bass tournaments=dead fish

[curls]

Settle down Peter....

I believe almost all the tourneys have been heard from in the area in this thread......and we all took ownership to the numbers of fish that died during that event.

About the only thing I would advocate at some point is if you are running an event with over say 40 boats with a 5 fish weigh-in....that you must have a live release boat.....hard to enforce and a nightmare for the MNR to keep an eye on but it is likely needed.

RJ

Here's something interesting (and something I found astonishingly irresponsible):

I attended a 2-day event in NW Ontario a few weeks ago. It was a 5-fish live-release event with 70 boats. That is a potential for (70*5*2=) 700 fish. THe MNR was present but were more concerned with giving out tickets for open beers in a field, than they were for the fact that EVERY FISH was released from shore (sandy, flat for a hundred yards, and LOTS of boat traffic coming in to weight their fish right above the heads of the fish that were just released). There was NO cover in this area for the hundreds of smallmouth bass to migrate to. NONE. What was the MNR doing? 2 of them were ticketing people for alcohol violations, and the other two were tagging about 35-50% of the fish that were weighed, and then they themselves were released in harms way -- right where 70 boats were beaching themselves, right where 70 boats were stirring up the sand and causing remarkably dark, cloudy water conditions, and right where 70 boats were about to start pulling onto trailers.

It was a MESS, but, it was MNR-approved. I don't want to know how many fish died that weekend, but if any did (and surely, many did), I blame that squarely on the MNR not having and enforcing a "live release X meters from shore" rule for ALL anglers.

[curls]

Settle down Peter....

I believe almost all the tourneys have been heard from in the area in this thread......and we all took ownership to the numbers of fish that died during that event.

About the only thing I would advocate at some point is if you are running an event with over say 40 boats with a 5 fish weigh-in....that you must have a live release boat.....hard to enforce and a nightmare for the MNR to keep an eye on but it is likely needed.

RJ

Here's something interesting (and something I found astonishingly irresponsible):

I attended a 2-day event in NW Ontario a few weeks ago. It was a 5-fish live-release event with 70 boats. That is a potential for (70*5*2=) 700 fish. THe MNR was present but were more concerned with giving out tickets for open beers in a field, than they were for the fact that EVERY FISH was released from shore (sandy, flat for a hundred yards, and LOTS of boat traffic coming in to weight their fish right above the heads of the fish that were just released). There was NO cover in this area for the hundreds of smallmouth bass to migrate to. NONE. What was the MNR doing? 2 of them were ticketing people for alcohol violations, and the other two were tagging about 35-50% of the fish that were weighed, and then they themselves were released in harms way -- right where 70 boats were beaching themselves, right where 70 boats were stirring up the sand and causing remarkably dark, cloudy water conditions, and right where 70 boats were about to start pulling onto trailers.

It was a MESS, but, it was MNR-approved. I don't want to know how many fish died that weekend, but if any did (and surely, many did), I blame that squarely on the MNR not having and enforcing a "live release X meters from shore" rule for ALL anglers.

[Todd B.]

One statistic that hasn't come up is what the mortality rate is for fish culled during the course of the tournament? I'm sure this could be something that the Cooke Lab at Carleton U might be interested in researching.

That being said, instituting a "no cull" rule for the tournaments would be interesting in that anglers would have to make an immediate decision as to whether they keep a fish or whether they believe that they can catch a larger one in the remaining time that they have on the water.

[curls]

Here's a better idea -- instead of bitching at the bass tourney guys, how about getting on the MNR's case about stopping the "white bucket brigade" from OOS fishing, keeping every baby bass and baby panfish, and not buying proper licenses?

Those baby bass would possibly have grown up into nice big bass...

I'm always puzzled by this....would you like the "bucket brigade" as you call them to actually learn how to fish and keep bigger fish? would that make it better?

And why does everyone always assume because you fish from shore with a bucket you didnt buy a license?

Sure hope when my nephews (who happen to be Asian) never have to deal with the stereotype BS that spews from peoples mouths....and if so I hope I'm there to hear it.

RJ

I never mentioned ethnicity. I'm not calling any one race out here... I've seen more than one white person do this as well.

[beachburger]

About the only thing I would advocate at some point is if you are running an event with over say 40 boats with a 5 fish weigh-in....that you must have a live release boat.....hard to enforce and a nightmare for the MNR to keep an eye on but it is likely needed.

Clubs can tag a few members to run fish.

Recruit a member with a big Lund and the livewell can probably hold all the fish caught that day and a bunch of people so the boat doesn't have more than the possession limit.

[mont0073]

Every bass angler in a tournament has a license to fish, most a license allowing them to keep the fish. We don't keep them obviously and take care to ensure they live. I have seen guys at camp sites on the river and lakes in the area with 5 gallon pails full of bass ready for the knife....

