IKE Article- "They’re not true fans of our sport"

http://www.bassmaster.com/mike-iaconelli/they-re-not-true-fans-our-sport

Ike telling it like it is!

That is the exact reason the sport will die. I cant imagine why BASS would publish that article. What the PROS do not understand is... 1. Its public water. 2. Its the everyday fisherman that makes it possible for them to be sponsored and fish daily for a living. Ike might want to take KVDs lead and be a ambassador for the sport. The problem is that too many have the same Clownish ideas as Ike. I have met almost every pro out, and can say if they would take a humble approach like a Todd Faircloth, then maybe things would go better. I for one do not follow these guys on the water, but I have heard stories of how these Pros act on the water just as what he just stated. It goes both ways... Remember this simple statement. Without the everyday fisherman, Ike would be sitting at home working a 9 to 5. No everyday guy... No sponsor money.... To Ike, enjoy all your free stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He is definitely telling it like it is. Some guys on the lake do not know the meaning of courtesy or ethics.

Really?
Seems I remember something on the Forum:
http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbt...BC#Post11618047

I think Ike is referring to the guys purposely sabotaging them while they are trying to fish. Maybe a KVD fan locates his nearest competitor on the leaderboard and goes and fishes in front of him or disturbs the area in some way. Is this legal for public waters? Yes. Does it effect the outcome of tournaments? Yes. The only solution would be to move the tournaments to private waters and that isn't going to happen.

Public lake, go to HR!

100% agree with Ike on this one!! Never thought I would say that lol. What does it "prove" to stalk a Pro and fish his spot and catch fish?? Nothing!! I would hope even an alien with no knowledge of fishing could see a bait getting used in a specific area and catch fish!! These guys have the dates published for events almost a year in advance so people know when they are coming. If it happens to be a "spot" you legitimately found "way before" the Pro showed up and you just happened to be there "before" them fishing it then "cool, ok you have a point" but to follow them around, mark the waypoint, and fish it alongside them is beyond ridiculous... Guess they have always received a participation trophy growing up and need to feel "special" even if its cheating off someone else's hard work...

yeah if you happened to read the post he addresses every issue you mentioned...

He sound like a big old cry baby, Ike has little mans disease. Crying like a baby

Public water just stuff you have to deal with.

I wouldn't personally fish other guys water during a event, but it's just stuff they have to deal with.

Maybe he needs to find a new profession..........

Or maybe the jackwagons pulling this [censored] need to learn how to find their own fish.

If many of the TFF tournament guys had this happen to them, and they have, they'd be on here bitching up a blue streak come Monday morning, and they do all the time. Can't have it both ways.

RR, let's say you were doing a job for a public utility. On public property. You had dug up a leaking line, repaired it and filled the hole with dirt, only to have some guy come right behind you and dig that dirt back up, would that be cool? After all, it's public property. Perhaps that's not the best analogy, but you get the point. I wouldn't ruin your hard work but somebody else with no ethics or courtesy might. Just something you'll have to deal with, right?

Ike doesn't question the legality of what these guys are doing. No doubt it's legal. But it's also a really shi**y thing to do to the pros trying to make a living.

Ike is spot on.

I don't see how anyone can use the "But OMG it's public water!!" argument to defend locals who follow the pros around and fish the spots they found.

If you want to fun fish during the tournament, fine, but don't mess things up for the guys who are trying to pay their bills. Your special brush pile will still be there next weekend when the pros are gone.

Agree with Ike, unfortunately not much that anyone can legally do. If we had people CONSTATNTLY following us and catching fish that we found and were trying to catch to pay the bills, most people on here would have broken the silence long before Ike. This isn't something that JUST started happening.

Just can't believe dem Cajuns followed them to Ray Roberts too.

Think only approach is to simply take lots of pictures and post everywhere, create memes of the guys that post and brag about the 4 lb fish they catch off of Pro's spots.

These kind of people are fishing for the wrong reasons.

Finding the fish and figuring out how to catch them is the challenge that keeps me going back. Also the reason I have a love/hate relationship with Alan Henry.

If the shoe fits wear it. If you are offended by what he said...... He is talking about you...

Never thought I would agree with Ike on anything, but I absolutely do on this issue. If you want to follow and mark spots, take notes ect. to use LATER, I see no problem with that. But to fish the spots with fish the pro has found while the tournament is going on? People should use a little common sense.

The only thing about his article I don't like is he talks like all the spots they find are secrets that nobody fished before they came to the lake. Obviously that isn't true because we all know most(if not all) are getting information from someone.

The guys that are a problem are the ones watching them then going in right beside them or behind them when they leave.

If someone legitimately found that place on there own and is already there when the pro pulls up then they shouldn't be expected to move just because Joe Blow Pro showed up. I would no question get out of their way and let them have it BUT I am a fan and follow the sport.

Ike is not the only one that has said this same thing.
KVD said the same thing just the other night on Ike's show.
Ike is one of the few that have the balls to say it out in public.
I am a fan ,there is no way I would even fish on a lake this guys are having a tournament on

About time somebody told it like it was, of course there will be many here that are offended by the honesty of Ike's article.

you should maybe do some research into KVD's opinion on the matter before you post about it

LOL

This guy knows how to get a close look at what a pro is doing. If you want a closer look, bring your binoculars and give them some space.

90%+ of "everyday fishermen" don't follow them, or tournaments, or give two [censored] about them....true story

Lol, Ike's not the problem, the people following them and behaving like that are. He said what 99% of the pros and the rest of the world is thinking. I couldn't believe the amount of posts I saw on social media from Toledo of guys going in behind them or along side them and fishing.

I totally agree, you can definitely see the same who the jerks Ike is referring to on this board by comments, you can see how they got offended right off the bat and tuned out what he said without understanding the message!
I think guys that do [censored] like that are the lowest form of lazy scum!!

I'm afraid the Conroe Classic will be a disaster. The local BASS federation and its clubs need to try to run interference for the tournament by discouraging this behavior. If you want to follow the pros that is fine. Just don't even break out rods, give them some room, watch and learn.

This doesn't really relate to the article. He isn't talking about those people.

I plan to follow these guys at least part of everyday on Texoma in two weeks. Follow, watch, maybe even mark spots, but my rods will not come out of the locker. JMO

Someone said "the sport will die" ..... presume he meant bass fishing.....so I know better than that!

Yep, and clearly we have some of these jack wagons on our forum.

lots of those "types" here

I heard KVD say "come on man!" to someone on BASSlive Toledo Bend. I got the impression they were casting pretty close to his boat. I was waiting for the camara to pan over to the idiot, but they didn't. They best way to handle this is for the true fans that follow them (I'm not one that does) to tactfully discourage it, and hope it doesn't turn ugly.

Out of curiosity why couldn't they move the major tourneys to private waters? I'm sure there is a venue that could support it, most all of the major sports are that way. PGA venues are mostly open to public, except during a tournament, then they aren't. They could even have different coves with stands etc for the spectators, and then obviously a crowd for the weigh ins.. It would solve the problem of external factors that the article talks about. Also out of curiosity how is a boat race set up on public waters? Surely you don't have guys that are lined up next to the racers in their john-boat trying to see if they can beat them, it's unsafe, and it wouldn't be allowed, public water or not. I don't see how this is any different.

Either that or why can't there be a way to control the access utilizing local governments? Government can control access for things like low water, or high water etc.. Why can't they work with them on an event like that? It's for the public good, no (increased boat traffic etc)? I don't see how this is any different. I'm aware that it might be more difficult on a lake like TB or RR, but there are bigger lakes owned by municipalities that would still be suitable for such. If the sport doesn't try and come up with a solution, then it doesn't do much good to complain about it.

