Tournament Ethics
By: Brian Bennett
E-mail
Licensed Guide for Gibbons Creek Res., Texas

Along with my guide service, I spend much of my time competing in bass tournaments. I would like to give some insight on tournament ethics or tournament conduct. No matter what level of tournament fishing you compete at, tournament ethics are a common bond among anglers. The same rules will apply at the bass club level, all the way up to the highest level of tournament fishing. These are unwritten rules that all true anglers live by.

Many tournaments are multi-day and each day you will be paired up with a different partner. 1.) The number one sin in tournament fishing is not going back to your partner's fish. For example, the first day of a tournament, my partner for the day and I decided to go to one of his areas to fish. We both catch a nice stringer of fish off his spot and both are in the top of the standings after the first day. We will both get new partners for the second day. It would be wrong for me to go to his spot on the second day. You have to respect another angler's spot, no matter how bad you would like to go back. This is a good way to make enemies and news travels fast in tournament circles.

2.) The second thing is the old "bend rod pattern." This happens mostly when anglers are fishing open water such as brushpiles or grass beds that extend way out into the main lake. Some angler will set the hook on a fish and the nest thing you know, another boat is on top of you. Once again, respect another angler's area, and learn to find your own fish. There is nothing worse than to locate an area holding fish and the next thing you know, several boats are on top of you.

3.) Don't cut off other anglers. If the bass are relating to some form of shoreline cover, never cut directly in front of a competitor (or a non-competitor for that matter) who is already working the bank. If the bank is lengthy, consider starting at the opposite end and fishing toward the other angler. Another alternative is to start behind him, but still give some proper room.

4.) This is a big one, especially in a draw tournament format. Never cast to your partner's fish. This happens a lot when fishing a topwater bait. If you raise a bass on a topwater bait or have a bass short-strike your lure, your partner should never cast to that fish. That fish is yours and you should be allowed to work it until you either catch the fish or move on.

5.) When casting to shallow cover or visible targets, both anglers should fish from the front deck. This puts both competitors in a favorable position and eliminates "front ending." The angler running the trolling motor should leave openings for his partners to make casts into unused water. The partner who isn't running the trolling motor should never cast over the other angler's line or hinder his fishing by crowding him too much. When fishing offshore with crankbaits or carolina rigs, it usually isn't necessary that both anglers stand together on the front deck.

6.) Netting fish is something that needs to be discussed before the day even starts. The right thing to do is to make an honest effort when netting each other's fish. Never intentionally miss your partners fish when the time comes.

There are many more, but these are some of the main ones that tournament anglers live by while competing. If you break on of these rules, you will not be disqualified or fined but something far worse, which is a bad name in the world of tournament fishing. Break on of these rules and the news travels as fast as a ten pound bass being caught. Many of you anglers already know these rules, I just wanted to remind some whom may have forgotten or for those who may be fishing a tournament for the first time.