Bass league scheduling etiquette

[CCGinMN]

How many of you fish in a bass league and are not registered on classic bass? A few weeks ago we fished the last night of our Wed. night fishing league on Lake John, a small 391 acre lake just West of the metro. We had eight boats in our league and have our league schedule posted on classic bass. To our dismay, another league of 15 boats showed up on the same evening. One of our members also noticed that this was the 2nd time this has happened this season with this same 15 boat league. Two things bother me about this:

1. This gives fishing leagues a bad name. The home owners around the lake were certainly not happy as I saw several pontoons give us dirty looks. A lake that small cannot handle a tournament with 23 boats.

2. The public access was at maximum capacity, making parking difficult for any non league boaters.

Anyone else have a similar experience?

[TruthWalleyes]

Almost everytime i pull up to the access and see there is a bass tournament going on i turn around and hit another lake. I couldn't imagine that much traffic on that small of a lake though. Yikes.

[hockeybc69]

First off, this isnt an issue with just bass leagues and classic bass.... there are MANY more leagues that are multi species leagues.

Yep, very common occurence in our league to run into other leagues.

We ran into 4 other leagues on Sugar a few years ago. That is no lie.. We left and went to another lake instead. Ran into 3 or 4 other leagues on Maple, ran down to Ramsey lake instead. Pleasant Lake is very common to see other leagues. I think every lake we fish, at one time or another we have run into other leagues.

We made an attempt to contact every league in the area a few years ago. We collected information from all the other leagues we ran into over the course of the summer and attempted to set up a meeting with a representative with each of them.

We had 8 or 10 leagues documented, invited to a meeting to talk about working together to try and avoid conflicts or get ideas on how to do it better..... only 1 league rep showed up at the meeting.

One point you didnt touch on is handling of fish in leagues. What disgusts me with a number of leagues is the weigh in process(or better yet, the lack of a process). This to me is one of the biggest issues with leagues in general.

Until the DNR changes rules and requires leagues to register, or something, it will continue to be very common place on lakes around the metro.....

I would be all ears if you have a bullet proof idea on how to fix the issue(s).

[CCGinMN]

The main point of my thread is to let people know that classic bass is a good resource for checking which lakes have leagues/tournaments on them on a particular night. If you are in a league, please either post where you are going to be on a particular night, or at a minimum, check the HSOforum so that you are not hitting a lake with another league already on it. Takes two minutes...

[perry p]

Here is the result of a "bass Leauge" after fishing Lake Waverly. They thought it would be a good idea to have a tourney in 90 degree heat. 24 boats on Lake John is rediculous. I appreciate peace and quiet when I'm on the water.

[RumRiverRat]

They are public lakes.

Being busy is part of the deal.

Don't like it stay home.

[perry p]

I understand they are public lakes, and being busy. I am referring to sportmanship and etiquette. I have been to several weigh-ins. The only one that impressed me was at Lord Fletcher's. I much prefer to release my fish at the boat, after a picture of course.

[RumRiverRat]

I prefer to weigh my fish in front of a crowd and bask in the adoration of my fellow anglers.

Seriously though, if dealing with lots of boats on a lake is the biggest problem you have, your life is pretty good.

[CCGinMN]

RumRiverRat, I can see that you totally missed the point of this thread with your last comment:

"Seriously though, if dealing with lots of boats on a lake is the biggest problem you have, your life is pretty good." and "Don't like it stay home."

I am a passionate bass fisherman that is trying to contribute to the sport. Having 23 boats on a 300 acre lake does not help my sport's image. Additionally, not using proper weigh-in techniques (photos from Waverly) also does not help our image. If we adhere to your Don't Care/Joe Six-Pack attitude, we will soon be faced with more regulations and limitations. My intent is to create awareness of the registry on classic bass so that we can improve our image. What is your intent?

[MNdreaMN]

His intent is to stir the pot, make snide remarks at people, and do his usual trolling. 99 percent of his posts fit that description.

