I fish tournaments. I'm not a wannabe pro fisherman, I know my limitations and the friendly competition is what I like, a little money wagered, not a lot. I don't have a wrapped, stickered, or power poled boat. In fact my boat probably isn't as expensive/fancy as some of you on here talking about "hating tournament fishermen". Have any of you ever engaged in a friendly game of poker? Shot trap with friends? or Played a pick up game of basketball? Any of those for the bragging rights until next time? What is the difference? Yeah, so tournaments start early and they beat you to some spots? So what? Either get there earlier or go elsewhere. No point in complaining about it, you have just as much right as they do to be there, beat them to that spot.

I have had no trouble with people fishing tournaments. I have fished tournaments on medium sized lakes and small lakes without any issue. Most tournaments, I talk with competitors in my tournament, or in other tournaments if they happen to be in the same cove. I enjoy the challenge of trying to catch a limit in a given amount of time. It's just fun for me.

As stated above, I've had more trouble out of pleasure boaters in runabouts than I have tournament fishermen. I was pleasure fishing on Green River Lake last year along a bluff wall and had a guy drive his pleasure boat within 100 feet of me, drop off a wakeboarder, then proceed to hammer down, turn right around and blast past me at full speed. I was almost washed into the bluff wall. This was in a spot that for at least 2000-2500 ft. across the lake was at least 30' deep. That's what makes me angry, not someone beating me to a spot.


Of course, I don't fish KY/Barkley, so maybe there is a different set of people down there than I see here in central KY...