Time for "Green" Tournaments

[bigugli]

There is a huge gap, in this age, between need and want. I don't have 1/2 the tackle my son does, but I use everything in my bag of tricks.

 

All the bells and whistles are nice, but they don't make a good angler.

 

I remember being told this story once.

 

At one of these big tournies, in Florida, you have the big names, boats, reputations to match going after big $. One angler had carefully prefished the Big O with all sorts of lures and tactics. He kept quiet about the areas he had fished, hadn't spooked them. Knew what they would chase and marked them on the GPS. After the 1st day this angler is in the top 5, and he has saved his honey hole til day 2.

Next morning, blasts off in his Ranger with the big Merc doing 100 across the lake to race to the sweet spot. He figures he's got the tourny in the bag. Gets there to find a local is sitting right in the middle of the hole. As he pulls up, the local waves him over, as he catches another hefty fish. Being a typical fisherman he can't wait to boast. "Fish were on fire. They just kept inhaling the shad", he'd boast. "You can have the spot now, and don't you worry son, I put all the bigguns back"

[lew]

I must admit it is very hard to resist all the bells and whistles. Like many of you, I've worked hard for most of my life and at the end of it you want to feel that you have earned the right to get whatever the h&ll you please ... but that got me thinking about all that that meant.

 

I'm the same as you Mark, cept I took early retirement 9 years ago and have decided that after all these years I've earned a nice(er) boat for my golden years......even though I've always had nice boats. I went out in February and layed down a bag of $$$$ and got exactly what I wanted.

 

It's always been my way of thinking that if a man really wants something, he should go for it.

 

I went with the biggest boat and the biggest engine I've ever had, but it's something I wanted and I can't see any sense putting in a lifetime of work and then not getting the toys we deserve.

[hotrod]

I don't feel guilty for buying something I've wanted my whole life. Green or not. As a matter of fact I'm sick of hearing all this green, global warming guilt trip. I don't throw my garbage out the window, I pick up when I can, I recycle and I try not to make waste and I don't leave my truck running so I can have ac while I'm waiting for someone or something, there's plenty I do to try and not make a mess of things.

 

In the big picture am I polluting the air as compared to an 18 wheeler belching black smoke into the air, or a taxi driving 24 hours/day idling and running, or how about racing bikes, skidoos, cars, waterskier tubers or whatever. How about them coal fired power plants premier dad was gonna close?

 

No, I'm not going to feel guilty for running my boat around the lake and not being as green as some would like.

[Stoty]

I don't feel guilty for buying something I've wanted my whole life. Green or not. As a matter of fact I'm sick of hearing all this green, global warming guilt trip. I don't throw my garbage out the window, I pick up when I can, I recycle and I try not to make waste and I don't leave my truck running so I can have ac while I'm waiting for someone or something, there's plenty I do to try and not make a mess of things.

 

In the big picture am I polluting the air as compared to an 18 wheeler belching black smoke into the air, or a taxi driving 24 hours/day idling and running, or how about racing bikes, skidoos, cars, waterskier tubers or whatever. How about them coal fired power plants premier dad was gonna close?

 

No, I'm not going to feel guilty for running my boat around the lake and not being as green as some would like.

 

AMEN brother!

 

Like you said....most people are doing a lot of "green" things around their house/workplace which make much more of a difference than running boats for a few months. (This is Canada, where you can only run a boat for 60% of the year in most locations).

 

My house has CFL lightbulbs, energy efficient appliances, low flow toilets, proper insulation/windows, etc, etc.

 

Not to mention my Ranger has a 4-stroke. I'm about as "green" as the Bass Boat world comes.

So...your darn right I am going to enjoy it and not feel guilty for it!