I would like to how you, the general fishing public feel about fishing tournaments (Bass) in particular?
For or Against like or dislike dont care either way?
How would you feel if a bass tournament were held at say Jordanelle and the participants were allowed to bring in five fish over 12 inches all were to be released as is the rule with all bass tornaments??
what say you John Q Public
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I don't remember if it was on this or another site that had a link to an article about delayed mortality from tournaments. The gist of the article is that trophy sized bass are caught at tournaments, brought to weigh in in live wells, and the n released-- apparently unharmed. The problem is that the stress of their ride in the livewell, often in oxygen depleated water can cause delayed mortality. The tournament fishermen leave the lake and a couple days later trophy sized bass are washing up dead on the lakeshore. The article talked about new products and what not that help prevent this. My question as John Q. Public is this: Is there a tournament standard in place that livewells are held to? Killing fish that took years to grow in the name of tournament fishing is not a good thing in my opinion. Unless there was a strict standard in place I would not be in favor of weigh ins at Jordanelle, or any other Utah water that has size restrictions (the proc. calls for IMMEDIATE release after all).
One other question I have is do tournaments benefit the water where they are held in any way? Or is it simply a for profit event to benefit the winners and organizers? I don't really know a lot about tourneys. Thank you.
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Good question. I stopped fishing tournaments but for my own reasons. My opinion is that if a bass is caught and released unharmed then, well, it is unharmed. Bass, fish in general, are caught everyday and released because of slot limits and such which are their to protect the trophy population. I released several today that were 12-15" slot limit but do believe that they would survive even in a livewell.
I am not against tourneys, in fact, I support them. If it were not for the meager bass tournaments held in Utah I would fear neglect on our bass fisheries.
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[cool][#0000ff]I have lived in several bassin' areas around the country and I have fished tournaments and guided on several lakes. I quit fishing competitively when it got to be more stress than fun.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My personal observations are that for the most part, tournaments are not devastating to fish populations as a whole. Yes, there is mortality, but not as much as if Joe Baitchucker caught the fish and took them home. Most pro bassers use tackle that will quickly bring a fish to the boat, either to be put in the livewell or released. Many casual or recreational anglers use lighter tackle and overplay the fish, causing stress and buildup of fatigue chemicals in the fish. Even if they release the fish, the chances of delayed mortality are greater.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Bass pros truly care about the fish and the fishery. They are almost fanatical in their catch and release ideals, for prefishing or recreational fishing. They also use the special chemicals in their livewells, when holding fish for weighins, that protect the fish from shock and loss of protective coatings. Many tournament fish survive BECAUSE of being in the livewell, rather than succumbing if they were released to die of delayed mortality causes.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It is BECAUSE of bass fishing tournaments that many lakes enjoy healthy populations of bass. National organizations and local clubs invest lots of time and money to insure that there are plenty of fish and good habitat in their "playpens". They are also responsible for getting the attention of state fisheries agencies to enact appropriate legislation and regulations to keep the lakes healthy. Many lakes would be poor fishing indeed if left to themselves and the unregulated harvest of the local anglers.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It is mainly jealous anglers who cannot catch fish that object to tournament fishing. The pros catch lots of big fish that the casual "tanglers" would never hope to see on the end of their lines. That always creates a reaction among the local troops. And, when a big fish dies...often of natural causes...the locals are quick to blame the tournament guys.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Tournament fishing (for several species) is big business. It ultimately helps the local economies, tackle manufacturers and all of the non-tournament anglers as well. Most of our major tackle breakthroughs and new technology have come through the creativity and the motivation of the guys on the tournament trail. [/#0000ff]
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I think thats its a good idea and most of the fish that die are the ones that even if you released them right away then they would die anyway. I would like to compete in some small local tournaments here in Utah if someone is willing to get them started. I think it would be great fun and a great way to meet all you great fisherman out here.
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TD I couldnt have said it better myself. You are a gentleman and a scholar[
] I have been fishing Bass tournaments of all levels in this area for 20 years now and can honestly say it has not negatively affected any body of water in this state.
