Watchin Aaron Martins WHINE at Guntersville.........

[shemwelljr]

I don't think tournaments are hurting our fisheries. G-ville is one of the most pressured tournament lakes around and they were catching over 200 fish a day with over 100 of them being keeper sized fish. I would back off in a heart beat if a FLW or BASS angler fishing a tournament asked me to fish a spot. I mean this is what they do for a living and they are fishing for $100,000 +. Now I probably wouldn't do that for a weekend tournament fisherman because I wouldn't expect them to do it for me because I'm not doing it for a living. Big difference

I don't know about you, but the opportunity to make $100k for a weekend of fishing is much more than making a "living", as though you are killing their children with starvation while you maintain your fishing spot. The weekend tournament fisherman that you wouldn't move for may be the guy needing that extra money moreso to actually pay some ordinary bill or put a little extra food on the table than the guy that can make a six figure income, putting him well above most of us, in one tournament.

You're right, there is a big difference.

[RC5]

Well the way you all see it is that if I got to your place of employment and set at your desk before you get there; it's then my desk... Sorry bout your luck pal, get a new job. It's sad that some people are so unskilled that they have to stalk someone and jump on a spot to try to make a couple dollars and brag to their buddies about how they found their fish and the dumb Elite Series guys were catching the fish he rightfully stole.

[cra97]

Man this thread is thought provoking, not to mention PACKED with good arguments on both sides of the issue. Here is my take, considering ALL I have read do far: 1) Aaron should try and curve his whinning to gain more fans from his "skills" as a fisherman. 2) People who "hole sit" are just plain jerks (IF they followed him to find the spot and no themselves, that is BS). 3) Everyone has the right to continue fishing their spot, or move if politely asked to do so. 4) Pro's should be able to hit more than one place, if the first one is "taken", and not have to worry about relying on just one honey hole to win. 5) There are to many people who throw ALL "tourney anglers" into a sterotype that I think is just as wrong to do as what they are saying about other issues here. 6) Its nice that people on here can agree to disagree and it not get "personal". 7) Lastly, there are some REALLY opinionated people (many the same as in other threads) that feel stongly about everthing all the time.

The last is the most funny to me because if you are always right, how can you ever learn anything? Anyway, good thread and thanks for all the great debates that are on here that have been done with such class. Good read.

Rob Appleby
689-5528

[mhall]

Well the way you all see it is that if I got to your place of employment and set at your desk before you get there; it's then my desk... Sorry bout your luck pal, get a new job. It's sad that some people are so unskilled that they have to stalk someone and jump on a spot to try to make a couple dollars and brag to their buddies about how they found their fish and the dumb Elite Series guys were catching the fish he rightfully stole.

That's the most ridiculous comparison I've heard on here in a long time.....PAL.

[bassman_ky]

If you remenber Jeremy Starks had the same thing happen to him at Wheeler. Someone watched him fish all weekend and then come in on his spot. He didnt whine or complain. He sat their waited for them to leave and then fished. He was upset and who wouldnt be. Aaron needs to watch and learn how he dealt with it. My buddy and I were talkin yesterday. Would like to have had a jetski and really givin Martens an excuse to cry.

[Jbyrd]

Well the way you all see it is that if I got to your place of employment and set at your desk before you get there; it's then my desk... Sorry bout your luck pal, get a new job. It's sad that some people are so unskilled that they have to stalk someone and jump on a spot to try to make a couple dollars and brag to their buddies about how they found their fish and the dumb Elite Series guys were catching the fish he rightfully stole.

WHOA rc5 Get your facts straight first !!!! Those elite guys are good but MOST of them are finding these spots by CALLING locals and good buddies that they have fished with before . IT HAPPENS just ask around !!!! They don't just luck up on these spots... DON't GET ME WRONG THEY CAN FISH... but NOT all the hot spots are "just found"

[00SKEETER]

I don't know about you, but the opportunity to make $100k for a weekend of fishing is much more than making a "living", as though you are killing their children with starvation while you maintain your fishing spot. The weekend tournament fisherman that you wouldn't move for may be the guy needing that extra money moreso to actually pay some ordinary bill or put a little extra food on the table than the guy that can make a six figure income, putting him well above most of us, in one tournament.

