Paul, If I keep talking fishing at home, my wife is going to want me out of the house sooner than later
Shawn, funny you say that because I know the MSSA is working on something to explain why tournaments are good for recreational angling. I believe some of the key points will be:
- draws attention to the sport and showcases fishing to the public
- increases involvement in recreational fishing
- HUGE economic impact (hotels, fuel, tackle, restaurants, marinas, etc.)
- place to educate anglers about management and political issues facing the sport
- place to educate anglers about better fishing practices
- provides very accurate data to the state DNR fisheries management team
There are other key points such as a Univ of Wisconsin study that shows a decline in mortality rates during tournaments due to conservation efforts of participating anglers, improved handling skills, and the releasing of fish. Combine the study, the points above, and with the fact that during the MSSA spring and fall tournaments less than one fish per boat is ever checked in and the tournaments are a true asset to recreational fishing in Maryland. (yes, less than one fish per boat is ever checked in during the Fall or Spring tournaments - anglers know it takes a significant fish to place)
From speaking with Dave Smith, I know he is working on making the tournaments even better. Some of the things he mentioned to me were:
- education for better C&R practices are going to a key part of the captains meetings.
- raising the min size of checked in fish to even further reduce the number of fish killed in the name of tournament
- increased prizes for the catch and release division (I believe the MSSA increased it this year on their own and will look for sponsors next year to further increase that prize)
- better communication during the tournament to participants to what has been checked in so anglers can make more educated decisions to what fish they keep.
- MSSA invited dnr representatives to participate in the weigh-in stations to ensure even more accurate data for their fisheries management team
It is important to note that with increased participation and the with a larger economic impact recreational fishing comes more political strength for issues that concern recreational anglers.