Dead fish during day tournaments

[GeoFisher]

I think re-circ has its benefits - the largest being when you cannot pump in fresh water. Recirculating water in a livewell that has already reached high levels of ammonia and warm can actually cause some harm. Those Koolwell systems are nice, I wish I had one. The best thing to do is pump out about half the livewell water, and pump back in fresh water at least every hour. I have never lost a fish - but keep a constant eye on them this time of year.

Geo - I don't think banning tournaments is a good solution. However, I think the dead fish penalty in tournaments should be a little more than most are. At least it will keep the hadful of tournament anglers who don't work to keep fish alive a little more proactive.

How about a DNR member at EVERY tourney and EVERY weigh in. How about they TICKET those tourney jocks for every DEAD FISH. Wanton waste of the fishery resource is a serious offense....

Here is what really gets my goat. Most serious tourney guys get SICK about a guy taking a 5 or 6lb fish and cutting it up for a nice sandwich. BUT if that same tourney guy catches a 5 or 6 and carries it 30 miles in a hot, rocking livewell, and then weights a DEAD FISH, he has no problem with that. Personally I think THAT *****. If you've NEVER KILLED a fish in a tourney then you can bitch about the guy that harvests fish for the table. If you've EVER KILLED ONE at a weigh in, then you don't have any ground to stand on.

This time of year, it is stressful enough on the fishery. I'd love to see some rules to protect the fish.

* MAKE it a REQUIREMENT to use chemicals.
* Make it a REQUIREMENT to use ice.
* MAKE it a REQUIREMENT to protect your catch.
* NO DEAD fish......PERIOD.
* If it is obvious you're fish are going to die........you cannot weigh them.
* If you bring in DEAD FISH.......you're disqualified from your classic.

MAKE this a SERIOUS ISSUE.......cause right now, it is NOT.

Later,

Geo

[DJD]

If you ban dead fish you will find dead fish floating through the lake because they will toss them back before the weigh in. I would think small to medium tournaments having more problems than the large pro or state level because of the tubs of chemicals that most of them use....has anyone seen this any different?

The ones I have fished here over the last few years were small enough to get the fish weighed and back in the lake pretty quick. I think that helps.

If you have a situation where there is a line of guys standing there with bags of fish in this hot weather their not gonna hold them off the hot ground and that bag can only hold so much life supporting capabilities and sooner than later the fish are gonna get hotter from the ground and stressed because of the depleteing oxygen and even the waste from the other fish. Yes there is room for improvement....JMHO

[F16ENGMGR]

Geo

No dead fish allowed at weigh in period. Screw the 8 oz penalty or whatever it is. DQ the whole fish. Most sights have trash cans. If you don't want a dead fish floating then discard it.

As for the larger tournaments not having problems - many also have release boats that take them to who knows where for release.

And if you want to fillet a batch of bass go for it. 11 1/2" spots are pretty darn good alongwith a 3 lb largemouth that swallows a crappie jig that's bleeding to death.

I rather doubt you'd put much of a dent in the 250K fingerling largemouth that I helped stock in the Markland Pool in 2007 & 2008. Smashing success btw.

The bass tournament angler is probably more savvy about the bass fishery overall than any other angler. I rather doubt that they want to see the demise of their sport fish.

[Embrey]

Geo


The bass tournament angler is probably more savvy about the bass fishery overall than any other angler. I rather doubt that they want to see the demise of their sport fish.

doesnt matter if they want to see it or not...its about money.

[F16ENGMGR]

Hell yes it's all about the money. But why/who do you think the V-T2 system was invented? Guess someone got the idea that "Hey" maybe this will help keep my creel alive. Gee it's been advertized on FLW & B.A.S.S. Yep all about the $$$.

[Rudypoo4444]

The bass tournament angler is probably more savvy about the bass fishery overall than any other angler. I rather doubt that they want to see the demise of their sport fish.

This is just offensive and WRONG. I have never fished a tourney, but I am just as savvy as the next guy when it comes to protecting the resource. I never keep over my limit, I don't always keep fish to eat, I buy my licence every year to help fund the resource, and I stay concerned and alert to our local bass fisheries.

[Bandit1]

You all mention having the DNR at the ramp to give a ticket for dead fish weighed in. If that is the case they would have to give a ticket to every Tom, Richard, & Harry that brings in a dead bass. Weather to eat or otherwise. I am a tournament fisherman to. I don't like seeing a bunch of dead bass floating, hell, I dont like seeing a bunch of dead carp floating. If they are going to give tickets for dead fish, give it to the guys that put the dead fish back in the lake, that will eliminate alot of the floaters, but you also have the ones that hooked the fish deep & as they are trying to get the hook out the fish dies. The fish is to short to keep, do they get a ticket too? Or do they risk getting a ticket for having a short fish?

