now- before all of you jump on me- let me say this... I totally repect all of the club/team members of their ability and their sportsmanship in this contest. I have no logiacl "qualms" wiht your participation in the contest; I just want to put this idea out there for people to think about.....


here goes-

If you weren't vying for points (ultimately a victory) would each of you be keeping/killing the bass you weigh in for the tourney?? I know most all of us consider ourselves to be excellent stewards of the sport and the fish we have come to love- so is it worth killing THOUSANDS of pounds of large striped bass just so we have a shot "at the CUP"? I know theres a possiblity of prizes/cash/prestige on the line, but are we really willing to put all of the hard-won gains of this fishes' stock on the line for it?? Recently I read that the conseravtive estimate of the weight of the fish that "scored points" at the end of the year was in the vicnity of 5000 POUNDS of breeding stock bass..... not to mention the ones who were taken/weighed and ended up being "useless" as even bigger fish were in the money.....
season-long tournaments put an EXTREME amount of pressure on our fish that is relentless.... from April till September. with little/no emphasis on releasing "scoreable" fish, they biggest and best fish of each year ARE DOOMED as the best anglers along the coast now are (literally) HUNTING for them DAY IN AND DAY OUT.....

again- I have nothing but respect for you guys in the tournament, and I don't disagree with your "right" to fish in it..... certainly you've proven that you cna fish wiht the best striper guys on the entire coast(!) I just wanted to throw this idea out there for you all to think about..... perhaps to examine your motivations when you fish this year, and consider each (kept) fish a little more carefully.

thanks- Bob

Bob, I am with you on this one. I think the Striper Cup is an ill conceived contest. Let me see if I got this right...you fish all season and kill and register your fish, and then the winner of the boat is a name they draw out of a hat at the beer bash at the end of the season?? Is that about right?

I think The Fisherman Dream Boat contest is much better. Every week you get a listing of the leaders in the "magazine", and if you can't top the leaders and get "on the board", your fish can be released. At the end of the contest, the winner gets drawn from a bin that only has fishermen "on the board". And you don't need to be present to win, unlike On the Water. Also, The Fisherman lets you enter a fish if you subscribe to their magazine. There's no "entry fee" like On the Water charges.

Do you have any idea what a drop in the biomass bucket 5000 pounds is? Especially considering that a lot of guys fishing the OTW Cup are rod and reel commercials and those fish were going to market anyway.

A commercial can kill 95 bass/week 34" or better. A guy who limits out on a 20# per fish average kills almost a ton a week. One guy. The Mass commercial quota is a hair over a million pounds. 5000 pounds is 1/2 of 1% of what Mass commercials kill year after year, and probably a thousandth of the rec kill in this state alone. (which nobody really knows). A bunch of guys spread over 7 or more states kill 5000 pounds of bass over a 5 month tournament. And in your eyes, that's a slaughter? :huh:

And from your post, the part about guys "hunting" big bass day in and day out, I can see that you don't even have a clue about the rules--which allow one entrant to enter only one fish per week, and only count two fish for the tournament towards a club's total.

Obviously Mike they weren't aware of the statistics and overall damage that 5000lbs equals to.Not much in the big picture.Who's to say that most of the guys aren't keeping them on ice weighing them in then having bass for dinner.Personally I would.When put in the big picture it's not a slaughter at all.Where's that You tube video of that guy with the truck on the beach pulling his nets.That was a slaughter.

A. You just have to be registered to win the boat.

B. Commercially licensed fishermen should not be eligible to participate......but we have had this argument before.

C. All valid points Bob but to each his own I say!

I registered the first year and did not last year. I might this year......mostly because I like the pins you get for registering and a shot at winning a boat does not hurt! My plan when I entered the first season was to keep apprised of the standings as the season progressed and if I was lucky enough to catch a fish that might put me in the game......I would make that decision if and when the situation presented itself. I may register this year for the same 2 reasons I did the first year......the plan will be if I catch a trophy and I can release it with no problems......I will do that. If the fish has expired or is in tough shape ie it will not survive....in the box it goes and I will make the most of it.....weigh it in and have dinner! I only keep 2-3 fish in any season so I see no harm there.

PS- They update the website standings weekly....just like the Dream Boat/Fisherman contest.

yeah- now we're TALKIN'..... which is exactly what I wanted to get from the guys in the tourny.

