Are tournaments killing recreational fishing?

[BigOrangeOne]

http://www.somdnews.com/stories/0708200 ... 2215.shtml

[OZZIEOHIO]

It says there was more dead catfish than bass so I dont think it had anything to do with the tourny. Unless you was in it with your crank telephone and did to much shocking. A local might have went out and shocked fish all night to try to get tournys banned. Does KYII live close to there????

[BigOrangeOne]

It says there was more dead catfish than bass so I dont think it had anything to do with the tourny. Unless you was in it with your crank telephone and did to much shocking. A local might have went out and shocked fish all night to try to get tournys banned. Does KYII live close to there????

From the article...
" Dead catfish are not that unusual to be discovered this time of year."

SIX HUNDRED... PLUS... dead bass ALL LEGAL SIZE within a couple of days after a tourney and the water quality was checked and found to be acceptable
.........and you think that was coincidence
They said the dead catfish was not unusual for this time of year ... and there were no other species of fish found? If shocking took place don't you think there would be bluegills, carp, suckers (like you), etc. found there ??... AND isn't it coincidental that ALL THE BASS WERE LEGAL SIZE ??
And this was on a RIVER !! Do you think you could go down to the Ohio River and shock kill over 600 LEGAL SIZE bass in one place on one night?

From the article:
"

"On just Thursday alone, 158 professional anglers caught well over 100 5-bass limits of largemouths weighing a combined 1,875 pounds and that doesn't include yet the total bass tally from the 158 co-anglers that were also fishing aboard those same boats.
Over 3,000 total bass were caught during the entire tournament."

OUTRAGEOUS !!!!

(Get your head out of your bait can !!! )

BTW... How about you and me teaming up for that tourney the Minford Bass Club has coming up down on the river soon.

[BigOrangeOne]

If they TRULY believed in "Catch and Release" they would catch them and weigh them on the spot and RELEASE THEM ON THE SPOT .
The article said that on occasion they hauled them all the way downtown to a Mall for the weigh-in.
It's all about show and $$$$$$$$ IMO

[OZZIEOHIO]

I think you killed more than 600 this year alone. And it said its normal to find catfish, but more than the bass they found????

[BigOrangeOne]

I think you killed more than 600 this year alone. And it said its normal to find catfish, but more than the bass they found????

I haven't killed a one that I (or you) didn't eat. I haven't flushed a single one down the river let alone 600+ in one day.
AND... I'm not at all sure that is what they said about the "more" catfish. The way it is written, it is open to interpretation.


(You don't want to get in that tournament down at Shawnee with me???)

[OZZIEOHIO]

All my good spots are above the dam.

[kantuckyII]

There's no doubt that tournaments kill fish, especially in the summer. I have been at Yatesville too many times, several hours after they have left and seen the bass floating. What %? I cannot say. I wished they'd ban tournaments at certain times of the year. I'd also like to see very severe penalties on fish brought in dead, like 8 OZ like some tournaments are doing now. Many just don't take proper care of their fish. I just don't believe you can drag them around all day long in the summer and expect them all to live. Many die hours later...but, you can try to tell some that fish the tournaments and they act like you're lying to them but again, I have seen way too many to doubt that they kill a lot of fish

One wonders what the bass fishing would be like on Yatesville if you ended tournaments and only catch and release?! Consider Stonewall Jackson in WV and it's success, it's strictly a catch and release lake. There are three lakes...all similar and the other two hardly have anyone fishing on them anymore, they'd far rather fish in Stonewall because...they just catch a lot more bass and larger bass at that.

As far as Yatesville, if you go there in the spring, when they're really hitting good... and if you catch a dozen bass on a Monday, I bet you that you'll find at least 9 of them with hook marks where they'd been caught the week before and released! Sometimes, you'll find two and when you catch them, it's the 3rd time! can you imagine? they're going..oh man, here we go again!


Having said that though...I can pretty well assure you that all bass eaten, die

[biggdowgg]

if Im fishing at yatesvile on a friday night, you better get outa my way...
cuae..

"I GOT A TOURNAMENT"

[BigOrangeOne]

if Im fishing at yatesvile on a friday night, you better get outa my way...
cuae..

"I GOT A TOURNAMENT"

If YOU are fishing ANYWHERE on a Friday night, catch and release won't matter because the world is gonna end on Saturday anyway.

[kantuckyII]

if Im fishing at yatesvile on a friday night, you better get outa my way...
cuae..

"I GOT A TOURNAMENT"

[OZZIEOHIO]

Wow KYII caught Bigdowgg carring some fish to the truck, and now the Dog is on crutches. I hopes he is ok and im will do my fishing in Ohio

[kantuckyII]

Biggdowgg is pretty pathetic, huh? on crutches, no AC and all of that!

[Orange and Brown]

I don't fish in tourny's. I fish for the enjoyment of it. I don't keep fish very often, only every now and then. I have nothing against tournaments.

[biggdowgg]

I agree, I used to fish tournaments, but oz would get so mad when I didnt catch my limit , it wasnt fun to fish anymore..what made it worse, is when I laugh at him when he missed some big ones .........

I only fish for the fun of it now

[BigOrangeOne]

..what made it worse, is when I laugh at him when he missed some big ones .........

You must have done a LOT of laughing.

[biggdowgg]