If you enjoy tournament fishing, fishing shows, new lures and equipment you need to think very carefully about even the mere suggestion that lakes be restricted in any way towards limiting access to the general public when a tournament takes place.

Why? What would be the big deal if they limited the lake only to anglers, no pleasure boaters for the day? Of even shut down the lake to all traffic except the competitive fishermen?

Follow the money, our sport requires millions if not billions to continue to innovate, produce jobs, media and everything else we love about it. The HUGE majority of this funding does NOT come from tournament anglers. It's from the folks who do it for fun and food, if a select group like tournament fishermen were given preferential access to a public resource, can you imagine the backlash from the majority who support our sport? It could literally be the end of tournament fishing as it is now, and definitely would do nothing to further our sport.

Back to basics. If someone cuts you off,you have the right to "Yell,Hey,Don't Cut Me Off! Nuthin' wrong with that,is there? Who disagrees with my statement? Jerry was right to Yell at some guy who,encroached,him. I don't even know Jerry,but Jerry was right. Hat's off to Jerry for being man,enough,to speak up!

Completely agree. If the situation occurred like Jerry said (and I have no reason to doubt what he said)he should have said something/yelled at the guy for doing it. If you sit quietly and say nothing till you get to weigh in, then its too late to do anything about the impact it may have on the fish at that spot. If someone is encroaching and interrupting your fishing then it needs to be rectified then. Waiting to report to the TD and MAYBE getting the guy DQd does not help replace the fish you may have lost or due to his encroachment. His actions could prevent you from getting a check.

I also think it needs to be reported on places like this forum so other people are aware as well. It is called passing on information.

This^.... I completely agree. And it has happened to me in tournaments and when I was just "fishing". Thanks Jerry for saying what a lot of anglers would like to say to the jerks who don't respect anglers who were on a spot "first".

He does "the right" to yell , and that may be the right thing to do when your fun fishing or fishing a smaller tourney.

But, when organizations have conduct rules in place its to protect the integrity and reputation of the organization as a whole. Its not about the "PROS" , its about BASS not wanting the people that are member of their organizations making the ORGANIZATION look foolish.

If these so-called "Pro"s were REALLY Pro, then they would respect another man's spot. BASS let a man continue to compete after he "tried" to buy his co-anglers fish a few months ago in a tourney. BASS looked pretty foolish in the way they handled that situation.

BASS is about money and money only. Just like most "Pro's".

Bass anglers are always portrayed as "friendly" guys. Pull in on one who's catching fish and you'll find out how "friendly" we are.

Lake rage is just a real as road rage.

it is always a good idea if someone encroaches beyond the sportsmanship rules of the tournament or commonsense to let them know that they are too close instead of getting on here an whining about it saturday night or sunday if an point is made at the time the guy might think twice about doing it to the next guy or make a protest at the end of the tournament most trails have a provision for this but it needs to be done then instead waiting an whining about it to everyone if more of this was done there would be less people do it because nobody likes to be called out when know thier wrong .

Has anyone ever fished Falcon with a lake fork guide throwing nothing but a-rigs?

It sure is....and I embrace it! Lol.

i haven't met any of the posters in this thread, but i can sure tell who i'd like to go fishing with...and who i wouldn't...
i drive about 30 miles to wrk and back mon-fri...the drive home is an hour or more thru downtown austin...i don't carry a firearm in my truck cuz i figure i'd be using it by thursday! so many a-holes, so little space...

its not about YOU , its about the ORGANIZATION, you completely don't get it.

and as far as "butt hurt" goes , all I have to do is laugh.

are you the "pros" fan club prez or just got a little of him running down your chin ???

I see a Jerry vs Doug E Fresh on the water battle! One on one!

I propose a Jerry vs Doug tournament at Ray Hubbard!

lets do it

is the entry fee going to be $402 a pound of fish?

is this really necessary.
WOS ...... a long way from greatness just my O