I believe he is talking about the sport of professional bass fishing, not the sport of bass fishing in general.

To the guy that said "ike has little man syndrome", bet you would have an earful if someone was attempting to get in your way of paying your bills or providing for your family. Let me know what you do for a living and I will give you a couple of real world scenarios! Anyone that try's to follow these guys and pull up beside them to fish at the same time or wait for them to leave is just a coward. Those people have little man syndrome, just saying!

This is kinda of funny to me that this is coming from Ike. I was out at Ray Bob this last Friday and Saturday. I got there first thing Friday and Saturday to watch take off and then I just went out and watch who ever I cam across for a few hours. staying way back and not fishing at all. after a few hours I decided to go hit a few of my spots before I went home. I knew if there was a pro anywhere around I would not fish it at all. so on Saturday about 10:30 or so I think I went to one of my spots. There was no one in sight. so I decided to fish for a hour or so before I got out of there. After about 30 min without seeing anybody except for some boats going by on the main lake who do I see pulling up right next to me? Mr. Ike! with about 10 other boats in tow. Well I did not know what to do, I decided to just keep fishing but started just going back the opposite way away from Ike. It was crazy but he just pulled in right next to me and started fishing. Luckily he only stayed about 15 minutes and moved on.

So you are " that guy" ?

Just trying to figure out why it's so hard not to fish when they're out there. We live in Texas and have the resource anytime of the year we want. Even when there are other major tournament going on in our area I will avoid the lake. Even if I'm out goofing around and I run into folks in a club T, I'll give them the right of way as I would appreciate the same courtesy were the shoe on the other foot. As a tournament angler myself, I would feel pretty stupid catching a nice fish in front of someone that could have used it that day. Is it my right to fish, yep, I just chose to avoid those situations. I don't see the point of being rude. This is Texas BTW and we're supposed to be a friendly state.

Someone said it earlier, the Classic on Conroe next year is gonna be quite the SPECTACLE. There will be words exchanged MANY times.

I dunno about that. Haven't really been any problems in the TTBCs held there. Although this practice does seem to be getting worse.

You obviously should have gone to Rayburn as he suggests in his article. It was clearly your fault. You should have known that a lake the size of Toledo couldn't accommodate the pros AND the locals.

What does the RayBob event have to do with what went on at Toledo Bend?

Ike specifically said he wasn't talking about "those guys"

So....if you are part of that 90%+ that just fish because they love it, and had a trip planned to a particular lake, maybe your home lake, you should just change your plans to accommodate some pro's??? [censored] that! I would never get near them, but if I was fishing and they came right up to me I'm not putting my rod down....of course I'd be polite as long as they were, and wouldn't care at all if they fished beside me. I'm pretty sure most regular fisherman would be the same way. I do realize common sense and being polite on the water is dying because I fish Fork often.....and I see bad behavior often. People in boats they have no business driving, being reckless in those boats, or worse, being oblivious to common courtesy of not cutting people off, or maintaining a reasonable distance from other fisherman.....some of it is inexperience, and some of it is just plain stupidity.

I don't really follow the pros or care too much about them, and I find it hard to believe that a local wouldn't know that there was going to be a large tournament on their home lake

Pros own the lake when fishing it. Everyone knows this.

^^^^^

I hope that I am never so selfish or self centered that I would fish a place I saw a pro catch a fish off of during a tournament.....also is there anybody among us that doesn't think having a flotilla of spectator boats around a tournament fisherman doesn't negatively affect his ability to catch fish?
if you believe a mob of boats,half of them with depthfinders on and bumping trolling motors on and off is detrimental to the fishing-why would you be out there?

Because

1) they are so star struck they feel they "have to be there"
2) they are so selfish they do not care if they affect the outcome and they think they are "entitled" to be there
3) they are pot lickers who cannot find good areas on their own
4) they are $%^&ing idiots

Common respect and regard for your fellow man is a lost art form now days... clearly, as you can see by how some of the folks on this thread are reacting to Ike's article. Same folks that speed up on the road when you put your blinker so that you cant get over... just idiots in general, unfortunately stupid people are still allowed to breed. Its not about public water or who owns what water, its simply about respect.

My bad. I missed the Ray Bob part. He says the same about that event--some comment about whether or not there were any other lakes in the area.

You're right, so my bad.

Meh. RayBob is pretty big, but I could see it getting pretty crowded with the pros, locals, and gawkers. The story that he tells about what happened to him there is pretty bad. I'd be mad too--if it actually happened that way. As we have seen from another poster, Ike wasn't too concerned about other anglers "right" to a spot (if that actually happened as described). For all we know, the guy that cut him off may have already been there. As we all know, fisherman (pro or local) are never prone to exaggeration.

"right next to me" seems to mean 100 yards away to some people on here

Proud of IKE....I'd rather watch it on my TV anyways, and the dam fishing commercials these days are entertainment themselves!

I normally stay out of these heated debates on here because its normally clouded with too much testosterone and ignorance mixed in with a little stubborness and a sense of entitlement in some cases.

That being said, here goes. Anyone on a public lake has their right to any place they want to fish as long as it's legal. However, there should be what others have referred to as common courtesy when it comes to this and many others things we all see on a lake on any given day, especially places like Fork and even Monticello.

For me there's a few scenarios that are worth visiting.

1. At least 90% of the boats on the water at the events mentioned knew very clearly there was a Professional tournament there on that given day. If you are in that 90% you absolutely should give way, not impede and especially not move in on someone out there trying to pay their mortgage or pay for the kid's college,etc. I've even moved out of an area on Cypress Springs when I knew some guys that came in were fishing a small club tourney. I'm out there for some fun and have 100 other places I can go so I let someone fishing for money have it and normally tell them I am leaving and why when I do.

2. That leaves us with the other 10% who have no idea who any of these guys are and why their boats have the fancy decals all over them and they are wearing what looks like a Nascar jumpsuit. That 10% simply don't know any better. They are just out there fishing and won't know its right to stay back or move, etc unless someone tells them. This part will never change.

Now comes the "that guy" list. They are mixed in with that 90% listed above. They are out there doing something perfectly legal but very discourteous. Whether they are wanting to see how a guy that does it for a living fishes "their" lake or they are wanting to mark spots is irrelevant. There are ways to do both without impacting someone fishing for a living. I simply can't understand and never will some guy doing some of the things mentioned in Ike's rant and I've never been an Ike "fan" even though I hear he's a great person off the water.

Lastly, Dannie Golden is a good friend of mine who makes his living guiding on Ray Roberts. I think he had guide trips out there each day of the TTBC. Do you think he would run in on someone or go by and mark a spot KVD or anyone else was fishing while they were fishing it? I know for a fact he wouldn't and he's out there to make a living as well. I know he saw some craziness out there last week, but I'm sure he mostly just laughed it all off.

Rant over. Hopefully the "that guy" list will figure it out at some point but the odds say they won't.

We have the bass live cam now! So why even bother chasing them all over lake??

Are there really guys that travel to the elites just to cut them off and catch their fish? That's some swimfan creepiness.

Degenerate Potlicking is a regular thing around here.

Id like to go watch to seeach what I could learn. I'd never fish though.

Ok fess up which one of yall was it?

