To the guy in the Skeeter on Texoma

Which TFFer are you




***Disclaimer……I am not Todd, just sharing the video for your pleasure.

I watched the video and grateful the kids had more class than the platform captain.

Usually a platform in a tournament is against the rules

I saw this. Todd did it by the book and I was shocked the guy even moved in front of him. Much less say something about it. This happens about every day on Fork. Lol.

THSBA rule number 12 includes this:

Fishing platforms must be factory installed equipment. No portable platforms may be used in
tournament competition.

Next time you see something like this get the TX numbers and send it and the video to the tournament director.

Did he say he wasn't gonna blast em on YouTube?

Yes he did. I guess he pondered in it and decided to. I mean he kept it pretty cool. We will be looking into this

Glad he did. i remember a run in with Todd on Texoma ten or more years ago. Guy was just as much a class act in person as he was on that video. He earned my respect for sure. And I believe he won that day.

yep, big time no go on that.

ain't that the truth.

my first response twice has been, uh, bud, how big a pistol are you carrying?

they left.

my firm rule no matter what is I go behind someone if I go around a corner and find someone going the other way, not worth the headache and i did not spend all this money just to get in fights on the water.


once, I turned back on an idiot that pulled in front of me while in the boatlane, just north of 515w bridge at 65 and idiot cut in front of me at about 24 in a new tin boat. missed his transom by about a foot on a hard left turn and then his idiot partner flipped me off.

I was the boat on the right and had right of way, had I not anticipated what he was gonna do one or both of them would have been dead or really messed up.
went back and asked the partner to come join me in my boat for some uscg instruction and a little hand to hand, punk refused. lol

that was my one and only mcdonalds, the true morons seem to show up for that one.

Way to hold your composure, Todd. I don't know if you remember me, but I drew you one year in a BASS event on Lewisville. I couldn't ever see you blowing up, anyways. This is the main reason I've sorta walked away from the fishing scene. Too many folks on the water just like him.

So many things to comment on , Todd is a really good dude been a long while since I have had a chance to see him but have known him maybe 20 years a really good person.

I hate the platform , hate the ladders , hate all of those type of things that come out of the woodwork in March.


The Captain of those kids was just wrong, idling up in front of a boat and cutting em off may not be against rules of event or even any rules period but it’s just a low class thing to do. Shame on him

I wish Todd would give me some pointers. He could teach me to bed fish and I could shut peoples pie holes for him.

THSBA please find this team and DQ them for cheating

THSBA rule number 12 includes this:

Fishing platforms must be factory installed equipment. No portable platforms may be used in
tournament competition.

This is blatant cheating for this boat captains anglers to gain an advantage on the field by using a step ladder / platform.

Highs school fishing is the ruin of our sport, DQ these assclowns and start putting a boat limit on these mega HS tournaments

I don't blame him for posting it. I just finished the video. Cool he ended up catching the fish.

The worst part about this is the kids are accustomed to the platform, I bet they have been acclimated to other forms of cheating as well.

Wonder if he taught them variations of "his rules"? Is cheating this blatant and out in the open the norm for these tournaments?

He was in violation of the following rules:

10. SPORTSMANSHIP • All student anglers, boat captains, team advisors and parents are required to follow high
standards of sportsmanship, courtesy and conservation and to conduct themselves in a manner that will be a credit to
themselves, the THSBA, our sponsors, the school the team is representing, the sport of fishing, and the THSBA’s efforts
to promote the sport. Conduct not complying with these standards includes, but is not limited to, the following:
a. Violation of, and/or failure to comply with, any of the rules for the THSBA 2019-2020 high school fishing season.
b. Consumption and/or possession of alcoholic beverages and/or any kind of mind-altering substance during
registration, the pre-tournament meeting or during tournament hours extending through the weigh-in procedure.
c. Abuse of, and/or addiction to, mind-altering substances.
d. Conviction of a felony within the past 36 months.
e. Suspension/disqualification, probation or ban from any tournament or fishing organization.
f. Any other words, conduct or actions reflecting unfavorably upon the THSBA’s efforts to promote safety,
sportsmanship, fair competition and compliance with tournament rules, and/or which fail to comply with the
standards set forth in the first sentence of paragraph 8. In case of any conduct not complying with the standards
outlined above, tournament officials have the right to refuse an application to compete, to deny a confirmed
application to compete and/or to disqualify a contestant.