I'm not "against" the tournament.... I just want people to stop and think about their motivations for keeping/killing fish..... and YEAH commercial guys should be excluded (but thats another discussion).

so ask yourself- "If it wasn't for this tournament- would I keep this fish?:huh:"

or in other words- how many die-hard catch 'n release guys are now keeping fish they normally would put back in the water:confused:?????

no personal attacks here- MikeP I actually do know the rules (I entered myself in the first year...)

just food for thought, thats all.:devil2:

all do respect and to each his own. for the life of me i do not understand the reverence paid to a fish. rarely a mention of disagreement with a limit catch of scup, tog, fluke, etc. but 1 bass raises issue! i don't give killing a fish a second thought. Art

Actually, I appreciate this discussion. The way the rules were initially written, we would not have submitted a team. Over time the rules were tweaked to be better and a lot more conservation minded. As far as Tourneys go, this one got pretty good (at least a lot better) as people spoke here and in many other places, and OTW listened and proved that by significantly reducing the potential amount of fish entered.

Once the rules were changed for the better I asked what those in the forum felt about S-B entering a team. The response was generally positive to enter the tournament.

When we did, we also selectively chose as a group to consider fish of only 30#s or better to weigh in as a team, Sure, we could have weighed in 17#ers but chose not to do so. Persoanlly, I could have entered some decent size fish but did not because of out little side rule and the fact that it likely wouldn't count in the end (and a 29#er from shore does not a 30 make). In a nut shell, I have kept zero extra fish in this tourney than I otherwise would have kept due to my self imposed 30# minimum. I probably kept a couple less fish over the year as I didn't want to drag TWO fish back to the truck :wall: (and wifey was a little tweaked that I did not bring home more fillets).

A lot of other clubs are factoring this 30# limit as well in the club tourney.

As for the amount of bass that S-B (or the whole tourney) would weigh in -v- the amount coming in if not for the tourney I don't think is significant. All of Team S-B's fish last year was LESS than the equivalent of a good 3 hour window of fish caught on Narragansett Bay, or ONE commercial Rod & Reeler's take in Mass in ONE day.

Simply put, the weigh-ins for this tourney as it is written now is not significant compared to single events that will happen countless times all over the coast on a multitude of days.

It could be even that with OTW's tightening of the rules that a better appreciation and understanding of Striped Bass conservation may have been made to the masses.

Well said, John. Like it or not however, the idea of keeping commercials out of this contest is impossible to enforce, even if that was the stated policy. There is NO WAY at present to tell if a person has a license to sell bass or not - unless he actually sells some, and then only varify-able long after the contest has ended (and the prizes awarded - what is OTW supposed to say? Gimme back the truck?!) when a list of those with commercial licenses may or may not be made available by the state. Think about it.

The state does not have a list of commercially licensed fishermen? I would think they do and that it is available to the public. If this is so then its just a matter of doing the cross checking to eject the comms from the tourney!:hidin:

Generally, I keep fish that are barely legal, 28" to 30", legal by State standards, but not legal by OTW rules. I would never embarass myself by weighing in a 14 lb bass anyway.

I personally don't eat large bass, as I think smaller bass taste better, BUT, I have enough people asking me for Striper steaks, that If I thought a fish had a chance to add points, it would not go uneaten.

I'm glad that this team fromS-B and others has chosen to choose a "higher path" by only keeping fish greater than 30lbs..... but how many fish less than 40lbs were "in the money" last year (or the year before)?? why not consider making your personal/team threshold 40lbs then??

(I'm gonna look back myself now and see if this is true or not, so don't crucify me for this..... again, I'm just wondering/asking how many fish died just for a "points value" that otherwise woulda lived :confused:

OK- I just looked at last years results, and the top 7 fish wer 40lbs or more, with positions 8-10 held by fish 37- to 40 pounds...... so I guess 30 or 35 pounds as a personal/team guideline is pretty reasonable...

I walk my dog every night. I live near the water. In 2-3 weeks I'll take a rod along and catch schoolies. 2-6 fish most nights. All will be released. Though I like to think otherwise, the best available science indicates 8% of those fish will die. Every one of those fish that die will be miss out on 15 -20 breeding cycles. I have not kept a striper in years, but I kill more than most people. The concern about keeping large fish has some validity only when discussing the "quality" of the fishery. ANYONE WHO LIKES TO FISH KILLS FISH. The less you kill, the better for yourself and others. Since we fish for different reasons it is shortsighted (and egocentric) to assume your reason and related value system is right, and someone else's is wrong.

I fish for fun and the table. If I catch a fish that might win something, then I enter it, but it was going to end up on the table anyway. If I worried about the well being of bass, then I wouldn't fish at all.

