# AEP Bass Tournament May 15th 2010



## Networthy (Dec 22, 2008)

Mark Coomer Memorial Bass Classic
Tournament will be held at campsite "C" as it has for the last 28 years, it is a 5 fish tournament/biggest bass. Pay out is dependant on entrants, entry fee is $10.00. There is a rules meeting on Friday night, with a sponcer "schwag" give away.
More info to come, I am waiting on an email with entry form attachment. You can PM me if you are interested and I will send you an entry form, I am not sure how much space the entry form will take up, and unsure if the moderators will allow me to post it.
Thanks,
Garett


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## Networthy (Dec 22, 2008)

28th Annual Mark Coomer Memorial Bass Classic
May 15, 2010 - American Electric Power Recreation Lands - Cumberland, Ohio

Headquarters - Campground C (Signs will be posted)
ENTRY DEADLINE - May 7, 2010 (NO ENTRIES ACCEPTED AT AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER)

Enclose $10 entry fee with entry form below.
A portion of the entry fee will be donated to the Wapakoneta Area Community Foundation.


CUT HERE
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Entry Form 2010 MCMBC

Name:	______________________________________
Street:	______________________________________
City: ______________________________________
State/	_______________________Zip_____________
Mail To & Make Checks Payable To:
Gary P. Coomer
1831 Cheviot Hills Drive
Springfield, Ohio 45505

1.	Entry Fee $10 

2. Donation ________

Total ________



The Real Deal

1.	All Contestants will act in a sportsman-like manner, being courteous to all others in the recreation land, except other MCMBC contestants.
2.	Only Black Bass, Largemouth, Spotted and Smallmouth Bass of at least twelve inches (12) in length will count (mouth closed)(fish and contestant).
3.	No live or prepared baits will be allowed with the exception of pork baits.
4.	A prize will be awarded for big bass, plaques and prizes for most total weight. (1st, 2nd & 3rd places)
5.	The tournament will be a one-day event. Start time is 6:00 a.m. Weigh-in time will be 9:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) SHARP! No grace time allowed. (After 9:00 p.m. means no-fish accepted). The awards bash will begin immediately after the weigh-in.
6.	Any rule discrepancies or disagreements will be settled by a vote of the committee. 
7.	Sponsors may participate and are eligible for prizes.
8.	All ties in exact weight will be broken by the largest fish of each catch. If a tie still exists, a coin flip will determine the winner.
9.	Contestants may fish from a boat, bank or wade.
10.	All State and local laws (American Electric Power) must be observed, including boating laws (lifesavers, flag, license, etc.). Participants must secure free permits from American Electric Power, PO Box 328 McConnellsville, OH 43756, your local AEP office or www.aep.com/environmental/stewardship/recland/requestpermit.htm. 
11.	Completion of the application and payment of the application fee, certifies that I/we have read the Official Tournament Rules and Regulations and agree to hold harmless the sponsors and committee for injury and/or damage of any kind whatsoever in connection with the aforementioned tournament.

****	A drawing will be held on Friday May 14, 2010 at 9:00 p.m. of all entries received prior to May 7, 2010, to receive valuable prizes donated by our most gracious sponsors. Must be present to win.

Please visit our sponsors and buy their goods and services.

2010 Sponsors

Don Nichols - Wapakoneta Ron Rea - Delaware
Jim Ratliff - Risk Management  IN David Emrick - Liberty Township, OH Custom Transmission - St. Marys, OH U.W.U.A  David Williams - Wapak
Auglaize Embroidery  Wapakoneta Beer & Wine Depot  Wapakoneta
Phil Coomer - Springfield, OH Steve Meyers Service - Cridersville, OH 
Telephone Service Company  Wapak Wapakoneta Daily News Clint Webb  Belpre. Ohio
Backwater Baits


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## zaubern13 (Feb 28, 2010)

I also cross posted this to our site Ohio-kayak-fishing


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## TexasRigged (Feb 25, 2005)

It's sad how many big bass get harvested during this tournament. Some true monsters.


