recreational anglers. Guides are something else, what they learn is through experience on thier home turf. My cousin was a musky guide in northern wisc. Knew several good lakes, and when and how to fish them. We went musky fishing on a lake in Ill., and he didn't have any idea on how to fish it.

[TritonKTB]

Dave
The point of my post was not to say if it was a BFL angler or whoever. It was also not wether a pro followed a guide which no one is talking about. My point was that no matter what sight you go to covering this event (Bassfan, Basszone, Bassmaster etc) they are all saying the same things. KY anglers are coming in on them and GPS'ing their spots which gives us all a bad name. Naturally they are saying BFL anglers because those tournaments are run by their competition (FLW). A lot of those BFL guys are as good as any pro on these lakes. These tournaments bring in a tremendous amount of revenue to the area from the anglers and the fans. In today's economy we need all the tourism dollars we can. If they complain enough, BASS will think twice about coming back to KY lake in the future. 2006 was the first big BASS tournament on the lake since 1993.
We have an awesome fishery on KY and Barkley and I'll guarantee that multiple times in next week's ESPN broadcast they will mention anglers coming in on them when the focus should be on our fishery.

[thebassman30]

This is unbelievably poetic! I can't tell you how many times I've been disrepectfully treated by a tournament fisherman. Recently, during a BFL in April, I was in a small pocket...only big enough for two boats. South KY, opposite the LBL. Dave this was the Wednesday after you were catching some 6-7 lbers schooled up in creeks on South KY. Anyway, back to my story, it was about 1 p.m. and these guys where watching us sticking fish. The jumped around us, fish the entire bank, main lake point, boat dock, until they came back into the pocket with us...past us...then chatted us up. They were from Florida and said they were fishing the BFL.....like that makes it okay! We could'nt even turn around till they left....like being check'd by the warden.

One other post I saw had it right. There are always going to be people (fun fisherman or tourney) who make bad decisions out of desperation. It boils down to a little respect out on the water. The great thing about KY is that you can have several tournaments or (great fisherman) on the lakes and still go find fish that you'll have to yourself. If you're on a lake like Barren River, there is no place to go. They'll just roll up on the same point your on, cut you off, go between you and the point, etc. Amazing and when calmly asked "What are you doing?" they say "I'm prefish'n for a tourney or "I'm fishing a tourney" like that makes it okay. Bottomline and my point is that good fisherman DON'T have to do this. So I got to believe that if your whining about this type of pressure you aren't going to win anyway and your just bitter. It's very sad if this coverage gets any air time, because the locals don't deserve it. That is a special place for us and we love the people down there.
Mark

[LarryG]

I have had the same story many times, do you mind we are fishing a tournament. BS!!! I got there early, didn't wait for a blast off, and am a rec fishermen,90% of the game fish are returned right then and there. Bass fishermen are getting bad raps, and more and more of them deserve it. They are almost getting as bad as water lice[jet skis].

[LarryG]

And another thing, think they wont be back to a lake? Not all fishermen are bass orientated, some dont give a hoot for them, yet they get muscled out of spots, almost ran over, and looked at like circus freaks because they aren't bass fishing.Its called fishing tackle first.

[Fishin_4_Fun]

The waypoint marking works both ways, elite anglers marking locals, and locals marking elites. How are the elite anglers so sure that the ones marking their points are in the BFL, and are going to be on their spot the next day anyway. Who's to say they weren't recreational fishermen who marked spot to fish next week, next month, next year, or whenever. The elite anglers who have discretely found several schools of fish, in practice, and have saved a few spots for the last couple of tourney days will do ok anyway. The elite angler who marked a locals spot to catch fish, and doesn't have any other places to catch fish will by crying about someone "stealing" their spot.

[Swift1]

Being on the water quite a bit I see uneducated , disrespectful, uncaring people all the time, whether it be tournament fishers or just out fun fishing . Its really sad the way our society is decaying. I see it more off the water than I do on the water, people pulling out in front of other people not caring if it causes major accidents...Its the "I got to get mine mentallity screw the rest". Pretty sad but I guess its the "new" American way.........and its only getting worse.

[Col Forbin]

Dave hit the nail on the head, there aren't really any secrets on this lake. I have heard to some of the local guys refer to places as my ledge, and it is usually the one that sticks out like a sore thumb on map. Everybody that fishes takes notice of others around them, regardless of the level. Don't think that if I see Terry Bolton's yamaha wrapped boat sitting on a ledge that I am not going to give it a try later, I will. But I won't approach it with him on it, I will wait until later that day or the next. I won't GPS it either. I would rather get my map out and try to figure out why he is sitting there. If he, or any of these guys, were concerned about it being a secret, they would not be practicing in thier wrapped boats - pretty much a giant name tag.

I heard several of the elite guys griping this week about the BFL going on. 99% of them were co-anglers, most of the pro's don't really mind. I talked with KVD last night, and he said he didn't mind at all - it was going to put everyone at an equal disadvantage - so it isn't going help or hurt him any more than anyone else. I guess it is easy to stay positive when you are kicking everyone's butt.

I think it is going to be neat to see the bags weighed from both tournies. I would be willing to bet that there is a bigger bag in the BFL. I will put a handful of these local guys up against any of the elite guys on this lake. I have heard from people of all levels of fishing that teh LBL BFL is the most competitive division of tournaments in the country. Many of the FLW pro's say it is easier to do well on tour, than to win an LBL BFL.

[Bragger]

In my experience as a recreational fisherman, tournament fisherman are rude and disrespectful of any and all people in there way. If someone is following them to mark there spots.....so what.....it is not illegal. If they don't come back....I'm glad. But trust me, they will be back and they will try to run you over chance they get! If they see you catching fish, believe me they will move onto your spot within feet of you and will not show you any respect.

I know not all tournament anglers are this way, but in my experience the majority are! I'll tell you what is sad. The way recreational anglers are treated is sad. I have no sympathy for the tournament anglers.

[PROANGLER746]

From what I seen and heard those pros get thier info from people like us ...the locals and then use their ability to read the lake and hit the spots. If the pros or whoever want to talk and carry on then let it be and let our professionalism speak for itself. The 1% who want to screw it up, let them dig their own hole and I do believe, what goes around comes around.