12. BOAT AND HORSEPOWER REGULATION • All boats must be propeller-driven and a minimum of 16 feet in length.
Air cooled/surface drive mud motors and jet drives are not allowed. Each boat must have all required U.S. Coast Guard
safety equipment: Working Fire Extinguisher, Throw Cushion, Life Vest to cover all occupants, current registration,
current insurance reflecting $300,000 liability, working navigational lights, working kill switch, and working live well.
Boats must contain a properly aerated live well space able to maintain alive a limit of bass. Maximum horsepower for
all outboards must not to exceed the recommended horsepower capacity set forth on the “Maximum Capacities”
placard described below. Each boat must have a clearly legible “Maximum Capacities” (or comparably titled) placard
that includes a maximum horsepower rating affixed to the boat by the manufacturer. The horsepower of the outboard
engine must not exceed the maximum horsepower capacity specified on this placard. A maximum speed of boat
operation shall not exceed 60 MPH during any competition day, including OFFICIAL practice days. By signing the entry
form, student anglers and boat captains agree to submit their boat and/or motor to an inspection by tournament
officials. Falsifying information on entry forms or altering the horsepower numbers on the motor or rating placard will
be cause for disqualification from the tournament and/or may result in ineligibility to compete in future high school
fishing tournaments. Fishing platforms must be factory installed equipment. No portable platforms may be used in
tournament competition. Fuel may be carried only in factory-installed (built-in) fuel tanks or auxiliary fuel tanks that
are securely strapped or otherwise fastened to the boat. Any additional fuel used during the tournament day must be
purchased from a retail facility open to the public and pumped through a hose with a nozzle.

I’m glad Todd posted this! From a former 3-year boat captain, there’s not a tournament we fished in that this didn’t happen at least once. It’s starts with teaching the young anglers about etiquette and manners on the water. Todd handled the situation like the pro he is, but it still chaps my a**!

Oh my.

Kinda like a bad Dads at a little league game. Todd handled it like a pro. Dad is a douche. Bottom line

Guy handled it like a boss! Kudos to him! There were THSBA rules broken on both of those encounters, depending on what was muted out.

The second encounter was open to interpretation. But I agree receiving info is a rules violation.


But the first boat they were so open about the ladder and that is scary the kids are already acclimated to cheating and are open about it and comfortable.


That is how it all starts...

Lol! Dude’s on a step ladder, cutting people off, cussing out other competitors with kids in the boat calling Todd a d*ck. Oh the irony…

They’ll figure out who he is, if they haven’t already and DQ him from future events.

I hope you are correct Jonesy. This just confirms the BS chatter you constantly hear about the HS fishing deal.


This guy and the kids should probably be banned permanently. The anglers as well are bound by rules and they seem too comfortable with the blatant open rules violation.

That sometimes is a sign of other things.

i have never understood why boat captains can fish or help kids out.i know one of the captains around here is a hammer and it reflects in the kids finishes let the captain drive the boat but let the kids decide everything else. 450 -500 boats on one lake is just stupid and this "grow the sport [censored]" was always a head scratcher

I wonder if anyone makes any money off the high school tourneys?

and there you have it lol. Thsba at its finest, cutting people off, cheating, and calling the guy that they cut off a d.......

Never cared for Todd much till now....................great job posting this & showing your cool & how to handle yourself on the water.
I recently retired from this industry & have now been able to fish often- the HS boat captain behavior/etiquette is terrible. Due to that fact- I will agree with another post on this thread- that HS fishing could be the worst thing thats happened to bass fishing ever.

The captain/dad/boat guide is the problem. Most come from the existing tournament circuits & are teaching the kids what happens on lot's of those events- Win at all cost mentality. Kids are kids.....they will mimmick what their mentors teach them.

Great job Todd- professionals like Todd are what the HS kids need to see & learn from- do it the right way from this stage forward & they will carry that with them in the future. Maybe Todd & a few other or's at his level can take up this cause & begin speaking & advising these school teams before the captains ruin them.

My 2 sense. Thanks for allowing me to vent.

Todd is a class act.

I need to go back through my go pro footage and make a video of all the times just this year that my THSBA team has been cut off by adults fishing a tournament on the same lake. The lake Palestine tournament last October was a particularly bad one. In the first hour of footage there were three different adult teams pull up literally less than 50ft in front of us. I wonder if that video would get the same amount of outrage? I'm not trying to defend this guy in the video that jumped in front of Todd. He was clearly in the wrong. He was clearly breaking rules. His team clearly needs to be DQ'd. My point is this stuff happens every day. We have a pandemic of rude inconsiderate bass fishermen, no doubt about that, but if you think it is restricted to high school fishing, you have your head square up your rear end. If you think I'm wrong, go enter a BFL tournament sometime. Those things are the biggest sh** show you will ever see.

It’s everywhere, but the youngsters should be taught the right way to do things. I’m just wondering if cheating is this blatant and out in the open?

This was my first year to captain in high school fishing. And boy. It’ll make you want to carry a flask in your boot out there!

I can honestly say that courtesy when it comes to money, trophies, competition, etc. doesn't exist. No matter the age group, our current society is ruined by becoming the next "social star", the next "pro", or the next "GOAT."