Just sayin,

Jason

[F16ENGMGR]

This is just offensive and WRONG. I have never fished a tourney, but I am just as savvy as the next guy when it comes to protecting the resource. I never keep over my limit, I don't always keep fish to eat, I buy my licence every year to help fund the resource, and I stay concerned and alert to our local bass fisheries.

RP4444 thanks for supporting the sport with your license purchase, although it may be a law if you fall into the angler age category. And did you know that a 10% fee paid by tackle mfg's for items that you purchase also goes towards the fishery?

Have you ever been to a bass tournament weigh-in? Offensive? Sorry you feel that way. Maybe with your intellect and experience you could help enlighten this monumental high dollar industry especially on a local level.

FLW just jacked up the entry fee for 2011 according to Bassfan - 40K a year. And yes they'll fish when the weather/water is warm. You may want to petition them not to hold bass tournaments during warm weather though. At this writing they're fishing Guntersville, AL. Temps are forecast to be 90 deg. I wonder how many dead fish they'll report.

[Rudypoo4444]

RP4444 thanks for supporting the sport with your license purchase, although it may be a law if you fall into the angler age category. And did you know that a 10% fee paid by tackle mfg's for items that you purchase also goes towards the fishery?

Have you ever been to a bass tournament weigh-in? Offensive? Sorry you feel that way. Maybe with your intellect and experience you could help enlighten this monumental high dollar industry especially on a local level.

FLW just jacked up the entry fee for 2011 according to Bassfan - 40K a year. And yes they'll fish when the weather/water is warm. You may want to petition them not to hold bass tournaments during warm weather though. At this writing they're fishing Guntersville, AL. Temps are forecast to be 90 deg. I wonder how many dead fish they'll report.

With my "intellect" I can tell you that stopping summer tournaments is not the answer, but making the tournament leaders and fishermen responsible for their catch is. If I bring a dead fish back to the dock with me, it really doesn't matter, because at that point, they are just riding with me on a trip to the skillet.

How about making these tourney leaders penalize the fishermen during the tournament to help raise awareness, and make the tourney owners replinish the resource by stocking "X" amount of fish for fish weighed in dead. And if you get caught throwing out a dead fish before you get to the dock, you don't get to fish tournaments anymore, EVER.

Sound fair? Hope I didn't throw too much intellect at you, LOL!

[Bandit1]

With my "intellect" I can tell you that stopping summer tournaments is not the answer, but making the tournament leaders and fishermen responsible for their catch is. If I bring a dead fish back to the dock with me, it really doesn't matter, because at that point, they are just riding with me on a trip to the skillet.

How about making these tourney leaders penalize the fishermen during the tournament to help raise awareness, and make the tourney owners replinish the resource by stocking "X" amount of fish for fish weighed in dead. And if you get caught throwing out a dead fish before you get to the dock, you don't get to fish tournaments anymore, EVER.

Sound fair? Hope I didn't throw too much intellect at you, LOL!

Hey Rudypoo,

Does that mean for every fish you take out of the lake to eat YOU will be restocking with "X" number of fish?

Just askin,

Jason

[Rudypoo4444]

Hey Rudypoo,

Does that mean for every fish you take out of the lake to eat YOU will be restocking with "X" number of fish?

Just askin,

Jason

Nope. If I put a fish in my livewell, it is going in there for a reason....For me to eat. I am not just giving it a joy-ride all day waiting for a weigh-in. This situation is a little different. The tournament guys are taking a chance on the fish dying by keeping it in the live well until weigh-in. That is why they should be held accountable, and why I said they should stock "X" number of fish if they have one die. The fish in the tournaments die for no reason. Hopefully there is someone there that will take the dead fish to eat, but I would bet most of the tournament fishermen do not, so a dead fish is just a waste in their situation.

Don't try and turn this around on the recreational fishermen. They aren't carrying around fish in the livewell just to show them off at the end of the day. People have to eat, it is not a necessity to weigh fish at the end of the day. I know some guys do the "tournament" thing for a living, but it isn't 1% of the total population of fishermen. If they are going to cart a fish around all day, with a chance of it dying, just to weigh it in at the end of the day, hold them accountable for the destruction of the resource if there is any.

I'm not against tournaments or tournament fishermen by any stretch, but they have a different situation than the REC fishermen do, so they should have to play by a different set of rules.

[psprowler]

People have to eat, it is not a necessity to weigh fish at the end of the day. I know some guys do the "tournament" thing for a living, but it isn't 1% of the total population of fishermen.

I don't have a dog in this fight but I would suspect that <1% of the total population of fisherman solely depend on lake bass for their main source of food........