What will the catch/ release percentage be this year for the pwt

[tommy-n]

With the weigh in being up at vets park in bay city how many fish will be released only to die later. With the hot temps predicted this week and the 45 minute run up the river not many fish will survive.

[scottyhoover]

Good point. But don't these guys have super hi-tech livewells / aeration systems?

[walleye express]

I'm thinking few will survive the day in the livewells anyway, given the hot water, air temps and the pounding that tourney travel generates. Then trying to revive them in the Saginaw (HOT TUB) this time of year....won't happen. Bummer. :(

Hopefully, the Labradie River Roar this past weekend oxygenated the water enough. ;) :p

[chamookman]

Maybe they should consider the same program they had at Lake Erie, the tounament where they set all the weight records. Give to to local charitys -have to be a few that could use some food. Just a thought - Bob.

[Trophy Specialist]

Any of the fish caught in deep water will die. Most of the pros will fiz the fish that are belly-up in the livewell, but studies have shown that fizing results in dead fish. That practice should be banned. There will be lots of floating, dead walleyes around the release site.

[tommy-n]

Seems like the 45 minute run up the saginaw river pumping warmer water than the bay, on the already stressed fish cannot be good. I have helped out on some of the pwt and mwt tounaments at hoyles and alot of the fish that are (alive) go down the chute only to die in the marina.

[scottyhoover]

that stinks, some of you guys get out your landing nets and scoop them up for the soup kitchens.

[LivingLegend]

Some of the anglers will have lots of ice with them to ice the live well to keep fish cool in the live well and more oxygen in the the water in the live well the cooler the water the more oxygen the water will hold.

[tommy-n]

Living legend, how many tournaments have you helped out at, or fished in? do you have a boat that goes over 40 mph in rough water that is capable of beating and stressing the fish ,(the way they will be when there released) when you look in the live well and it's all foam and the fishes tails and fins are pink their done, they might wiggle but there not going to live, period.

[ozzgood2001]

i dont think he was questionin your tournament wisdom just trying to add a possible solution......:sad:

[icefishermanmark]

Some of the anglers will have lots of ice with them to ice the live well to keep fish cool in the live well and more oxygen in the the water in the live well the cooler the water the more oxygen the water will hold.

it helps, but like others say, the ride is stressful, and the weigh-in is what really does them in. Weigh-ins need to be more efficient. The fish spend too much time out of the water, or in the bags which do not hold enough water for 5 fish.

[tommy-n]

I am not trying to put anyone elses opinion down, my point is were the weigh is is located at, thus the 45 minute run up the river making for worse conditions than somewhere else. The pwt is no longer welcome at northport marina due to the bad attitude of the fisherman and the dead fish in their marina after the weigh in.

[walleye express]

This whole subject will always be a hot topic, that more often invites angry responses than honest or helpful answers. About the time you get a solution like giving them all to charities, the tourney is labeled a catch and kill tourney. And in a sport that prides itself on preserving and enhancing the resource, that don't look good in local papers.

I'd bet the local Health agencies would stop the (Give away) practice in a hurry anyway, given the DNR laws regarding the contaminant warnings and the laws concerning the proper care and icing of the fresh fish fillets. And I can't imagine the logistics and possible liability when doing something like that.

120 Cars in the Indy 500 every year spew contaminants all day long as they race around in circles. But their waste goes up in smoke (so to speak) and out of sight is out of mind. I don't believe anybody is happy with the waste of something we all consider a tremendous and noble game fish. But I know pew-pewing the other guys opinion never gives us answers. :chillin:

[scottyhoover]

yeah it is a slippery slope we are on here. I think good points have been made. I know the reason they want Vets Park is because of the huge fan turnouts. Its a give and take thing, and we know you can't make everyone happy all the time.

