Big Bass tourney on Green=Dead Fish

Did anyoine else see all the dead fish (bass) floating around the banks this weekend following the big regional bass tourney. Some of these fish were 3-4 pounders. After weigh in, these guys were just comming down to the water and throwing the fish back like they were garbage. The sad thing was the man that was on the bank trying to revive the fish that he thought could be saved. Just seems like a waste...if I shoot a deer and leave it, I get a ticket if I'm caught.....right?

According to the radio, there were over a thousand pounds of fish weighed in last week

Big tournament anywhere this time of the year = lots of dead fish.

It's the bass fishing industry's dirtly little secret. Many of them have started using a "release boat" where that they take them somewhere out in the middle of the lake and dump them. Doesn't change the outcome, just gets the floaters away from most of the prying eyes.

Years and years ago, I aided in the operation of the tournaments for one of the major circuits and got to see it firsthand. At least we would always try to line up some needy folks ahead of time to give the ones that obviously weren't going to make it to.

Catch and release is preached but it's perfectly fine to kill them if there may be cash or prizes involved.

They also try and justify the loss by saying how much the tournaments put back into the environment, plus the economic value to the local businesses and a bunch of other BS.
This type of fishing is run/gun and completely disrespectful to any thing but catching fish.

Very true, in the Triton Owners Tournament last week, fish were dying in peoples livewells.

I would also say that the invention of the internet, the outdoor channel,fishing Videos, large tournaments like FLW or Bass Master Elite Series, has brought a big interest to a lot of the lakes in the Southern United States.

Fisherman today also have better equipment, more technology, and better boats.

Many years ago, most fisherman had small outboard motors, even many of the fishing guides did. So those fisherman were more likely to stay in 1 small area of the lake, or perhaps they would only fish a few coves each day.


Now days there are hundreds of thousands of people who have 200, 225, or 250 Horse Power Outboard motors on their boats. This makes it easy for fisherman to fish numerous coves or areas of the lake in 1 day. Some people will even run 25 to 50 miles down the lake to fish. Some people I know have ran 60 miles one way during Tournaments.

I ran 36 miles one way myself a few weeks ago. My 250 HP Outboard Motor made it easy for me, if I would have had a much smaller outboard, I would not have bothered with going that distance, it would have taken far to much time.

So I also think, it is easier today for fisherman to put greater pressure on the lakes in America.

Yeah, The Tournaments hurt the lakes, more than they help. IMO

I would say there are more Tournaments now, than there ever has been.


That puts pressure on the lakes.


Also the Tournament fisherman catch fish, and then take them back to the weigh in area. The fish end up getting released back into the lake.

However, sometimes the fish get released many miles from where they were originally caught.

Example: A tournament is held at KY Dam. A tournament fisherman goes down and catches some bass under the highway 79 bridge. He brings the fish all the way back to the Dam to the weigh in, and usually they will realease the fish there, or where ever the Tournament is being held.


This has an impact on pressure, fish populations, and even things like genetics.

Example: A Crappie tournament is held at KY Dam. A tournament fisherman goes down and catches a 3 pound Crappie under the highway 79 bridge. He brings the Crappie all the way back to the Dam to the weigh in, and usually they will realease the fish there, or where ever the Tournament is being held. Well now that 3 pound Crappie is no longer under the Highway 79 bridge, it is miles north by the dam. So now this fish will be reproducing, and spreading it's genetics miles away from where it used to live.

Dumb question....

Why can't there be some sort of supervision out there where they can weigh the fish when it is caught and release it immediately. I have thrown back several 5 and 6 pound bass while crappie fishing, because I prefer crappie and/or bluegill. If that is going to be the fate of that fish, I could just start keeping the bass as well...I know alot of folks that are not able to fish anymore that would take every fish I catch. These elderly gentlemen love to see me at their door holding a wal-mart sack.

We crappie fisherman have this ugly name of "meat hunters" and that may be true, but it is not wasted.

my 2 cents.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stsburnsy

Why can't there be some sort of supervision out there where they can weigh the fish when it is caught and release it immediately.

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I like this idea. Just weight them all somehow. Biggest 5 win. No need to cull or pick the right 5 fish or any of that mess. No little floaty things on strings or chains in the fish's mouth either.

Might be expensive though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stsburnsy

Dumb question....

Why can't there be some sort of supervision out there where they can weigh the fish when it is caught and release it immediately. I have thrown back several 5 and 6 pound bass while crappie fishing, because I prefer crappie and/or bluegill. If that is going to be the fate of that fish, I could just start keeping the bass as well...I know alot of folks that are not able to fish anymore that would take every fish I catch. These elderly gentlemen love to see me at their door holding a wal-mart sack.

We crappie fisherman have this ugly name of "meat hunters" and that may be true, but it is not wasted.

my 2 cents.

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My thought is that the putting of those fish in live wells is the main cause of stress.
They have proved that Catch Photo Release(CPR)works - They have tagged fish and released them for other to catch and send in the tag/information about the catch.
Many times I have caught fish that had hooks dissolving in the gullet. The key is to cut the line if a hook is deep instead of ripping it out causing damage.
It could be handled better, but that cost money and many of those guys think replacing the dead fish with fingerlings makes up for the loss.

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Originally Posted by smashdn

I like this idea.

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So do I. But ... I think the tourney guys like the spectacle of the big weigh-in: sticking your hand into a sack of fish and pulling out a big one to show to the crowd.

I don't fish tourneys (and don't even fish for bass much), but it's a shame to see fish wasted like this. I hope it's the exception and not the rule.