Local bass tourney 6/8/2014 @ Big Bear

As I approached the damp area this afternoon to launch the family pontoon, as see the guys all standing around weighing up today's catch. As I proceed toward the ramp to turn around and prepare to launch, I see a few guys releasing bass and some carrying their bags down to the waters edge to do the same.
I back the trailer down, get out to undo the winch and there are 7-9 dead bass floating all around the ramp and dock area. I look over towards big bear Marian and the wind had blown 3 more bass that way!! My girls are asking me why are there so many dead fish floating???

This is the most unsportsmanlike act I've seen on the water in a very long time. I guess these morons are too good to fillet out their catch. Catch and release, dead or alive???? What kind of image does portray on all fisherman? Much less my kids, who both know that when we keep a fish, its taken care of from water to the skinning table and to the freezer. Waste not want not.......

I did ask two other of these bass fisherman what the deal was, this group happens to do this all the time! These were not small labelling either. There were approximately 4-7lb bass floating dead or barely flipping their tales in the death float position.

I don't have Marshall county DNR officers number or I would have gladly called today.

I hate auto fill on this phone. Im sorry for the spelling miscues.

There are no wanton waste laws. F&W wouldn't have done anything. It happens at every bass tournament on the lake.

Quackrstackr is correct. Wanton waste laws on apply to waterfowl. I disagree strongly with the arrogant bass tourney guys who criticize anyone who keeps a bass to eat but condones releasing them knowing they will not survive. I think the responsible thing to do for any tourney is to designate someone to monitor the release sight and retrieve any fish that do not survive and see they are put to good use.

I would have liked to see the reactions of the bass fishermen if you would have started picking up the ones still barely alive and thrown them in a cooler of ice.

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Originally Posted by badbrad

Quackrstackr is correct. Wanton waste laws on apply to waterfowl. I disagree strongly with the arrogant bass tourney guys who criticize anyone who keeps a bass to eat but condones releasing them knowing they will not survive. I think the responsible thing to do for any tourney is to designate someone to monitor the release sight and retrieve any fish that do not survive and see they are put to good use.

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A friend of mine used to be a big-wheel in a national tournament organization. I asked him about dead fish from one of their KY Lake tournaments since I wanted a couple to mount. He told me this was a very touchy subject and they used a pontoon to release the bass away from the weigh-in site. If they had fish go belly up when released, they dipped them up and put them in a cooler of ice---away from public sight, and donated them to a local charity. Later that week, after a couple of days of hot summer time weigh-ins, a fishing guide friend of mine went ballistic when he saw how many big dead bass were floating in Ky Lake. These groups want to keep this dirty little secret away from the public but I've heard as many as 75% of the fish released in summertime tournaments die after release.

Last weekend there were over 1500 anglers in 3 bass tournaments on the lake at one time. That's a lot of dead fish no matter how you slice it.

There was a conversation on here recently criticizing the bow fisherman for wanton waste, and folks were calling the game warden. But when the topic comes up about bass fisherman it turns to that's the norm and stating stats.

I guess bass fisherman bring more money to the area than our local or visiting bow fisherman, so we accept the status quo.

Nah.. people just don't know what they're talking about. No wanton waste, never has been. The only thing they could nail bowfishermen for would be littering or possibly vandalism pending what they did with the fish.

I've railed against the way dead fish are handled at bass tournaments for years and used to help run them back in the day. Bass fishermen badmouth people that actually eat bass but think nothing of killing them at will for a potential paycheck. That's hypocricy at it's finest. I've even heard them badmouth and make fun of people that showed up with coolers at a weigh in to collect the dead fish to eat. They'd rather see them float around the lake. Someone mentioned a release boat and gathering the dead fish. I'm glad someone is gathering them back up but they all don't. Some of them simply use a release boat to keep the floaters out away from areas where people would raise **** about the dead fish.

I don't have a problem cut'in up 1 I released a nice 6 pounder into my Cajun Fryer last year. He jumped around a little but then he was just anouther floater.

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Originally Posted by bandchaser

There was a conversation on here recently criticizing the bow fisherman for wanton waste, and folks were calling the game warden. But when the topic comes up about bass fisherman it turns to that's the norm and stating stats.

I guess bass fisherman bring more money to the area than our local or visiting bow fisherman, so we accept the status quo.

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That post you referenced was actually about our outdoors-man image rather than any law. the culprits were laying silver carp on the bank next to the ramp rather than sinking them in the lake where they shot them bow-fishing. No one wants to smell or see the rotting carcasses piled up like cord wood while launching their boats. I am sure we are all glad to have the carp killed but not left beached next to the ramp! Bass tourney guys were no better but the reasoning is a little different. Unfortunately dumping dying fish back in the water is not illegal. Just as irresponsible as those bow-fisherman were!