Club & Tournament Fishing

[flyinpro]

I have a general question. Are there any special rules for conducting a fishing tournament on Tennessee's waters beyond normal public fishing rules?

I have fished, day and night on most Tennessee lakes east of Nashville. Seems to me there is a rapid increase in these types of events and wonder if they are hurting fishing overall. Does the TWRA have any restrictions on these guys blasting around the lakes at high speeds?

Me & friend were in a cove the other night and had not one, but two Van Damm wanna-bees blast in and by without any regard for two guys in a smaller boat. They got a bit too close for me.

Are there any limits at all??

 

[Setterman]

I have no idea the answer to your question, but yesterday we are on the lake chasing cicadas and had some asshats roar in right on top of us as we were going down a bank. I despise the lake and some bass fisherman as they have zero regard for any one other than themselves. Not all are like that but there's certainly some.

 

[flyinpro]

I was wondering if the state regulated these events? They seem out of control to me. I think most of those who participate in them are good people but I wonder how much damage they are doing to the fishery without giving anything back. And if it's only licensing fees, it's not enough.

 

[WTM]

the larger clubs and organizations have special rules regarding that and they can be disqualified if they violate them. the state doesnt regulate them as far as i know. ive seen a few of those high school teams boat captains teaching those kids some bad habits.

as far as hurting fishing, according to the studies, it does relocate fish but those areas they are taken from are usually replenished. the most dangerous time of the year for high mortality rates is mid/late summer.

 

[flyinpro]

usually replenished

How so? If there are no state oversight, there's no telling who many of the clubs or mini-tournaments there are. Think the big ones have to have a permit.

 

[scn]

Unless something has recently changed, there is no permit required from TWRA.

I suspect some marine events permits have been issued for staging a major tournament using a state access area. Several different agencies could be involved in the access area issue.

With the exception of some high mortality of catch and release during the hot summer months, there isn't much data that shows that tournament fishing is a problem for the resource.

 

[flyinpro]

I just always how bad it hurts the average fishery and it looks like some ing that is out of control. But I know lots of guys enjoy the competition of it.

 

[larry ipock]

I think it does hurt the fishery due to the sheer number of tournaments.

 

[WTM]

How so? If there are no state oversight, there's no telling who many of the clubs or mini-tournaments there are. Think the big ones have to have a permit.

from the 15 year lake Champlain study the LMB taken from the southern part of the lake, in tournaments, where basically transplanted to the northern part and those fish never returned to where they were caught. but they found that other LMB quicky moved into the vacant habitat from surrounding areas in the south. LMB will travel something like 3 miles and smallmouth is like 6 miles to find their specific habitat.

the 20 year university of illinois study of LMB vulnerability, they concluded that 12% of LMB will never be caught and some of the fish that were caught became angler shy.

 

[flyinpro]

from the 15 year lake Champlain study the LMB taken from the southern part of the lake, in tournaments, where basically transplanted to the northern part and those fish never returned to where they were caught. but they found that other LMB quicky moved into the vacant habitat from surrounding areas in the south. LMB will travel something like 3 miles and smallmouth is like 6 miles to find their specific habitat.

the 20 year university of illinois study of LMB vulnerability, they concluded that 12% of LMB will never be caught and some of the fish that were caught became angler shy.

Hey great stuff. Thank you for that. I've started researching for information.

 

[Kirk]

I have been involved in multiple size bass tournaments over the past 40 years. I have organized, ran them, weighed them in and fished in a lot of them.

As SCN already said no TWRA permit is needed. Unfortunately, you can have rules for any of type issue and it comes down to one thing, span of control. Once they leave the blast off area, they are pretty much on the honor system. It is easy to regulate the first few minutes of a Bass Tournament when they blast off and the last few minutes when they come back in to the weigh-in. The middle hours are almost impossible to enforce. You have to rely on self reporting and/or other angler reporting issues. Only solution is to have a boat monitor in each boat.

A tournament rule won't change an arsshole into a saint. Once out of sight they are still going to be an arsshole.

 

[ChasingMossy]

I just always how bad it hurts the average fishery and it looks like some ing that is out of control. But I know lots of guys enjoy the competition of it.

