# Weekly tournaments at Wingfoot?...Really!?...



## Triton20X (Apr 11, 2008)

Got wind the other day that someone is planning on holding weekly bass tournaments at Wingfoot on Thursdays this coming year.

Come on, is this really necessary out there? The place is so small and receives so much pressure to begin with. I don't have a problem with a tournament or two per month but every week is just too much for that place.

You have Weds. at Portage, Weds. at Nimisila and Thurs. at Berlin. How much more could you possibly want? If I had bass in my bathtub someone would want a weekly tournament there!

Go ahead and do it guys. In two years you'll be the first ones complaining about how tough the fishing is and wondering what happened.
Could a 1000+ acre lake sustain it? Probably. Can the glorified pond known as Wingfoot? I doubt it.

Time to call the District 3 office and voice some concern.


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## Nipididdee (Apr 19, 2004)

First my caveat- I am not the group running this weekly event, nor do I endorse whoever is planning these next year.

But...my question- why shouldn't tournament anglers be afforded the same access to recreation as say non-tournament anglers?

"Pressure" is a manmade term. 

"Overharvest" is not, whether by legal catches or post event mortality. 

*All* anglers will kill or keep some fish- I doubt 20-30 teams once a week comes even close to the amount of harvesting legally done by others during the day, especially at Ohio's newest and very popular park.

If events are co-oridnated properly, permits acquired, fish handled well and consideration of others as group is made... shouldn't be a problem in my eyes.

Choices are good for anglers. Tournament bass fishing is a very positive sport. One could choose to not participate I guess.

If we could blame tournament anglers for the lack of success can we also take the credit for where fishing in NE Ohio is excellent?


nip


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## Nitro_boy (Apr 1, 2005)

Nipididdee said:


> First my caveat- I am not the group running this weekly event, nor do I endorse whoever is planning these next year.
> 
> But...my question- why shouldn't tournament anglers be afforded the same access to recreation as say non-tournament anglers?
> 
> ...



Sorry I think you are completely wrong.


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## Iraqvet (Aug 27, 2009)

As long as it is not a weekend event,I dont think it should be to bad...I have never been there,but from what I gathered online it said it was a 444 acre lake??..That does not seem very big at all..I would suggest an alternating schedule..Like 10 guys one week,then another 10 the next week,and just keep a point system..I would think a weekly tourny would get old kinda fast though..I also think if the declines rapidly,fingers will be pointed..Nipididdee,I cant agree that bass tourny's make the fishing here great..That comes down to ALL taxpaying fisherman who use the outdoors as a resource..That does not include the poachers and other bad people...Besides,we all know the bass fishing here is substandard compared to the south,where most of the attention goes..


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## kprice (May 23, 2009)

Tournaments once a week at wingfoot will make the fishing pretty tough for "recreational" anglers


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## firstflight111 (May 22, 2008)

Triton20X said:


> Got wind the other day that someone is planning on holding weekly bass tournaments at Wingfoot on Thursdays this coming year.
> 
> Come on, is this really necessary out there? The place is so small and receives so much pressure to begin with. I don't have a problem with a tournament or two per month but every week is just too much for that place.
> 
> ...


really so you saying you dont fish any tournament?????.. what about the little guy?????? ...i fisht there i like it ...so berlin is my home lake i should protest every tournament on there ....no fish it and be happy


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## Gsxrfanim (Sep 28, 2009)

Springfield Lake is only 220 or so acres and they have been holding some very good tournaments out there. And its unlimited horsepower.
At least Wingfoot has a HP limit so that its not hectic with people running all over the place and beating others to their favorite spots.
I believe I caught wind of this last year and it could be the folks that were putting on the Springfield Thursday nighters.
As close as the two fisheries are to each other, how interesting would it be to have a Thursday night club or event on both lakes. Alternating week by week and experiencing the different patterns throughout the season. In a two weeks time you could be searching for fish in other parts instead of going to your favorite hole week in and week out.
Another plus, you can have a 19 ft, 200 HP bass boat on both lakes.
If any of you guys read about fisheries over in Japan, those lakes are so pressured that they (the fisherman) come up with new ideas and techniques to catch the fish. And even California Lakes. Thats why all the new techniques have been coming from Japan and the West Coast.
We just need to be more challenged on the water. I look forward to the challenge of fishing in the same spots that others have just gone through and not catch a thing then coming up behind them and trying to hook one up with a different approach.
Man am I getting Cabin Fever


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## thelatrobe33 (May 19, 2008)

I'm not a fan of this for sure, but it is 1 day a week. That leaves 6 other days for the rest of us. I can see 20 lb. sacks coming out of there weekly for a few months. If I had my way I'd be able to pick a lake and there'd be nobody else on it, but that's a fantasy.


