MT FIRST TOURNAMENT

[Okeechobee_Cracker]

So it was my first tournament ever......I decided I want to start out in the Bassmaster Weekend Series instead of a local club. My goal was to catch 1 or 2 fish to get some points Because I knew alot of guys were gonna come back empty handed and I wanted to get a fish so I could stand good in the points. The FLW Stren Series and a local club tourney Had just got done with thier tournaments so I knew the lake had been fished pretty hard and the fish were going to be hard to come by, But I went out got my first fish like I wanted and from then on out I just had fun and got my limit. . When I got back to the wieght in I saw that one fish was dieing. I knew that was a 8 ounce penalty   when the guy was checking my fish first he said they were all alive and I was so thrilled, But then just before he put the fish back in the bag he looked at my fish and said wait ones dead...............  Man was I disapointed.....I got the 8 once penalty......I ended up comeing in 5th and got a pay check in my first tournament ever but if that fish would of stayed alive I would have probably came in 3rd but O well thats fishing..................next tournaments in one months Im looking forward to that........my goal is to stay in the top 8 in points so I can go to the Divisional Championship ........I wasnt expecting my first year to start out this good......but it has  

[cabela10]

Killing fish in a tournament isn't "OH WELL THATS FISHING"  You should care for those fish like they are your own kids in that livewell.  I suggest you go out and purchase some products that keep those PH levels in that livewell healthy for the bass.  Also, when you KNOW you have a dead fish in a tournament, you should tell the director/weigher, that you have one dead fish, BE HONEST, I consider it cheating if you don't say you have one dead fish.

Lets keep these bass alive for future bass kids.

[Okeechobee_Cracker]

He swollowed the hook......we put stuff in the livewell to help him out......I did my best to keep him alive.....I believe that is fishing......some times your going to have a fish that gets hooked bad and died....I did my best to keep him alive.....and If the guy said he was alive or dead either way the fish is gonna die.....the fish was still alive it wasnt looking so good though........If the guys thought has was alive and would have called it that way honestly I owuld have been ok wiht that because its not gonna change if the fish is gonna die or not.........but I wouldnt of had a penlty and I would have had 300 more dollars in my pocket so I dont fell guilty.................Either way the fish was a goner.....Me and my boater did what we could :-/

[bocabasser]

good job okeechobee. don't sweat what that fool says about your fish. he obviously didn't read your post when you stated that one fish "was dieing", and not dead yet. great job-you did nothing wrong.

[cabela10]

don't sweat what that fool says about your fish

So now you find the need to attack me personally by calling me a fool? I never attacked this guy personally but to change his thinking of saying a dead fish is, "Oh well that's fishing" When killing a fish during a tournament isn't, "Oh just fishing".

That fish would of had a better shot of surviving if he was released as soon as you realized he was dying in your livewell. The main reason why that fish was dying after the swallowed hook was because it couldn't breath in your livewell or what you did before you put him in the livewell, but maybe trying to get the hook out.

I've released a dying fish in a tournament. No wonder why some areas of the country have issues with dead fish. All I'm saying is, you need to change your mindset of just thinking, "Oh well, that's fishing", when it comes to dead fish in a tournament.

Question for you.  What did you do with this fish after it dead?

[bocabasser]

fool as in foolish comment. so what you are saying is that if you gut hooked a 5 pounder in a tourny, and the fish was going to die, you would let him go and not take the 8oz. penalty? i think not, therefor your comment was foolish, very foolish and only a fool would do what you "say" what you would do. here in florida, FWC is at most of the weigh ins, and they take all of the dead fish and give it away to either the nearest homeless shelter or any patron that is willing to keep the fish to eat, or put the dead fish back in the water and let nature take its place. i am not attacking you personnally, just the foolish statement you made.

[Zel]

It always has been a controversial discussion regarding dying fish in a tournament.  The club I belonged to frowns against releasing dying fish in a tournament.  We considered it a waste of natural resources to put back a fish that will obviously die.  We take the dying/dead fish to the scales and accept the penalty.  Then someone takes the fish home to eat.  

Good job on your first tourney.  Congrats.

[cabela10]

The fish should be released before it's about to die.  The survival rate of a hook in a fish's gut is rather high.  So it would survive back in the lake, but it will die in your lifewell, unless you are a magician and can keep your livewell with a perfect PH level so your fish can breath normal.

Actually, I would and have released a middle sized fish in my livewell that was dying during a tournament.  It was hooked rather early in the day, so I was able to replace it with a similar sized fish.

I guess up here in Minnesota/Wisconsin, things are a little different.  Wisconsin is pretty much trying to eliminate bass tournaments across the state, if you read the FLW letter they sent to the DNR of Wisconsin, you would understand everything.  Here in Wisconsin, I couldn't do a simple shoreline release for a small ABA tournament. They make me bring the fish to the middle of the lake to release them, they feel the water there is cooler for the fish when they get put back into the water and that they have more oxygen in the middle rather than the hot shoreline during the summer months with little oxygen.

[cabela10]

All I'm saying is... attempt to keep those fish alive at all costs.  You should do whatever it takes to let that fish survive.