To do this, some feel you need to do everything to win, and that includes "bending" the rules to get that extra edge.

Until people stand up, stop paying to attend, fish, watch, etc...these a$$hats will continue to thrive.

Reporting this and taking action will curve it, but not cure it.

I feel for those trying to be honest, up standing, etc. in any sport.

Well they arn't out there putting these on for free that's for sure. More entries they get the more money is made.

This is what growing the sport gets you. When the banks began allowing people to finance boats for 15+ years then we began seeing these types of people overtaking the sport.

I dont know about this, I have fished a bunch of adult tournies over the years and can count on 1 hand the bs events that went on. I captained about 8 or 10 events for high school and saw it every single time. Maybe when its man to man most adults act better to avoid boat ramp discussion..... when the kids are around there is a tendency to bite your tongue because a. The kids are around and b. I really didnt give enough of a [censored] to get pizzed. You just roll your eyes and keep moving .

I sent this over to THSBA and hopefully it will be addressed. I hate seeing the negativity directed at THSBA as a whole and not keeping focus on the individual problem. These type of issues take place in all tournaments at all levels but it seems that some like to put this on the THSBA and the high school kids. THSBA is well run and gives a lot of kids an avenue to get out and compete in a sport that I love and yes there are always going to be a few captain that either just don't know or just don't care.....just like any other events I have ever fished.

So all THSBA is bad? Got it.

Why do they always have to be in a Skeeter?

To be honest I think both parties are guilty on this. The OP just had to slip into a busy cove and should have known with that many boats there might be confrontation. Then the other guy slide right in front of him, but he was fishing there a few minutes before.

Really I think the OP should have just gone to another spot that wasn’t as loaded with boats.
He was as determined to fish that exact spot as the other guy.

Bound to happen when you let the tournament’s get so large. The size of their field is out of control.

Its absolutely about the tourney directors making money, they aren't doing it for the good of bass fishing, lets put 400+ boats on lakes during the spawn and rape the resource. Higher fuel prices along with inflation in general will hopefully put a dent in these idiot HS events.

We are here. Just don’t like to get in the discussion with some of these repeat HS fishing haters. They will continue to dislike the HS trails and they have their opinions regardless of what we think.

We have reached out to Todd and asked if he has any better pics or TX numbers.


If we can identify the boat we will handle it , I promise. It is very hard to see TX numbers and the kids don’t have a jersey we can see. So if any of you are sitting around not doing anything and can get us a clear picture or know the team . Please send to us.

Does it happen? Yep and it will continue to happen. Does it happen to everyone? I highly doubt it. But it does happen.

Our financial statements are available upon request by anyone. I can say that besides the tournament directors and our lady in the office none of the board of directors get paid. Well, I mean I do get some Huk apparel and a couple of hats a year and a cool jersey for the events. Do all the trails do that? Have no clue. So yea, we do get paid if you consider those a payment. At the beginning when we started 10 years ago the TD’s didn’t even get paid as well. Matter of fact there has been invites sent out to some of the repeat haters to become a board member and nothing but crickets. So go ahead and continue to believe we are all making millions running HS events if that makes you feel better.

Last thing, remember those kids from ETBU that won the championship all of you were congratulating? Well hate to break it to you but they fished the THSBA for 4 years…

Wait until we launch the Elementary Divisions next year….. Just kidding.

Have a good day guys.

when I have asked about the money I have been villianized by the "it's for the good of the kids" crowd.

I was told by a father of a very successful former HS angler that the guys running it all are rumored to be "killing it". It's just an honest question, since the whole deal is pushed as "for the good of the kids" and a school "related" activity.

If it has a good ROI, heck may start a HS trail...

Well said Ken. It happens. We fished last 3 years in THSBA and when encountering another boat always went around. We were just having fun.

It’s all good. Some hate some us some don’t.

You all have a good day. I have to go to my paying job now..

THSBA 2018 tax forms
Doesn’t look like they are killing it with all the help to pay.
https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/465522960/201921969349300007/full

Ken you continuously start with the your whole "haters" rhetoric when some of us can continue to point out safety, sportsmanship and now this open blatant cheating by this captain and his kids. Using a ladder is 100% cheating and not a "rule infraction", that is a clear and obvious action to gain a noticeable advantage over the rest of the field.

Since things continue to happen year after year, your use of the "hater" excuse is no longer valid. When your organization can be called out year after year on like instances, then you are failing to run your organization. Basically it's a get your business in order situation.

It's simple, I do not and never have had to fish on the weekends, I retired at 51 and before could fish weekdays my entire adult life. I can fish whenever I want so I do not post because I am mad the lakes are crowded with your anglers on weekends. I could careless if you have 17,000 boat events.


But for the good of the tournament fishing community there seems to be some kids learning the wrong way.

