MN and the 2 Majors

[Guest]

I think it is a crying shame that MN is not a regular stop on either the B.A.S.S. or FLW Tournament trails.

Yes I understand BASS was on Tonka a couple of years in a row, and FLW had Tonka as a stop at one time. Apparently, there was poor hospitality at the 2nd BASS event and with the FLW tour. Fine, if the people on Tonka don't want the big trails on that hyper used resource, I can understand.

However there are some other great bodies of water in MN that can hold Major League tournaments. Vermilion, Leech, LOW, Pokegama, Winni&Cutfoots???, the Mississippi & St. Croix. I would think any of those area's would love the economic boon that bringing in one of the major's yearly would represent.

Vermilion really impressed the Everstart guys last year.

[Coach Dog]

Interesting topic Basspastor. If the big boys had tournies at some of these lakes, there would definitely be a mixed reaction of rumblings of the disgruntled locals and then the business owners seeing nothing but dollar $igns. Some areas may be better than others, which ones I do not know.

Coach Dog

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GIT-R-Done!

[This message has been edited by Coach Dog (edited 02-17-2004).]

[Guest]

Maybe because our bass are harder to catch than those wimpy southern fish...LOL

We also have totally different structure that would throw a lot of them for a loop....maybe the're scared...LOL

[wormburner]

Almost forgot, the majority of the pros were there and prefished at least a week ahead of time, gave them a good amount of time to find what they were looking for structure wise.

[Duffman]

I think dem southern boys were embarrassed with their puny tourney weights down south compared to da northern tourney weigh-ins. I mean, there should be no reason what so ever that a northern state with closed seasons should be able to compete with or even out do a state from the south with year round seasons!

Hmmmmmmmm?!?.....and then again?

[Guest]

On the issue of weights, the trails occasionally fish on fisheries that are in bad shape. Other times they get hit with really poor weather like last BASS tourny at Harris Chain. Of course having a 16"minimum size would play havoc anywhere.

I wonder just how many dead fish there actually were at the Big V. From my understanding the Everstart hit the lake just right and around 3,000 fish went to the scales and you would have to figure from the reports that more than 6000 fish were caught total with pre-fishing culling and shorts. Dion Hibdon said he himself had 100 fish days.

Here's my solution open the season in April. Most people are not heading up to the cabin yet, colder water=less mortality, and the pro's will have to show their stuff when the weather and water temps are bit more tricky.

[Guido]

Bass Opener for Vermilion is the 15th, why not do that statewide?

[Mark Christianson]

Hey BP,
Lets get more people interested in a nationwide Dogfish series too!!!!

[basser]

BP, its funny you mention Vermillion, I saw an article in the Star Trib that some sort of lake association was trying to pass a restriction limiting the number of boats in tourneys to 100, and also the number of tourneys to something like 3 a month(cant remember the exact amount).Apparentley they were upset with a number of anglers in that big tournament up there last year. It is just a shame that they got so much grief at Tonka,those were some of the best weights ever in a BASS tourney.

[wormburner]

I think the reason on vermillion, was the time of the year it was held, guys fished the bedding fish pretty hard, and the number of fish that died after the weigh in. I fished it last year as an ameture, and that was the gripes I heard from people, could be wrong though.
As far as the southern guys, and the different structure, I really don't think that matters a 100%, if your a pro, and in the top percentile in every tournament, you've got to know what those fish are relating to. Dave dudley is one of those southern guys, and he took first place on day 4, I understand the luck issue, but he's been doing pretty well on tourney trail, and I think knowledge falls into the mix somewhere along the lines. As far as the whole vermillion thing, it was a blast fishing that sort of tourny just for things you learn from some of those guys, WOW, WELL WORTH IT! Don't take me wrong here, I'm not sticking up for anyone, or trying to rub anyone wrong, good luck!

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Good Luck To All, Wormburner!
Buy a trailer,help support my fishing habit!

[Guido]

They guy who won Vermilion was from the south, those guys fish pre spawn all year round!

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1...2...bam got him

[wormburner]

I think to sum it up, people have to realize there will always be a certain ratio of fish that just won't make it, but it is a renewable resource, the directors that run these tournaments (all tourneys in general) do their best to see that all fish will be returned to the water alive, and I also think the boost to the economy that a mega tournament like that gives these littler towns is got to be a bonus.
Speaking of fishing tournaments, check this out. Up here in Duluth, they hold a Walleye tournament for ALS, great cause, but last year from what I was told they kept all the fish and did not return any to the lake, this also is about a 200 boat tournament, think how the locals feel about that one, and to top it off it is (was) great water for Walleyes, but in the normal season, you will se guys landing their boats, and have a stringer of 11" fish. (could be alot worse)!!!!