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## Iraqvet (Aug 27, 2009)

Well,the tourny should be held for sport,not an organized pillage of the lake...I think most tourny's do try and keep the fish alive for release and the majority of people dont eat bass...In order to preserve the lake,maybe they can institute a catch and release policy,along with only allowing boats that have livewells to ensure the fish survive til released after weigh in??..


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## PapawSmith (Feb 13, 2007)

kprice said:


> Tournaments once a week at wingfoot will make the fishing pretty tough for "recreational" anglers


I have to disagree. It's us tourney guys that provide the Bass all of their much needed exercise to facilitate a pleasurable and adventurous angling experience for the recreational guys. This is a service we provide dutifully and diligently, without prejudice towards the Largemouth, Spotted, or Smallmouth species, and with courageous indifference to even the harshest weather conditions. And we provide this service totally free of charge. Your welcome.


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## Triton20X (Apr 11, 2008)

Gsxrfanim said:


> Springfield Lake is only 220 or so acres and they have been holding some very good tournaments out there. And its unlimited horsepower.
> At least Wingfoot has a HP limit so that its not hectic with people running all over the place and beating others to their favorite spots.
> I believe I caught wind of this last year and it could be the folks that were putting on the Springfield Thursday nighters.
> As close as the two fisheries are to each other, how interesting would it be to have a Thursday night club or event on both lakes. Alternating week by week and experiencing the different patterns throughout the season. In a two weeks time you could be searching for fish in other parts instead of going to your favorite hole week in and week out.
> ...


Correct me if I'm wrong, Springfield went from 17lb. bags winning early to 6lb bags by the end of the year. 20 boats on Springfield or Wingfoot tearing up the prime stuff weekly (what little there is!) and practicing to boot is just way too much in my opinion.


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## Triton20X (Apr 11, 2008)

firstflight111 said:


> really so you saying you dont fish any tournament?????.. what about the little guy?????? ...i fisht there i like it ...so berlin is my home lake i should protest every tournament on there ....no fish it and be happy


I fish lots of tournaments. My point is sustainabilty. 20 boats on a Thursday on a 3300 acre lake like Berlin is a little different than 20 boats on 440 acre Wingfoot.
It will make a difference over time.


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## dmills4124 (Apr 9, 2008)

Yah thats right blame the bad bad fishing on the tourniment fisherman who return the bass to the lake in better health than when they were caught. Yep 6 or 8 hours a week will really deprive everyone else the opportunity to fish the same time or the remaining 160 to 162 hours that are left after they are done fishing each tourni. Thats 24 guys in 12 to 14 boats. Oh how are the bass healthier, because of the conditioned water in the live wells. Ice to cool the water and add to the stability of the oxygen in the well for the fish and the STAY ALIVE, CATCH AND RELEASE and Rejuvinate that is baught each season that cleans the parasites off the fish and in general make them healthier. These products do some good things like remove ammonia from the water and they also have a chellation medicine to remove heavey metals like lead, mercury, cadmium and pesticides from the fish. Not to menchin the concentrated protectants to help wound healing and infection provention. I know not all anglers use additives but those of us who do make a differance. The fish are returned to the lakes better than when they came out the majority of the time. When you are on the water as much as we are we see a lot of non tourni people taking home what they shouldnt. Over limit undersized fish by the bucketfuls. I've seen pictures on here with so called 10lb bass that were returned to the lake right after the pictures, Only prob with the pic was the kitchen curtains were in the background. Adds dought.
Now that I'm done ragging on the anti tourni haters let me make a blanket invitation for those who dont like tournis to come down and watch or even participate in one to see who we are and how it all works. In theory anyway. 
thats my two and a half cents worth.
later ya'll
donm


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## Nipididdee (Apr 19, 2004)

> If we could blame tournament anglers for the lack of success can we also take the credit for where fishing in NE Ohio is excellent?