Had something very similar happen to my partner and I when fishing a club tournament on Texoma. We were fishing down a stretch of bank and a high school team in Ranger, I'm assuming were prefishing for this same tourney, pulled down between 2 boat houses right in front of us, dropped the trolling motor and started fishing catching a fish not 20' in front of us. Even if they missed because of the boathouses they saw us before casting but never asked if they could go ahead or apologized for jumping in front of us. We would have said go ahead if they would have just had the common courtesy to ask. I'm know there are HS captains doing things the right way but there is a small group that just aren't teaching these kids the proper way of doing things

Hell go in Little Caney on Fork. You got grown [censored] men doing it all the time. Or any other cove but that's been the worst one I have seen

When does all the cussing and hell raising start on the video? What time stamp?

One solution could be to get 2 official "teams" in boats that are "undercover" officials on the water. They could be on the water during tournament hours and when they see a violation they politely tell the team that they are DQ'ed.

If the captains and parents figure out they can be DQ'ed on the spot they may learn the rules and learn to follow them.

Sorry, I don't see it that way. Todd was fishing down the bank . The other guy came all the way across the cove to get right in front of him.

It looked to me like Castledine had just turned that corner and the Skeeter was idling towards the same bed fish before he knew Todd's boat was heading that way. The High School team may have not known Castledine was coming before he started his boat and drove to the bedding fish. Castledine initiated the altercation by dropping his rod and staring at the high school kids like my wife does when I'm in her way. To me, it looked like the Boat Captain ignored Castledine the same way I ignore my wife when she performs that particular form of tantrum.
In a similar passive aggressive way Castledine started the confrontation by saying something like "You'll figure it out one day." Basically, calling the man a dumbarse in front of his kids. This is how cry babies do it all the time. They antagonize someone and then claim the higher ground by walking away.
This looks to me like two guys that found the same bed fish and one guy had a camera rolling so he gets to explain the situation from his point of view only. It doesn't help that some of the communication is muted. I feel like there may have been other things said.
In my opinion, it's also very poor taste to start the video with a slow-mo shot of his trophy from this event. It feels like an attempt to gain credibility before laying out his version of how this exchange went. Kind of a "look what I won despite being surrounded by these idiots" sort of mentality.
There are definitely two sides to every story and this one is no different. If the ladder is a violation it should be addressed without prejudice.

I feel like Castledine came out looking and sounding pretty bad despite his best editing attempts. This is why he should have just ducked his head and carried on without confrontation. If he wants to call himself a Professional Fisherman, he should act like it.

The same boat captain that is blatantly and openly cheating?

Doug, your correct. I apologize for calling out the haters. The THSBA does in fact take the actions seriously. In fact there are numerous DQ’s that no one ever hears about. I wish we could catch everyone of them and DQ them. The fact is we just cannot and neither can any trail out there.

Tried that as well and at State and Regionals we usually are.The problem is it is volunteers to do it. Not everyone wants to volunteer.

I do think the team was in the wrong for coming across the cove and cutting him off and as far as the ladder. We are trying every resource we have to find this guy.

I wish they would all teach the kids to do right like we all were growing up.

That’s all. Just know we are looking into this and if we do find them it will be handled.

[/quote]

The same boat captain that is blatantly and openly cheating? [/quote]

We all get cut off from time to time. Happens whether on purpose or not but this guy is using a platform clearly breaking the rules and does not seem to care. The boat captain should know the rules. What a lesson to teach those kids. I don't miss fishing the highschool events.. My son and still fish just without the rat race of it all...

I’m glad I’m not the only one that saw this. With all the build up and fake drama/indignation at the beginning of that video I definitely didn’t expect Castledine to be the first one to have something smart to say.

Todd says in the video he doesn't doubt some of the guys fishing the series he was fishing most likely cut off high school teams, but that he didn't have video of it. If he had video I believe he would have addessed that too. To me it seemed he wanted to address what was being taught to these young men by their captain. If they learn this is acceptable behavior, they will likely continue to do it as adults if they continue fishing. As you said there is a pandemic of rude and inconsiderate people out there. Hopefully teaching them the right way to handle themselves will reduce the frequency of this occurring, but obviously they will end up doing whatever they choose to do.

Did you miss the part where I said they should handle the ladder without prejudice? Ignorance of the rules as a boat captain is no excuse. Penalize them within the rules. Period

It's obvious the skeeter guy is ignorant and has less experience in high pressured areas. This may have been why he didn't notice Castledine's boat heading that way sooner. Who knows?
This is why the "Pro" shouldn't have tried to embarrass him in front of his kids.

If any man compliments my son while simultaneously calling me an idiot in front of him, there's going to be a confrontation and it's the other person's decision how far we take it.