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## topwater (Dec 22, 2004)

there is usually one or two big fish per year. Its always a tough bite down there 2nd week of may and there are lots of 12" fish harvested but really very few limits even of those! If you don't believe me I'll send a pic of the board from a couple years ago. I think a total of 12 people weighed-in out of 60.. maybe 2 limits. not a big deal, and some would argue good for the fishery. Posting the tournament on here may change all that tho....


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## zaubern13 (Feb 28, 2010)

Having spoke with a friend on another site we have a major question. 

If we are starting a 6 am and the weigh-in is not until 9 PM how is one expected to keep the bass alive that long?

Are you promoting dead bass at the weigh-in?

There are better ways to do this and not lose all the wonderful bass in the AEP area, it is called "catch, photograph, and release". So instead awarding for the most weight the award will go to the longest fish. (need more info contact me)

a cloth tape and a retractable ruler are not good for measuring devices, look at something like the hawg trough (found at both Cabelas and Bass Pro shops).

Maybe have the weigh-in earlier, say 3-4 PM, look at other fishing contest and promote a responsible fishing program.


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## nitro1 (May 12, 2008)

The lake your planning this tournament at(campsite c) has a slot limit on it, no bass between 12 and 15 inches allowed kept. Therefore the smallest you could keep to weigh is more than 15 inches. I guess you didn't do your homework on this one. They will be checking your catch too.


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## zaubern13 (Feb 28, 2010)

nitro1 said:


> The lake your planning this tournament at(campsite c) has a slot limit on it, no bass between 12 and 15 inches allowed kept. Therefore the smallest you could keep to weigh is more than 15 inches. I guess you didn't do your homework on this one. They will be checking your catch too.


OK, I'm at a loss here. Nothing in the rules say you are fishing in one lake, the whole AEP area is open to fishing. Just how are they going to check our catch?More than one pond in the area has slot limits.

YOU did not answer the question, How do you plan on keeping the fish alive all day until 9 PM?

By the way I could keep 5, 10" bass for weigh-in.


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## TexasRigged (Feb 25, 2005)

That's the thing. They don't keep them alive. They all (like 70+ people last year) bring their fish back to camp and have a big fish fry after they're done. It's really sad. He's right that two years ago it was a really tough bite but it's not always a bad bite that weekend (I'm down that weekend every year, i've been to the weigh-ins) and some years there are hundreds of nice bass that get taken. 

I mean it's their legal right to do it if they want as tax paying citizens but they'll only have themselves to blame when their unsustainable methods catch up with them.


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## topwater (Dec 22, 2004)

lets think about this for a moment before anyone gets too riled up. 

First of all, I would bet that most anglers that have taken part in this invitational tournament are like me, in that they keep legal bass to eat only once or twice per year.

That being said...

The ODNR recommends harvesting 10 bass per acre in ohio ponds. There are more than 350 ponds and lakes and over 1500 acres of fishable water at AEP Rec Lands.

http://www.aep.com/environmental/recreation/recland/activities.aspx

Do the math and for healthy pond management according to your ODNR, that's 15,000 bass per year that should be harvested. 

Lets say every angler in this tourney caught their limit (never has and never will happen). Lets go with 100 anglers in the tourney (never has happened). thats 500 fish. Again, never would happen. I can also say with some certainty that people in this tournament like to get away from everybody else, so none of this pressure is concentrated on any particular bodies of water.

I cherish AEP as much as anybody and the last thing I would want to do is have a negative impact on the fishery. I do have to admit that I am concerned that this ever showed up on this site for that reason, and I hope the impact is minimal. I've done my research in order to make an informed decision on whether to participate, and the numbers that I cited above let me sleep like a baby at night.

And then there's the part where it's legal. So don't judge, just do your own thing as long as it does not hurt anyone else or break the law, find something worthwhile on which to focus your energy, and most importantly tight lines to all.


