Tournament bass fishing in America, once a thriving cornerstone of the angling world, is showing signs of wear and tear. From someone who has been deeply immersed in the scene since 1979, I can say this is not easy to admit. The question I find myself facing more and more lately is: Is tournament fishing dying? And while I don’t believe it’s dead yet, it’s certainly not the same sport it used to be.
Over the decades, I’ve watched the industry evolve — from its golden years fueled by camaraderie and competition, to today’s fragmented environment marked by negativity, rising costs, and a loss of direction. The decline isn’t just anecdotal; numbers in national circuits like the BFL, Federation events, and even local tournaments are dwindling. Trails are folding. Enthusiasm is fading. And no one seems to have the fix.
Forward-Facing Sonar: A Scapegoat, Not the Source
Many blame modern technology like forward-facing sonar for the downfall. While it has certainly changed the game, it’s not the root cause. It’s just another accelerant to a fire that was already burning. The real issues are deeper; including social media toxicity, greed and profit over loyalty and legacy, as well as buyout culture killing innovation. And most of all, fishing just isn’t fun for many like it used to be.
The Noise That Drowns the Passion
One of the most disheartening trends I’ve seen is the sheer amount of negativity surrounding tournament fishing. These days, the grumbling is louder than a weigh-in crowd — and often more divisive than a political debate. Whether it’s weekend derbies, high school competitions, or professional events, the complaining has become standard operating procedure.
It’s hard to ignore, even when you try. What used to be spirited debates behind the scenes have now spilled out into the public domain, fueled by a powerful and often reckless tool: social media.
Social Media and Sour Grapes
Social media has given everyone a voice — and that’s not always a good thing. It allows people who are “on the edge of knowledge” to speak with authority, and when enough people repeat hearsay, it starts to feel like truth. Instead of digging for facts, too many in the fishing world seem content to toss out opinions as if they were gospel. The result? Divisiveness. Misinformation. And a sport that’s struggling to rise above the noise.
In the past, conflicts happened — but they stayed on the water or behind closed doors. Today, a disagreement becomes a podcast episode. A rumor becomes a viral post. And sadly, the value of being first to share “the scoop” often outweighs the importance of accuracy or integrity.
A Generation Losing Touch
The heart of tournament bass fishing has always been the people—the anglers who were obsessed, who fished from daylight to dark, who waded creeks and combed farm ponds just to feel a tug on the line. We ate, slept, and breathed fishing. I’m not sure today’s younger generation is consumed in the same way.
That’s not to say youth programs like high school and college fishing aren’t growing — they are. But are they cultivating a love of fishing, or just chasing trophies and sponsorships? There’s a difference, and if we don’t guide the next generation carefully, we may lose that intrinsic passion altogether.
The Rise of the “Fruit Jar” Derby
Interestingly, while the big trails falter, small local events — what I like to call “grapefruit get-togethers” — are flourishing. These grassroots gatherings bring back the camaraderie, reduce costs, and often replace high-stakes prizes with a few bucks tossed in a jar. No fanfare, no drama — just fishing for the fun of it. Maybe that’s a clue to where we need to go.
A New Direction: Bigger Isn’t Better, But Better Is
The solution isn’t to make tournament fishing bigger. It’s to make it better.
That starts with all of us. Those with voices — whether on a boat, in the media, or behind a keyboard — need to choose to uplift the sport instead of tearing it down. Let’s reward integrity over speed. Let’s celebrate history while welcoming the new. Let’s remember why we started fishing in the first place.
We need standards. We need mentorship. We need to bring people into the fold and show them that fishing isn’t backwoods or backwards—it’s a path to patience, discipline, and personal growth.
Final Cast
These days, I fish less than I used to. Life has changed. But every time I launch the boat or tie on a bait, that spark is still there. It’s not about checks or trophies anymore — it’s about connection. With nature, with memory, with community.
Tournament fishing may be down, but I don’t believe it’s out. There’s still time to right the ship. But it won’t happen with noise, negativity, or short-term thinking. It’ll take honesty, humility, and a collective effort to rebuild something we all once loved.
Let’s start there.