This was a redundant question imploring the fact ALL anglers (taxpayers someone referred to) play a role.

If bass anglers are to blame for the harm..then why can't we be credited for them when things are good?

I heard similar stuff about Mosquito when events became more prolific or the release site was questioned. I have especially heard it at LaDO! events through the last 11 seasons.

The recent years number crunching of ODNR shocks, angler surveys and event results can't deny these lakes are in thriving periods for recruitment.

No doubt overharvest of any kind can negatively impact the fishing. 

But "pressure" (I argue this every winter ) is just a word recognized by those who accept this enemy, they fall in place 2nd through the rest of the field...

http://dobass.com/live/together.html

http://dobass.com/THEENEMY.html

nip


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## Cull'in (Nov 21, 2005)

Coming from a guy who's fished just about every NE Ohio tournament event imaginable and would probably consider fishing a tournament or two at the 'Foot,
I'd be just as happy if Wingfoot was left out of the rotation of the weekly circuits.

Just a personal opinon.

If anybody tries it at Moggy we're gonna fight!


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## Nipididdee (Apr 19, 2004)

Thats a bassocrite if I ever heard it 

Moggies will be Mondays and Tuesdays with every third thursday thrown in...


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## fakebait (Jun 18, 2006)

Please help me understand these tournaments. Is this a bunch of guys meeting up once a week to fish against each other or is this for cash, prizes, or some other type of award. Who throws these tounaments together and do they have to notify the lakes governing body of their intent to use the lake for said purpose. I think some clarity of what these tourneys are would help people understand what the issue is. Can someone take an unemotional approach to help some of us understand what these tourneys represent and what all is involved.


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## crg (Dec 7, 2006)

im not hating on the tourneys but how can tourney anglers actually believe they they are putting the fish back healthier than before?????? You rip a hook into its mouth, put it is a livewell for hours, then move to a plastic bag and wait for a weigh in. all the stress the fish went through and you think its healthier after you caught it and hauled it around for 6-8 hrs, what a joke. im not a tourney angler, but have considered fishing them and if a had a boat i probally would.




If anybody tries it at Moggy we're gonna fight!

CULLN i got your back


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## Nipididdee (Apr 19, 2004)

There are two types of events fakebait....

One- everyone (guys gals kids) shows up with an entry fee and gives the director to hold to eventually be redistributed to Culln'- we all look in awe, shake his hand, then talk about him behind his back.

The other type is just a giant fish fry. About three or four folks work a cleaning board while everyone brings their legal limit of 5 fish per angler and then we all eat.

CRG- In the first type of event I have indeed saved the lives of many bass by having caught them- as an organiztion we have extended the lives of thousands.

nip


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## Iraqvet (Aug 27, 2009)

Nip,while I know your trying to help convince people these tournies are good, I dont think your being fully honest...I think many people,myself included,would be against the fish fry deal..That really woud be considered a "vulture" like act in my opinion..Who cares about the guys eating their legal limit..Nothing stops them from comming back to get their limit outside the tourny..The problem is its an organized fish kill..I dont think the average person targets bass for food,so I think that style tourny HURTS the lake and robs other people of fish...And who ensures the fish dont get wasted??..I know in my area food banks or the salvation army dont take any fish from people..Also,have you ever rode in a livewell in a boat thats doing 30+ miles an hour??..Cant be all that great in any chop...And,even in major tournies where axtra steps are taken to keep the fish alive,there are still some that dont make it..So saying what you said,seems like a lie you try to get the simpletons to believe..I know that since your on the inside,instead of the outside looking in,you may have brain washed yourself...I am not against catch and release fishing events as long as they dont interupt the general public...But please,dont try and pass off stuff that is far from the truth..It does the sport no good when people try to lie about the facts..


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## dmills4124 (Apr 9, 2008)

If all these tourni's are so hard on the bass and the lakes population why do they keep catching fish week after week if all those in livewells are being killed or injured so badley. Must be tens of thousands of fish killed by these tournis each season. No sence in any of us buying chemicals or boats with live wells that have baffles to cut down on the chop. No matter what we say or do the haters are going to hate the anglers are going waste their money trying to improove the quallity of the bass species.
later ya'll
donm


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## Nipididdee (Apr 19, 2004)

Why can't I have a fish fry? What's a livewell?

