Mash Here

I like Ole Ike..

Professional/tournament fishing is the worst damn thing to ever happen to a lake.

I've seen so much of this already just with my son's high school tournaments. They'll sacrifice the time whenever possible to go down days before to find fish and put in the work only to have others move in on them. My son fished as a coangler in an adult open state qualifier just for experience and his boater pulled right up on another angler within feet. My son just laid down his rod and sat until they moved. At only 12 years old even he knew that wasn't the way a man should conduct himself on the water.

Ahhh, but gotta love this quote from old ike "It proves nothing because to be a real bass angler you have to find your own fish, and then catch them." Reckon how much he's paid out for locals to find fish for him??

Whatever it takes to get an edge.

The problem with his statement is that it's the fanaticism and followers that has contributed to the million dollar purses and large sponsor deals that he's the direct beneficiary of. If folks weren't nuts about the sport, he'd be fishing trying to make ends meet instead of enjoying a very nice lifestyle. Shut up and fish Mike, all the other popular anglers deal with the same crap you do. You should smile and thank the folks for coming out. In a way, they're part of the reason you're as well off as you are.

LOL, it seems to be a product of their own making and welcome to fishing public waters on the weekends!

It's a sorry dipchitted move to fish "somebodys spot" but its exactly what Bass fishing has become.

I definitely don't agree with guys pulling right on top of them, but if people decide to fish that spot after they leave or the next day or next week it's just tough chitt.

It does kill me to see all of our local guides complaining about how "pressured" and "over-fished" the lake is and that " we need to do something about it" Hell, they are a big part of that problem.

x2

Yep, and let me ask am I the only one that wants to strangle that Iaconelli guy? He is a 1%'er, as the the most annoying people on the planet.

Fishing for a living ain't easy. .02

I would give any tournament guy the same respect and space I would give any other boat on the water; no more, no less. And; would expect the same from him.

Come down to Florida and go scalloping. Soon as you put the dive flag up 60 boats surround you.

You got that right. It's harder the working imo. Not many if any people in today's world can make it fishing for a living.

Problem is most of the time you won't get it from him because he thinks his fishing is more important than yours.

I'll second or third the statement that tournament fishing is the worst thing to happen to fishing!

Nobody has a spot that is theirs on a public lake. Not to many secrets left today. Assholes are the reason I don't fish local tournaments anymore.

The amount of irony and stupidity in his statements are rather comical. Make me King for a day and by God I'll show you EXACTLY what to do about it.

Agree fully!

Maybe instead of hollering like a banshee and showing out for the chase boats every time he catches a fish, he should just turn around and tell everyone to f%&# off. He's made his fame and persona from playing to the crowd. That gets him endorsements. He needs it. He's a hypocritical a$$ if you ask me. CD.