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## Mykidsr1 (Mar 19, 2009)

Disclaimer: This is all just personal opinion and not meant to offend anyone...



topwater said:


> That being said...
> 
> The ODNR recommends harvesting 10 bass per acre in ohio ponds. There are more than 350 ponds and lakes and over 1500 acres of fishable water at AEP Rec Lands.
> 
> ...


That being said that is still 10% of all bass that can be harvested from those ponds in just a matter of 13 hours. Wonder how many more bass are harvested in the other 8723 hours in the year.

On top of that.
1) Not all of the ponds in Recland hold bass.
2) Not all 350 ponds will be fished (my guess is they do not even touch a third of them)

On another note I do not believe anyone made any attacking comments but posted their opinions and suggestions on how the tournament can be improved or changed to better suit the fishery.

I am not trying to argue by any means just wanted to point out that the numbers were actually a bad thing to post......

A question does anyone keep actual track of the fish caught during this event? The true numbers would be a better judge as to if the area was being harmed or helped by the event. Not to mention I think it would just be interesting to know.

Either way like it was said there is nothing illegal about the event so gl and tight lines.


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## topwater (Dec 22, 2004)

you have very good and very valid points (although 500 is only 3.3 percent of 15000). I didn't think anyone was attacking (yet) but I've been on this site long enough to know this could quickly go downhill. And again, I'm only giving you my own personal justification and that's why I put out some numbers. Speaking of numbers, like I said earlier I took a picture of the board two years ago. Yes it was a tough bite that year but not far below average. 60 entrants, 12 anglers weighed in, *36* total fish


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## zaubern13 (Feb 28, 2010)

Here is a question. If I catch a nice 22" LMG at 6:30 AM and when I go to weigh him in 14.5 hours later, and he is dead; would he weigh more dead or when he was alive?

I'm not in to numbers of bass caught or kept, the AEP area has more than enough for everyone. 

If it is a bass I plan on eating then he will be on ice and cleaned well before 9 PM. If he is one of the five I plan on bringing to the weigh-in then I would like to put them back for others to catch after the weigh-in, which will hard to do if they kept any long period of time. I would hope that those brought to the weigh-in will be hawgs well over the slots limits if they are caught in a slot limit pond.


Why can't there be more than one weigh-in and maybe a leader board posted?


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## topwater (Dec 22, 2004)

Here's my and only my experience. I hang a nylon rope stringer with a bunch of plastic hooks off my float tube. I fish one or two ponds all day. My fish are in the water pretty much all day and actually alive at weigh in or at least until I get back to camp. I have caught fish early in the morning that did die before weigh in, not saying it doesn't happen. Don't know if they weigh more or less! I like your idea of multiple weigh ins and a leader board posted halfway through the day. I would also be in to the catch-measure-photo-release method. There is a committee that runs it that I'm sure would consider these suggestions and I would support it (I'm not on the committee).


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## zaubern13 (Feb 28, 2010)

Thanks for the reply. When I want bass to eat I fish for them to eat, if I'm in a tournament then I fish for bass to weigh-in. 15 hrs is long tournament.

It feels more like fish fry than a tournament, and there is nothing wrong with that, it is just not my cup of tea.

Best of luck to all who enter.


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## longhaulpointer (Mar 12, 2009)

i fished the aep ponds before and think that some of the bass should be taken out. The ponds seem to be overpopulated with small bass. I'm all for cpr, but when a pond is overpopulated its time to thin it out. With that said, keep the small ones and the send the bigguns back


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## Mykidsr1 (Mar 19, 2009)

topwater said:


> you have very good and very valid points (although 500 is only 3.3 percent of 15000). I didn't think anyone was attacking (yet) but I've been on this site long enough to know this could quickly go downhill. And again, I'm only giving you my own personal justification and that's why I put out some numbers. Speaking of numbers, like I said earlier I took a picture of the board two years ago. Yes it was a tough bite that year but not far below average. 60 entrants, 12 anglers weighed in, *36* total fish


Yea sorry about the calculation issue Im supposed to be working and was never good at multi tasking....lol Hard to believe that out of 60 people that only 36 fish were weighed in. Must have been a tough day out there. I think I was going on the fact that you (not personally) will only be fishing about of the third of the ponds in the AEP area that is where I got the 10% from.

