BY DAVE HURLEY
LAKEPORT – This was a recent comment on a Facebook page dedicated to bass fishing- “Tournament attendance across California has been rough lately… but Clear Lake especially seems way down. Still seeing plenty of boats on the water, just not in tournaments. What’s the main reason you’re not fishing them right now? Fees, payouts, schedules, format, economy, burnout, Forward Facing Sonar?”
What are reasons for a decrease in tournament participation? Pro division participation at the 2026 Clear Lake Open dropped to 136 from 176 in 2025, a decrease of 23%, even prior to fuel prices skyrocketing to current levels.
Randy Pringle, tournament director for the Best Bass Tournaments, oversees seven divisions and a total close to 50 tournaments, provided the following insights. Pringle said, “These are difficult times, and I will be modifying our circuits in 2027 to maximize participation. Some of our circuits are down 70% where we used to draw 100 boats. Our Mother Lode and Coastal circuits continue to draw participants, but participation at Clear Lake is down. Clear Lake is rated the number one lake in the nation due to the possibility of a 45-pound limit, but the average number of fish caught at Clear Lake is minimal compared to an Oroville, Don Pedro, or McClure. Technology is far less of an advantage at these bodies of water. We’ve had seven limits over 40 pounds at Clear Lake during our tournaments this year, all shaking a minnow using Forward Facing Sonar. The massive weights have intimidated others from participating. There are three factors that I believe are contributing to a decrease.
First, the success of Forward Facing Sonar. Of those with Forward Facing Sonar, some have become extremely proficient using the new technology, and others may not want to either purchase an advanced system or compete against those who have mastered the technique. Additionally, some anglers don’t want to minnow fish, finding it less challenging than tried and true techniques not relying on technology. Clear Lake plays into the positive advantage of FFS as anglers are not catching the numbers of bass, but within the limited numbers, it’s all about the size.
Secondly, the invasive golden mussel has changed everything. This has made a sport that is extremely expensive and restricted where you can and can’t fish. If you are just fishing on Clear Lake, you can get inspected and tagged at various locations and put your boat in the water, but if you are running a tournament, you have to have each boat inspected by mussel dogs, even if they are in a slip in the lake. 100% of compliance is necessary to justify the cost of mussel dogs funded by a grant.
Lastly, the price of fuel and inflation is perhaps the greatest limiting factor. To travel to a lake like Clear Lake from most locations in California, it’s a matter of lodging, fuel for the tow vehicle, fuel for the boat, meals, and tournament fees, not to mention all the costs in owning a boat and a significant amount of tackle. A fully rigged bass boat and tow vehicle now cost more than many paid for their first home.”
In any case, these time’s they are a’changing, and there has been discussion of banning Forward Facing Sonar or at least running some tournaments where it is banned. Fuel prices are not expected to come down anytime soon, and high fuel prices dictate inflation for all goods and services. Large, multi-day tournaments will have to adjust and adapt to the trends, and since fuel prices and golden mussel restrictions are beyond the control of tournament directors, the adaptations must be from factors within their control.
One comment on the same Facebook thread may have summed up the feeling of many potential tournament participants, “It’s simply more fun, less stressful, and easier on the pocketbook to pick a day mid-week and go fish by yourself at your closest body of water. Remember, fishing is supposed to be fun, not stressful.”
Tournament bass fishing is a major contributor to local economies, and perhaps, circuit directors could survey participants to more fully understand recent trends affecting participation to make modifications.