Bass league scheduling etiquette

[Igor Drackenwolf]

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....

Right, I get that. My point is, how on earth does that translate into enforceable regulation on the water? More importantly, why should it? For what purpose?

"You guys in a league?"

"Nope, just a buncha fella out enjoying the evening on the water."

"OK, have a nice night."

There seriously is nothing whatsoever - on league night - differentiating us from a bunch of anglers who know each other. The fact that we have a schedule is beside the point.

Sure, if there was a regulation, it would be incumbent upon us to follow the regs. But if what we're doing is, to any discerning eye, no different from a random bunch of fisherman all fishing on the same lake, what exactly would be the point of burdening us with additional regulation?

[CCGinMN]

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.

Igor, I agree with what your saying and I agree that the term "etiquette" is a poor choice of words. I do believe each person or group of people has the right to do whatever they choose. I also believe that the more Lake John incidents we have, the more likely Lake Association Members will lobby the DNR to create additional regulations. Lake Associations don't have a tremendous amount of power, but they do have the DNR's ear and they are paying attention. More regulations is the absolute last thing I want, but I fear it will happen in the not too distant future.

[Igor Drackenwolf]

Insofar as coordination can stave off new regulation, I have no problem with it CCG. As I said earlier, I think coordination is fine, if you can get it to work.

I can only speak from my own experience in my own league when I say the things I've said. I just know that for us, a) we're too loosely organized and casual, none of us really minds when we encounter other leagues, c) the oldsters don't like change or hassle.

I speculate that most of the leagues out there are more or less like mine, than like a super-organized tourney club. We're just out there for a fun excuse to fish every Weds, and some yukkin over food and drink afterwards. There's very little to coordinate, and even less to regulate.

[RumRiverRat]

When you want a bunch of leagues to work together on schedules you are asking the impossible.

Which league gets priority?

The end result will be more problems and the DNR and the man getting involved.

Never invite the DNR into your life.

Holding a league on a 300 acre lake is asinine.

CCG go ahead and start your own site and schedule leagues. Within a few hours of working on it you will realize how futile your efforts will be.

Your use of the word etiquette is silly as well.

Especially in the context of your lake John example. Both leagues exercised poor judgement scheduling such a small lake.

[Igor Drackenwolf]

I agree re; scheduling league night on a small lake. There are plenty of lakes around nearby where size and overcrowding are not an issue.

We fish lakes like Clearwater, Pleasant, Cedar, Big Fish, Koronis, Big Birch, Little Birch, Alexander, Rice, Mississippi River (Sartell & Blanchard Dam), with one trip out to Mille Lacs for good measure.

On those occasions when we've run into other leagues, it barely registers on the inconvenience scale.

Perhaps the issue is not coordinating all the bass leagues, but rather encouraging ones own bass league to avoid small lakes?

That seems to me to be the most equitable solution that involves the most personal responsibility, and the least imposing on others.

[serpent]

I take back the permit statement. I'm just irritated because I was fishing a 400 acre lake and at 7am 23 boats take off for a "league" tournament. I promptly left the lake. Nice way to ruin a morning of fishing. I know you can't have everyone get permits but I also think theres no reason to have a "league" tournament on a lake size.

[CCGinMN]

I take back the permit statement. I'm just irritated because I was fishing a 400 acre lake and at 7am 23 boats take off for a "league" tournament. I promptly left the lake. Nice way to ruin a morning of fishing. I know you can't have everyone get permits but I also think theres no reason to have a "league" tournament on a lake size.

Serpent, then you of all people should appreciate the point of my thread. If you would have checked the HSOforum, you likely would have seen that a tournament was on this lake so you could have avoided it. LOL, if you won't do it for me, do it for your son.

Hey look, I don't expect leagues to change what they are doing and register their league nights. Last year I also fished in a multi-species league out of St. Michael. They didn't want to register because "that will just give the DNR a way to follow us around." To each their own. However, if this thread causes one single league to register, or one little boy to have a better morning of fishing because his dad picked a lake without a tournament, or tripple R to gain some compassion, I feel like I have accomplished something. I think we've beaten this horse to death; I'm signing off.

P.S. In ten years this will be a moot point as there will be an app for this.

[serpent]

I do every week.

[Igor Drackenwolf]

...Last year I also fished in a multi-species league out of St. Michael...

Would you put me in contact with someone from that league? I live in St. Michael, and the league I've been fishing in is out of St. Cloud. I've been considering looking for something closer to home.

[CCGinMN]

I just sent you the email.

[CHM]

Anyone know of multi-species leagues in the Elk River area?

[hockeybc69]

I would suggest starting a new topic to find that out.

I know of 5 leagues between Big Lake and Monticello..... ours is full.