Missed An Open Buddy Tournament Because Of My "buddy" 2025
Christian M reply :
This past weekend my bass club was holding an open buddy tournament on a lake that I have experience on, so needless to say I was excited. I told my "buddy" about the tournament about a month in advance. The weekend of the tournament came & I had been busy fixing up my boat & trailer for weeks. I spoke to my partner the whole day before about what our game plan was as far as fishing, what time to meet up, how much money to bring for entry fees & gas. I gave him one last call at 11:30pm to tell him to make sure he re-spooled his reels & re-tied all his knots. Come 4am the day of the tournament I get a text saying "I ate something bad & have been up sick all night". Needless to say I missed the tournament & I didn't buy his story about "eating something bad". More importantly I'm seriously considering cutting this guy off. If you make a commitment to something and someone you be a man and honor that commitment, you don't punk out with a text message a half an hour before.
preach4bass reply :
Why is it so unbelievable that he was sick? Would you want your buddy to be in the back of the boat pucking all day, miserable, just so you could fish a tournament?
tomustang reply :
You should a had a back up
Lund Explorer reply :
On 4/10/2012 at 3:20 PM, Christian M said:This past weekend my bass club was holding an open buddy tournament on a lake that I have experience on, so needless to say I was excited. I told my "buddy" about the tournament about a month in advance. The weekend of the tournament came & I had been busy fixing up my boat & trailer for weeks. I spoke to my partner the whole day before about what our game plan was as far as fishing, what time to meet up, how much money to bring for entry fees & gas. I gave him one last call at 11:30pm to tell him to make sure he re-spooled his reels & re-tied all his knots. Come 4am the day of the tournament I get a text saying "I ate something bad & have been up sick all night". Needless to say I missed the tournament & I didn't buy his story about "eating something bad". More importantly I'm seriously considering cutting this guy off. If you make a commitment to something and someone you be a man and honor that commitment, you don't punk out with a text message a half an hour before.
After reading your rant, I'm thinking that there are two possibilities.
First is that it might be your fault. Had you called him at 2am to make sure he was getting some sleep prior to this tournament, you would have had time to get him into the ER in time to make it to the blast off.
Second, he may have actually been sick. You spent two weeks fixing the boat and trailer. You spent the "whole day" talking to him about your plans, what time you were meeting him, and how much money to bring. You called him in what most would say was the middle of the night to make sure he had new line on all his rods and that he had good knots. I'm pretty sure that your buddy realized he had bitten off more than he could chew, which is awfully close to being sick from something he ate.
The bottom line is that you may have gone a little overboard and your buddy wasn't as geeked about this open tournament as you were.
Quillback reply :
If I called my fishing buddy at 11:30 PM the night before a tourney to remind him to tie his knots, he'd probably shoot me the next morning and I would deserve it.
Christian M reply :
Before I got my head bitten off I should have given you guys some background info. As far as him "realizing he bit off more than he could chew", this is the guy that taught ME how to fish. He has his own boat which I was helping him fix up along with mine in the weeks prior to the tourney. He has been fishing tournaments for a few years more than me so he was the one who got me in the habit of respooling my reels & retying all my knots the night before a big day of fishing by calling me between 10-11pm. I've known him since we were kids, I know when he's lying. The day before the tourney we were supposed to practice fish, he didnt make it but he CALLED early to tell me that there was no one home to watch the puppy so he couldnt make it. I was fine with that, I went and practiced for the both of us. When I got his text the morning of the tourney I said "I guess that means were not gonna make it, call me when you're feeling better." Also he lives with his girlfriend so if he was that sick she would have taken him to the ER. Its now 4 days later and I havent heard a word from him. I did have 2 back ups and I told him the day before, if he felt like he wasn't going to make it let me know so I don't miss the tourney, but its kinda hard to call a backup at 4am. If he was really sick don't you guys think he would have contacted me in the past 4 days? He has been flaking more and more recently, but I figured a tournament would be different. Not to mention I'm looking at his facebook and he was commenting w/friends on the new truck he had just bought the day before at about 1:45am, you guys still think he was really sick?
preach4bass reply :
Simple solution: Don't plan to fish any more "buddy" tournaments with him. You've called him out on a public forum, calling him a liar, and saying that he faked an illness. You're not a good "buddy". And, if he devised this grand master scheme to keep you from fishing this tournament, he's obviously not a good "buddy" either. So, don't plan on fishing another "buddy" tournament with him again, since entry upon such an event would be a blatant lie.
Or, a more difficult solution: Get over it and give your "buddy" the benefit of the doubt, since he is your buddy.
lmoore reply :
You've got to be about the worst "buddy" I've heard of. Not only do you bother him constantly for weeks leading up to the tournament, but you instantly assume the worst of him and then openly bash him on a public forum only days after the event, without visiting him or even talking to him about it.
Christian M reply :
On 4/10/2012 at 7:09 PM, Quillback said:If I called my fishing buddy at 11:30 PM the night before a tourney to remind him to tie his knots, he'd probably shoot me the next morning and I would deserve it.