No brainwashing here...just science, mortality studies and number crunching.

If 400,000 people a year visit Wingfoot (http://www.ohio.com/news/112145329.html) - say just 1% catch and rightfully keep a bass. They will by far harvest more bass (4,000) than a year long weekly series would with the WORST organizational care.

Even in scenerio #2 say it's just a phenominal year- 20 weekly teams bring a limit each event - thats 100 fish a week- 400 fish a month during a typical 7month season - thats 2,800...

The fish fry is sounding more appealing all the time!

Properly treated fish can and do benefit from being caught. Unproperly cared for fish often result in premature death. Fish that are eaten don't stand a chance...and that's fine too. http://dobass.com/live/together.html

Say the event hit a respectable 90% post event survival 48 hours post release (this is in the typical scenerio#1 where we give Culln' his money)- we are definately beating the numbers of a fish fry. 

Say we improve the health of another 20% that were released... we just did more good than harm even at a mere 90% post event mortality measure.

But tournament anglers are not allowed to ever take any credit...only the blame. It's a common anglers "enemy" - sometimes I wanna strangle tournament anglers too 

BTW- I have presented to the DOW that specific organizational care of fish should be mandated in order for groups to obtain permits. Mid March- tournament organizers and the fish management guys will again meet and discuss regulations of the future. 

I plan to add in just one fish fry a month...  gotcha


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## Triton20X (Apr 11, 2008)

My problem is not with tournaments but rather the size of the body of water. In case you haven't noticed Wingfoot is small!

Given it's size (440 acres) and assuming it's a healthy, thriving fishery, the largemouth population would number 3500 to 4000 total fish.

In a fair to phenominal year, 20 teams fishing for 7 months would bring 1400 to 2800 fish to weigh in alone! It's not a reach to say almost half of Wingfoot's total bass population would be caught and relocated on the Thursday nighters.
Using Nip's numbers you could then count on around 200 of those fish dying.

Releasing large numbers of bass in a small area like is done at boat ramps and marinas hosting a lot of tournaments can overcrowd an area, putting strain on the food the bass eat. Crowding can lead to spread of diseases. So the long term effects of catch and release can be bad for an area. 

Delayed mortality of bass often hides the real numbers of fish that die. Bass that are stressed by being hooked, fought, landed, placed in a live well, ridden around in a boat then taken out, put in a bag, dumped on scales then dumped back into the lake may be alive when they hit the water but die hours or even days later. 

The science behind catch and release is somewhat questionable. About half the 12 inch long bass in a big lake will not survive the next year of their life, regardless of fishing pressure. Nature takes care of them.

Heavy fishing pressure on a *small body of water* can hurt populations. It's not a question of "if" but rather by "how much".


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## Iraqvet (Aug 27, 2009)

dmills4124 said:


> If all these tourni's are so hard on the bass and the lakes population why do they keep catching fish week after week if all those in livewells are being killed or injured so badley. Must be tens of thousands of fish killed by these tournis each season. No sence in any of us buying chemicals or boats with live wells that have baffles to cut down on the chop. No matter what we say or do the haters are going to hate the anglers are going waste their money trying to improove the quallity of the bass species.
> later ya'll
> donm


Sorry,I aint gonna try and play into making this an arguement like you want..You can say I am a hater,but thats laughable..Your trying to say I think every fish dies,which I am not..I am saying there some that do,which is an undeniable fact..As far as the chemical stuff,it sounds hyped to me..I think you were the one saying you were wasting money..I agree with Triton..Having one on a 440 acre lake is overkill...And his numbers seem more realistic..


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## Nipididdee (Apr 19, 2004)

Oh my... the passion!

A fish fry it is!!! lol

That was just such a terrible hodgepodge of misinformation Triton you ought to have your BASS subscription suspended.


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## Iraqvet (Aug 27, 2009)

Nipididdee said:


> Oh my... the passion!
> 
> A fish fry it is!!! lol
> 
> That was just such a terrible hodgepodge of misinformation Triton you ought to have your BASS subscription suspended.