I should probably stay out of this mess but this is a topic i get very heated about at times! I do think what Mike is talking about is ridiculous! I fished full time for 10 yrs and would still be if not for a family situtation. I do however agree with alot of this blame going to how some pro's conduct themselves and have in the past on television and what they seem to think is acceptable on the water! I DO NOT in anyway agree with someone pulling up next to someone on a offshore place and asking if they can fish next to them! To me that's insane and I have and never will do that! Either they beat me there or I made a bad choice and waited to long to go there or I chose the wrong time to hit it in my rotation! Whatever it is Im going to the next place and hopefully I can hit it later when no one is on it! I've fished tons of tournaments around Mike and KVD and all these guys and really never had one conflict with them. I could name a few that i did have problems with but I wont name them bc it would only happened once! Bc I would let them know immediately what I thought about it! It usually wasn't a very pleasant conversation but got the point across and the next time they made the more professional choice! Mike is a good guy off the water and I really enjoyed talking to him at Yamaha get aways when we had them but I despise the way he acts on the water for the cameras. I understand its his money maker bc it brings attention to him and brings sponsors but I think its way over the top! JMO If anyone watched Bassfest on Chickamauga 2 yrs ago u saw Mike try to come in on KVD and 2 other competitors on the 3rd day after they had been on one place for 3 days and he hadn't and KVD made that point as soon as he idled up. A few words were exchanged and Mike left! I know guys are scared to look bad on tv for sponsors but I think u have every right to stand ur ground and voice ur opinion. Some times it goes smooth sometimes it gets heated but that's just how it is! We r grown men fishing for money but people shouldn't leave there morals and ethics at home. Use some common sense and 90% of this goes away. The other 10% that want to follow the pros and fish what they r fishing there really isnt much help for! I agree that the other spectators should help police it! I had one of my co anglers in a Forrest Wood Cup that I had a chance to win ask to be my camera boat driver the last day so he could block the mouths of the small creeks I was fishing to keep the followers from ruining them while I was fishing. The camera man just stayed in the boat with me and the boat driver played blocker! It worked out great and I really had alot of respect for him for doing that for me!

\

That's easy...all the "Sovereign Citizen types" making their "public water" defense.

Ike has always been a baby about things. The shouting, the crying. . .he's the bass fishing clown.

Leave a camera there a few times and show the DBs potlicking and make it a point to show them on TV and bass live. Other respectful boater should take pics of the potlickers and post it on social media. Embarrassment could be an easy way to knock it back a little.

This couldn't hurt.

I rode with them this year for the 8th year. I had AMart on Friday and Brent Ehler on Saturday. Here is my take after 8 years judging the TTBC.

First he is right about " not fans of the sport". Probably less than 5% of America cares about Tournament fishing. There weren't many boats on the Lake. I would say about 1/3 who were out there didn't have an clue there was a tournament going on before they felt the house. Several asked us "is there a big tournament going on " or something similar to that.

The majority who came to watch them stayed quite a ways away. They were all fishing shallow so they stayed farther away than they normal do. There are always a few maybe a couple boats you see a day out there to prove they can catch more than KVD or who else they want to be able to say they beat. They cut them off, fish their spot after they leave, etc. They aren't thinking about doing the right thing.

Your always going to have a few that do the wrong thing. The majority are very courteous. It's all part of the game so they need to accept it. They always talk about how it hurts them. You rarely, maybe never hear them say I would not have won if the locals had jacked so and so's spot.

If you get aggravated with people who do the wrong thing all the time you are going to lead a very aggravated life. Respect gets in shorter supply every day.

I didn't see anyone who was discourteous to Aaron or Brent. There were maybe a couple of boats on a spot they wanted to fish. One was on a point Brent wanted to fish in the morning for the shad spawn. He was anchored up with a Center Console. About 15 casts would have fished the entire spot. To me he looked like a guy who just wanted to fish on Saturday. Clueless that there was a big tournament until he saw all the wrapped boats running around. He wasn't following anyone. He was there before they ever left the dock.

Expecting them to go to another Lake is ridicules. They worked, spent their money and have every right to be there. What if the guy lived on the east side of Toledo? Is he supposed to go to Rayburn just so Ike can have less people fishing? A lot of them have the expectation that the rec guys should just stay off the lake when they come. I have noticed the higher they are consistently at the top the less it bothers them. They know they have do deal with it and so does everyone else.

I have to agree with Ike. There are total idiots on the water and at the ramp that have no respect for others. They should have been taught better manners when they were younger with a few spankings thrown to straighten them out.

+1

I've never been able to do it, because I would feel 6 inches tall if one of those guys pulled up where I wanted to fish.

We are fortunate to have tons of lakes, so the 3-4 days they fish our local lake every 5 years, I can manage to come somewhere else.

I think it's kind of a macho deal

"I don't bow down to the pros, they have no more right than us"

"I paid for my fishing license too, and I'm going to fish"

Or my favorite... When they put them in the livewell, then brag on social media, and tell us what place they would be in.... Yes, I've seen it.

I wonder why no one ever fishes where I am fishing?

People taking this as an opportunity to bash Ike. He is saying what 107 other Elite anglers want to say after Toledo. Seriously, I was embarrassed for our state after some of the stuff I saw on social media.

Ask yourself, are you that selfish that you can't take one weekend off from fishing "your local favorite" lake or at least not get in the way of the pros fishing it for a living for just one weekend? If you are, I feel sad for you. What a wretched life you lead.

+1

That must have been the windmill hole.

Agreed. Ike always sounds like a little B.

A) Calling spots "my spots" makes you sound stupid. Does Ike think he found places on Ray Roberts or TB that no one else has fished or calls their own spots? Why is he so privileged to be the only one to fish them?

B) I'm no pro, but if another boat watches me pull 3 fish from a spot, then leave to fish elsewhere, should I be so arrogant as Ike to expect that boat not to come fish "my spot?" Should I [censored] in the water to mark it so that I can come back and fish it, untouched by others, later that day or the next? This is what Ike is trying to do.

C) Even if these guys are coming in on him, just because he has chosen to make his living fishing, doesn't give him the rights to water like he thinks it does. You can preach etiquette all you want, and I'm okay with that, and I wouldn't dream of cutting in on Ike or any other fisherman. But to think that BASS or any other fishing organization can zone off water for their anglers on public water is absurd.

Just another reason not to like Ike IMO.

A wise man once told me....."some days you eat the bear,some days the bear eats you." Look,there always has been and always will be people that do those type of things.....that's life. But to write an entire article belly aching about something and you offer absolutely no idea or suggestions on how to fix??? Come on man! Just like everyone else in the entire world....we have to take the good with the bad,no matter what you do for a living. Thank God for the opportunity he has blessed you with to fish at that level,recognize Him in all that you do,and by all means........shut up and fish!!!!

If this article was written by Hackney or KVD, I think some of yall would have a very different tune.

In reality IKE is making a living doing what about 90% of people on here wish they could do. The thing that makes IKE so enjoyable is he honestly really truthfully could care less what people think.....

Valid Point

If your not catching anything we must be just missing each other.

Move it to a private lake, deal with it or go get a real job. When I am fishing it is for my enjoyment and those days are limited. If I see someone catching fish and they leave, do you really expect me to say, Hmmm those fish belong to him? I could care less about professional fishing. In fact, I wish that it didn't exist. All that advertising and sponsorship has driven prices way too high in my opinion. If it is that hard for him to deal with, I heard McDonalds is hiring.

Well said.

