Proposed Alabama Law Poised To End Bass Tournaments In The State…

[@winstonrocco1981]

There are way too many tournaments in every state at least in the south. What’s funny is I used to think three or four local club tournaments on a lake was a lot back 30 years ago that’s nothing now.

[@Les-r7b]

This is the best news I've heard in a long time.

[@brianh9031]

Heck yes about time! I fish these lakes. It's crazy how bad the fishing has got in the last 5 years! They need to increase the size on Crappie also

[@SeniorTIKI]

I’m for banning all tournaments, or strictly limiting the amount. My home lake is hammered year around, sometimes 2 or 3 different tournaments in a weekend.

[@edwardcowan7012]

Let’s not reinvent the wheel. All the Kayak tournaments score by length using a CPR (catch, photo, release) system and an App. They hold big money pro level events using this scoring system so you can definitely score your club or Tuesday night scramble the same way. And it’s a lot easier to get the appropriate photo on the appropriate measuring device in a Bass Boat than in a Kayak, trust me!

[@motherlodebassin5369]

Kayak tournaments are bs as well. Y’all want to act like you don’t beat down fisheries and kill fish but you do. Kayaks specifically pick apart the 2 miles from boat ramps to death. And then the shore fisherman have no fish to catch. This idea kayaks tourneys are good are bs. Look at the Wild West crooks

[@jeffsims3585]

Tournaments have destroyed SC- hope this passes and comes to SC.

[@kapnbill]

They are also out of control on some of our Texas lakes, especially when there are 200 plus boat tourneys every weekend during the spawn.

[@BobbyMartin-gu6wm]

Noo!

[@lmramos44]

I agree. Handle the fish like MLF or like the kayak guys…how hard could that possibly be?

[@davelowes1]

I’m all for banning all tournaments

[@ShaneRoberts-c7d]

Me, too.

[@bamadondon0495]

You're gay

[@chaddrumm6809]

Agreed!!!

[@boognish.]

This

[@randymiller5008]

Me too. Because it's only hurting our Future. It's practically destroyed beyond repair now.

[@lesterhoward6561]

Great idea Randy. I really like the weigh and release..They should do this now..❤

[@oldschoolbassin]

I am very much in favor of a "phone-in" system (like the kayakers do) in tournaments. Except I'd have to get a cell phone...

[@ericjacks7323]

I live within 30 minutes of three of the Coosa River 3:15 chain lakes. Let me tell you, they are flat hammered daily and nightly. The fish kill at some of these tournaments is unbelievable. I am not only in favor of the limits but also wish they limit the amount of tournaments. I have no idea how to get to that point though.

[@Stix542]

I hope this passes. It's sad how many bass die during summer tournaments on Logan Martin. You'll see dozens if not over a hundred just floating dead at the boat ramp.

[@TonyT2796]

Simply not true. I've fished hundreds of tournaments on this lake and have never, ever seen even dozens of dead fish at a ramp.

[@bamadondon0495]

​@@TonyT2796 right!?!? That's someone who's completely out of touch fishing tournaments on that lake for sure. I've been fishing every Tuesday, Wednesday night, and Saturday night tournament on Logan since I was a kid, still do. Do you see a few here an there at the ramps, yes, but not DOZENS .. you won't even see a dead fish at the ramps but every now and again. Not every tournament. They're totally out of touch.

[@bamadondon0495]

Lies .... That's completely false statement. Been fishing it my whole life. Do you see a couple here and there every now and again yes, but NEVER DOZENS at a time. That's just a complete false statement

[@lanceh.5671]

I witnessed at least 50 dead and or dying bass while fishing in the Pell City park area of Logan Martin. The park custodian remarked the park stinks for a week after this tournament every year.

[@benbradley2530]

You’re right you didn’t see dozens of dead bass because you weighed in , hung around a while then went home, come back the next morning/ day and you might be surprised

[@jefferytodd3265]

CWR is the only way to go. If BASS can do it at Lake Fork, why not every tournament?