[RumRiverRat]

With all the talk about classic bass it seems someone here is the one that bought the site.

You are trying to create awareness about another HSOforum on a HSOforum that frowns upon that.

[Deitz Dittrich]

If it has happened "more than once" with a league... I then blame your tournament directors. They need to share with each other, what lakes and when.

The only way to solve this issue everybody would hate. .and that would be to require all tournaments to pull a permit. not just the larger tournaments but all.

All it would take is for the local club tournament directors and a few emails and you would not have this issue.

[Igor Drackenwolf]

I fish in a small multi-species league. This year we were 7 boats, 14 anglers. We sit down at a "lake-selection" meeting in March or April, and vote on the lake schedule for the entire year, week-by-week. It's all planned out at that meeting.

Deviating from that system, or deviating from the lake schedule on short notice, would require change. Problem is, about 70% of the fellas in our league are 65+. Some don't even have email.

We do show up from time to time, and find another league. We deal with it.

Us younger guys have been able to slowly usher in some change. For instance, the league used to require all fish to be brought back to the landing and measured by the league president. We convinced them that a "catch-and-release" policy was worth trusting your fellow league members to verify each other's fish on the water, partner verifying for partner.

But asking these fellas to subject themselves to the lack of stability and added burden that would be created by coordination with other Bass leagues through some master HSOforum? That'll never happen.

[CCGinMN]

RRR, I can assure you I am in no way affiliated with classic bass. Your snide comments and accusations are not making you any friends on this site. CB is the only HSOforum I am aware of that provides a free resource to help organize league and tournament schedules. Most of my buddies in other leagues use it as well. If I take my son fishing on a Saturday, I will check it to avoid the lakes where tournaments are being held. Again, I am trying to promote this idea (not HSOforum) to prevent another Lake John incident. It is a good free tool that makes my fishing life easier. I could care less what HSOforum I go to in order to get it.

[CCGinMN]

I fish in a small multi-species league. This year we were 7 boats, 14 anglers. We sit down at a "lake-selection" meeting in March or April, and vote on the lake schedule for the entire year, week-by-week. It's all planned out at that meeting.

Igor, you may want to check the schedule (for the smaller lakes) on CB when you sit down for your meeting. I know our league has its schedule posted on that site by April. Lakes like Clearwater can handle three leagues on the same night, Maple can easily handle two. If your league fishes a smaller lake like John, maybe you could just check the schedule to help avoid a similar situation like we had?

[hockeybc69]

Quote:

All it would take is for the local club tournament directors and a few emails and you would not have this issue.

We tried this and it fell on deaf ears.

You may get a few leagues(and no where near the majority of them) to buy into using a site like that, but most are small leagues stuck in their ways and wont change from what they have been doing for years. They want to fish their lakes and fish them when they want to. I have heard it firsthand when we made our attempt to get leagues in Sherburne and Wright County to try and organize something. Almost need to have a Fantasy draft for each night of the week in order to make something work.... good luck with that...

Only one way to fix it and fix it for everyone..... Dietz said it.... permit all organized fishing get togethers.

[Igor Drackenwolf]

Igor, you may want to check the schedule (for the smaller lakes) on CB when you sit down for your meeting. I know our league has its schedule posted on that site by April. Lakes like Clearwater can handle three leagues on the same night, Maple can easily handle two. If your league fishes a smaller lake like John, maybe you could just check the schedule to help avoid a similar situation like we had?

About the smallest lake we fish would be in the Pleasant (Wright co), Big Fish, Cedar, Little Birch category. We've been on those lakes when other leagues were present, and it just hasn't been a big enough issue to motivate change.

Usually when there is another league, a few of our old-timers will elect to come off the water 15 minutes early so as to avoid the crunch at the landing. That's a lot more realistic of a response than trying to get them to coordinate the league they've operated autonomously for 25 years with a bunch of other leagues. It's just not gonna happen.

