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Trophy King II
Guntersville Report
I've been lucky to have gone out fishing the past two days after work for about 3 hours before sundown. Not catching as many bass as I was last week, but I am still catching some very good quality fish. I caught a really nice crappie last Friday on a bass lure, so I concentrated on some crappie for a few minutes in the spot yesterday and struck gold. So, I decided to spend the majority of my short time on the water catching crappie on my ultralight. It was some of the best fishing I’ve experienced in a long time. The first night I caught at least 25 slabs in about an hour and a half, all 14-16 inches in 3-6 foot of water. At one point I caught about 10 in a row. Today I caught about a dozen big crappie with a few smaller ones, along with a few more nice bass. I released all the fish. I like to say I “schooled” them, lol. The crappie in the picture has the 12 inch mark right about where the eggs go, so you can see it’s almost 16 inches, a real brut. Some of these crappie even jumped like bass. I caught them on small jigs, the best by far I’ve ever done for them in May. They’re everywhere in the spot I’m fishing.
Last night, though, I witnessed something that really made me sick to my stomach. When I came in I had to wait because there was a bass tournament at the dock. I didn’t mind that, but this is what I did mind and I’ve seen this several times now. It was about a 20 boat tourney, they were already putting boats up and weighing in when I came up. I tied my boat at the ramp and watched as at least 50 bass were “released” next to my boat. I saw only 2 that I thought had a chance to live. That’s 2 out of 50, 48 dead fish. Most were stiffs. The dock stinks to high heaven because this has been going on for a couple of weeks now that the weather is warm enough for such a massacre to ensue. Now, I am a tournament fisherman myself now and then and love to fish tourneys, but one of the main reasons I stopped fishing in several of them is for this very reason. I’ve tried to tell people, but it mainly falls on dead ears. The way they were weighing them in was terrible, but it was mainly the fish the anglers brought in. Obviously, hardly anyone is cooling the livewells. How hard is it to peel a label off a milk jug and freeze water in it the night before the tournament? We’re already to the two ice jug time of the year. When I was fishing tourneys, I ran a ER back there, took it very seriously. People like to blame the meat fishermen for things, but I’ve been fishing Guntersville for a long time and I’m convinced more damage is being done by these little tournaments – and even some of the big ones. I heard they do this several times a week at this ramp, which I don’t want to get into a peeing contest, so I’m not going to talk about where or who. You know if you’re doing it right, the sad thing is -- the ones who are not -- some don’t even realize it, or even worse, they just don’t care. I’m sorry to bring this up, it’s been mentioned hundreds of times, but this last time just totally ruined a great time on the water and it’s embedded in my memory now. Please, if you fish tournaments, try and keep your fish alive. It is a great thing, at least to me, to see them swim away in a fury.
James 1:5
Crappie.com 2K Star General
yep it's a sin to keep a bass to eat now, but ok to throw them back in DEAD. tournament bass fishing has just about ruined it for the pleasure fisherman. sad thing is I think you'll see a push to release the fish in crappie tournaments before long. hope not, don't want to see it become a sin to keep a crappie.
Minnermatics Prostaff
My wife lets me buy all the rods and reels I can hide.
Super Moderator
* Crappie.com Supporter
Well, if keeping crappie becomes a sin then just add it to my list.:rolleyes: If the bass fishermen let the fish die they should do the right thing and clean the fish for consumption. It is ashamed to see how true some "sportsmen" really are.Just by chance...did you contact DNR about the problem at the weigh-ins and what did they say? Curious...
Super Moderator
* Crappie.com Supporter
Oh, BTW, congrats on those slabs. I know you was having alot of fun.
Trophy King II
thanks Gabowman. That's a good idea. I didn't even think about what I could do about it with my brothers in arms, I was so overwhelmed by it, I was just thinking about actually taking them on myself without involving my agency. I do have some pull in that department because I know the sheriff's dept. can enforce laws on the water, too. I'll start by calling the game warden and get with that county's sheriff's office though their communications and go from there. I'm sure they'll get someone to do a "driveby" for me. I understand we're all shorthanded, especially with the disaster still impending, but this does need to be addressed and stopped even if we call it criminal littering!