You're right, there is a big difference.

Are you kidding me??? If the guy is needing that extra little bit of money than he should saved his entry fee money in the first place and used it for groceries.
And you're right it's an "opportunity" to make $100K it's not guaranteed. These guys are not guranteed a pay check at the end of the week like most of us. It would be the toughest job you have ever had, it's not just a fun weekend of fishing to them.

[Tim_T]

Are you kidding me??? If the guy is needing that extra little bit of money than he should saved his entry fee money in the first place and used it for groceries.

Exactly, that is like being $25 short of your rent and you spend the money you have to go to bingo or play the lottery. If you are needing tournament money to put food on the table, it is time to sell the boat and all of the expensive gear and do what is right. Of course in this day and age that is highly unlikely.

If you think these guys don't want to mess with the pro's then you are not paying attention. At Kentucky Lake last year guys were following KVD around and marking his spots and then going out to fish those spots before he could get there, same thing happened to Jeremy Starks. At Smith Mountain Lake there was a planned tournament on the four days of the BASS tourney there. Guess what it was called: Beat The Elites. Fortunately there were not enough idiots and fools to sign up and the tourney never happened.

[Dave Stewart]

Exactly, that is like being $25 short of your rent and you spend the money you have to go to bingo or play the lottery. If you are needing tournament money to put food on the table, it is time to sell the boat and all of the expensive gear and do what is right. Of course in this day and age that is highly unlikely.

If you think these guys don't want to mess with the pro's then you are not paying attention. At Kentucky Lake last year guys were following KVD around and marking his spots and then going out to fish those spots before he could get there, same thing happened to Jeremy Starks. At Smith Mountain Lake there was a planned tournament on the four days of the BASS tourney there. Guess what it was called: Beat The Elites. Fortunately there were not enough idiots and fools to sign up and the tourney never happened.

I guess those Elite guys that followed me around during their practice last year or the ones that followed the locals coming out of the weekly Tuesday night tournament at the Moor's were just sight seeing....it works both ways. I am out there every day making a living also.

[sflam123]

We have been fishing KY Lake off and on for about 12 years now. During the BASS Elite tourney in 2006 we were fishing a spot I had found on my own and fished for several years when Matt Reed pulled up and asked very politely if he could fish. My wife and I willingly moved. He was polite and courteous. We sat a distance away and watched him fish and we learned a great deal. He positioned his boat very differently from how I typically did and threw his baits at different angles. He caught fish that we had missed. The point being there is a lot to learn by watching these guys.

To Dave Stewart's credit, I have seen him go by spots he would like to fish when other people have been on them. We have moved off a spot when a guide has pulled up out of respect for the guys trying to earn a living on the lake.

Aaron Marten's whining and crying on TV just repeated a pattern that he had already demonstrated several times before. A leopard does not change his spots. With that said...fishing tournament pros and lake/fishing guides are trying to make a living fishing. We are fishing as a hobby. Should we find ourselves in a similar situation, we should ask ourselves "How would I feel if that guy were trying to keep me from earning my paycheck with HIS hobby?" Ultimately though it is an individual decision on whether to move or not.

[mhall]

I guess those Elite guys that followed me around during their practice last year or the ones that followed the locals coming out of the weekly Tuesday night tournament at the Moor's were just sight seeing....it works both ways. I am out there every day making a living also.

Tell'em Dave!

[Tim_T]

I guess those Elite guys that followed me around during their practice last year or the ones that followed the locals coming out of the weekly Tuesday night tournament at the Moor's were just sight seeing....it works both ways. I am out there every day making a living also.

Never said it didn't work both ways Dave, but were any of those guys trying to beat you to your spot so they could play "Beat the guide?" If so, that is just as wrong as what the guy was doing at guntersville.