I don't play golf. If the exact same thing happened on a golf course while I was trying to have a good time and learn with my son, that pro is gonna catch a beating for sure.

Finally, I also think it's a bad look for Castledine to tell them he's not gonna blast them on Youtube and then turn around and blast them on Youtube.

Just my two cents on a Tuesday morning...

I like how when Todd first started off the boat captain didn’t understand what he was getting at and tried to have a friendly conversation about bed fishing. This kind of tells me he didn’t realize what he did since he didn’t immediately go on the defensive. Then Todd continued the confrontation.

Whether the guy meant to cut him off or not, if Todd really wants to teach kids how not to act, start with not passive aggressively confronting this guy. He didn’t teach those kids anything with that.

I am sure Todd would tell you he probably could have easily avoided any confrontation at all and knowing Todd from his previous videos, he probably wishes he would have. He has always taken the high road in his videos and is very patient in waiting his turn. I get it, dropping his rod, staring, and being as someone said "passive aggressive" about the situation is probably not the best look because perception is REALITY. It does not make Todd wrong however!! I can see where the team may not have even seen Todd coming around the corner when they "initially" started their trek to the spot, but I know they had to have seen him at some point "during" the trek over from across the cove. In their mind I am sure they are thinking "hey no one is on that spot over there and if we are headed to that spot, that makes it our spot and darned anyone else trying to get there before us". That does not make their mindset right, i am just pointing out what was probably happening.

If I am Todd in this particular instance, I am going to make it a point to at least talk to this guy....not because he cut him off....I would be curious about the step ladder!! I do not know of any tournament organization that allows the use of an aftermarket device to gain an advantage in seeing better. That alone would have raised questions about the guy's credibility with me and raised suspicion. Everyone has different ways of handling confrontation. Is Todd's the best way? Probably not, but neither is your way. Dang it, it's hard to always be the "better guy" and just avoid it altogether. So I get it.

As for the HS haters, they have been there since day 1. The crazy thing I have seen in the past 10 years is that the same people praising it one weekend are bashing it the next!! Ken, Tim and the rest of those guys and girls at THSBA have done nothing but the right thing since day one. They are Saints in my book! All they have done is change lives for the better and given kids an opportunity that we never had. All the while holding down real jobs. No one is making bank in HS Fishing except the SPONSORS by gaining lifetime customers at a very cheap rate. Think about this.....HS fishing has been around for roughly 10 years....the investment a particular boat company has made into HS Fishing in this state has paid off at least 10 fold and that is probably on the very low end. I am not bashing them by no means, because like any investment, they saw the potential and took full advantage of it! It's good business and many others have done the same thing. It's no different than hitting it big with a business startup that explodes onto the scene overnight.

HS fishing isn't going away, just like Bass Champs, TTT, Toyota's and BFL's (who are making $$ by the way). Just like you and your passion, there are too many out there who have poured their lives into it to make it what it is today. In addition, the sponsors are not going to let it go away because of it's VALUE in today's world of competitive bass fishing. Ya wanna change it? Like Ken said, GET INVOLVED!! In my experience, there have been plenty men and women of "words" but very few of "action" who want to put in the work that is required.

Just my 2 Cents.

UPDATE;
The rule violations have been addressed according to the THSBA rules and the case is closed. We have spoken to the boat captain in question.

We will not disclose the captains name nor the kids involved as always.


Thank you and have a great day.

I have a question. Are the high school anglers required to wear jerseys? Maybe they should be required in order to protect THSBA from false accusations?

I have two boys in my boat 75% of the time and I've never been involved with a high school tournament.

No sir they are not. 99% of them do though.

So, I have captained for 7 consecutive years with two separate teams- one team in each of the two biggest organizations (THSBA and SETX). Neither team wore their jerseys on the water for any tournament. Biggest reason is that they are just not that comfortable. They ride in the starboard rod box until weigh-in when they are put on. Guessing same reason a lot of the pros don't wear theirs unless a camera might be on them. There are just tons of more comfortable options out there to fish hard for 8+ hours in.

How do you not notice a boat a half a cast away? I’m not buying your side of the story.

Same here. Jerseys in the box, put em on at weigh-in.
I can almost guarantee that my guys are gonna stick one deep or in the tongue and get blood all over themselves and the boat on every trip.

I've captained at probably 50+ HS events, including out of state, and have been fishing tournaments for well over 30 years....... I have been cut-off by guides, pro's, wanna b pro's, joe local AND HS teams-Some in ignorance and some just didn't care.
With the number of folks on the lakes today, it's going to happen. HS fishing is just easier to recognize and blame.
Sucks for Todd but looks like it didn't really hurt him. THSBA has handled the rule violation (cheating) so I guess, in this instance at least, it all worked out.