James 1:5
Trophy King II
good report larrydavid!!!! thanx! that makes me sick as well! have things changed? in the past you couldnt weigh a fish that was dead.
Trophy King II
some tourneys penalize you for dead fish by taking off weight, like a pound, but you can still weigh them, only a few I know of won't let you weigh dead fish. but the problem is they really don't look that close, or the good old boy network of friends has them pretending they don't notice, but so many fish are just clinging to life when they are put back and it is obvious they will not live, not even swim away from the dock.
James 1:5
Crappie Wall Hanger II
Great report Larry and a nice catch..The bass fisherman I run into on the water just fly by me and want even slow down i just give em the No.1 finger.The only way to stop this kind of waste of fish is too lower the limit of bass to 2 fish per man in any type of tournament.It would be nice for the game wardens to be it all weigh inns and place fines on the fish brought in dead...But you can also eat them like I do and you want have worry about it.Originally Posted by LarryDavid
I've been lucky to have gone out fishing the past two days after work for about 3 hours before sundown. Not catching as many bass as I was last week, but I am still catching some very good quality fish. I caught a really nice crappie last Friday on a bass lure, so I concentrated on some crappie for a few minutes in the spot yesterday and struck gold. So, I decided to spend the majority of my short time on the water catching crappie on my ultralight. It was some of the best fishing I’ve experienced in a long time. The first night I caught at least 25 slabs in about an hour and a half, all 14-16 inches in 3-6 foot of water. At one point I caught about 10 in a row. Today I caught about a dozen big crappie with a few smaller ones, along with a few more nice bass. I released all the fish. I like to say I “schooled” them, lol. The crappie in the picture has the 12 inch mark right about where the eggs go, so you can see it’s almost 16 inches, a real brut. Some of these crappie even jumped like bass. I caught them on small jigs, the best by far I’ve ever done for them in May. They’re everywhere in the spot I’m fishing.
Last night, though, I witnessed something that really made me sick to my stomach. When I came in I had to wait because there was a bass tournament at the dock. I didn’t mind that, but this is what I did mind and I’ve seen this several times now. It was about a 20 boat tourney, they were already putting boats up and weighing in when I came up. I tied my boat at the ramp and watched as at least 50 bass were “released” next to my boat. I saw only 2 that I thought had a chance to live. That’s 2 out of 50, 48 dead fish. Most were stiffs. The dock stinks to high heaven because this has been going on for a couple of weeks now that the weather is warm enough for such a massacre to ensue. Now, I am a tournament fisherman myself now and then and love to fish tourneys, but one of the main reasons I stopped fishing in several of them is for this very reason. I’ve tried to tell people, but it mainly falls on dead ears. The way they were weighing them in was terrible, but it was mainly the fish the anglers brought in. Obviously, hardly anyone is cooling the livewells. How hard is it to peel a label off a milk jug and freeze water in it the night before the tournament? We’re already to the two ice jug time of the year. When I was fishing tourneys, I ran a ER back there, took it very seriously. People like to blame the meat fishermen for things, but I’ve been fishing Guntersville for a long time and I’m convinced more damage is being done by these little tournaments – and even some of the big ones. I heard they do this several times a week at this ramp, which I don’t want to get into a peeing contest, so I’m not going to talk about where or who. You know if you’re doing it right, the sad thing is -- the ones who are not -- some don’t even realize it, or even worse, they just don’t care. I’m sorry to bring this up, it’s been mentioned hundreds of times, but this last time just totally ruined a great time on the water and it’s embedded in my memory now. Please, if you fish tournaments, try and keep your fish alive. It is a great thing, at least to me, to see them swim away in a fury.
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