I could compare it to a person in a car crash and the medics deciding if they should even help the injured person, since they will die eventually anyways.  That's a bit harsh, but that's what I'm comparing this too.  That medic would do everything to save someone's live, maybe you should be the medic for your bass in the tournament.  Do whatever it takes to keep that fish alive.

[BillyBob]

Hey Road ! You startin a thread on dying fish too?  ;D

Anyway back to the original thought !  Cracker, good job! I know you did all you could do, to get the highest place... but you might want to checkout the new rules in the Series...Theres no divisional this year. Or I guess I mean Regional. Everybody will fish your divisional championship, thats fished at least 2 tournaments. Good Luck!

[BASS fisherman]

OC, greet job at that tourney!  Keep up the good work!

All I'm saying is... attempt to keep those fish alive at all costs. You should do whatever it takes to let that fish survive.

I could compare it to a person in a car crash and the medics deciding if they should even help the injured person, since they will die eventually anyways. That's a bit harsh, but that's what I'm comparing this too. That medic would do everything to save someone's live, maybe you should be the medic for your bass in the tournament. Do whatever it takes to keep that fish alive.

Yah! Even if that means mouth to gill resusitation!  

Fish are going to die sometimes, and that is part of tourney fishing.  You can take steps to prevent harm to fish, and you can take steps to help the fish that are on a downward curve, but there are going to be fish that die in just about every single tournament due to high stress from being caught and being placed in a livewell and carted all over the lake for the day.  There are 2 things you can do for those fish. 1 quit tourney fishing, and join peta and become a peta goof, or get yourself some Catch and Release formula from Sure Life Labs.  The company has alot of great products that help in reducing stress levels of fish in the livewell, as well as helping to regenerate the slime coat that the fish has lost, opening it to infection and ultimatley a slow and painful infection resulting in death.  

The fact of the matter is that there will be a small percentage of fish that are going to die in each tournament no matter how well ypu care for the fish.  You can do everything you possibly can to ensure that they will be released alive, but they die anyway.  It IS part of tournament fishing no matter how you take care of the fish.

[Hillbilly_Hooker]

OC,

Congrats on your strong finish in your first tournament ever, keep up the good work!  We've all had fish expire on us, despite our best efforts to keep them alive.

Hillbilly

[Okeechobee_Cracker]

I havent really gotten deep into the new weekend series rules, thats great news thought. Either way im going to fish every tournament in division 6 MY HARDEST, and do my best to stay as high in points as possible. This is my first year fishing any kind of tournament, im young only 17. Im going to try my hardest to make a name for myself and If I dont do so good this year I will try my Hardest next year. I notice when I was out on Okeechobee flipping and pitching that I was a little off with my accuracy, So from now untill Feb 11th (next tourney) Im going to take 1 hour each day flipping and pitch so I can get better. Throwing more accuratly is important because if your off by 12 inches thats one fish you could have caught but didnt, So im going to work on that. I already have an idea of what im going to throw next time but weather and different variables change so I should have my game plan worked out about 4 days before the tourney. Im just lookng for another top 10 finish and maby another check..................................................................................................About the dead fish, I dont want to comment on that because everyone has an opinion and its pointless arguing....No hard fellings thought, And sorry I will remember not to use "Oh well thats fishing" in any future weight-in's.

[Garnet]

Hope your yard looks like mine. Pitching practise into a coffe cup 22.37443 ft. 99 times out of 100 is trick casting(pitching) if you can hit every weed in my yard with in 3inch 99times out 100 you can take 1 day off each week.

congrats on a great result

Garnet

[Okeechobee_Cracker]

Well I get a stoll which could be compaired to a tree or brush, a small foot stoll witch has in the bottom of it 3 inch by 3 inch square sections and I try to throw in the middle of it as if it were vegitation with a 3inch hole I would want to pitch in.....and a log witch I look were I want to toss the bait .....maby behind it or the righ tor left side then I throw hoping it to hit what ever spot I picked out.........heres some pics

[Garnet]

Can drop that yard off at my house..........your only choice is to move closer or further and left and right ever pitch. Any more than 3 pitches from the same location is trick casting. Hope you have no onlookers that don't understand.

The real thing is on the water no 2 pitchs are the same and practice should as close to real as possible.

Garnet

[Okeechobee_Cracker]

Yea im always changing spots......Im pretty sure people that walk by think im crazy......lol....I could care less tho

[Guest avid]

Congrats on your tourney results.

I'm sure that you and your buddy did all you could to keep that fish alive.

I hear where c10 is coming from, but I think it's a little extreme.  

Hell, my kids can't swim.  If I threw em back I be arrested for murder  

[Garnet]

I just looked at your targets turn that stool legs down. Now fade that bait in there to the left right behind the leg and fade that bait in there to the right behind the leg.

Good thing every stool has 4 legs 8 eight side man now you're getting some targets.

Garnet

[eulerentinc]

Congrats on your finish OC!!  Now thats the  kind of dedication im talking about!!  I love it!!  Im hoping to fish the stren series as well possibly next year.  Where are you located in FL?  Im up in Orlando.  Did you fish boater or co-angler?

[Okeechobee_Cracker]

CO-Angler.....Dont have money for the boat yet ;D