Smithys walleye contest

[outdoor ran]

Maybe I'm the only one but there are to many bars in the area that are holding catch and kill contests on the river. Take for example Smithys bar in Superior on Sat. had one. There were 125 people in it. Its held on the bay and river. From what I here everone just slaughtered the walleyes. The bar had a fish fry and they cooked up over a 100 walleyes. Several in the 5 to 9 1/2 pd range. From what I hear there were alot of stringer sorting and walleyes floating around. Makes me sick, I dont mind contests that are run right. Am I the only one who cares about the future of this system. I just wish these bars weren't allowed to run contests with all them drunks who don't care. I don't know maybe I'm all alone on this one. Between the mongs, contests, sewage spills, the double dipers, and every thing else I just don't like the direction its heading. I know theres alot of fish there but somethings got to give.. Ok I feel better getting that off my chest, good luck fishing.

[Northlander]

I feel your pain. I hope all these bars have a DNR Permit if they had that many people!
This has been going on for YEARS. It was way worse when I was a kid and the limit was 6 fish. You think opener on the river is crazy now it was way crazy then. Tons of out of town people looking for easy limits.
All we can do is our part to stay honest and turn those in who arent. If you find out the bar didnt have a permit turn them in too!
See ya on the river.

[jeffsodie]

To Outdoor ran: It appears you have been listeniong to people who were not in attendance of the Smithy's fish contest. Yes there were approximately 100 people fishing however there was no stringer sorting and walleyes floating around further more every person in attendance had their legal fishing license, which entitles them to be there whether it is a contest or not. the contest was only held in Allouez bay and the Nemadji river. where the bar in questions pays taxes. I personaly attended and had a fine time. I fished with a very close friend who I haven,t had time to talk with for quite awhile. what better time can be had when friends whether 100 or 2 get together and share a common interest. If you hate this then why not complain about clubs fund raising fishing contests? Or better yet what about the real big ones up on the st. Louis bay? All the fish where properly handled whether they were cleaned for cooking that day or brought home for a future dinner. I agree if they break the law fine them, but don,t categorize everyone except who is in your boat a law breaker. enjoy fishing and remember manners.

[Surface Tension]

Lets keep the hear-say on floating fish and what ever out.
No reason why a LOCAL bar can't have a outing on the ST Louis if everything is up to snuff. A legally caught fish whether released or eaten is up to the individual.
Frankly I'd rather see a community contest on the river over a big name hit and run contest.
If this contest didn't have an option to release fish after a weigh-in then that would be a good suggestion for any future contests.

[outdoor ran]

My neighbor was in the contest and I am going by what he said. I have witnessed the stringer sorting three years ago when I was fishing, not in the contest, but on the same day. I was next to a boat that had three guys and they caught a walleye. I watched them measure it and then they said that it was an inch longer than their smallest one so they proceeded to take the dead one off their stringer and toss it in the air and put the new one on. I'm sure that you watched every single boat to make sure that there was no sorting going on. I'm sure that there are a lot of law abiding fishermen in that contest but I know that there is a fair share of people that don't give a hoot about the future of fishing. I just wish that there was a way to allow some of the bigger fish to be released to spawn next year. Its not that I hate the idea of the contest, I just don't like the way that its run. It brings a lot of people together to kill a lot of big fish so that the bar can make more money. And guess what, I live in Allouez and I pay taxes too. A big run contest is run right and has people in it with live wells that know how to handle fish. In years passed, I have brought my kids out on the bay and hammered the fish, keeping a few smaller ones here and there to eat. We would release the bigger ones. As soon as Smitty's had their contest, the fishing was pretty much done and, yes, I would see dead fish floating around. Apparently you underestimate the damege that this bar contest can do to the Allouez Bay and don't care about the future of fishing. I have nothing against people going out there and fishing and keeping what they catch, legally. I just don't like this contest. I've been fishing the Allouez Bay for 20 years and watched it get worse every year. We will never agree on this, welcome to the forum, good luck fishing.
AR please no personel attcks. Thanks and e-mail me with any questions.

[This message has been edited by Northlander (edited 06-29-2004).]

[Casaloma]

O.R.
From your first post
Between the mongs, contests, sewage spills, the double dipers, and every thing else I just don't like the direction its heading.
Do you mean Mung people? Your obvious passion serves your family & the bay/rvr well but please don't put a single race of people in the same group with environmental degradation & other problems that lead to a fisheries decline. that is mud on all our faces. Ok I feel better getting that off my chest, good luck fishing.

Cloma-

[outdoor ran]

You have to forgive me sometimes. I get very passionate about something and I tell it like I see it. I forget that in this politically correct society, you have to sugar coat everything. And there's a double standard that if you're white, you're automatically considered a racist. I have friends of all shapes and colors. This post isn't a discussion about racism. If I offended anybody, I'm sorry. The St Louis River system is one of the best fisheries in the country and my favorite place to fish. I was just voicing my concern for its future, which includes water quality, contests that aren't run right, poachers, exotic species and people who were not born in the country who don't necessarily understand our rules and regulations. I just want to see my kids and future generations have the same opportunity on this river system that we have. If that makes me a bad person, so be it. I'm not going to comment on this anymore. Good luck fishing.