Looking at a lot of the comments on here, seems to me like a lot of people just don’t like tournaments, fast boats, don’t like other people catching big fish that others have trouble catching, having to wait at crowded ramps, crowded parking lots and the like. Trust me when I say that being a jackass on the water is not in any way limited to just tournament fishermen. Nothing pisses me off more than someone that takes 10 min to back their trailer down, can’t back their trailer without the boat on it, can’t get their boat on the trailer once they finally get the trailer in the water, or sits in the launch trying to get their motor cranked because the boat only gets put in the water 3-4 times a year. It’s just part of it. Everyone should just take a deep breath and be courteous of the others trying to enjoy the resource too. Now correct me where you think I’m wrong or you go ahead, drop back 15 yds behind center and punt.

This is major truth. Non tournament fishermen, and pleasure boat folks, subconsciously equate the speed of the boat with the temperament of the fisherman. Oh you drove past me on the river going really fast, you are such a rude jerk, you think you own the water. I make no excuses for the behavior of some tournament fishermen, plenty of them are rude jerks, but the vast majority of tournament fishermen understand water etiquette far more than pleasure boaters. It's just like driving on the road, the majority of folks who look like pleasure boaters act like they're the only car on the highway, no situational awareness.

I hate tournaments. Tournament organizations should have to buy property, get necessary permits and build their own ramps that only they use. Public ramps should be off limits.

Tournament fishing is just plain fun. I think most folks just like competition and when you team that with something you love doing, it's just a fun deal. The problem is, they think their time on the lake is more important than yours. Fishing in "their" spot with your family, be prepared to be crowded out. That's after they do 90mph and then set their boat down right beside you, washing you all over the damn place. It's not all of them, not even the majority for that matter, but it's enough to get folks to hate tournaments and tournament fisherman.

I hate tournaments.

I don't really have a problem with the tournaments I don't guess. It's mainly hate the rude behavior that most of them have. I have met several of the pro's and 95% of them seemed like good guys and when I've seen them on the water the good ones seemed very respectful. The ones in the other smaller tournaments are the real pricks. The ones that I guess are trying to make a name for themselves and your in their way. I had one about run me over last saturday. I was scanning a small creek mouth and he blew out of there on plane and I had to floor it to get out of his way. He had about 80 yards before he got to me to set his boat down but when he come around that last S curve, he gunned it. This is a creek channel thats only big enough for one boat. If he would have met me in the creek channel, it would have been a disaster.