Can too many tournaments hurt the fishery of a lake?

[SPOONMINNOW]

I've read in BassMaster that delayed mortality can affect 15-20% of livewell fish especially in warm water months. There local medium size lakes that have tournaments going on almost every weekend. I've been to a few of the weigh-ins and seem fish barely swimming away once released as well as a few dead fish. Four or five anglers in line waiting to get their fish weighed seems a little much considering how long it takes to weigh in fish and measure those close to legal size.</p>

No one adds anything to their livewells like Catch & Release and I doubt that they are cleaned on a regular basis. I have caught bass with body or mouth sores but they seem healthy enough.</p>

Can it hurt the bass population and especially the numbers of older fish?</p>

 

[WaterChap]

I think if you compare tournaments to not fishing, then maybe it’s the case that they are detrimental. But really what we have to compare with are the stringers of hundreds of bass which were common up into the 50’s. While we haven’t finished growing in our catch and release tech and methods, we have created a culture of catch and release which is very healthy for the population. Just think about the numbers. One hundred skilled anglers hit the lake and all catch five fish. Assuming the 20% ultimate mortality, they each only take one fish. Without the culture of tournaments, how many would those guys/gals actually keep?

 

[Jmax]

SPOONMINNOW - 6/17/2018 7:22 AM



 No one adds anything to their livewells like Catch & Release and I doubt that they are cleaned on a regular basis. I have caught bass with body or mouth sores but they seem healthy enough.</p>

Not sure you are giving credit where it is due. I use to fish those on the Chick all the time. I cleaned my live well often, I put catch and release in my water every time and I kept the water cool with ice bottles during the warm and hot months. I use to carry an extra cooler in the hot months of frozen bottled water to add as needed. Where did you get your info that, "No one adds anything to their live wells like Catch and Release."? emoScratch Their are guys who go to great lengths to keep the fish alive, healthy and able to live to fight another day. That is why also several tournaments have gone to a three fish weigh in, shortened the tournament hours in the hot months and gone to a night time format. Many tournaments do not even allow a dead fish to be weighed in so it makes good sense to keep them alive and well. emoThumbsup Jmax

 

[silvertalon]

IMO, All tournaments should go to a 3 fish limit in summer- June thru Oct 1st. Everyone complains that they are 'big fish' toiurnaments. What do ya all think a tournament is about- small fish? Besides, Chick is a big fish lake . Several yrs ago, Skeeter Boats tx's in Texas, went to a 3 fish limit cuz of the massive size of the fish. Guys just couldn't keep 45 lbs of fish alive in a standard livewell. It has workerd out well. There are re-circ weigh-in bags like "Frabile". Or battery opp bait pumps that guys could use in there bags. FYI, water in a weigh bag only offers enough 'O2 for about 3 mins for a few fish. Bass get stressed and excited in captivity and use extra O2. It is important to use a good catch and release chemical to calm your catch etc. IMO/

 

[Muskrat]

Keep fish in rear live wells evenly distributed between compartments. Fish in forward live wells are more likely to be stressed or injured from bouncing in rough water.

When the water temperature is more than 75 degrees, circulate the water continuously and cool the water with ice. Don't pump in water from the lake and try to keep the water in the live well at least 10 degrees lower than the lake water.

Use non-iodized salt ( available at feed stores ) at a rate of 1/3 cup per 5 gallons of water to maintain electrolyte balance and reduce the effects of stress. Don't over salt if using commercial live well additives.

Drain half of the live well every three hours to remove toxic waste products. Add half of the amount of salt and commercial live well additive each time.

Install an oxygen delivery system that delivers oxygen directly to the live well from a pressurized tank through air-stones or a hose. Such a system is better than simple aeration and solves oxygen demand problems.

Don't use live wells when you are not competing. Practice catch and immediate release or selective harvest, putting the fish on ice. emoAngler emoFish

 

[churly]

Most tx fishermen in this area are fanatics about fish care and safe release. All I can speak for is Chickamauga, but I’ve fished tournaments for 20 years and looking at the weights to win; I don’t think we have hurt this fishery too bad considering there have been no less than 6 tournaments in the last 48 hours and it’s like this every weekend in the summer.

 

[rsimms]

I would say there is the potential that "too many tournaments" can hurt any lake, large or small.

But consider that the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency set the creel limit at five bass per person. In theory every single one of those tournament fishermen COULD be fishing for fun, take their five bass per day home and eat them. It would be perfectly legal. And if TWRA is doing it's job in setting creel limits based on the biology, they are saying that wouldn't "hurt" the bass fishing.

Is that true?

I don't know. I'll leave the answer to that question to the experts.

Personally I would prefer that bass find their way to a skillet than I would see them floating dead at the dock. But if only one of five survives, that is one more for someone else to catch again.

