It’s coming to the bjcc in March! Anybody going to be there? And has anyone ever been to one?

I've worked at several. One in Bham. The crowds are amazing. Lots to see and buy.

I’ve been before and will more that likely be at the one in March as well... lots to see and buy

Have been to 18 since 1995. The 'expo' is a lot of fun, good vibe, some good deals on things.

Depending on when you're going, I'd recommend getting there early. Parking is challenging around the BJCC. There's just limited parking even with the deck and streets.

Despite the high water in Guntersville, I think they might wreck 'em and have a great 3-day weight. They're biting fairly well right now.

Probly take over 75lbs

75 wouldn't shock me. I figure it'll be around 65-70 if the weather's great, since other boaters will be out following along with regular anglers and some recreational people. There's typically a Day 2 lull, minimal sometimes, but enough to go from 25 to 20 after Day 1.

If the weather stabilizes and water temps climb a big, it could be scary good. They start practice I believe either today or next Friday, so of course they'll be tight-lipped and poor-mouthing everything. lol

Piss on them is my opinion. Believe they are fishing Guntersville, then hauling the fish all the way to Birmingham to do the "weigh-in" and ego-walk, then the fish are hauled all the way back to Guntersville to be put back in the lake where most of the fish will be dead within 72 hours - I've been told a study was done on fish released by BASS tournaments that showed an 80%+ mortality rate of the released fish within 3 days of release.... Might as well clean the fish after weigh-in and donate the meat to a shelter or people that will put it to use instead of wasting the fish. I hate the BASS organization and their format. They abuse a public resource for monetary gain which I think is totally wrong. They are killing huge numbers of the largest fish in the lakes they fish every year! I have the same feelings towards all other tournaments - local wildcats and others (and there's hundreds of them) that catch/keep fish for weigh-in then release after being bounced around in a live-well all day. The MLF format is the only one I feel is acceptable as it preserves the resource being exploited by "tournament" fishing.

Rant over.

Ass Gobblin^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Well newbie, if BASS hadn't come along EVERY green trout fisherman would still be introducing their catch to hot grease. How many survived that ?

Nailed it.

I am a tournament fisherman, but I don't "technically" disagree with Uokman2014, I have long believed the mortality rate is exceedingly worse than most people think (actually I don't think 99% of tournament fishermen EVER even consider it, not that they wouldn't care if they knew, but it's just not a concept they ever think about). I don't think many fish die from one tournament day in a small local tournament, but the sport of fishing has grown so much in the last 20 years that it sometimes feels like every fish in the lake is caught over and over and over and over, I mean there's a tournament or two virtually 7 days a week on many lakes (cough, cough, Logan Martin). I believe I can tell the affect of fishing pressure everywhere I fish. But to back up Uokman2014, it's just plain selfish and stupid to catch fish all day, ride them around in a livewell all day, transport them 1.5 or 2 hours by road, they still might stay in a tank or livewell for a while before and after, then be driven that far back to Guntersville. That is not conservation minded, and there is no defense of it. I absolutely hate MLF with 10 purple passions, but they are right about the catch and immediate release.
I also hate professional tournaments coming to a lake, it escalates the pressure beyond even the regular harmful amount. I also hate seeing them violently boat flip every frickin' fish they reel in, it's like damn you ain't gotta do that.

I like fillets😁

Uokman2014... U OK? Haha I don't disagree but I will be going to check out all the new fishing stuff...

Always that one lol

By chance do you have a link or other info to this fish mortality study? I've seen old ones that were conducted during the summer but nothing recent.

BASS and FLW always claimed "live fish" if they saw a gill twitch or tail wiggle. Tournament directors from those top leagues down to weeknight fruitjar events did the same. Banging around in the summertime heat and hot water kills a ton of them. Head to any popular ramp this summer hours or a day after a tournament if that's where the fish are released. If someone's not there scooping them with a net, chances are good you'll see some floaters.

A bazillion fish have died over the years and two bazillion replace them. BASS holding this event in March definitely helps. I'm not a fan of the long travel, but that is not new at all for them or FLW. Has been going on for decades with each organization.

As for abusing the resource, here's the number for DCNR Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries - 334-242-3465. I'm sure someone in Fisheries Section would talk with you about it.

Get your calculator out and figure up how many big bass are killed at guntersville every year by the catch and releasers. Its staggering. This is just one tournament. Some weekends there will be two or three going with way more boats in each tournament. I definately think they should consider changing something to ensure more of the big fish stay alive.

we all have things we hate about fishing. i hate seeing anyone just sling a fish back in the water. I always try to release them as painlessly as possible. I also pump a Pro Air pump in my livewells and I'm positive that helped their morality by how frisky they were when removed for the livewell. Ponder this, all the jobs Bass fishing has created. The evolution of lures, tackle and boats. Without tournaments bass boats would not have been born. You that hate tournaments are just selfish . Its the money generated by interest in getting tournaments and drawing tourist that has States now working on putting big and plenty of bass in our waters.