Since my last post, I've had a change of heart though and have some recommendations that BASS should consider to make Ike more comfortable fishing for a living:

1) Create "safe spaces" for Ike. In order to avoid any triggers that might make Ike lose a fish and break a rod over his knee, words and phrases such as "backlash," "dink," and "break off" can't be used on tournament day within a 100 yard radius of Ike. Violators will lose their fishing license for a minimum of 2 years, not exceeding 16 years.

2) Ike is allowed to use a red dye that will not only create a trail in the water behind his boat, but can also be projected 75 yards in front of his boat. All areas marked in red dye are off limits to fisherman during tournaments Ike fishes, and for a period of 2 days after said tournament. In the event that this red dye spreads beyond the limits of Ike's specific trail and into waters not covered by Ike, these shall be considered "Ike-marked" waters as well, and are off limits to all other fisherman for the same duration. All violator's pictures and home addresses will be posted on Texas Fishing Forum as well as any other publication or forum Ike desires so that all can know that these people fished "Ike's Spots." An old-fashioned Singaporean Caning will also be considered.

3) All fishermen (or fisherwomen) will have the choice of either carrying a small, but regulation-sized, B.A.S.S. white flag in their boat, or painting their stomachs yellow on all Tournament Days fished by Ike. In the event that Ike pulls to within 200 yards of a fisherman's or fisherwoman's boat, said fisher-person is to either waive the white flag, or roll over to their backs, displaying their yellowed bellies, thus demonstrating to Ike that he shall have the right of way to any water he desires. He does do this for a living after all...All violators subject to loss of fishing license permanently as well as a monetary fine, amount not to exceed what Ike feels is justified.

If anybody has any B.A.S.S. contacts, feel free to share my ideas.

Never been an Ike fan. I believe it's a love/hate deal with him - some love some not so much. Isn't he from Jersey or New York? With that said; I have to side with Ike on this one. I do wonder how much, if any, of this he brings on himself? If his "fans" truly loved and respected him they would honor his waters until after the tournament.

Never been an Ike fan. I believe it's a love/hate deal with him - some love some not so much. Isn't he from Jersey or New York? With that said; I have to side with Ike on this one. I do wonder how much, if any, of this he brings on himself? If his "fans" truly loved and respected him they would honor his waters until after the tournament.

A sense of pride and having some ethics makes an angler want to find and catch fish on his own, it makes catching fish a lot more enjoyable, IMO.

But then there are those that want to catch a fish by any means possible, they usually do not having any pride or confidence in their own abilities to locate and catch fish on their own. These type people wait to see others catch fish and move in and are commonly known as "pot lickers". These type anglers usually own a really good pair of binoculars...

I am on the fence about this one. On one side you have a guy b******* about having to deal with BS on the job. We all have BS to deal with everyday on our jobs. I don't like hearing them talking about people taking money out of their pockets because again it happens everyday to thousands in the workforce. On the other side I don't believe he is wrong about the issue I just don't agree with the consequences he talks about from their actions like the money. I love bass fishing but could care less about the Elites or FLW schedule but if I happen to be on a lake and I recognize an angler and he was coming at me I would invite him to fish the spot and when he left I would resume fishing myself. I only know the top guys as far as sponsors go and in this day and age everyone is wrapping a boat and wearing jerseys it seems but you just can't give way to everyone who has one. Nobody should ever cut someone off regardless if it's pros or joes but it happens and will never stop.

Honestly, do you think the sentiments shared in this article are unique to him or a minority opinion of professional anglers?

Good point t-54!! Ike is definitely a polarizing figure in the sport and I certainly understand why folks can feel a certain way. I was one of the guys who never cared for his antics until I actually had the chance to meet the guy in 2013 at the TTBC on Lake Conroe. My HS team was helping TPWD shuffle fish backstage. Without anyone asking, Ike, Bobby Lane, and Adrian Avena all took time to spend some time chatting and taking some photos with my kids. Ike went a step further and even invited them out to where his rig was parked to show them around. He even had 5 or 6 kids jump up on the deck with him for photos. He truly went out of his way and as we walked around backstage, I couldn't help but notice how the dude positively interacted with Anyone around him. All of this, and he had a horrible day fishing that day. I was blown away by the guys positivity and have been a fan of his since.

Like so many instances in the world we live in today, the negative actions of a few people can label an entire group. Ike isn't talking about "decent" people in this article. He is not talking to Grandpa and his grandkids sitting on a point drowning minnows. He is talking to the jack wagons looking for a "me" moment with little regard for another mans livelihood. Like many of you guys, I am one who wouldn't even fish the lake while a tourney is going on. We are like this because we respect those guys and know what it takes to get there, but more than anything, we are educated about the sport. Most people are not! Like someone said earlier, It's simply ignorance. They are no different to the wake boat crowd and cat fisherman than you are when you are fishing a local tourney.

Because Ike wrote this, it will draw critics. But it will also draw more readers!! And that is always good for our sport.

T54, I'm not sure what point you are arguing, but no, it's a common concern. Everybody deals with it on the water--everybody. I've had people that I feel like are fishing too close (only a concern when I'm on fish--if I'm not on fish, come on over--the water's fine), and for that reason, I, like most people, try to be courteous and give others their space. Do unto others...

It's Ike making the argument that because he does this for a living, he deserves more lake than others or that "his spots" can't be fished during tournaments that really bothers me. Also the fact that he feels like something should be done just because "The Great Ike" whined about what I'm acknowledging all anglers have experienced, in a BASS article. If he has a problem with people getting close on the water, he can holler at them and ask for more space just like any of us weekend guys do. But to puff out his chest by writing a whiny commentary, then expecting BASS or someone else to actually "do something" about this (I'm not sure if this is really what he wants or not, because as someone else pointed out, he doesn't actually suggest any solutions), is again, the talk of a cry-baby.

I believe whoever else posted on here that Ike pulled in on "their spot" while they were on it, because I've heard enough similar stories about other pro anglers to believe it's a common trait--to believe that because there's money on the line--it's their lake (and I can't believe some of the weekend warriors on this forum are willing to cede the lake to them). So maybe Ike can be the change he wants to see in the sport--that'd be a great start. And I never mind someone encouraging ethics in a profession, sport, or what have you, but I really don't think that's Ike's intent here--he wants his water and his binky and he wants BASS to give it to him.

I was out to watch, yet still get some pre-fishing in for my club tournament. How did I do that?
Went to primary areas, and watched Martin and Jones; ran across 1st and 2nd place looking in secondary points/creeks on the NE and W parts of the lake. Scouted around the Marina for others. Watched them to see how they were all fishing...
1.) I did my fishing later in the day.
2.) I fished water I normally don't fish, water I felt the pros wouldn't be fishing (deeper/muddier/less willows).
3.) Normal pre-fishing: over the course of two days, I only stuck two small dinks, one keeper (that was Sunday near the end of the tournament with no pros within sight or earshot).

My point is that his attitude and what you are accusing him of being a cry baby for is shared by the majoirty of professional anglers. You keep comparing it to people coming in and fishing close to you, but you don't make your living doing it, so that comparison is completely irrelevant.

Yes, he is arguing that because THEY are out there doing it for a living, on this lake, one weekend out of a year, that THEY, not just he, deserve some breathing room. I don't see how a reasonable person disagrees with that point.

You clearly do not like Ike and cannot look past that to the real issue here. Idiots interfering with people trying to make a living.

You honestly believe "all other elite anglers" have the same issues. So you belive Shane Lineberger deals with the same number of spectators and fisherman as KVD, AMart, Ike, and Hack? I'll wait, while you Google Shane Lineberger.

