FLW Saltwater Striper Trail part 2

[Rip Runner]

I don't see how a boat tournament will effect beach fisherman in any way at all, or add trash and area closes.

I also highly doubt this is going to add hundreds of new boaters sitting on our spots every weekend. With a steep entry fee only people who know what they are doing are going to enter these tournaments for the most part. I have chartered for years, fished commercially and have fished many tournaments and the last thing I want to do is show up right next to a bunch of weekend warriers and have them follow me around all day. If they show up on my spot, I leave so they don't get my exact numbers, then I go back after they figure there is no fish there. I can't tell you how many times I have fished a rip with 5 other charter boats and when the regular boats show up, we all power up and go back 20 minutes later.

Good tournament fisherman are more concerned on YOU being in thier spot than vice versa. A-lot of the boats in these tournaments won't be new boats, but boats that would be fishing anyway IE. Commercial & Charter boats. These tournaments are also going to be spread out in different locations so there won't be heavy pressure on any one spot.

I would rather see a commercial guy fish a tournament and kill 2 fish for his prize money than 40 fish for the market.

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by Rip Runner

I would rather see a commercial guy fish a tournament and kill 2 fish for his prize money than 40 fish for the market.

I would hate to see a commercial guy keep the 40 something pounder he got the day before and enter it in on the first day of the tourney. I'm not saying that most or even some commercials (or recs for that matter) would do it but is has probably happened in the past more than once - what is to say it would not happen again??

I know this a touchy subject and I certainly do not mean it to be so but I would have less concern if commercial license holders were not able to participate in a tournament during that commercial season. For example, Mass legs could not occur during Mass comm season, RI legs could not occur during RI season and so forth.

Again, not trying to fuel a flame, just an observation.

At $2500, too steep for S-B to consider but I have thought in the past of entering a Team S-B into some of these boat competitions, just so far have chosen not to do so...

[Rip Runner]

John,

That's a very good point and couldn't agree more.

If this tournament kicks off, I hope the rules are clear are consistant for everyone. There was way too much cheating from a few individuals on ASA tour and I won't fish another ASA event.

[Mike P]

Most of the pinhookers I know couldn't scrape together the $2500 entry fee. It's probably not a legitimate tax write-off for a commercial fisherman, unless you were to list "professional tournament fisherman" as your occupation. That, and a 47" minimum size, is gonna make this tourney a playground for the guys with 42' Bertrams