First off if you don't know any better, or you are new to bass fishing it is messed if you see someone catching good fish and then go there the next day or draw out ahead of them in a tourney and go straight to the spot he was fishing. We don't spend thousands of hours out on the lake just for someone else to reap the benefits. If that's all you do then how do you expect to learn how to find and catch fish on your own. Then you have the guys that know better but still do it???? I mean cmon! I would feel like [censored] winning money off of someone elses fish. I know there will always be a-holes with no heart that will keep doing it, I consider them as bad as Robby rose. That's pretty much what their doing... STEALING! The reason you see guys consistently at the top is because they put so much time into it learning how to find fish, not by hole jumping people. So comment how you want, wont bother me none, but someone had to stand up and say it.

I specifically like SwampCat's quote:

"Met a guy the other day, no other boat in site in a huge cove. He comes up with big motor, shuts it down, jumps to front of boat, slams trolling motor down, puts it on high and cuts in front of me to fish. His excuse was.... "I was here last week catching fish"...

all kinds..."

Was that you?

With the advances in electronics and other tools (mapping, etc) there is no longer any such thing as a secret hole. If you find a hole and catch fish on it I can almost guarantee you that someone else has already been there and will be back.

Never, ever bet a tournament on one hole. The wind may be blowing the wrong way, someone else may be on it, or they may just stop biting. Always have a backup and a backup for the backup, etc. You get the idea.

I don't believe there is anyone here on this forum that would not go to a hole simply because they had seen someone else catch fish there. Everyone would make a mental note and check it out at a later date when the opportunity arose. Is there anything wrong with that? I don't think so. Remeber that everyone has to learn how to fish a spot. Just because you catch fish there, don't mean that everyone can.

Good fishermen do not win tournaments by having the best hole. They win by knowing how to pattern fish and make the adjustments necessary to stay on top of them and to change when the fish do. It's all about the pattern - not the spot.

If I'm fishing a tournament and I know old so and so fishes in a certain spot, and he is fishing the same tournament I probably wouldn't go there. If he's not fishing, I might. It just depends on whether or not the spot fits the pattern I have worked out before every tournament. On top of that I would not fish a spot in a tournament without practicing it first. Does that now make it mine?

This really sounds like small potatoes to me. Just remember that if you are fishing a tournament you have to plan for every contingency, which includes your starting spot being covered up.

I don't consider anything like that mine...unless it is in my backyard where I live there 24/7...I agree with the other guy, best to have more than one spot and fish the conditions (which includes other anglers possibly being on that same spot).