You made the reference - you are always making the reference.

You are generally taking a shot at someone or trying to stir the pot for your own amusement or satisfaction. I might be wrong but that is how it has seemed over the years up until the last time you got the boot here. And when it is isn't you taking shots at others it is the mean cruel moderators censoring your grand free speech. Frankly its old and it ends soon. Learn to play nice or play somewhere else.

Are you serious????

I like competition always have always will. In light of recent events I would not participate going forward. Not that I'm a strong contributor anyhow. I'm all in for getting our 4 leg tourney back up and running. But like luds would be amazed if we fielded a team next year.
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No

totally agree with a lot of what has been posted here. I think the comms guys taking it over really hurt it, although I agree it is well within their rights to do so. Maybe its fun for those guys, but IMO it has taken the fun out of it for the "average" fisherman.

Some of the best "tournaments" are the friendly ones that clubs have and I agree we should try and do more of those types of things on this site, understanding that its tough to get dates nailed down in season...

^ Most of the regulars on Team S-B have comm licenses too as did I when I fished it. I don't see it as a huge advantage for any one team.

The only additional smoothing out OTW could do for the team competition is make it one fish per angler towards the total.

As for the other stuff there's big prizes, thus big incentives, for folks to bend and/or break the rules. Without enforceable guidelines for the weigh stations its too easy for someone to cheat.

I wouldn't mind seeing OTW or some other entity doing a strictly C&R tourney going forward. Not only would it keep them in the spotlight, but I think it would also paint them in a more favorable light with the more conservation minded anglers. It may not be as popular as the current format, but there would still be some sponsors who would get involved. People could keep fish if they wanted to, but those of us who would rather release them would still be able to get in on prizes.

:lurk:

:grins: Some guys take the internet way too seriously.

Can't happen. Big prize C&R tournaments won't work. If you think there's cheating now---and there is---you ain't seen nuttin' yet, if someone ever puts in a big prize C&R tournament.

I realize it couldn't be done on the scale it's done now, but there are some pretty big C&R tourneys that do ok. It would have to be more about the competition than about the prizes. As for the cheating, that's always going to happen no matter how hard anyone tries to eliminate it.

Not saying it's good or bad, but once OTW openly allowed "commercial anglers" to participate they opened up Pandora's Box, and you can't "put the genie back in the bottle" now!

I had entered the first 2 years and stopped. It just wasn't worth it.
(Same reason I canceled my subscription to the magazine.)

After they bounced around from venue to venue, from year to year, changing sponsors from year to year, it definitely looks like OTW and Stripercup will soon be cruising off into the sunset as a good idea that couldn't maintain their fan base.

When they started moving further and further south, and kept change the beer sponsors, they completely lost my interest.

Oh well, at least there will be plenty of ice fishing derbies to look forward to this winter!!!

I have a com lic and fish com. Those who know me can tell u that im fishing no matter what. For those that think com guys have a advantage thats just plain dumb. How is it that most of the monthly winners caught their fish recreationaly. Its all about luck. The people that fish MORE have a better chance of going large. DANGLES Whats up with all the DRAMMMMA.

Exactly my point. Out of the 477 fish taken in this I would guess that pretty close to that number would have been taken home anyway. Most fisherman keep big bass. Just the way it is. Almost every weekend angler that gets into fish is coming home with a limit in the box. I dont think the tourney elevates those numbers that much in the grand scheme of things.

One things for sure...when you involve humans and put a "price" on any animals head, it will only lead to over harvesting and waste of that particular species. Did you think folks thought the Buffalo were near extinction in the 1800s when they used to shoot them for fun? I think by the time we realize the effects that tourneys like OTW Striper Cup have on the population of large fish it will be way too late. Im not a scientist but believe common sense rules...you take large fish out of the water it no doubt has an effect on the population and future successful spawning years.Not trying to "holy roll" but I let 99% of my fish swim because of this reason. Like Mark Twain said, "History doesn't repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme".

I believe the whole "the commercial guys have an unfair advantage" is way overblown.

Case in point:

This summer my Dad hit a big fish (53) with one of his charters. Good fish, and there were more bigs around as they had a very good week.

The next day was open for Mass commercial, so I took the boat as I normally do if he's not booked. I ran 60 miles to chatham - 3 hours each way, a very long run instead of fishing a place in my backyard where I knew I had a very good shot a serious cow. Why??? Because I was playing for total pounds, not looking for glory, and to weigh a fish for some stupid cup. It was a heck of a lot more productive for me to target lots of legal fish than take the time to go CowHunting for a couple of bigs.

Mass Commercial only lasted 17 days last year - couple the limited days available with a little thought about the actual goals when someone is commercial fishing (total pounds for the available day) and you might just come to the conclusion that the commercial license doesn't have much impact on this tournament.

For the record, I don't currently and never have fished this tournament.

I don't have a problem with the tournament itself, if you choose to fish it and enjoy it - Great.

I just think tournaments in general have a tendency to turn good guys into A-holes, and A-holes into slanderous jerks.

"How is it that most of the monthly winners caught their fish recreationaly."

because comm season doesn't even last a month, it's impossible for less monthly winners to be recreationally caught.

That and they don't have a division for sunfish of course.

:laughs:

I just must have missed the repent and reconcile thread......:gh:

I'm gonna weigh in a 15 pounder tomorrow.
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A Brazilian Hamburger?

THANK YOU TO A C&R FISHERMAN!
 

Picture is a fatty 41" fish 27-4. The mouth had a healed chronic thru laceration of the jaw. Probably somebody's previous fish hook injury. Your kind C&R allowed me to have a similarly fine C&R experience with a nice fish that made my nite. Despite what the "commercials" say, these are tough fish and they survive.

2nd Pic is a 38" fish, healthy enough to suck in my eel and fight well-- it probably survived a seal, and probably not very long before I C&R'd it.

I do certainly like the consensus direction this Threadhas taken re what is really important here...and that is the preservation and the protection of the opportunity to catch these great fish. I don't need tournament, neither OTW nor the MV Derby to get me out there.

You'd think it was January 20th and it was five degrees outside the way this thread went. Its beating a DEAD HORSE REGARDLESS OF WHAT SIDE OF THE ISLE YOUR ON.

Need a few new fishin partners
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Then there was that 57 pounder that Lev Wlodyka caught on MV several years ago. It had an old yo-yo weight in its stomach that had been completely encapsulated in stomach tissue.

Bass are not delicate fish. I've always said it, and every year, the point gets proven.

They are definitely tougher than a lot of people think...I had one a couple of weeks ago that was missing the whole left side if its mouth, wish I had thought to snap a pic before releasing it.
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I see the pictures from the 1960s and we've come a long way since stacking fish like cordwood on the sand.

A few large breeders are not going to dent the population. The draggers leaving miles of discards are where everyone's energy should be channeled.

Get lost thats my spot