GL with the event I am sure it will be a blast.

Also I was not saying that bass should not be harvested just wanted to be clear on that. But I do agree keep enough of the little one to eat and put the big ones back for the next angler. At least that has always been my philosophy. Not to mention the smaller ones are better eaters anyways...


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## FLT_TUBE_JNKY (Jun 6, 2006)

Here is the real question, what stops joe local from entering and bringing that 6lber he caught last week and has been keeping alive in his swiming pool? Myself and other(aep tuber assoc) do 2 tournys there a year, we are partnered up and given a pond to fish that way all fish are legit. We go by length and award points based on that, then the fish is released after a photo is taken.


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## TexasRigged (Feb 25, 2005)

Exactly. When I asked one of the anglers of the tournament last year why they didn't use a similar system he told me it would encourage cheating. What's keeping someone from driving an hour away to their favorite farm pond and catching the big ones they know are there? No one would know the difference.


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## Networthy (Dec 22, 2008)

There is a "polygraph" details can be discussed at rules meeting the night before. I have fished this tournament for several years, and won it 4 years in a row and I don't believe that I ever weighed in over 14 lbs. But, that being said I have caught a 6 and a 7, that are at the taxidermist. 
This is a fun tournament where commoradory and getting away from home to enjoy the outdoors are the biggest catch.
Please, don't ransack this thread with negative posts, I posted it only to hope to grab a few guys that were allready going to be there that weekend, so I could meet other OGFers and enjoy a frosty can of golden deliciousness, and talk fishing.


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## dre (Aug 14, 2009)

If ony it was being held the weekend of May 22nd. I was planning on going down there that weekend, would have been perfect. Can't make it the 15th. I'm hooked on float tubing in those ponds and may have discovered some hidden gems!


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## Networthy (Dec 22, 2008)

That stinks it would have been great to meet you. I can't get enough of AEP I always have a good time there, sometimes I just drive around looking for new fishing spots, and easier ways to get to lakes I already fish.


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## Rainer Wolf (Apr 11, 2004)

wish i could go...been years since i used to get stuck trailering my boat and walk a few miles looking for a tractor with a friendly farmer to tow me out. Been wanting to go there a lot lately. My big livewell will keep a limit kicking for 15hrs 4 sure too..."toho rig"....way more room than standard boat livewells. i'd keep a ready to go weigh station open the whole tourny...Good luck, have fun, let us know how it turns out.


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## Networthy (Dec 22, 2008)

Thanks, and I will let you know. The friendly farmer trick is a great way to find some great honey holes. I met a great friend about 8 years ago in a similar way. He has shown me some of his best lakes on AEP property, and provided me with a great hunting/fishing cabin where I have been graced with many beautiful weekends in total seclusion. 
Unfortunately, he recently moved on to fish in the big pond in the sky.
Austin Stoops, 4/26/2010, you will be missed.


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## Networthy (Dec 22, 2008)

sorry that I haven't posted sooner, if I had done better I probably would have, lol. The winning weight was around 13 1/2#s. Big fish was 6.4#s. I got skunked, and fished my butt off. I only saw one fish(a cruiser) that was about 2.5lbs, and caught 3 under 12". The bluegill were everywhere and would explode on the top of the water as my lure went over them. I saw a couple of schools of small fry,bluegill, Would be my guess. Methods used were, top water(bass bird,modified woodchopper, cranks, creature baits, and spinner baits, I may have thrown a Senko too, but it really didn't matter. The fish were either negative or non-existant, idk.


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