Record shattered by Elliott & Rini!!!!

You Are Correct On All Counts!

The rule says that you have to be at least 50 feet away from another competitor. As long as you maintain that distance (about 3 boat lengths) you are within the rules. Remember that the 50-foot rule does not apply during the last 15 minutes of the tournament when most all of the boats are in the boat dock cove trying to get that last fish. It's also true that in most tournaments circuits there is no rule maintaining a specific distance between boats. Most circuits don't have a "spacing rule" because they are virtually impossible to reliably enforce.

You are absolutely correct in that there is no place on the lake that "belongs" to a person as "their spot". That is the most ridiculous bunch of malarkey that is spewed at the ramp. Sure, there are "spots". But they belong to no one.

For what it's worth, here's my take on the way I try to work within the rules and with people in regard to the rule.

First, if I want to fish a shoreline (or a particular place on a shoreline different than what another boat is already fishing) and that boat is stationary fishing a particular piece of structure, I try not to get within two casts of them. But, I would not under any circumstance try to throw my lure into the same spot they are already fishing.

Second, if a boat is fishing (moving down) a shoreline and I want to fish down the same shoreline, I try to go past them at least 50 yards or more before I begin to fish and then make sure that I am moving faster than they are so you don't get into the "hopscotch pattern" of them running around me and then me running around them. If two boats are moving towards each other down a shoreline, the boat whose steering console (or right side of the boat) is against the shoreline has the right of way and the other boat should go out and around as they meet each other.

Next, communicate. Don't stew over it and then complain about it to other people later like it seems happened to you. If I feel someone is too close (or even if they are not too close by the rule but I feel they are inhibiting my chance to properly fish the piece of structure I was fishing), I'll say something to them. Let the other know you feel that they are causing an issue, ask for some additional leeway, and ask them how they would feel if the roles were reversed. Again, I would not try to fish the same piece of structure at the same time regardless of whether I could do it within the rules. But if there were another piece of structure the other boat was not fishing - that would be another issue. Everybody has the right to fish and to do their best in each tournament.

I once had an issue with another boat when I came into an "area" (not a particular place) where they were fishing. I started well outside of the allowed distance. No problem. It was a rather windy day, so to make certain I did did not drift into their "space" I dropped a small marker buoy. They had no idea I had done this. Over the course of about fifteen minutes I stayed right at my buoy while they moved upwind towards me. The funny thing was that later on I heard they felt I had moved down to where I was interfering with them. To this day they still don't know I had the buoy as my guide.

Now, to the "donators" issue. Just like you, when I started tournament fishing I stayed clear of other boats. My canary yellow 12 foot boat with 2 Minn Kota motors meant I spent 6 years fishing off the beaten path or behind other people. Like you, I was fishing for the excitement and challenge, to meet people who shared the same interests, and to improve. I was even told right to my face by one of the top fishermen of the time to "keep fishing because he needed donors like me". By the way, he no longer fishes our club - and he is no longer one of the top fishermen either! I guess you really do reap what you sow!

I feel exactly the way you feel. All I can say is that he didn't appreciate why I fished the tournaments, nor did he know how stupid I considered him to be for having that attitude.

We have people of all different levels of expertise fishing the tournaments. That is the beauty of our group. Unlike other sports where you have to meet a great number of requirements to participate, anyone who desires can compete on a level playing field.

We all start with the same level of skill and we each have our own desires as to how much we want to learn and improve. Everyone fishes for their own reasons and with their own goals. Ultimately, it's all about having fun since none of us will ever make a living fishing reservoir tournaments.

I don't think that the decline in the numbers of people fishing our group is necessarily due to that "donor" mentality. In fact, I believe that mentality is far more prevalent in the "other" circuit than in the MRA. In reality, both groups are suffering declines in participation.

There are other reasons why MRA numbers may have declined more than the other group:
1. Having to preregister for tournaments rather than paying "as you go"
2. Including an Angler of the Year fee in the membership monies to fund the AOY prize
3. Withholding a portion of each tournament purse to fund a Tournament of Champions prize fund in which everyone does not get to fish.
I'm sure there are others, but those are the ones I have heard most often.

In my own opinion, I think MRA best represents the integrity and professionalism found in the very highest levels of the sport of bass fishing. To me, that is significant and important. Even the little things like promoting stewardship of the resources by distributing livewell additive at tournaments, fizzing tools, increased penalties for dead fish, strict adherence to the rules; this sets us apart from other groups. Is it perfect? Heck no. But it is a far cry better!

Like you, I just love to fish.