Thread: Who has had tournament crappie die and lost money in summer tournaments?

I don't fish tournaments at all . I know if you cool the water and add oxygen the fish will live much better . Don't lower temp too much because a fast change can shock them . When limblining we use Bream for bait and they do great using oxygen over just bubbler in hot weather . Some people try adding chemicals . Some ice is good but beware of ice made from water with cholorine .

I think Bass vs. Crappie is an unfair comparison as it relates to mortality due to tournaments. The main reason for that is because, Bass or Crappie, fishermen pre-fish for days ahead of the tournaments, some for several weeks. The difference is that most Bass fishermen release all that they catch, fun fishing or pre fishing. Crappie fishermen on average keep limits every time they get a chance. This is starting to change in the Crappie world and we are starting to see more Crappie fishermen practice catch and release. My point is, one or two days of fishing a tournament and killing a few fish isn't that significant, as is the case in the Bass world since most are released during practice. Whereas the practice of keeping Crappie during prefishing is much more impactful than losing a few fish in a tournament. Just my opinion. I hope to see more Crappie fishermen practice catch and release in the future as the sport grows.

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Nice PR release, but....
I guess all the B.A.S.S. tournaments in June, July, August and September don't count?
And I am not a B.A.S.S. basher, as I have been a Lifetime member since 1978.
They have done great things to help invent an industry, but why not say that seeing a bunch of dead fish floating in the water next to the weigh-in site is bad PR.
They used to proudly display the fish on stringers when Ray first started. I thought it was a brilliant move to load all the days weighd in fish onto a pontoon and dump them back far away from the site. Keeps the dead floaters out of sight, all in the name of "fairly" redistribution of the catch back to far areas of the lake.
If you handle fish, disturbe their slime coat, keep them in warm water, and ride them around all day in a confined space that moves at 60 mph, you're going to have some dead fish. Perhaps not immediately, but some will die. That is fishing. They do make more every year.
But again, nice PR release.

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Originally Posted by Cmj

I think Bass vs. Crappie is an unfair comparison as it relates to mortality due to tournaments. The main reason for that is because, Bass or Crappie, fishermen pre-fish for days ahead of the tournaments, some for several weeks. The difference is that most Bass fishermen release all that they catch, fun fishing or pre fishing. Crappie fishermen on average keep limits every time they get a chance. This is starting to change in the Crappie world and we are starting to see more Crappie fishermen practice catch and release. My point is, one or two days of fishing a tournament and killing a few fish isn't that significant, as is the case in the Bass world since most are released during practice. Whereas the practice of keeping Crappie during prefishing is much more impactful than losing a few fish in a tournament. Just my opinion. I hope to see more Crappie fishermen practice catch and release in the future as the sport grows.

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Do you remember or miss those post tournament crappie fish frys when the contestants and their famlies feasted fried crappie fillets, the tournament catch?

I can certainly understand why people don't, won't eat bass. Especially after that bass has probably been soaking in unknown chemicals all day in bass boat livewells and released alive. They really taste bad to eat anyway. You would have to be very, very hungry to eat bass, just my opinion of bass.

Have you ever lost a crappie tournament prize because a fish died in your livewell in a summer tournament?

You've never eaten 1-1.5 pounders out of black river fileted and fried in Nona Belle's

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Originally Posted by bob331

Do you remember or miss those post tournament crappie fish frys when the contestants and their famlies feasted fried crappie fillets, the tournament catch?

I can certainly understand why people don't, won't eat bass. Especially after that bass has probably been soaking in unknown chemicals all day in bass boat livewells and released alive. They really taste bad to eat anyway. You would have to be very, very hungry to eat bass, just my opinion of bass.

Have you ever lost a crappie tournament prize because a fish died in your livewell in a summer tournament?

Many years ago I never ate them and still don't if they are over 3 lb or so. But back then I scaled them along with everything else I caught. I started filleting them cutting the skin off and it made all the difference in the world.

Originally Posted by bob331

Do you remember or miss those post tournament crappie fish frys when the contestants and their famlies feasted fried crappie fillets, the tournament catch?

I can certainly understand why people don't, won't eat bass. Especially after that bass has probably been soaking in unknown chemicals all day in bass boat livewells and released alive. They really taste bad to eat anyway. You would have to be very, very hungry to eat bass, just my opinion of bass.

Have you ever lost a crappie tournament prize because a fish died in your livewell in a summer tournament?

Yes I do and yes I have. Still I think you missed my point that there are MANY more fish killed in the days leading up to a tournament due to guys keeping their fish during prefishing. That has more impact than a few fish lost on one day. And as Gomer mentioned, most of those fish that are released don't survive, so why not have a fish fry. And have you ever eaten a Bass? I actually prefer them over Crappie. Having said that, I release 98 percent of what I catch of any species because I believe in conservation, which is what I am suggesting is the real solution to the problem that you are presenting.

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I tournament fish and it's been quite a while since I lost a fish in the live well. I cool my water and add chemicals that 1) take the chlorine out of the water and 2) reduce stress and help fish replace slime. In July at the scales, my fish are bouncing the weigh plate. I don't keep any tournament fish prior to a tournament during prefishing. If I keep a 2 lb fish, there's zero chance I can catch him on tournament day/days. Livewell care and keeping fish alive is part of the requirements so that we can release as many healthy fish as possible back into the fishery.