2014 Oakley Big Bass Tour Schedule

[OBBT Staff]

I thought there was something wrong last year, but the OBBT Staff helped me reset my options to accept texts.

There aren't any bugs. Probably a complaint that would be better aimed at their cell phone service provider if they don't receive the texts.

Yes, there are some carriers that block mass text delivery. Think of it as similar to a "spam filter" on your email. The carrier prevents our manual add of the phone number into our system, however we don't receive any notice of the block. Most anglers are able to do a manual entry once they realize they're not receiving the texts. It resolves the issue 99% of the time.

As always though and as mentioned in our rules, the text updates are simply a courtesy that we provide and since it's done through a third party we can't guarantee delivery. We do however provide the hourly updates on our website, on our Android/iPhone app, Twitter and through text throughout an event so there's a way for everyone to get the updates/results even if the text system isn't working for them.

Hope this helps.

Mark

[huntest]

I have Sprint service. If I would add the phone number you use to send the text messages to my contact list do you think it would cause the messages to come on through to my phone?

If so what is that number?

[OBBT Staff]

I have Sprint service. If I would add the phone number you use to send the text messages to my contact list do you think it would cause the messages to come on through to my phone?

If so what is that number?

We have a keyword for every event and you can text our short code to that keyword and in most instances it will add you. We haven't set the 2014 keywords yet but as we get close to the event you can contact us and we will give you the keyword. Just make sure to remind us.

[abkeenan]

I have Sprint and I have never had an issue receiving the texts.

[huntest]

Mark

Thanks for the info and help. Great event!

[abkeenan]

Just signed up. Looking forward to this again. Always a good time.

[Champ188]

I realize this is a popular event -- partly because of the payout and also because less-experienced anglers stand a better chance of winning money in a single-fish format than a traditional tournament.

However, IT IS MY OPINION that this one derby has a bigger negative impact on the fish population of Table Rock than any other held all year, and probably more than several combined. The organizers obviously target the spawn in the first six events of their national schedule, starting in Florida and steadily moving north. Unless we have an unusually warm spring, which at this point doesn't seem likely, the middle of May is liable to be the peak of spawning season. Imagine how many prime-of-life spawning females are likely to be snatched up and hauled to Long Creek during this two-day event.

Yes, there are many other derbies this time of year. But they don't draw as big a field as this one. Also, since all prizes are based on single-fish weight rather than a five-fish limit, anglers are more likely to stay with a big bedding fish much longer in their efforts to get her to bite.

I'm a tournament fisherman myself and I don't pretend to preach that any of them are beneficial for the fish population. But as with everything, some cut deeper than others, and MY OPINION is that this one cuts deepest on Table Rock.

[OBBT Staff]

James,

Thanks for the post and I'd like to address. I'll do so with actual facts rather than my opinion so there's nothing to argue about.

At last year's event we had just over 500 anglers compete in the KVD event. Less than 40% of the field weighed in, which is typical of our events. The average weight of the fish weighed last year was 3.12lbs. We had 139 fish on Saturday and 137 fished weighed in on Sunday.

Other important notes:

1. Anglers in our event can only have 3 fish in their live well at any one time. Most rarely have three at any point as they are coming back to weigh in throughout the day.

2. Fish are not kept in the live well as long in our events as compared to a five fish stringer event as we keep the fish once they're weighed in.

3. We are meticulous with our fish care and all fish are returned to the lake at the end of the day.

4. You can't weigh in a dead fish in our events, so that's another very big part of the fish care puzzle that a five fish event can't say.

5. You can look at the results from almost any event that we have an there are really very few large fish weighed in regardless of the fishery we visit. That holds true at Table Rock as well. We rarely see many 6-7lb fish and that's why when we do they're normally the leader/overall winner. If we saw a slew of 6-9lb fish then your "big fish" targeting argument might hold some water but based on the facts it just doesn't have any merit in our events.

So in all actuality a Large 100-150+ boat regional event, PAA, BASS Open, FLW Rayovac, FLW Tour or Elite Series event would have a much greater impact in terms of overall fish caught/held and potential impact to the fishery. Certainly not pointing fingers at any of these groups because they do an outstanding job with fish care but just giving you the real math so that in the future when you state YOUR OPINION it's based more on facts...

Thanks for the opinion but those are the numbers.

Mark

[Quillback]

I've never been a fan of the tourneys during the spawn myself, but the bass bios all say it doesn't hurt the numbers of fish fry that hatch overall. I have always wondered if removing the larger fish from the river arms and hauling them down lake somewhere to be released does have an effect on the overall average size of the fish in the river arms. I know that a lot of guys I talk to think that there is better quality down lake than say up the White river arm.

[Champ188]

Mark,

Thank you for your facts, although I fail to see how any of them address my concern.

1. I think we can all agree that, given the fact that 2-pound fish sometimes take hourly prizes, practically any fish of that size or greater is going to be placed in a contestant's livewell upon being caught. As electronic updates are sent out and it becomes apparent that the fish is too small for prize consideration, many of those fish will be released. But if they were caught from a spawning bed, they've already been removed from it.

2. My point is not fish care, it's fish being removed from spawning beds.

3. My point is not fish care, it's fish being removed from spawning beds.

4. My point is not fish care, it's fish being removed from spawning beds.

5. Your tournament circuit is named the Oakley Big Bass Tour. The entire premise is to catch the largest (heaviest) bass possible. Are you really going to deny that big bass are targeted? REALLY?