I have to agree with jbcarroll3000 on this. Probably 75% of fishermen or more don't follow the "Pros". I know I don't. If I get the chance to go fishing I'm going to wherever I decide to go. It doesn't matter to me if when I show up there is a tournament going on. I will be respectful and not pull in on Anyone fishing whether Pro or Joe. Now I realize that they have paid someone a large amount of money to compete for said money. That is none of my concern. I will fish the spots I find that are not occupied at the time. I could care less if Ike or KVD fish that spot at some time in the past or future. Every spot on any given lake has been fished by someone at some time or other. I have been pulled in on and told I needed to leave a spot because it was their "Tournament Hole". Sorry, it ain't gonna happen. Just because they chose to make their living fishing tournaments doesn't give them exclusive rights to the lakes when they want it. If that is what they want then private water is where they should hold tournaments. And I don't know anyone that doesn't follow the Pros that goes out and follows them around. I know I don't. It would seem to me that it's mostly other tournament fishermen that go out and follow them around the lake. If your like me I can't tell if a wrapped boat with some guy wearing a Jersey is a Pro or not. I see those guys at every lake I go to and I'm sure that all of em are not making their living fishing. So just go fishing , be respectful of others and everyone can have a good day on the water.

Now I understand why they block off the streets for a Grand Prix. Because there are a crapload of people in this world who would be out there trying to race them if they didn't

I will add that there is no good analogy for a 'real world' example of this situation. It will always be apples and oranges. Interfering with a 'paycheck' like that just couldn't happen in the real world...

They have chosen the profession. As 'public figures' or 'celebrities', they have to put up with the hassle of that decision. Is it annoying at times? Sure, but they want the good, they have to deal with the bad parts of it sometimes!

Spieth teeing up at Augusta and Joe Bob and his buddy tap him on the shoulder and ask him if its ok if they play through.

Yeah I kinda imagine it like if I worked for the park district and I was trying to trim trees and a bunch of rednecks kept climbing them because "ITS A PUBLIC PARK!"

Guy's go ahead and hammer me but BASS, Forest Wood, and Ranger Boat's were the best thing that ever happen to me, my family, and the common every day guy that loves to fish. I loved to watch all the guy's like Dance, Martin, Mann, Houston, and all the guy's that pioneered the great sport of bass fishing. There was actually a time when Pro Bass fishing and Professional Golf were the last two sports where men would actually look and acted like men. Now it's golf, pro fishing has gone to hell. First we got break dancing on the deck of the boat just because you caught a fish then those baggy [censored] shorts down past their knees, then screaming and raising hell,running all around the boat when you catch a one pound fish, caps wore backwards defacing the sponsor that's on the front, and the stupid looking wide brim caps and the punk [censored] people that wear them that want to be looked at by others so bad. Yea it's a LOOK AT ME SPORT now. And the sport even has a guy that wont even take a bath but once ever couple of weeks or less. YES!!! research it if you don't trust me. He stinks so bad one of the official in the boat with him told him NOT to get up wind of him, to keep the damn boat positioned where he didn't have to smell his stinking [censored]. With all that said the sport has been so trashed by so many idiots, and the MADE FOR TV [censored]. Ike didn't start it he's just not helping the cause. And yes hammer me,I can take it.

Touche'

I guess the main point for me is that fishing already has a really uncontrollable variable...the fish. These guys are the best in the world at it, competing at the highest level, and they have to deal with another uncontrollable variable that could potentially affect the outcome of their tournament and make a huge financial impact. This variable is completely contingent upon the fishing community having courtesy and common sense and it could be easily eliminated, yet it continues to get worse for these guys. Just disappointing is all.

So rather than making ridiculous comparisons to a Grand Prix race where civilian deaths would certainly ensue if roads weren't blocked (pretty sure Ike didn't kill anyone with a square bill), what would your suggestions be T54, other than "be courteous" which I don't think any one on here would argue against (which if you read my posts and followed me on the water, you'd know I believe in). Do you think BASS needs to step in and "right the sport?" Should TPWD enforce a 50 yard rule with government regulations, fines, and penalties? Should we consider closing down fisheries for Ike and his buds?

Like JimmyP said--I love to fish and do fish not because Ike and KVD "made the sport." I fish because my dad taught me how, like his dad taught him how, like I'll teach my kids how, and because some of my best memories and best friends have been made on the water. Fisherman don't owe cr&p to Ike, because we've been doing it long before Ike. The only people that owe anything to Ike are those that make money off of people like Ike, and that's not the majority of fisherman. Again, I would show him respect on the water, and again, I think he deserves as much given to any other fisherman (and I'll buy into the argument that all deserve more), but on the rest, we'll have to agree to disagree, and I hope BASS and TPWD don't add any regulations you have in mind for the rest of us.

Great points. Ike has certainly helped create the atmosphere he now can't handle.

Personally I would like to see them close the lakes to public access during Elite tournaments. We block off public streets for all kinds of races, like Marathons, cycling races, etc. Public golf courses are not able to be played during a PGA event. There is precedent. There are literally hundreds of other places to go fish. Again, it is one weekend of the year.

I guess they need to add a rule that Shane Lineberger gets pestered as much (if not more) as Ike and KVD. Not sure how Shane's going to like that. I'll await his article in BASS...

The comparisons to golf and cycling races are valid. I myself wouldn't dream of trying to fish on a lake where an Elite tournament is going on (I avoid lakes if I know a 20 boat tournament is going on), but I disagree with your desire to shut down lakes for pros, and would fight for your right to fish beside Ike, T54.

I understand your sentiment and not wanting to give someone ownership of a public resource, but I think to advance the sport at the highest levels, taking the ability of a non-participant to influence the outcome out of the equation would go a long way.

I envision in the future that certain municipalities will offer up closed lakes as a way to attract more events.

And I have already fished with Ike. He is quite different from how you make him out to be.

Without common sense this is a mute point, very sad state of affairs we have on the water with these idiots..

I think our idea of "the sport" of fishing may be at odds here and that's ok. When I think of "advancing the sport," I don't think of creating better opportunities for professional anglers. I don't see it as some trickle down effect that if Brent Ehrler cashes a $30,000 check, we're all going to benefit in some big way (Brent Ehrler seems like a fine guy by the way--not bashing Mr. Ehrler). You might make the argument that Ike draws crowds and crowds means money and that money might go back into the fisheries, and better equipment, etc., etc., but good fishing existed way before the days when 10 different channels on TV played fishing shows. Ask some of the old guys on here--they used to catch a lot of fish and seem to act like they caught bigger, better, and more fish before people brake-danced on their front deck for cameras (again, I think one of the best posts of the night was pointing out how Ike has contributed so much to the current fishing culture he's griping about. And it's a shame that Ike portrays himself to be so much different than you know him to be. Maybe you can talk to him about that. And don't act like I'm the only one who doesn't like his schtick). So, when you say things like "advancing the sport," that doesn't mean the same thing to me because I think of people going out and doing what they want to do--fish. It's bass for me, but for my grandfather it was catfish, and for some people it's crappie, and shutting down a lake for Ike, whether it's one day or 10 days a year, doesn't advance the sport of fishing in the direction I want to see it go. I'm out.

I know I'm wrong in my assumption on Ike but what little I have seen of him in this forum that others have posted and actions that have been publicized I give his opinions very little credence. Anytime you get mad at a dog barking and throw a fit or break a rod over the gunnel of the boat because you lost a tie breaker you are NOT the class of the sport. I would be ashamed if I acted that way. I would like people to think better of me than that. Yes I understand emotion in the heat of the moment but he gets ridiculous. He is bad mouthing others for doing exactly what he did to KVD at that one tournament. If you just want to whine do it with your buddies. But if you want to get a problem recognized you need to come up with a credible action to solve it. Not just start slinging arrows. I am surprised that BASS allowed the article in the first place. Not a very professional thing for them to do. Does not bode well for the sport that they are making millions off of. But I guess that's what our society has come too. He's just the Kim Kartrashian of the bass fishing world.

