I always thought that they(OTW) end the tourney way too early, especially for surf guys. Oct. 15 or 30th would be more like it. Mid sept is too early. Other than that the rules are OK

I agree, Steve, but isn't it designed not to interfere with the MV derby? Still, not everyone up and down the coast fishes the derby, so they could have some overlap.

Nope, it's designed to keep Harpoon Brewery as a major sponsor.

They want the awards ceremony as close as possible to October 1 because they want it to kick off their month-long Octoberfest promotion.

And looking at this from another perspective--OTW already gets enough unjustified criticism--much of it coming from parts south of New England--for sponsoring a "kill" tournament. Keeping it going through the bulk of the fall run probably won't do much to appease these guys. :hs:

Makes sense to me Mike! that's what happens when you get into corporate sponsorship! although I like Harpoon beer A LOT

yeah OTW gets a lot of flack, but I think overall the striper cup has brought a lot of excitement into the sport and it certainly has started enought thread on boards like this!

In. I don't plan to fish as hard this year but I say it every year. I'm sure once the time starts rollin closer, the wife will be bootin me out the door to "defend the title". Just hope to catch one large for a monthly winner and a shot at the truck. Last year took too much of a toll on me mentally and physically to keep goin night after night for so long.
We better have a team. I am proud to fish for our "club" and this great fishing community. I've been asked to fish for a couple of other teams this year but take pride in what we have here.
Lets retake the cup.

If we can win it this year, would 2 firsts and a second in three years make team S-B a dynasty?

I'm sure gonna give it hell this year.

Yup--if you want to award the kinds of prizes that OTW does--you need to keep the major sponsors happy.

They give you about $400 worth of gear for a weekly. Quantum Cabo reel, Quantum rod, $100 gift card from Boaters' World and a RonZ kit. The reel was a little on the small side (I think it's a Cabo 40), but it holds 290 yards of 10# Fireline and goes nicely on my schoolie rod.

Liberal Idea
 

How about we stop beating the crap out of the spawning stock before it's too late?

I won't be registering again. Ever. I'm a soul plugger from here out. It's about the experience for me. Not the kill.

Jon

aGREED!

but they ARE gonna give the nifty schwag
to somebuddy, why not me? :laugha: :laugha: :laugha:

b/c my decision of what fish to kill and release is not dictated by a free reel...

If you ARE going to kill a fish on occasion it might as well be one that pays well.If you don't wish to play so be it, but this type of rhetoric has an elitist smell IMO. I am humbled by the integrity of such noble men.These seem like the words of folks who boast of their philanthropy.Perhaps we should have a front page of all the names who refuse to participate to give the heathens something or someone to aspire to.

WoooHooo...I'm a Heathen.

Heathens have more fun anyways....:humpty:

:btu:amen

I just did a quick count and there were 370 fish over 30lbs weighed in during the striper cup last year. I'm going to guess, for every fish over 30lbs weighed in there was 2 under thirty weighed in so we can estimate that there were about 1150 fish weighed in. Now I'm guessing at least half of those fish would have been killed regardless, so that puts it 575 fish weighed in just because of the Striper Cup. In my mind this is just a drop in the bucket in terms of the kill of large fish, particularly for something that takes place over 5 months. And, looking at this in a purely scientific perspective the number of fish killed for this tournament is insignificant. I think there are far greater problems facing stripers than this tournament.

I wish they could figure out a way to count c and r fish like they do in bonefish tournaments.

Actually, here is a reply from OTW to one of the teams involved when the to kill or not kill discussion was going on:
"As far as numbers of bass weighed in each year, in 2006 under 550 fish were weighed. In 2007 & 2008, under 650 fish were weighed in each year. Keep in mind that this is over the coarse of a 5 month tournament with upwards of 3000 anglers involved each year.

Hope this helps clarify some things."

Don't you think more than 90% of those fish were going to die anyway. Art

Art thanks for the clarification, my numbers were just guesses assuming the worst scenarios. The actual actual numbers you provided, just further prove what I'm trying to say - That this tournament is just a drop in a bucket compared to the problems facing striped bass.

IM IN! :buds:

There were more 30+ fish killed the last several years in one of those day-long pogie blitzes in NJ, the Great Gamefish State, then in all 3 Striper Cups combined. By far. Most of the guys fishing for the top clubs won't weigh in a fish under 30. No one with any savvy is going to think that they will win a weekly prize with a fish under 25 lbs so I think that your guesstimate of total fish weighed in is on the high side.

And many of the guys fishing for the top clubs are Mass pinhookers, so those fish are dead anyway.

BINGO

Rationalizing ones behavior
 

Disturbing how folks use the behavior of other's to justify their own.

The NJ bunker dunkers and Mass pinhookers may kill far more bass than the Striper Cup does, but will that offer any solace when the stocks are pushed too far and collapse?

It won't matter who killed the most when we can't fish for them anymore.

Jon

I have seen no evidence that the sky is falling. Just MHO.

Above average spawns in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007, and bear in mind that the record spawns of the 90s raised what was considered an average spawn from 8.0 to 12.0.

http://dnr.maryland.gov/dnrnews/pres...7/100407c.html

My own fishing experience also tells me that the stocks are a long way from crashing.

No doubt.

What sometimes affects one's perception is the distribution of fish on any given year. If they don't show heavily in one's local area, one may(erroneously) assume the stocks are in trouble.
I've said this before, but if you didn't experience the mid to late 80's fishery, you may have a clouded perception of how good the fishing really is right now. There's a bigger number and size distribution of fish right now than we've had in 20 years. I feel the next world record will be taken within three years.
Individual success in great part comes down to where they actually set up shop each year and nobody can predict that. Case in point=CC Canal last year.

i dunno,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

i gotts this ONE or THREE li'l UDL's

that haven't failed me for 3 straight years,
prolly be just my luck this year, the Striper Highway

takes a detour away from me little slice of Nirvana Morone

only time and the feesh will TELL,,,,,,,,
:uhuh: :uhuh: :uhuh: :uhuh: