BASS OPEN

[vernon]

I'm pretty much a hypocrite on this deal.  I'm one of the guys that thinks it's kind of cheesy for a "pro" angler to hire somebody to show them how and/or where to catch fish prior to a big money tournament.  If you're so good, get on out there and prove it.

Now I hate to use this analogy but I think it's pretty relative in this case and it's also where my hypocrisy shines through.

Most any "pro" golfer that I know that's worth anything would rather wrestle a crocodile than show up for a tournament without having a couple of practice rounds under his belt.  AND, whenever possible, he wants to play those practice rounds with a local, a member or, best of all worlds, a local caddie.  

Same deal.  

Find out where to hit and, most importantly, where not to hit it.  Where's your best chance of making up a shot or two on the field and when should you lay up and play it safe.  Identify strengths and weaknesses and know what to expect when the metal meets the meat.

Maybe even MORE relevant is the fact that most of these guys also tend to stiff the "guide" and prefer to hog all the glory for themselves whenever they happen to be successful.  

Although, I gotta think that yet another parallel is that most of the time it eventually comes back to bite both categories of these so called "pros" when they come back looking for more help from the same guys that they turned their backs on the last time.

Bunch of phonies if you ask me.  But then again I guess you didn't so there's that........

[basser6760]

Bo,

I was a little shocked when Nutech or you were not mentioned also.  We happened to be in the area that day so my wife and I were curious to see how they did. Didn't see you there but saw the guy with Nutech stuff.  I was very confused.  Appreciate your products and all you have done for me.

[fishinwrench]

1 hour ago, shrapnel said:

Wrench what part of the lake are you on?

I live/work on the Gravois, but the only area I don't fish regularly is the Tan-Tar-a and Glaize area.   I just don't care for wide expanses of deep water and skinny coves with tiny little backends.

[Lvn2Fish]

9 hours ago, Champ188 said:

Some of these guys, McClelland included, are fishing to pay their mortgage, light bill and put groceries on the table. As long as hiring a guide is allowed by tournament rules, they are going to do just that if it will help them get a leg up on the competition.

This is not playtime. Can't expect those who are "in to win" to stop short of giving themselves every advantage enjoyed by the guy in the boat next to them at takeoff. If anyone is at fault here for unsportsmanlike conduct, it's BASS for allowing it.

McClelland is a standup Christian guy and a class act ... far from a LOSER.

So when you're fishing for money to make a house payment that makes it ethical to hire someone , even on your home lake, to show you where they are at. A standup guy IMO wouldn't hire someone to put him on fish . I get that the tournament circuits allow this prior to off limits periods. I truly think this rule needs to be changed . It makes me sick to think these "pros" pay for information . Not only is big tournament fishing about having $10'000 worth of graphs . But now it's also who can buy the most information. What does him being Christian have anything to do with this ?!

[shrapnel]

So now it's a sin....lol.

[Smalls21]

and now this thread is headed south

[dtrs5kprs]

Nothing wrong with disliking the rule, but it's a stretch to go from there to criticizing an angler's character for understanding the rule. Just try to keep the two separate. 

Time to criticize character is when someone willingly and knowingly violates a rule, or endangers the safety of their partner or another competitor.

[fishinwrench]

How do you feel about guys paying for Bassin'Bob's alleged inside Intel ?

Seriously you're thinking too hard about all of this.  By your rules anyone with more information or experience should be automatically banned from participating.   Whether they bought the information, was fed it for free, or earned it the hard way is absolutely uncontrollable.   

Fish don't care if you skip church.

[vernon]

I remember a hundred years or so ago when I read in BASSMASTER magazine about Rick Clunn hiring a pilot to fly him around over the lake that they were getting ready to fish a big tournament on.  Might have even been the Classic.  Anyways, I think he said something to the effect of, "The lake might be off limits for us to fish but there's no rule against flying over it."

At first I thought that was pretty danged ingenious.  Then, about five seconds later, I thought that it sounded a little chicken poop and kinda like cheating.  I don't recall how he did in the event but I do remember that it definitely changed the way I looked at those guys and tournament fishing from then on. 

At some point though pretty much everything lost some of its allure and innocence as I got older and it sure didn't make any of it any better in my opinion.  Just one of the first bricks in the road to my becoming a cynical old grouch I guess.

[fishinwrench]

Yeah, so we can just choose whether or not we wanna play the game.  

I don't care one bit about how guys get their info.  or whether or not A-rigs are allowed.  All I care about nowadays is the constant hauling around and relocating of the fish.    If they ever stop doing that I will probably start competing again.