It's called respect. I have a friend was telling me he did something like that when they were on Fork. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It's sad that people need to do that.

On Saturday, I hauled my kayak through the woods and down to the bank and this is what I saw when I came out of the woods. I sat back and let him fish past me and move on down the bank before launching. This is in the state park cove and campsites were full of Cub Scout packs, youth groups, etc and a lot of them were bank fishing or fishing from canoes or kayaks. A pro shouldn't expect to have a cove like that to himself. What about the kids skipping rocks in the water? Do we tell them to stop?

For all the talk about "finding fish on their own", I think that using electronics is a big shortcut so those pros are definitely getting help finding fish, too.

It all comes down to common sense and respect. Ray Roberts is a big lake and to shut it down so less than 40 guys can fish doesn't make a lot of sense.

As crazy as it is that people do that sort of stuff, writing an article to complain about it is not a good move. If I was a sponsor of Ike's, I would seriously consider dropping him.

I think most reasonable people understand that there are positives and negatives to any job, so we understand where Ike is coming from. But for someone to have what most of us would consider a dream job and then to complain about something that we deal with all the time is a little ludicrous and arrogant to me. But nobody's ever accused Ike of being humble, so I guess if the shoe fits.

That article that Ike wrote is going to haunt him. Never liked the guy myself.
I guess I need to tell all of the competitive salesmen that call on my customers to stay 100 yards away from them so I can make a living if I follow Ike's logic!

the guy seeks attention an when he gets it is unhappy about it. the pros are getting paid to go fishing they should be happy about it or go get a real job an go fishing when work an funds allow great times on the public fisheries we have.

Paid to go fishing? Maybe 15 out of the 108.

Real job? That is his real job, I don't understand that comment.

Did you even read the article?

Your analogy doesn't really follow he same pattern. You are competing against other salesman, that's your job. You probably wouldn't like it if I periodically dropped in your office and knocked the phone out of your hand while you were on the phone with your potential customer. That's a more appropriate comparison. And you would probably do more than write an article about it, perhaps give me an arse whoopin.

Anyway, I'll let it rest. Just hope people use some common sense at Bassfest on Texoma. Leave the rods in the box and enjoy the show.

+1. Spot on comment

I like Ike. BUT! I lost some respect for him after reading the article in which he calls people jerks and such.

While traveling down the road between venues, does he pull over and let truck drivers through the red lights first so they can make their living without him in their way?
Does he stand aside at a convenience store while a delivery driver delivers the products to the store?

I bet not, but neither do I, so....

I'm glad that there are guys on here that can make reasonable comparisons to the situation.

You are way too worked up about this, clearly he was talking about you.

I do not understand the argument that "it's the everyday little guy that makes it possible for them to fish" The way I see it is that it is the Pro that is going out their with prototypes and techniques that the "everyday guy" can't wait to try or buy. I don't see the big lure and rod companies calling Joe Smo to test lures or rods to develop. How many people on here wen out and bought Whopper Ploppers this week. I was at BP and saw 10 guys asking for them.

What does it matter, When two people are going after the same money.
Who knows if the guy fishing "your" hole is not fishing his own small tournament.
I work hard all week, and look forward to fishing on the weekend. That is important to me, and I'm not giving up a spot that I found just to satisfy a tournament angler. I would share it, but not give it up.
I still say Ike is a baby. All of the crying and whining about this issue when I've seen him do it himself on TV .
Fishing a tournament doesn't give you any more rights on public waters than I have fishing with my grandsons who also want to catch fish.

I've fished Fork with a well known guide and watched boat after boat drive by, slow down, and mark the spot we were fishing. The guide got mad, but he can't do much about it.
Im fishing the Skeeter tournament in two weeks and I will guarantee that all of the spots I have marked for this tournament come the morning of the tournament will have boats sitting on each spot. That's just the way it is.

LMAO, who is this?

Yep Skeeter Tourny is Nut to But, the pro's would hate it. But that's why they have rules saying how close you can be to another boat. Follow the rules, no problem. If they are not breaking rules, it's just an excuse. They should compete just like we have to.

+1

I've been a big fan of Ike for a long time but he came off sounding a little self righteous. IMHO that nastygram he wrote is only gonna make things worse...

All he needed to do was come out and thank the good people who didn't cut him off during the tournament and say "You are the True Fans of Our Sport".
I totally agree, they are the Best in the World at the Sport of Bass Fishing and a Level of Respect should be given to them.

But Look at the Big Picture, every Sport has "jerks", think about football and baseball etc. It's part of being a Celebrity Fisherman. You're gonna have the fishing papparazi stalking you and idiots in the way at times.

Fishing Pressure is something we all deal with, if you're a Bassmaster Professional Fisherman,just figure out how to deal with fishing pressure, everyone else in the field is dealing with it and so are the weekend warriors.

Be courteous on the water, be respectful of everyone out there, especially the Bassmasters, and have a good attitude.

I have to know who this is. Maybe that's what I need to do!
I read that the Israeli military has come up with a stink bomb that is much worse than tear gas to stop rioting. That would solve the problem of folks fishing your hole!

I'm guessing AMart. I saw him on Zona and Z was giving him a hard time about stinking. AMart said he didn't wear deodorant.

It's something everyone deals with. Fishing guides I am sure have this issue all the time, and so do many people who do sales.

Ike needs to STFU and go fish.....

I am not an Ike fan but I have respect for his fishing skills. He definitely is over the top to me with his antics in front of the cameras but for you guys that think some of these pros would be flipping burgers if they weren't fishing for a living is crazy. Some people have the passion and drive for what they do and will be successful no matter what field they choose to work in. Seems to be a lot of jealous folks on here bashing pros for being pros.

Tournament fishing is about adapting to and overcoming ever changing variables and conditions. Unfortunately, one of these are the human condition,which is flawed at best. I can't control someone,but I can control the way I react and or respond to it. In this case, writing an article about something that is beyond my control,seems to me,to be pointless. Furthermore, it perhaps gives my opponents an open door to what throws me off my game and an invitation to do things similar to this in the future. Therefore being counter productive to me earning $ in the future.....just saying.

BINGO! Saw him in the Lunker club Sunday, all you had to do was walk by him and.... eeeeeeewwwwwwww

Not a Ike fan either but he is right on with his comments.

My favorite post thus far. So true in every aspect.

Just curious, how is Ike doing these days on the tour. Seems like he is dropping but I don't follow it that much. That may effect his view toward those terrible fishermen entering his space.

Just fine

Presently 21st in AOY points. I imagine he'll be higher by season's end.

My suggestion to those that want to bow up and "see how they stack up with the big boys" is put your money where your mouth is. Instead of going out on the lake and having a "pretend tournament" against the pros and posting it on FB, why don't you qualify for and put up the $55k it takes to actually fish against them? If you aren't willing to back up your argument, then as far as I am concerned you have none. And to anyone who thinks fishing professionally isn't a real job...spare me. These guys put in as many or more hours as most of us do at our "real jobs".

He mentioned this topican on his ike live show with Zona and KVD. those with a negative opinion should watch

I'll chime in with another point of view.