I dont hate them perch. I just wish there was some kind of thought going into how many boats tournaments were putting on the water on a given day and theyd figure out a way to keep the big fish alive. My son has dreams of catching just one of those fish theyll kill in a bigtime bass tournament. You are probably right about them making bass fishing what it is but does that mean they should be allowed to ruin it for the casual fishermen?

went to Knoxville last year. was interesting experience

Jw, if you want your son to catch a big one, his first. I suggest you find him access to a bunch of farm ponds. They hold untouched numbers of big ones.

Here's something to think about JW. How many casual fisherman catch that big bass or those younger 3-5 lb fish and throw it or them in a bucket or cooler and take it home to eat or mount. At least the tournament fishermen are releasing them all, and some will definitely make it. Chances of one surviving being filleted and dipped in hot grease is pretty much 0%. Casual fishermen do much more damage if you can call it that (in the form of killing fish) than the pros and tournament fishermen could ever dream of doing. Birdcarver (on here) kills 15-20 fish every single time he puts his boat in the water. Sticks a nail through their heads and takes a pic of them on the fence. Nothing wrong with that, more power to him. The man evidently really likes to eat bass and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Just remember there are way more people like him out there fishing than there are tournament fishermen. Do the math, tournament fishermen are just a tiny drop in the bucket of overall fish mortality and at least the tournament fishermen are making an attempt to turn the fish back.

I thought Knoxville sucked. Traffic was hell, the expo was in at least two buildings (maybe three?) and the arena was away from the expo center.

Downtown restaurants and bars were cool. Didn't care for the logistical setup. Wasn't crazy about Shreveport or Greensboro, either. Great, great turnout by fans in all three locations, though, and that's one of the top considerations for BASS and the local/state tourism folks.

That are targeting bass specifically? I would have to say....that is the biggest line of horsechit I have ever read.

Your comment shows you must not spend much time on the water. I see plenty of weekend warriors beating the water to a froth fishing specifically for bass on just about any body of water I fish. Lots of crappie fishermen too. You dont think that crappie jigs and live minows will catch a bass? Fact of the matter Jug, is that the bass is the most targeted freshwater species nationwide. It's also probably the biggest by-catch species caught by other anglers not targeting them such as pan fishermen.

One more point, almost every Tx fisherman practices a couple of days. During those days he may catch around 30 bass. He will always release them in hopes of catching them during the tournament. Where as if a meat fisherman catches those, the limit hits hot grease. Believe me Tx fishermen do not seek to over fish or deplete the resource.

There are bag limits in place to limit the harvest of all species of game fish...bass included. So what's wrong with keeping a few to eat all along as long as no limits are exceeded.....at least the ones I kill are not being wasted. JMO!

You are comparing a man eating something to just killing it. Do you shoot deer and just throw them back in the woods to die after youve rode them around and showed them off for an hour or two? Really think about what youre saying, then back up and punt. Thats ignorant

Fire up your google finger boys and check out bass delayed mortality studies. One ran by Harold Schramm Jr. conclude that 100 % of the fish died when the live well water went over 92 degrees and had less than 3 ppm oxygen. Well, duh, you think?? That is exactly why we old Florida fisherman used a lot of ice, working aerators, and Catch and Release religiously in tournaments. I even had a water temp gauge wired into the live well on one of my boats to monitor the temp. The only time we lost a fish was when one had it gills ripped. I can tell you horror stories about bass populations collapsing due to improper and/or over aggressive weed control, but no examples of a decent sized healthy lake's population being decimated by tournament fisherman.

You cant weigh them dead right?

Far more bass die to natural causes than will ever die due to being caught by a hook. Nature is a b*#(&.

Yes, most trails allow dead fish to be weighed with a penalty.

Every bass will die of natural causes eventually right

Where I fish tournament bass fisherman out number the ones bass fishing for fun 10 to 1. The ones fishing for food crappie or catfish.

I disagree. I mainly crappie fish. I do catch some bass. But I catch way more stripe than bass. I dont care how many gets killed tho. Maybe all the inconsiderate pricks would find another hobby.

The boat ramp at guntersville ball park is closed the week of

Reken I’m selfish because I hate dealing with tournaments. Sometimes it takes an hour to launch or load your boat and the pricks just stand there in the way and park blocking the flow of traffic so you can’t get past. I hope they outlaw them.

