I think that most kayak tournaments allow you to launch wherever you want for those that don't like the possibility of the lake being rough and limiting your opportunity of getting to where you need to fish or requiring on the water adjustments based on conditions.

If they were all trailer events i would miss out on my favorite part. Drawing number 347 every event

What if you are the co-angler?

For me, it's a simple answer. I don't fish co-angler in anything. I'm also a pretty big guy and pretty assertive - if I'm in a situation where I feel my life is at risk, I do something to make it not at risk.

Trailering is beneficial for less experienced anglers, and for smaller boats in adverse conditions.. I agree with the safety factor, risk of life and limb, or equipment.. It has hurt us in most cases looking back, and we have fished some big events in the past..
Not all anglers are created equal, experienced anglers with larger boats that can and will run in rough conditions are penalized by being held back from a lesser field by allowing trailering. I bought a boat big enough to compete on a high level, it's not my fault if Joe Blow didn't.
JMO.......Either GO AS IS......or cancel the event for another day..
Don't mean to ruffle any feathers, it is what it is, if it were easy, well you know...

You know Red ...... I agree with most everything you said ... until you you go talking about how your BIG "boat" makes you a better Tournament fisherman & how "trailering" puts "YOU" at a disadvantage.
I know a lot of teams that have won tournaments and got BIG checks out of pontoon boats and boats with a 50hp motor --- like mine.
Bigger does not make a fisherman better.
But agree with most everything in your post

I agree 100% Billy!!



If one wants to get to the other side of a rough lake buy a bigger boat and spend the time learning to navigate rough water. Tournaments should either be a go for that day or a no go.

But for those that want to trailer, there are some trails and a lot of bass clubs do trailer every event.

Right on to both of you. If leaving a designated take off area for 2-300 boats like at BASS or FLW doesn't appeal to you there are dozens of tournaments that trailer or will trailer in inclement weather. If I'm entering as a CO and I may this year I'll wait and enter right before tournament day and make a decision based on the weather. Ram series you can enter on the Friday before. I won't trust any boater I don't know with making decisions regarding how to operate a boat in 20-30 mph winds. You don't have to take a test or be a certain age to buy or operate a 21 'boat with a 250 hp motor. When I fished the Cowboy division I saw boats almost swamped at take off on Rayburn negotiating the swells from the boats in front of them. They weren't going fishing, they were racing.

definitely time to allow trailering......all the arguments against it are not worth the loss of one life....

While I agree on your premise and feelings......it's a sport with grown men who should be able to make their own decisions.
Accidents happen in life, sometimes with tragic outcomes. Callous as it sounds, life goes on.

So you took Red as saying he is a better angler because he has a bigger boat out of that?
Looks like he is just saying he chose a bigger boat to be able to be competitive if the weather gets bad.

This stuff is getting so out of hand...I have the solution:

Announcing the new Can't Please Everyone Tournament Trail to be known at CPETT.

2 Divisions - Trailering and Non-Trailering

Within each division - you can pick whether you want to have 5 fish limits, 3 fish limits, do a paper tourney or only weigh in the biggest bass of the day.

From there it will further break down into more 3 choices of Paying out 1 in 10 or 1 in 5 or heck, even 1 in 3.

If my math is right, that would give every 24 dam choices and even then, everyone still wouldn't be happy!!!

This thread was started because of some comments on another thread that involved someone being KILLED doing what we all love to do and has turned into another TFF circus in some ways. Remember someone died....and while there are some good and what I consider bad posts on here, it ultimately got started because someone died. Rant over...pretty sure in all my years on this forum, this is my only rant ever. Have a great day

Who thinks trailering prevents freak accidents? C'mon people lets use some common sense.

People die everyday, it happens. There was a tragic accident or perhaps some bad decisions made by one or more individuals that caused a death, that is still part of life.

Sometimes people make bad choices and they get injured or worse. Why change things because one tragedy? Do the math on anglers killed in tournaments and it will be hundredths or perhaps even thousandths of one percentage point of all those that participate in tournaments.

If someone is worried or concerned about their personal safety then it's simple, stay home that day. People being accountable for their decisions and actions is what makes things safe, not regulations and rules ,IMO ..


("rerant" over )