Anyone know the results of the fishing tournament

[grimsbylander]

I think it's sad only if the 27 dead walleye were wasted. Remember, tournament fish limits are at or below the legal limits for ONE fisherman, not two. I think that in extenuating circumstances, such as the heat on this past weekend, rule concessions should be made to make sure any fish that dying fish and are kept for eating. Sounds counterproductive but there were 140 anglers in that tournament and apparently 27 dead fish...that's under .2 fish per angler. Those guys aren't going to quit walleye fishing if the tournament ceases to exist.

[jimmer]

That's 27 that we know of and not all of the 140 boats would be fishing one lake. There just needs to be more care with the optics in the community; the last thing outdoors people need is to be scrutinized about killing and wasting fish. Yes, this tournament has been around a long time, but I never remember this many fish dying in the old days.

I did enjoy a relatively quiet weekend on the water with everyone on Sturgeon.

Edited May 30, 2016 by jimmer

[AKRISONER]

call me crazy but I swear ive watched an episode of uncut angling where the walleye tournament required them to not livewell the fish. they basically ran back to the weighing station and locked in catches as they got them. you outright had to make your decision to keep the fish and have it weighed an measured right then and there as you caught it.

 

There are other formats that could be used for this tournament IMO.

 

But hearing about this garbage is upsetting. Shut it down.

[manitoubass2]

Just a quick question

 

What are the water temps like and depth of the lake?

 

I dont think ive ever had a walleye die in the live well from heat(just run your live well often)

 

Wicked dumb that they dont eat the walleye. Frig donate them or something.

 

Id love to see the MNR fine tourney anglers for this

[FrankTheRabbit]

I think it's sad only if the 27 dead walleye were wasted. Remember, tournament fish limits are at or below the legal limits for ONE fisherman, not two. I think that in extenuating circumstances, such as the heat on this past weekend, rule concessions should be made to make sure any fish that dying fish and are kept for eating. Sounds counterproductive but there were 140 anglers in that tournament and apparently 27 dead fish...that's under .2 fish per angler. Those guys aren't going to quit walleye fishing if the tournament ceases to exist.

When you say 0.2 doesn't sound like a lot, it should be interpreted as 20% or 1 in 5 walleye. 20% of known fish died and that sure sounds whole lot different than just 0.2.

 

But I agree. If fish are kept like that for tourneys with those kinds of heat, fish should be put in a fish fry instead of floating down the river belly up.

Edited May 30, 2016 by FrankTheRabbit

[manitoubass2]

call me crazy but I swear ive watched an episode of uncut angling where the walleye tournament required them to not livewell the fish. they basically ran back to the weighing station and locked in catches as they got them. you outright had to make your decision to keep the fish and have it weighed an measured right then and there as you caught it.

 

There are other formats that could be used for this tournament IMO.

 

But hearing about this garbage is upsetting. Shut it down.

Ive discussed this many times with local tourney anglers.

 

A time stamped photo with length is the way to go.

 

But NO!!! Everybody in the tent needs to see the big fish and hear WEIGHTS.

[dave524]

27 were essentially dead upon release, I'd expect the real toll will never be known as many will swim away to succumb later.

[grimsbylander]

When you say 0.2 doesn't sound like a lot, it should be interpreted as 20% or 1 in 5 walleye. 20% of known fish died and that sure sounds whole lot different than just 0.2.

 

But I agree. If fish are kept like that for tourneys with those kinds of heat, fish should be put in a fish fry instead of floating down the river belly up.

 

May sound different but it's exactly the same. Frame it as you like. It's my opinion that the only issue is the fish that get wasted.

[crappieperchhunter]

My biggest problem is the waste as well. 140 anglers targeting walleye with only 27 dead isn't going to hurt the fishery. Even if the mortality is double because of die off after release..54 fish isn't going to damage the fishery. Hell I'd be willing to bet that those same anglers fishing on the same weekend but not in a tournament....would probably have taken that many or more home for there own meals.

 

Just have a solid plan in place to deal with the issue when it arises like it did again this past weekend. Seeing floaters upsets everyone. Fishermen and none fishermen alike.

[grimsbylander]

My biggest problem is the waste as well. 140 anglers targeting walleye with only 27 dead isn't going to hurt the fishery. Even if the mortality is double because of die off after release..54 fish isn't going to damage the fishery. Hell I'd be willing to bet that those same anglers fishing on the same weekend but not in a tournament....would probably have taken that many or more home for there own meals.

 

Just have a solid plan in place to deal with the issue when it arises like it did again this past weekend. Seeing floaters upsets everyone. Fishermen and none fishermen alike.

 

^^^ This is exactly my point. Thanks Crappieperchhunter. The 20% kill rate in that tourney is 80% better than the one on the first page of the General Discussions right now. I just don't want to see fish get wasted unnecessarily.

[jimmer]

Let's just make it a derby then and keep everything if it won't have that much of an impact on the fishery.

[grimsbylander]

Let's just make it a derby then and keep everything if it won't have that much of an impact on the fishery.

 

If you think only 27 fish will get caught, sure.

[Garnet]

The fish are not wasted. They will be possessed this week and donated to the local food bank.

 

This time the board has good info. They know every fish that was deemed stressed and all dead fish up to the weight in, and what boats weight them. It's 2 different penalty's.

 

If more died in the liverelease boats that needs to be looked at.

 

The heat is not likely the issue. "if" you caught your fish in Goose Bay in 75 degree water and then went out to the lake in 70 degree water you wouldn't have know issues.

 

You would definitely have a problem if you took those fish back into Goose Bay.

 

I learn this from fishing Sturgeon for 40 years. Now it would be great if Dr Bruce Tuff did a study on this and made it common knowledge and gave us some parameters to follow.

