^^^^ This

Such a strange thread and a mindset I will never understand.

Way to much reading and thinking in this thread.

Not at all. It is an important discussion. And one that will happen sooner or later.

Part of it is the "I was here first" mentality. For those that have fished and been in the outdoors their entire life, for the lakes and woods to be flooded with more and more people (if you haven't noticed within the past 10 years because of social media and the internet and how information travels, interest in these sports have grown exponentially), it is a little hard to swallow. But it must be done. We were all that newcomer at some point.

Part of it is the absolute insane consumerism that Bass Fishing has evolved into. I battle with myself on wanting the latest and newest technology, more and more tackle that you think you need to compete, etc. The price of boats, the amount of plastics we use (and a lot of throwing into our lakes), trading up to the latest rods and reels, all of the fishing specific clothing that you see everywhere... It's gotten a little out of hand IMO, and that does bother me. I wish people were better at letting our younger generations know that you don't need all of that stuff to catch fish. Or even compete with the guys that have $70k boats and $30k in tackle. It's getting to the point where I think about getting rid of it all and having a fly rod for trout and a fly rod for bass/reds and minimalizing my fishing.

My comment on those comments/opinions is this. Let's say the sport stopped growing in the late 40's to the point where the only interest came from retired people. There wouldn't be any Skeeter, Ranger, Bass Cat boats, no Possum Kingdom, Sam Rayburn, Toledo Bend, Lake Fork, Lake Tawakoni, etc., no monofilament fishing line or level wind reels, the list is endless. Let's say the sport stopped growing today. Has it already grown to the point where people are tired of the crowds and cost to participate that they sell their lake homes, RV's, bass boats, etc. Some on here seem ready to throw in the towel. If you're one of those who can only fish on the weekends you have my sympathy because it truly has become a hassle but most of the negativity I've read on here comes mostly from those who fish through the week. There are some things that could be improved and those with the most to gain I feel are contributing, TP&W being one. We could use a few more lakes, more public ramps on most lakes, less shoreline construction ( that'll [censored] off some folks ) which makes Rayburn better than the rest and a little more civility between recreational and tournament fishermen. For me, I enjoy my Skeeter, SHO, Ultrex, Garcia's, Berkeley, Humminbird Mega, fluorocarbon fishing line and even some of the youtube videos, all came from growing the sport.

Mark, again just going from past posts, I would not expect you to understand the mindset. But just so I can understand where you come from a little more, what revenue streams past, present, and future, do you hold in the fishing industry (are you still affiliated with GoPro)?

Probably not the only answers, but I definitely agree with this, as bad as I am about updating to the latest. Again, a statement like this will certainly attract scorn on here from those who make money from the stuff we're talking about though. They "will not" understand that mindset...

The growing pains are annoying for those that have been participating in the outdoors their whole lives. But, continued growth is needed to maintain the ratio of outdoor enthusiasts vs the majority of the population that may not appreciate the outdoors enough to support conservation efforts. At least in this country, if there aren't enough like-minded people electing and encouraging legislators to protect your interests, you will likely see those interests slowly eroded away by the interests of the majority.

The interest in "growing the sport" started with equipment manufacturers. Boats, motors, rods, reels, tackle. People who make money off fishing. That's what this is all about. The more people there are on the lakes, the more buyers there are and the higher the prices will be.

It's working perfectly...for them.

"Growing The Sport" for tournaments...

Every tournament needs a good number of donors in order to make the payout large enough to increase the participant numbers.

Some trails diluted themselves into extinction by offering a dozen tournaments every weekend to their own diminishing returns.

I don�t like the crowds or entitlement to spots shown by some. But.. I would not trade the sport growing for stagnation. As a young man my dad got me into the sport and it grew into love for me and I�m sure kept me out of the trouble some got into growing up. I was able to pass that love of fishing on to my kids and I am sure they will do the same for theirs. By the sport growing I know I catch better quality and quantity of fish today along with being able to do it with better equipment to make it safer and more comfortable. It�s about family and the love of fishing for me. I have never been a tournament fisherman but I do not begrudge those that do. I for one am glad it has grown.

This has been an interesting read, and I see points on both sides. I will say that pulling up to a lake on a Saturday morning (I'm a 9-5 M-F guy) parking a mile away and then pulling into a cove and seeing 5 other boats, is frustrating no doubt. For this reason I often drive a little further and fish some smaller less pressured lakes.

