Bass tournament

[HB2]

Let me preface this by saying I catch and release a lot of Bass this time of year . 

 

How is it that there is a Bass tournament on Cayuga lake when Bass season is closed and it's spawning season ? 

 

How does the DEC allow this ? 

 

And how do tournament organizers with good conscience think this is a good idea ? 

 

 

[Frogger]

One word, “Money”

[fisherman21]

These fish were weighed on the boat and released right there where they were caught. I’m not saying I agree with this, because it happens in such volume during a tournament like this. But at the end of the day, you have guys every day who aren’t “pros” pulling these fish off beds and don’t bat an eye. 
If it were a tournament where all these bass were being brought to a weigh in, my tune would be different.

[HB2]

IMO , this just sets a bad example . I was under the assumption that the law states you must unhook an out of season fish and immediately release it.  No pic , no weigh . 

 

And I know there are guys who fish the beds . And other than  the St Lawrence ( I think) you can C& R Bass out of season . I catch a lot of out of season Bass . 

 

But to have what amounts to a swarm of locusts converge on a lake for a week during closed/ spawning season is just wrong .Sets a bad example .  They couldn't wait a few weeks till the season is open .The DEC and Finger lakes think this is a good idea ? There are some southern lakes that have multiple tournaments every week on them and the Bass fishing  has gone from great to terrible on them because of it . A lot of fish die from the stress. So they ruin the lakes down there and they want to do it up here ? 

 

These are not stocked fish , it takes what , 6 years to grow a keeper size Bass . 

 

 

 

 

[fisherman21]

Looks like the pros missed one during the tournament 

[scramp]

Is there an actual "closed" season anymore?  When I looked at the regulations last I believe there is a season year-round now, separated by two blocks of time.  The old timeframe we all called the season (June 15th - November 30th) where you can keep them and use live bait and then the other half of the year (Dec 1 - June 14th) which states (not closed) but artificial lures only and catch n' release only.  I was suprised when I saw/read this:  https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/fishguide.pdf

 

Either way watching people visually fish, dropping drop shots on beds doesn't seem much like sport to me.

[Frogger]

Is what it is I guess……

Edited June 18, 2023 by Frogger

[nasc620]

The st Lawrence river has a closed season and Lake Ontario in Jefferson county is closed.  You find that information in the region 6 special regulations then have to go to the St Lawrence River section to find that it is closed until 6/15.  People come

from all over the county to fish up and and I can’t believe they can’t read the regulations before they plan a trip.  

[krux5506]

Bass guys might call me crazy but I wouldn't mind if even the in-season tournaments just weighed fish this way, from the boat then immediate release. In the couple tournaments I've fished on fair haven, they've been open to the lake so everyone just hauls out huge bags of smallies, weigh in, then dump the bags into the bay and leave. Sure, the fish live....mostly....and i've seen a club have a tank set up on site for reviving fish. but the vast majority of those fish are caught super deep, need their air bladders bled, then spend the afternoon in a livewell. if you've got 20 or so boats weighing in that's a whole lot of smallies that may or may not even make it back into the lake. i don't know, maybe i'm just ranting. i guess it's just not really my thing, and i feel like it's a lack of respect.