This is the way I feel about it as well. The staredown and rod drop, following the casting and short cast kinda is a tell tale of what started it. I agree that the other boat was likely waiting across the small cove, giving the previous boat ample time to fish, when the previous boat left, they quietly idle over to fish the spot they waited to fish. Todd rolled around the corner and found that he wasn’t “next”. The “he’ll figure it out someday” comments were supposed to imply that the captain would figure out the rank and profile of fishing and yield his rights to the spot to the pro.

He was pointed in that direction fishing down the bank already on the point , they idled 30 yards in front of him. Not Cool under any circumstances

I don't have a side and I aint selling nothing, Bud.

hmmm, cash grew 170k YoY. Awards paid out 95k with another 83k in grants. Comp+Salary 130k. 2017 tax return, would need to see more

That’s difficult for some to comprehend.

What Todd says about the depth perception it's little hard to tell, but it definitely looks like the captain saw Todd coming around the point and he cut him off. The guy definitely new what he was doing. He probably had been waiting to fish that bed for awhile. I've just been taught the same method Todd used. Get on a bank in line and wait your turn.

I'd a boatramped every frickin' one of 'em......can you boatramp on a point?

So your completely fine with the boat captain pulling up within a half a cast of him from across the cove? Your right bud, he probably didn’t see him.

Do you think anything productive came from Todd posting this video? I personally do not. If his goal was to get the team that cut him off DQ'd, he could have done that simply by contacting THSBA directly. My opinion is that the people that cut others off learn nothing from videos such as this. Anyone that cares already knows this is wrong. I think this stuff is just click bait. All it does is stir people up and solve nothing. Especially when you mute out half the conversation. Not saying it was anything that would have made the situation different, but it does open the door to the potential of him hiding something. I like Todd but I think in this case he made a bad decision to post this. He should have handled this in a direct manner and just moved on. This young generation already has a tendency to air their dirty laundry on social media and the internet. Stuff like this just reinforces that horrible way of reacting to conflict.

ken just an observation/suggesttion. you said there are DQ's which we dont hear about. If it was made public it might help. seeing what others are getting dq'd for might help educate and the potential of being listed for for a DQ would make people think twice about it
not sure. local gas station in town used to put hot checks on the wall for eveyone to see. problem fixed itself very quickly.

some folks should get dq ed for some of the rules they run over but instead of saying something to the offender or telling the tournament director at the tournament it is much easier to wait til you get home an whine about getting punked on the net.

I think the fact that he was cheating by using his little ladder takes any possible thought of his integrity out of the discussion. Even the kids in the boat knew the guy was being a douche....

Agreed with most opinions on this thread. Personally he should have either A: dealt with it himself or B: simply turned them in(he has video evidence). Posting videos(even after saying you were NOT going to) is the wrong action IMHO. Starts to become “Click Bait” when you want everyone to see what you should have simply taken care of.

How in the world does anyone know what the kids thought? Because Todd said so? They could have been watching him thinking wtf is this guy doing coming up on us staring us down like this.

Also I really feel like this guy was ignorant of the platform rule. Not that it’s an excuse. Just that I don’t he knew and just blatantly cheated when he knows there’s 300 boats out there to see It.

Give the THSBA a break. Anyone remember ole Rooster and Crankin Craig in Basschamps last year? That showed me things like this go on in more tournaments than any of us want to imagine. It’s not the organizations fault that bad apples are participating in their events. One of the biggest tournament cheaters in the area that could never seem to get caught by anyone was busted by the high school trail. They’ve come a long way and do plenty of good…. but that’s no fun to talk about I guess.

The boat captain was cheating. Justify that somehow.

How anyone can defend the “platform” captain is beyond me. What y’all are basically saying is you do the same thing on the lake and think it’s acceptable behavior.

I’m not defending him and if he purposely/intentionally/maliciously cut Todd off then screw him. I’m just saying we don’t know everything from this video. Possibly the guy didn’t realize what he did and/or is inexperienced and doesn’t know it’s unacceptable. Todd trying to punk him in front of his kids was uncalled for imo. You want to be the bigger man, then be the bigger man and shake your head, go around, and come back when they leave. Simple.

I already addressed a possibility with the platform. We don’t know. If he was ignorant of the rules, he’s 100% still responsible. But not a huge pos cheater like he is if he’s intentionally doing all these things.


I just like to try to see the good in people.

Sounds to me like you have the same character as the boat captain that cut Todd off. Pathetic. Very poor example of the boat captain for the kids in the boat. Some people these days just have NO integrity or respect for others.

And I’m not a fan of the look at me attention grabbing YouTube videos.

I've had High School anglers cut me off, I've had pro anglers cut me off, and I've had local tournament anglers cut me off, bottom line we are fishing public waters for the most part and there are some that have no etiquette, I don't stare at them or add fuel to the fire, I just ignore them and keep fishing or just move.