I agree that it hurts a fishery but in a different way than you are probably thinking I'm just assuming here, but I assume you think that it's hurting the fishing by way of mortality. Personally, I think fishing pressure is what hurts a good fishery. When fish are constantly seeing artificial lures they become much harder to trick. To me, Dale Hollow is a perfect example. 4-5 years ago you could go there especially at night in the summer and have the whole lake to yourself and the fishing was phenomenal. Now that word has gotten out about how good the largemouth population has gotten at that lake it's like a zoo. I don't care what time of year or what time of day for the most part there are fishing boats everywhere. It has totally changed the lake. Now you might be the 10th person to hit the good spots on a given day instead of the first. There is still a gem of a lake in middle Tennessee that is like Dale Hollow of a few years ago. I just pray that the same thing doesn't happen to it

 

[Setterman]

It blows my mind with all the technology available they're still doing weigh ins rather than catch and log on the spot.

 

[TNGunsmoke]

It blows my mind with all the technology available they're still doing weigh ins rather than catch and log on the spot.

If I'm remembering right, there was 1 organization that had gone to click/weigh/release on all their tournaments. May have been FLW, but it could have just been for select tournaments.

 

[WTM]

It blows my mind with all the technology available they're still doing weigh ins rather than catch and log on the spot.

pretty much the weigh ins are for the fans and sponsors. smaller local tournaments could probably do it via facetime or similar technology.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

It blows my mind with all the technology available they're still doing weigh ins rather than catch and log on the spot.

Back when I used to fish these, I used to look forward to the happenings after the tournament. Of course, there were door prizes, food and beer :)

 

[Setterman]

Back when I used to fish these, I used to look forward to the happenings after the tournament. Of course, there were door prizes, food and beer :)

now makes sense :D

 

[West_Tn]

No thanks I don't need the state to regulate anything anymore than they already do. And I don't need the TWRA to tell me how fast I can go in my boat either.

 

[Crow Terminator]

I am on some local lake fishing groups on social media. Every day there's a tournament going on out of Watts Bar and Chickamauga that they are advertising or promoting. On Chickamauga there's multiple ones going out from various boat ramps each day. There's not a day that goes by during the spring - early winter when there's not one somewhere. It doesn't ever get a break. I'm sure it's similar on other local lakes. 98% of them are bass fishing with some catfish tourneys here and there.

What I have noticed that is starting to happen in this area is that the TVA ramps have people that lease/bid on the rights of ramp. Usually this is if a campground is tied in to the property; I don't know of any yet, that doesn't also have a campground attached. Examples are Hornsby Hollow and Sandy Bottoms on Watts Bar. For years, Hornsby Hollow ramp was one of the most popular for tournaments. The guy that is currently over the campground and ramp, does not like bass fisherman. He'll flat out tell you he doesn't like them and he put a stop to all tournaments fishing out of there. So the people that had been having tournaments there, had to relocate.

 

[rukiddin]

Personally, I think fishing pressure is what hurts a good fishery. When fish are constantly seeing artificial lures they become much harder to trick.

I see what you're saying but I personally don't think "fishing pressure" has any effect on the fish. There's two distinct pressures. You have "fishing pressure" and you have "catching pressure".. there's small rivers and streams in east TN that get a ton of "fishing pressure" from tourists that allbeit they enjoy themselves, simply don't have the know how to catch a lot of smallmouth. Me and some buddies used to do it all the time. We'd exchange hello's and they'd say they weren't catching anything and we go right behind them and catch 30-40 small mouths in two hours. Now, you take a bunch of those scenarios, and I'd worry about lure shy fish but that be from catching pressure, not fishing pressure.

 

[flyinpro]

No thanks I don't need the state to regulate anything anymore than they already do. And I don't need the TWRA to tell me how fast I can go in my boat either.

On the subject of speed, I definitely believe I should be some type of limits. There is nothing more frustrating than sitting in a cove some place and a Van Damm wanna be, blasts in on you because he wants the spot. That's the reason for my OP. I hate regulations but some of these things are getting out of hand.

My main point is, these events hurt the fishing for all in my opinion

 

[WTM]

I see what you're saying but I personally don't think "fishing pressure" has any effect on the fish. There's two distinct pressures. You have "fishing pressure" and you have "catching pressure".. there's small rivers and streams in east TN that get a ton of "fishing pressure" from tourists that allbeit they enjoy themselves, simply don't have the know how to catch a lot of smallmouth. Me and some buddies used to do it all the time. We'd exchange hello's and they'd say they weren't catching anything and we go right behind them and catch 30-40 small mouths in two hours. Now, you take a bunch of those scenarios, and I'd worry about lure shy fish but that be from catching pressure, not fishing pressure.

i dont know about other species but LMB has the ability to learn what not to eat and to pass that information down to its offspring. you can eventually end up with a lake full of hard to catch bass, and its directly proportional to the amount of catching.

on most of these lakes, especially KY lake, you have to think outside the box and throw different baits, modded baits and even downsize the overall bait package and presentation.

https://afspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1577/T06-243.1

 

[Spurhunter]

Are we talking about hurting the fishery or fast boats?

