Whatever, Roberto. You know good and well there's no "rule" about discussing anything you pretty much feel like here. Except direct political discussion outside of Rants and Raves (only due to the inevitable course those threads take). It's certainly never stopped you before.
There was no snideness, just an honest answer. And a legitimate question, in no way meant to preclude you from the discussion. I asked because I was interested in what you might add to the discussion. Don't feel you have to read bewteen the lines for any deeper meaning; there isn't one. I had no idea Bill had fished so many tourneys. Was curious if you had, too.
By the same token you say you don't go for killing events, I'm not a hunter. Never shot a bambi or bear or hog or much of anything. I did shoot a racoon once that was killing off all our chickens, then felt horrible the next day when three baby racoons came crying up the driveway looking for their mama. That's life growing up on a farm.
Fishing has always been different for me. It's not like staring down a gunsight and pulling the trigger and taking an animal's life. You can go out one day with a lure and coax lots of fish into biting. The next day? Not so much as a nibble. The fish actually have some choice in the matter. They can bite, or not bite. And there's no guarantee they'll do either on any given day. Even though I don't hunt, I can appreciate those that do. It's outdoors, it's often an adventure, like fishing, and there is a specific skill set involved to be any good at it.
Yes, I'm passionate about it, as I am about many things. If you don't have a passion for what you do and what you believe in, then why bother? You are a passionate person. I don't even have to tell you this.
I can respect that you don't like organized "killing" events. I don't either, which is why I'm a huge fan of release, not kill, tournaments. You stated you've never fished in a tournament, so you wouldn't understand the level of competition and the skill set involved to be successful in one. The excitement and disappointment. The shotgun start in the morning with so many boats racing out to the fishing grounds. The check-ins during the day. The comraderie in the evening. The trash talk and side bets amongst boats. Proving that your boat and crew is the best amongst the group, beyond sheer luck. The money? Eh, I'd do it if they were giving away Spongebob Squarepants trophies. Any cash I might win is a bonus, but it's not the major motivator for most people that fish big game tournaments. The ones I've been involved with donate a large portion of the proceeds not only to the winners, but to local Mexican charities, like the Rescate in San Carlos. It's not a bunch of crazed fish-o-philes trying to kill anything with fins.
