Sportsmen can learn valuable lesson from courteous tournament bass fishermen

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

By DAVE SHERWOOD, Staff Writer

The bass tournament that took place last week on Cobbossee Lake was a big deal -- television crews, 90 rip-roaring bass boats, and millions of dollars in electronics and gear.

But at the root was something much simpler: a bunch of fishermen out having a good time.

What impressed me most wasn't the boats taking off from the starting point near Lakeside Cabins, or the size and quantity of bass being landed -- though all of it was impressive.

It was what took place after it was all over.

Over the course of a week, 180 fishermen had descended on our quiet lake outside Augusta -- inundating hotels, restaurants, and gas stations. They caused traffic jams, blocked boat launches, and left rooster tails of whitewater in their wake.

When it was done, Cobbossee was just as they'd left it -- peaceful, quiet and full of nice, big bass.

Spending time with these fishermen, I realized that they don't just preach the virtues of good sportsmanship and catch and release -- they practice it, too.

Before last Wednesday, I'd never been on a bass boat. I'd fished for bass plenty growing up -- in fact, my first fish was a largemouth bass caught on a farm pond near my childhood home. And I still fish for bass of all kinds -- on both a fly rod and spinning gear.

But my impression of the competitve bass fishing world came from a television, not real life. I think it's that way for most.

To see Jimmy Houston, or some other bass fishing celebrity, you might think the sport was all about glittery boats, deep southern twangs, hoots and hollars and 250 horse power motors.

Well, all that is true. But what you can't experience on television is the comraderie among fishermen; the excitement of a child catching his first bass off the dock with two competitors watching, or the pride these fishermen take in caring for their resource.

Every fish in these tournaments is released, alive, back into the lake to be caught again by someone else. During the Cobbossee tournament, 1,878 bass were caught. Only 19 died. That's a hooking mortality rate of just .01 percent. Compare that to the 2 to 50 percent mortalities common in other fisheries.

The fish these competitors catch are almost always legal -- in any other setting, they might wind up on the dinner table, or get shown off on a stringer back home.

Not with these guys. Nope -- killing even a single fish is frowned upon. That, according to local fisheries biologist Jim Lucas, is one of the reasons why the Maine bass fishery is thriving right now. In some places, it's considered world-class.

Unfortunately, we can't say the same about our trout fishery, or many of our saltwater fisheries. We've managed to do in our native trout without tournaments. In saltwater, we still take pride in hoisting dead striped bass by the gills, or gaffing sharks or tuna.

Those days, of gaffing fish, or keeping a half dozen trout for the table, are over.

It's not just because we don't have enough trout, or because the tuna or sharks have disappeared -- though all have declined.

It's because times are changing. Populations are booming, and technology is revolutionizing the age-old sports of hunting and fishing.

Fish finders have replaced lead sounders, outboard motors make a mockery of the oar and paddle, and better boat launches, four-wheelers and big trucks make it easier than ever before to get there. Instead of a small tackle box full of lures, most bass fishermen now have a shed full.

But to their credit -- and unlike the others -- bass fishermen realize this, and they've moved on.

Sure, these guys still use the latest and greatest -- most of their boats feature a pair of high-tech sonar fish finders, full-function Global Positioning Systems and remote-controlled electric trolling motors.

And yes, at tournament time, it is about who gets there faster and who's got the best gear.

But bass fishermen have accepted that their resource is finite, and they've taken responsiblity for it. They release most of the fish they catch. They work hard to improve habitat, and to prevent the introduction of illegal plants and fish. They don't litter. They're courteous.

All sportsmen could stand to learn a lesson from them. But don't take my word for it -- go out and sample their fishery for yourself.

Dave Sherwood -- 621-5648

dsherwood@centralmaine.com