I don't understand all this "levelling" the playing field in tournament fishing

[Mark Perry]

I agree

Telling people that hard work pays off doesn't get you clicks

pushing a controversial topic does

Even more reason why I like the content guys like Latimer, Washam, Palaniuk, Swindle, Benton/Cook, Welcher and others put out. They let the fishing and flow of information be the focus and not the click bait BS.

[Lorico]

Easy fix ..... EVERYONE who fishes a tournament should be required to have a FFS ! Wouldn't that be level playing field ? Sitting back and waiting for the squalling from the Anti FFS guys , funny how taking away your stuff is OK but making "THEY " comply ( with what they want ) is never an option !

[marshman]

You can handicap all you want… most any of the big, consistent guys at the elite caliber and a lot that switched to the other format could and would still spank tail against just average competitors from just a Jonboat with a trolling motor and 1 pole…

some good and great points have been brought up…. Local level or pro level.. the ones that win put in the work…. I sometimes or have always wondered how a kvd can show up to a lake he’s never seen and win with only a day or 2 to look around….. I believe it’s a package or group of things and not just 1…. Talent, research (history of the lake), current info on what the fish are doing….
I could go on and on but I’m not..

[basscat21]

I think banned the use Nitrous Oxide in the motors.......

[Axkiker]

When totaled up, should have put that money in a college fund.......

Being she pissed the scholarship away I think they should just have gone to vegas and put it all on black.

[BasserJim]

You can handicap all you want… most any of the big, consistent guys at the elite caliber and a lot that switched to the other format could and would still spank tail against just average competitors from just a Jonboat with a trolling motor and 1 pole…

some good and great points have been brought up…. Local level or pro level.. the ones that win put in the work…. I sometimes or have always wondered how a kvd can show up to a lake he’s never seen and win with only a day or 2 to look around….. I believe it’s a package or group of things and not just 1…. Talent, research (history of the lake), current info on what the fish are doing….
I could go on and on but I’m not..

I think too much lake knowledge can be a hindrance. It’s too easy to fish history

[basscat21]

So when does the counter technology come out to jam competitors electronics? Its win at all costs!

[Axkiker]

So when does the counter technology come out to jam competitors electronics? Its win at all costs!

HAHAHAHAHAH thats good shit. The funny thing is I wouldnt doubt someone doesnt figure out a way to do it though. That SUPPOSED Hydrowave thats really a HZ jamming device LOL.

[basscat21]

HAHAHAHAHAH thats good shit. The funny thing is I wouldnt doubt someone doesnt figure out a way to do it though. That SUPPOSED Hydrowave thats really a HZ jamming device LOL.

As with many things in life, DOD developed it...... and yes its available, just needs to cross over to the commercial world.........

[bassnpro1]

I have no problem with having some rules to follow regarding equipment. Every single sport that exists dictates the type of equipment that can be used to participate. Why should fishing be a free for all?

[FlipSide]

I think too much lake knowledge can be a hindrance. It’s too easy to fish history

I get burned by this very often

[BrianKF]

I have no problem with having some rules to follow regarding equipment. Every single sport that exists dictates they type of equipment that can be used to participate. Why should fishing be a free for all?

Golf, Baseball, Tennis are just a few I can think of that limit the use of technology in the sport. Even in football they must keep so much air pressure in the ball lol.

[xcoach]

Just read a post on FB from Jordan Lee replying to Brian Latimer about sharing his story on how he made it. He said he had $5000 to his name and figured he had maybe 2 years to see if he could get going in pro fishing. He won the Collegiate Championship which gave him a truck and a boat to use for a year. He entered the BASS Opens and won $40,000 that year and qualified for the Elites. From their he was able to build a foundation and is doing well today.

Just proves if you want it bad enough and will put in your time you can get there. Swindle's AOY speech said about the same thing. You just have to want it bad enough.

You are spot on with that comment.

[basscat21]

I think they should test for performance enhancing drugs too!

May be eliminate spinning rods in MLF.

[RazorCat]

These are the kind of threads that reassure me that I never want to fish another tournament again. Too many people creating too much drama over nothing that really matters. Buy what you need to level the playing field, or stop tournament fishing. Restricting specific types of electronics in low level tournaments is ludicrous.

[Quillback]

So when does the counter technology come out to jam competitors electronics? Its win at all costs!

That's not a bad idea...

[Lorico]

I think they should test for performance enhancing drugs too!

May be eliminate spinning rods in MLF.

Looking for the LIKE button ^^^^^

[Bstandiford]

I guess I don't get it. I was always taught if you want success you work hard for it and it comes. But then you take tournament fishing and this push to "level" the playing field. If a guy wants to go out and spend his free time and his money practicing and does well then there is a cry for more off limits. If a guy wants to go and get better electronics and put in the time and effort to learn them then there is a cry to ban those items.
I have a keen understanding of life is not always fair. I have been on both sides of that in my lifetime and probably will be again as that is just how life goes. You hear these guys wanting an "old school" trail that limits a bunch of stuff and is supposedly a better test of who is the best angler.
I think the best angler is the guy that gets out there, works his ass off and gets it done. No excuses, no need to level the field, no BS. There is so much about the lets limit everything mindset I don't get I guess.

I don't have FFS and not sure I ever will. I pretty well use my depthfinders as temperature gauges most of the time. I use the GPD feature a lot top run trails through stumpfields and such. I never feel at a disadvantage when I go fishing. I am either gonna catch them or I ain't.

Reality is not every event is won by FFS, not even a large majority in many areas are. You can be successful without it plus its not a magic bullet. You have to put in time on the water to learn to maximize it and do well with it and even then it can be significantly limited by a certain body of water and seasonal patterns at that time. It does not go out and put fish in the boat. I also think that many complaining about the price can figure out a way to save up and buy one if they so choose. Its not an unsurmountable feat to buy one.

I will probably get flames for this but so be it. Just thinking out lout more than anything. I support the trails and events that work best for me so I guess its a good thing we all have choices.

My thoughts exactly!

[flashman252]

AND EVERYONE GETS A TROPHY!!!! It's the age we live in, everyone wants to be included whether they work hard for something or not. Careful Mark, you're one post from getting cancelled. Stop working so damn hard and getting all this fancy stuff, I don't feel included anymore!!!

No in all seriousness, great post, cannot agree with you more. It is ridiculous for anyone to bash what people use on their boats to help them. Look at the pros, they all have it but how many times do we see hackney still flipping a jig in super shallow cover. Most of these guys will not go away from what they are truly great at and what they found success in, no matter how many graphs they have on the front bow of a boat. If people spent more time actually perfecting their way of catching bass instead of moaning and groaning about who has what and how this is unfair, we might have some better anglers out there.

I have actually been disappointed in some of the youtube posts from some respective guys saying it is going too far. At the end of the day, still have to get the fish to eat, still have to play them to the boat, and still have to get them to weigh in healthy and alive. No point in having all this fancy stuff if you can't keep them alive in the box right? Spot on post, cannot agree with Mark more here. If you work hard enough to afford an extra leg up, by golly you should be able to use it at all times and become efficient with this super complicated fancy, need an IT degree technology that is available now.

[jrbdad]

All this talk about expensive electronics. Look at what John Cox has used. He has done very well with not a lot of electronics on boat.