A different perspective on the Striper Cup... - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

bobber · 04-13-2008, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nightfighter

In two years, I haven't even weighed a fish in the tourney, simply because it wouldn't have stood up in the team's top ten.....

this is essentially my point of view..... I'm not criticizing anyone who wants to fish in the tournament. I've stated that over and over. This discussion was meant as an exercize of the mind for the guys in the tournament this year to (hopefully) re-evaluate each fish that is kept solely for its value in the contest. If you wanna keep a fish- thats fine. Enjoy it, have it mounted, whatever..... I'm just hoping its not dying just so it can go on the scales and then discarded/disregarded.

I have no other motives here- really. I'm trying to be more eco-concious (like most of us) and this is just another extension of that sentiment.

DJ Muller · 04-13-2008, 01:50 PM

The one unspoken variable of Striper Cup bass is the commeraderie (how ever you spell it) factor. It has no worth in terms of money but it does have a lot of value when you have a bunch of guys working towards a common goal. I know for our club the Jersey Shore Surfcasters, it gives us unification and pulls us tight as we work together, I gues you can liken it to guys on Sunday's during football season getting together to watch a favorite team. I believe it is really the essence of the tournament. The fish are counted towards a unified common goal. Fish caught by comm-rec's are fish caught for one thing-profit. (I don't even want to broach that whole subject). I am just saying that the Cup fish have a different value for that reason.

Our club sets a minimum limit on our sizes based on past results, last year we we kept it around 28 pounds but know based on last year and the trend towards bigger fish we may stick it at around 33 pounds just so fish aren't killed in vain. To finish in the top 3 a club will prolly have 4-5 fish over 40, the rest high 30's.
But agian a fishes worth in this case fluctuates b/c it may have more meaning for one of the team members than it would an average Joe.
All in all I release 95% of my bass, the only ones I keep are Cup fish and table fare.
Just my .02.

Skitterpop · 04-13-2008, 02:00 PM

Fishing is fun and very interesting. Be thankful.

I have some minor issues with the tourney personally but find it overall to be a good thing.

To me its always been about the individual experience of connecting with nature in mysterious ways not generally afforded in the work your life away hum and drum grind.

Hoisting a big trophy and proclaiming that this is what it is all about I cannot agree with but working as a team to obtain a goal while getting to fish is a very good thing imo.

So go get them S-B. com again! You all did a great job this past season!

inTHERAPY · 04-13-2008, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobber

this is essentially my point of view..... I'm not criticizing anyone who wants to fish in the tournament. I've stated that over and over. This discussion was meant as an exercize of the mind for the guys in the tournament this year to (hopefully) re-evaluate each fish that is kept solely for its value in the contest. If you wanna keep a fish- thats fine. Enjoy it, have it mounted, whatever..... I'm just hoping its not dying just so it can go on the scales and then discarded/disregarded.

I have no other motives here- really. I'm trying to be more eco-concious (like most of us) and this is just another extension of that sentiment.

I now get your point concerning taking fish to weigh and then dumpster. Agreed.

Raven · 04-13-2008, 04:02 PM

from the standpoint of keeping the resource as strong as possible

and i read your original post three times and saw no mention of the word slaughter... and your thought provoking ideas are good!

i once read something about one of the bass pro tournaments which is why
i'm posting...

and that was...despite all of the care and stress additives put in the water for the tournament fish ...after the tournament...was over..
the fresh water striped bass were known to be waiting for the release of the tourney fish and massacred them and ate most of them

because they were fairly lethargic at that point... from captivity.

eelskimmer · 04-13-2008, 06:05 PM

List of commerical licenses is available at Mass Fish and Wildlife
website. When I compared the names on this list to the names
of the top winners of Striper Cup in 2006 I was disgusted. Any
team from outside Mass who thought they had a fair shake against
the two phoney teams from MV and Fall River are fools. At least
last year Striped-Bass and the New Jersey boys showed that the
Commercial "teams" could be beat. Suggest you take a look
at the commericial list published by Mass F&W to see whose names look familiar.

DJ Muller · 04-13-2008, 06:25 PM

Hey we Jersey-ites sleep sound at night! (Good-bad who knows??) Most of us live by the rules.
That said, I understand, at least I like to think that...the "islanders" for years lived by their takes...Fair? Justifiable??....I just don't know...I am no judge, don't want to be. "An honest man's pillow is his peace of mind!"

inTHERAPY · 04-13-2008, 07:39 PM

no need to hijack, new thread

striperman36 · 04-16-2008, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eelskimmer

List of commerical licenses is available at Mass Fish and Wildlife
website. When I compared the names on this list to the names
of the top winners of Striper Cup in 2006 I was disgusted. Any
team from outside Mass who thought they had a fair shake against
the two phoney teams from MV and Fall River are fools. At least
last year Striped-Bass and the New Jersey boys showed that the
Commercial "teams" could be beat. Suggest you take a look
at the commericial list published by Mass F&W to see whose names look familiar.

Do you have a link?

Mr. Sandman · 04-14-2008, 07:29 PM

MikeP expressed my viewpoint. This is a MULTI-STATE season long tourney that doesn't do the damage that 1/2 % of R&R comm fisherman do in a single state. It is a pretty conservation minded event.

The problem with the original post is that it implies that the taking of ANY fish for ANY reason is morally wrong. There is your extremest viewpoint.

bobber · 04-14-2008, 08:29 PM

I'm not sure how you can interpret the original post as "extremist" in any way..... I start by saying how I'm not getting down on the guys who legally/legitimately keep fish..... how is that "morally wrong"?

If you read and think about ALL the discussion here- you'd see that I meant this to be thought-provoking for like-minded people to think about as a new season is about to beign. If ya skipped past all the discussions and went right to the end- well, then ya missed it

Swimmer · 04-15-2008, 10:39 AM

Not for nothing but how many of the fish that any of us weighed in were not eaten. My one fish last year and the year before were both meals. Kept them on ice en route to M & D's, and again en route home.

Back Beach · 04-15-2008, 10:51 AM

Striper Cup or no Striper Cup, this thread is really about waste. You could apply the same question to fishermen in general and you would find the kill and subsequent waste does happen before the ink is even dry on the weight slip in some cases. Its unfortunate, but it does happen irregardless of the species, place, or time.