[@joeleade7622]

I agree with every point you made. The proposed Alabama changes should improve things there in the long run but won't stop those who are so determined to skirt the law that they go out at night and filet fish as they catch them.

[@ricknelson4793]

Drastic changes need to be made everywhere! My 2 cents

[@timburton9514]

Well said

[@williamcarr1678]

Ban them all tournaments.

[@edmelungeon2239]

Ban all fishing. Fkn liberals.

[@motherlodebassin5369]

Tournament fishing is gambling. And gambling shouldn’t be a part of hunting or fishing. Apparently if people aren’t forced to be decent they won’t be.

[@johngalt3568]

I’d love to see Alabama do the same thing on the Chattahoochee. I realize that we share the River and Lake Eufaula with Georgia, but we sure could use giving the fish a break.

[@whitefishfins]

It's time to finally move to durable, conservation-oriented practices. It's about time to be thinking of the health of the fisheries and the future generations. Thanks for the post.

[@jessiepayne737]

So agree with this, about time Alabama moves in a positive direction to preserve the future of our environment.

[@glynnreid1217]

What does this have to do with less tournaments?

[@terrybonsell1561]

There is a slot type limit in fl except for tournaments , a waiver is granted!! The ramps on the harris chain have multiple tourout of every week almost all year long! It is crazy

[@ianj3785]

Best news I heard all day

[@timburton9514]

Sounds great to me! On Saturdays, you can walk across the lake and not get wet there’s so many damn tournaments on Guntersville! It’s nuts!! And a lot of the anglers are total rude pricks!!

[@mikehumphries6170]

The survey was done on 1 lake. It also stated a 50 to 80 % mortality rate during summer tournaments. An easy fix. No summer tournaments,and ban all ffs sonar. And watch the difference those 2 will make. The stratos guy

[@jonathanberchtold7183]

I agree. We don't need weigh-ins. Record and release the fish you catch.

[@DSODEN]

My home is on Bankhead Lake, boat launch 100 yards from my lot of water but in a months time at least 3 out 4 weekends tournaments. I don’t necessarily ban tournaments, but limit photograph with a referee. Let’s face 150k rig truck and boat, live real time graphics, that not fishing, that just plain and simple greed

[@johnnymassengale6275]

As a lower level local tournament angler I have to say this is a very good thing. If you want a quality fishery, this will help. Honestly, there should be a closed season or a simple catch and release season.

[@southernpriss3404]

But shouldn’t slot limits apply to all anglers, not just tournament anglers??

[@jamesdaniel6081]

If money is involved, the tournaments will probably be able to get a “tournament waiver”. My state recently imposed a more strict length restriction and decreased daily limit. The tournaments were able to get waviers from the game and fish SO nothing really changed.

[@southernpriss3404]

The slot limit they are proposing will only apply to tournaments! If you are just fishing on the Coosa with a buddy you both could keep 10 each, any size over 12 inches.

[@kurtbecker9609]

easy enough: they do it on lake fork all the time.

[@davidprovost112]

I've been talking to people out here in CA. about this for years. Tournaments with the standard format is killing bass fishing.

[@Trentwebbfishing]

The only reason tournament mortality is higher than people consuming bass is because there are less people consuming bass. So the data is not clean data. It’s proposed and probably will not get passed. A lot fisheries actually need people eat more bass.

[@edmelungeon2239]

I call b.s. you have no idea how many people eat bass. Its a ton more than you think. I can tell you that illegal immigrants eat anything they catch. And ive seen them take coolers full of fish of all kinds & sizes. Lots of small bass. They get reported over & over. Nothing gets done.

[@JeromeCooley-us8zl]

Anglers are panicking over this but they've done the research. I've noticed a decline in size of the fish on the Coosa River chain. I wish it would slow down the tournaments especially on Logan Martin. In the summer months, there is a tournament there nearly every single day and night and it's become ridiculous. Those people who fish those tournaments, live for it and most only pay 2 or 300 to win and I show up the next morning and there's always 4 or 5 floaters from the night before.

