1/24/16 Big M

[abkeenan]

20 minutes ago, Sam said:

I'll put my $.02 worth in about the growing number of bass derbies in this limited resource, because I've been thinking about that for a long time.  I'm commenting as an outsider because I never fish tournaments, and other than doing a little C/R bass fishing for fun when the pickings are easy (Ned!), I go strictly for crappie, white bass, black perch, and walleye, stay within all laws and limits - and then we eat em!

Seems to me that with so many cell-phone "apps" available now and more invented every day, someone could come up with a device that would record all information about each tournament bass caught (time, date, fisherman who caught it, length, weight, etc.) and attach that info to a photo of each fish, right on each boat.  Then all the fish could be released immediately right when and where they were caught.

Weigh-ins could still be suspenseful and real fun, because the "weigh-in" could be a viewing, on a projector screen, of those fish photos and info brought in by each boat.  Everybody could probably see better that way anyhow - and a computer would total the results up and determine winners after all the boats' fish pictures and info get "weighed" and the information gets sorted.  I'm thinking it would be an electronic gadget that works in conjunction with smart phones, coded to each boat, to be placed in each boat by the tournament organizer at the start of the tourney.

No, I don't have details figured out about foolproof security by which those devices could prevent cheating, but there are bound to be ways to do that.  It would do the fishery a lot of good, make some inventor a lot of money, and make tourneys even more fair and more fun if they could switch over to such a system, in my opinion.

That's a good idea. Only problem with the snap a pic and release system is that it's a general or ballpark weight. It's not a fine, super accurate measurement and if there is a fair amount of money to be made or lost....you know how that goes. People are going to be miffed off and claim that their fish in their pic is most certainly heavier or bigger than the guessimate weight. Even if before the tournament starts they have already agreed to the scoring system, people will still have issues. That system is fine for the little tournaments but not some of the bigger ones. Fractions of ounces can make or break someone. MLF has the best system but that is pro level stuff. What small tournament organization is going to be able to have a ref in the boat with the participant to verify weight and that he/she is abiding by the rules? I would say the best thing to do would to have the tournaments issue scales to participants that have either been pretested, certified or calibrated to be as close to accurate as humanly possible. Each fish is then weighed, recorded, quick pic snapped and released within minutes if not seconds exactly like the MLF format only no ref. It would be on the honor system of course but what tournament isn't at this point? If you're gonna cheat at that you are probably going to cheat in any other type of format. 

[mjk86]

3 hours ago, mixermarkb said:

First off- all fishing, catch and release, derbies, catch and keep, commercial- has an effect on the resource. 

Keeping your legal limit each time out, simply says to the world that you are such an inconsiderate jerk that the law has to step in and protect the resource, because you are totally incapable of sharing and leaving some for the next guy, or the next generation, on your own, without threat of brown suits putting your butt in jail.

Second- Outdoor sports, and sport fishing in particular, are one of the few ways the right and the left can come togther and protect our planet. Fishermen and outdoorsmen have been a driving force in the clean water regulations, and other needed conservation legislation, passed over the years. Personally, I'm a beliver in man made climate change, and I'm a beliver in man needing to be a good steward of this planet that we have been given by God. We may not agree on much, but those of us on the right and the left that like to see a bass explode on a spook, can get some things done to keep that around for the next generation, through our common bond of fishing.

Nets full of dead fish make the radical folks in PETA just as mad as it makes me and Champ188, and they will work even harder to make what do for fun illegal. Adding fuel to those sorts of fires further separates the right and the left, and makes finding common ground on conservation issues really freaking hard. 

So, yes, eat fish. Keep a few, but for *%#'s sake, don't be a total dick about it just because you have some point you think you are proving to the world. 

All you prove is that you are the one person I've met on this forum so far that wouldn't be welcome in my boat.

 

The first statement is totally incorrect...thats the reason the laws are in place...like i said i am in favor of very very strict regulation (and enforcement)for conservation management.  You dont think companies will pollute as much as they can get away with?  Thats why we need very very strict environmental laws to prevent folks from taking advantage of a resource and destroying it.  Keeping a limit of bass every time out says your a responsible fisherman and abiding by the laws.  If fish populations decrease, the regulations are adjusted. 

What this boils down too are knee jerk emotional reactions with no basis in reality.  I mean, certainly not conservation management...if it did folks would be more supportive of the MDC.  Anybody volunteer at a place like powder valley or world bird sanctuary?  Donate money to the MDC?  Clean up trash?  support local legislature that promotes healthy conservation management?  Not likely.....but we all catch and release our bass so we are holier than hour, and im some jerk.  Could you imagine sarah McLaughlin singing to a spotted bass "in the arrrrrmmmmmssss of the angeeellllllllls"  very very touching, but just as those commercials, its appealing to an emotional side, and not a rational side. 

