OTW "Striper Cup Tourney" Format is Irresponsible to the Fishery

[DZ]

Nib - thanks for being the first one who brought this to light - I noticed.

Just a few thoughts and observations:

Almost everyone enjoys a good tournament based on the healthy competition and camaraderie it develops. I’ve fished in many, good and bad, over the years. I’ve also have the experience of organizing many others.

It seems the major part of the “Striper Cup” that is generating controversy (as well it should) is the “Aggregate weight/points” divisions. I’d like to state that I, like many others, enjoy a good tournament. I enter a few each season, usually because I feel I may have a shot of winning something such as some new gear (which I probably don’t need). The events I enter are usually beneficial to fisherman and/or society in general.


Some key points of good tourneys:
1. A sense of fairness to all participants – an example of this would be separate categories for surf and boat and equal prizes (in value) for both. I’ve been involved in some where prizes were used fishing gear! (A half filled bulk spool of line in my case)

2. Most well run tourneys had rules and regs that took conservation into consideration. This would prevent over-fishing and the needless entry of bass that had no chance of taking a prize. An example would be a minimum weight entry that is not “easily” attainable. For instance the fishing club I’m a member of requires any bass entered into the club tourney to be 25 lbs minimum. (A poor example would be a tourney that took and kept a fish you entered then sold it to the market next door and the organizers kept the proceeds! True story).

3. If a tourney has a “club competition division” there would be a limit on qualified entries, in other words only a clubs top three bass would qualify in that division. This is done to even the playing field between some clubs which may have a 1000 members and others that may only have 20. Top three bass in total weight wins. This set-up also allows individual clubs to let their members know what size fish it would take to qualify so needless fish are not killed for entry. Example: Club A has three bass entered, 45, 40, and 39 lbs. Its members will know not to keep anything that doesn’t beat a 39 because it wouldn’t count.

4. Most responsible tourneys have a designated charity for proceeds or part of proceeds. These proceeds generally go to some organization that stands for the “betterment of fishing” or is youth or health oriented. I’ve always been wary of any tourney that appears to be a money maker for someone behind the scenes.


A few more thoughts about other posts – don’t get mad about how others feel. Everyone has there own view and freedom to express it. There are members here who are great fishermen with who I enjoy talking/fishing with immensely. We may disagree on topics from time to time but I would never let those disagreements allow me to disparage them in a public thread such as this. I value their friendship too much.

I won't enter the "Striper Cup" as advertised. If you enter a tourney you support the whole tournament - not just the part you like.

DZ

[JFigliuolo]

Yeah, what DZ said.

One thing that I keep reading is "I won't keep anythin under X." That's fine, no really. The PROBLEM is that a number of people won't do that. That's the problem w/the rules as written. It really does encourage people to kill more than most of us find acceptable.

Will I enter? not as the rules are now. There really needs to be a weight minimum and a set number of fish to be entered. I am not slamming OTW, but come on. This seems like a much to obvious issue to miss.

[Sea Dangles]

Thanks DZ;clarity and serenity.

[JohnR]

Great post DZ.

(so did you win the used line?)

[Big Dave]

This summary paragraph is a copy of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
Technical Report TR-24 regarding Striped Bass harvest in Mass in 2004

During 2004, the commercial fishery for striped bass in Massachusetts harvested about 60,632 fish weighing 1,206,305 pounds. Total losses due to commercial harvesting (including release mortality) were 70,544 fish weighing 1,304,752 pounds. The recreational fishery harvested about 403,547 striped bass weighing over 5.4 million pounds. Total losses due to recreational fishing (including release mortality) were 868,413 fish weighing over 7.7 million pounds. Combined losses (including scientific losses) were 939,078 fish weighing over 9.0 million pounds, which reflects a 16% increase in numbers lost and an 11% increase in weight lost compared to 2003 (810,381 fish: 8.1 million pounds) The majority of losses, 92%by number and 86% by weight, was attributed to the recreational fishery.

After reading the above summary does anyone really believe the OTW fishing derby is going to have any effect on the fishery whatsoever? People Who Fish, Keep Fish, and those that catch and release kill a percentage of those they release, plain and simple. And it would be the vast majority of those fish that are killed anyway that would make it to the scales, and entered into the derby Big Dave

[spence]

I read into those numbers a bit differently.

They are attributing nearly 1/2 of the rec loss to reasons other than harvest.

If release mortality is a big part of that, and say the mortality rate is say about 10%...it would indicate the majority of bass caught are released.

-spence

[Slipknot]

Originally Posted by DZ

.

3. If a tourney has a “club competition division” there would be a limit on qualified entries, in other words only a clubs top three bass would qualify in that division. This is done to even the playing field between some clubs which may have a 1000 members and others that may only have 20. Top three bass in total weight wins. This set-up also allows individual clubs to let their members know what size fish it would take to qualify so needless fish are not killed for entry. Example: Club A has three bass entered, 45, 40, and 39 lbs. Its members will know not to keep anything that doesn’t beat a 39 because it wouldn’t count.

4. Most responsible tourneys have a designated charity for proceeds or part of proceeds. These proceeds generally go to some organization that stands for the “betterment of fishing” or is youth or health oriented. I’ve always been wary of any tourney that appears to be a money maker for someone behind the scenes.

DZ

Great post DZ

I hope OTW can make an addendum to their rules regarding your point number 4 or if they want some variation of it I'm sure that would help. That sounds like a most excellant idea as opposed to the way it is written now, where there is the possibility that club members could theoretically enter 40 bass each in the tournament in order to get enough points for their club to win which IMO would needlessly kill far to many bass that may otherwise have been released.


I also hope that some of the proceeds go to help the fishery or to aid in teaching youngsters about fishing and the right way to do it.

[inTHERAPY]

I spoke for quite a while to Neil Larson, gm of OTW, and expressed my concerns about the 2 fish per week. He seemed genuinely interested in my comments. He also told me that OTW was not opposses to making rule changes as issues arise. OTW was not looking for a kill tourney. I will give OTW a chance at this, and have signed up.

[NIB]

Originally Posted by DZ

Nib - thanks for being the first one who brought this to light - I noticed.


DZ

Denny,
I Bet U noticed the part about mud wrastlin.

[Big Dave]

Spence to your argument.

Not every fish is a keeper. A lot of those fish die, from being caught, this is especially true of small fish, and they fight so hard they damage and pull their mouths and at time gills apart during a fight. Yet the fishermen will cast another offering to them. Which leads to another point about recreational guys, not many of them stop fishing when they take a keeper or even 2. If the fish are there and they are willing to be caught most fishermen I’ve seen will keep catching and releasing as long as the fish cooperate. Which counts as well towards the mortality of the fish. Again I state, people like to fish, keep fish, and keep fishing no matter what, and with that comes the inevitable death of fish, well intended releases or not. Big Dave