[Igor Drackenwolf]

CCGinMN, I get what you're trying to accomplish here, I just don't think it's practical. You'll never get enough participation to make a substantive difference.

Your use of the term "etiquette" is mildly problematic for me as well. That term suggests that there is a standard of behavior outside of which is rude, impolite, unacceptable, etc. It suggests that folks who don't find your suggestion practical are somehow outside that standard.

There is no standard. And I don't think anyone wants the DNR to step in and regulate (read; control) local fishing clubs. Coordinate where you can, but aside from that, I think you'll just have to come to grips with the fact that a public landing and public waters come with the risk of being clogged for any given reason at any given time.

It just is what it is.

[Doufish2]

Once you get the DNR involved and making every small club get a permit, where does it stop? Maybe a family fishing tourney of 5 boats, gonna need a permit? When we lived on the lake, we had a lake association tourney once a year. 10 boats at the most. You all know as well as I do, once the DNR gets involved, the system goes down the crapper. I believe a permit is needed for 25 boats, unless you are in Hennipen County, then you need a permit for all club tourneys. A good way to regulate would lower the number from 25 boats to 10.

[Craigums]

I am a passionate bass fisherman that is trying to contribute to the sport. Having 23 boats on a 300 acre lake does not help my sport's image.

300 acres is to small to have an 8 boat tournament on. That's your 1st mistake. 1,000 acre minimum in our club

[workin4bait]

Here is the result of a "bass Leauge" after fishing Lake Waverly. They thought it would be a good idea to have a tourney in 90 degree heat. 24 boats on Lake John is rediculous. I appreciate peace and quiet when I'm on the water.

How do you know this was the result of a bass league??? Many times I have seen anglers bring their catch to shore for a picture or six,not saying that is a good idea at all,but I have seen it happen often. I also have seen those same fish washed up on shore hours later when I leave the lake.

If it was a league and you know which one you should contact them about their fish handling methods.

I think to avoid pictures like this all fish should be "reduced to possession" and taken home when they are caught.

workin'

[serpent]

I agree with craigums. I also think you should have to get permits for any size of tournament.

[Igor Drackenwolf]

I agree with craigums. I also think you should have to get permits for any size of tournament.

A tournament and a league aren't the same thing. And the definitions of a "league" are going to be as numerous as the leagues themselves.

Our league would appear to be nothing more than 7 or so boats showing up at the ramp at roughly the same time and coming off the water around 9:00. There is nothing we do that would identify us as organized, other than chatting it up waiting for go-time. Just how would you regulate a bunch of schmoes all going fishing at the same time? Cuz that's all we do, and I would suspect that a lot of leagues operate roughly the same.

Gosh, I get so sick of it when people's first reaction to everything they personally perceive as a problem is to create laws or regulations to force other people to adhere to their personal preference.

I don't mean that last statement to be personal in any way, but it seems as if I don't perceive there to be an issue and someone else does, there are those who would still make me subject to their view that there is an issue, and use the force of law to make me do it their way whether I want to or not. That ain't right.

[hockeybc69]

Do you have a schedule you follow Igor, or just call up guys on a whim to all go fishing?

If its an organized or managed group of people, its pretty easy to call it a "league".

Our league has a Pres, VP and secretary, we have a set schedule for the summer, we have weekly payout and year end payout.

So pretty easy to classify us under an organized definition. If any group of people fishing has any of those things, again, pretty easy to toss them into a "league" bucket.

As you mentioned, leauge is a very vague description, but call it what it is....

[DTro]

The current regs are just fine. Anything over 25 boats needs a permit. Tournament, league, contest, whatever you want to call it.

Scheduling ANYTHING, be it a softball game or a bike ride is nothing but a nightmare. Conflicts happen, bottom line.

You DO realize that a lot of fishermen won't even use the internet right??

Igor has the right answer.