I have never participated in a SAWT tournament, but I did make the mistake (?) one Friday of choosing Travers as a fishing destination. Unbeknownst to me, the campground was crowded with campers and the boat launch was nuts. About a million dollars worth of boats coming and going, all very respectable and organized.
I did observe however, a single angler on the disputed dock, chucking a wacky rigged plastic grub into the water between the boats that were coming and going. I saw no angling by the tournament guys, and in fairness this was a pre-fishing day, in this portion of the inlet stream but this fellow with his dime store gear and goofy presentation had the only keeper I saw all day, pros or joes.
The thing is, no one that we saw there was harassing this lonely angler nor disputing his right to fish where he was. And that fellow was completely unfazed by all the boat action around him. Fact is we only stopped there mid-day because my wife enjoys a bathroom break from time to time.
I did not realize, then or now, that there was an issue with this section. Nor did it ever occur to me to fish that muddy soup. We did okay, always do at that place, but nothing like the lunch buddy harvested that afternoon. And seemingly, the SAWT guys could not care less.
I am not convinced that this is such a hot button topic that demands all this agony and hard feelings, for two lousy days per year of angling pressure. And as far as sportfishing goes, it is a bet that unless I am competing, I have no intention of getting in the way of the tournament fellas for these few days. Too many people.
I will tell you this. Any tournaments that I have fished does not allow angling within a certain pre-set distance from the weigh scale/release point. It occurs to me that this dock would be the spot for the judges to set up so fishing in "the river" becomes a moot point during the event.
Free
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