The Fate Of Bass Tournaments

[WRB]

California just passed a bill S1894 that sealed the fate of catch & release of largemouth and smallmouth bass caught in the Cailfornia delta, #4 Bassmaster top 100 list. Any stripe bass, largemouth or smallmouth, crappie or bluegill, all non native fish, must be killed. The covers the San Jaquin delta (Californis delta) and all it's tributaries.

Clear Lake #9 on the Bassmasters top 100 is also under fire using endangered species, the Clear Lake Hitch, to stop bass tournaments during the Hitch spawn period March to June.

The environmentalist who believe fishing is a harmful sport are willing to sacrifice entire fisheries to prevent sportsman enjoying our sports.

I realize this is a political issue, however please be very careful who you vote into office...your favorite sport is under fire and they are winning the battle and you maybe next!

Tom

[bigbill]

Tom this could spread to other states too. Once California does something new jersey seems to follow then Maryland. That's how the gun laws spread. I'm not saying it can but who knows the state's jump on any bandwagon. The politicians say one thing to get into office then switch sides. Who do we trust.

It seems us sportsman need to unite to fight for the cause.

Give them one inch thell take a mile.

We need to form a National Fishing Org. NAO?

 

[WIGuide]

That is beyond sad!

[Bluebasser86]

I don't see many bass anglers following that law. Kind of like how they're supposed to keep any bass they catch in Japan but end up "accidentally" dropping them back in the water. 

[Glenn]

This year, both Washington State and Oregon State removed any and all regulations regarding warm water species (Bass, Walleye, Catfish) up-and-down the entire Columbia river, in the name of the almighty salmon; despite the fact they have not a wisp of scientific evidence to support such drastic measures.  They're simply trying to appease salmon anglers who think warm water species might be harming the salmon runs, and have complained to them about it.

 

You can't vote-in the reigning members of the Dept. of Wildlife.  It takes a special kind of stupid to get them into any level of decision making.

[Choporoz]

California just passed a bill S1894 that sealed the fate of catch & release of largemouth and smallmouth bass caught in the Cailfornia delta, #4 Bassmaster top 100 list. Any stripe bass, largemouth or smallmouth, crappie or bluegill, all non native fish, must be killed. The covers the San Jaquin delta (Californis delta) and all it's tributaries.

Tom

Where can I find the text of this bill?  The only S1894 I found was a US Senate CA drought bill...which is also a bit crazy, IMO, but I don't think its the same one referred to here.

[Logan S]

Here is some related text I found (it's a section of the CA Drought Bill):

 

"(e) Reducing Predator Habitat.—

 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior and Secretary of Commerce shall implement a pilot program—

 

A: to identify natural and artificial factors in the Sacramento River and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta watershed that could be providing favorable predatory fish habitat for fish that prey on juvenile salmon;

 

B:  to collect scientific data at those locations to determine whether those natural or artificial factors are contributing to predation of endangered fish; and

 

C: to provide recommendations on whether those natural or artificial factors that enable the formation or continuation of predatory fish habitat could be feasibly and effectively modified, in compliance with all applicable State and Federal laws (including regulations), to reduce predation."

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"(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The pilot projects shall—

 

A: seek to reduce invasive aquatic vegetation, predators, and other competitors which contribute to the decline of native listed pelagic and anadromous species that occupy the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers and their tributaries and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta; and

 

B: remove, reduce, or control the effects of species, including Asiatic clams, silversides, gobies, Brazilian water weed, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, striped bass, crappie, bluegill, white and channel catfish, and brown bullheads."

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I'm guessing this part is where the regulations will come in?  Interesting that habitat destruction is also included...Likely include killing off aquatic vegetation.  Makes it even worse.  

 

This isn't just a CA bill, it looks like it's a US Senate bill.  BUT, it still shows as being in committee as of 10/8, so it hasn't passed yet unless I'm missing something.  There is still an opportunity for amendments or to vote it down.  It also needs to pass the House of Reps which means anglers should familiarize themselves with how to contact their Senators and Reps (if they don't already know).  This all assuming I've been looking at the same thing Tom is referencing.

