Beaver Friday Night 6/17

[RyanG]

I hope they do, I personally think its awesome seeing her bring those fish to the scales! Either way the bite goes it will be a good day on the water! I plan on fishing em again next year, this year just got crazy for me. Ill be there around 2:30 to get ready for the ones coming in early and I imagine quite a few will.

[Mike jones]

28 minutes ago, RyanG said:

I hope they do, I personally think its awesome seeing her bring those fish to the scales! Either way the bite goes it will be a good day on the water! I plan on fishing em again next year, this year just got crazy for me. Ill be there around 2:30 to get ready for the ones coming in early and I imagine quite a few will.

She definitely enjoys the weigh in and also likes getting a check!!  Hope I'm still here in NWA to fish them again next year..

[Tanderson15]

The governors cup a walleye tournament on fort peck MT, they have to take a walleye caught immediately to a weigh in boat. Not just one weigh boat but many placed around the lake, but it takes manpower. 

[Champ188]

1 hour ago, Tanderson15 said:

The governors cup a walleye tournament on fort peck MT, they have to take a walleye caught immediately to a weigh in boat. Not just one weigh boat but many placed around the lake, but it takes manpower. 

That's certainly another reasonable option, except for one thing --- the tournament world around Beaver Lake is a fragile environment. Shake it up with something like that and half or more of the anglers will disappear. To say the least, change is not well received, regardless if it is for the well-being of the fish.

This whiz-and-moan negative culture is just one reason that after 35 years of fishing everything from club tournaments to BASS Opens, I'm done with derbies. The old camaradarie seems to have dwindled to nothing, and the backbiting and throat-cutting that goes on these days is over a LOT less money than we were fishing for in the 80s and 90s. Jerry Rapp and probably a lot of others know exactly what I'm talking about. Not only do I hate that these days are gone, I hate more that today's young tournament anglers didn't get to enjoy and benefit from them.

[jolicious]

Summer:

Once water temps get above 80° and air temps get into mid 80's, I take a soft sided cooler with me. 9 frozen bottles of water (16.9oz). Two go in the live well as soon as the boat is launched / live wells filled (I like to use Rejuvenade as well). I run the aerator on manual for 5-10 minutes, then kill it. Once first fish hits live well until I've got 3 or more in there, aerator is on auto (in a Legend it's like 30 seconds on, 3 minutes off I think). If I am blessed to get more than three keepers, live well to manual/constant until I leave. Once a bottle looks to be over 1/2 melted, I'll add another one. If I can ever find a thermometer that is waterproof and reads from 60°-100° or so, I'll use water temps as  an indicator of when to add ice. Haven't lost a fish yet. I've reused the same 9 bottles for three or four years.

Couple on bottle notes:

1. Rinse and dry before putting back in freezer

2. Don't forget to only fill 3/4 full or so :-)

Just wanted to share a method in case anyone was looking for options.

[jolicious]

16 hours ago, Mike jones said:

Thanks...it will be a hot one for sure!!  If the bass aren't cooperating with my daughter and me by lunch time, we will be at JJ's on the water eating!!  I always try to make our tournaments together enjoyable even if we aren't catching them very good...because I know one day soon it won't be 'cool' to fish tournaments with her Dad. Lol!!!

Y'all are tougher than me and my partner...

We have already decided to run up to the dam (I need to empty fuel tank to work on a pump) at launch. If we don't have a REALLY good reason to stay for weigh in by 9:30, you'll be able to find us at home in air conditioning hahaha!

[mojorig]

I just wanted to chime in quickly on this discussion. As a biologist and tournament fisherman, I do care about the bass and the anglers.

During the summer, temperature control is important. However during night time summer tournament, there is something else that many anglers forget about. At night, the oxygen level is reduced and continues to decrease though the night. Plankton, that normally produces oxygen during that day, is using the oxygen as well at night since no photosynthesis is occurring. When you combine the reduction in oxygen and high metabolic rate of the fish due to the warmer water, there is a need to run your aerators often, if not constantly. We see people run their live wells like they do the rest of the year. Some night that works and other nights, that can cause trouble.

 

 

[Mike jones]

Great responses...thanks for the input mojorig. We run the recirculater as soon as the first fish hits the livewell until weigh-in. And have never lost a fish. We had 12.95 last night in the jackpot and weighed 5 healthy largemouth. Finished 2nd. 

Better watch out Jo...commenting on this thread and acknowledging you fish summer tournaments  may result in a tongue thrashing by someone....?

Come by and say hi Saturday morning before take off if you see us. Hard to miss a Ranger 195 red/white with my 10 year old daughter in the passenger seat!!

[bferg]

21 hours ago, Champ188 said:

We need to address ALL the issues that negatively affect our fish populations with equal diligence --- not waste time debating which is worse.

In an ideal world this is true.  However, that is rarely efficient in any area of life.  Any one familiar with Six Sigma or Focused Improvement will be familiar with the idea that in order to improve a system you work through inefficiencies one at a time, starting with the largest opportunity.  In this case I think we all agree that there is far more of a negative impact to the fishery from illegal harvesting (of all species) than from the tournament guys.  As a non-tournament fisherman with no real dog in this fight other than wanting the best fishery possible for all of us, I would much rather have AGF focusing on stopping illegal harvest.  I have fished Beaver for 8 years now on a fairly regular basis- not as often as I would like or as many of you- but quite a bit.  I have never ONCE been checked by a game warden.  That shouldn't be possible.  

[Champ188]

bferg, I have lived in and fished in this state practically all of my life --- from age 9 until now, and I'm 55 --- and I have been checked ONCE by a notably aggressive former Benton County deputy out here in Bella Vista. Never, ever have I been checked in Arkansas by a game warden. I don't blame the wardens themselves nearly as much as understaffing. One or two wardens to cover an entire county just doesn't get the job done.