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Good Luck To All, Wormburner!
Buy a trailer,help support my fishing habit!

[cwmn]

Wormburnerr, I agree for the most part but, the FLW really burned thier bridges when they had the wiegh in at the MALL. There is no way you can take all those fish that far and return them to the lake with out a high mortality rate.
I thought it was cool when BASS was at Tonka, to bad the DNR had to use thier storm trooper tactics and chase them off.
I am not convince that a major tournament is going to be a big economic boost. Other then the out of state competitors your only gonna get locals to go to the evant, I don't think there is allot of people who travel the country following the BASS trail. So, if you don't have out of state money coming in , like a Super Bowl or All Star Game, there isn't a big economic boom.
Just my 2 cents.

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Have a good one!
CWMN

[Parker]

Basspastor,

I wouldn’t say that the tourney on the Big V last year was held at an ideal time. The tourney took place in the heart of the spawn. The fish from the west end were transported 15-20 miles for weigh in. There is no way those fish made it back to their beds to spawn. That’s what the locals had a problem with.

[Guest]

For the person who doubts the economic benefit. From my understanding each pro will spend about $2000 in the state in which a tourny is held. Sure $300,000 to $500,000 is nothing to the economy of the twin cities, but that is as huge influx almost everywhere else. Not to mention if the fishing is good than word gets out and has the potential of paying dividends as a vacation destination.

And for the complaint about harming the resource. Licence fees for a major tourny will bring in about 5 grand. That is a lot of walleye or smallie fry.

[smallie_hawgin]

BP,
Interesting topic, but, I just don't see the need for having these tournaments up here. Why? Who needs the big tourneys here? You think you could compete with the big guys, or is it something different. Succuess prioir to the opener does not count by the way BP . I don't have a particular issue with tournaments until they get big. That's when all the problems start. Small tourneys generally have less impact on the resource provided they are done properly. I still would like to see some way to NOT have a weigh-in. IE. digital pictures, card tourney, lengths only, etc. Weigh-ins are just a way to self glorify at the expense of the resource IMO.

[fishface5]

The biggest benny has got to be the residuals, the guys who come in after to whack all dem hawgs

[Smallie]

There is nothing wrong with having national tournaments any where in MN. If they want somebody blame for the Vermillion tournament blame the DNR. They could have choose two have the tournament later in June. Why agrue it anyway it's 100% legal to fish bass then whether there on beds or not. Bad for the fishery sure it is but then you can look at another issue which is the kill fisherman bad for fishery absoluely!!

I think that's far worse than any tournament small or big.

The revenue is a big boost to any community it shows more in meduim to smaller community's.

[Parker]

Bass pastor,
For the sake of argument let’s use you figures and say a tournament generates $5,000 in revenue from license sales. Let’s also use your assertion that the DNR uses that money to buy fry. My question is, how many fry bought from that $5,000 are put back into the lake where the tournament took place? There is no guarantee that any of it will. Stocking depends on too many other factors to make any kind of guarantees. For all we know that $5,000 will be used to stock musky in a lake on the other side of the state. My question would be, how much money do tournaments put directly back into the systems where they are held?

Smallie,
I couldn’t agree more. It is 100% legal to fish bass during open season. You can’t blame the guys that either sponsored or participated in that particular tournament. You need to blame the local fisheries manager that granted the permit. That time of year is consistent with normal to late bass spawn activity in that part of the state. I think it’s a reasonable to say that without the permit a lot of fish wouldn’t have been permanently moved off of their beds.

[Parker]

A crash? I doubt it, but I don’t see how the 2003 class benefited from being pulled off beds and transported to another part of the lake. Just doesn’t seem like sound management practices. Again, not faulting the anglers. They were will within their right.

[cwmn]

Shouldn't some responsibility fall on the organisers of the event? Sure the DNR has final say but they will probably be sued if they say no.
If the organisers are true sportsmen they should have the tourny later.

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Have a good one!
CWMN

[Guest]

Just wondering, are you guys predicting a crash in the Vermillion Smallmouth population? Is anyone even going to notice a difference at all?