He used to do it to me all the time, and its not a phone call just to say "tie ur knots" its a final rundown to be prepared for the morning.
Christian M reply :
On 4/11/2012 at 12:03 AM, lmoore said:You've got to be about the worst "buddy" I've heard of. Not only do you bother him constantly for weeks leading up to the tournament, but you instantly assume the worst of him and then openly bash him on a public forum only days after the event, without visiting him or even talking to him about it.
Who said I bothered him constantly for weeks leading up to the tournament? I told him about it a month before, thats it. The whole point is, if you commit to something you show up, you dont bail out 30 mins before its time to go.
Christian M reply :
Now that im getting bashed, my entire point was that if you make a committment to something or someone, you show up. Its like the guy that calls out 15 mins before work knowing that his co-workers are depending on him to get the job done.
lmoore reply :
On 4/11/2012 at 12:26 AM, Christian M said:Who said I bothered him constantly for weeks leading up to the tournament? I told him about it a month before, thats it. The whole point is, if you commit to something you show up, you dont bail out 30 mins before its time to go.
I agree with that 100%. I would also say that, if you have a problem with someone, you talk to them about it, you don't jump to conclusions and head to the internet. I'm just being honest with you about my thoughts here. If you want him to be a stand-up individual, wouldn't it make sense for you to also be one?
Quillback reply :
On 4/11/2012 at 12:15 AM, Christian M said:He used to do it to me all the time, and its not a phone call just to say "tie ur knots" its a final rundown to be prepared for the morning.
I'm happy to hear you guys are OK with the pre-tourney 11:30 PM calls. My comment was somewhat tongue in cheek. But I agree with the other guys, I would have a sit-down with this guy to determine if we'd still fish together in tourneys cuz it sounds like there's some conflict there.
Lund Explorer reply :
On 4/10/2012 at 11:07 PM, Christian M said:Before I got my head bitten off I should have given you guys some background info. As far as him "realizing he bit off more than he could chew", this is the guy that taught ME how to fish. He has his own boat which I was helping him fix up along with mine in the weeks prior to the tourney. He has been fishing tournaments for a few years more than me so he was the one who got me in the habit of respooling my reels & retying all my knots the night before a big day of fishing by calling me between 10-11pm. I've known him since we were kids, I know when he's lying. The day before the tourney we were supposed to practice fish, he didnt make it but he CALLED early to tell me that there was no one home to watch the puppy so he couldnt make it. I was fine with that, I went and practiced for the both of us. When I got his text the morning of the tourney I said "I guess that means were not gonna make it, call me when you're feeling better." Also he lives with his girlfriend so if he was that sick she would have taken him to the ER. Its now 4 days later and I havent heard a word from him. I did have 2 back ups and I told him the day before, if he felt like he wasn't going to make it let me know so I don't miss the tourney, but its kinda hard to call a backup at 4am. If he was really sick don't you guys think he would have contacted me in the past 4 days? He has been flaking more and more recently, but I figured a tournament would be different. Not to mention I'm looking at his facebook and he was commenting w/friends on the new truck he had just bought the day before at about 1:45am, you guys still think he was really sick?
Yes, you probably should have.
The reader can only reach a conclusion based on what they have available to read. As I read that post, I couldn't decide whether to laugh or shudder as it seemed so over the top if you will. My initial reply was meant to be somewhat tongue in cheek. Now that I add your further explanation, I'm going to say that you were just as much at fault for missing that tournament. If you could count on him, why make the comment about having two backups? If anything, you should be happy that it was only an open tournament. I can't imagine what it would have been like had this taken you out of an Angler of the Year race. Move on and try to learn from your mistake.
slonezp reply :
On 4/10/2012 at 11:07 PM, Christian M said:Also he lives with his girlfriend
There's your answer.
Dumb question. Are you not allowed to fish alone? I fish buddy tourneys and can fish alone if the situation arises and the entry fee is paid in full. Find someone else. There are plenty of non boaters that would jump at the chance to fish. In my club we are allowed a non member substitute once. It screws up the points but it's better than getting no points.
Christian M reply :
On 4/11/2012 at 3:31 AM, Lund Explorer said:Yes, you probably should have.
The reader can only reach a conclusion based on what they have available to read. As I read that post, I couldn't decide whether to laugh or shudder as it seemed so over the top if you will. My initial reply was meant to be somewhat tongue in cheek. Now that I add your further explanation, I'm going to say that you were just as much at fault for missing that tournament. If you could count on him, why make the comment about having two backups? If anything, you should be happy that it was only an open tournament. I can't imagine what it would have been like had this taken you out of an Angler of the Year race. Move on and try to learn from your mistake.
