why not lower all tournaments to 5 fish limit

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Phil
Posts: 3435
Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2005 8:52 am

why not lower all tournaments to 5 fish limit

Post by Phil »

We notice alot of club and team tournaments this year still a 6 or 7 fish limit; and we noticed alot of dead stressed out Bass this past year at tournaments, could the limit be the cause, and why not make it a mandatory 5 only Bass limit .???
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Bill K
Posts: 1736
Joined: Sat May 07, 2005 6:26 am
Location: susanville, ca (Lake Forest)

Re: why not lower all tournaments to 5 fish limit

Post by Bill K »

Not to start a argument or the like, but I have noticed just the opposite to the loss of fish at tournaments. The vast majority are released to live or be caught again, and many of these tournaments have F&G personal around and they would surely be saying something, if it was not so.
As to 5, 6 or 7 fish limit that is also approved by F&G, when permits are obtained and those limits are within the shared weight laws. With the present five fish limit and a separate limit for each tournament person, that is why most are fishing four fish. (now understand that is not a shared weight tournament).
If fish are lost, very seldom, in a tournament, it is usually from stress from lack of oxygen or depth/pressure and not being fizzed.
So, no matter what, it is up to each and everyone of us to handle and care for our fish in our possesion and prior to weigh-in and release.
As a side note, we are still way ahead of turning loose fish that the catch and eat people. Bill K :) :)
Fun fishing the country, each and every week.
Cooch

Competition is about SKILLs!

Post by Cooch »

Bass tournaments, are competitions where anglers test their skills against other anglers. With the 7 fish limit, you take out the luck of one big bite and a 5 fish limit. For example, seven 3 pounders(21) will beat six 2s and an 8(20) in a 7 fish event. But in a 5 fish event, four 2s and an 8(16), will beat that consistant 5 fish 3 pound(15) limit sack.

Over the years, tournament orgs have dropped the creel limit in a supposed effort to, "level" the playing field between the skilled anglers, the lucky ones and the upstarts. They've believed, this puts butts in the seats as well. They've also done this for the very few who have to fish alone because a partner can't make it, they can continue to be competative, yet the rest of the field has ta play to that disadvantage. Personally I think it's a weak move that takes away from the truer aspect of competative fishing for teams. I applaud those few orgs who've kept the 7 fish limit in tact!

As for tournament mortailty, I don't believe a 7 vs 5 fish limit has any affect at all, in as much as tournaments in general have a very small percentage of the mortailty rate on a fishery versus other aspects like mother nature, pollution and "catch and eat" fishermen. Look at the fisheries in California, they are doing very well, none of which, have any data at all collected that supports tournament mortaility is causing any problems.( Course, I know Urby might come in and say, "Yer right Cooch, NO data has been collected at all, how can ya count on that!" HAR!) Point is, state fisheries biologists across the country all seem to concur this, tournament mortality rates are not harming our fisheries.
Urban
Posts: 41
Joined: Mon May 09, 2005 1:22 pm

aw, shucks

Post by Urban »

Im shedding tears Cooch, I thought you forgot about me.

Good to see a post from you.
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bassindon69
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Joined: Sat May 07, 2005 12:37 am
Location: Dos Palos Ca.

Re: why not lower all tournaments to 5 fish limit

Post by bassindon69 »

Death of a tourney bass is mostly by deep hooks taken out or left in. Next would have to be not enough air and then stress. I have had some big 7 fish limits in the 30's (live wells very crowded) and all have always been fine, even after being in the live well for 6 hours+. None were deep hooked ether (knocking on wood) I had one dead fish in a tourney this year and it was from a deep hook and also one fun fishing from the same. The Bass is the best fish to fish for in a tourney, it is a very strong hardy fish. They are not like trout, striper and many others that die easy except for the cat fish LOL! Be good to the fish and they mite be good to you. Give um a kiss to show you care LOL!
I also do not feel it is the 7 fish limit at all.
Don.
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Gary Dobyns
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Re: why not lower all tournaments to 5 fish limit

Post by Gary Dobyns »

Very good post, Cooch. I believe the better bag of fish should win, not the lucky big bite. A 7 fish limit helps even out the big bite. I would not normally post on a subject like this but, Jigs, I think this is a terrible post. It's not about my opinion versus your opiinion at all. Think about the non-tournament and anti-tournament fishermen that now believes we are killing their fish. Tournament fishermen take very good care of their catch and many studies have been done to show our live release percentage rate. PETA and other antis do not need ammo like this. We all should really think a minute before we jump onto a subject like this. This is not a shot at Jigs. We actually do a little e-mailing back and forth.
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Gary Dobyns
Posts: 1902
Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 9:45 am

Re: why not lower all tournaments to 5 fish limit

Post by Gary Dobyns »

Very good post, Cooch. I believe the better bag of fish should win, not the lucky big bite. A 7 fish limit helps even out the big bite. I would not normally post on a subject like this but, Jigs, I think this is a terrible post. It's not about my opinion versus your opiinion at all. Think about the non-tournament and anti-tournament fishermen that now believes we are killing their fish. Tournament fishermen take very good care of their catch and many studies have been done to show our live release percentage rate. PETA and other antis do not need ammo like this. We all should really think a minute before we jump onto a subject like this. This is not a shot at Jigs. We actually do a little e-mailing back and forth.
RougeBass
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Joined: Mon May 09, 2005 9:35 am

Re: why not lower all tournaments to 5 fish limit

Post by RougeBass »

Totally agree with Cooch. Great post!
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