Northwest Metro Fishing Leagues!!!

[mdeiley]

I belong to a league in the northwest metro and I am trying to make sure there is no conflicts regarding access at specific lakes. Last year we had a great deal of multiple leagues showing up at the same lakes which sadly over populates launches and creates bad press for league fishing people. I would like as many people that know of a league or are in a league to respond as to how to get all schedules organized to be sure 3 or 4 leagues do not show up at the same lake on the same night. I would like to start some type of organization similar to softball leagues or something like that to set schedules maybe have a fish off at the end of the year and so on. The main reason is simply to create peace for the lake shore owners and allow fisherpeople to be able to use the resoarces we have. I know the DNR receives calls regarding these leagues and sadly it is only a matter of time before fines will start being passed out. Just an opinion from my point of view. Please share your thoughts and ideas.

[The Bronco Kid]

mdeiley

I currently trying to start a league in the west metro. Here is my email so we can corridnate our schedules the best we can. We haven't set a day of the week yet, but send me your email and I will let you know.

Jess Kline

[email protected]

[Deitz Dittrich]

There should be no problem as long as each club gets a permit for the lake. The only way it gets hard is if multiple clubs are not getting permits.

I did have an event this year where there were 3 tounaments on one lake (north/South Center) at one time... 1 club(mine) had the permit... it was a bit tight that day.

[mdeiley]

Is that considered a tournament or just a league? I don't believe you need a permit if less then 15 boats or less then 30 people participate. I could be wrong.

[The Bronco Kid]

Mdeiley, you are right, but all leagues should get the list of permited tournaments before they make their league schedules. I was going to permit all of my league night even though my event do not require a permnit, but decided not to because I thought I would be taking permits away from those who will be having bigger events. It looks like my league will be a Monday night league. Drop me a email if you have any questions.

Jess

the_bronco_kid @yahoo.com

[Mark Christianson]

Exude

There is no permit required if you are under certain participants/entry fee/payout.

This is more a topic around how to better work the problems being encountered for small clubs/leagues. Mainly too many people monopolizing public launches so the public can't even get in the lake to fish.

I have actually been talking to a friend in the DNR Fisheries Management about what can be done to help with access conflicts. I asked him if he could possiibly come up with some new ideas around requiring clubs and leagues to at least register with his office.

He said until there is a statewide ruling change, there is nothing he can do out of his particular office for new/different regs.

He totally agrees there is a major problem, and its getting worse. He is the guy that receives the complaints from lakeshore owners and fisherman in his region.

I have been in a league for only 2 years, and this year we ran into far more problems this year than the previous year. And in talking to guys from other leagues we have encountered, they are seeing the same trend.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I understand that you dont need a permit if you are under a sertain number of entrants.

I guess I dont know how to go about not having more than one tournament on a given lake. I know most of the larger bass fishing events are listed on classicbass web site. But those are only bass tournaments. Not multi species. You would think in this land of 10,000 lakes it wouldn't be a problem. Imagine if we lived in some other state that only have like 20 lakes... YIKES!!!

[Mark Christianson]

There is no easy answer yet. Per my friend in the DNR, he said its just a matter of time, before the DNR will step in and do something to curb the issues.

I am all for trying to help coordinate something. The trouble is that most of the other leagues we run into, want absolutely nothing to do with formalizing anything. They just want to fish...

Believe me, we have tried to gather league names and contacts to start something, but only one league last year followed up with us. Kinda sad.

You would be amazed at how many lakes we fished last year, where there were not only one other league..... We hit one lake that had 3 other leagues on it. And that is just one night of the week. Imagine all the other nights.

Yikes.

[Lost]

Wow! I didn't know things were that bad. Maybe the DNR does need some sort of state ruling where every group needs to register... or reserve a lake... two groups/leagues max for the smaller lakes, more on the larger lakes, depending on size of lake. I can easily see more than 2 leagues on Minnetonka, Vermillion, and LOTW.

[DaveC]

mdeily,about a month about tournament directors and reps. of the MN B.A.S.S Fed. met at Gander Mnt. to discuss some of the issiues everyone is talking about on these post.

