On Saturday, ESPN had a little blurb about David Dudley sticking a lot of “sight fish” on the Harris Chain because he knew that he would be one of the later boats out. What do you guys think of this, is it unsportsmanlike or just another strategy anglers can use? Would you do it? Here is Bassfan’s piece.
You can call it what you will, but I call it a brilliant tactic. I do not know much about Dudley, but I can definitely respect his “call it like it is” attitude 
About time more people spoke up in the big leagues 
Sounds more like a problem with anouncing the starting grid prior to the final day of practice.
Would I be happy if I found those fish in practice and was starting in the 1st flight…HECK NO! I wouldn’t expect ANYONE in the 1st flight to smile and say, “Oh that’s OK that he stuck our fish”. But reverse the starting order and put Dudley 1st flight and Peter T. in the last flight. What might happen then?
I’ve seen guys pull into spots (mostly community holes) and stick fish the day before a tourney. Happens EVERY SINGLE TOURNAMENT! Is it ethical? 
Not sure. I like to think it’s due to inexperience, but that’s mostly not true.
My stance…I believe having other participants pull up to my spot and stick fish is not against the rules. I don’t like it though. And, I DO believe they would benifit more by spending THAT time finding more spots which will produce fish for them the folling day. MORE offense…less defense.
– d-nort
Absolutely no problem with it. He’ll have a bit of fun catching those fish, but it will take away from his time to look around and find other fish. And it doesn’t always make those fish he stuck not bite.
Not sure where this falls into the ethics side of the sport, but I think the grid system is definately to blame. Guys around here do burn community fish but probly not as much as they would had they known the boat numbers ahead of time. It happens and thats when you have to adjust.
JHall
All I can say is that if you ae fishing a community hole you are pretty much screwed to begin with. If someone jerks my number 1 fish then I am sure my number 2, 3, 4 , 5, 6 or no 7 will have some left. If you only have one spot then you should probably rethink your hobbies.
Having shared bread with Peter T all I can say is… I am not worthy. I used to think the only difference was a silver spoon… I will now say that.. This helps but in Peter T’s case, he is good $hit.
jc
I thinks its great strategy. He more than likly already has other spots I believe the monkey hole was one of them which was a comunity spot. I think they said 2/3 of the boaters were fishing there day 1 and 2. He knows hes not going to see these fish so why not help your self to a hopfully higher finish by burning some of these fish.
just my 2 cents
This tourney was on the Harris Chain (Toho, etc…), not Okeechobee. Same bite though…
He worked as hard as everyone else to find those fish in practice right? I am sure he burned some bridges and will get some heat from other guys on the tour but I think he knew that before he did what he did. I am sure he is not the first to go out and do that either. I think it makes a good story for the press. Byron was so disappointed on Bass center! I agree with you guys they need to hold back on the flight times until later and guys need to find plenty of fish. I am sure playing defense took some time away from him finding more fish as well. 
no problem here. would it be any different if a flood or other unforeseen event happened. that is why they call it a fishing tournament, and not going to the boat show for the trout pond.
This article is excelent
Thanks for the article. My thoughts exactly.
jc
I agree w/the article and as for what he did….I’ll quote the Guiness commercials: “BRILLIANT”
Dudley is a very talented and very smart angler. I am sure he had plenty of other spots to fish, even though they might not be as good of spots as the one where he was sticking those fish. Knowing he was in a later flight, I think he was basically evening the odds. Those fish he stuck, if they were on beds, will still be there and will still bite but it might take a little more time to make them bite. The guys in the early flights that fish that spot (we’ll call it spot “A”) will take more time to catch catch those fish. In the mean-time, Dudley goes to spots “B”, “C” or even “D”, catches those fish in less time although they might not be the quality as the fish in spot “A”. Dudley therefore puts the odds more in his favor by catching more fish and if luck is on his side more fish will eventually mean more big fish.
As stated earlier… “Brilliant!”
I sure have a hard time believing that some of you feel this is a “brilliant” tactic. If you can go out and figure out a pattern, run that pattern, turn in a nice sack off fish, that is brilliant. If you happen to see Jeremy fishing a cut, decide you want to play defense, come back after he’s left and proceed to pound the S*%$ out of the fish he has found, just so he can’t catch them tomorrow, I don’t see the skill or “brilliance” in that move. Even if it is a “community” spot. I think that’s a bush league tactic. If that spot was found on your own then they’re your fish, do to them what you want. Even if the spot is a community spot, you may need a fish at the end of the day, well forget going there, those fish have all been stuck.
I would also agree with Jeremy’s thought that if your in the mode of playing defense in tournament fishing, you playing the wrong game. I seldom have extra time to go and burn others fish. I would much rather spend my practice time fine tuning or searching for the 5, 6, or 7th spot. Not that I’ve ever found the 5th, 6th or 7th spot.
Anyways, I have to think that anyone on this board would be out of their gord if someone stuck fish in your “A” spot. Slop, if they did this to you on a Tuesday Nighter you would kick a hole in your new Ranger.
But what do I know, I’m from Illinois. I like the Bears. Enough said?
Tbass
I agree with most of what you said TBASS, but the 
Bears??? J/K someone has to support them. 
