Missouri Smallmouth Challenge

[Addicted to Creeks]

excellent, thank you. i tend to wade more than i do float fish but i do have a canoe that is badly neglected. maybe this will be the year that changes

[Stoneroller]

a lot of guys will use their canoe or kayak to float the unwadable sections and wade the fishable stuff. I don't expect anyone to keep a fish longer than they are comfortable with just to get it back to the yak or canoe to get it in the picture.

[Chief Grey Bear]

So then what stops a jet boater or jon boater from just getting out of the boat for the pic and claiming he was wading??

[hoglaw]

The same thing that stops me from tying up a stringer of donkeys to a tree in a jackpot. Nothing.

[Stoneroller]

honesty, intergrity, criminal fraud charges (free to press charges, really expensive for a defense lawyer. its in the rules, when you register you agree to abide by them), stern beating along an ozark stream when recognized as the cheater by others who were participating and being honest... my guess would be any one or a combination of those. =)

what jet boater wants to win a, what was it? a bag of chompers? cost more in gas to start the boat than it would be worth.

seriously though, there isn't really anything that stops someone from doing that, but the risk vs payoff is pretty steep. plus who wants to be known as the dbag cheater? there will be over $2000 in prizes but it's not one prize, so it really doesn't make the risk worth messing with.

it's a kayak/canoe tournament, the prizes will be geared as such.

[Al Agnew]

Okay, am I missing something here? Exactly what are you fishing for? The biggest fish? Numbers of fish over a certain size?

Another thing...I think the rules should be changed as to how you measure the fish. Stating that the tail must be in a natural position and not pinched is an imprecise way of measurement. On a 20 inch fish, you could gain or lose as much as a quarter of an inch, maybe more, depending upon how spread the tail is, even if it isn't pinched. The only precise, standardized way of measuring a fish is with the tail pinched. It's the way MDC requires measuring to determine whether a fish is over a minimum length. In my opinion, the rules should not only allow but encourage pinching the tail to make measurements more standardized. However, I can see how this would be a bit of a problem when photographing the fish, since you need a hand to pinch the tail and probably a hand to hold the fish down, leaving no spare hands to snap the photo.

[Stoneroller]

I've updated the website to answer clarify the format. but I will answer it here too.

biggest fish, and I'm using established rules and measuring techniques. I realize how the tail is pinched to get maximum length but that isn't how the rules read. I'm not reinventing the mouse trap so to speak. I'm trying to mirror what Kayak Bass Fishing has used as a proven and established method for the past 3 years. Points will be granted to all entries 100 for first 90 for 2nd, etc

the idea is to have a uniform and accepted technique for determining length. What is trying to be avoided is people pinching the tail in an effort to gain length. It's simple to pinch and tilt the tail to gain a 1/4 inch. this way, you lay your fish on the board, put the identifier on it and snap a picture.

some people will use a loose bungie to keep the fish from flopping around but i've found they typically will lay on the board quite nicely for plenty of time to get good photos. otherwise a hand placed over the fish will keep it still.

if you take a look at the tourney page you'll see a couple of sample photos, sans indentifier, which shows acceptable photos. notice the one on the right has a pinched tail but it's not pinched in an excessive manner or in a manner to gain length. it's going to happen, the fish won't lay perfect sometimes.

I will cover, in detail, photo technique and acceptable measuring devices at the April 18th Missouri Smallmouth Alliance meeting. I want everyone who wishes to participate to be able to do so knowing that we are all competing on as even as a playing field as possible.

Lengths are rounded to the nearest 1/4 increment.

[Wayne SW/MO]

So where do the funds end up? Are you the beneficiary of this tournement?

[Stoneroller]

it's 100% payout which was stated before. I am not making money off this, sorry that you would assume that this is what the tournament is about. The purpose is to have fun, grow the sport, give kayakers/canoers/waders an outlet which previously has not existed. And to help spread the word about local or kayak fishing related businesses.

It is what YOU the participant, makes out of it.

and I see what you are saying ron, but all it takes is a single fish to win. the biggest. a person could make one cast the entire month and land that fish. Someone else could fish everyday and not!

again, I am not reinventing the mouse trap here. I'm using established rules that have worked perfectly fine for a nationwide series for the past 3 years. Reference KayakBassFishing.com and chad hoover if you want to see where the rules come from and how they have worked. All I have done is adapt those rules to a regional, smallmouth only format.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I am not making money off this, sorry that you would assume that this is what the tournament is about.

I didn't assume anything and that is why I asked. I didn't know if it was an WSA fundraiser or what. You had stated there were prizes, but if you stated the source I missed it.