Here's one for the tournament anglers

[AlbertaAngler]

Its a study/survey from three walleye tournaments on Lesser Slave.

Competitive fishing events pre-fishing angler survey and delayed mortality study comprehensive summary. (http://www.srd.alberta.ca/ManagingPrograms/FishWildlifeManagement/FisheriesManagement/documents/CFE-MortalityComprehensiveSummary-09.pdf)

The most important change would be to introduce maximum depth restrictions and zoning of tournaments.

[nicemustang]

Interesting. Good report and thanks for the post. I've always known this myself, but most walleye anglers don't or don't care. Try not to fish deep. It really hurts the fish.

[whitewolf]

my dad always told me when i was a kid that if you pull them out of deep water there is a good chance you will kill them even if they swim away and look fine...interesting

[bardfromedson]

[QUOTE=nicemustang;591575]Interesting. Good report and thanks for the post. I've always known this myself, but most walleye anglers don't or don't care. Try not to fish deep. It really hurts the fish.[/QUOT

all tourny anglers know this! they are not going to fish a lot deeper than they need to and risk bringing in fish that goes belly up. the second that happens they can kiss the chance of a paycheque goodbye.

the average angler that goes and anchors out in 30+ feet of water and catches 100 plus walleye on a hot midsummer day is doing more damage than an entire tourny held in june. add in another 50 boats doing the same thing on the same breakline and you do the math. if there going to set boundrys for tournys im all for it but what about the 500 boats on a weekend up at slave fishing in deep water?

[nicemustang]

Good point as well. Education is the key here, it's not the tourney's ruining the lakes.

[AlbertaAngler]

I just put the study up for interest sake, I have no beef with tournaments or the anglers that fish them. I believe the study was funded by the NAWT or there were at least discussions about them doing it. I think it is just a matter of making sure that they are doing things to the best of their ability so that there are no excuses to shut the tournaments down.

I agree that uneducated/appathetic anglers fishing in 40ft water are responsible for more dead walleye than tournament anglers doing the same.

[huntsfurfish]

SAWT has recommended its anglers not fish in water over 30'.

Measures its fish versus weigh (can be measured on the water).

Has multiple weigh boats (less travel time)

Restricts amount of fish in the boat (must make earlier trip to weigh boat)

Tournaments held during cooler periods - none after mid July.

A few of the ways we do things in the SAWT.

[209x50]

Dunno but if I cared about tournament fishing I'd get on this one in a hurry. I think the writing is on the wall.

[trophyboy]

If tournaments were banned it would make no difference. If you're going fishing you're there to catch fish, end of story. In fact, if tournaments didn't exist there would be 100+ boats on weekends keeping their limits, so it would probably be worse. I can't speak for the north tourneys but in the south it seems most everyone is quite conscious of taking care of the fish and I'm sure the same applies to the north. Tournaments should be held when the fish are still shallower though, that's kind of a no brainer if you ask me. What about commercial netting? Everyone claims it's to stop the whitefish, etc. but there are literally hundreds of lakes that have never seen a net that have healthy populations of pike, walleye, whitefish, etc, isn't there? Don't they remove a huge food source/whitefish as well as some walleye and pike? How is that a good thing?