Edited May 31, 2016 by Garnet

[jimmer]

What about moving it to opening weekend? That way there shouldn't be the same problem with water temps.

 

I was being sarcastic about the catch and kill derby, sorry.

 

This tournament has always been good for the area, but not at the expense of fish dying. There has to be a way to correct the issues.

[Garnet]

It's weather. Might be 20 years before it repeats.

 

Hopefully they can get a cause and a solution.

[landry]

I think it's sad only if the 27 dead walleye were wasted. Remember, tournament fish limits are at or below the legal limits for ONE fisherman, not two. I think that in extenuating circumstances, such as the heat on this past weekend, rule concessions should be made to make sure any fish that dying fish and are kept for eating. Sounds counterproductive but there were 140 anglers in that tournament and apparently 27 dead fish...that's under .2 fish per angler. Those guys aren't going to quit walleye fishing if the tournament ceases to exist.

I agree.

From what I heard the fish were scooped up if possible and not wasted.

But I also agree that it is poor optics.

I am not a fan of tournaments anyways.

Edited May 30, 2016 by landry

[jimmer]

It's weather. Might be 20 years before it repeats.

 

Hopefully they can get a cause and a solution.

They need to figure it out, it happened a couple of years ago. Not that we can figure out weather, but figure out what's best for the fishery.

[Garnet]

I addressed this earlier in the thread.

[Fenelon]

"might be 20 years before it repeats"....??????? How about next year, when they plan on having a repeat performance in May, with lethal water temperatures? Anything above 12 degrees C and you're going to get mortality, regardless of all the other stressors that the fish are exposed to. Add to this the potential for 8 hours in a livewell that is anoxic and overcrowded (less than 13.5 liters per fish and you get substantial mortality), fish potentially getting bounced around if the surface conditions are rough, multiple thermal shocks throughout the entire day (anything more than a 2degreeC variance and you get substantial mortality), handling stress when being netted from live well, measured and handled by the judge (stressed again) , improperly held up to show the crowd, thermally shocked again, held in a crowded "release tank", then thermally shocked again when they are "released". All this equates to a repeat performance of the 2012 and 2015 disasters. The fishery deserves better than this !

 

Dave

[Terry]

they're fish, make it a derby and just kill them all and eat them

or live with some dead fish...

[porkpie]

I'm not really into wading through the whole for or against thing here, it's not my issue. I mainly fish pickerel for my boating season. I throw back a lot of fish, but when I'm looking for a fish fry, which i do often enough, the only time I ever have pickerel right side up in my livewell is if I'm fishing early April on the Detroit. Otherwise, they roll and die in short order, or do the sideways lethargic gill flap we are all familiar with, they aren't recovering from that either. Bass are a much hardier fish. That's a fact, and all the disputing in the world from would be tourny fishermen won't change it. Make it a derby and kill em all, at least you won't be trying to fool anyone.

[grimsbylander]

"might be 20 years before it repeats"....??????? How about next year, when they plan on having a repeat performance in May, with lethal water temperatures? Anything above 12 degrees C and you're going to get mortality, regardless of all the other stressors that the fish are exposed to. Add to this the potential for 8 hours in a livewell that is anoxic and overcrowded (less than 13.5 liters per fish and you get substantial mortality), fish potentially getting bounced around if the surface conditions are rough, multiple thermal shocks throughout the entire day (anything more than a 2degreeC variance and you get substantial mortality), handling stress when being netted from live well, measured and handled by the judge (stressed again) , improperly held up to show the crowd, thermally shocked again, held in a crowded "release tank", then thermally shocked again when they are "released". All this equates to a repeat performance of the 2012 and 2015 disasters. The fishery deserves better than this !

 

Dave

Thank you for contributing such a great first post! Glad you're not just some troll who just signed up just because you had an agenda. Listen carefully...fisherman are allowed to KILL their legal limit of fish. Two fisherman in a boat can both KILL their legal limits of fish. Fisherman not fishing a tournament are still going to fish and KILL their limit of fish if they so desire. Fisherman fishing a tournament try NOT to KILL a single fish. Now, if you were a fish, would you rather be caught in a tournament or the weekend after???

[fishindevil]

The MNR probly now has all the proper documentation they need to shut this down for good !!! As well as the residents who live there .... There is a lot more than most of you think there is also members who sit on the lake steward committee as well as the MNR people and a biologist regardless the temps were too warm there were problems again as usual and that's why the hours and the change of fish limit was brought in at end of day on Saturday ..... Hopefully the gong show will end we will see as the ball is rolling

[fishindevil]

Thanks Dave !!! As you are well aware of all the facts too I was not going to try and explain all that but you did ... Thanks

"might be 20 years before it repeats"....??????? How about next year, when they plan on having a repeat performance in May, with lethal water temperatures? Anything above 12 degrees C and you're going to get mortality, regardless of all the other stressors that the fish are exposed to. Add to this the potential for 8 hours in a livewell that is anoxic and overcrowded (less than 13.5 liters per fish and you get substantial mortality), fish potentially getting bounced around if the surface conditions are rough, multiple thermal shocks throughout the entire day (anything more than a 2degreeC variance and you get substantial mortality), handling stress when being netted from live well, measured and handled by the judge (stressed again) , improperly held up to show the crowd, thermally shocked again, held in a crowded "release tank", then thermally shocked again when they are "released". All this equates to a repeat performance of the 2012 and 2015 disasters. The fishery deserves better than this !

 

Dave

[grimsbylander]

This "gong show" is no different than any one of the thousands of bass and walleye tournaments held every every year across Canada and the US. Terry's comment was right on. Make it a derby, kill all the fish and the short-sighted locals will be happy. Ridiculous.