Nevermind, I need a reading comprehension course. 
After watching the show on BassCenter, it seems to me that everyone had found those fish….so who’s fish do they become? You mentioned that if I (he) found them on his own, then he could do whatever he wanted with them. Isn’t that what he did? He stuck the fish he found, and it happened to be in a community whole.
Really all this did was expose a flaw in the system…
Quote:
I would also agree with Jeremy’s thought that if your in the mode of playing defense in tournament fishing, you playing the wrong game. I seldom have extra time to go and burn others fish. I would much rather spend my practice time fine tuning or searching for the 5, 6, or 7th spot. Not that I’ve ever found the 5th, 6th or 7th spot.
I agree with this as well.
In conclusion, this whole incident brings up several already contraversial topics….
My fish -vs- Your fish
Fishing “Other” people’s Fish—> which i won’t do unless I’ve talked to the “other” guy
I’m not worried about my Wednesday nighters…as I have no A spots
I doubt if we could come up with a definitive explanation of “community hole” and we probably shouldn’t. I believe that if your intentionally trying to stick fish to ruin someone elses chances, it is a bush league tactic. Your time would be more well spent learning something new rather than ruining someone elses fishing hole.
My whole point on sticking fish that you find was simply this, some guys will practice and hook everything and some guys won’t hook a fish. Most are somewhere in between. Whatever your pratice routine method may be they are your fish when you find them. Dudley knew other people were on those fish so he intentionally burned them up. Illegal, no. Unethical, depends on your point of view. But in my simple mind it is B.S.
Good to see the Bears get some love in the Cheese State, Al. I am always hoping for the best when it comes to them, but always end up expecting and getting the worst.
Tbass
Your post reminded me of the Survivor theme.
“Outwit, Outplay, Outlast”
But i see your point completely…and you’ve got me somewhat torn
Quote:
I’m not worried about my Wednesday nighters…as I have no A spots
Remind me not to go with you. 
HEY TBASS
Look at the brite side.
The Packers loose the redneck soon and they will be NALL AND VOID.
The Packer guys get to relive the 80’s. 
It could be worse you could be a bears fan living up here in cheese land like me.
Dan, I’ve thought for some time that the Bears were only a Brett Favre away from whooping the Pack. Unfortunatley, Favres are far and few between.
As far as Slop Bass is concerned, let us know what side of the fence you decide to jump down on. I think I can speak for everyone when I say we hate to see you torn.
Tbass
I haven’t seen the final standings yet, but to my knowledge Dudley didn’t make the cut after day 2 so apparently time finding fish would have been better spent than burning a few. Too bad some people will start practicing this technique because they heard a “pro” did it.
I was thinking the same thing Bomber! He finished 96th (ouch) with $0 earnings.
Here’s the BEST part…Dudley was just 3.73 lbs from cashing a check.
It would appear from the results that he made a mistake. Wait a minute…what did I just say!!!??? Did I just question Dudley?!?!? I take that back. I would give my left one to win the tourneys that Dudley has!
Quote:
I would give my left one to win the tourneys that Dudley has!
D-nort… Left one? One what?
As for rooting for the Bears… its a tough job living in Cheeseland, but I am always up to the task… every year leads me to the same story… “There’s always next year!” 
Oh, and Slop… No “A” spots, eh? Hmmm… maybe you have some “B” and “C” spots…. Or, how ’bout any “G” spots?
DEFENSE OFFENSIVE WHAT EVER WE DONT HAVE THE PRIVALEGE OF KNOWING ARE BOAT NUMBER IN BFL SO NONE OF THIS IS A CONCERN TO ME. BUT IF HE FEELS HE WANTS TO STICK THE FISH IT IS HIS RIGHT,FREEDOM AND HIS LICENSE HE BOUGHT THAT ALLOWS HIM TO DO THIS. THIS GOES ON MORE THEN ANYONE KNOWS THEY JUST DONT COME OUT AND OPEN THERE MOUTHS LIKE DUDLEY DID THATS ALL.
WOULD I DO THIS EVER IF I KNOW IM BOAT NUMBER 187 BEFORE IM PRE FISHING AND I FIND A LOAD OF FISH ON BEDS IN A PRETTY POPULAR SPOT YES I PROBABLY WOULD WOULD I SAY TO ALL I DID PROBABLY NOT.
All I know is I always get to fish my “A” spot because of all you Pro-crafters and ranger-ettes in front of me! I just beat you to your spots and make YOU fish spot “B”!
– d-nort
I don’t have a problem with the defensive fishing concept, they play defensively in auto racing, bike races, and nearly every other sport. Was he 3.7 pounds from a check because he didn’t look for a better pattern or was that close to a check because he prevented places 98 through 105 from bagging a kicker?
Anyway, the only reason this is getting air time is because the sport is going to need some controversy to keep us tuning in. Just like the DQ for the angler who took a crapper in the privacy of some weeds, outside the sight of his co-angler, or was it the fish he caught out of a barrel?
That is the content that is going to make watching fishing tournaments more fun than watching golf or bowling.
you may pass us nort buddy but you also have to beat the guys that have club outings and lanch before you. your boat isnt that fast lol. lacrosse super tourney for example
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