[@twiliteagenda]

Great video and point of view Randy.

[@glynnreid1217]

So you are saying the BFL's and Toyota Series are going to CWR. Don't think so nor any other circuit.

[@Larryrandom2549]

Ban every tournament. I’m tired of these clowns screwing the fishing up for regular people

[@rickchapman4132]

Well Randy….. me living on Logan Martin and me fishing the Coosa chain lakes, 90% of the time, I have to say, I agree with you this time. I have seen the reduction in bass sizes drop drastically in the past 5 or so years. There is 1, 2, 3 or more tournaments every weekend, year round on Logan Martin all year round. The spring to hunting season here there is pretty much wildcat tournaments every evening. Then you add in the retirement guys that fish the weekday tournaments. This lake has been beaten to death. Now, maybe the 14” to 20” may be a little too wide, I would go with the 14” to 17”slot limit gap. Me, personally I would love to see nothing but catch weigh release tournaments EVERYWHERE but you will never get Joe and Harry and his gang to be truthful. They have to get that $150 check and bragging right until the next night. I swear I think some of these guys only job is to fish these wildcat tournaments. Logan Martin is nothing but 1 to 1 1/2 pounders now. All the larger bass are dead. Mind you, you would pretty much wipe out keeping any Coosa Spots, you rarely even see a +20” caught on the Coosa anymore, there may be 5 or 6 left. It will be nothing being kept but largemouths and they are getting hard to find now. If we can just stick to the program for 5 years you would see a huge improvement here, but I do not see it happening. The ABT has a strong voice in this and you better bet they will be against this, 100%. This would cut out 70% of their tournament lakes with 200+ boats fishing them. Just when you think the political issues are over…..this one bouncing in.

[@bamadondon0495]

@@rickchapman4132 it's a really good thing that you can't insert pictures in the comment section because this is a complete lie.. i fish those tournaments that you're talking about and you're not even talking about maybe on a good night 10 to 12 boats, what's the same group of guys. I promise you right now 10 boats fishing 5 to 6 hours 2 or 3 times a week is not doing a damn thing to that lake. Some of the things that you just put in this comment are completely false or maybe in your mind they're true but you're completely out of touch with reality. And when I say reality I mean what's happening actually versus what somebody told you. I guarantee you you're not sitting at the weigh-ins counting the amount of boats coming out of the water and you damn sure are going to see way bigger fish than what you're sitting here saying are so far few in between.. that lake is loaded with 3 to almost 5 lb coosa spots.. LOADED!

[@lanceh.5671]

I lived on Logan Martin for 14 years and I understand what you are saying is absolutely true. Sad for sure.😢

[@CBGRTR]

Yes I fish logan martin a good bit to way too many tournaments there

[@brettaylor9098]

Agree. Smaller fields. Official in every boat. CWR. Quit having 150-200 boat tournaments.

[@RaymondR2998]

Do it like the KBF division. Measure by length rather than weight. Just take a photo and log it. Times have changed and the immense pressure placed on the species is destroying fisheries.

[@bobwhite9670]

Florida did this years ago. Immediately upon the new laws starting the state has an exemption for tourneys. 😊don't make something out of nothing.

[@bfg1836]

I really can’t see a lot of people targeting bass to eat. I don’t know anyone who keeps them except tournament fishermen. Everone I know eat crappie, perch, walleye, and catfish.

[@motherlodebassin5369]

Even measuring or weighing and releasing kills all those fish in certain times of the years.

[@DennisMoyer-he6yw]

Tournaments. Catch, measure, weigh and release. Slot limits are the way to go. The future of fishing is at stake if we continue having all these tournaments that are killing the biggest fish.

