Comm fishing and OTW's contest
 

With the Mass SB comm fishing season kicking off today, with a 30 fish per day limit, I was wondering if it the comm fishermen can be included in this event? I ask because at 30 fish per day they can cull their catch each fishing day in a manner that rec's cannot and be virtually set to weigh in a 40+ each week.

Does this seem fair to you?

nope...doesn't seem fair to me.:hs:

It's not fair, but it's mainly a boaters' issue. I don't know too many guys putting 30 at 34" or better on the sand or the rocks with any regularity. And the way it's shaping up, you'd need at least a 33-35 to make the top 10 for s-b.com.

I don't know of any way to enforce a rule prohibiting commercial fishermen from entering--especially given how easy it is to get a comm license in Mass, and that the fishery is dominated by guys that are basically recs selling their catch to defray expenses. NY, RI and Mass are the only states in the tourney that have a commercial bass fishery. I don't know about RI, but in NY it's restricted so tightly that it's almost impossible to get a comm license and unless you're grandfathered before 1986, you can't even fish for stripers. I only know of one commercial pinhooker on all of LI.

This has been a complaint of mine in regards to tournaments for quite awhile.....they could always run the names of the entrants against the State list of commercially liscensed fishermen?

[QUOTE=Mike P]It's not fair, but it's mainly a boaters' issue.

this point is true.....

But checking the "state list" for comm.lisc. holder's....doesn't mean squat....I held a comm. lisc. for year's....the BEACH is where I fished..one rod just like the rec's....I just get the feeling most rec's are alittle ,shall we just say upset...because their not as good a fisherman then the comm. guy.

RI had a 2 maybe 3 week season. Rod+ reel only 4 fish per day... Not much to cull 30's from unless that is all you are getting ....

I don't know about all that.

I don't see what difference it makes. :huh: Recreational or commercial you can only weigh in one fish a week.

Well then reread the first post.....:btu:

In the event as a Mass Comm you can actually GET 30 fish in a trip, just being able to weigh in the biggest of the day for the Tourney is an advantage to the Commercial guy.

I bet there are numerous guys fishing for teams or individuals that are also fishing commercially...

Because the Comms can pick there best fish out of 95 fish (30 per day x 3 days a week + 5 on Sunday) and the Recs can only pick there best out of 14 (2 fish per day x 7 days a week)

I don't think many of the comm guys that are actually making money fishing would bother with the striper cup

That's part of it, but a lot--maybe most--of the people who get the license don't make money at it.

On the other hand, not many guys would sit on a $100 fish for most of the week. Let's say I get a 40 on Tuesday. Am I going to ice it until Friday to see if I can get a 45 or 50 on Tuesday or Wednesday? Knowing that on Friday, if I don't top that fish, the guy at the market is going to take a good sniff and say, "keep it, I can't sell mush"? Plus, ice isn't free and it takes quite a bit to keep a 40 from turning into jello on high heat/humidity days. Just for a pin? Nope, I don't see it.

Then, there's the risk of the market getting flooded and the price dropping while you hold a fish out in the hopes of topping it.

OTW is not a money tournament. There's a trophy, and bragging rights for a few individual awards, and the clubs. The grand prizes are awarded by luck of the draw at the end. Guys fishing for the buck want the bucks, not the hardware. I don't think this is as big a deal as it first seems.

Yup I agree and the guys that get there license and dont make any money are probably not a very big threat at catching a fish over 30lbs anyways

If a rec had to go home after he caught his first two fish of the day, then he would be at a disadvantage. But the reality is that he can catch and release as many fish as he wants and fish as long as he wants. I would bet a mortgage payment that most recs entered in this tournament, if they were to catch a 40 lber would find a way to enter it regardless of the scenario.

I think it's fair to all parties and not a big deal.

:wavey: #12 Today, 02:03 PM
riverrat2
Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: marshfield,ma
Posts: 488

I don't think many of the comm guys that are actually making money fishing would bother with the striper cup

----that's right ---- we don't care$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Personally I don't care either way, I'm just kind of playing devil's advocate here.

But look at it this way..

2 guys go fishing, One Comm and One Rec. They both catch 30 Lb'ers. They both keep them to enter the OTW Tourney.

An hour later they both pick up 35 lb'ers. Now they are both going to keep them for the OTW Tourney, I mean its a 5 lb upgrade.

Another hour goes by and the 2 of them hook into 40 lb'ers. Now, the Rec guy has 2 dead fish sitting on the beach next to him....his 40 has just become Catch and Release and off it goes, the Comm Guy throws his 40 on the pile for the OTW tourney.

Now if the Comm guy and Rec guy are buddies the Comm guy could say "Why don't you keep the 40 and just throw your 35 lb'er in my pile" and that would get the 40 entered for him But, Technically that isn't legal.

Another hour and they both hook into 45 lb'ers, another Catch & Release fish for the Rec guy and another fish on the pile for the Comm guy.

I know this isn't a common scenario but this explains why some people might view it as an advantage.

Commercial days are money days. Average market fish 20-24#. Of course if a weighable fish comes along....Just got a phone call 54.4# for Bass and Brew. Gary D can fish like nobody's business! Congrats
Art

They should put a hault on striper cup (boaters) dureing the comm. season,,,yeah that sux

Agreed, Ed.Some people (few) are certainly making too big a deal of this.As you said, its only one fish per week. Also, the recs have the entire tournament (20 weeks?)versus the commercials five or six weeks. Most of the bars are already set pretty high too. I would be tourqed off if a boater weighed a large into the surf category, but there are many scenarios that cannot be prevented during a contest.

Never fails !
Every year around july 12th, some bitching starts about guys who commercial bass fish !!!:buds:

Stop your whining Raider Boy :buds: :hihi:

And every year some leaning recs say the comms have too much advantage and those leaning commercial say it is a big anti-comm conspiracy and every year the truth lies somewhere in the middle :usd:

I wonder what the real numbers of entrants in the S-C are actually comm.fisherman.I bet its not alot. I really don't see the lines crossing. Especially in the first yr of the tourney.There is no money involved. Anyways,They can't change the rules now.so i guess the non comm guys who want to win will just have to try harder.Take two weeks off an fish ur but off.Ur allowed 2 so u get a good one an keep fishing it u think u can top it.Bring ur kid now u can take 4, ya its not legal but boat limits go by the # of passengers at the dock.Or u can just play it on the up an up like me an hope for the best..U know the comm guys where around during the Schaefer tourney.Just not as much pissin an moanin back then cause u get bitch slapped.How long does the comm season last anyways 2-3 weeks.If I remember right it was over as soon as it started last yr.