What is eventually going to happen is, the governing lake authority will regulate how may tournaments can be held on a PUBLIC lake for profit. Its coming.

That dumb@ss got busted by ABA when it was the RAM open series, I was there.

I'm not a fan of the douche THSBA captains cursing a fellow angler out and setting a bad example in front of the youths.

I agree and surprised it hasn't already happened

Yeah that comment was uncalled for also. Lots of wrong in this incident.

In truth the platform has absolutely nothing to do with the video. The OP didn’t post it to show him on the ladder he posted it to show him supposedly cutting him off.

No dog in this fight but I can tell you there are a ton of boat captains in HS fishing that do not know the rules.

I have seen teams in THSBA weigh fish with the culling clips and floats still on the fish. Guy weighing the bags never looked at the fish and the girl giving the bags to the weigher never looked either. They had to take the culling rings off to put the fish in the release tank.

Captains have gone to the restroom while their team fished.

I’ve seen captains sleeping…..zonked out….with no clue what the team was doing.

Kids on the back deck while under way with the big motor.

A team scooped a floating 5lbr in their net….boxed it….took it to weigh in. Asked if it was legal….got told no but they were still allowed to weigh their other fish and not DQd.

I could go on….I don’t think in any of the incidents above that a team or captain were trying to cheat but rather just ignorant of the rules. The guy in the vid may have had no clue that a step ladder was not allowed. I could not question his ethics just because of the ladder.

I’m with Todd on this one… the GoPro angles are not what they seem. I’m sure the boat captain saw him coming down the bank…. The captain knew there was a bed fish there “he had his ladder ready” and was willing to do anything before Todd got there.

I’ve been in the boat captain shoes… I’ve seen brush piles and points I knew had fish on them but was beat to the punch. However, you have to control your willingness to catch the fish or get to that spot. Some men can do it, and some men cannot. Self control and got the better of the boat captain. He was willing to cut a boat off and catch the fish vs let the other boat in line “Todd” have his shot.

It sucks but self control goes along way in tournament bass fishing. That’s why Todd said you’ll get it one day. I agree with Todd. It will happen to the guy or the boys fishing with him. And then they will remember that they did that to another boater.

I run a. GoPro 24/7… I can assure you that boat was a lot closer than what it looked like.

Grow...dat...sport.

These type of threads are so stupid. People want to say that you aren’t using proper fishing etiquette but there really, you’re version of proper etiquette is something that you made up in your head and expect others to know and follow even though their version is obviously different. Sure I have my own version of proper etiquette and get pissed when others don’t follow it, just like everyone else but I am not going to get into a stare down and try to embarrass someone in front of their kids. Just move on and fish. This is why I hate tournaments. I just fish for fun

Sounds to me like there were too many tournament boats along with all the regular traffic for the lake. If the lake was large enough then there wouldn't be confrontations as everyone would have a spot to fish unimpeded. It doesn't matter how large the body of water is if the fish are location specific. I'm all for the tournament guys but there needs to be a limit to the number of them on the same days. If these things continue there will be regulation coming down the pike and the tournament guys will have no one to blame but themselves. You can clean it up yourselves or someone will do it for you.

1) Todd, these guys went to the bank for a specific fish. Obviously they knew it was there before you or you would have went directly to it. I would have simply trolled around them and moved on. No discussion necessary.
2) Nobody knows who the guy or the kids are or if they were even entered in a tournament that day. It could have simply been a guy fishing with his kids. Put down the rope and don’t hang anyone until someone knows the facts.
3) Go out and enjoy your day on the water. Life is too short to worry about this kind of stuff.

.

There won’t be a regulation. The real world doesn’t care about fishing drama.

“Regulations on boat numbers”

clean the windows before you lick em dude.

Are you being serious with this or joking ?

I hope he isnt

seems he commented without watching the video if he is serious

We do know they were fishing the highschool event.. Now that being said all of have been cut off before... To me the bigger issue was the platform and it has been addressed..

I think the lesson here to the cheaters out there is if you are gonna cheat, which is what is going on with the ladder you might want to fly under the radar and not cut off then subsequently call one of the better fisherman in the state of Texas a D..... while he is in a Toyota event with the camera on lol.

^ of all that happened in the video this is what stood out to me the most. There has always been the unwritten rules amongst fishermen on the water, Todd is essentially explaining a few of those in the video for everyone who does not know them, tournament or no tournament. Clearly some of the comments in this post are coming from people who didn't watch it or are simply too ignorant to understand it, 1 + 1 can be difficult for grown [censored] men believe it or not. The boat captains comment and name calling in front of the children is sandbox, childish, and bush-league.

