Simple weigh in solution at Clear Lake (and all lakes)

[Johnny C]

I have seen the problem with the lines at the lanks at KVC..It becomes a mess because those who are staying there have slips up front. If you tie on the outside you are there for ever. The tournament would be much more professional for the audience if the weigh master wasn't constanly yelling to not have to many guys at the tanks!!

Simple solution is the weigh in by boat number!!! Have a guy at the tanks saying boat #.. bring up your fish. This can be made clear at the pre tournament meeting and any one who comes up early will loose a pound..Early twice DQ...The guy at the tank will have a list and check them off as they come up..How easy is that.

[Auggie Dog]

Johnny,

I think that makes great sense......which is why I can't wait to see how many shoot you down and for what reason!

I've wondered for years why they don't weigh in by boat number at the big tourneys to keep from having a huge mess. I know one issue could be weighing in early because you have a fish that is struggling to live (I have done that myself) and don't want to wait 1 hour for you flight number.

I'm sure there will a long list but it sounds reasonable.

Auggie Dog

[Mike R]

Wow Johnny
That just makes to much sense to work Great idea.....

[Greg_Cornish]

That makes far to much sense and is way to easy. You gotta throw in a confusion factor.

[Lake]

A few events have already started doing this and it works out well. Its best to remember the boat you followed behind at blast off as well so you can remember who to follow to the scales.

[Riplip]

I have suggested a version of this idea on this forum in the past...you get a weigh-in number (card) from the check-in boat. This way if you want to check in earlier than your flight you don't have to wait forever.

[Norv]

Riplip,

I agree that it's a good idea to have each boat check-in with a staff person when they arrive at the weigh-in site. The staff person will issue them a number. Then the weigh master can control the traffic by calling the numbers so that he has the proper number of participants in the waiting line and at the scale. The participants would be required to wait by their boats and to start bagging their fish only when their number is called. At larger tournaments where the boats out number the available slips the same system can be used to hold the boats away from the docks until it's their turn to weigh their fish.

[Brian Ruthman]

I think everyone needs to sign up for a FLW Stren event and see how they do it , then you will know the best possible way to weigh in your fish and take them back to the lake .
Here is a short run down on how they do it .
First thing in the morning you get your electronic float with your boat number on it everyone gets one and there is no disputing your weigh in time .
When you come in after your day of fishing if your with in 100yds of the check in boat it automatically logs your check in time , and you verbally tell them your boat number .
3rd they ask how many bags then hand you how ever many you ask for , each bag has a number on it .
So you park your boat and wait for your bag number to be called , After they call your number you head to the weigh in tanks where each tank has aerated lines on each side and water treated tanks you hold your fish in .It is simple they regulate the amount of anglers with the numbered bags .
After you weigh your fish they have a release boat that takes them and they release the fish .
Even if they didnt have the release boat if they just had the aerator and stock tanks like FLW to hold the fish in , im sure the fish would be healthier when they are returned to the lake .
Sound pretty simple to me . I would have to agree about yelling out to take your fish back pisses a bunch of people off and does sound unprofessional .
Also there is one other way to solve this problem of dead fish ......you can always buy a "RANGER" my fish never die in summer because of a crappy livewell system.

[Dewayne]

Cause I know a brilliant idea like that did not come from the Johnny we know and love.

FLW has been using numbered bags. They limit the number of bags in a group to what they can handle. You have to wait till you number is called to came weight in and they use that to bring up 10-15 boats at a time. Same could be done with small flights spaced 10 minutes apart and only allowing flight 1 at the tank till they are complete then asking for flight 2. Rather tha constantly telling people to take the fish back to the boat co-ordinate them coming to the tanks.

I like the number idea. Only issue would be getting bags to the right boats to keep things moving smoothly. It would be more work, but would work well.

This tends to only be a big issue at Clear Lake. There are a lot of whiney old men up there who entertain themselves by complaining and having the DFG at all the weigh ins. It like the retirement village my inlaws live in where some of the old guys go for walks each day with a tape mark 3" up on their canes and measure everyones lawn to see if anyone is in violation of the 3" lawn regulation in their CCRs. Little things tend to get blown way out of proprtion up there at CL.

[WON Teams]

Johnny,

Thats a great idea. I may just start using something like that this season......

[Phil]

WHEN I FISHED OLE WESTCOAST BASS DAYS, WE ALWAYS WEIGHED IN BY NUMBER .... !!!....AT THE DOCK AT BRIDGE BAY, EVEN CLEARLAKE AS YOU CAME IN TO THE CHECK IN BOAT, HE HANDED YOU A NUMBER, GET IN LINE AND FOLLOW THRU NEXT NEXT NEXT ,VERY VERY EASY SIMPLE AND 120 BOATS WOULD WEIGH IN VERY FAST........GOOD LUCK GETTING IT THRU TODAY JOHNNY !!!!!!!!!

JIGS

[ironmanlu377]

It is a good idea but it must be told to everyone (and understood) before blast off. At the reapers open this we used little raffle tickets, when you got to the dock you got a ticket and a bag if we had enough at the time. Anglers wou8ld stay by their boats until we called their ticket number then would go up and weigh in but people did not know before weigh in so there was some confusion. It worked better than just having a mob at the one or two tanks like we have in the past.

[MIKE TREMONT]

This is a great idea, nice simple, and it will work.

Problem, for whatever the reason is, simplicity and following guidelines seems to be very difficult. Not just at fishing events, but just about everywhere?

We've touched on similar topics in the past. Being accountable seems to very difficult for some it seems.

I wish you the best and if any of the orgs need a sergeant of arms because they find enforcing the rules distasteful, look me up. I promise you won't lose to many anglers !

[JRock]

Nice idea Johnny, this would eliminate some of the problems with weigh ins as some guys purposely hang back sometimes to see what everybody else is weighing in before bringing their fish to the scales.
I personally like the way Stockton Bass does their drive by weigh in, other than the parking after weighing in it's a pretty smooth process.

[Johnny C]

Before Stren and National Guard there was the original redman tour..They always pronounced your name right (mine is a train wreck) and treated everyone as equals..They had their rules and they stuck by them no matter who you were..Sames rules for all, state them clearly and the show runs smooth..If you don't pay attention it is nobody's fault but yours!!!!It is like football, one quaterback.