[@edmelungeon2239]

Look at dale hollow lake. They have that stupid slot limit. Hasnt helped the fishing. Norris lake in E.Tn has a summer 1 fish limit on smallmouth. 1 per person over 20", 5 over 18" in winter. Been going on a long time. Hasnt helped one bit. Largemouth limit hasnt changed ever. They stay consistant. It always takes 10-13 pounds for largemouth & 14-17 for smallmouth in tournaments to get in the money. Has always been that way. And norris gets hammered year round.

[@Buddy1980]

Randy your thumbnail says that this could end tournament fishing in Alabama but that’s not true. It hasn’t ended fishing in Texas we have slot limit on several Lakes. The only thing this will help is our fight against the people who keep the fish to eat.

[@carlschildtknecht762]

Those poachers don't give a shit about regulations anyway. Sounds great, but without enforcement, it's worthless.

[@Rightiswrong-qv5ul]

There's a 14"-21" slot on smallies on Dale Hollow and I've caught countless 4-5# and bigger fish than I ever caught in the 80s . It has improved the fishing. Also I don't get the sportsman that have a problem with the epa trying to keep our country from being a polluted cesspool like some of the place across the pond.

[@ericahlstrom9506]

You have way more faith in people than me. At anything below the very top level that have marshalls in every boat, there is no way to ensure the integrity of a tournament that is catch weigh release. There is no way I am trusting other people in a boat by themselves or a team in a boat by themselves.

[@cjr4497]

Now this is LA where fisheries management is probably the worst in the country, but we have done away with almost all of our slot limits. The state claims the data showed they didn't work. Their solution was to drop all size limits and allow 10 bass a day. Needless to say all the former slot lakes have gone to shit. Nobody keeps as many bass as our people and they put the hurt on the population quickly.

[@jasonginn9141]

It’s made a difference on the quality of spots on Smith Lake.

[@marksanko6138]

Great to hear! Fix the fisheries

[@CharlesHoskyn]

CPR is the best way to run a tournament.

[@southernpriss3404]

I live in Alabama and fish most of the Coosa lakes. Can anyone tell me if any of the other states/lakes have slot limits that only apply to tournaments?? That is what they are trying to pass. It will only apply to tournaments. Anyone else can keep 10, any length 12 and up.

[@timburton9514]

The elite series was on Smith Lake back in the spring. After the tournament there were dead bass everywhere near the launch site

[@geraldkoth654]

70 percent of the kept fish in a tournament die.

[@matthewczerepak]

There is no way to know reliably who is catching and eating bass. It's not like deer hunting where you have to report a harvest. So already this is based on unreliable speculation. I am not debating that tournament mortality has an effect on bass; however, tournament fishing is the reason why catch and release is even a thing. When I was in my early 20's I ate every legal fish I caught. When I started following tournament fishermen I stopped keeping bass and started practicing catch and release. The problem I have with laws like this is that it does hurt small local club tournaments. They simply do not have the logistics to put an official in everyones boat like MLF and BASS can. Those tournaments will still get to go and smaller local ones will not. I do believe that tournament fishermen and officials need to do more to prevent fish mortality. Sometimes a fish is going to die in the live well and there is nothing you can do about it. But many times there is. You can have an oxygenator, you can ice your fish and for deep caught fish you can learn to fizz your own fish immediately, rather then wait until weigh in to have someone do it when they are half dead. Tournament officials could penalize for fish that are barely alive and sure to die rather than just those that are already dead. They could limit the number of tournaments by having a set number of permits for each lake, based on the size of the tournament. I just don't think doing something that makes small local tournaments difficult is going to have the desired effect. If there was no tournament fishing I do not believe catch and release would be as popular as it is. I don't know any serious tournament fishermen who eat bass. Just my two cents

[@PhilClark1976]

Lake Fork has a 14 to 24 and both major tours have fished here many times.

[@russellambrosini5344]

Quick question has anyone done a study on how hard it is to catch the same fish more than once in a specific time period like 1 hrs 2hrs ect.

