Clear Lake is famous for its outstanding bass fishing and as a result has long been a favorite lake for bass tournaments. Fifteen years ago the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) would issue up to 50 event tournament permits each year on Clear Lake. In recent years that has all changed as fewer fishermen are competing in tournaments. This past year the DFW only issued 29 tournament permits and from July 15 to December 31 of this year there are only eight major bass tournaments scheduled for the lake. Individual tournaments are required to have an "event" permit and club tournaments must have an annual permit.
There is no question that many fishermen are taking a long hard look at bass tournaments and making a decision on which tournaments they plan to fish this fall. A number of fishermen have told me they will cut down on the number of circuits they plan on fishing. Others have said they will quit tournament fishing altogether.
Many of the fishermen in the tournaments will travel up to 400 miles roundtrip to reach the lake. The tournament entry fees average about $400 per team. The pro/ams can vary from as high as $2,000 for the pro to $250 for the amateur. The individual circuits are broken down by regions which cover several lakes or other waters. Most have team circuits and include a five or six tournament schedule of which at least two are held on Clear Lake. A good number of the fishermen will compete in all the circuits. Add in that most of the fishermen will spend two or three days prefishing for a tournament and it adds up to a lot of money spent.
Just the cost to drive to and from Clear Lake plus the cost of gas used in the bass boats can be very expensive. Most modern bass boats have tanks that will hold a total of 50 gallons of gas. On a lake as large as Clear Lake it's not unusual to go through 30 gallons of gas per day. With gas presently selling for nearly $5 per gallon, that adds up to almost $150 per day. If a fisherman decides to spend several nights in a local motel and to eat out in a local restaurant, the price of competing in the tournaments is even higher. It wasn't many years ago that the non-boater would give the boater $20 per day for his share of the gas expenses. That has now jumped to nearly $150 or even higher.
Typically, the winning team in a tournament will pocket from $2,000 to $2,500. When you split that in half it means each member of the team will barely cover expenses or even go in the hole.
Not included in all this is the cost of the bass boat itself. A new fully rigged bass boat will cost in the neighborhood of $90,000. The fishing rods, reels and other gear can add another several thousand dollars.
The decline in tournament participation started about 15 years ago. Prior to that, a typical team tournament would draw at least 100 boats. For example the annual Record-Bee/Brunos team tournament always draw at least 200 boats. In comparison, last year, most of the team tournaments drew less than 50 boats and some had fewer than 20 teams.
The tournament organizations aren't getting rich. The average circuit pays back to the fishermen in cash awards approximately 60 percent of the entry fees. They also make a few dollars from sponsors. However, when a tournament only draws 30 boats, it's hard to show any type of profit.
Since bass tournaments are not considered a paying spectator sport such as golf or rodeo, there are no profits made from the crowd that attends the weigh-ins.
If the tournament participation declines, it could have an impact on the county's tourist industry. Bass fishermen spend a lot of money in the county. With most of the tournaments scheduled during the fall and winter months it could have a significant impact on the local businesses. The good news is that the local tackle shops report seeing a lot more recreational fishermen
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