Bass Tourney This Past Saturday?

So this is a little bit of a rant, but I cant imagine why this bass boat intruded on our space and not showing etiquette.

I had the kids out this past Saturday fishing some east side structure near shore trying to figure where the fish are hiding. This Bass Cat boat pulls into the area fishing the shore line down from us a ways, no big deal. After a while I notice him 1/4 mile away slowly working towards us which again is no big deal. In a span of 10 minutes we found a school of fish and pulled 3 fish from it. We were spot locked and I was helping the kids unhook fish and such. As I was walking to the bow of the boat I noticed this Bass Cat sitting right on top of us trolling right over our fish. He was clearly wedging in and casting to the same fish we were. He was close enough that my next cast crossed his bow with a #12 white X-Rap. I did the same to his partner at the stern as they passed. And what really get me is that we were the only 2 boats for MILES!

The only reason I can figure why this guy was so ignorant is he was fishing for money. IDK….

I’m done

That would be pretty annoying. Obviously I wouldn’t interfere and move in on a boat fishing in a tournament, but I’ve had a few times on small lakes where guys fishing in small tournaments think their professionals and no one else should be on the lake during their tournament. It’s weird they’d come that close to you.

That sort of thing happens a lot. Not just for tournament bass anglers, but for all kinds of anglers. I’ve experienced it targeting walleyes, crappies, and bass. It has happened to me this spring already. During the crappie contest on May 4 out on Tonka, we started to catch some decent crappies while anchored down with the talon. Within 15 minutes of landing several nice slabs, seemingly 8 other boats are within casting distance of us trying to wedge in on the action.

Ethics aside, if this guy was indeed in a tournament, he should know better. The rules are very specific about staying a certain distance from other watercraft and if he was as close as you say he was, he was in violation of the rules.

Here is a list of all current tourney permits from the MN DNR. It did not show a bass tourney for last weekend.

https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/recreation/fishing/tournaments/tourneylist.pdf

But I’m sure there are a bunch of smaller events that don’t need to pull a permit. Looks like the DNR is trying to keep it at 20 this year.

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fishing/tournaments/mlbass.html

Not anti tourney, however I am anti a-hole! If you haven’t noticed, a lot of those boats are out of state. Sad to hear Francis. Cause I know you are probably one of the nicer guys on the water.

-J.

I’ll generally ask if they want to hop in my boat since they are fishing the spot i’m on. I’ve also asked if I can mark a map for them since they obviously can’t find there own fish.

In case nobody had noticed, bad manners and lack of common sense and courtesy is a thing of the past.

That happens every day on Mille lacs. Way more than any other lake. I would get used to it.
Lots of tourists in bass boats on Mille lacs these days that are great binocular fisherman.
Opening week I was working a small area maybe 150 feet long. A guy fishing around a half mile away watching us catch fish after fish comes over on plane puts the trolling motor down and spot locks on the spot for an hour. I was casting distance from him when he did it.

We had a guy ask us to move over because he was in a tourney-Being polite Minnesotans we did. Never again! You tourney so what! MY WEEKEND!

I like Dutch boys offering to draw a map. I never thought much of the tourneys either way before hand, but the last few years the lake were on has a few small group type of tourneys and I find them obnoxious. Small lake with bass boats blasting all over all day. It takes a few minutes to cross the lake at normal speed yet they gun it every direction. I’m guessing it’s compensating for wearing the overly tight shirts. The ones I’ve observed here strut around like they are pro athletes and no one else should be on the lake while they’re out there. The fishing generally sucks for awhile after their get togethers and all day commotion.

I would have bounced that X-Rap off his boat a few times…even with my kid in the boat.

fishinfreaks wrote:

I would have bounced that X-Rap off his boat a few times…even with my kid in the boat.

A half oz football jig works good for that too.

It’s sad, but yeah it is oh so common on ML and prolly on most lakes now days. We were trolling last weekend and a shiny bass boat put the electric motor on super fast to get ahead of us and cut us off. I think I got the last laugh when we pulled a double smallie within 10′ feet of them and to really grind it in we opened the livewell and put them both in One guy in the boat said can you keep bass? Sheepishly the driver of the boat said, yeah.

sticker wrote:

A half oz football jig works good for that too.

Yah, I’ve done that, too, on Lake Minnetonka with a big 30 plus foot wood boat that came blowing in on 3/4 plane about 50 feet from me. He was none too happy with me. I told him to call the police. Told him I couldn’t hear him coming, since my headphones were on and he drove right into my cast…