Your starting to make yourself look alittle bad cause of your attitude to be honest...Try a fish fry every weekend and see how real sportsmen deal with the the tourny events there..I am sure you guys would become unwelcome quit quickly..On top of that,you wanna throw an extra 20-30 boats on a lake thats 200 acres smaller then a square mile??..Now the recreational guys have to battle for fishing spots cause of the tourny guys..Maybe Joe Shmoe only has certain days out of the week to fish,and now its even harder cause a group of guys feel they have to have a tourny there just cause its a body of water??..So who is more imprtant,the tourny angler,or the recreational one??..I am gonna take a stab at your answer and say the tourny angler??...How man places does Dobass hold tournys at???..Quite a few according to the website..


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## BigBag (Jan 11, 2009)

Nip, I have fished your Opens, as well as lots of other larger tournament trails, I have to strongly disagree about the fish being healthier at the end of the day than before they were caught..... Chemicals are great, but I know what a day in livewell does for fish, especially big fish.

Dont take Iraqvets Bass subscription away so quick..... Just read my new Bass Times, Gene Gilliland has an article in there that everyone on this thread should read. It is on the ethics of tournaments on lakes, and it goes into the sizes of the lakes..... Not much of an impact on 111,000 acre Sam Rayburn, but down the road there is a 1,500 acre lake that tournament fishing has proven to hurt.... His article states that a smaller body of water may not be able to replace fish lost to tournaments quickly enough... Not just tournaments, but natural mortality, and legal harvest is included in there, but Tournaments are the unnatural X factor... after all, people have been harvesting and eating fish since the begining of time.

Anyhow, not looking for a argument, but this is a must read article for everyone. At the end he actually states that as individuals, we need to step up and self monitor ourselves and our tournament practices before the states step in and does it for us. Gene is a profesional, and well respected in his field of work, I have always enjoyed his points of views because he has a lot of science behind his talk.


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## Nipididdee (Apr 19, 2004)

Slow down a little Iraq- you really should read the entire thread. 

Of course DoBass would never have a fish fry event... I thought I kinda already poked your rib on that...


> BTW- I have presented to the DOW that specific organizational care of fish should be mandated in order for groups to obtain permits. Mid March- tournament organizers and the fish management guys will again meet and discuss regulations of the future.
> 
> I plan to add in just one fish fry a month... gotcha


Many are familiar with me and particular the DoBass organization...and for those who didn't see the start of the thread...


> First my caveat- I am not the group running this weekly event, nor do I endorse whoever is planning these next year


My argument is simply... we could do more harm than good as bass groups in general, but we don't- it's usually boils down to perception of the beholder and throw in a little misinformation...it's an easy enemy.

Further- if as bass anglers we are always the problem that exisits within a fishery...why then can we also not be a part of the solution when things are good.

Mosquito and LaDue are prime examples as we heard MANY of these same arguments 10 years ago...and now, the fisheries are in a top notch cycle.

We are running 26 events total in 2011 to answer you. All by the book and with the most exceptional fish care proceedures around- we hope to set an example for groups such as those going to Wingfoot in order to preserve the prosperity of the fishery. As well, provide a positive forum for all recreationalist using the lake without interference.

Right there with you BigBag- and I certaintly don't argue the fact overharvesting of anykind - especially on smaller bodies of water- can negatively impact a fishery...IraqVet doesnt have a subscription - he's just learning about all this stuff....now Triton20X on the other hand 



> At the end he actually states that as individuals, we need to step up and self monitor ourselves and our tournament practices before the states step in and does it for us


I would like to see the State indeed step in and require proper organizational requirements.

In no way do I argue that all fish are healthier at the end of the day than before they were caught- I do argue some are- and some die- and some die post event as a result- but most live and some benefit....


> Properly treated fish can and do benefit from being caught. Unproperly cared for fish often result in premature death. Fish that are eaten don't stand a chance...and that's fine too. http://dobass.com/live/together.html
> 
> Say the event hit a respectable 90% post event survival 48 hours post release (this is in the typical scenerio#1 where we give Culln' his money)- we are definately beating the numbers of a fish fry.
> 
> Say we improve the health of another 20% that were released... we just did more good than harm even at a mere 90% post event mortality measure.


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## Wow (May 17, 2010)

It's a real stretch to pretend that 20-30 teams or 40-60 anglers, fishing an organized event once a week, on a 440 acre lake is good for the fish. LOL! Once a month sounds reasonable, considering you can fish it any time you want anyway. ...And this hater nonsense is a two way street, all it is, is paranoia. --Tim...............................................................................................................................................................................