I think we all are concerned about the fishery......and most act accordingly. At least I think so? I do not agree with the mortality numbers George gave....I mean how do they really know that 8% of the fish we catch die? Do they follow them around? I mean really! Its just an educated "guess" at best. I catch many fish that you can see they have been caught before....yet there they are...being caught again? :fishin:

hey, bobber!

MikeP is spot on! big fish are gonna be killed, by comm's and rec's and googs. it's just that the tourneys document the kills. there are many a sharpie along the Striper Coast that never a certified scale see, and many BIG Bass that get skinned and filleted-up unbeknownst to fisheries mgmt. i think that fishing tournaments should be the least of your concern, but they are much easier to TARGET since their numbers are more readily available. 5000 lbs is as MikeP said, .5% of the Mass Comm kill per year.

another very GOOD aspect of the Striper Cup is that C&R is encouraged thru the Pounder Pins. you could still enter for those beauties, and they go up to 60#'s, if you so choose bobber.

and i have zero problem killing a big bass for a shot at some VS reels and a 1 in 5 shot at a Toyota Tundra!!! that's a no brainer within the rules and regs of the fisheries mgmt numbers. one striper a week is far less and most guys competing are responsible enuff to know that it takes a big FEESH to compete for the prizes.

all valid points- from everyone. I'm not trying to criticize anyone's values or C'nR practices.... just want those who are gonna participate in the contest to stop (even just for a SECOND) and examine whether or not the REALLY should retain any particular fish this season.....
I realize theres lotsa fish in the sea (so to speak) and many are gonna get caught/killed- tournament or no tourmanment-

just a philosophical aside (as we approach Earth Day?) that I think is worth considering.................:tooth: I hope you do too.

Bobber......it sounds as if you have an agenda? (Be it a good one....not being critical) but tell us about your fishing habits?

I only eat seal meat

I can't get myself to keep a bass since so many of mine are killed and eaten by those :cens: seals.

Numbskull is right :uhuh:

Bobber,

Being conscious of your actions and their impact on your surrounds is a positive thing. It’s also important when making the decision to enter or not that you keep things in perspective. With that said, the striper cup’s impact on the fishery is negligible, if non existent at best when you look at the actual landing data as it relates to the fishery as a whole.
As for commercials entering, the skill levels of people possessing a commercial license is as diverse as the non commercial people.
Simply possessing a commercial license doesn’t imply you’re a high liner by any means. No need to exclude them or anyone else.

With the above said I would still keep the large fish, although I release 95% of my fish every year.

Bobber - I see where you are coming from but I think we have this tournament reasonably figured out to fish in a responsible manner.

The impact that this tournament has is negligible and is far more conservation minded than when it was first unveiled. As far as Tournaments go, the Striper Cup, MDA/MS, and the Derby are my favorites. Unfortunately, these do not allow for safe release of fish.

If anglers didn't lie, there could probably be a Catch & Release tourney of this magnitude. Sadly that day won't come until pigs fly and PETA members start a carnivorous compound.

As well rounded anglers (not speaking of body shape) we should be concerned with the environment, concerned with the species, efficient with our practices, and foster good habits with future generations. If we modify our practices so that they are more conservative than the rules allow for I think we are doing a pretty good job. If we stay mindful of our actions and work with others that ordinarily would not we'll all be the better for it.

Some people are very strict 100% Catch & Release across all classes and I respect that. I'm about 99% C & R. But for those that use "killing fish" to push pure C & R on others should just quit fishing. The most competent anglers, fishing whatever size class, releasing everything, are still going to kill some fish. Facts.

That 8% mortality rate from Diodati's study is a good indicator. It could be even higher in more southern waters. With good ethics and practices, we as anglers can keep those numbers minimal.

If people really wanted to improve the fishery and sizeable fish, effort should be put into protecting the forage fish...

I agree with BOB, i was going to join but for the reason of wasting bass i didn't

I do not like tournaments.
The disastrous commercial fishery, aided and abetted by the Shaefer Cup type meat fishing tournaments of yester- year almost sunk this fishery. Do not you remember the LOUSY fishing of 1983-1989? Even the MV Bass and Bluefish Derby kept stripers out of their derby for three years.

I brag with a night phot, time delay exposure prior to release.
What have you done for your avocation today?