Personally I would prefer to see ALL tournaments cut back to a "3 bass limit" June thru September. TWRA suggests the same thing. They cannot mandate it however because it would be unfair to have different rules for tournament fishermen and fun fishermen (and impossible to enforce).

 

[SPOONMINNOW]

I belonged to two tournament clubs and no one used it. The third club I belonged to (a fish & game club that had lake access), also got into tournaments and no one use it. Luckily few bass were dead at weigh-in but we'll never know how many died from delayed mortality especially in July and Aug.

 

[SPOONMINNOW]

The one club I belonged to was a partner tournament club: Partner's were drawn for one year and the boat limit weighed in was five no matter who caught them. Lunker was awarded to the angler weighing the largest bass at the award ceremony/ dinner. Seemed like a nice way to ensure more fish made it.</p>

None of the clubs were BASS affiliated. (the only club of the three dropped out.)</p>

 

[richg99]

In our little local lake tournaments, we are now at a 1/2 lb. penalty for each dead fish brought to the weigh-in. Believe me, everyone is paying more attention to their live wells and care of the catch.

 

[WaterChap]

I fished a small club tournament and I lost one, but it wasn’t because of the live well - it just swallowed the bait too far. I really wonder how many of the fish that die would have died no matter what. Putting an aerator on the weigh in bag’s a good idea.

 

[SPOONMINNOW]

WaterChap - 6/17/2018 5:50 PM I fished a small club tournament and I lost one, but it wasn’t because of the live well - it just swallowed the bait too far. I really wonder how many of the fish that die would have died no matter what. Putting an aerator on the weigh in bag’s a good idea.

</p>

I've never heard of that. Can you give us an example? I like the idea!</p>

 

[bullshot]

Without a doubt tournaments have an impact, whether is it s statistically significant depends on lots of factors. A CPR tournaments (Catch, Photo, immediate Release) have highly reduced delayed mortality rates over traditional livewell events. The format works well especially for smaller clubs. Fraud can be an issue, but having unique identifiers in the photo or going to club issued cameras (handed out before launch) greatly reduce the likelihood.

 

[WaterChap]

SPOONMINNOW,

All of my live bait buckets (I buy all of them in Florida for shrimp) have a battery operated aerator with tubing, a bubble stone and a clip on the side which fits into a slot on the bait bucket. The clip would easily fit into the side of the bag. You could just have that thing running away while standing in line to get your fish weighed.

 

[WaterChap]

SPOONMINNOW,

All of my live bait buckets (I buy all of them in Florida for shrimp) have a battery operated aerator with tubing, a bubble stone and a clip on the side which fits into a slot on the bait bucket. The clip would easily fit into the side of the bag. You could just have that thing running away while standing in line to get your fish weighed.

 

[WaterChap]

SPOONMINNOW,

All of my live bait buckets (I buy all of them in Florida for shrimp) have a battery operated aerator with tubing, a bubble stone and a clip on the side which fits into a slot on the bait bucket. The clip would easily fit into the side of the bag. You could just have that thing running away while standing in line to get your fish weighed.

 

[elwestb]

Clean you live wells periodically, add chemicals such as G Juice or Catch and Release, or add non iodine salt, add ice, run your aerator. You should rarely lose a fish. But sometimes a fish is hooked deep and there is nothing you can do. It just happens. As Churley said earlier most of the guys around here are very passionate about taking care of the fish.

 

[SPOONMINNOW]

Must be worse in TN where the air temp in summer stays above 80. The warmer the water the more stress. Of course today it's 93 in NY. The problem of a small livewell in the front end as compared to larger one in the stern doesn't help especially one overcrowded with a limit of bass. One bass tournament a read about out west had over 100 bass die and in NY there was a tournament years ago where over 80 bass died. Both occurred in summer.</p>

My Ranger bassboat had an aerator time which wood turn on depending on the setting. Many boats don't have one and anglers forget to turn it on or pump in fresh water. No doubt a bass can live as long as it has enough oxygen, usually end up dying when stressed to the point of suffocation.</p>

 

[churly]

SPOONMINNOW - 6/18/2018 12:41 AM

WaterChap - 6/17/2018 5:50 PM I fished a small club tournament and I lost one, but it wasn’t because of the live well - it just swallowed the bait too far. I really wonder how many of the fish that die would have died no matter what. Putting an aerator on the weigh in bag’s a good idea.

</p>

 I've never heard of that. Can you give us an example? I like the idea!</p>

acadamey sales battery operated portable aerators for bait buckets. would work for a weigh in sack. but I am installing an oxygen injection system on my boat so I never have to worry about it.

 

[SPOONMINNOW]

How much it going to cost? Great idea for warm water months.