Anglers should adhere to 'unwritten rules"

Bass tournament fishing rapidly is gaining in popularity as the sport gets more publicityy. The payouts are getting bigger, TV coverage is more available than ever, and it's a sport anyone can get involved in. As I fish tournaments; I am seeing more and more new faces each time. It is great to see the sport grow like it has and with that it brings up something very important. Everyone should know and understand those "Unwritten Rules" of tournament fishing/boating.

As with any sport, bass tournaments have their own set of unwritten rules that every competitor should know and abide by. It is up to each competitor to enforce these rules while on the water. Your tournament director can not be there to see everything that goes on during the tournament. So before you can enforce these rules, you must know them. Here's a list of some unwritten rules that may help you along the way with your tournament career.

n Respect everyone on the lake. Give everyone proper distance while fishing and do not encroach on someone fishing "your spot". It does not matter if that person fishing is in a tournament or not. Simply give them a respectable distance to fish. "We" tournament anglers really have a bad reputation for this and that needs to be fixed.

n When you leave an area from fishing, be careful and do not prop wash the area to prevent a competitor from fishing there. Idle out a good distance before you take off to minimize stirring up the area you have fished.

n Prior to launching your boat, be sure to have everything ready before getting on the ramp. If possible remove your motor brace, boat safety straps, and unhook your boat from the trailer. Install your drain plug and be ready to go. It's no fun to have to wait for someone to do all this. If you are ready to launch and the ramp is blocked, it can start the day off bad.

n As with No. 3, at the end of the day be sure to put your boat on the trailer as quickly as possible. After that, pull up away from the ramp to install all of your safety gear and don't keep the ramp blocked.

n Know the local laws for the body of water on which you are fishing. Use maps and the Internet to study the lake before getting on it. This will prevent having problems on the water that ultimately can end your fishing trip.

n Be sure to respect the wildlife and fish of the lake you are on. Don't litter! I've seen many times where people will throw just about anything in the lake. All that does is hurt the fishing and wildlife. Try your best to keep all your fish alive for the weigh-in. Release them alive as much as you possible, because without fish you can't have a tournament.

These are important rules. If anglers will show mutual respect for each other and communicate, a lot of tempers would stay in check during tournaments. Fishing is a life-long enjoyable sport. We must work hard to conserve it.