High School Bass Fishing

[peter]

Is it time to break part of this thread off and sent it too the off the topics forum.

Titled something like...

High School and College sports vs academics and combination thereof.

Seems like we have two distinct discussions going on.

If so please send me a PM.

Thanks

Peter

[Tim_T]

Is it time to break part of this thread off and sent it too the off the topics forum.

Titled something like...

High School and College sports vs academics and combination thereof.

Seems like we have two distinct discussions going on.

If so please send me a PM.

Thanks

Peter

Sorry Peter, I got caught up in the discussion that was turned from off topic. I am done with it and my apologies.

[sweetwater]

Sorry Peter, I got caught up in the discussion that was turned from off topic. I am done with it and my apologies.

Ditto here. I too got caught up in a subject that is near and dear to my heart.

[hairball]

Is it time to break part of this thread off and sent it too the off the topics forum.

Titled something like...

High School and College sports vs academics and combination thereof.

Seems like we have two distinct discussions going on.

If so please send me a PM.

Thanks

Peter

Peter - If my original reply to this thread was seen as being polarizing or provocative, I am truly sorry. It's just that this is something I feel very strongly about. I feel like I'm watching my country go down the tubes for a number of different reasons and the sorry state of our education system is towards the top of that list. The technological advances we enjoyed in the past are eroding and there doesn't seem to be much effort to turn that trend around. The point I was trying to make is simply that I feel there is entirely too much emphasis on extra-curricular activities in general and sports in particular. I think we owe it to our kids to coerce them to get the best education they can and they would be best served by keeping distractions to a minimum.

[peter]

Not an issue. Just thought it might have been an option to split off.
Thanks for responding.

Have a good day.

Peter

[sweetwater]

love it!! i'm gonna be on my high school fishin team this year no doubt bout it!!!

You go girl!!! Show those boys how it's done.

[Dave Stewart]

No doubt I believe that Bass Fishing as a sport at the High School level is a great idea and gives many young folks a chance to compete in a sport which otherwise they may not have had an opportunity to do in other sports, but this would also ensure a growing interest and awareness in our sport for future generations.

The probelm that I do have with the advent of this sport as a sanctioned sport is that from what I have seen, it has already become politcal. From what I have been told by a number of folks both team members and coaches, during the hgh school championships held here at Kentucky Lake this past spring, the teams were allowed to recruit their Boat Captain. Boat Captains are adults that not only drive the boat, but they also are allowed to put the teams on fish and give them advice on how to catch them. So guess what, it is any wonder then that those teams from the schools around this area used their contacts to line up guides and professional tournament anglers that live here in the local community? Is it any wonder that a local team won the championship with a local guide as their Boat Captain?

My question is this: How can a team from say, an Eastern Ky school come here and compete with teams that have local guides and professionals telling them where and what to fish....??

Seems to me this has become a competition between Boat Captains...not between the high school team members....it is a competition to see which team, team member or family member has the best contacts to a professional angler to be recruited as a Boat Captain.

I have already had a couple of high school team members tell me they quit their respective teams because of this situation.

To me, having the rules of competition to allow the Boat Captains to put the young anglers on fish during competition and then tell them how to catch them, is paramount to having their varsity Basketball team be allowed to have a UK or UL player, play on their team during competition.

Where is the level playing field in these competitions if recruited Boat Captains are allowed to make the important decisions for these kids???

I do not see this sport surviving at the high school level unless this problem is corrected...certainly it will never be a competitive sport with a level playing field unless the Boat Captains are restricted to just driving the boat and nothing else.

[Tim_T]

No doubt I believe that Bass Fishing as a sport at the High School level is a great idea and gives many young folks a chance to compete in a sport which otherwise they may not have had an opportunity to do in other sports, but this would also ensure a growing interest and awareness in our sport for future generations.

The probelm that I do have with the advent of this sport as a sanctioned sport is that from what I have seen, it has already become politcal. From what I have been told by a number of folks both team members and coaches, during the hgh school championships held here at Kentucky Lake this past spring, the teams were allowed to recruit their Boat Captain. Boat Captains are adults that not only drive the boat, but they also are allowed to put the teams on fish and give them advice on how to catch them. So guess what, it is any wonder then that those teams from the schools around this area used their contacts to line up guides and professional tournament anglers that live here in the local community? Is it any wonder that a local team won the championship with a local guide as their Boat Captain?

My question is this: How can a team from say, an Eastern Ky school come here and compete with teams that have local guides and professionals telling them where and what to fish....??

Seems to me this has become a competition between Boat Captains...not between the high school team members....it is a competition to see which team, team member or family member has the best contacts to a professional angler to be recruited as a Boat Captain.

I have already had a couple of high school team members tell me they quit their respective teams because of this situation.

To me, having the rules of competition to allow the Boat Captains to put the young anglers on fish during competition and then tell them how to catch them, is paramount to having their varsity Basketball team be allowed to have a UK or UL player, play on their team during competition.

Where is the level playing field in these competitions if recruited Boat Captains are allowed to make the important decisions for these kids???

I do not see this sport surviving at the high school level unless this problem is corrected...certainly it will never be a competitive sport with a level playing field unless the Boat Captains are restricted to just driving the boat and nothing else.

Hopefully that changes next year when the KHSAA takes over. If not, like you said I doubt it will survive for a long period of time.

[raincheck]

Thanks Dave on your input.thats how i feel about the boat & coachs.Someone who has never caught a bass if takin too the spot,told what too use will catch fish thats why guides get payed.Thats why like Nascar they should start on small lakes or creeks with ho motor,I know how crazy & the danger of water that i won't put kids even riding on bass boats.Its not fun when the wind picks up.Was talking too someone who fished the USABassin Championship on Ky when we had the flood a few yrs back.Those guys tore up some boats.Don't think anyone died but bet there was some sore bones.JMO
Terry Adolph

[SLP]

It really is common sense to not allow professional guides as coaches. Matter of fact it would make total sense that they should just have boat drivers but have the student make all the decisions. Not sure how you police that other than the honor system, but it seems like it is much better than having someone else "guiding" them for tournaments.

I don't know the rules, but it seems like they should also have to have the same coach for the entire season, that way they couldn't just hook up with locals for each lake fished.

I also agree with the above mentioned suggestion about smaller waters. If nothing else there should be a limit on engine size at this level. If they put a limit of say 25 hp it would be safer, eliminate the use of many "pros", probably make it available to a larger number of students, and they would likely learn more about fishing.

[raincheck]

Why not just teach them too drive the boat..after all i learned too drive a boat way before a car and was driving a car at about 14.In the ABA tournaments there was a 16 yr old lady angler who i think drove the boat.More too think about.

[Dave Stewart]

Why not just teach them too drive the boat..after all i learned too drive a boat way before a car and was driving a car at about 14.In the ABA tournaments there was a 16 yr old lady angler who i think drove the boat.More too think about.

Most of the young folks don't have boats...and certainly the school is not going to be able to provide boats for them...so who is going to loan them their boat to learn how to survive in 6 ft rollers...you?