Home Forums Fishing Freshwater It looks like its time to get this puppy to walking.

Do we have any bass fishermen around here. I have been AO's bass fishing moderator for the last couple years, and obviously looking for a new home to talk bassin.<P>Do any of you fish tournaments?<P>What Area of the Country?<P>Circuit or Club?<P>Skipper

Skipper:<P>Good to see you around. You're right, it has been a long time. <P>I do a little bass fishing, mostly in the spring when they old girls are spawning. My best fish this year was a four-pounder out of the Castaic Lagoon.<P>Been doing a lot more saltwater fishing this year. Went out to Anacapa Island last week after white sea bass. Got into a mess of batrays, and before it was over, one of us got spooled, another broke a $150 pole, and the only keeper halibut had roundworms.<P>Oh well.<P>I'll be going back out to big Castaic in the next few weeks trying for some of those big mamas they're famous for. Damn lures are the size of planter trouts, but when you get hit on one of those things, it's usually a big fish. Still trying to break the 10-pond barrier.<P>But the chase is sure fun!<P>Rick Bin

Skipper, -- ole "no" is a charter member of Ray Scotts little club. I fished my first Texas State Bass Tournament under Al Golden in 1955, and was bass fishing ten years before that. Is that long enough? Served as an observer for the first BASS Anglers tournament in Texas on Sam Rayburn, just sold a business and they wouldn't release me to scout for the tournament so I just wished. Was president of the Dallas Bass Club for two terms and Hog Stickers Bass Club one year. Have been in the Tawakoni Bass Club for about eleven years. Retired in 83, moved down to Lake Fork in East Texas in 88, 38 of the top 50 trophy bass in Texas has came out of this lake. We fish a club tournament 11 months a year within a hundred miles of Lake Tawakoni. I am going fishing in the morning on Fork. Guess that qualifies me as a bass fisherman. Quit open tournament fishing in 75, me and fishing partner burned out. Both had businesses and to leave on Friday night, fish all week-end, drive back to Dallas and open up at 6AM Monday took it's toll. I just fish for fun, keep a few to eat, all club fish are catch and release. Life story, give up? -- no

I think I have some of the original BASS magazines still. My mom got on a cleaning spree once and tossed out a few years, but we did have back to about 72 or so. Anyhow, I have fished a long time and off and on tournaments. Mostly local charity type and club tournaments. The last 3 years I have been fishing Corbin's Bassin Baptists and love it. I thought about fishing Red Man or BFL or whatever again this year, but with fuel the way it is and the government burning a hole in my tail in April, I decided not this year. I do like Ray Scott's little club, but Helen can kiss my Bass. I am afraid ESPN will do to BASS what the Store did to AO. Eliminate the reason its there in favor of money. I fell out with BASS's thinking over the racing and bassin tournaments. When I go fishing, I ain't there to see how fast the boat runs. Keep yer minner wet, if you know what I mean. <P>You don't know a classy gal by the name of Connie Kilpatrick down that away. Yantis, I believe.<P>Skipper

Skipper, -- don't know Connie but Shirley is pretty popular here, writes a lot of colums for the papers. Guess you know Richard McCardy, guide, had picture in many bass magazines a couple of years ago, my partners son-in-law, we are fishing in the morning. Richard is also a big time archery hunter along with Lindy,(his wife). BTW Yantis is about 12 miles from me. -- no<P>PS if you have ever been in a Bass Pro shop you would understand the raceing fishing boats. I have a 18' Power Cat with 135HP Mercury setting on my lot right now that has set so long without running the steering cable froze up from rust. Hope the motor will turn over, will try it one of these days. Most of my fishing is alone so I bought a 15' Skeeter with a 65HP Mercury and stick steering up front, I use it most of the time, have a 14' flatbottom rigged up for bass fishing in the spring with a 25HP Johnson, just great for getting back in shallow water. Tight lines. -- no

Connie owns Lake Fork Tackle Repair. She's the only person I know in that neck of the woods. I fix reels and buy parts from her. She is a super person. If you ever need one fixed go see her. She knows what she's doing.<P>Yeah, I understand the racing, but no, I don't think it belongs in tournament fishing as part of the points or event. Up here in East Tennessee, fast boats rule. We are the home of Bullet, Allison, Norris Craft, and Stroker. Just up the road from my house is Shadow. I personally fish out of a 20' Ranger with a 200 that will run close to 70 unloaded. With a tournament load, it choaks down to about 60 tops. That said, we take a bad enough rap from non-bassers for racing up and down the lake while fishing our tournaments without adding racing to that. Its not uncommon on Norris, Cherokee, or Douglas for a tournament to blast off with 20 of the lighter faster rigs (Bullet/Norris Craft) with 300's on them. Speed reach well over 80 on some of these boats. It takes a lot of experience to drive at these speeds, and with BASS promoting the racing, it entices new boaters with the peso's to spend to go out and purchase a 30 Grand Bullet with a 280 Pro Max on it and go riding fast. Its both dangerous and not in the best interest of the sport which is bass fishing. You don't see golfers scoring cart driving as part of a day's play or football teams racing buses in the parking lot. We should be proud to be bass fishermen and not feel like we need to add an extra ring to the circus to attract a tv audience.<P>Skipper

Skipper, -- We banned shotgun starts here in Texas years ago, large engines, huge boats, are not what fishing is about. -- no

Most of our tournaments use an ease off system in flights. It is definitely too dangerous for 50 boats to take off out of one holler at the same time. I fished a 330 boat tournament 2 years ago. Back then I was fishing from a 76 Astroglass with one of those old inline 6 Merc's on it. It was pretty fast, but still pale in comparison to the Bullet crowd. We had 32nd spot in the first flight of 50. I looked back in the holler and it was solid bass boats. You could walk across the lake on the bows of rigs without getting wet. I told my partner if this engine coughs once, we have had the lick. Fortunately we made it out. About a mile from the marina, one of the 90 mph Bullets came screaming by me. He had to be at least 10 spots behind me. However, even with an ease off type start, when you get around these 150 boat + tournaments the water gets extremely rough around the starting line, and on some of these tight turns the lakes have in Tennessee it is a little unnerving.<P>Skipper