I guided full time at Fork for four years. Had more than one guy try to blatantly follow me to see where I was fishing. Whether you're an Ike fan or not this is just plain wrong. I agree wholeheartedly that the lake is a public place and everyone has a right to fish where they want to fish but when someone is blatantly trying to follow you to fish places on the lake that you have found, it is not right.

Anybody that doesn't agree with that has most likely never made their living with a fishing rod.

Whoever said golf is the only manly sport left. I hope your definition of manly doesn't include those pastel polos and white nuthuggers those guys wear. I personally would rather see flatbills and breakdancing than the guy in the Easter colored skintight jumpsuit bend over and stick his chin on the green to line up a putt.

As far as Ike goes, imagine your fun fishing weekend being bombarded by 20 boats everywhere you go and 5 more driving over your line on every spot. Most of you would get on here and complain. Call people worse than jerks. I bet you would write a BASS article too if they cared what you thought. They're status as pros is far from relevant here. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO IT IS, COMMON COURTESY IS ALWAYS BEST. WATER OR NOT. I think the guys getting worked up about another angler wanting some space are the ones with little man syndrome. Because he's an elite though, y'all feel the need to "push back". The same guys who don't hold the door for a lady because you were through it first.

I agree with you. He is very clear about who he's calling out and I think by reading some of these comments people are taking what he is saying out of context.

I agree. He specifically called out the dude fishing aggressively wearing a tournament Jersey on a Thursday. Lol

Anyone have Ikes number? Call him and get the guys last name and let's put him on blast on the most watched fishing forum in the country.

Good idea, and while you're at it, you can spread the rumor around that you heard he has cooties too...

So much estrogen in here...

Ike took the hit and wrote the article. I'm sure every pro that has had to deal with this feels the same way (as mentioned by others in this thread). Ike is a polarizing character as it is and is extremely outspoken. He doesn't care and doesn't have anything to lose by putting his - and other angler's - thoughts in an article so that maybe this stuff slows down a little.

Here's what I got from the article, maybe I read it wrong.

There seems to be a small group of guys who are chasing the pros in an effort to prove they can out fish them for the sake of Facebook postings or other social media. These guys are fishing on top of them and behind them ... marking their spots, etc. I guess they want to say, "Look at me. I just caught fish where KVD was fishing and he didn't catch a thing," or something to that effect.

When we used to follow the Elites to photograph them, I never saw this happening, so I guess it is a new thing.

I get the feeling Mike was only addressing this small group of Facebook pro wannabees who think by jumping in behind a pro and catching fish from waters they just fished proves something. I didn't get the feeling Mike Ike was ranting about the fans at all.

Am I missing something?

Nope that's exactly what I got out of it.

No, J.P. you didn't miss anything. But apparently there are a few on here Mike was talking about. For those of you who don't like Ike because of his "brand" antics, I get that. If you had the chance to meet the man in person and visit with him for awhile, I think your opinion of him would change for the better. I like Ike, especially for things he does like this...

http://www.bassfan.com/docktalk_article/...nt#.V0ibZDUrIY0

I got better things to do than follow pros around, and fish behind them. I usually stay off the Pines when there is a Bud Light or Rita Cox going on, or just wait til 3 to launch and fish.

not a big Ike fan either but my 02 cents worth is that he did an excellent job of pointing out a problem that affects the outcome of many of our tournaments....and....he readily admitted he did not have a solution....if you talked to all the elite series fishermen off the record,I would wager that all of them totally agree with what Ike said but either are afraid to say what he did for fear or alienating sponsors/fans or they are not articulate enough to express their feelings on such a sensitive issue.....none of us would want a baseball,football or any game affected by fans running around on the playing field and interfering with the players.....if you think that 20-50 boats crowding around a tournament fisherman affect the fish then stay home and watch it on your computer plus encourage every fisherman you know to do the same....

Maybe I'm completely mis-interpreting him and I'm quite possibly completely under-estimating the sliminess of the guys he's talking about (maybe me as some have pointed out although I don't think I've ever been in the same city as Ike nor on a lake during a "big" tournament). This is probably because I don't follow pro fisherman. I don't watch MLF. I just like to fish. The image he paints is of guys lurking in the shadows to creep in on his water for the sole purpose of destroying his livelihood. If there are guys out there like that--that's pretty low. Hard for me to believe that's their intention, but that's pretty low. I guess I just think about guys wanting to catch fish, even if they have to follow around a pro to do it (judge them as you may)--probably the same pro that benefits when they buy a VMC hook or a Berkeley Havoc worm.

So, as I've stated numerous times in this thread, I'm all about teaching ethics in any profession and passing that down (and to teach you have to be an example), but at the end of the day--what does Ike want done about this? And that to me seems to be what he's asking here--for something to be done. Without action, this article really is just a whiny rant that I think a lot of us are expressing we don't care for.

So what does that action look like? Others have offered up suggestions like closing off lakes, having TPWD guard boats surrounding the pros, etc., that I just don't agree with. I'm a small government kind of guy, fewer restrictions the better. Not because I want to go and drive my boat across your line, but because if you want to fish the same tree I just caught 2 fish from--go for it man. Get yours. Would I like some respect while I'm fishing it? Absolutely! But if you don't give it--what am I going to do? I'm not going to expect someone else to come to my defense--have a policeman write you a citation. I'll speak up--I won't try and fight you, and if it comes down to it--I'll go find another spot to fish. And furthermore, for Ike to bring up the fact that it's his living is just irrelevant. I'm not envious of the pro's. I don't want to fish for a living. It's hard work, and I enjoy it too much for it to be a job. But to say a spot is more his than someone else's just doesn't add up for me. For all he knows, the guy in the other boat is fishing his own tournament and has aspirations of going pro, and his tourney win could get him one step closer. But again, maybe I underestimate the sliminess of this group I'm being lumped into by disagreeing with Ike and wishing he'd close his mouth. But guess what, they're out there, and to restrict it like guys on this forum are suggesting just doesn't add up. Demonstrate respectful behavior on the water. Encourage others to be courteous (reminders are always great). But acting like the whole world is going to hell because someone cut Ike off, or calling names, or seeking retribution from those you feel violated fishing space? C'mon.

The public water argument is probably from the same people who are causing the problem. I drive on a public highway and jus like the lake there are laws, but the laws do not cover every situation (and thank God they don't). But if someone is entering the freeway from an entrance ramp courtesy says you should give way, change lanes or speed up to let them enter. There is NO LAW that says I have to do this. But it makes it better for everyone if I do. The same is true on the water. There aren't laws for every situation (again thank God), but you can bet if this problem continues to escalate and the inevitable confrontation happens with serious injuries or deaths, there will be laws made to prevent encroachment. If you don't believe me you don't have to look any further than the cable below Lake Livingston dam. People (many guides) had permanently moored houseboats to the restriction cable and they covered the full span of the river. The average fisherman could not get to cable. After a shooting incident TP&W recommended laws be passed to prevent permanent mooring.

Go listen to his podcast with Zona & KVD, I think the topic starts around the 1 HR mark. Kind of explains the type of people he is really talking about.

Honestly I think Ike just needed to vent and used the article as his platform. KVD verified what Ike was ranting about but basically acknowledged that very little if anything can be done and it is just something they have to deal with(and they do it well IMO). Shutting down a public lake or blocking roads to a public lake is just never going to happen to allow the pros a lake to themselves for 3 or 4 days. Maybe if more pros stood up on this subject they could initiate a reaction to the issue. It's going to take more than a rant by Ike and verification by KVD on a podcast to get a process going. The potlickers are not going to just go away on their own and probably never will. This is not a new issue there are just more a******* to deal with today versus 10,20,30 years ago.