Unfortunately, when you look at some of what others stated regarding high school fishing taking off, more lure manufacturers, etc I don't see the "growth" slowing down which can be frustrating. On the other hand, I will certainly introduce my future kids to fishing and hope they love it like I do. For me, that's how I see growth but for most who say it, it's about money I would imagine.

I hate the saying "it is what it is" but I think that may be the case here. I think that all we can do is better adapt to the increase in pressure and make the best of it. At the end of the day, I'm still going to load up my boat and go every time I can regardless of the other factors.

I'm honestly a bit floored by many of the comments on this thread. I get that pressure has increased on many lakes and that certainly can be frustrating. But I will ask the question again that the OP so conveniently dodged. What is your proposed solution to your perceived problem? You seem to really have an ax to grind with the commercial side of the industry. It seems to really bother you that some are making a profit off of bass fishing. Last time I checked we do still operate under a capitalistic system of trade. Do you want to tell companies they can't be a sponsor for a tournament? How about telling a guide or pro he can't post instructional videos? That sounds fair right? Or how about we contact FLW and Bassmaster and make them stop filming their tournaments because its making our lakes to crowded?.....Do you honestly think any of those things would be good to do? Without stepping way outside the boundaries of the law, I'm not sure what the solution is to the dreaded growth of the sport which you perceive as a problem. Please tell if you have another solution.

What makes me even more sick is the fact that many of you guys either disregard or dislike the true honest growth that is taking place within the younger generation of bass fishermen. There are some really good kids involved in the high school and junior fishing programs in Texas. I know the high school fishing program gets way more negative press on here than positive, and that is a really sad thing. Some great things are happening in that program. Lots of good quality time between parents, role models, and youth is taking place. Lots of kids are spending time outdoors that would normally not be there. Some kids are getting to see parts of the State / Country that they would never get to see otherwise. Some of these kids competing at the high school level are kids that do not play football, basketball, etc. They are kids that desperately need something to motivate them to come to school every day. Is the program perfect?? Certainly not. Can you name me a program involving human beings that is perfect? I for one have a blast working with these kids. It has provided some great father son time with my boys, and allowed me to get some other kids on the water that otherwise would not have had the opportunity. Are these kids going to keep fishing after high school? I hope they do. If I am one of the ones contributing to the growth in bass fishing among the younger generation.....well I guess I will just choose to wear that as a badge of honor and not as a negative thing.

Texas is a growing State. Largest numerical population growth of any state in the US in 2017. Texas lakes will reflect that growth. The lakes are not going to get less crowded any time soon. You can either adapt or go find another hobby.

It's a conversation. Not sure why it would make you sick. Breathe a little. I'm not conveniently dodging anything. Just because you request a solution doesn't mean I have to provide it as the OP. I've just expressed some concern that this "sport" is unlike most others in that there is a finite resource involved at the heart of it. Therefore, logic would only say that there is a time point at which even "positive" growth could damage the sport itself. I've only asked for people's thoughts on it. You've provided yours, so I thank you for it.

It makes me sick because I love fishing. All types. I have passed that love to my kids and hopefully my kids friends. For me there is nothing better than time on the water with family and friends. I want to share that and therefor "Grow the Sport". I just believe that purposefully trying to limit the fishing experience to a few is wrong and selfish.

The acre feet of fishable water is most certainly a finite resource. However, the management of those waters has near infinite possibilities. I think we have just scratched the surface of fishery management. Texas Parks and wildlife does a great job most of the time and bass fishermen pour a ton of money into the Parks and Wildlife budget. More can and will be done to keep Texas lakes full of quality bass.

I think with this line of thought, we should also call the automakers and demand that they quit making cars and trucks. There is only a finite amount of road(s) available and the other drivers are crowding me...

And for every negative comment about a HS fishing team, there are five other teams sharing the water and acting as they should that you never hear about.

There are more people on the water (including pleasure boaters) than before. Fact of life that we can't deny. Learn to deal or give up the hobby/sport.
Myself, I don't think it's that bad but I also don't normally fish community holes or areas.

Straw Man.

To some of the others like Over10, OutdoorDude, Leethefishking, Outlaw, Gig'Em, and others, I appreciate the opposing points made. I'm not convinced that we aren't putting a strain on our natural resources and that all growth is good growth and that much of the push for growth isn't coming from eyes with dollar signs, but I see your points. Thanks.