Fishing For Money

[The Little Crow Angler]

What is you opinion of using our lakes for the thrill of competition and making money in tournaments? I know most tournament fishermen are some of the strongest supporters of keeping our lakes healthy. Should the results of the deaths of caught fish in tournaments be shared with the public?
After fishing in many tournaments, I am beginning to have second thoughts. Each of us has our reasons why we participate. I am very interested in your opinion.

[GullGuide]

Well,
I'm not going to touch this one with a 10 ft pole. Mainly because I have been organizing the I.C.E. Series events as well as the summer league/tourneys that is supported by this site so I am kind of biased.
Yes, fish do die, but no more than would die if the lake was being fished by non-tourney anglers, actually less would die because those who are out for fish to eat usually stay away from lakes during tournaments.
I do have a problem with the attitudes that are conveyed by some tourney anglers, but you're going to get that no matter what weather it be business, sports, what have you.
Tournaments have many good sides as well. Many of the products we use while fishing have been refined and improved through their use during tournaments. Also, the knowledge gained while fishing under pressure is very valuable when you apply those techniques while fishing for pleasure.
I guess I lied when I said I would not touch this subject....please forgive me!!
>"////=<

[Rick]

If you watch a TV Fishing show you are supporting folks who fish for money.

As long as we all keep good conservation ethics and good manners to each their own.

I can tell you there are plenty who have fished pro tourneys, even won big money, and they just do not enjoy that type of fishing.

When it gets highly competitive it can take the fun right out of it, but, you certainly do find the refinements that improves most everyones fishing fun.

Also, the competitive nature can make inconsiderate people out of normally very well mannered guys (very few, but it's the few who get noticed).

[DARK30]

IN MY OPINION TOURNEYS DON'T HURT FISH POPULATIONS....PEOPLE DO, WHETHER THEIR FISHING FOR MONEY OR NOT. NOT MANY PEOPLE FISH FOR MONEY, MOST PEOPLE FISH WITH MONEY. THAT IS GOOD FOR AN AREA...EVEN MORE SO FOR THAT AREA OF "STAY OF MY LAND" AND "KEEP ALL YOU CATCH"....REMEMBER MOST OF THESE PEOPLE ARE NORWEGIANS. ITS A GOOD THING THEY CAN'T MAKE LUDIFISK OUTA WALLEYES! (I CAN SAY THAT CAUSE I'M THE WORST OF THEM ALL...50/50 NORWEGIAN AND SWEDISH!)
WET NETS!

P.S. CROW, DO YOU EVER FISH LAKE ELIZIBETH NEAR LAKE LILLIAN? I LIVED IN WILLMAR A COUPLE OF TIMES WHEN I WAS A KID (ARMY BRAT)...CAUGHT ALOT OF NORHTERNS (AND BULLHEADS) IN FOOT LAKE BACK WHEN ROBINS ISLAND WAS AN ISLAND.

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[The Little Crow Angler]

It has been awhile since I have fished Lake Elizabeth and Lake Carrie. Before Dave Mick,the game warden moved up into the Brainard area from Willmar,we fished those lakes only two times. We caught northerns. I really forgot the number caught. It was in the mid 1970's. I do remember that the lakes were a little dirty and weedy. They are dishpan shaped and shallow with a mud-sand bottom. Eutrophication of these lakes ,in my estimation, affect how the fish taste. Alot of the locals in the Atwater area do well on this lake when they turn on.
Do not get the idea that I am a purist, two of my favorite haunts are Big Stone Lake in the spring and the Churchhill Dam overflow on the south end of Lac Qui Parle Lake in the heart of the summer.. Both are dirty. My big turn on is not knowing what you are going to catch. The fish run very big. Fish the tailwaters of the Minne sota river at night in the summertime with frogs covered with Bowkers smelly catfish bait and those catfish will give you a fight you will not forget. They are the Big Channel Cats with the forked tails, not the Mud Cats. Bring along mosquito spray, they also run big.

[This message has been edited by The Little Crow Angler (edited 12-03-2001).]

[doubleUcubed]

Dark, I've got a good friend who lives on the west side of Elizabeth and fishes it pretty steady. Still can be an awesome lake to fish! Since it's relatively small and shallow it can get hurt pretty quickly if the word get's out. One guy was on Lake Lillian Lake Fri. evening for a while, caught some small eye's. Now the weather is warming up again and making the ice unsafe, if there is even any ice. Kandi was just about froze over Sun. morning but the wind and warmer temps opened it quite a bit, too dark this morning to see how much was open yet. Gonna be at least a week yet!

[DARK30]

I FISH LIZ FOR OPENER WITH AN OLD FRIEND FROM WILLMAR AND WE USUALLY DO PRETTY GOOD. NORTHERNS BEFORE DARK AND WALLEYES AFTER IT GETS LATE. AFTER THE WEEDS SHOW UP LATER IN THE YEAR ITS A TOUGH ONE. I DON'T GET ON LAKES TOO OFTEN CAUSE I'D RATHER FISH THE RIVERS BUT MATBE I'LL SPEND A LITTLE MORE TIME OUT THERE NEXT YEAR...I'M ONLY ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF FROM LAKE LILLIAN AND I'M SURE MY FOLKS WOULD ENJOY THE COMPANY!
I'LL BE AROUND A LITTLE FOR X-MAS BEFORE WE HEAD UP TO FERGUS FALLS FOR ROUND TWO.
WET NETS!

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