[tommy-n]

Very good point scotty and dan, there will always be trade offs, hopefully the pwt does not were out their welcome everywhere :)

[Skeeter]

What they will do as they have done many times in the past when it is this warm is, as fast as they weigh in the fish, someone will carry them to a waiting truck loaded with baskets of ice. They will pack the fish in ice as fast as they can and of course behind closed area where the public will not be able to see, to keep from any bad press. IF they were to try and release these fish they would be in big trouble with the public as other tournaments have been in the past with floating dead fish. Tournament directors and chamber of commerce’s have found it is much better for all concerned to hook up with a local charity that has a truck that is capable of keeping fish cold. The fish will be taken to a location and cleaned and then shared among a number of local soup kitchens. Catch and kill tournaments are not uncommon during warm weather. Even if it had been held at say Hoyles or even AuGres I am very sure in this hot weather the tournament would be called catch and killed and given to soup kitchen. Skeeter

[Lucky Dog]

I am not trying to put anyone elses opinion down, my point is were the weigh is is located at, thus the 45 minute run up the river making for worse conditions than somewhere else. The pwt is no longer welcome at northport marina due to the bad attitude of the fisherman and the dead fish in their marina after the weigh in.

Think you need to get your fact right. There were no dead fish floating in the marina because it was a kill tournament. No fish were released at the last Au Gres PWT. As for the bad attitudes, I'm sure some of the PWT guys have some poor attitudes, but the problem I have always had up there is the local walleye club members. There is where the real problem lies.

[Skeeter]

Lucky Dog, are you talking to me? If so I am not sure of what facts I have wrong? Skeeter

[Lucky Dog]

Lucky Dog, are you talking to me? If so I am not sure of what facts I have wrong? Skeeter


Nope, read my quote. Refering to tommy-n.

[tommy-n]

One fact that is straight there are no longer welcome there. :D

[LivingLegend]

Living legend, how many tournaments have you helped out at, or fished in? do you have a boat that goes over 40 mph in rough water that is capable of beating and stressing the fish ,(the way they will be when there released) when you look in the live well and it's all foam and the fishes tails and fins are pink their done, they might wiggle but there not going to live, period.I'm not saying I'm a expert on this subject but what about the chemicals you add to your live well to get rid of the foam and other chemicals that tranquillize the fish?

[tommy-n]

I think it's the rough ,fast ride over long distances in warm water that takes it's toll on the fish. I'm sure over crowding and the warmer water is not good, the walleye does not seem to be able to take the same abuse as the largemouth bass tournament weigh-ins. Maybe when the water is to warm all the walleye tournaments should be a catch/kill rather than release and die later. Seems to me not to many people would complain if they were donated to spectators or the poor. :) JMO

[BlackRhino]

They just need bigger livewells, like maybe the one on the Northwestern or the Lady Alaskan. Sig Hansen never seems to lose much of his catch......:)

[icefishermanmark]

They just need bigger livewells, like maybe the one on the Northwestern or the Lady Alaskan. Sig Hansen never seems to lose much of his catch......:)

But then you would need about 100 lb.s of ice to keep them cold:lol:

[Neal]

Donating the fish to a charity from a walleye tournament is not only possible, it has been done.

Neal

[icefishermanmark]

how's it looking so far?

[PWood]

End of June 1997 PWT held a tournament on Lk. St. Clair. All fish brought to the scale were donated to local soup kitchens through Sportsmen Against Hunger (Neal). The Lk. St. Clair Walleye Association donated the manpower to fillet and package all the fish.
If the fish will die anyway, make sure they're not wasted and help feed the poor.

[Trophy Specialist]

When I fished walleye tournaments I never lost a fish unless it was gut/gill hooked. Here's how I did it. When I pulled one off the bottom in deep water I would attach a couple snap weights to the fins on the underside to keep him upright in my livewell until his swim bladder equalized, which usually only took an hour or so. If you leave them belly up they usually won't live for an extended period. My Lund Barron has two 30 galon livewells in the back of the boat. Those big livewells have Lund's Prolong features and they keep fish alive very well. When I ran into warm surface water on the way back to the weigh in I would put the livewell on recirculate to keep it bubbling but not allowing any outside water in. I would also keep several frozen milk jugs filled with water in a cooler and would add them to the livewell while waiting in line to get my fish weighed.

[tommy-n]

Thats good advice Mike, I think there will be alot of dead fish today with the 3-5 foot waves and boats with 225-250hp engines. Hopefully they will not throw the stressed ones back in to only die later.

[Southend517]

Why don't they just have a fish fry, or pass the dead ones out, or even keep them for themselves?

[tommy-n]

Personally I think it's all about the PR rather than whats best or right.

[JJ Mac]

Well, looks like in the end, there was a very low fish kill after all because of default. The walleye gods were smiling down on the fish on this one.

I wonder if because the tournament was fished only one day that Bay City will be a definate location next time around?