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[cool] "[size 1]You are a gentleman and a scholar"[/size]
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[#0000ff][size 1]Careful Bucko. I might sue ya for slander. You gonna ruin my reputation.[/size][/#0000ff]
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LOL SORRY[pirate]
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I've fished over 40 tournaments in my time and find that generally the bass are handled very carefully. These guys take this very seriously and ensure their catch are kept in the best livewells with recirculating pumps and chemical treatment to reduce stress and heal bumps and bruises. I don't tournament fish anymore because of the stress I felt, not the fish. But there are bad sides to tournaments also. Tournaments held during the spawn re-locate these spawning fish miles from their beds and reduce or eliminate that fishes eggs from hatching. Generally speaking, tournament fisherman are good fishermen that really care about the fish and pay good money and time to see that they survive.
Just my thoughts.......
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First, Jordanelle question. The water temperature and the size of lake will keep just about all the fish from being stressed(water temps rarely get over 70 degrees so heat isn't a problem)
2nd, very few people in Utah have any experience or idea what happens in tournaments. There are very strict rules for safety and handling of fish. Unfortunately, there are some outfits that try to put on events and mess things up royally. Not every curcuit or club knows what they are doing. Its one thing to watch ESPN put on a tournament and another to actually participate in one. Jordanelle is only so big. Lake X could do club tournaments and even state federation stuff without too many problems until the 40 boat mark is reached.
3rd, the major problem is the DWR/Parks. Why is that? They have little understanding, experience, or manpower to have an interest in these type of activities. Law enforcement is a farce at most of our waters. Poaching is rampant. Fishcops aren't being supported by the courts. Utah is behind the times when it becomes to bass fishing. There is a large bass fishing community that would like to see, and help in anyway possible to move things into the 21 Century . Too bad these people are being ignored . Did you know that bass fishing in the number 1 or largest group of fishermen in the country? Also, here in Utah there is more money spent on bass fishing than other types combined?
4th, fishing tourneys inhabits money making state parks. We had a "CAST for kids" event at Jordanelle a few years ago and there was a big inconvience to the "waterskeeters" because handicapped children were blocking the ramp. It didn't matter that alot of kids had very good chance to catch fish(perch) or a fun boat ride, as long as the ramp was clear.
I welcome all who come to my private pond.
BTW, this years "CAST for Kids" is at Soldier Creek Marina on August 12th.
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Well put tomegun. As for the temperature issue none of the lakes in the northern part of the state get hot enough to cause a problem. I just put the question out to the average guy on here to see what thier feelings were about tournaments. I have the same frustations as you. DWR, Parks, Enforcement, all a joke. I can tell you that Idaho is creating alot of revenue for some small towns in southern Idaho because the Idaho DWR is much easier to work with and much more involved in the tournament scene. They use tournaments as a valuable creel survey. Every Angler in an Idaho tournament has to fill out a creel survey for all the fish they catch, that is valuable info for the dwr to use. Utah cant seem to get that fact. They just dont care about bass fisheries, they have thier big success stories with wipers and tiger muskies. Which are reared in ponds built with money donated by who? Thats right the utah bass federation and tounament bass fisherman!!!! Ahh forget it im getting all worked up again!!
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Also, here in Utah there is more money spent on bass fishing than other types combined
I don't see how this could be true. Where did you get that information from? You're saying that Utah bass fishermen spend more money on bass fishing that Utah fly fishermen, walleye fishermen, trollers, mac fishermen, bait fishermen, etc., spend on their fishing combined? There are dozens of shops around the state that sell fly fishing tackle exclusively. I know bass fishing is popular and becoming increasingly more popular, but Utah is a trout state first and foremost (as much as you warmwater guys don't want to face it). I don't say that to rub anyone the wrong way, but until I see numbers to convince me otherwise, that is what I beleive.
