Could it be done?

[JimR]

I want to know what you guys think about this, and if this could be done, and if any of you may be interested. A bass tournament on one of these shallow rivers we all talk about. Pick a stretch of river, maybe a mile or so and let everyone start wading or kayaking or whatever downstream. You would have to decide wheather or not to travel downstream to get a good spot by yourself thus missing out on all the water in between, or fishing all of it bit by bit potentially next to other anglers. Bass could be kept in baskets that float in the water with us as we go downstream. There would of course be a time limit that everyone would have to meet. What say you?

[WILLIAM C.]

Talk about stirring up a hornets nest,can't wait to here some of the responses.

As for me the answer is-no,not ever,strickley CPR.

[jude]

A catch and keep (even short term keep) tournament would not go over well, at all, with the majority of the people here. Catching a fish is hard enough on it. Lugging it around for a few hours would only add to the stress. Also, a lot of people are not too keen on turning fishing into a formal competition. Of course, the good natured trash talking with your buddies is always fun.

[Paul F]

Yeah, I have to agree with Jude. It would be far too much stress on the fish.   

[scotth]

the only way this would work is with the honor system..catch, photo, record weight, release...if there were partners for a witness that would be better..could it be done? yes

[Norm M]

It wouldn't work on the Kankakee with the slot limit. I wouldn't want to wade in any kind of current with a basket tethered to me.

[JimR]

I agree with you about the honor system comment Scott. The biggest hurdle in this idea was how to keep the fish healthy. That would be the most important thing. Also at least one of the two partners would have to have a digital fish scale so that we could get a reading on camera.

[Mike G]

Murphy's law: If it can happen, it will.

 

Therefore I am sure that it has already been done.

 

I am with those who would not want to do it. Of course the fish take a beating no matter how nice your basket is. Pros have aerated, cooled, and sometimes chemically treated livewells to keep the fish in shape for the weigh in. The river's fish pupulation takes a beating too especially small ones like the Dupe or Kank. There is a reason why Pro tournaments are on huge bodies of water that have equivalently huge populations of fish. There is a big diffference between live release and long term survival. Finally fishing has always been my time out of the competitive rat race. I do not want to muck that up with competitive worries about size and number of fish. In short, I do not want to be or even act like a professional fisherman.

[Ed Buric]

actually this sounds a lot like an ISA outing with competition.Rather than compete against one another we prefer to help each other become more proficient smallmouth fishermen.

 

Ed B

[asherman]

Having a large number of skilled anglers pound a shallow river for several days while keeping the fish in baskets would have to have a negative effect on the fishery, both short term and long term. It is just a matter of how bad the negative effects would be. I certainly would not want to be fishing that river right after the tournament ended.

 

I fish for relaxation and to enjoy the company of my buddies when I'm fishing. I also enjoy the challenge of figuring out what it takes to to catch the fish. Competitive fishing sounds more like work than fun to me.

[jude]

Since most of us know each other, at least from this site, I'm confident that an honor system type thing would work.

 

Here's my Trash Tourney format:

 

0"-9" fish = one point

 

10"-13" fish = two points

 

14"-17" fish = five points

 

18"-19" fish = ten points

 

20" and up = twenty points

 

Each bottle, can or worm container is worth one point. The trash must be something left by someone else. In other words, Terry can't drink a case of PBR while fishing and turn in the empties for twenty-four points.

[Norm M]

if terry drank a case of pbr, i wouldn't want to be downwind.

[eugene f collins]

 

Norm M

Posted Today, 07:31 PM

 

if terry drank a case of pbr, i wouldn't want to be downwind.

 

or down stream

 

[Guest rich mc]

jude would win picking up terrys cans. i wouldn't care for a tourney. rich