I would have to say that this article is one of the most over-due, misunderstood, and confusing subjects a angler needs to really understand to lesson some of his or her attitudes, and increase much more sportsmanship when it comes to fishing in most of todays tournament trails. For years I have had many of my bass fishing school students and charter clients tell me some of their war stories concerning this matter, and I got to tell ya, Im kinda glad I wasnt around to see some of these in action.

First of all, I wish to make sure that common courtesy, ethics, and sportsmanship go a long way for most, but there are some that just dont get it!

Now, who really owns fishing water in any bass fishing tournament? If you guessed nobody, then youre right! Let me give some examples and let you decide for yourselves:

Say a tournament angler had only a day or two away from work, home, or any obligation, and had a chance to pre-fish for an upcoming tournament. With the gas, lodging, food, and travel expenses along with his personal time, this angler gets to a body of water and spends two days pre-fishing and putting a game plan together for this upcoming tournament then goes back home. The next day after this angler went back home another angler per-fishing for the same tournament does the same thing, but just happens to fish in some of the first anglers areas (not knowing the first angler was pre-fishing and put his plan together) and puts his (or her) own plan together using some of the same areas as the first angler, then goes back home. The next few days a third angler does the same, and on and on! Now, the morning of the tournament comes and these three anglers all go to the same spot, whos water is it?