Are most BASS tourneys going to CPR or CWR formats? Seems like that would be the way to go across the board, no reason to keep fish in a livewell to be released later anymore.
I think this will be the future of most fishing tournaments, regardless of species. It has been this way for muskie tournaments forever, and its now catching on in walleye competition too. Its probably only a matter of time too in most bass events.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>BigWerm wrote:</div>
Are most BASS tourneys going to CPR or CWR formats? Seems like that would be the way to go across the board, no reason to keep fish in a livewell to be released later anymore.I think this will be the future of most fishing tournaments, regardless of species. It has been this way for muskie tournaments forever, and its now catching on in walleye competition too. Its probably only a matter of time too in most <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>bass events.
I think so too – although there are certain tournaments where the angler can keep one fish over a certain size for the weigh in. They still love to get the hero shot on stage with all the sponsors on their jerseys…
…and the groupies go wild lol ~
“Anybody see the blackfish derby results… the 3 over 6 is Impressive, but 18 over 5 on a 100 boat tourney on a lake like Minnetonka is not all that impressive. The # of 5lb. fish showing up in tourneys on that lake has been falling each year.”
I was really shocked to see three 6 pounders caught… I watch the tournament results there from time to time and I think I’ve only seen one other 6 pound fish in recent years. I also agree 18 five pounders isn’t that high for a big lake known for bass in Minnesota. That’s why I rarely fish there even though I live 15 minutes away. Tend to find a higher percentage of bigger fish in the surrounding lakes that aren’t big enough for tournament pressure.
Yeah I think holding the fish in a livewell all day and then releasing it after qeigh in is a terrible thing to do. Especially in the summer heat. But thats obviously arguable. I also frown upon it for the guys that do it for photos. Especially being illegal in mn
Especially being illegal in mn
I think that law changed last year. You can cull now so technically keeping fish in the livewell and then later releasing them isn’t illegal anymore. Not saying I think people should be doing it though, especially in this heat.
DeMontreville is one of my favorite East Metro Lakes. I’ve fished it 3 times this year and have caught 7 bass over 15 inches with the largest at 19 inches. Two years ago I caught a 21 1/2 inch bass out of the lake. Last year I got a number of big bass including three 19 inch bass. I used to use crankbaits but now I mainly use Senkos. At least 90% of the time. You can pretty much forget fishing there on the weekends because the lot fills up fast and there are plenty of jet skis, wave runners, speedboats etc.
DeMontreville is one of my favorite East Metro Lakes. I’ve fished it 3 times this year and have caught 7 bass over 15 inches with the largest at 19 inches. Two years ago I caught a 21 1/2 inch bass out of the lake. Last year I got a number of big bass including three 19 inch bass. I used to use crankbaits but now I mainly use Senkos. At least 90% of the time. You can pretty much forget fishing there on the weekends because the lot fills up fast and there are plenty of jet skis, wave runners, speedboats etc.
It was 10x better 5-7 years ago unfortunately.
Here is my take. Most, #NotAll, lakes change over time in terms of fish size and overall population. Some lakes seem to be more stable than others. This change can be due to any number of factors. Sometimes the size and quantity get better and sometimes it gets worse. Tournament pressure is most probably a more minor factor than people make it out to be in terms of fish size and overall population. But fishing pressure will definitely change fish behavior making them harder to catch and pin down as they get warier. The larger the lake the harder it is to get a grasp on because the fish have too many alternative places they might be. We all love it when a lake is on the upswing. It sucks when a lake takes a significant turn for the worse. Even if you are out on a system every day doesn’t mean you have a good feel for what is going on unless you consistently have the same results and they are mostly successful. It’s a lot easier to gauge a system where the fishing is easy than on one where it’s more difficult to get bit day to day.
I agree with tournaments not being real helpful. My son and a partner fished Whitefish last Sunday in a high school SATT event. 200 hundred boats with 2 anglers a boat. Only 750 Bass were caught. 37 boats didn’t land a bass over 12in. We managed a couple. I don’t know if it’s the heat or the fishing pressure or the too many contestants. I have to watch them fish Mille Lacs next Sunday. Don’t expect great numbers other than a select few. Smaller lakes seem to give a better chance at a whopper. That’s my 2 cents.
A 200 boat field is highly atypical for most any bass tournament in MN. However, if MN kids hope to compete in National competition’s down South you can’t be intimidated by big water and the size of the field you are fishing against. Hope they learned something and had fun.
Well I guess there a few of the big girls left in that lake.
SR
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Anyone thought about the fact that with so many tourneys that bass are being taken from their original home, driven all the way across the lake, stressed, and then released after weigh in in a completely different part of the lake. I think, (no science here) that they would spend hours to days trying to recuperate. They would find nearest cover and sit. When do they move?, where do they move to?, do they go home or relocate?
I don’t see many dead bass on shoreline so bass anglers are doing a pretty good job of livewell management. I just say this because many of the spots I normally pick up “bigger” fish are not so great anymore. I do find bigger fish in totally random spots, often with no smaller fish around. Just a thought.
Yeah, that St. Lawrence tournament really has to make you wonder. Bass get released 80 miles from where they are caught. Could be as the fish eventually move towards their wintering spots in the Fall they retrace their migratory path and end up back where they started. But that may take weeks/months or maybe never…
SLR might actually be better suited for the long distance release since it’s a river system and they move a lot to begin with, compared to some large lakes/reservoirs that they likely reside in a smaller area.
Tell me the spots where you used to catch big bass and I’ll take my dive gear and check it out for you…
Our 2020 & 2021 Canada trips got cancelled; so this year we went to Rainy Lake for 5 days. We had a guide so we could not fish Canadian water. Fishing US side was real tough. We caught some nice fish but trip was overall disappointing compared to what we are used to in Canada.
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