Bobber, I am curious...How many nice fish a week do you think the"good" fishermen in the tournament catch? I would guess at least 12, most commercials excluded. What do you think their level of effort is? As an individual contestant and team member I can honestly say that weighing in a fish under 40# is not worth the kill. I think most, if not all, contending teams/individuals realize this. What is it about taking a fish that bothers you? In honesty, I think much more about how much bait I go through than stripers I catch. Help me understand where you are coming from.

In two years, I haven't even weighed a fish in the tourney, simply because it wouldn't have stood up in the team's top ten... Not doing it for the pins. And regardless, it hasn't affected the number of fish I have chosen to keep. Those that keep beating the "kill" tournaments, as you call them, should spend some time chasing down the white bucket non-American fishermen who keep everything they catch, regardless of size or species..........

In two years, I haven't even weighed a fish in the tourney, simply because it wouldn't have stood up in the team's top ten.....


this is essentially my point of view..... I'm not criticizing anyone who wants to fish in the tournament. I've stated that over and over. This discussion was meant as an exercize of the mind for the guys in the tournament this year to (hopefully) re-evaluate each fish that is kept solely for its value in the contest. If you wanna keep a fish- thats fine. Enjoy it, have it mounted, whatever..... I'm just hoping its not dying just so it can go on the scales and then discarded/disregarded.

I have no other motives here- really. I'm trying to be more eco-concious (like most of us) and this is just another extension of that sentiment.

The one unspoken variable of Striper Cup bass is the commeraderie (how ever you spell it) factor. It has no worth in terms of money but it does have a lot of value when you have a bunch of guys working towards a common goal. I know for our club the Jersey Shore Surfcasters, it gives us unification and pulls us tight as we work together, I gues you can liken it to guys on Sunday's during football season getting together to watch a favorite team. I believe it is really the essence of the tournament. The fish are counted towards a unified common goal. Fish caught by comm-rec's are fish caught for one thing-profit. (I don't even want to broach that whole subject). I am just saying that the Cup fish have a different value for that reason.

Our club sets a minimum limit on our sizes based on past results, last year we we kept it around 28 pounds but know based on last year and the trend towards bigger fish we may stick it at around 33 pounds just so fish aren't killed in vain. To finish in the top 3 a club will prolly have 4-5 fish over 40, the rest high 30's.
But agian a fishes worth in this case fluctuates b/c it may have more meaning for one of the team members than it would an average Joe.
All in all I release 95% of my bass, the only ones I keep are Cup fish and table fare.
Just my .02.

Fishing is fun and very interesting. Be thankful.

I have some minor issues with the tourney personally but find it overall to be a good thing.

To me its always been about the individual experience of connecting with nature in mysterious ways not generally afforded in the work your life away hum and drum grind.

Hoisting a big trophy and proclaiming that this is what it is all about I cannot agree with but working as a team to obtain a goal while getting to fish is a very good thing imo.

So go get them S-B. com again! You all did a great job this past season!

this is essentially my point of view..... I'm not criticizing anyone who wants to fish in the tournament. I've stated that over and over. This discussion was meant as an exercize of the mind for the guys in the tournament this year to (hopefully) re-evaluate each fish that is kept solely for its value in the contest. If you wanna keep a fish- thats fine. Enjoy it, have it mounted, whatever..... I'm just hoping its not dying just so it can go on the scales and then discarded/disregarded.

I have no other motives here- really. I'm trying to be more eco-concious (like most of us) and this is just another extension of that sentiment.
I now get your point concerning taking fish to weigh and then dumpster. Agreed.

from the standpoint of keeping the resource as strong as possible

and i read your original post three times and saw no mention of the word slaughter... and your thought provoking ideas are good!

i once read something about one of the bass pro tournaments which is why
i'm posting...

and that was...despite all of the care and stress additives put in the water for the tournament fish ...after the tournament...was over..
the fresh water striped bass were known to be waiting for the release of the tourney fish and massacred them and ate most of them

because they were fairly lethargic at that point... from captivity.

List of commerical licenses is available at Mass Fish and Wildlife
website. When I compared the names on this list to the names
of the top winners of Striper Cup in 2006 I was disgusted. Any
team from outside Mass who thought they had a fair shake against
the two phoney teams from MV and Fall River are fools. At least
last year Striped-Bass and the New Jersey boys showed that the
Commercial "teams" could be beat. Suggest you take a look
at the commericial list published by Mass F&W to see whose names look familiar.