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## Iraqvet (Aug 27, 2009)

BigBag said:


> Nip, I have fished your Opens, as well as lots of other larger tournament trails, I have to strongly disagree about the fish being healthier at the end of the day than before they were caught..... Chemicals are great, but I know what a day in livewell does for fish, especially big fish.
> 
> Dont take Iraqvets Bass subscription away so quick..... Just read my new Bass Times, Gene Gilliland has an article in there that everyone on this thread should read. It is on the ethics of tournaments on lakes, and it goes into the sizes of the lakes..... Not much of an impact on 111,000 acre Sam Rayburn, but down the road there is a 1,500 acre lake that tournament fishing has proven to hurt.... His article states that a smaller body of water may not be able to replace fish lost to tournaments quickly enough... Not just tournaments, but natural mortality, and legal harvest is included in there, but Tournaments are the unnatural X factor... after all, people have been harvesting and eating fish since the begining of time.
> 
> Anyhow, not looking for a argument, but this is a must read article for everyone. At the end he actually states that as individuals, we need to step up and self monitor ourselves and our tournament practices before the states step in and does it for us. Gene is a profesional, and well respected in his field of work, I have always enjoyed his points of views because he has a lot of science behind his talk.


BigBag,I think your opinion is a very honest eye opener...If you read down,you will see I am not against all tournys..But when it comes to weekly ones at small lakes,and ones that consistently end with a fish fry,then yes,I will be against them..Some people live in a world where they ignore facts about the truth,or turn a blind eye to it..Almost like how women turn a blind eye to being beat cause they just think thats how marriage is...Nip I think you dont give non tourny guys enough credit for using our common sense..I think the jig is up on alot of what you say about tournys...


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## Iraqvet (Aug 27, 2009)

Nipididdee said:


> Slow down a little Iraq- you really should read the entire thread.
> 
> Of course DoBass would never have a fish fry event... I thought I kinda already poked your rib on that...
> 
> ...


Ok,then the fish fry is out and I wont bring it up again..I can see where the challenge,and the competition would be fun..Along with meeting friends and having a good time during the event..I get all that..And no,I would not be mad at a few dead fish out of 100 that were weighed and released...Do I believe you know more about bassin then me??..No doubt lol..I am just saying at the end of the day,facts should not be bypassed...


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## Nipididdee (Apr 19, 2004)

ROTFLOL.... 

Iraq you bring the tarter sauce...

I give all kinds of credit to all outdoorspeople- I've made WAY more friends with bank anlgers while tourney fishn' than makin' friends from the participants...believe that 

lolololol


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## Triton20X (Apr 11, 2008)

Nipididdee said:


> Mosquito and LaDue are prime examples as we heard MANY of these same arguments 10 years ago...and now, the fisheries are in a top notch cycle.
> QUOTE]
> 
> Mosqiuto...3200 acres
> ...


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## Gsxrfanim (Sep 28, 2009)

Nipididdee said:


> ROTFLOL....
> 
> Iraq you bring the tarter sauce...
> 
> ...


Probably because the bank anglers are wanting in your boat. I know thats what I am thinking when I am shore fishing...
One of these days though I will catch the right person to partner up with.


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## Deerehunter03 (Sep 7, 2006)

As for mortality... its gonna happen be it by recreation or tourney's. What about the recreational angler that accidentally hooks a bass deep and it starts bleeding and is floating on the top and dies. Is it any different from a tourney angle who has the same thing happen to them? the answer is no the fish still dies it was no ones fault it just happens. Mortality cant be avoided and its gonna happen. Tourney anglers want to see bass live just as much as the next guy cuz that 3 lber that they just realized could be caught by them the next time and be the winning fish.

Another example A recreation angler goes out for a day of fishing catches a pile of blue gill and 4 keeper bass. The take them home for dinner that night. 2 days later there is a tourney on the same lake 20 boats. 50 bass are caught and released 4 die. Which fish had a better chance of living? i would say the bass that were released.