[@kevinrevay4199]

possible other option instead of recording weights, measure for a combined length total. yes, as fishermen, we would need to change our thought of a weight total, but i believe kayak tourneys do it that way.

[@tomlarcher1]

No way, that's why when I trying kayak tournaments I quit. I go for big bass. I don't want to weigh in a 6lber and get beat by a guy who caught 3 ten inchers.

[@michaelsheppard4227]

If they do it on the coosa they should do it state wide. They'll fish everything else completely to death then.

[@fishinninja18]

Here's how this can work from the club to pro level. If fish are weighed by co angler/ random draw partner on their scale. Then certified by angler. Scales need to be calibrated before tournament launch. Anglers bring their own scales. At pre tournament meeting the scale is attached to 2lb even weight. The difference over or under is recorded. to be multiplied by 5/ number fish caught; and added or taken away from the final weight. Your fish are weighed on co anglers scale. co anglers fish on your scale. No incentive to swap scale after calibration weight is taken. Anglers can bring any scale they have meeting the weight fraction requirements. Weights can be recorded on paper requiring 2 signatures for each catch as it is added to paper. Photos of the fish on the scale can be used for extra security. Random draw eliminates most cheating opportunities. Co angler texts in pictures of boater fish, boater texts in pictures of co's fish. This creates signatureless certification of weight for each fish. As well as a paper trail. Boater can look at co anglers phone to be sure each fish is submitted.

[@dhramsey]

Would love to see this in WI ( La Crosse )

[@ralphspoerl1400]

Time and Date cameras would help solve the problem. Good Luck!

[@Gregoryclark-l3e]

let's hope our prayers have been heard

[@grantboatwright5974]

I just don’t know how they are going to police this. I fish these lakes and I just don’t understand why they are targeting tournament anglers only. I mean if they’re going to do it, make it the same size limit for everybody. But even then I can’t say I’m %100 for this push that they’re making. It’s just adding more aggravation to the people fishing the tournaments. I mean what are the local businesses going to do when people stop coming and getting their bag of ice and $100 worth of gas because no one is fishing the tournaments? There’s a lot that this is going to affect. I hope they think this through before jumping the gun

[@daniel_fogle_fishing]

I disagree with a statement you made about weigh ins. If the weigh in is not that important then why did every BPT Pro that came back say that they missed the weigh in.

[@abpob6052]

Tournaments where the goal is to catch the biggest fish should have ended years ago. Tournaments need to modify their rules to make it better for the fisheries. I have always liked target length tournaments where you are given the target length ( say 14 3/4") the day of the tournament and you get to weigh in one fish that is at or under that target length. That not only keeps the bigger fish in the system but it keeps them where they were caught instead of hauling them 10mi away.

[@tomlarcher1]

nope, this is why I quit kayak tournaments. I target big bass. Say I weigh in one 6lber, I don't think I should get beat by a guy who caught 3 ten inchers.

[@RF-20]

I’m surprised this hasn’t happened sooner.

[@CBGRTR]

I live in alabama and fish coosa all the the time neely herny is my home lake been fishing it 40+ years and fish weiss and logan martin alot to im all for what they are doing way too many tournaments something gotta be done

[@abpob6052]

How about changing BASS to an all species series so they are not just targeting large and small mouth bass? Bluegill, catfish of different species, trout, carp, white bass, crappie, etc. Get a best overall angler, not just bass fishermen. Find some rules that are enforceable and make tournament fishing harder.

[@RCSTILE]

The only way this will truly benefit the fish is to make the fish in the slot not count in tournaments. This will also kill FFS. Look at the pressure there is now on Lake Fork since the state approved paper tournaments.

[@muskyhunter1535]

They will exempt the tourney’s.

[@jimfishman2173]

Well thank god!

[@spikymikie]

It sounds great to me. Dale hollow has a slot on Smallmouth, as well as a only 1 over 21". And Dale Hollow has some HUGE smallmouth. Just sayin....

