Crappie tournaments

[badbrad]

I've never competed for catching crappie and have never been to a weigh-in. I was just wondering if the fish that are caught were released? Also, does the total weight decide the winner like in a bass tournament?

I have mixed feelings about tournaments for any species. The lake closest to home that I fish has a bass tournament going on nearly every day. The pressure on the lake is tremendous. I don't know that I want to see the crappie fishing pressured the same way.

I'm not trying to open up a can of worms here, and definately am not trying to be critical of anyone who fishes tournaments. I'm just trying to think of what is best for the resource. I've heard crappie replenish themselves very well, but I wonder if that would be the case if there were numerous tournaments on the lake. I would appreciate any insight on this subject that would make me more receptive to the idea.

[Crapbie]

I like the fact that so many of us in the forum are planet conscious, I too worry about those things. I can only imagine what its like to live on a lake and have to worry about the fish in there aswell as the value of your house falling due to a polluted/dead lake. Some tournaments have a fish fry after where they fry some but never that many. Many go back and many tournaments have a penalty if you bring any back dead. One around here is 8oz penalty per dead fish. Also around here atleast the more popular a lake is the more it is stocked to help counter the effect, it leads to lots of smallish hungry fish but its better then no fish right

[reelcrappie]

Bass tournaments and crappie tournaments are two different breeds. Crappie tournament fish usually get fried. No losers in a crappie tournament. Now the pro tournaments for crappie may be different but the best part of local small tournaments is the friends you make and of course the fish fry afterwords. Fishing is, after all , about bragging rights and fun. Crappie fishermen, as a whole, are the most unselfish bunch, when it comes to sharing information, that you will find anywhere.

[Eager Beaver]

Touneyment fishing pays into the resourse through the fishing license and bait and tackle that is bought locally at each site. The money is used to help the fish and game in the state through various projects. Fish stocking is one that the states do. The local economy is also enhansed by the fishermen paying motels and resturants and other establishments while they are in the area. Ask the local merchants what they think of the touneyment, There isn't to many that don't want them to be held in their area. Guys that take the family along while the guy's fish the women shop.

[Hitek]

At the bigger tournaments (Crappiemasters, Crappie USA, etc.) the fish are returned to the water. There is no big fish fry afterwards. The crappie tournaments for the bigger trails are spread out across different lakes not pressuring one certain lake. There can be NO dead fish weighed in.

[CrappiePappy]

if you look at the top of this forum page, you will see the tournament series that I help run ... and fish in. We have two tournaments a year on a 39,000 acre lake. Teams are two anglers per boat ... and the weigh-in limit is 10 fish per boat. No dead fish can be weighed (but they can be contributed to the fish fry). We clean and cook all the fish that are weighed in .... BUT - the anglers DO have the option to keep the fish for themselves or release them, if they so desire. Rarely do we have a full field weigh in "limits" of 10 fish. Even when we have 35 teams participating ... we still generally only have 100-120 fish to clean. That sounds like a lot ... until you consider that the lake's creel limit is 30 fish per person (state law). So, it's more like our tournament anglers are only catching 3-4 persons daily limits ... even though there's 70 of us out there fishing. Even on the outside chance that we have more fish than those, who attend the fish fry, can eat - none of the fish are wasted. They're packed up and distributed to anyone who wants them.

You just have to set reasonable limits on the fish numbers that can be brought in ... depending on the size of the lake and its potential.

Crappie tournaments for $$ .... like CUSA and NACA ... release their fish. There's several good reasons for them doing so, I believe. One - they have 1day events ... just the tournament. Two - they have many more teams participating. Three - they have more than 2 tournaments per year. Four - in regards to #3 ... they spread their series out over many different lakes & states (some small waters - some big waters).

The other guys have some valid points, as well. And it's also a valid point that the Fish & Wildlife Depts of the states involved - set the size and creel limits in accordance with the species sought, angler hours on the water, number of anglers utilizing those waters, and the ability of those waters to sustain a viable population. And while it is true that Crappie are prolific ... they are also cyclic, in their proliferation - due to weather, water levels, water conditions, and natural predation & mortality. My best guess would be that, there's probably more Slab Crappie dying of old age - than are weighed in at a tournament ... and, many of them, may have never even seen a lure. ................cp

[badbrad]

Thanks for the information Crappiepappy. The format you described seems very sensible. I just was unfamiliar with how the tournaments were organized.

[Crappie Chaser]

Crappiepappy has said it right. In the Crappie USA tournaments, ALL FISH MUST BE ALIVE when weighed in, and the tournament organizers release all fish back into the lake. The Crappie USA (American Crappie Association) is an organized group who works very hard to lobby for better management of crappie populations and improvement of crappie fisheries across America. The C-USA is dedicated for all crappie anglers, tournament and weekend anglers alike. Memebership to the Crappie USA is $20 per year, which includes a Product Gift Pack, Crappie Journal Subscription, and allows you to fish in C-USA events in your region. The Cabela's Classic is usually held in late September, with the winners receiving cash, a rigged Ranger boat and Evinrude motor.

Yes Brad, you can weigh in up to 7 crappies and the total weight of those 7 crappies determines your place in the standings. If you weigh in more than 7 crappies, you're disqualified.

[fiddlefarter]

I really want to fish the Spring Fling. If only I hadn't made a commitment to shoot the Muzzy Classic bowfishing tournament at Guntersville that night

[crappster]

I wish the crappie tournaments did not require the fish to be weighed be kept alive. Then I could enter the tournaments in my canoe. I'd do it too. Man that would be awesome to win a tournament in a canoe!