Im not saying there is a right or wrong answer to the problem or either side is wrong. just how i feel


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## BigBag (Jan 11, 2009)

You are right on that, there is no right or wrong side. Everyone just has to work together to come up with a management plan that works for the lake and all individuals. Afterall, this is a public lake, so all parties, regardless of Tournament Angler, Bank Angler, Non-Tournament Boat Angler....Whoever you may be... you need to be fit into this management plan somehow. I have to give credit though, this is a very touchy subject, and yet this thread has remained pretty tame. It is great to hear both sides of a topic without it getting nasty and shut down.


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## bass pro (Mar 16, 2009)

why cant the tournament guys have a judge on each boat with the same exact weighing scales to weight the fish when caught and then release them on the spot. that will save stress on fish and MAYBE keep the few fish that die on the way back to the scales alive. i would like to do tourneys but dont have a boat YET but i do a lot of bank fishing now. its just a suggestion. good fishing to all when it comes


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## qpan13 (May 30, 2010)

bass pro said:


> why cant the tournament guys have a judge on each boat with the same exact weighing scales to weight the fish when caught and then release them on the spot. that will save stress on fish and MAYBE keep the few fish that die on the way back to the scales alive. i would like to do tourneys but dont have a boat YET but i do a lot of bank fishing now. its just a suggestion. good fishing to all when it comes


That would definitely be nice!


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## fakebait (Jun 18, 2006)

I asked some simple questions and got blah blah and more blah. Using a public resourse for ones own profit is no different than selling fish or game. If you do not pay to use a resource, what gives anyone the right to use public property to benifit their own gain. Why does the DNR let this happen without any guidance from them. If I want to have a gathering at a state or local park I need a picnic pavilion I must rent one to pay for upkeep and maintanance. Do these tourneys pay anything for use of the resourced? Please if you want to have a discussion about these Tournaments a full discloser of how they are operated and who profits from said tourneys would be advisable otherwise it appears your trying to take advantage of the public for your own personal gains. I have fished some tournaments in Pa. that took a percent of entries fees and used them for habitat improvements working under the guidance of the PA fish Commission on the lakes that the tourney was held on. Please help me understand.


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## lotaluck (Dec 17, 2009)

I too would prefer not to see any tournys at wingfoot, but for my own selfish reasons. I have a strong feeling we will be hearing from nip again after fakebait's last entry. I know I would not want to put in all of the work it takes to hold a tourny without any compensation but I do believe nips are 100% payback. Not bad for a tourny that is run as well as his.


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## fakebait (Jun 18, 2006)

I just want to say I do not have a dog in this hunt. The idea of discusions is to weed out fact from fiction so everyone has a clear view of the topic. If at times the questions that are asked is hard to answer well be it. I fish Ladue and they hold alot of tourneys there. I still catch my fair share of quality bass when I'm targeting them. So with that being said it is up to the tourney organizer to handle how ever the state allows it and if the state has no problem with it, well who I'm I to say different. I do understand the promoters of these tourneys may or may not make a profit and may just do it to because that it is their passion. My hats off to them. Just lay your cards on the table, this group can tell what's right and they will let you know if something is a good or bad Idea. Trust the members opinions!


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## Nipididdee (Apr 19, 2004)

> I too would prefer not to see any tournys at wingfoot, but for my own selfish reasons


That's the most honest answer I have ever heard lotaluck- plus 2 pounds for your team 

I really didn't try to give you the blah blah blah fakebait- I even tried without emotion as requested and tuned it up for ya with a touch of humor to attempt a point 

I'm goona hijack the thread temporarily towards your questions and I can only speak for my organization....

The tournaments began in 2001 as an element of an outdoors education program I co-ordinated for at risk youths. My full time trade is that of a juvie PO. The success of fishing as a "hook" if you will, into these lives developed into a passion for me to change the paradigms that tournaments played within this region. 

I didn't like some of what I was a part of- so I did something. http://www.dobass.com/ABOUT.html

As things evolved through the years and away from the initial program, it turned into a second job with more work hours than a primary job and more headaches than two jobs combined.
http://www.cleveland.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2010/04/bass_anglers_get_a_charge_out.html

Indeed it's a business that pays taxes, is insured and managed. No different than say outdoor guides or most any kind of service, industry or sales related to the outdoors. 

The DOW regulates our special events via permits and we maintain a positive relationship to provide for our data, input on future regulations and practices and most importantly... a positive prosocial outdoors atmosphere for not just our group- but all recreationalist during our visit to the particular venue. A tremendous amount of time, effort and planning goes into each event.