 

If it's true, I'm sure bass fisherman will 'accidentally' drop the fish back in the water...But I can imagine it will cause problems for tournaments since it likely also prohibits transporting the fish alive, so you can't put them in your livewell.  I have many more thoughts on the subject but most would violate BR's 'no-politics' policy so I will keep them to myself...Other than to say I strongly oppose these regulations/laws.

[WRB]

The Senate bill S1894 was voted on Friday, the 9th. As you can imagine the western forums are buzzing with a lot of upset bass anglers. Petitions were signed, letters sent, the various fishing, boating industries tried and failed to make any headway. The fish are a pone in the water dispute, using salmon/steelhead to advance water supply is a very high powered political move where the public is powerless. I think the tournament anglers are in shock that this happened and they are trying to fight it. The Govenor, Senators, state government and DFW all in favor it's a very dismal outlook.

I realize this is a political thread, however it's more about the future of our sport, very sad set of circumstances.

Tom

[Ozark_Basser]

This is just awful. What makes these hippies think they can control nature for the better anyway? I don't even fish the cal delta, and this bums me out.

[Lund Explorer]

The Senate bill S1894 was voted on Friday, the 9th. As you can imagine the western forums are buzzing with a lot of upset bass anglers. Petitions were signed, letters sent, the various fishing, boating industries tried and failed to make any headway. The fish are a pone in the water dispute, using salmon/steelhead to advance water supply is a very high powered political move where the public is powerless. I think the tournament anglers are in shock that this happened and they are trying to fight it. The Govenor, Senators, state government and DFW all in favor it's a very dismal outlook.

I realize this is a political thread, however it's more about the future of our sport, very sad set of circumstances.

Tom

 

I'm surprised that you guys didn't see this coming.  The legacy of western states allowing for private ownership of water was bound to bring this about when the demand started to outstrip the supply.  Throwing in the record dry spell probably just accelerated it. 

 

Your only hope is that enough people realize that water should be considered a public resource, protected for the benefit of all persons equally, that they will band together and attempt to resolve this problem.  At some point, the lawyers are going to get rich!

[WRB]

I'm surprised that you guys didn't see this coming. The legacy of western states allowing for private ownership of water was bound to bring this about when the demand started to outstrip the supply. Throwing in the record dry spell probably just accelerated it.

Your only hope is that enough people realize that water should be considered a public resource, protected for the benefit of all persons equally, that they will band together and attempt to resolve this problem. At some point, the lawyers are going to get rich!

Water is a public resource in CA, very little owned privately, there are private rights to under ground water grandfathered back to the late 1800's. The major waterways that transport water from north to south have been public funded. The fishing public is a small percentage of the overall population who are ignorant of the water politics.

Tom

[Choporoz]

"Forget it Jake.  Its Chinatown." 

 

I've been fascinated by Southern California water ever since I first saw that movie.  Not much luck in getting a truly rational discussion out there, I'm afraid.

[Big C]

We'll see how many true bass fishermen kill their fish, because some politicians told them to.  It's times like this when I think of animal rights being compromised.  People love to give fishermen a hard time for rippin' some lips, now they have to kill whatever they catch?  Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

[gulfcaptain]

I think I stated this before, but that action is a lost cause.  There isn't any money to follow through.  Impossible task to remove ALL without hurting the salmon population.  Stripers aren't going anywhere....they are there to stay, just as the bass are.  Smallmouth made their way into the system from the upper lakes and headwaters.  They can't wipe out the slilver carp in the Mississippi river system, they can't wipe out the bass or any of the other fish on that list.  You can't make it old again or the way it was.  And there probably is a way to use CA laws which protect bass and all the others (less the bullhead which just find ways to get everywhere) to stop the law and tie it up in the courts until they find something else to complain about.  Tournament formats can become similar to Major League fishing with wireless weight recordings to go around that law and "accidently return" them to the water. Oh, and the weeds, yes they would love to remove them, but then they also want to save the reeds and tullies which makes removing all the grass also impossible.