Hey we Jersey-ites sleep sound at night! (Good-bad who knows??) Most of us live by the rules.
That said, I understand, at least I like to think that...the "islanders" for years lived by their takes...Fair? Justifiable??....I just don't know...I am no judge, don't want to be. "An honest man's pillow is his peace of mind!"

no need to hijack, new thread

Can someone tell me why a weighed fish would go to waste, as long as it was on ice or something until you weigh it? They don't give them back??

Wish I could cull through my 95 fish a week haul and weigh the biggest for a tourney! I wish OTW would make that rule against comm's and enforce it!

I wish OTW would make that rule against comm's and enforce it!

Unfortunately the fact that S-B won the tournament last year, will actually hurt the chances of that rule being made....at least any time soon.

If a team of comms won the tourney 3-4 years in a row you may see them finally make this rule, but now they have the argument that a team of Non-Comm Surf Guys won the tourney as a basis for their case. In order for them to make this rule they will need to look at the tourney after a few years and see that the winning teams/individuals are really skewed to the Comm Side.

I'm guessing the "islanders" who won both the truck and the boat were pinhookers that entered fish into the contest..........

Wish I could cull through my 95 fish a week haul and weigh the biggest for a tourney! I wish OTW would make that rule against comm's and enforce it!

Don't you think that having a 40 pounder shore count as a 52 pounder boat kind of leveled the playing field last year? I could be wrong, but I think the NJ surf guys finished in second--in any event, no worse than third.

We didn't weigh in a single 50, but our ten fish total was over 500 points. The "shore handicap" is something I wouldn't trade even up for a ban on commercials. Our 40s are still going to be worth 48 points this year even with the lesser handicap.

And the Bass n Brew guys enter fish both before and after the commercial season. Their top gun won the September monthly the first year, I'm pretty sure.

Did they bitch about our 33% bonus? Maybe privately they did, but they went out there and fished their nuts off anyway without a peep on these forums, and they were gracious to us at the awards.

I think you guys hit it right on the head with the commericals in the tourney, the surf handicapp has helped a lot to level the playing field and I agree that there is no way they are going to do anything about it now that a team of surf guys won.

Of course people are going to take issue with a "kill" tournament and I think the reality is that people do in fact kill some fish that they otherwise would not if a tourney wans't on the line. As many have said though, it's nothing compared to the entire quota, etc. Personally, I would prob keep a real trophy fish anyway, tourny or not. that's just my preference.
and if it's a pin you're after, the do have a catch and release category for which they award pins.

Can someone tell me why a weighed fish would go to waste, as long as it was on ice or something until you weigh it? They don't give them back??

Seriously, I want to know. I have never weighed a fish for the cup.

To me it is just another thing to worry about at the end of the night.
It isn't really a moral thing, or ethical thing, just ain't my bag. I'm in two small fishing clubs. Both can be weighed and released as long as you have a witness, and the scale is testable w/in the club if there is a dispute.

I don't have to worry about getting a fish weighed for the cup, so it is just less of a hassle. I fish to fish, the rest is just details...

in the immortal words of The Dude "Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man. "

Can someone tell me why a weighed fish would go to waste, as long as it was on ice or something until you weigh it? They don't give them back??

some people kill fish just for feeding their egos...then rid of the fish after weighing by throwing it away in the trash....if that answers your question :huh:

MikeP expressed my viewpoint. This is a MULTI-STATE season long tourney that doesn't do the damage that 1/2 % of R&R comm fisherman do in a single state. It is a pretty conservation minded event.

The problem with the original post is that it implies that the taking of ANY fish for ANY reason is morally wrong. There is your extremest viewpoint.

I'm not sure how you can interpret the original post as "extremist" in any way..... I start by saying how I'm not getting down on the guys who legally/legitimately keep fish..... how is that "morally wrong"?


If you read and think about ALL the discussion here- you'd see that I meant this to be thought-provoking for like-minded people to think about as a new season is about to beign. If ya skipped past all the discussions and went right to the end- well, then ya missed it:hs:

tournaments are important for their own reasons - good competition and they tend to put to rest whos been telling the tall tales all seasons because everythings official. aside from tournament action however, wieghing a fish (unless it is unusually large/ a record breaker) unless you plan to eat it is probably the most foolish thing guys are doing. killing a fish just for the sake of having a "certified" 30 or so is rediculous thats what should be stopped

some people kill fish just for feeding their egos...then rid of the fish after weighing by throwing it away in the trash....if that answers your question :huh:

i guess it does. it never occurred to me that someone would do that.

Not for nothing but how many of the fish that any of us weighed in were not eaten. My one fish last year and the year before were both meals. Kept them on ice en route to M & D's, and again en route home.