If it had been me i think I would have dropped my poles and started commentating in a low voice like they do in golf, ok he is positioned on the platform, he is pitching from left to right, there is a slight breeze from the north there fore he will need to keep projectile low , the pitch is underway, oh he left it about a foot short, lets see if he can save par lol.

This is gold

I'm amazed anyone can watch this video and find fault in Todd's actions. He handled it way better than most would have been.

I think he would have been doing the young anglers a disservice to not point out that their captain was in the wrong, and he did it respectfully IMO.

There were boats all over that cove. To me, there is a difference between breaking a rule and cheating. I think of a cheater as someone who intentionally breaks a rule to win. I don't think the boat captain knew there was a rule against using a step ladder. Ignorance of a rule is not an excuse and yes he should have been DQed. He also probably didn't realize he was cutting off Todd. Hopefully this entire scenario is a good educational experience for future events.

You just can't fix stupid!! And luckily the world is full of it now days!

He may not have known JP, for him to have not known that could be an issue he must have never read the rules, or any rules for any other tournament because I have never seen that allowed in any trail, both kids must have never read the rules either after an entire season as this was regionals. That is giving a huge benefit of the doubt to the situation. Now where I could see a gray area is maybe since he was not the angler he thought he could use it but when I captained I assumed that all the rules that applies to the kids applies to me as well, which is a fair assumption i would think.

Also his "you got something to say" and "well I think you are a D...." doesn't speak well to the having an moment of ignorance

That kind of made me think the guy is not a newbie.

The simple answer is both contributed and either one could have prevented it altogether.

The video that started this thread is at 21k views. His last confrontation video on Fork had 13k views. His confrontation video on Toledo last summer has 94k views. His last 5 videos averaged 5.36k views. Make of that what you like. Drama sells. I'll try to avoid watching the bass fishing version of reality tv from now on.

I did watch the video and I did listen to Todd’s explanation. Would I have done the same? No. I think Todd could have avoided the situation. He is too good of an angler to be worried about a 10 yard stretch of bank on a lake the size of Texoma. Was the other boat in the wrong? 100%
Could Todd have avoided a confrontation? 100% He threw his line towards them on purpose as he admitted in his video. He sat there on the front of the boat staring at the other boat waiting for a response, and he finally got one.
Lesson here, next time take a picture the the boat numbers and people in it if it was a violation taking place and move on. Then report them to the tournament director and let them handle the situation. It sounds like they have and I’m fine with that.
Guys are getting their panties in a wad for being cut off on a lake while fishing.
You know how many times I have been cut off by a car on a road, someone in line at an amusement park, someone at a grocery store, someone in a beer line at a bar or concert?! I could go on and on! C’mon man! Like I said, life is too short for this stuff! Enjoy your day on the water, tell someone excuse me, tell someone thank you, tell someone to go ahead in front of you. See how much happier you will be at the end of the day.
Now everyone go have a great day!

WAWI is probably right on this. (that hurts to say it out loud)

I'd venture to say that at least 75% of the captains and 80% of the anglers have never sat down and read the rules. (I feel I'm probably light on my percentages.........)

^^^ This. He's on a ladder cussing someone out in front of either his kid and/or someone else's, potentially putting them in harms way with his comments. Good news is, it's been handled.

Ya'll cry me a river. Try fishing a lake from a kayak some weekend...Every moron pulls in front of you like you don't exist. Boo hoo.

I chuckled at this..... thanks

I personally witnessed a dq this year on a team in first place with big bass, because they were not following the rules. As I watched the video last night I was ashamed how some people represent the sport. It’s not how I was taught and it’s not how my son or his partner was taught. I captained my son’s tournaments this year, we wore team jerseys and knew when we put those jerseys on what we represented. Obviously we represented ourselves, we represented our high school, and the THSBA and our sponsors. THSBA catches flack, a lot, they aren’t perfect, but don’t let the actions of bad actors ruin your perception for everyone, especially the ones doing it right.

Ken thank you for the time you dedicate to THSBA.

By the way, we don’t fish a skeeter.

I am glad this video was posted, let’s use this as an opportunity to teach what’s right and to teach sportsmanship.

This post has been super helpful. The fact that anyone would think this isn’t a blatant example of getting cut off explains the lack of common sense we experience on the water. Saying everyone doesn’t have to follow your rules is nonsense. This is the most basic courtesy that even a child should understand. Todd was fishing the bank and it was clear which direction he was going. The guy was coming from across the cove and by the time he got to the spot, was within a cast of Todd. Hell, he stood on the trolling motor. Who cares if he saw him initially…he definitely saw him well before he got to the spot and at that point he should have either gone behind him or moved on. Judge Todd however you want but personally I’m glad he said something. Todd was right. It’s no wonder some people continue to cut others off. It works because some never speak up. If you don’t ask for or give respect, you shouldn’t expect it.

Well said sir.

Yawn.