MN River Fishing Tourney(summer)

[harvey lee]

I have no issues with the tournies but the format needs to change for the sake of the fish.

We do not need to sell out our future fish for a few bucks I would hope.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

I think I will stick to KOTC, knowing that I am not putting the fish's life at risk. I could not imagine catching a 50 lb. Flathead only to have it die waiting to weigh in.

For me, just going out to try and beat my buddy for the biggest fish is enough competition for me. I would not feel comfortable fishing a tournament where the Flathead population will be directly affected. I feel like if something doesn't give, we may begin losing our beloved Flats. I sent the DNR an email urging them to change the regulations on Catfish. Much too vague, and will put Flatheads in jeopardy.

CPR!!!

[hanson]

Time will tell if it will succeed or not but the new AIM Walleye Tournaments are following the "catch, record, release" format this year. The fish are photographed in the boat on a bump board to be registered and are immediately released back to the water.

Even in the world of big money professional fishing tournaments, a group of anglers (the AIM founders who read like a who's who of pro walleye fishing) think there is a better way to do things.

Always thought the BP Cat League had a terrific format for fun, competition, and respect for the resource. Same with the Moore's Contests. This is the same format that AIM is going to use.

[Shack]

This tourney talk already

I feel the same as most that have posted in this thread. I plan on doing something, rather than just venting on-line about it this year.

I started about a month ago and have been making little progress. If I do anything this year, it will be to start slow and my goal is to volunteer my time and services to help these awesome fish get from the river, to the weigh-in and back to the river in a safer way then occurs now at one or some of these tourneys.

If it means just a small group of guys, gals and even kids helping, a couple hog troughs with clean treated water, aerators and maybe oxygen, a flatbed pick-up truck, anything else as far as transporting and handling fish and a day or two out of my time handling some big flatheads and talking with those in these tourneys about proper handling and what they caught the pigs on

I figure I would make the effort for the only real passion I have now during the summer months, flathead fishing. We will see what the future holds if anything down the road.

[korn_fish]

I too fall in the 'hate em' group. I saw too many big fish die, fish being thrown in dumpsters etc. Making the tourneys a charity event may help, but everyone knows people still like those braggin rights even if speculation of cheating will follow. It is good to see so many individuals with the same view that the tourney formats need to change. It was not the view shared by many 15 years ago, or atleast the views were not being expressed verbally. But then the numbers of people in these tournies were much smaller and less $$ in the prize pool.

With so many of us wanting to see the formats change, and the new formats would require a lot of manpower, why don't we volunteer in numbers to help if they agree to change the format? I don't think we can depend on the DNR to enforce any of these changes....but maybe we can??

How would everyone like it to change (not just ask for it to change in someway).

#1 First thing I would like seen gone is that stock holding tank! No nead to keep fish in there for pictures later. Take pics when they are weighed and let the fish go.

#2 Have individual weighins at each boat landing where each scale being used has been certified to be a certain +/- of each other. This eliminates the need to drive from St. Peter to Belle Plain to weigh a fish in.

#3 Weigh ins can occur from tourney start to tourney finish. I think kato tourney does this, but not sure.

[DTro]

I think it could work. Having each landing manned is a really good idea. Here's a couple more I would like to see.

No shore fisherman, by default this means that fish will be dragged (literally in some cases) to weigh in stations and that can be avoided.

No holding tanks.

Add a day to make it a two day tournament. More of a competition than a lucky big fish contest.

If not for all the other things I have on my plate, I'd be willing to dive into this head first, yet still would offer some of my time to help out this year if needed.

It would be a blast to organize an event such as the Cats Incredible around here. The logistics just might not work out though.

[Papa Grump]

Quote:

It would be a blast to organize an event such as the Cats Incredible around here. The logistics just might not work out though.

Been there ,tried to, well you get the drift. As long as Franklin/Mankato/Belle Plaine have tournys, it would be pretty tough to get something like the Cats Incredible going around here.

Marshals on the river, weigh ins at all landings are a step in the right direction in the current formats. But getting the volunteers to do so is really tough.There will always be the 10's of people who see the big dollar signs in their eyes and just don't give a dang, whether they fish the tournement or are asked to run it. Personally, I'd rather see these tournements just go away, forever.

[Shack]

Quote:

Personally, I'd rather see these tournements just go away, forever.

That is the problem. As of right now they are not. The only logical thing I can come up right now is “would be” involvement in these tournaments, just for this summer. You have to think small to get to what you want, unless you have tons of dollars for lobbying money and a kid brother high up in the DNR. But then again, the power of the e-mail is another option.

I personally would be happy for this year just helping out and experiencing the many flaws of these tournaments. If I can help only a couple fish, that would be monumental in book. I hope to do more than that, but set your goals low and the return is much higher. Set your goals too high, it might feel like you have done nothing. In the end, something needs to be done. Anything is better than nothing. I plan to at least do “anything” as a start .