If we are talking about hurting the fishery I believe tournaments conducted during hot weather and bedding season probably hurt the fishery some, but what's the difference in that and guys that take home every bass they catch to eat. Including big fish. 100% of those fish die. As far as tournament fishermen not "giving anything back", a lot of local bass clubs do habitat improvements and other activities. There's no doubt BASS and other organizations have had major influence on the catch and release movement. Not picking on the OP, but what have YOU done to give back to the fishery?

If we are talking about fast boats, the guys that have them are going to go fast whether in a tournament or not. I would argue idiots in wake boats and ski boats doing their thing are much more dangerous than fast bass boats. Most of them are drinking, and not paying attention to anything but the skier and the bikinis in the boat. The morons on 70 MPH jet skis buzzing in front of you and all around you are also more dangerous. Not to mention all the above hang around populated areas like boat ramps so they can hopefully get the attention they so richly deserve while screaming "look at me! look at me!" Who will enforce the speed limits you desire? The one game warden per county that really needs to be checking for creel and size limit violations? Everything in life is a risk. If I was too afraid to be on big water with other boaters and anglers I would fish places with no wake speed limits or gas engine restrictions. We can't rely on government to keep us safe every minute of our lives.

 

[flyinpro]

Not picking on the OP, but what have YOU done to give back to the fishery?

Your points are well taken. Beyond catch and release and taking a large trash bag home of stuff I picked up while fishing, I've done what most club guys have done.....bought my license.

Maybe these clubs & Tourney guys should pay a fee to go into the fund to support more hatchery and release activities.

 

[Spurhunter]

Beyond catch and release and taking a large trash bag home of stuff I picked up while fishing, I've done what most club guys have done.....bought my license.

I would say that's the case for most of us. It's probably a case of not knowing what else to do to help the fishery more than anything else.

 

[Spurhunter]

I've done what most club guys have done.....bought my license.

Maybe these clubs & Tourney guys should pay a fee to go into the fund to support more hatchery and release activities.

I'm confused by your logic here. You say you've done the same thing the club guys have done, yet you think they should have to pay a fee due to their club affiliation. I'm not in a bass club and only fish 1 tournament a year most years, so I'm not defending them because of personal reasons. But, I do see a problem with taking big females off the bed, carrying fish around in your live well all day in the summer, and releasing all the fish caught in a tournament in one spot. Some of the bigger trails have pontoon boats with holding tanks that release fish to different parts of the lake after weigh in, but I don't think it's that common.

 

[BigRod]

I don't think the tournament guys are hurting the lakes. More like giving over all fisherman bad names and thinking they are better then the average joe out fishing. I could careless if you have a 60k rig and fishing for millions, don't run in on top of me if I'm fishing. Oh and wave runners, I really like to have fun with those guys. I've been known to sling 1 oz egg sinkers at those clowns.

 

[flyinpro]

I'm confused by your logic here. You say you've done the same thing the club guys have done, yet you think they should have to pay a fee due to their club affiliation. I'm not in a bass club and only fish 1 tournament a year most years, so I'm not defending them because of personal reasons. But, I do see a problem with taking big females off the bed, carrying fish around in your live well all day in the summer, and releasing all the fish caught in a tournament in one spot. Some of the bigger trails have pontoon boats with holding tanks that release fish to different parts of the lake after weigh in, but I don't think it's that common.

That's because of the dead fish, re-located during the span and other things I've not thought of. As I said I think it's hurting the lakes.

In terms of buying licenses, that's the only fee. The individual doesn't impact the fisheries in a negative way near as much IMO.

 

[WTM]

this is what can and has happened during a poorly ran tournament.

as far as the high speed on the lakes, murphy's law usually takes care of the worst offenders.

http://www.bassfan.com/news_article/7268#.YK1h6_c8KaM

 

[West_Tn]

On the subject of speed, I definitely believe I should be some type of limits. There is nothing more frustrating than sitting in a cove some place and a Van Damm wanna be, blasts in on you because he wants the spot. That's the reason for my OP. I hate regulations but some of these things are getting out of hand.

My main point is, these events hurt the fishing for all in my opinion

That makes zero sense. If somebody wants to move in on you they will do it at 20mph just like they will at 70mph.

No I don't condone anyone moving in on someone's spot or cutting them off, but speed has absolutely zero to do with it.