They will probably just stop going back to Kentucky Lake, Guntersville, and Toledo Bend.

This is one of the most interesting threads I have read on here. I am one who will not go to a lake or river where the Pros are at. I kind of keep up with them, but have no heroes among them. It disgusts me when someone comes in on me for any reason-whether I was fishing a tournament or not. I am like most people, it has happened to me. All that aside, I wish there was another spokesman other than Ike. When I first read this, my first thought was, he was making an excuse for himself. I remember in the Classic when he didn't have much, if any fish in the well and made a cast in off-limit waters and then called the TD to ask if he was DQ'ed. Of course he was and he knew it, he just didn't want the embarrassment of not weighing anything in. So, I can't help but think that he might just be using this as an excuse. It didn't affect KVD as far as him winning. Fishing can be funny and fickle, and actually no one knows how many more fish any of them would have caught if it weren't for these wannabes who are infringing on these guys. One last thought, if these upper tier guys are that much better than the lower tier guys in the "Elites" who don't have anyone following them around, can the lower tier guys really be called "Elite"? Not looking for anyone to flame me (but you can if you want to-with the freedom of speech thing...lol). Just wondering if those of you who know a lot of these guys can answer that.

Had a conversation with a pro after all this activity on Toledo and he told me a couple of stories that were pretty interesting. The first was at an Elite event earlier in the year he had a spectator watching him respectfully for a couple of hours. He didn't encroach and he had no rods on his deck. The fishing got slow and the pro looks up and the guys pulling rods out and starts fishing right by him. He said he must have gotten bored. Lol.

Next story was at the Classic on Grand. The pro pulls into an area on Sunday and no ones there. He starts fishing one side of the creek and another boat fun fishing pulls into the creek and goes to the other side. Young kid with a nice rig that was tourney ready. He fishes all the way down and starts up the other side headed towards the pro. Maybe he wasn't aware, maybe he was fishing a derby but on Sunday of the Bassmaster Classic if you don't have anymore sense than that I don't know what to say.

The pro is a pretty laid back guy and said this kind of behavior is a regular thing and part of what you have to navigate as a pro in today's world. He was so matter of fact about it that it blew my mind. Most of them can't stand it but they just adapt and realize it's part of the process. Maybe James Overstreet and Garrick Dixon should start taking photos of the potlickers and have BASS start a Policker Page. It would have thousands of views and maybe just maybe these cats would feel the social shame and stop the madness.

I really can't believe there is this much discusion about it. I'll give you the few old men who are oblivious to the goings on of the world. That said most of those that are around a lake know when a pro tourney like the elites or flw is gonna be there. It doesn't hurt to give these guys a little room for a couple days. Im not saying don't fish, go crappie fishing, catfishing, go away from the pros and look for something new.What this speaks to is the level of morons we now have. Bunch of hillbillies that don't know how to act. That's what this speaks to. They should be shamed. Put on websites, idiot of the week segment on the tv episodes, forums all over the place. It's gd pitiful is what it is.

Man a few of you really hate Mike Iaconelli.

It's funny to think how hard you are pounding on your keyboards typing insults about the pros LOL


Just remember because some of your worlds are clouded by PC bull stuff, not all that are alive in 2016 are scarred to speak or in this case type their honest heartfelt opinions.

What this whole thread needs is a Tampon add

+1. I listened to the Ike live podcast with Zona and KVD and Ike was very careful to make the distinction between the true fans and those that are encroaching. In my opinion the Pro's deserve the same respect that I would give to someone on the Lake. Wherever it is if someone is on a spot or working a bank I make a wide berth and give plenty of room. At Fork and other places I have had people come up on me wave "Hey how you doing" then cast, cast, cast. Its just plain rude and like Ike said there is a changing culture here that needs to be addressed. And like them I'm not sure what can be done about it for some people you can't teach basic respect....

Good lawd, some folks are so clueless that they wouldn't wake up to the facts even if you slapped them across the face with cold hard proof

Unfortunately not only at the pro level but at the weekend warrior level it's the norm. You know this is the case on a local level. Hell a YouTube guy makes his videos doing just this. Didn't Alton jones just get called out for this? It's a lot easier to jump the guys that catch them spots than learn how to catch them. Hell cuts the learning curve. I could care less what the pros do on a local lake. How they caught them tells me enough!

I got Zona to mention it on bass live... but take pictures, sombody knows these ppl... and post them EVERYWHERE facebook, here, bassmaster... it will make a difference

That was my point. What a bunch of crying. Ike fans. Smh.

This is almost to the exact point that I got out of it. Bringing light to a troubling situation in a manner that is offensive to apparently many on here. IMO, I don't see why there is a counter-argument. He's calling out a bunch of jerks that need to stop it, or if they don't unfortunately more regulations will follow.... Ike is a polarizing figure and being from 'Jersey' certainly magnifies it. (Sorry, had to slip that in there because I grew up in the 'redneck' state across the Delaware river - PA). IMO he is telling it like it is - he doesn't write as articulated as a seasoned writer from for example, Field-n-stream magazine, but certainly gets his point across.

This post has gotten out of control. I'm surprised it's not locked yet.

But, since it isn't. Let me see if I can help.

Anyone condoning this activity is a dullard. It is a shame this conversation has to exist, but in this day and age I am not surprised. Your brilliant ideas of closing the lake off or having the GW follow the pro around to keep people back is just idiotic. And NO we are not moving the events to a private water. Name one that can hold 100+ anglers for 4 days? Don't worry I'll wait.

Maybe I'll just call Ike and tell him to come throw rocks at you while your mowing... Or drive his tundra across the green as you're tying to putt... Take your pick, I'll line it up.

We have 3749292 lakes in Texas. Find another body of water to fish while they are here.

Here's my idea, maybe the state just revokes all of your licenses while there is a tournament within 100 miles of your house.... Sounds logical compared to some other recommendations here

+1

The clowns at the Tbend event were embarrassing. Surely most of them were from Loiusiana lol

I believe this to be true.

Juvenile disrespectful comments made on here about an issue which affects all of us to one degree or another likely carries over to juvenile disrespectful comments or actions while on the water. I believe this also to be true. Letting this thread run its course has if nothing else helped to highlight these individuals.

I like the idea of getting the government involved in this.A better thought is to confiscate all boats except the handful of PRO fishermen.No boats no one there to get in " CRYING MIKE'S"way.There problem solved.

I'm not gonna get in the debate. But I do have a question. Is this guy Ike speaks of, one that buys and uses the products that Ike's sells and supports so he can fish for a living?

Yeah lets get the Government involved. They have a history of doing things very well. LMAO Nothing and I mean nothing needs to be done except people should start respecting one another. That's the answer, but NO we get some special interest group that thinks they are special and they wanna control everything. Need I give examples of that ?

So you are saying because a guy might buy a few baits it is ok for him to act like a fool?

How many melt downs has Ike had and acted like a fool!

Some guys just don't get it, and never will.

Remember Ike's meltdown on MLF when he was busted cheating by marking spots on his graph when it wasn't allowed? Cheating is probably a bigger threat to the sport than pot licking.

I agree with him it is probably not the best idea, but what I would throw in, is how many people honestly realize it is bad sportsmanship? If you honestly know it is bad etiquette, then you do suck for doing it. If you are doing it, and honestly do not realize it is poor etiquette, then it is not such a bad deal. You did not know any better.