Tournament Ban proposed by USFW

[Nick(IA)]

On Friday, April 13th the Cedar Rapids Gazette carried an article quoting federal government sources indicating a ban on tournament fishing is being considered for the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife Refuge System. These sources indicate that they have received complaints about tournaments. These "complaints" are the same tired lines that we continue to hear from the anti-tournament fishing organizations. Even if you are not a "fan" of tournament fishing you should take a stand to defeat this regulation. A tournament "ban" is an overt government action to not only regulate the individual angler and the fishing industry but to eliminate your freedom to choose how you wish to practice your vocation or avocation. Don't let this divide and conquer strategy work. Public comments are being taken by J. Kenneth Edwards, National Wildlife Refuge System, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Dr., Room 670, Arlington, VA. 22203 or by fax at 703-358-2248. Defend what you have or it will be gone...

[C mon people!]

Are any of you responding to the USFW? Or are you just waiting to have the first step taken at the antis steppin in and making fishing illegal? Get off your butts!

[mac]

If tournament people are abusing the resources they should be banned. There is no excuse for it. You wont find any simpathy from me.

[Prchjerker]

Im there Dvae.People just dont understand, how hard it is to get something back once youve lost it.

[Bill]

Bingo Mac!

[I disagree]

Do you think any of the complaints are valid? Or is any complaints about tourny's valid? I may or may not agree with the ban. What are they complaining about? More information may sway more votes for you!

Thanks... Brian

[Beaver]

I got my rear end chewed by a group of local people at a Mississippi river boat landing last year. They weren`t antis, they were local people that were fed up with the ammount of tourneys being held....walleye and bass both. They were tired of guys taking livewells full of fish up to La Crosse to be released after they were caught in other pools. Tired of being pushed out of areas by groups of other fishermen.....and I don`t even fish tourneys. I was their sounding board and they warned me that they weren`t the only ones getting fed up and that they were going to push the issue. I passed the warning along to others......guess it wasn`t taken seriously.

[AGT]

mostly what i here are the local dnr complaining about tournaments because your catching THEIR fish the locals are usually there to take YOUR money and are glad to fish against you,the dnr in rathburn is the same way,while doing an artical in a well known walleye mag on summer mortalite rates at a july tourney a couple of years ago i read it and felt they leid about the conditions at the tournaments(weather 30+ mph wind and 3-4 ft waves)that were hard on the fish as well as the fisherman i was very disapointed in the fibs--im sure there getting the locals in a huff about what (the their numbers are)--by the way i take alot less fish home doing tourneys than fishing for pleasure- the freezers always empty

[Fish Bait]

A few years ago I was in Lake City, Minn. when a MWC tournament was taking place. The tournament was operated very professionally and the MWC, as is its policy, donated several thousands of dollars to the Minn. DNR for its Mississippi River fisheries program. The money benefits "all" fishermen. The only griping I heard was by a few locals complaining about "their fish" being caught. By the way, many of the tournament anglers are local guys. This anti-tournament crap won't ever stop. The antis are often the ones who don't have a problem with the Prez lying and getting BJ's in the White House either.

[joe duck]

You know I AM really sick of all the pubplicity given the tournement fishing I fish them and I tell ya we kill far fewer fish than the guys do trying to supply all the fillets for the monthly clubhouse party at least our intentions is to release unharmed Aan thats agood message to send our youth someday tourementb anglers will have the knowledge to release most all unharmed atournement angler is eating sardines trying to catch afish he respects meat hog hopes he can catch a limit before noon so he can come back

[Shad Man]

You may "think" you kill fewer .. but the scientific facts don't support you. Walleye ... long spells in livewells ... pounding waves ... spell dead fish. Check out the stats.

Immediate release is fine .. but the lactic acid build up in their bodies in a livewell is a death sentence.

Walleye and summer tournaments don't mix!

[Mosely]

Alltournaments should be catch and keep.

[Bear]

It is not just tournament fishing that is being looked at being banned it is all fishing or hunting or recreational use on the Upper Mississippi River Refuge, which makes up the upper mississippi river and backwaters. This does not have anything to do with tournaments.

Thanks,

Bear

[Beaver]

Instead of wondering what was going on, I contacted several people at the FWS. I talked to fisheries biologists and managers and am waiting for some info from the mangers office of the Upper Miss Refuge. When I asked about a fishing and hunting ban, they all but laughed. Fishing was the reason that the refuge was created and continues to be one of the top reasons for which it is managed. Tournaments, however, are being scrutinized. There are many things being looked at like...how many, where, fishery impact...a couple of the people that I talked with were suprised to find out that fish weren`t released in the pool where they were caught. Especially bass because of the fact that they are pretty much non-migratory. Like I said, I`m expecting more info and particulars and will pass them along as they become available. Beav

[curt quesnell]

nice comparison........

thats all..

curt quesnell

[Jiggereye]

Hi Beav,
Just so you know the permits I get for Wisconsin say that the same number of fish that are taken from a pool must be released back into the pool they came from. Lawrence