i realize that many tournaments have a catch and release category, but you cant use those towards winning the big prizes. im not sure if this has been discussed before but why dont tournaments such as OTW and other big derbys allow for one to weigh and picture their own fish so that it can be released. i know this sounds way off the wall, but if tournaments are trusting that you entered the shore division category and are catching and weighing fish only from the shore, why cant they trust one to accurately weigh a fish himself and take a picture and measurements? i mean, many of the serious surf guys that are bringing in the big bass to the scales are the ones that own and carry a boga grip and some sort of camera... if the boga grip was IGFA certified, why not allow for this? it has been forecasted by many on this site that striped bass are in serious trouble and are being overlooked as far as regulations go, wouldn't this perhaps be a good idea? what are you thoughts on this.....


mike

I voted no, too many variables, but a "no, too many variables and too many cheaters" would have been better.

Without a standardized process, people will screw up. "The mark looks like it's just over 39.75 pounds, so we'll just call it a 40lber."

In a perfect world, people would be honest. In a sport where recreational sizes grow exponentially based on how many times someone's told the story, add money and prizes to the mix and any shreds of honesty fly quickly out the window.

I voted no, too many variables, but a "no, too many variables and too many cheaters" would have been better.

Without a standardized process, people will screw up. "The mark looks like it's just over 39.75 pounds, so we'll just call it a 40lber."

In a perfect world, people would be honest. In a sport where recreational sizes grow exponentially based on how many times someone's told the story, add money and prizes to the mix and any shreds of honesty fly quickly out the window.


Ditto to all the above and more.

seriously?

there are rumors of cheating all over the place already. any tournament (other than maybe a club tournament amongst friends / aquaintences) would be a mess if that was allowed.

Unfortunately, with the great prizes that OTW offer I think cheating would definitely happen. Bummer, but unfortunately it is probably the truth.

I voted no, too many variables, but a "no, too many variables and too many cheaters" would have been better.

Without a standardized process, people will screw up. "The mark looks like it's just over 39.75 pounds, so we'll just call it a 40lber."

In a perfect world, people would be honest. In a sport where recreational sizes grow exponentially based on how many times someone's told the story, add money and prizes to the mix and any shreds of honesty fly quickly out the window.

seriously?

there are rumors of cheating all over the place already. any tournament (other than maybe a club tournament amongst friends / aquaintences) would be a mess if that was allowed.

There's everything wrong with it right there......

yeah, too much on the line to trust people with actually reporting a weight!

guess it was big time wishful thinking on my part. it would be awesome catching a big fish and be rewarded for releasing it back into the water to continue to spawn in years to come. i figured i would get the responses posted already, as that is what i believe would be the case too. just wish it wasn't always the case.

People cheat to get their names on a trophy.

To win a $35,000 truck? :doh:

i realize that many tournaments have a catch and release category, but you cant use those towards winning the big prizes. im not sure if this has been discussed before but why dont tournaments such as OTW and other big derbys allow for one to weigh and picture their own fish so that it can be released. i know this sounds way off the wall, but if tournaments are trusting that you entered the shore division category and are catching and weighing fish only from the shore, why cant they trust one to accurately weigh a fish himself and take a picture and measurements? i mean, many of the serious surf guys that are bringing in the big bass to the scales are the ones that own and carry a boga grip and some sort of camera... if the boga grip was IGFA certified, why not allow for this? it has been forecasted by many on this site that striped bass are in serious trouble and are being overlooked as far as regulations go, wouldn't this perhaps be a good idea? what are you thoughts on this.....


mike

Maybe because the simple act of weighing a big girl on one of those scales has a 90% probability of killing it? Even if the fish swims away it will most likely suffer internal injuries that will eventually kill it. You can't hang big fish up by the mouth and not expect to do some internal damage.

Unless you weigh fish at a central, monitored location, you might as well forget scales all together and just ask people how big the fish was.

An honest fisherman isn't that an oxymoron ?

Maybe because the simple act of weighing a big girl on one of those scales has a 90% probability of killing it? Even if the fish swims away it will most likely suffer internal injuries that will eventually kill it. You can't hang big fish up by the mouth and not expect to do some internal damage.


nice point mike i didnt think of that.

Maybe because the simple act of weighing a big girl on one of those scales has a 90% probability of killing it? Even if the fish swims away it will most likely suffer internal injuries that will eventually kill it. You can't hang big fish up by the mouth and not expect to do some internal damage.


I think that is still up for debate. If that was true every large bass that was lip gaffed, held up by gill cover, or just held vertically would be dead. More study is needed before I'm convinced of that.

Our club has a policy that fish can be weighed in the field so they do not have to be brought dead to a weigh station. This has worked well for us but then again we're not giving away trucks or boats to the winners.

DZ

Yes, but would never work... too many cheaters.

Our club has a policy that fish can be weighed in the field so they do not have to be brought dead to a weigh station. This has worked well for us but then again we're not giving away trucks or boats to the winners.
DZ

And thats why I'm only in NCSWFC and 'Gansett. Both have this option.