Kill Tournaments vs. No Kill Tournaments

[searich]

With more and more attention being focused on preserving billfish stocks, it would be interesting to see how the angling public feels about Kill tournaments, especially billfish tourneys. I'd like to get a feel for how serious most tournament anglers are about supporting non-kill tourneys.... in other words, is it still just the money that attracts the participants or do they actually care about the tournament format in regards to conservation?

Please take the time to take part in this poll and thanks in advance for doing so!

RC

[sportfishingusa]

I am all for preserving stock and thats why i think most of your well known bill fish tournaments have such high standards for billfish around the world..

It is not like bill fish such as blue marlin are winning in the 200lb class.. yo need a big gun to win a tourney over 400 or 500lbs..

As far as kill tournaments i do not feel that a lot of fish are really killed during tournaments and for the tournaments all around the world that are kill i believe they would never draw the crowds they have now if it was a release only tournament.

Sailfishing tourneys are nice since they are all release and noone keeps them, so why no whites?!? well no one is going to pay 20k to play if they can not boat a fish and hang it to win.. It is just the competetive nature of most people..

Plus i believe all around the world like the bisbees, and some other big boy tourneys down south do alot more releasing they they do killing in a kill tourney any how..

The fishing is much more concentrated down there and the populations of these fish are much much greater than us up in the NE.

[searich]

Thanks for the reply.... I agree, not too many fish actually get hung for weight but taking breeding stock (which for blues is over 250 lbs) seems contrary to conservation efforts.

[sportfishingusa]

you are correct with that.. i am no scientist but i think we only get dribs and drabs up here... I would like to know how many blues are caught around the east coast area in a year comparative to some other parts of the world.. just do not know what it would be but i would guess we do not get as many as other parts of the world.. but who knows.. NOT ME! LOL

[Swami]

One issue that a lot of tournaments face is simply that of luck. In a big-fish tournament, whether it's the Bisbees, the Big Rock, White Marlin Open or others, you can attract a large number of competitors simply based on the fact that they can "get lucky," catch one big fish and win hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars. This draws those with money but perhaps not the best of skills, to "try their luck" in a big-money tournament.

On the other hand, if you were to go all-release, that would take out almost all of the luck factor. Look at any given release event in the world and over the course of two to four days of fishing the best teams rise to the top, not necessarily the luckiest. These are the boats that are not only raising fish but are converting their strikes to releases on a highly consistent level.

You may have a shot at beating Tiger Woods on one hole of golf if you make a lucky shot, but over the course of the next 17 holes, chances are he's coming out on top.

[sportfishingusa]

Now that is well put! LIKE POETRY SWAMI!!

[Bert Rodgers]

The questions are astonishingly biased leaving no middle ground.

Why not answers such as ?,

I participate in big money largest fish tounements that have strict size limits that greatly reduce the mortality of target species.

I participate in both

I only participate in C&R tournements but I respect the right for others to play different games

And fianlly I can't afford Big Money tounaments but I feel that internet trolling tournements should be banned.

Bert

[Double D]

The questions are astonishingly biased leaving no middle ground.

Exactly, thats why I didn't vote.

Not everybody feels that size based kill tournaments and conservation are mutually exclusive

[searich]

I have to tip my hat to Swami.... excellent contrast between the two formats and I can't argue with the logic. Well said and right to the point, thanks!

Regarding Bert's words on biased questions, your right, I am biased but also willing to learn what others think and feel. I appreciate your question suggestions, well written.... so what would your answer be? Feel free to share your answer as well Double D.... I appreciate the input.

RC

[Fritz]

that you are completely against kill tournaments by the tone of your questions. I seriously doubt the small amunt of billfish killed in tournaments has any affect on the overall stock, particularly with the minimum size requirements that are in effect. I also believe that there is no angler more dedicated to conservation [yes even those that fish kill tournaments] than a billfisherman. Billfisherman started self policing as a release sport long before any NMFS restrictive regulations were ever put into law. My question for you, is how many billfish tournaments have you participated in and do you participate in the big money so called Kill Tournaments?