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These anglers, due to entry fees, equipment necessary, etc., WILL be professionals, the elite of their sports. As far as bycatch goes, the recreational sector kills TONS more fish than the commercial sector, and it is well documented. These anglers will be seeking LARGE to get paid, and therefore targeting them specifically, releasing any small fish quickly and adeptly, with cameras/ spectator boats watching their every move. BASS and FLW tourneys pump major amounts of money in to the local venue economy, bringing tourist dollars, exposure, etc. that would otherwise not be there. The local shops will benefit greatly, as WALLY world is not setup to sell the vast array of live baits and tackle required by these anglers on the tourney trail. Regardless of your thoughts on "big business", this type of event affects so many other facets of local economy that to simply state WAlMART is greedy and therefore this tournamnet is too is just plain ignorant. The business end aside, the main issue here is benefit/detriment to the Striper population. I cannot fathom how this would harm the biomass, as these anglers will undoubtedly be interested in not only promoting their sport to the masses, but ensuring the "big money" payouts are there for years to come. They have a vested interest in kkeping the fishery healthy, obviuosly.
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