Morpeth Pro Bass Controversy

[mulletgut]

This is not good news, we need to look after our wild stocks of bass.
I cut this from a report on the comp at
http://www.fishnitis.com/fishing-board/index.php/topic,387.0.html

Controversial points scoring system.* With half points awarded for the one-dayers, only half an AOY point separated the last angler with one fish from those who did not return with fish.* Possibly even more unbalanced is that only 17 points separated the 10th placed angler Grant Boyle’s 2 fish for 1.3kg from more than half the field who did not catch a single fish.

Whilst on the point of controversies the organisers of the NSW Pro need to take a good look at their scheduling of this event and the conditions it was started in.* With most of the bass coming from the lower reaches of the three rivers in brackish water, it was evident that the heavier fish had not yet spawned.* There was a noticeable difference in the weight of fish caught of a similar length.* More to my point in some cases anglers had to take the fish more than 15 kilometres upstream from where they where caught to be weighed before being released at the weigh stations at Hinton (session 1) and Morpeth (session 2).* Need I say more on this!

Added to that gripe, anglers were sent off at the beginning of the first session in conditions that were down right dangerous due to the fog.* It was difficult to see boats 10 meters apart and all were sent direct from the briefing, scurrying down the steep muddy embankment to their boats and permitted by the organisers to go as fast as they dared once they cleared the 4 knot zone east of the Morpeth bridge.* I feel that the NSW Pro organisers have a little too much faith in the “Enter At Own Risk” notice taped to the van when anglers sign up.* They do have a duty of care that was ignored at the start of this event.* I have fished a couple of ABT events where the session start time has been delayed and speed restrictions placed on boats due to foggy condition less that those experienced at the start of this tournament.

[beats]

You could say the same for any bass comps held at this time of year in rivers. it happens every year with many different clubs & organisations, In regards to looking after bass stocks, the amount of pre spawn fish caught & the number of fish relocated is minimal, the person who wrote the report was complaining & stating the fact that the point scoring was contraversial because there were "bugger all fish caught".
Every one who has fished comps, such as walkers beach, nswptf or even the recent J.B bash knows that this time of year the fishing is tough & the catch rates are always low, obviously causing minimal impact on a spawning run, these comps at this time of year have been around for years now & from what I have seen in the last say 15 years is that bass stocks remain around the same judging by catch rates & even then only some are pre spawn!
Oh and here's one caught by an angler in that particular round, looks pretty skinny to me for a 40cm fish that hasn't released its roe yet!

[mark-fisho1]

ya it was skinny & it had obviosly spawn & maing its way back up river also the magority of fish cuaght where eps i am told honestly the few amount of bass caught would just swim back down river im sure they know which way to go :headbang:

[fishlips]

yeah,have to agree although the 1.87kg i caught was a bass and in a 'fat' condition,this fish was half way(i believe)back up the river.the other fish (770gm and another bass)was much lower in the system.this fish was very skinny and in a much poorer condition.i believe that the fish do not all travel up or down all at the same time as to protect them selves from being wiped out all at once.to say they have or havent already spawned would be in my opinion just an educated guess.remembering these fish have survived many years of commercial fishing in there spawning zone,im sure a few catch and release tournaments wouldnt make to much of an impact.as long as the fish caught are looked after i see no problem.i caught fish(440,400)a week before the comp that were in an exellent condition suggesting to me they were back on the chew rather than doing the jiggy jig.the hunter river fish have a diet that consists of primarily prawns and mullet.i know from personal experience just how big a mullet a 400mm long bass can eat. how many mullet does a bass have to eat to put back on some condition?not many when they can scoff down mullet almost as long as them! i would rather say at this time of year that a fat bass has done its bussiness than a skinny one. thats just my opinion and i am sure that many may disagree.:1fishing1: happy fishing.

[mulletgut]

Sorry to disagree with you guys but I think spawning bass and ep’s should not be targeted by comp anglers at all. Actually I would fully support a closed season on bass and ep’s in rivers during spawning. Beats, if we were looking after these species shouldn’t catch rates be increasing? Sure it is good that they are not declining further but they have copped a canning in the past, if this was not the case fisheries would not be looking at restocking rivers with hatchery fingerlings. Yes, the photo does look like a skinny bass, it also looks a short 40cm, however the author does say “There was a noticeable difference in the weight of fish caught of a similar length.” You can’t fish for trout on their spawn and they are an introduced species. I know that the Hunter Native Fish fishing club is not impressed with the scheduling of this last tournament. Two to three weeks later could have made a big difference. All in all tournament directors should be setting the example and not target spawning fish, then again from what I have seen from NSW pro bass the only example they have set is what not to do.

The last NSW Pro Bass held at Morpeth I was a spectator at a weigh in and was appalled to see how the weigh master handled the fish. From throwing fish back in and give a score as to how many back flips it did before hitting the water to shaking the **** out of the bags to get the fish out (obviously because their dorsal spines and or gill rakers were caught). In one case I saw the fish hit the timber deck after being shaken free from the bag then “kicked” four times to get in back to the water! Do you also support these methods of release for bass and ep’s that are expected to swim back down stream and spawn? Common guys be a little bit fair dinkum! I understand that you love you comp fishing and that it is not for me but it can be done a lot better than this if you don’t want the real greenies getting on your back. Im just a fisho who is concerned for our native fish stocks.

[Sllib]

I fished this comp and think it should have been swapped with Glenbawn comp to give them a bit longer to do the dirty but hey I fished and prefished but I see you point mullet gut and the fish could be treated a bit better at weighins you dont see it in ABT. We shouldnt have started in the fog we did that is for sure but it is the point score that I think stinks! I can see how everyone who didnt catch got their 28 points it was next the level. So if that is how they do it does it mean if two guys have an equal winning weight and first prize is $1000 and 150 points and second is $500 and 140 points do both get 150 points and $1000 dollars each. They should if it is decided the way points are handed out. I reckon it would be $750 each and should be 145 points. The object of the comp is to catch fish and you should be rewarded if it you do and not just get 1/2 a point more than someone who didn’t. If there was 30 people who didnt catch and 300 points left to hand out the ones who didnt catch should get 10 points each that is a fairer thing. Makes it hard for guys to catch the leaders the way it is if they dont like hapened at the comp. A guy who came second made up stuuf all ground on two of the top three who did catch a fish! He moved up one place over I guy who didnt fish.

[beats]

Mulletgut, we will have to agree to disagree on a closed season, adding also that I've been through this debate half a dozen times(& yes it's a heated subject every time) & i'll also add that John Bethune is also against a closed season every time it's raised it's head:banghead: .

As for the bags & release totally not acceptable, the bags are designed to do the job correctly however, the fish must be put into the bag head first then when the zipper is opened they simply slide straight out, perfect, but at the water would be better I agree! A point I will definately raise at the next round, not just for yoy but for the fish.

[mark-fisho1]

that was me who caught that bass & it measured 39 to the fork i have a fisheries tape:headbang:please explain how can there be a short 40cm :tease: it had obviosuly spawned & i got it quiet a long way up the patterson river which i fished all day .sorry fishlips i was told that all the big fish weighed in where eps i can only repeat what ive been told .anyway what ever fish it was it dont matter it was a 1.8 beauty & well done.i do agree with u mullet about the release of bas not so much a morpeth but at most of the comps they r realsed right under where the boats are coming in with props & water getting chewed up & 30+ boats weighing in im concerend the bass get disorinetated in the dirty washing machine water & get hurt or injured but in saying that ive never seen any dead fish floating but maybe they could be relased further way from the actual weigh station just a thought