3 fish seriously? They could have legally had a 200 bass fish fry if they wanted too lol....

[Jimmy_1]

Here's a better idea -- instead of bitching at the bass tourney guys, how about getting on the MNR's case about stopping the "white bucket brigade" from OOS fishing, keeping every baby bass and baby panfish, and not buying proper licenses?

Those baby bass would possibly have grown up into nice big bass...

Because the white bucket brigade are the Liberals voters....

Dalton McGuinty couldn't care less about natural resources unless highly taxable so that he can continue to spend like a drunken sailor and inflate the provincial deficit.

And this relates to bass tournaments how???

It related fully to Curls above comment.....
Single him out to then for changing the topic.

[beachburger]

That being said, instituting a "no cull" rule for the tournaments would be interesting in that anglers would have to make an immediate decision as to whether they keep a fish or whether they believe that they can catch a larger one in the remaining time that they have on the water.

I am quite certain it was that way until just a few years ago. It was never enforced but because it was on the books, organizers of the big $ tournaments (bass and walleye) on border waters would not co-host out of Ontario.

[almontefisher]

Not trying to get steamed up RJ as I am sure you know I am a pretty laid back kinda guy but I just don't get the mindset from some guys that this "could not" be from the tourney. I will say it one more time...there are events and organizations that understand, respect and help out our fisheries but there are some that really don't. Who ran the tourney that day?? Was it one of the ones a few mentioned or was it a gang of people who organized an event without understanding the consiquences that could arise.

I would be one of the first to admitt that when our ORWL events occur some fish die but I do not jump on in and say in no way it was not our guys like seems to happen with the bass tourneys. In all these posts not once did Doug or other bass guys say...Hey you know what it could have been the event and we need to deal with it....No they turn a blind eye and give you attitude that it was not them.

You RJ are one of the only guys I know that would and do say that some die off is from the tourney. You also have stats of die offs, ideas to improve and help and also look at it with open eyes and for that I respect you more.

[Graembo]

I've posted an informative link below. Why not forward it on to people or sticky it as some useful info.

Slandering tourneys doesn't resolve anything. Educating people does.

Check it out:

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bass ... e_livewell

...also google "Doug Hannon Hydrogen Peroxide" for some further info

GT

[RJ]

Others did as well Peter......both Beachburger and Rex did for their Clubs....

Again......no laws were broken here unless the fish were dead upon being thrown overboard......

[Big Bass 444]

In the case of bass tournaments wich this topic is about I would say ..."'Why push it to the limit?"....would it be possible to bring down to 3 the number of basses at the weight in???.... or would it be possible to bring an official on borard of each boat to officially weight in the fish right there on the spot and then put the fish back in the water???

Why do we allways have to do or try to be like are "BiG Brother" the Americans?.....can we do something different here in Canada for once?.

[bardern]

when we chose to go fishing fishing we all assume the risk that our actions are going to kill fish at on time or another, it doesn't matter if you are in a $40000 bass boat or throwing a $40 Zebco outfit from the bank. Bottom line is that we are punturing a fish with a sharp piece of metal, dragging it out its enviroment, removing the hook and letting it go. At some time or another this is going to kill a fish.

Do bass tournaments result in some dead fish, of course. Does recreational fishing result in dead fish, of course.

Coming from the hunting fraturnity let me tell you there is nothing that PETA likes better than to see in-fighting amongst sportsmen, divide and conquer is their motto. Should we stop bringing our concerns to the forefront, of course not, but I don't understand the way some folks on this forum have a "Hate on" for tournament anglers or the blanket statement that the "White Bucket Brigade" only catches OOS fish and always go over their limits.

[beachburger]

In the case of bass tournaments wich this topic is about I would say ..."'Why push it to the limit?"....would it be possible to bring down to 3 the number of basses at the weight in???....

Some clubs have 4 fish limits. Some have 6 fish limits. I don't know of any clubs that have a 3 fish limit for a full day tournament but it's common to see the "after-dinner shootouts" have a 3 fish limit.

In any case, for a two-man team, every boat is coming in under the legal limit. Depending on the waters, a two-man team is allowed to possess 10-12 bass but tournament rules limit them to 4-6 fish for the weigh-in. Some clubs also have rules that you can not have more than 5 or 6 fish in the livewells at any one time. I think this is a good rule as it forces immediate culling.

[Jimmy_1]

Ok,

I'll then chime in some stats.

BAOO- Newboro lake....no mortalities...43 fish caught.
BAOO-Ottawa river 11 boats x 4 fish...44 fish....no mortalities.
BAOO-Mississippi Lake 11 boats x 4 fish...44 fish.....no mortalities.

(After release I would not know)

Pretty goooooood.