Here's something to think about JW. How many casual fisherman catch that big bass or those younger 3-5 lb fish and throw it or them in a bucket or cooler and take it home to eat or mount. At least the tournament fishermen are releasing them all, and some will definitely make it. Chances of one surviving being filleted and dipped in hot grease is pretty much 0%. Casual fishermen do much more damage if you can call it that (in the form of killing fish) than the pros and tournament fishermen could ever dream of doing. Birdcarver (on here) kills 15-20 fish every single time he puts his boat in the water. Sticks a nail through their heads and takes a pic of them on the fence. Nothing wrong with that, more power to him. The man evidently really likes to eat bass and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Just remember there are way more people like him out there fishing than there are tournament fishermen. Do the math, tournament fishermen are just a tiny drop in the bucket of overall fish mortality and at least the tournament fishermen are making an attempt to turn the fish back.
You are comparing a man eating something to just killing it. Do you shoot deer and just throw them back in the woods to die after youve rode them around and showed them off for an hour or two? Really think about what youre saying, then back up and punt. Thats ignorant
Ignorant?? JW tell me, just how many massive fish kills have you seen first hand, with your own eyes immediately after a major tournament? I’m betting the answer is zero. If what you believe is true, actually happened, in a typical BASS tourney there would be close to 2000 bass released all at the same release point with the majority of those dying. I’m not saying it has never happened but If the mortality is as high as some on here say, you’d see a raft of dead fish floating every weekend after every single tournament. I spend a lot of time the water and yes, I’ve seen a floater here and there around release points and tournament takeout points but nothing significant and dang sure not every fish caught in a tournament.
Heck, there a a lot of guys on the pro tour that intentionally target/intentionally fish tournament release points if there’s been a big tournament within the past week because all those released fish typically school/stage up on the first good cover, drop, ledge or major channel swing close to the release point. I’ve crushed them on spots like this 3-4 days after a big tourney. Re-read my post, I specifically said there’s nothing wrong with people keeping and eating bass if they want to. Do some fish not make it after release? It absolutely happens without question and nobody disputes that.
Looking at a lot of the comments on here, seems to me like a lot of people just don’t like tournaments, fast boats, don’t like other people catching big fish that others have trouble catching, having to wait at crowded ramps, crowded parking lots and the like. Trust me when I say that being a jackass on the water is not in any way limited to just tournament fishermen. Nothing pisses me off more than someone that takes 10 min to back their trailer down, can’t back their trailer without the boat on it, can’t get their boat on the trailer once they finally get the trailer in the water, or sits in the launch trying to get their motor cranked because the boat only gets put in the water 3-4 times a year. It’s just part of it. Everyone should just take a deep breath and be courteous of the others trying to enjoy the resource too. Now correct me where you think I’m wrong or you go ahead, drop back 15 yds behind center and punt.