Ironically today, right after I signed off, I was pulling off my street when I saw him passing by my house pulling his boat. He gave me a look like he saw a ghost, 5 minutes later I got a text saying "Sorry I bailed out on you the morning of the tournament, I was sick from drinking the night before and I didnt realize that by me bailing out you wouldn't be able to fish the tournament either." I don't see how I'm to blame for him not showing up, I was 100% prepared, awake, and ready to go. As far as having "backups" I had two other friends who would have fished the event with me, but I expressed to him that I knew he's a higher caliber angler and I would rather have him as my partner. I will take this as a learning experience, not sure how it was my mistake though.
Christian M reply :
On 4/11/2012 at 6:42 AM, slonezp said:There's your answer.
Dumb question. Are you not allowed to fish alone? I fish buddy tourneys and can fish alone if the situation arises and the entry fee is paid in full. Find someone else. There are plenty of non boaters that would jump at the chance to fish. In my club we are allowed a non member substitute once. It screws up the points but it's better than getting no points.
We were allowed to fish alone, but as a solo angler, you are only allowed to weigh in a 3 fish limit, with two anglers you're allowed 5 fish. So if I would have fished alone I would have just wasted my money. Also you needed to have your registration form in prior to the event, so our names were already down as partners.
Ima Bass Ninja reply :
I'm not gonna bash you on your being disappointed in this matter. It really sucks when you are geared up to do something that depends on another's participation and they bail last minute. I don't think one person here can say that they wouldn't be disappointed period. It's human nature. Although his excuse may be warranted and not much he could do about being sick, I would suggest step back evaluate your friendship with this person and let your feelings on the subject determine you coarse of action. It seems you have a good relationship with him and it may be worth giving him another shot. If he bails again the you have your answer. I wouldn't throw the years you have together away based on one occurance. If he has become standoffish with you then his actions will let you know where you stand real quick.
tomustang reply :
He decided to get drunk the night before the tournament? Hmm...
And that facebook stalking is a bit weird.
Crookedneck reply :
You should have called your back ups. I don't care if I get a call at 4am as long as it has to do with fishing or hunting....better than getting a call at 4am for work..
lmoore reply :
On 4/11/2012 at 6:45 AM, Christian M said:He gave me a look like he saw a ghost, 5 minutes later I got a text saying "Sorry I bailed out on you the morning of the tournament, I was sick from drinking the night before and I didnt realize that by me bailing out you wouldn't be able to fish the tournament either."
So remember earlier today when I said you handled it wrong? I'd like to change my posts. Your "buddy" deserves one square across the kisser.
Christian M reply :
So I finally got a chance to have a face to face talk with my buddy about the matter at hand. I called him up yesterday and he invited me out on his boat. I asked him honestly what happened the morning of the tournament and he told me it was a combination of not feeling great from drinking and not really wanting to get up. I cursed at him a couple times and told him if he does it to me again we can't fish tournaments together anymore. I left it at that and we were back to having a good time catching fish. I could tell he sincerely felt bad because he checked the club site to see where I had placed and thats when he realized I didn't compete. Then he told me when he saw the weight of the winning bags on the club site, he knew we could have taken home some money. Bass Ninja thanks for understanding. Everyone else, I realize my first post was heated and over the top, but I was pretty upset. Not only because I missed a tournament, but because I felt like my friend left me high and dry when I was counting on him. I try to live by the golden rule and it back-fires on me a lot of the time. In saying that I realize blasting off on a public forum wasn't the proper way to handle it, but hey I'm only human.
Christian M reply :
On 4/10/2012 at 4:05 PM, preach4bass said:Why is it so unbelievable that he was sick? Would you want your buddy to be in the back of the boat pucking all day, miserable, just so you could fish a tournament?
On the contrary, I had a friend with a spider bite on my boat one time that was turning into a cellulitis. He didn't say anything about it, but when I saw it I took the boat off the water and drove him straight to the ER, I would never put fishing over a friends health.
bowfish12 reply :
Why are you only allowed to weigh in 3 fish if you were to fish solo? Is it a state regulation that you can only keep 3 fish a day?
A little side story to go along with yours. Last friday I took off to fish a tournament that was from 9-5. I got drunk thursday night and right before I went to sleep at about 10 I almost sent my buddy a text and said lets just fun fish instead of the tournament. It wasn't because I just polished off a 12-pack of busch light, but b/c I didn't want to spend the money for the tournament.
I decided against it b/c I was going to fish anyways, why not make a little money. Ended up with a 20+ lb sack and 2nd place.
backpain... reply :
Just so I have all of the background right...
He taught you how to fish. You have been friends since childhood. He misses a tournament claiming he is sick. You want to cut him off. He isn't a real frind?
I would think an almost lifetime friendship should be able to weather a missed tournament for whatever reason might have come up. I personally think that you should be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Sure it stinks to miss a tournament. But it would stink even worse to cut him off and find out he woke up half hour before the tournament puking his guts up. If he has been a good friend for so long, and is a good fishing partner than you would only be punishing yourself for being harsh.
Wildbillb reply :
What were the top 5 winning weights for that tournament?
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