Smallie Regulations Meeting Tonight

[Daze Off]

Just a reminder that there is a meeting tonight in Anoka from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm concerning the proposal to extend the regulations that exist between Dayton/Elk River and St. Cloud all the way down to the Coon Rapids Dam.

Was just looking at a posted list of the Anoka Smallie Tournament results and it is quite humerous...apparently one person caught a fish that smashed the state record set in 1948 by 11 oz. and there were no less than 7 other fish taken that were in the 7 lb class. Have a hard time believing that.....

[Cecil]

I think they weigh in top 2 fish for big fish. Not sure why, but that has to be what they did.

[Ray Esboldt]

No, the fish are recorded with the weight of the basket and cover board included.

[Cecil]

ODD!

[river rat316]

This may offend some that fish the tourney, and the ones that run it, but this is one of the most poorly managed tourneys I have ever heard of, long lines at the weigh ins, not even knowing the tournament is a go till a month before the date, and the use of live bait in a SmallMouth BASS only tournament is ridiculous.

If this is the one reason that people are against protecting the resource and regulating a once trophy smallmouth fishery, you should not call yourself sportsman, the city of Anoka is heavily against any special regulation so they can have there precious little tourney, meanwhile Anoka's fishery stinks, the Anoka/Ramsey stretch of the river has some beautiful habitat and water for trophy smallmouth, and not extending the regs down to the Coon Rapids dam because of one poorly managed tourney is outrageous. The Anoka area not being regulated also effects the fishery in Elk River, alot of Elk Rivers fish migrate in and out of the Anoka area for spawning habitat and wintering habitat, they then get harvested or transported way down river after being caught in the tourney. If you don't believe me check out the telematry study done by the DNR, it showed fish will travel great lengths to reach suitable spawning habitat and wintering habitat. We need these regs to go threw for the overall health of the fishery... point blank

[Daze Off]

On the weight issue - since they apparently do not care how much weight actually comes in as evidenced by including the basket and cover, why could this not be a paper tournament? Big fish, if any, that are caught (20"+) could still come to the scales for ooohhs and aaahhhs if absolutely necessary.

Been in a number of paper tournaments and they are really not bad - pretty much ends the necessity of culling too.

[Ray Esboldt]

For $3000 for first place????

Don't you think that would invite the less than honest to participate? C'mon, Daze. Paper events work great for clubs and get togethers. They are a bad idea when significant money is involved.

[Mark Christianson]

Sounds like Weaver put on a nice show last night again.

I cant believe how hung up on the tournament he is.

I talked to him two times this spring, and he wasnt even sure if they were going to have the tournament. Doesnt sound like its that important if you dont even know if you are going to hold it or not, and its a few months prior to the event.

[river rat316]

Come on Ray, theres ways around the dishonesty, issueing digital cameras with # coded memory cards would be the easiest, you probably could get some big corp to donate the cameras if you create enough publicity off it, you could also have more tourney staff in boats patrolling the water. Sure its all not as easy as throwing the fish in the livewell, but the tourneys one day the rest of us who actually give a dam about the resource are hear watching it go downhill the 364 remaining days a year!

[TonkaBass]

How many fish are caught during this event?

[TonkaBass]

That streach of river just seems to me like it would take a beating if there was a tournament. I fish it for fun every once and a while just because it's close and it has smallies.

[Daze Off]

Ray -

Sure there is big $$ on the line but river rat summed it up nicely and I would think if so much money is on the line then there would be more care taken with the weigh-in rather than including basket, lid, and who knows how much water in each basket....hardly precise.

On the other hand - a pure measure eliminates all that as well as the possibility that the fish swallowed a senko or even some split-shot by "accident". Pictures do not lie. Tournament could even buy up enough boards so everyone uses the same measuring stick or require a Golden Rule or whatever they want.

Under the reg all fish over 20" could still come to the scale if necessary for big fish pot.

Still can't see the problem with it other than folks don't want to think in new ways. It is certainly better for the fish - that much is without question.

[Ray Esboldt]

rr,

If you're implying that I don't care about this fishery, you are wrong buddy. Don't lump me in that group ever again, OK! And, no where in this thread did I say that I am for or against this tournament. I have fished it for several years and enjoyed it. If they don't have it ever again, so be it.

I would not be comfortable participating in a paper tournament for significant money. I agree, Daze, there are ways to attempt it, but there are too many variables to open up controversy when it comes time to hand out checks. But, who knows. Maybe that is what competitive fishing will evolve to.

[ricqik]

I'm for protecting our fisheries and resource but if we continue to regulate because of our own interest, pretty soon we won't even have fishing anymore.