This blog is about how the WI DNR has set unreasonable and unscientific restrictions on the Bassmaster Elite Tournament coming up in Green Bay. This is about the worst decision I’ve seen. In LaCrosse they got to fish a 60 mile stretch, in Green Bay it’s only part of the Bay.
BASS is not a Happy Camper
Ummmmm… Who cares? I read it. Did I miss something?
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Ummmmm… Who cares? I read it. Did I miss something?
Obviously.
Oh excuse me, do tell Bassmaster, what did I miss?
OMG! A BC sighting! 
What you missed is that there are folks that like other kinds of fish other then Muskies. I know that’s hard to swallow, but true.
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What you missed is that there are folks that like other kinds of fish other then Muskies. I know that’s hard to swallow, but true.
Got that. But what I don’t understand is that if I had a world class fishery for giant smallmouth, why in the hell would I want anyone to know about it? If “aassmaster” is truly a fisherman, then why would he want his spot broadcast on national TV? I am sorry, but I would be like yeah, only 4 pounders here, move along… Tourism is never worth killing a fishery.
I’ve only fished tournaments on Lakes like Mille Lacs and smaller. On these bigger bodies of water what would be an average long run from farthest spot to weigh in be? To be more specific, how many miles away from the weigh in would you feel comfortable being knowing you need to get back.
DT
Maybe a little more prior planning would have helped. 
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What you missed is that there are folks that like other kinds of fish other then Muskies. I know that’s hard to swallow, but true.
Got that. But what I don’t understand is that if I had a world class fishery for giant smallmouth, why in the hell would I want anyone to know about it? If “aassmaster” is truly a fisherman, then why would he want his spot broadcast on national TV? I am sorry, but I would be like yeah, only 4 pounders here, move along… Tourism is never worth killing a fishery.
Ya green bay is a secret smallie spot. I am sure glad that now the bassmasters event will not let everyone in on the secret. The hotspot would be dead in a few weeks once everyone knew about it 
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Maybe a little more prior planning would have helped.
That was also my first inclination, but I don’t know the details. Who got the permit? When, was the area discussed? Was the event discussed? But known of this really matters since the DNR doesn’t appear to want to budge.
Maybe the ELITE anglers, showing everybody how they can catch these BASS in even a little bitty box, will boost tourism more, than saying “we caught them in GB”…. 
nobody takes care of fish better than an elite angler…..??? Sounds like the “self imposed” elite title fits, in more ways than one 
Not sure why everyone is getting all worked up….that is a huge chunk of water (I know that not all of it is good water…) but how many people fish the tournament? There is a LOT of water there. The DNR shouldn’t have made a boundary…this makes the state look like a bunch of party poopers. Bet in 2013 they won’t be coming back
Just a wild guess here….but do you think the dnr limited the range where these bass tournament guys can fish might have something to do with the size of the waves that could occur should the wind blow on tournament day?
And the effect those waves might have on bass mortality rates?
I’m not sure there ever was a live well built that can keep fish alive for a 60 mile ride through 6′ waves.
Sounds like common sense to me!
I believe Joel hit it on the head…
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I believe Joel hit it on the head…
But they’re elite fisherman…??? 
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Just a wild guess here….but do you think the dnr limited the range where these bass tournament guys can fish might have something to do with the size of the waves that could occur should the wind blow on tournament day?
And the effect those waves might have on bass mortality rates?I’m not sure there ever was a live well built that can keep fish alive for a 60 mile ride through 6′ waves.
Sounds like common sense to me!
One thing is sure – More fish would survive after a 60 mile ride in 6 ft waves than would if they took a fillet knife to them – Which by the way the law fully allows them to. I have attended a few bass tourneys under the conditions above and you would be surprised how many bass survive. The thing to remember is that there are a ton of local and regional events held on this body of water each year. They have not seemed to have done much damage to the fishery – So I’m sure this one would not either. Oh well to me it is a silly decision by silly people – Just another place that the major tourneys will not return – Along with Minnesota. I am sure they have a lot of other locations that would love to have them and are more willing to work with them than against them. So I guess its to both Wisconsin and Minnesota in the future.
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Just a wild guess here….but do you think the dnr limited the range where these bass tournament guys can fish might have something to do with the size of the waves that could occur should the wind blow on tournament day?
And the effect those waves might have on bass mortality rates?I’m not sure there ever was a live well built that can keep fish alive for a 60 mile ride through 6′ waves.
Sounds like common sense to me!
? for you here Joel – Who do you think kills more fish in a years time? – A professional Bass fisherman or a Professional Fishing Guide ? 
I love when guys that never fish for bass, routinely try to be clever by using terms like “grass carp”, and spend countless hours bitching about AIS rules are suddenly great stewards of the resource because a smallmouth 500 miles away might have a rough day.
This is about as dumb as Ford vs. Chevy
also;
their – belonging to
they’re – conjunction referring to “they are”
there – In, at, or to that place or position
If “aassmaster” is truly…
…and there goes any credibility in your argument.
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This is about as dumb as Ford vs. Chevy
Great, now you have gone and brought Big G into this conversation because you forgot Dodge 
“Tourism is never worth killing a fishery”
How many people go to lotw that are not local I have to doubt that lotw is slowly dieing off because of tourism
This is what happens when an agency such as the WDNR is run by politicians and not scientists. To boot, the WDNR has proven over the years to be anti-tournament and tournament anglers. We are continually treated poorly by the WDNR. The decision to limit the waters BASS Elite guys can fish is no surprise here.
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This is what happens when an agency such as the WDNR is run by politicians and not scientists. To boot, the WDNR has proven over the years to be anti-tournament and tournament anglers. We are continually treated poorly by the WDNR. The decision to limit the waters BASS Elite guys can fish is no surprise here.
Thanks, this pretty much sums it up.
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Oh excuse me, do tell Bassmaster, what did I miss?
Classy.
I am growing tired of all the ever growing self righteous opinions on this board. A guy can’t post a picture, or tell about how they caught a limit and brought it home, a guide say how his clients have done very well, then asked for pictures. Upon posting pictures then being bashed for wiping out the fishery. I can see this useless banter during the winter when most need something to do, but now during summer how about we keep our negative crap to ourselves and go out and fish, but don’t tell anyone how you did because that will surely rile someone up.
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OMG! A BC sighting!
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This is what happens when an agency such as the WDNR is run by politicians and not scientists. To boot, the WDNR has proven over the years to be anti-tournament and tournament anglers. We are continually treated poorly by the WDNR. The decision to limit the waters BASS Elite guys can fish is no surprise here.
Don’t you guys in WI have the conservation congress? You have the power to change it 
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To boot, the WDNR has proven over the years to be anti-tournament and tournament anglers. We are continually treated poorly by the WDNR. The decision to limit the waters BASS Elite guys can fish is no surprise here.
You have a very, very short memory. It wasn’t very long ago at all that the WDNR made an exception specifically for bass tournaments on the Mississippi, allowing them to cull fish during tournaments while the general public had to obey this law.
That doesn’t sound anti-tournament to me. That sounds like an exception specifically for bass tournaments.
I acknowledge not having a horse in this race and I am more pro-tournament than not as a rule. I also realize that some mortality is going to occur for all fishermen. Not just bass fishermen.
It’s nothing personal at all, but to me, this rule does make sense. Sorry if you bass guys don’t agree.
I guess in the end, the guys who fish this tournament can whine about it, or they can go out and make the best of it.
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