I reckon all the largemouth bass ive kept in the past couple years are still alive in a couple ponds and we will continue catching them over and over again. We do keep and eat a few spots but not that many.

You're not hurting anything, just be careful where the ones you keep come from. Some water is too polluted. I'm sure if any are eaten from the North end of West Point anyone would get sick. Atlantas sewage often gets dumped directly into the river.

I still don't understand why Scottsboro/Guntersville/Huntsville areas haven't figured up a way to keep the weigh in here at home instead of halfway across the state. I'm sure the area has a good economic help from it being fished here, but I would imagine having the weigh in local would be that much more of a help.

I can't understand why you can't understand. It's simple B'ham has more hotel rooms and a big arena. It can draw more people than a high school stadium around Scottsboro. Not to mention the big airport.

I agree with this and I haven’t seen any of those guys fishing the bank culling much. Some do but I would guess most don’t.

And as long as they buy license and follow the laws it’s their right. Same as the guys fishing tournaments. We all pay for this through purchasing license and taxes.

Outlaw this and that because we don’t like it isn’t how democracy works. Let the dems get in office and you will see your rights and access diminish or disappear.

Nobody has to agree but we better stand together or we are all gonna lose.

Waldo have you ever seen a 250 Hp run on a photo electric cell or a windmill ? LOL

Ok. Let me rephrase it.

I understand why it's currently at Bham. I don't understand why Scottsboro, Guntersville and Huntsville don't join efforts to figure out a way to host it here, at home, Where the good fishing is taking place. Huntsville is every bit as capable to host a weigh in at the Von Braun Center. Seating Capacity isn't what the BJCC offers, but it could host a healthy crowd. Plenty of Hotels, Plenty of Restaurants. Huntsville has an airport that is plenty capable of anything this would need. It's a booming city and an overall nicer place than Bham.

Economic impacts have been reported as High as 32 million last year and is regularly in the mid 20 million dollar range. Our corner of the state could invest a little money into expansions at the VBC and capitalize off of the investment. IMO.

You may not know that cities PAY to get these events. I doubt those cities could match what Bham paid to host the Big Show.

I sure hope you can get them to host tournaments but good luck.

Ignorant?? JW tell me, just how many massive fish kills have you seen first hand, with your own eyes immediately after a major tournament? I’m betting the answer is zero. If what you believe is true, actually happened, in a typical BASS tourney there would be close to 2000 bass released all at the same release point with the majority of those dying. I’m not saying it has never happened but If the mortality is as high as some on here say, you’d see a raft of dead fish floating every weekend after every single tournament. I spend a lot of time the water and yes, I’ve seen a floater here and there around release points and tournament takeout points but nothing significant and dang sure not every fish caught in a tournament.

Heck, there a a lot of guys on the pro tour that intentionally target/intentionally fish tournament release points if there’s been a big tournament within the past week because all those released fish typically school/stage up on the first good cover, drop, ledge or major channel swing close to the release point. I’ve crushed them on spots like this 3-4 days after a big tourney. Re-read my post, I specifically said there’s nothing wrong with people keeping and eating bass if they want to. Do some fish not make it after release? It absolutely happens without question and nobody disputes that.

Looking at a lot of the comments on here, seems to me like a lot of people just don’t like tournaments, fast boats, don’t like other people catching big fish that others have trouble catching, having to wait at crowded ramps, crowded parking lots and the like. Trust me when I say that being a jackass on the water is not in any way limited to just tournament fishermen. Nothing pisses me off more than someone that takes 10 min to back their trailer down, can’t back their trailer without the boat on it, can’t get their boat on the trailer once they finally get the trailer in the water, or sits in the launch trying to get their motor cranked because the boat only gets put in the water 3-4 times a year. It’s just part of it. Everyone should just take a deep breath and be courteous of the others trying to enjoy the resource too. Now correct me where you think I’m wrong or you go ahead, drop back 15 yds behind center and punt.

Right. They ain't paying no 30+ million to host it, though. I still think that Huntsville could pony up a little bit and it pay off in the long run. Especially if we are talking 60 million dollar paydays over a span of 6 years. It don't really matter to me, I'd just assume everyone stay away from Jackson County. Huntsville is growing quicker than anything else in this state and being smart while doing it. I'd imagine if they ever want to host a classic, they'll host one.

ExactlyPerch. Bham is hosting because they have the facilities, population, and hotels to accommodate. I’m sure closer locations could do the same but can they match the $$ offered to BASS to host. Evidently not or the classic weigh ins would be there and fish wouldn’t be getting hauled 1.5 hrs one way.

