Any rule changes coming for 2023?

[hawkeye625]

With last year's walleye cheaters exposed.....are there any rule changes coming to lake ontario derbies/tournaments? I think Cleaning any placing fish is reasonable.  What does everyone else think?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AnglingAddict]

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Edited February 3, 2023 by AnglingAddict

[Bozeman Bob]

Each tourney , derby is run by a different entity . So it's up to each one of them to change any rules for there own event . I personally do not foresee any of O's events rules being changed because of what happened in Walleye tourney series that is much different animal than O's individual tournaments or derbies . If they want to cut open every fish that is weighed in say in a Lake wide derby that might last for 2 - 4 weeks or the whole season it isn't easy to control . I've had gas jockeys weighing fish who didn't know the species and why should they ? Could go on and on. Don't think one isolated team of cheaters is going to affect the rules on Ontario tourneys . Organizers can decide themselves if they want to open them up for inspection at weigh in which I believe are already in there rules .

[Houndog]

4# Walleye with 2# lead weights = 20# Salmon with 10lb cannon balls? Interesting

[Yankee Troller]

I run the Orleans County Open. Last year (2022) I brought back observers after a few years without them due to covid. I was told by a few captains after the event that if observers were required in 2023 they would not be participating. I always felt having observers kept up the integrity, but I also realize it's a PIA to find a reliable observer. I think part of the problem is people grab anyone they can and don't pay them. We've had great luck finding people looking to learn the fishery, and we pay them well. Some people will always find ways to cheat, but it eventually catches up to them becasue they get greedy. That won't stop me and my team from participating in these events and seeing where we stack up to the competition on a given day. Tournament fishing is more than who wins and loses, becasue the reality is no one is making money fishing tournaments. Tournament fishing cuts down on the learning curve when it comes to our fishery. For example, the stuff we learned fishing the east end of Lake Ontario early on has helped us win on the West end. Having to fish out of a new port, or a port where the fishing isn't great makes you a better all around fisherman.

 

I'll end with this. It's easy to bash tournaments and say you wont fish them becasue of cheaters. In reality you complaining about less than 1% of your competition. The other 99% is great and you will probably meet life long friends fishing them. I know we have.

[Frogger]

As mentioned, cheaters will always lose in the end. Good meeting you Rick this past weekend at the Expo. Looks like Krenzer has some good looking rigs. 

[Gill-T]

This is a tough one. I have had two observers that were not fisher-folk on my boat that got sick to the point I had to come in. I felt bad for the ladies that got roped into the event by their families. I agree observers get a great education if on the right boat. Many start as observers then decide to enter tournaments (me).  I feel bad for tournament organizers that have no perfect answer to stop cheating. It would be a great win-win to coordinate with the USGS or DEC to do stomach content checks in the name of science for each fish after weigh-in. If everyone knew their fish would get cut open, lots of would be cheaters would think twice. Randomly draw name from a hat for pre-cooler/boat check prior to send off each morning. 

[AnglingAddict]

49 minutes ago, Gill-T said:

This is a tough one. I have had two observers that were not fisher-folk on my boat that got sick to the point I had to come in. I felt bad for the ladies that got roped into the event by their families. I agree observers get a great education if on the right boat. Many start as observers then decide to enter tournaments (me).  I feel bad for tournament organizers that have no perfect answer to stop cheating. It would be a great win-win to coordinate with the USGS or DEC to do stomach content checks in the name of science for each fish after weigh-in. If everyone knew their fish would get cut open, lots of would be cheaters would think twice. Randomly draw name from a hat for pre-cooler/boat check prior to send off each morning. 

Some of the smaller east end events were using an "integrity form" where each team had to have preferably a member of another team or individual check your boat/coolers/cabin/storage areas on the morning of a tourney, they then had to sign and include a cell number on the form and then you had to bring that form with you to weigh in - people will always cheat but to me that was a welcome approach to a small tourney without observers.   

[ifishy]

Wouldn't eliminate all of it but hang the fish from the tail for weigh in. Would drain any water or ice and if it hangs for a few min good chance of dropping foreign bodies not perfect bit at least makes it an effort to cheat?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Finnagain]

I only get to the lake once a year for spring loc derby , hoping that changes in a few years but I always watch the weights of all derbies through out the season and so many winning fish are separated by 1-ounce . It seems like at least a metal detector should be used before checks are given out ( maybe they are ?)Some other tournaments are combined fish totals but  an inexpensive metal detector waved over fish at weigh ins would certainly give everybody some piece of mind they didn’t lose to lead or tungston cheater. 

[Bozeman Bob]

1 hour ago, Finnagain said:

I only get to the lake once a year for spring loc derby , hoping that changes in a few years but I always watch the weights of all derbies through out the season and so many winning fish are separated by 1-ounce . It seems like at least a metal detector should be used before checks are given out ( maybe they are ?)Some other tournaments are combined fish totals but  an inexpensive metal detector waved over fish at weigh ins would certainly give everybody some piece of mind they didn’t lose to lead or tungston cheater. 

  Anyone with half a brain is going to use lead sinkers , looks more natural as in " must of been fouled hooked before and ate the sinker " which is heavier than steel and won't show up with a metal detector. Any Charter Captain in a tournament is not going to bend any rules or cheat , there reputation is worth a lot more than ever being accused of cheating . One team on a tournament trail out of the how many thousands of teams that do tourneys cheat and now this has to be even discussed is numbing.  Leave it as is and let the organizers handle it . All the tourneys on Ontario are above board . 

[Finnagain]

I guarentee lead is going to show up on a metal detector or pin pointer and I agree the majority of people are honest but whats wrong with it to be used as a deterant? If its going to offend someone that much they don’t have to participate.