I am thinking slow and low, but I know a show of support could bring this up a couple notches.

It is a fact, almost no one cares about a 50lb flathead other than a few on here or someone who thinks it is a smoked dinner for a couple weeks! The word has not been spread around enough. No one is going forward, other than making a couple posts.

I will be back with some DNR info very soon!

[DARK30]

No shore fisherman?

Ok, Only clean cut guys in new khaki pants and a sweater then.

Leave the zoo up on the Red (boy, they got room for all those boats now!) The BP contest may change a bit for the better but it isn't going away. A few kings and champions getting competitive is cool but we don't need any more big events on the Minnesota (its dirty enough)

Forever would be nice Papa.

[Shack]

Ok, Only clean cut guys in new khaki pants and a sweater then.

Hey, I own a pair of khaki's, but they have a cigarette burn in them and some grease marks. My wife will not let me wear them anymore when we go out .

I also have a red sweater I wear during X-mas time. It is still in good shape

[DTro]

Sorry Dark

You (and a handful of others) are the exception and not the rule. Wasn't taking a shot at shorefishermen, just as the idea of shorefishermen relating to these specific contests.

I bet there would be a little less trash the day after.

I need to go fold my sweaters.

[DARK30]

Ok, I'll admit it...I have to wear khaki pants every day at work cause they force me. I don't even get to play on the puter either..I have to work. I hope they don't expect me to stop by the house and change pants when the fishin starts. I do own sweaters but I haven't opened that drawer in over 20 years I think...and if I anything needs folding, the Wife does it for me (or at least until she reads this)

I don't think a Cats Incredible style tournament would fly here anyway. They won't come for the channels and the Mudeyes don't bite like the daytime channels up on the Red. Most of them would find a sand bar, build a smartfire and and fish from shore anyway. Course, maybe another hundred or so boats might wash all the dirt off the banks and clean this river up for good. Hey! how about no motors over 15hp and a no wake rule while boating past the exceptional people?

How much does a new little merc short shaft cost anyway?

[Scott K]

So your saying I cant use my 115 on the river anymore

[harvey lee]

Sure you can, just don't blow Dark of the shoreline. You know who Dark is by the guy that is always catching the fish along the Minnesota.

[Scott K]

If anyone has any guidance on how to shut down or how to get these formats changed for these contests, lets get the ball rolling now. I am up to help do whatever I would be needed to do. Lets not wait until its to late. Has anyone contacted the DNR yet this year to get the anti contests view in the mix before they start writing permits for this summer?

[harvey lee]

Scott

I wanted to talk with the DNR and go to some of the regional meetings a few years ago but next to noone wanted to go along.

I talked with a gentleman at the regional office in New Ulm and he told me that if there was a group that wanted to see changes made to get ahold of the New Ulm office.

The guy I talked to explained to me that in the past there were a few that were interested in some changes but they never followed through. They are concerned about these contests and the resourse but if they hear nothing from joe public, then it does not get changed or talked about.

I didn't as no one replied to my post when I asked about help.

If you would like a little help discussing these concerns about the fish with the DNR, give me a call and I can maybe set up a meeting with the boys in New Ulm.

[Scott K]

I am all for it, and the way it looks in here, we may just have a little more support to do something this time around! I will give you a call and talk about this sometime tomorrow or this weekend.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

If you guys could set something up I'm sure plenty of us would show.

[dsm95]

Last years bpcl all nighter was a prime example of the random people out fishing due to the Belle Plaine cat tourney that night, and I've fished the Bobber shop tourney also it was annoying fishing from shore and even the dnr would go by our lines full bore. My only opinion on it is the fish should come first. I am looking forward to fishing the Belle Plaine Cat League once again this year I had a great time with a great group of guys and even won a little money to boot.

[Gordie]

The 3 big ones are in Mankato, Belle Plaine, and Franklin.

From everything I’ve heard, the guys that fish these have a great time doing it.

Part of the problem though is that they are not highly regulated, which is fine when there is little or nothing to gain, but when there is a large chunk of money involved things tend to take a downward spiral. Even if the winners are the most honest guys in the world and follow the rules to a T, there will always be speculation about tying up a fish, keeping a fish in a tank, using illegal bait, or using set lines or multiple lines.

Bottom line is that the biggest fish wins the contest, but there always seems to be a controversy, and to me that isn’t much fun.

A very well run Flathead tourney would be hard to pull off and I know the guys that run these try their best.

I know we have a couple of past winners that post here. Elwood won the Frankin tourney last year. Maybe he has a little more insight for you.

If you want to fish a tourny for the money then fish belle plaine and I havent fished bobber shops at all and franklins to me is the funnest of all. great people. DNR runs the weigh in and takes really good care of the fish and if your looking for money this is not the contest to be in its a wopping 100 bucks but you get a really cool trophy and bragging rights for the next year and thats what its all about for me being able to brag about winning to the boys from Iowa the I met down there so many years ago.