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[cool][#0000ff]I'm wit choo on dat one Scotty. That is a pretty rash and foolish statement in Utah. You only see very few bassers on an "average" fishing day, when there might be a hundred other anglers fishing for trout, perch or whatever.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I know that bass chasers usually fish with spendy rods, reels and lures, but the total dollar value of their tackle supply is probably no larger than that of serious wiperholics or mackologists. Heck, I'm a multi-species kinda guy and I would put my tackletorium up against any basser I have ever known.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Maybe he is speaking in terms of per boat cost. Have you priced a new tricked out bass sled lately? And, of course if you don't fish bass from a megabucks metalflecked monster-motored bass boat, you ain't nothin'. [/#0000ff]
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I spend more on line than any 10 people that aren't bass fishing. Most of my cost start well into the 4 digits yearly. My fishing expenditures without fuel and boats costs are easily into the 5 digits. And, I'm barely into middle of the pack.
Pat, some think my tackletorium can match yours. But, if you would like to pay my costs I'll be more than happy to cover yours in exchange.
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[cool][#0000ff]Hey Guns, you are legendary in your tastes for high-ticket gear and your readiness to singlehandedly support the tackle manufacturers of the world. I have no doubt that you have plenty of bucks invested, but then some of us have more responsibilities and more places to "invest" our hard earned dollars. Most of us have to be more careful in allocating our "net spendable" into such nonessentials as mortgages, food, clothing and other trivial things.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]While I am sure that I would enjoy playing with your toys, I am perfectly happy with my own. I do not suffer from tackle envy.[/#0000ff]
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My son was in his first bass tournement this last weekend. Never fished for bass before, his buddy (Casey Storey) taught him how to tie knots, pre fish, and bass fish in two days. They took 1st and 2nd in the Utah JR. Bass fishing tourney. Maniac lures rocked.
In July, Doug Miller is scheduled to cover the Youth tournament in Pineview, that will most likely send a kid on to the Jr. Classic.
This was my first exposure to the bass scene, and it was a very professional, first rate operation run by 2 guys named Roger and Adrian. Not only was it a fishing event, it was a family event. Kids and adults learned much about fishing and life in general.
Tournaments are here to stay, and they are so much fun.
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So I take it that your statement was based off personal feeling rather than fact or numbers. I have spent a bit of money on fly tackle this year myself, over 2500$ in the first three months of the year easily. Fly lines cost 40-60$ for a decent line, rods up to 600$, reels a couple hundred. I'm sure I don't spend nearly as much as you do on fishing, but I don't spend nearly as much as many other fly fishermen either. TubeDude pointed out the cost of bass boats, which I also understand are very expensive. I just don't see very many bass boats on the water. I wouldn't be surprised if more is spent by Utah anglers on float tubes and pontoon boats than bass boats annually.
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Competitive bass fishing greatly contributed to the catch-and-release ethic nationwide, for all species, when BASS began C&R tournaments. It was a great thing for all fishing. It showed folks it was OK to release your fish. Other than Lee Wulff and a few fly-fishermen, catch-and-release was unheard of until Ray Scott and BASS.
Having said that, I think its hilarious to see guys in a $50,000 shiny, glittery bass rocket flying around the lake at 60-80 MPH with 12 little sticks in the boat, patches everywhere, dressed to the T, running like there was a pot of gold waiting somewhere. All for a 12-18 inch fish that eats anything that moves, and then gets jerked right into the boat! I've done it, and still don't get it, but I sure find it amusing.
Most importantly however, to each his own, and if anyone wants to participate in well-managed bass tournaments, they should do it and have a great time. I see no harm in bass tournaments, and a lot of people enjoy it very much. Lots of good things come from it, and very few negatives, if any. They get kids involved in fishing. The sell the hell out of tackle. In the south, its a religion. I'm sure people think I'm crazy for some of the things I do fishing. That's the beauty of fishing! Do what gets you jazzed.
At Flaming Gorge, all those bass rockets chasing smallmouth just keeps those people off the fish I'm after--that eat bass for breakfast! I wish everyone up here just bass fished . . .
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ScottyP what you have spent is a drop in the bucket....
Here is just what I have spent on bass fishing in the last 30 days...
Rods (6) $1400.65 Reels (6) $2245.18 baits $639.00 Gas $1095.59
Rooms motel $368.00 and last but not leased a Lowrance 334c at $689.49 now do you spend any were close to that for this year alone and TommyGun Im sure is that much or more and that is only two of us......
So you can say I do like my fishing.....
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O yes I am in faver of bass Tournaments they do a lot of good.....
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