MWAA Lake Stockton Open, July 9-10

[coyotewhacker]

I fully agree with you that it is sad to see what happens to the fish you release, but until the COE figures out how to keep the water temp at 65 degrees, or the summers get no warmer than 75 in July and August, that will remain a fact of live (or death) in our southern waters. I originally thought that this was the southern most fringe of the walleye's range, but there are walleyes and saugers on down in Tennessee and Alabama....maybe over time they will evolve in to subspecies that can adapt better to the warm water. One thing is almost a given...it ain't gonna get any cooler in the next few weeks. Sorry you won't be at Stockton. If you are in the area, stop in for a brew and plate of fish anyway.

[walleyesrus]

I've never seen that be a problem, I had 30 fish days on stockton in aug last year pulling cranks and they all did fine, my fish last year were completly releasable until we put them in that stupid tank.

[reelxtc]

If you catch them out of deep water, you might think about fizzing them before releasing.

[coyotewhacker]

I do seem to recall that last year, when TR and I finally got around to actually catching some walleyes on day2, that ours held up OK....it was the September tourney that was so tough on the fish. I'm hoping that refrigerated aerated tank that TR was supposed ot put on Old Leaky as part of the high tech upgrade will keep our winners in prime shape.

[powerdivehome]

I think MWAA should buy a bump tank with aerator system, if they're going to keep running tournaments at this latitude.

Most walleye boats today have excellent recirculating livewell systems, and keeping fish frisky even in our warm water is more the rule rather than the exception. (Ice helps in extreme conditions.) I believe our fish last year also were releasable when we brought them in...but the larger ones struggled when it was time for them to go home.

Other than that, sounds like MWG's issue is with summer walleye fishing in general, down here. Warm surface water stresses fish, there's no doubting that. Fizzing can help some of those overstressed fish, but not all.

Some anglers are willing to pay the price for summer walleye fishing, others aren't. As walleye huggers, we all need to make our choices. I personally harvest a percentage of my annual catch, so I'm able to rationalize it that way.

MWG, are you going to change your handle to MBG, at least temporarily??? Or, as Minnesotans like to do, perhaps go with The Fisherman Formerly Known As MNwalleyeGuy?

Just yankin' yer chain--this is a serious issue you raise, and it's something MWAA has had discussions about.

[walleyesrus]

I've fished tournaments in July in Kansas where the temp was in the nineties with water temp not to far behind and saw at least 90 % releasable fish. In my opinion the fish should never see a tank, take them to the scale in your livewell and turn them immediately loose. The pwt does not use tanks at all, only at the bump station. We also need to update what we call a live fish, most circuts they must swinm upright on their own to be considered live, thats all the pwt uses their tank for. We don't need people to run them to the lake, the contestants can take their own fish to the lake in the same bag and water they were brought to the scale in. Just my two cents.

[lcostley]

I do not have a problem with summer walleye fishing down here. I also do not have a problem with taking walleyes home for a meal. It is not good p.r. to have dead fish at a weigh in. Public perception has a strong impact on an image.

I understand all the issues with fishing with water temps that warm. That is just a fact of geography.

What bothers me is when I released short fish, I had a heck of a time getting them to swim away. I was fishing next to one boat that caught 2 short fish, they released them "belly up". Just makes my stomach sick to see dead walleyes floating on the water.

I fizzed all the short fish I caught, as I took them from deeper water. These fish did swim away, but it took some time.

Other than that, I had a good time down at Norfork.

[powerdive]

MWG, hope you didn't mind my friendly jibes. I agree that floaters suck. We personally haven't had many problems with releasing fish at the boat--just with handling at the weigh-ins, which is what we got into a little bit here.

Like you, we'll fizz fish that are struggling, and spend some time with them. I don't remember any that didn't eventually swim off. But conditions must have been pretty tough down there, and you must have been fishing deeper water. I don't have the answer for that, either.

[Tablerock]

I had to fizz all our walleyes within seconds of them hitting the livewell. Then we added ice, and alot of it, to the livewell. We only had one walleye die and it was caught at 7:45 a.m. and had to ride in the livewell till 3:00 p.m.
This includes the 5 keepers Mrs. Tablerock caught the day after the tourney. (Either the tourney was one day too early or we needed one more day to pre-fish)..

[lcostley]

I have all the goodies I am donating for the Stockton event. I am not going to be fishing it, but am going to be down in the Springfield area.

Mike, do you want to hook up and I will give you the stuff? I am planning on being down there either Tuesday or Wednesday night. If anyone wants to get together for a beer when I am down there, let me know.

[powerdivehome]

Sure thing, MWG! Wish you could fish Stockton, but I certainly respect your choice. Just let me know when you'll be around. My treat, this time!

[scottwhitman]

We also fizzed most of our fish from Stockton in the hot months but turned a lot of shorts loose with no ill effects without fizzing and they went straight down.
I agree with MWG about perception, we really need to make every effort to keep fish alive and well, Regina and I personally go through all kinds of gyrations keeping fish healthy during tournaments. I take it very personal if I lose a fish during a tournament in the livewell. Mortality is a fact of any avent but we should push ourselves to keep it to a minimum. I would be in favor of no tanks or buying something different for our events. I understand Shimano has something designed for weigh ins????

[trackerteam6]

While I am thinking of it I have two new OFF Shore planner boards, but I don't know how to use them. I need one of you experts to show me one of these days. Please

[reelxtc]

bring 'em to the treehouse and I'll give you a quick lesson Friday nite.

[trackerteam6]

Thanks REELXTC, I'll be there.