Even if you did offer me a position on your boat id have to respectfully decline.  Didnt you ask about the size of my penis?  Or my mom hugging me?  Weird....and gross....Plus..your boat is probably way too shiny and fancy for someone like lowly old me. 

[abkeenan]

2 minutes ago, mixermarkb said:

Ok abk- that is a little harsh- I don't think you guys want to rape and pillage the world, but I do think that the attitude is business first, environment second. Isn't it the GOP line on clean energy that it is just too expensive to be practical? 

I'm sincerley asking and not trying to be insulting to my new friends 

I think that is painting a certain political party with huge broad strokes of the same paint brush. Generalizing is typically never good, unless about Jayhawk fans. I don't really care to get into politics over the internet with someone I've never met. Probably won't end well and will just increase my blood pressure. I have my opinions but I will just keep them to myself. Or until I have a few drinks with my left leaning friends and let them feel the brunt of my conservative fury. Besides there is a ton of issues involving harvesting energy and natural resources while trying to maintain a healthy sustainable environment. The same people that want to save the spotted sea-monkey owl squirrel of Eastern Alberta also drive a 1987 3 Ton Diesel Dodge Ram and eat 5lbs of Jimmy Dean Sausage for breakfast. It goes both ways. Most of that talk is above my pay grade anyhow. I am just a simple and lowly Mizzou fan just trying to catch fish when the wife lets me out for a weekend of recess and when it's above 45 degrees outside. Typically those coincide around March-October. So close but so far away.

[mixermarkb]

I don't see the difference between a company polluting as much as the law allows, and you keeping every fish the law allows you to keep. It seems like the exact same action to me, using the resource to the legal limit, rather than making a choice to self police and say, keep 3 or 4 fish when the limit is 6, or taking steps reduce your pollution just because it's the right thing to do, even if that means a bit less profit at the end of the year.

 

[mixermarkb]

Fair enough Abk. I am as guilty of generalizing with politics as anyone is, although you right wingers generalize most (kidding man, kidding).

I do hope we can find some civility in the national political discourse, because most of us aren't as far apart as the infotainment folks make us out to be. Middle doesn't make ratings, ranting from the edges makes ratings and ratings makes dollars, but those dollars don't really help us solve any problems.

I'll shut up with the politics now before Dave won't sell me anymore Ned heads..

[Mitch f]

14 minutes ago, mjk86 said:

 Keeping a limit of bass every time out says your a responsible fisherman and abiding by the laws.  If fish populations decrease, the regulations are adjusted. 

No it doesn't. Just because you're allowed to do it doesn't mean you should. It takes years for enough data to facilitate a regs change. In the meantime a bunch of legal fisherman could destroy a river or lake.

[m&m]

I don't pretend to know why there is the appearance that larger size bass are hard to come by in TR. I'll leave that to all the scientists, fishing biologists and MDC employees on the forum.  I do know that I was surprised when there were 1200 fishermen in the big bass tourney on TR last year and only one fish over 6lbs and 6 fish over 5 lbs were weighed in during the 2 day derby.  Just sayin.........

Mike

[dtrs5kprs]

39 minutes ago, m&m said:

I don't pretend to know why there is the appearance that larger size bass are hard to come by in TR. I'll leave that to all the scientists, fishing biologists and MDC employees on the forum.  I do know that I was surprised when there were 1200 fishermen in the big bass tourney on TR last year and only one fish over 6lbs and 6 fish over 5 lbs were weighed in during the 2 day derby.  Just sayin.........

Mike

Timing. See what happens this year. Think we lost a lot of fish to that a-rig frenzy a few years ago.

[mjk86]

40 minutes ago, Mitch f said:

No it doesn't. Just because you're allowed to do it doesn't mean you should. It takes years for enough data to facilitate a regs change. In the meantime a bunch of legal fisherman could destroy a river or lake.

Well I posted in detail exactly how when and where we murder fish.  IT Has not been destroyed in 30 plus years and not likely to be by us.  Try those places out...im being honest.  Table rock is different from the mineral fork though.  Doesn't get fished out like a small creek. Also The fish we have caught have always been the same 2-4lb black bass that everyone always catches.  Whoever ate these giant bass outta old table rock wasn't us.  We catch mostly kentuckies.  The occasional big lm and sm.  Lots of large bluegills also.  Another thing I forgot to mention was that I don't just post up at the piling all day and hang crawlers.  It's much more effective to fish slow but move fast.  20 min on one side....20 min on another side...check for scattered fish move on.  If fish aren't biting check another area.  Kentuckies are on the move and you should be too in order to stay with em.  I hit these same areas over and over.  In rotation.  Places like this are highway rest stops for hungry schools of spots.

[rps]

Another topic I am sorry I opened.