The idea situation we would like to do is to,work better with D.N.R.,have all permit info. availible to all clubs to help deciede best dates and launches,have a voice in decisions made about tournaments and change some of the negitive opions about tournaments.

If you want more info. let me know or I will post when this comes together more.

[Mark Christianson]

On behalf of mdeiley,

Yes, we want more info!!!!

PS - mdeiley and I have talked about this in great length.

[mdeiley]

davec if you could pass on a contact I would greatly appreciate the info. Thanks for replying.

[DaveC]

One of the people that got this all together was Joel Stokka from Excel Bass.I will make contact with him and post the next meeting.You could also make contact with him.

Directors will try to meet before the D.N.R. round table diss. meeting.

We already have there agenda and would like to have a voice and give options.

[DaveC]

The next meeting will be Jan.16 Gander MNT. 1:00pmto 3:00pm Maple Grove.

Leagues,clubs,musky ,walleye directors are invited to this meeting.Directors only please.

We would like to set up a fourm that has all event schedules so club and leagues can do better scheduleing.

Here are the minutes from the last meeting.

Meeting summary of the Minnesota Bass Tournament Directors on 11/14/04 at the Gander Mountain – Maple Grove, MN.

Present:

Joel Stokka – Excel Bass [email protected]

Vern Wagner – MN. B.A.S.S. Federation [email protected]

Dale Richardson – MN. B.A.S.S. Federation [email protected]

Jim Batton – MN. B.A.S.S. Federation [email protected]

Mark Schultz – Fishers of Men [email protected]

Denny Nelson – Dennys Super 30 [email protected]

Dave Cindrich – Team Supreme [email protected]

I want to thank everyone that participated in this meeting. I wanted to extend an extra thanks to Vern Wagner from the Minnesota B.A.S.S. Federation for his role in identifying the DNR new regulation changes and ideas on how to reduce fish mortality during weigh-ins.

Items of discussion:

Shamano water weigh-in system - The systems was discussed and Vern indicated some of the draw backs. Vern indicated getting a B.A.S.S. approved weigh-in training certification class to help tournament organizers reduce fish mortality at their weigh-ins. It was agreed that Vern should pursue this training program.

Vern indicated that the DNR will be looking at clarifying rules and regulations for tournaments in Minnesota. Most of these rule clarifications affect Walleye events but some will affect all tournaments. Most impacting are:

- Public access: current rule is written that Tournaments should not usurp the public. What does this mean 25% of the parking, 50% they would like to set a figure that defines "usurp".

-Exotics & boat inspections: the rule says it should be done, but doesn't specify who is responsible. They would like the Tourney Organizer to be responsible.

- Develop criteria for allowing or denying Summer time live/release tourneys (this is mainly Walleye stuff)

-Current language in rules say no Off-Site weigh-ins, they would like to better define this and set criteria for denying or allowing

- Re-distribution of fish after weigh-ins, this would allow them to deny permits that result in mixing stocks. Pokegama is a good example.

-Define when permits can be denied for live-bait tourney. It says they can be but only when it would result in increased mortality. They would like to define what increase mortality is? 20%-30% 50%

-allow the denial of permits where fish would have to be fizzed. They think this is more of a walleye issue, but they oppose sticking fish, organ damage, spreading diseases.

The was a general discussion on how we can work with public interest groups i.e. Lake Associations, DNR, Sportsman’s clubs.

The group talked about organizing into a coalition to bring this issues forward in a united voice. All participates agreed that this would be beneficial. It was suggested that Joel Stokka, Excel Bass be the point person for communications.

A discussion on asking the DNR to enforce existing tournament rules and regulations for new start-up tournament organizations.

There was concern over the lack of uniform permitting restrictions and unenforceable restrictions put on the organizer. Pre-fishing restrictions, release boats, restocking of fish and speed limits are a few that where applied to organizers in 2004.

We agreed that other tournaments circuits should be included in the coalition. Walleye and Muskie organizations will be contacted to attend the next meeting.

Meeting adjourned.

[Mark Christianson]

Sadly we missed the meeting yesterday.

It was actually held from 10am to 1pm. Not from 1pm to 3pm as originally noted here.

[DaveC]

Sorry again Biglakeba$$,the time was change the day before because of the Vikes game.