[Montanaro]

How do bass tournaments effect the hitch spawn lol.

Im pretty sure the bass that eat them dont just feast during tournaments.

[Karma]

I travel all over the country for work.

 

I don't even consider California to be part of America with all of its ridiculous laws.

 

 

Thank God I live in the south.

[Lund Explorer]

Water is a public resource in CA, very little owned privately, there are private rights to under ground water grandfathered back to the late 1800's. The major waterways that transport water from north to south have been public funded. The fishing public is a small percentage of the overall population who are ignorant of the water politics.

Tom

 

Being from the Midwest and surrounded by water, I am constantly amazed by the news stories we read about certain residents of your state having special rights to a % of what now seems like a very limited resource.  State and local governments arguing over usage levels, farmers demanding that they shouldn't be subjected to reduced use, and the residents of one community who thought they should be exempt from any conservation efforts because they paid more in property taxes than their neighbors.  Then of course was the story of a certain Hollywood star who used a tanker truck to tap into fire hydrants to keep his water meter from spinning out of control. 

 

So I hope you'll understand my confusion when the law you quoted actually being named "drought relief", that poor ignorant folks back east like myself got the wrong impression.

[DevinFishing29]

What a dumb law. I don't see the point in ruining such a good fishery. I sure hope that never happens anywhere near where I fish.

[WRB]

How do bass tournaments effect the hitch spawn lol.

Im pretty sure the bass that eat them dont just feast during tournaments.

Hitch spawn in stream that flow into Clear Lake, the problem appears to boats fishing nearby flats disrupts the Hitch migration. No science behind this.

Tom

[Tim Kelly]

In Germany they made the mistake of electing a few Green party representatives into power. Only a few, but due to the way the political system works it gave them some power. They managed to get through legislation that meant that people wanting to fish had to pass a test to get a license first, and then they were obliged to kill any fish they caught as to catch them and return them was just inflicting cruelty to animals for fun.

 

Politicians are staggeringly stupid, but then so are the people who put them in power most of the time. Hopefully these daft laws you now have in California will be roundly ignored by both the anglers and the authorities. It seems to be the only way the real people can exist in a world confused by politicians.

[Weld's Largemouth]

It is a shame. But California is not the only state that has bass tournaments....

[uncustered]

I've been trying to get the word out.

The envirowhackos have evolved.

Instead of suing and simply making lawyers rich. The eco-whacko's have taken policy level jobs in all levels of government. They are now writing the laws and rules that continue to erode locations and opportunities for sportsman.

It will take all of us to win the battle.

Failing to fight this battle has already lost us the best surf fishing spot in the world, The Point in Buxton, N.C.

[Catch 22]

I've been trying to get the word out.

The envirowhackos have evolved.

Instead of suing and simply making lawyers rich. The eco-whacko's have taken policy level jobs in all levels of government. They are now writing the laws and rules that continue to erode locations and opportunities for sportsman.

It will take all of us to win the battle.

Failing to fight this battle has already lost us the best surf fishing spot in the world, The Point in Buxton, N.C.

Well said. I happen to be familiar with the NC thing. Its sad. The fed judge in that case is highly biased and probably bought and paid for.

 

This situation is highly indicative of how dangerous the Endangered Species Act can be when used by the wrong people.To harm or disturb any creature on the ESA list can result in absurd fines and punishment.

[Last_Cast]

I travel all over the country for work.

 

I don't even consider California to be part of America with all of its ridiculous laws.

 

 

Thank God I live in the south.

I thought NY was bad 

[WRB]

Up date; the House bill HR 2898, sister bill of the Senate S1894, passed the House.

Very grim outlook for the future of tournament bass fishing in the California Delta.

If you don't think this can happen in your state be very careful who you vote for.The House is Republican majority and passed the HR 2898 bill overwhelmingly.

The S1894 bill is a Democratic bill going through the Senate, then the House for funding, both parties are behind these bills for different polical gain, that means your Representitive and Senator. The fishing industry never unifies, stays divided into specific specie groups and is easily defeated....it's not my problem is the typical response.

Peace.

Tom