Postponements and cancellations are commonplace in today’s world of tournament bass fishing. But are shortened derbies still a test of the best? And are competitors getting their money’s worth?

A case in point: Just last week, two AAA-level events were decided in entirety based a single day of competition. First, at Santee Copper, days 2 and 3 of the Toyota Series event were canceled due to inclement weather, thereby registering the field’s day-one catch as the final tally. A couple days later, the Texoma Toyota Series was also decided with just one day in the books. After the first two days of competition were canceled, a winner-take-all event followed on day 3.

In addition, we’ve already seen cancellations and postponements on both the Elite Series and Pro Circuit this year, too.

Is it all necessary? And are the resulting events still fair?

First, it should be stated that all of these changes were based on the decisions of very competent tournament directors whose entire goal, I’m confident, was to ensure the safety of the competitors. You’ll see no challenge from me there.

We also can’t help but sadly revisit a weather event gone wrong, when the death of Nik Kayler rocked our world in 2018. Kayler, a competitor on the FLW Series, was ejected from a boat during a rough ride in high-wind conditions, and drowned on Florida’s Lake Okeechobee. Our thoughts again go to his family.

Immediately following this event, we saw noticeable protocol changes by both tournament organizations in the name of safety. They continue to this day.

But I wonder, what is really the best way to ensure an event is not only safe, but competitively fair?

We’ve talked a bit about this before. Not long ago, there was no such thing as cancelations or postponements in bass tournaments. In fact, not only did competitors still fish in adverse conditions, the resulting events were some of the most memorable in all of tournament bass fishing. What we most often saw was the cream rising to the top. The best pros found a way to overcome challenging weather and crazy conditions and still catch bass. Driving rains, sleet, freezing cold. Harrowing boat rides through monster waves. Snuggled in front of the set on Sunday night, I’d watch as my pro bass icons found a way to win, no matter what Mother Nature threw at them.

Occasionally, we’d see a reschedule or complete venue switch for extreme conditions. I remember a pro-level tournament moving from Buggs Island to Gaston; that sort of thing. Or a border might be drawn, only allowing anglers in a certain portion of the water body deemed safe. In the end, though, it was the goal of the early tournament directors to fish a full field for the same number of days allotted for the original event.

I’ve always thought this was far more fair than, say, reducing the length of the event. The basic outline of a major tournament is to have the field compete for a set number of days on a relatively impartial body of water. The water itself shouldn’t matter that much.

Using the recent Toyota Series events as examples, I can’t find a way to support deciding the entire event based on the first day of fishing, as was the case at Santee Cooper. Anglers started the event with a multi-day strategy, and many likely fished based on that strategy. Then the rug was pulled out from under them, so it seems. In addition, one-day shootouts rarely determine the overall best angler.

I’m not arguing the decision to cancel days 2 and 3, and, in this case, the winner could be the best fishermen on the lake, for all I know. But I think what has happened is that cancellation is becoming too commonplace. It’s impacting nearly every season of all the major trails

There’s nothing wrong with a stoppage of play for dangerous conditions. Lightning; I’m out of there. But major bass tournaments today are often being modified based on the threat of inclement weather.

In order to be fair, and carry out a competition that determines a winner, I think those tournaments should fish three days. Whether that’s this week or next month, this lake or that one; three days.

Given the need to make that happen, there might be more consideration to venue or tournament boundaries. And I think, in the end, we’d have a better, more competitive event.

Recently, we’ve seen progress made in this area with the inception of the BPT. Due to the league’s mandatory boat-to-headquarters communication, there have been temporary stoppages of play when inclement weather presents itself. It’s a lot like golf, without the air horn.

I wonder how long it will be, in terms of technology and the implementation of such, before we see this trickle down to other leagues. Or possibly tournament borders that can be downloaded into competitors' GPS units.

Something besides just a total cancel. Because, although it ensures safety, it’s not helping the game. It’s 2022; there has to be a way to have it both ways.

(Joe Balog is the often-outspoken owner of Millennium Promotions, Inc., an agency operating in the fishing and hunting industries. A former Bassmaster Open and EverStart Championship winner, he's best known for his big-water innovations and hardcore fishing style. He's a popular seminar speaker, product designer and author, and is considered one of the most influential smallmouth fishermen of modern times.)