Clear Lake has long been known as the Bass Capital of the West not only because of the excellent bass fishing at the lake but because of the number of bass tournaments held on the lake. The Department of Fish and Wildlife (DWF) regulates bass tournaments and issues permits to the organizations conducting the tournaments. Bass clubs are issued an annual permit and these are valid for a year.
Tournament organizations are issued what is called an “event” permit, which is good only for that particular tournament. Twenty years ago it was not unusual for the DFW to issue 50-60 event permits per year. In other words, there was a tournament held on the lake just about every weekend.
That has all changed as tournament participation has declined dramatically. For 2017, the DFW has issued only 11 event permits for Clear Lake and 50 club annual permits. It is the smallest number of permits issued in more 30 years. In fact, American Bass (ABA), which has held its Tournament of Champions (TOC) at Clear Lake for years, recently announced it is moving the TOC to Lake Shasta in 2017.
The tournaments themselves have changed dramatically. Years ago the number of contestants in any given tournament would number from 80-100 boats and sometimes even 200 boats. For example, the old Record-Bee/ Bruno’s team tournament annually drew 225 boats and the field filled up six months prior to the tournament. Now a tournament is lucky to have 40-50 boats and some even have fewer than 20. A good example was the tournament held this past weekend. The tournament was for a good cause, helping military personnel, but it drew only 15 boats. It’s not only Clear Lake that is seeing this type of decline in tournament participation, but other lakes as well.
There are a number of reasons tournament participation has fallen off. One is the cost. A team typically pays an entry fee of several hundred dollar, plus big-fish and option money, to enter a tournament. The total cost for an average team tournament can run has as high as $600, sometimes more. Most tournaments pay back to one in five places. In other words, a 30-boat field will pay down six places. That means the other 24 teams receive nothing.
There are other costs as well. Thirty years ago you could get a motel room for a night for $30 or less. Now the same room can be as much as $85 a night or even more. During a typical two-day team tournament, the fishermen spend four or five days at the lake prefishing and actually competing in the tournament. Meals in the local restaurants can cost as high a $40 per person. Even a breakfast can cost the fisherman $20. Counting entry fees, travel expenses and meals, the cost to compete in a tournament can approach $1,000. A typical team circuit holds from five to six tournaments a year. When the wife, who is sitting at home with the kids, sees the credit card statement after a tournament she is often in shock. The other factor is that at least one-half of the tournament fishermen never win a dime.
All this doesn’t even take into account paying for a bass boat and fishing tackle. Bass boat prices have soared through the roof. A new bass boat can cost as much as $90,000. I know one local fisherman who recently bought a new bass boat and his monthly boat payments are $450 for the next 25 years. Bass boats always depreciate in value. Once you tow the boat off the lot the price drops at least 30 percent. A new fishing rod can cost as much as $500 and a reel another $300. Even the price of fishing lures has skyrocketed. Swimbaits are one of the most popular lures for tournament fishermen and the most expensive ones can cost a much as $500. Even the cheapest fishing lures are $20 or more.
What is happening on Clear Lake and other lakes is that many fishermen have quit tournaments and have returned to recreational fishing. You don’t need a modern bass boat with a 300 hp outboard to enjoy a day on the lake. The bass don’t know or even care if you’re in a high-speed modern bass boat or in a 12-foot aluminum boat.