Striper Cup or no Striper Cup, this thread is really about waste. You could apply the same question to fishermen in general and you would find the kill and subsequent waste does happen before the ink is even dry on the weight slip in some cases. Its unfortunate, but it does happen irregardless of the species, place, or time.

I guess your right Back Beach.... I'h just hoping people stip and think before taking a fish simply to have it weighed for the contest..... because killing a good-sized bass just for that reasosn would sure as hell be a waste....

Ok I'll bite, I don't think you guys are seeing this clearly. We have had this arguement before.

If a rec angler goes fishing say on Tuesday during comm season and checks OTW website and sees that the 5th place fish so far for the month is a 35 pounder than he can cull hundreds of fish before besting 35.

The Comm fisherman for that particular time of season does the same thing except that 29 of those fish that were 34" up to 35 pounders were put in the box.

There is no difference.

OK I'll Bite too......

Same scenario 35 lb'er listed on the OTW website....I catch a 36 lb'er and of course it goes on the the beach to be entered.....I keep fishing and get a 37 lb'er now of course I'm going to weigh that in instead so it too goes on the beach......

but now I keep fishing and get that 45 lb'er, but I already have 2 fish on the beach so this one has to go back, unless of course I have a comm license, now it too goes on the beach with the other 2....and I can keep fishing and putting'em on the beach behind me.

I think that is the culling advantage they are taliking about, not culling trhrough the C&R fish but being able to cull through the kept ones

Of course the comms have a distinct advantage and it is a little unfair, we'll see how it unfolds this year with the lower surf advantage.
Either way, if I landed a 3 fish from 35-45 pounds in one night, I would probably chit my pants!

Last bite, for this arguement will go on forever.

TDF, yes you are correct but that scenario I would ventrure to say would not happen too often. However, if it did we all know what would happen. It would be the same if a comm doubled up on the last fish of the day with 45 pounders.....the small one in the box would magically dissapear just like the small one on the beach.

People have to make thier own judgement call.

I can only speak for myself.....but the small one on the beach wouldn't magically disappear.....the 45 lb'er would get to swim away.

But thats me....

I can only speak for myself.....but the small one on the beach wouldn't magically disappear.....the 45 lb'er would get to swim away.

But thats me....

:claps:

Let me ask this again--how did Team SB finish in first place last year with something like 519 points, when no one entered a 50 pounder?

Do you really think that having a 40 pounder count for 52 points isn't a bigger advantage than being able to cull through 95 fish? Out of the 95 fish a commercial gets to box every week, how many 52s are going to be there? Chances are his biggest fish out of the mix is low 40s. Did you know that a legit 54 pound shore fish last year would be the equivalent of a boat caught 72, points-wise?

Even this year, our 40s are going to be the equivalent of a boat 48. That's still a big advantage.

I think OTW recognized that as a bigger advantage and that was probably the reason it was dropped to 1.2 this year.

I think that right now, since the tournament is relatively new they are a slave to the numbers. They are going to adjust after every season to try and make everybody happy (which we know will never happen). I'm sure in a couple of years when the surf caught are given 1.1 ratio and then the boat guys win by 100 points (probably because they just happened to have a great year, and nothing more) they will be dealing with a whole new set of issues to address with adjusting the ratio.

The only fair way to do it is split'em up Surf guys and Boat Guys...but that is a whole new can of worms

List of commerical licenses is available at Mass Fish and Wildlife
website. When I compared the names on this list to the names
of the top winners of Striper Cup in 2006 I was disgusted. Any
team from outside Mass who thought they had a fair shake against
the two phoney teams from MV and Fall River are fools. At least
last year Striped-Bass and the New Jersey boys showed that the
Commercial "teams" could be beat. Suggest you take a look
at the commericial list published by Mass F&W to see whose names look familiar.

Do you have a link?

Let me ask this again--how did Team SB finish in first place last year with something like 519 points, when no one entered a 50 pounder?

Do you really think that having a 40 pounder count for 52 points isn't a bigger advantage than being able to cull through 95 fish? Out of the 95 fish a commercial gets to box every week, how many 52s are going to be there? Chances are his biggest fish out of the mix is low 40s. Did you know that a legit 54 pound shore fish last year would be the equivalent of a boat caught 72, points-wise?

Even this year, our 40s are going to be the equivalent of a boat 48. That's still a big advantage.
Yup...Surf guys are never satisfied////:gorez::jump: