A different perspective on the Striper Cup...

[bobber]

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