FISHING
HOW CLOSE IS TOO CLOSE?
ADVICE
DISCUSSING PROTOCOL FOR SHARING WATER IN TOURNAMENTS
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ike it or not, dealing with crowds
is part of tournament fishing.
We all share water, and we all
need to handle encounters with other
anglers in a way that’s fair and
respectful.
After more than 20 years on the
FLW tour, the best rule I can think of
for dealing with these situations is
the Golden Rule: treat others as
you’d like to be treated.
yet, I understand we all see things
differently. We’re all guided by a dif-
ferent set of morals and values.
sometimes the lines are blurry.
Maybe I can clear them up a little.
First off, good tournament anglers
are always prepared with a back-up
plan in the event they have to share
water, but sharing water doesn’t
mean you can’t do well in a tourna-
ment. there’s nobody who fishes like
you, and what you’re doing might
catch fish other anglers can’t. to me,
it’s not the end of the world to fish
behind someone else (I’ve caught a
lot of fish that way).
I also think it’s oK to make your
case to another competitor if you
think that person has moved in on
you unfairly. No one has to be a
pushover. however, it’s pointless to
get angry and overly defensive of an
area or to try and run someone off
aggressively. Egos and personalities
are part of this sport, and some peo-
ple will always try to get in your head
by refusing to concede a spot, even if
it’s obvious they’re in the wrong. My
advice: take the high road, stay calm
and try to work it out. If that doesn’t
work, beat ’em at the scale, which is
where it really matters.
Along those lines, I believe com-
munication is the best way to prevent
any sort of negative encounter. If you
find another angler in your best pock-
et, ask what part of it they’re fishing.
they might only be working one
stretch, and you can both fish there
without getting in each other’s way.
or you might be able to work things
out some other way.
Just be honest. If you fished there
in practice or previously in the tour-
nament, say so. If you didn’t, don’t lie
about it. It’s never oK to move in on
someone just because you know that
angler is catching fish on a spot.
When I find company in a spot I’m
planning to fish, I first consider the
circumstances. Is it a single dock,
point or brush pile only big enough
for one angler? If so, I’m gone, but I
could still come back to it. An angler
might try to tell you not to fish it
later, that it’s “his spot,” but no one
owns it. If you found it fairly, fish it.
If I’m running a pattern, I might
move on to the next spot, or to the
By Jim Tutt
photo by Rob MAtsuuRA
other side of the creek. I could allow
a fair buffer between us so I’m not
cutting the other boat off, but not
giving up the area entirely. A 100-
yard buffer or half-dozen docks is
minimum. More is better.
sight-fishing derbies can get inter-
esting. here’s the most important
rule: If you’re parked on a bed in a
good-looking pocket, you don’t have
claim over all the other beds in that
pocket.
And then there’s ledge fishing.
Nowadays, you have to concede that
you’ll eventually need to share a
ledge. talk it out. Rotate. Fish side-
by-side if you have to. It’s part of it.
We all find the same schools.
timing also comes into play. on
day one of a tournament, the entire
lake is wide open. I’ll fish anywhere.
After that, I might consider where I
am in the standings.
some folks think we all need to
bow out of the way when the leader
rolls in. that’s not necessarily the
case. If I’m way out of cut range, I’ll
certainly give a wide berth, and I’d
never roll into a pocket just because I
saw the leader there the day before.
but if I’ve got a shot at making the
cut, and it’s a spot I fished earlier in
the event, I have as much right to fish
there as the first-place pro.
one last thing I think is important
is how you treat your buddies versus
the rest of the competition. If you’re
sitting on a ledge, you can’t let your
buddies come in and get on those
fish, but not let someone else in. that
kind of collusion is almost hole-sit-
ting, which is against the rules in a lot
of tournaments. Likewise, if I let you
in on day one, don’t crowd me out on
day two. play it fair.
I guess the best advice I can leave
you with is to talk it out. Even when I
don’t need to, I’ll usually ask, “hey, do
you care if I fish here?” It’s the friend-
ly thing to do, and it’s what I’d want
to hear from someone who pulled up
by me. And that, after all, is how you
live out the Golden Rule.
FlWFIshInG.com I summer 2019