Shootout Series fish management

[cbanford]

I am 100% saying keeping fish in any type of boat be is bass boat or live release boat for any longer than nessassary is worse than being release right away. How is it not the best route for the fish? Being back in its own environment or stuck in a boat bumping up againts a few other hundred fish. If the fish is healthy, why take chances with its survival just to keep it longer to go dump it with a few hundred other fish.

It is the anglers responsibility to release healthy fish, our rule only states 300m from the launch, it says nothing about how far the anglers take them. In a perfect world they would return them home, but we al know that is not going to happen but it is encouraged.

And as far as the boat is concerned, this boat is a live release boat! It probably cost us more money, time to build, and research than it would have for us to build a traditional release boat.

Thanks for your comments and concerns

[lape0019]

Do you have any pics of this bad boy?!?

[the bogie Man]

I hope we will be able to display some of the fish caught for the kiddies that show up for the weigh in. I think that was a great touch last year and I know my daughter is looking forward to seeing them again this year!

[cbanford]

100% same deal, and I will be putting the kids catches in the tank for their little derby

[ShawnD]

some 30+ years ago people were weigh-in fish on a string and they didn't give a Rat @ss if they died or not.
For the shootout series or any other series to actually own a live release boat for injured fish, is just phenomenal!

Short to not catching fish there really isn't much more that can be done....
And to all the nay say'ers... I say : Quite fishing.. If you're really that concerned with how the fish feels, stay home get on a computer and keep harassing everyone who tournament fishes..

Big Events bring money to businesses, they gets kids out and away from video games and there's a camaraderie in it!
I've met some great people that I like to call friends through fishing and online forums about fishing..
F2ck pas avec la sauce. hahahaha

Keep on keeping on Shootout series and forget the haters.

[ShawnD]

I don't see how not having a catch and release boat, that can keep the fish well cared for and alive for maybe an hour longer than the last Team's bass get weighed in, would be detrimental to the fish. Releasing bass in multiple spots makes sense to me. I am not saying your wrong, but you are saying that keeping the bass in a live release boat (responsible, controlled environment) is not as good as anglers handling the fish a couple more times and releasing them 300m from the launch. Isn't that what tourneys were doing before they invested in live release boats? By the logic of your statement ... bass weighed in first have a better chance of survival than the one weighed in last. If there is science that says that bass will travel 11 miles to relocate back to their preferred ground... I am sure there is science that shows that bass remain in the area they are released for a period of time ... say 30-60 days before they move on. And in that time period there would be a great concentration of larger than average fish that tournament anglers have released... and may be caught repeately which may cause mortality rates to increase after your tournament is long gone.
I am sure you have the best intentions of the fish survival as well as your tournament survival... but I am guessing that tournaments that use live release boats and multiple drop spots have the best of intentions as well. I only play devils advocate here because it seemed to me that you were justifying not using a live release boat as being something better for the fish... and I think it would be hard to prove that. Good luck with the Tournament series.

Great point, I want to say that when anglers drop their own fish 300m away from the bank, the fish being spread out more will surely have a better chance at not being caught again, in such a short time frame.
So what I mean by that is they, (the fish), after being release in several different location will provide them a safe haven from anglers for a short while, while releasing 100+ fish in a bay may not. IMO

[jona38]

some 30+ years ago people were weigh-in fish on a string and they didn't give a Rat @ss if they died or not.
For the shootout series or any other series to actually own a live release boat for injured fish, is just phenomenal!

Short to not catching fish there really isn't much more that can be done....
And to all the nay say'ers... I say : Quite fishing.. If you're really that concerned with how the fish feels, stay home get on a computer and keep harassing everyone who tournament fishes..

Big Events bring money to businesses, they gets kids out and away from video games and there's a camaraderie in it!
I've met some great people that I like to call friends through fishing and online forums about fishing..
F2ck pas avec la sauce. hahahaha

Keep on keeping on Shootout series and forget the haters.

X2 well said!
Way to go shootout! Keep up the good work! Jon

[banjo]

I guess to clarify my comments, I am definitely not a 'hater' of tournaments, I was really only being a devil's advocate. It would appear you probably care more for the fish than I do. I was mainly just trying to say that in the original write-up, there was mention of going to an immediate release policy over a holding tank because that's what 'environmentally minded anglers' wanted to see. I am sure there are conservation minded anglers that don't want any tournaments...I hope you don't listen to them next. Also, that somehow holding a fish in a boat livewell for up to 7 -8 hrs doesn't affect the fish more than keeping them in a tank for another hour. It's a bit hypocritical. I guess I just didn't see the point in the announcement of "The Shootout Series Of Bass Fishing Sets The New Fish Care Standard For Live Release Bass Tournaments!". I guess it was just meant to be advertising...but it's hard to tell online if some comments are from the top of a soapbox. It's a bass tournament and every bass angler I have met has the livelyhood of bass in their heart... not just the ones in the Shootout series. PS. I have never fished a tournament so this is a complete 'outsiders' view.

[cbanford]

The original post was made for both pride and advertising. I'd be an idiot to argue it's was'ent. Wait until you see the boat, it's lite up like a Xmas tree with sponsors. But the first part is pride! For over 20 years I have worked on and around live release boats, and with no offence to the traditional systems, I have thought there must be a better way. Every person has their own opininon on the best conservation. I've heard anglers so frustrated by it that their solution to it is have every event as a fish fry. Every angler is allowed to keep 5 and cook'em! And that is just to shut people up about tournament fishing because of our efforts all tour anglers take.

Our beliefs are get them back in the water ASAP!

If they are in need of any assistance, bring them to us so we can do our best to revive them.

We built this boat to deal with stressed fish! It's not a holding tank! Why handle fish that are healthy?

[cbanford]

Thanks ShawnD,
Love the support!
In only our second year we took this on, and put ourselfs in the line of fire by doing it! I will be the first one standing infront of my crew taking bullets! Only protecting resources best as possible is our goal. People hate tournemant anglers enough, and as a organizer if I don't do my best to protect the fish, the angler, the sponsor, the sport, than wtf am I doing running a fishing series.

[Valleyboy]

Catch bullets and watch for stones LOL!

You got it going now kid. Keep the ball in play and get on it. Enjoy the upcoming season. We all know your doing it because you love it! That's the only reason to do it!

See ya soon Brah.

[Kerrazy]

While I am not a tournament angler, I do agree with MarcB.
I witnessed a pair nesting on Friday last week in 4' of water so as mentioned it is a very late spawn.
I realize that MNR sets target opening dates, yet they are set before spring even arrives, based on assumption not hard facts.
Kicking off a tournament the first 1-2 weeks of an opening weekend while I appreciate the itch to get your fish on, I do not think it is as conservation minded as made believe.
While I respect the efforts to release these fish as quickly and as healthy as possible, I believe it is undone by not watching current temps and getting feed back from spotters before setting out enmasse to harvest fish. Yes I said harvest as this is what it becomes to a specific area but multiple harvesters. The fish are targeted heavily, rather than the weekend warrior enjoying catching anything.
Now to get off my soap box for a minute and state, that yep I, if I was outfitted would likely enjoy the commraderey and thrill of the big prize of a tournament. But that is not to be this year.
Best of luck to the shoot out series and it participants and bravo on your efforts so far. It is admirable, yet just another bit of tweaking with opening and it will ensure great fishing for many years to come.