Just shows how serious things are taken in some high school fishing. There’s no training, no required educational videos, nothing is required besides a background check. I had everything needed on the boat going through the no wake zone on plane with kids on the front deck except it wasn’t on video. It’s funny, lots of other things get accomplished without video. But, I offered to pay for a boat captains gas and expenses for the one tournament I had to miss in three years and I got a call because a psycho dad in our club called and reported I was cheating even though nothing is illegal about offering any amount of money. I would obviously never expect anyone to take my kid out for free without offering to pay for their expenses.

I expect to be bombarded, but there isn't a place for young kids on a boat competing in tournaments with a captain that they hardly know, or if the kid's dad is captain, he needs to go through courses to be fully capable of "doing it the right way." That's where teaching and etiquette and courtesy goes flying out the window. All they're in it for is to win it. These kids need to go through the hard knocks just like most of us have, build up to graduating HS, go to college or not, get a job, and be able to afford their own truck and boat. Then, they could look into boater safety courses, proper instruction, learn the rules or unwritten rules, and then go out on their own. HS kids are just way too immature to handle these kinds of responsibilities. They also appreciate what they have much more if they'll just slow down and do things the correct way, and the way they were intended.

I required every member of our club to take a TPWD approved boater safety course. That caused lots of drama with some parents doing the course for their kids. It’s great for kids to get out and fish but the whole “buy your kids the best boat captain“ BS is out of hand. I talked to a well known East Texas fisherman that was offered well over a $1000 for a tournament. I dealt directly with a team that sought out the best captain they could find in the Houston area. Kids never pre fished, ever, they just showed up tournament day and then the dad ran his mouth about how great his son was.

5 feet is incredible , you literally could have leaned back and pissed on the dude's jersey without much effort.

Ranger with a Verado......


This guy is reading this post I have no doubt.


If so you sir are a first class stool sample.

If so you sir are a first class stool sample. [/quote]

LOL! Winner!

certain amount of horse [censored] in this statement...… and a bit of truth.

You missed all first time boat owners - what would be the minimum age, according to you, that you could purchase, run or otherwise be involved in boating of any kind?
What are the "proper" steps and age that you can compete in a fishing tournament? ( be warned - I might be biased. I won my first tournament by myself when when I was a kid in 76' and still have the trophy)
I'm assuming your HS kids are too young for any responsibility , mine handled it fine.
Taking a course for boating safety doesn't guarantee safe boating - plenty of people have drivers license's and still wreck cars....

This comes up every year like clockwork. I see some of these things happening at every tournament THAT I FISH. It's not limited to HS events by any means...…….
I also will be looking forward to the ones who start complaining about crowding, too many tournaments on "x" lake and the general "get off my grass" comments!

I was a Captain on Lewisville Saturday. I did not witness any shenanigans whatsoever. About lunch we were tired of getting beat up by the wind so we went to a marina with what seemed like half the field. Everybody was courteous and friendly and no one encroached on anyone's space. This is only my 3rd tournament to Capt. so Im sure I will witness it at some point.

Seems to me that there are some positive steps that could be taken to improve or correct issues in high school tournament fishing. For example, if Jigit would call the TD for this particular tournament and let him know what occurred in a diplomatic way, the TD might send an e mail to all participants of this and future tournaments, giving specific cases and letting participants know how they are expected to behave. The written rules could always be a work in progress, adding detailed cases for examples of issues that have occurred. Potentially, all boat captains could be required to take a boater safety course. All kids could take an in person test so that the goofy parents couldn't do it for them. Common issue nowadays with kids and parents! Many steps could be taken.

Where I didn't have any issues on Hubbard when I captained for Rockwall Heath, I could tell there were an awful lot of clueless captains and kids. I happened to volunteer to captain for two boys who could fish and were ridiculously polite. One of them works at BPS Garland and he still always calls me Mr. Biggs and seeks me out to say hi. Just a good kid IMHO. I only have older and younger kids so none at the age to HS fish. But, my 4 year old already fishes 3-8 hours once a week at least with me and he already is a stick, FOR A 4 YEAR OLD, and he knows to be polite, where to cast, etc. Many kids don't have this advantage, but seems to me, it's great they have the desire to fish. Just seems we could all do a lot more to help than telling a negative story on a forum. For example, a mentoring program or guest speaker program where experienced tournament anglers could give a short talk about tournament angling etiquette, or tactics, or discuss specific techniques-fishing docks, drop shot, not killing idiots on the water, etc.

So what you are saying is that during a tournament you violated state and federal law by blocking a navigable waterway?

So what you are saying is that during a tournament you violated state and federal law by blocking a navigable waterway?[/quote]

This is a stupid question. If the 'waterway' is only wide enough for 1 boat to navigate without running aground.......nevermind. Even after explanation you still probably wouldn't understand.

This is a stupid question. If the 'waterway' is only wide enough for 1 boat to navigate without running aground.......nevermind. Even after explanation you still probably wouldn't understand.[/quote]

This ^^^^^^

This is a stupid question. If the 'waterway' is only wide enough for 1 boat to navigate without running aground.......nevermind. Even after explanation you still probably wouldn't understand.[/quote]

Who said the waterway was only wide enough for 1 boat. If the original posters boat is in the middle of the channel and not to the side and there is room for both boats then the original poster is violating the law. There are a lot of things we do not know here. How much water was beyond the original poster's boat. How wide was the creek channel. I have seen cases of people doing this at a narrow part of a creek where the creek still ran for another mile. In that situation the person blocking is violating the law and the tournament rules.

folks that pull up within 50 feet of someone else fishing not invited is a crappy move until folks get some stones an say something at the time folks will continue to do these things so you have 2 choices go home an get on the net an complain or confront them about a stupid move an hope they will be embarrassed at their actions an go on.

Who said the waterway was only wide enough for 1 boat. If the original posters boat is in the middle of the channel and not to the side and there is room for both boats then the original poster is violating the law. There are a lot of things we do not know here. How much water was beyond the original poster's boat. How wide was the creek channel. I have seen cases of people doing this at a narrow part of a creek where the creek still ran for another mile. In that situation the person blocking is violating the law and the tournament rules.
[/quote]

'in the back of a very narrow creek.', this is in the text indicating he was in the back of the creek. I guess the other guy could've got a running start on pad and went around him, but there are 'laws' against being on plane in close proximity of another boat. I stand by my previous statement, you probably wouldn't understand.