It's not always perfect but we sure jump through many hoops to pull it off at 98% success. As with most anything in life, it's always that 2% that brings most of the work- whether it be dealings within the angling group-keeping those not in the group happy with us or the Murphy's Law that is inherent to any business.

As the guy who always tries to do the right things I am all for additional SOUND management practices and organizational mandates for permits, especially for groups who visit any lake on a weekly schedule.

I get very frustrated when I see poorly run events that tarnishes not just the tournament angler image to others, but also indeed results in high initial and post tournament mortality rate percentages.

With all that said- I hope the group running the weeklies at Wingfoot is prepared for this. It will take a HUGE amount of effort for it to be successful for the anglers, others and the prosperity of the fishery.

If they think they are goona show up with a set of scales and run bags of fish back into the water...they might wanna rethink :C

nip


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

just stirring the pot, so to speak, but i feel that triton has some skewed views, mainly because of seasonal changes. they said that pressure to fish caused the decline in weights at the springfield tournament. I would also like to say/mention, from a by standard that did not fish these events but have talked to people who have, that the fishing may have become more difficult due to the factors that include, but are not limited to:
1. fall turnover
2. movement of bait away from structure
3. shorter fishing windows due to light restrictions
4. cooling water temperatures
5. the top teams who had previously weighed in larger bags not fishing
I do not believe that added tournament pressure caused this... maybe just the enemy?
http://www.dobass.com/THEENEMY.html


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## legendaryyaj (Nov 1, 2005)

I'm glad I got to enjoy Wingfoot before most people did. Lot's of memories in one season.

20 boats on Wingfoot for a tournament is going to be a circus.


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

from what i have seen on the internet there were tournaments already last year. 




nice sacks of fish too


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## Cull'in (Nov 21, 2005)

I guess for me it all boils down to where the better payout is gonna be on Thursdays, Springfield or Wingfoot? :T


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

From my perspective, the tournament bass fishermen are 50-50. 
50% are out there for the sheer thrill(and enjoyment!) of setting the hook on a nice LM. The other 50% are out there for the rush of running a rocket boat w/ a 200+ HP outboard with just the cavitation plate in the water! A small percentage of each group is all abt. the money. Fishing Wingfoot should render the second 50% out of the equation since they will not, ever, be running those big engines on that lake-perhaps only a 1-2 MPH electric trolling motor. If I targeted bass, and if owned a $40K(?) bass boat, I wouldn't take it to Wft.


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## Buick Riviera (Jul 15, 2007)

My own opinion is the the Ohio DNR has to be much more active in regulating tournaments and the number of tournaments allowed per lake. Other states (Pennsylvania comes to mind) require each tournament (large or small) to have a permit and the number of permits per lake over a given period of time are limited. Some times they aren't permitted at all (Memorial Day weekend for example) so that parking lots and ramps don't become the exclusive domain of bass fishermen.

This allows reasonable regulation on a per lake basis and the permit fees sustain the program and may allow some extra to put back into the resource through stocking or other fish management. 

Purely from personal observation, the fish handling of many of the Portage tournaments are terrible. If you think for a minute it is on the sophisticated scale of a FLW or Elite tournament you are sadly mistaken. Unless you think dry bags, dry weighing and some kid carrying a fish to the dock and throwing it in (after dropping it a couple times on the way to the water) is the way to do things.

Buick


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## Whaler (Nov 16, 2004)

It's easy to see why these "Pros" would like to have weekly tournaments on Wingfoot. There are a lot of Bass in this lake and many good sized ones. With gas prices going through the roof it is more cost effective to fish close to home rather than run all over the region.


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## twocentser (Jan 14, 2011)

I know for fact that Phil Hillman ay District 3 HQ has provided a permit for these tournies. As far as fish care, they are the same procedures that a number of bass clubs have used for *years. CAtch and release is the key. Ray Scott pointed us in that direction many years ago. Boats, er probably more like 12 to 16. How many are there on a week day anyhow?*


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## freighthauler (Jan 23, 2011)

tournaments on wingfoot,how absurd! i'm sure that some of that lot also think of themselves professional hunters,and would be right proud of themselves for shooting a buck whithin city limits,what's next,grampas farm pond? it's got big bass,'course,i don't think you'll get many bass boats on there.


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