It used to be the norm for bassmaster competitors.

What if you are fishing the tournament and you have the latest and greatest in electronic equipment and someone else that is wanting to fish the tournament can't afford that, is that an unfair advantage? That is a question for those of you that think hiring a guide before a tournament is not right. Where do you draw the line what is right or wrong??? What exactly is fair and equal?

I don't know why guys get upset with someone using a guide. Most guides that fish tourney's don't do that well in them. Other than Charles Whited who almost always is in the money here in the hill country most of them don't do consistently well. In fact Charles and his partner blanked on Falcon last week. Check the records for the local guides in tournaments. Jimmy Steed is a well known guide at Falcon and he and his partner struggled with only 2 fish. And they finished in the money! LOL! It's all about timing and presentation. Right place, right time, right presentation. Rent a guide is ok with me. I've gone out with guides before but not for tournaments specifically. Usually trying to learn/improve on a technique or learning more about electronics and interpretation.

who are you, KV'wannabe?

I dont get your joke or what your trying to say.

spot on

Kind of like paying for “it” versus using your charm..... just doesn’t seem as rewarding.

Apples and oranges. Latest electronic gear doesn’t take you directly to the fish, you have to find them to see them. It also doesn’t tell you what to throw and how to work the lure.
A guide does.
With the very best electronic gear the fisherman still has to put time in and figure out how to catch them. Even if it is part of prefishing it is part of the whole tournament spirit.

Using a guide as general learning and enjoyment on a lake is fine. But hiring one to take you to prefish is BS.

For me, wouldn’t even consider it. Especially immediately before a tournament.

I think it’s a pretty pathetic move.

Are those tutors handing the students the same exact test they are about to take?

IMO if you want to hire a guide on a different lake to learn a technique or tips on reading lakes in general then THAT would be the equivalent of a tutor as you say.

Otherwise it’s pretty classless.

There’s a simple easy line that could be drawn. Figure the fishing out yourself.
(If we’re talking like week of tourney)

Perfect

Lol!

Don’t be throwing shade on the ones than can. My excuse is I have always been doing the maximum living on the minimum wage and just flat [censored] can’t afford it .

It’s a bush league move. And any of you that have done it, did you publicly give thanks to the guide or keep quite about it?