Don't shoot the messenger just sharing and making us think.

[snagged in outlet 3]

3 hours ago, Quillback said:

This study is interesting not because of FFS but because of tournament mortality.

Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Director says bass slot limit based on scientific data

Here's an excerpt:

"When we got the preliminary results of that study, it was pretty evident that tournament mortality was extreme up and down the Coosa," said Chuck Sykes, Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Director.

"The data is showing it is tournament mortality. It is not recreational fishermen mortality," he said.

The study showed that tournament anglers seek large, fast-growing, female fish, which leads to the highest rates of tournament mortality among those groups. 45% of bass weighed in during tournaments died before or after the weigh-in. The mortality rate was estimated to be higher during hotter weather.

That doesn't capture culling data either.  

[BilletHead]

1 hour ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

That doesn't capture culling data either.  

           Which chaps my rear. Catch and drop back in water immediately is one thing but setting the hook and crossing their eyes then hauling around in a live well all day looking for a bigger one then dumped who know where on the lake is ok but no one else is that fishes. Just shows you money talks in conservation making rules.  You started it @snagged in outlet 3 with the tourney guys. I can't let you be alone in this. 

[Dutch]

There are lots of changes that I would like to see implemented.  So what can a few old men do about this state wide situation.  I’m open for suggestions.

[snagged in outlet 3]

36 minutes ago, Dutch said:

There are lots of changes that I would like to see implemented.  So what can a few old men do about this state wide situation.  I’m open for suggestions.

I sent a message on the MDC website.   It’s about all I can do.   But if enough people do it maybe things will change.  🤷‍♂️

[BilletHead]

Sounds to me like you need a million old men and a lobbyist. The bucks to back it up. 

[ness]

3 hours ago, BilletHead said:

Sounds to me like you need a million old men and a lobbyist. The bucks to back it up. 

 

If only there was a really, really, really rich guy that's big into conservation. *Real* conservation, not the kind with an admittance charge. 

[tjm]

I'm certainly not in favor of tournament fishing, won't knowingly by any tackle from brands that sponsor or support such. I'm particularly opposed   to culling, and transport away from the immediate catch area; but, since I don't buy much tackle the sponsors won't miss my business and since I don't watch TV the shows won't know that I'm not watching.

I do think that public opinion in the matter is more likely to guide the fisheries regulations than dollar impacts do, but the same public that buys "Pro" tackle and boats, would be up in arms if the "pro-tournaments" were banned, so to some extent the money and the public opinion come from the same sources. And following the guidance of one is also following the guidance of the other. And it may well be that the monetary input is the only reason that the public has access to these waters.  Certainly the proponents   of wade fishing only and of free flowing streams aren't very vocal, and as always the squeaky parts get the most attention.  

We might get a regulation limiting the maximum size of fish used in tournaments? say, no bass over two pounds or XX inches can be counted at weigh in.

[Seth]

15 hours ago, Al Agnew said:

I could certainly see it having an impact on winter fishing on the larger Ozark rivers.  Other than that, I don't think it could have much impact on warm weather fishing where the fish are more scattered and easier to find.  I'm especially concerned when it comes to the winter tournaments that have cropped up on streams like the Current, Meramec, and Gasconade, where the anglers carry their fish to a weigh in point and release them all there.  Moving more and bigger bass out of their wintering habitat and releasing them in a spot where they are going to have to disperse to get back to wintering habitat seems to me to be a recipe for disaster...it's happening already, and FFS will probably make it a lot worse.

I really wish that these tournaments would be required to go to a format where the fish are photographed, measured, and released immediately.

I don't see it making much of a difference. There ain't a wintering hole on those rivers that most of the avid winter bass anglers don't already know about. Those guys don't even have FFS on their river rigs. I'm sure you could use it to see a fish eat your lure, but it's not making a difference in who is winning a river tournament. Ya'll act like this is a new phenomenon, but a lot of the guys I know have been fishing these river tourneys for 30+ years now. If they were going to destroy the bass fishing, it would have happened a long time ago. A lot of the guys that fished the rivers when I started aren't even doing it anymore. I'd bet the tournament pressure is lower now that it was when I first started fishing them in 2012. That's not a bad thing either because it was a bit ridiculous at one point when there were a good 4-5 clubs running at the same time. There's really only one that draws good numbers and a few smaller ones now.

As for crappie, side imaging helped increase my crappie catching ability FAR more than FFS ever has. I went from rarely getting limits to rarely not limiting when I got side imaging. Side imaging has been on for over two decades and yet there are still plenty of crappie to be caught. If that didn't wipe them out then I don't see FFS doing that job any better. The only thing FFS has really done in regards to crappie is allow anglers to target the larger fish. That matters in a tournament, but your average weekend Joe isn't going to pass on a bunch of 10 inch fish to try and catch a 14 incher. He's just looking for some fish to eat. I'm not sure how Truman , TRL, Pomme and other reservoirs are fishing these days since I mainly fish LoZ, but the average size for crappie is the best that I can ever recall on LoZ in my 15-20 years of chasing crappie on it. I do have FFS, but I am not using it to single out larger fish when I'm out fishing for food. If it's a tournament then I'd be out in the middle of a cove single poling for the bigger fish. Dock shooting and fishing brush is going to put a limit of 10-11" fish in my boat quicker than single poling would though so I do that the majority of the time.

Of course this is all just my opinion based on what I've seen first hand as somebody who fishes river tournaments and owns a Garmin Livescope. I don't do the winter tournaments since those are typically won by whoever can get to a certain spot first and my boat is way too slow for that stuff. Plus I'd rather go fish for something else in the winter like crappie or trout than a bass. I'll save them stinkin bass for the warmer months where I can get out and swim if they are being stubborn. 😁

[gotmuddy]

8 hours ago, Quillback said:

This study is interesting not because of FFS but because of tournament mortality.

Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Director says bass slot limit based on scientific data

Here's an excerpt:

"When we got the preliminary results of that study, it was pretty evident that tournament mortality was extreme up and down the Coosa," said Chuck Sykes, Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Director.

"The data is showing it is tournament mortality. It is not recreational fishermen mortality," he said.

The study showed that tournament anglers seek large, fast-growing, female fish, which leads to the highest rates of tournament mortality among those groups. 45% of bass weighed in during tournaments died before or after the weigh-in. The mortality rate was estimated to be higher during hotter weather.

Playing devil's advocate here but that percentage could be skewed based on whats written.  How long after the weigh in, an hour, week, month, year?  I need some context in that regard.  Otherwise I could see for sure a higher mortality rate than simply not being caught.

[Quillback]

22 minutes ago, gotmuddy said:

Playing devil's advocate here but that percentage could be skewed based on whats written.  How long after the weigh in, an hour, week, month, year?  I need some context in that regard.  Otherwise I could see for sure a higher mortality rate than simply not being caught.

Yep, there's a lack of info for sure as far as methodology.  I'm not defending it, basically something that I saw that might be of interest to some.  I'm one of those "messengers".  😀