[@arciefan]

If you have proof of all these people in big numbers you are describing breaking the law on keeping these fish you should turn them in and show us all your proof. I think it's wrong to constantly blame the biologist and the game and fish folks like you do. I think they do a great job!

[@Les-r7b]

There's no way that consuming bass is having the same mortality rate as tournament fishing.

[@CHASIN_A_BASS]

Randy its nothing illegal about keeping bass.. listen ppl eat fish. But a slot limit isnt bad.. red fish have slot down here on the coast..

[@BrianBurns-j6r]

Tournaments every week have destroyed all East Texas fisheries to !!!!

[@JF71951]

Ban all of them

[@cjr4497]

Randy, I have to completely disagree on one point. Tournaments and tournament anglers do indeed kill significantly more bass than recreational anglers. I have been saying this for years and now we have data proving it. Take the blinders off.

[@buzzwilliams8387]

News Flash!! BASS is no longer about 'conserving and nurturing' the bass fisheries for everyone. Maybe it never has been. Why do they have to keep any bass just to show off at a hyped up weigh-in ceremony? Every caught fish is videotaped, weigh it on the video, release it. Why two or three days for pros to "practice"? One day is enough. Why three or four days of tournaments? Two would be enough. EXCEPT the ones running the industry would not make as much money!!! Always follow the money. It ain't about taking good care of the fish. Every state should regulate all fishing tournaments on Every level. At the current craziness regarding digital fishing, why not just let everyone use an electric prod to bring them to the boat?

[@brianbelcher9567]

Hard catch, weigh and release on local tournaments without a bunch of cheating

[@WalterTucker-m5r]

Randy, you ALWAYS fly past the FACT that Mlf BFLs and TOYOTAs that you fish, allow the CULLING of DEAD bass. You are two faced and have a double standard!

[@SimplyFishing]

BASS Master kayak rules.

[@ibuildmusicstudios]

Get rid of tournaments all together. Tournament anglers are literally the most annoying people on the planet.

[@geraldkoth654]

Fantastic. Hope it happens in all states. Catch weigh and release, or catch measure and release. Quit killing all the big fish. I like MLF because of that. But if I start watching a recorded show and the lead in is 5 fish, I just delete it from my DVR. Boring.

[@Peter-cj2ml]

Good.

[@lanceh.5671]

Good luck getting the ignorant paint bucket brigade and foreigners who have no concept of what sport fishing is and who value a fish only as a way to create a turd to follow game laws. I still agree with you it is a good step in the right direction.

[@jonathanpoole1292]

14-20 is a big slot

[@DeanScott-s4h]

Ban all tournaments. Get a job like the rest of us

[@tomlarcher1]

Um, I have had the same job at the local dealership for 20 years and I fish tournaments. Learn how to manage your time, like the rest of us.

[@garydalrymple855]

Do like kayak tournaments. Go to length

[@tomlarcher1]

No way, that's why I quit kayak tournys and went back to boat. Bring in a 6lber and lose to someone who caught 3 ten in dinks that don't weigh 3lbs all together.

[@williamorman4779]

I've been saying that weight an releace

[@johnemrey9877]

Dont forget the new law that everyone has to have passed a boater safety course to operate a boat in AL. AL sucks anyway so stay home

[@tayloralexis1504]

End all tournament fishing.. problems solved..

[@FishingClearWaters]

One of the best lakes in my area is the worst to fish bc the bass get so piss pounded by herds of rude anglers who dont care about anyone else or the bass

[@iam73en]

CWR

[@bhmsupra]

Hypocrite much.

[@motherlodebassin5369]

Ban tournaments and FFS. Real men won’t be bothered. Only the hacks and chumps will cry

[@danthecraftman]

good now end tourney fishing everywhere

[@dwighthaberly1199]

The state will grant a waver when applied for by the TD nothing will change.

[@southernpriss3404]

The slot limit they are trying to pass will ONLY apply to tournaments.