You really believe the fish they pull out of guntersville, keep in a livewell all day, drive to birmingham, stay there two or three hours, drive back to guntersville in another tank, then dump back in the lake will still be alive two days after that? Most of them? No ive never been standing there when the fish were dumped out. Ive heard a couple people say they witnessed it and there were alot of dead fish, were they lying, who knows. I dont care if people fish tournaments I just think they should care for the fish better, mainly because theyre keeping alot of the trophy sized fish. I also think 500-600 boats on one lake in a weekend from tournaments is just too many, that should be addressed as well. And what I said was ignorant was the suggestion that killing a fish after a weighin even though you put it back in the water is better than killing a fish to eat it. The fish you put back in the water and died was wasted. I dont know alot about fish mortality rates after tournaments except what ive read. Maybe its all lies, who knows. Ive always estimated that probably half the fish put back will die. Why not just weigh them and put them back? Because then they dont get to hoist them big fish up in front of everybody and get that big crowd applause. Its all about the fame and money.

I personally think that the weigh ins should be held immediately at take out in order to get the fish released back as quickly and in as good of shape as possible. I don’t care for MLF but I do like their immediate release of fish and agree it’s definitely better than keeping them in a livewell all day waiting to weigh in. I’ve fished a bunch of big 150+ boat tournaments with a lot of those being in Florida. I’m specifically mentioning those because most had the weigh ins immediately adjacent or very close to take out. Most were “true lakes” in non-moving/no current situations. In other words, there was no current to carry dead fish away from the release points. Most launch and release areas were weed and pad choked with fairly long idle zones that would’ve held the fish in view. If a high percentage of fish were dying within 48 hrs of release, those launch areas would’ve been littered with floaters on subsequent tournament days. I’ve never seen it. One or two here and there yes, massive numbers like some are quoting, no. It just didn’t happen or the evidence would’ve been there for all to see. I think you’re way high at estimating that 50% die. I’m also in agreement that tournaments create pressure and educate fish. Best way to combat that is to abandon community holes and the banks and learn to find and fish non obvious offshore stuff that others don’t. I’m like Swindle in that I love to get up on the bank and junk fish obvious shallow water cover. It’s how I started out fishing and what in learned growing up. I still love to do it, but at the same time, once I learned to trust my electronics and target the non obvious stuff, deeper and offshore, I got a whole lot more consistent in putting quality fish in the boat. And just for the record, I still fish a good bit but do it recreationally for fun and I haven’t fished a tournament in probably 10 yrs.

We dont disagree as much as it seemed

That 1.5 hr one way ride from the G to Bham is definitely going to put a ton of stress on those fish. Survival rate would be much higher if they just released them in the river there in bham versus hauling them all the way back to the G to release. Just not a good option IMO. Hot water, low oxygen/inadequate aeration, and stress are the three biggest killers of released fish. First two are easily remedied with insulated live wells, ice and good equipment, on the third all you can do is do your best to minimize it.

I'm one of those who believe all fish have the right to cornmeal & hot grease, bass included. I fish a couple of wildcats each year & my only problem with tourney folks is seeing them throw back the fish that they know are gonna die. That is a waste of God's creation but I reckon the turtles got to eat too.. That said, I won't eat a PCB fish from the LM or similar waters.

Livintohunt, sorry our thread got hyjacked. I would love to attend the outdoor show after the first day. Maybe I'll find someone and drive up there.

Come on up perchjerker I would love to meet you, it’s alright these boys got to argue about something!

Piss on them is my opinion. Believe they are fishing Guntersville, then hauling the fish all the way to Birmingham to do the "weigh-in" and ego-walk, then the fish are hauled all the way back to Guntersville to be put back in the lake where most of the fish will be dead within 72 hours - I've been told a study was done on fish released by BASS tournaments that showed an 80%+ mortality rate of the released fish within 3 days of release.... Might as well clean the fish after weigh-in and donate the meat to a shelter or people that will put it to use instead of wasting the fish. I hate the BASS organization and their format. They abuse a public resource for monetary gain which I think is totally wrong. They are killing huge numbers of the largest fish in the lakes they fish every year! I have the same feelings towards all other tournaments - local wildcats and others (and there's hundreds of them) that catch/keep fish for weigh-in then release after being bounced around in a live-well all day. The MLF format is the only one I feel is acceptable as it preserves the resource being exploited by "tournament" fishing.

Rant over.

You sound like my daddy, who died 10 years ago. He was an old school bass fisherman. He used to say, if it wasn't for the fancy boats and high speed outboards with their rooster tails, they would still be water skiing. I concur as well. I live on Logan Martin, and it is dangerous out there on any given summer night. I crappie fish at night, and I have to anchor next to islands to insure I won't be ran over. That has actually happened here, before.

It's the same as shooting spikes and sub 2 yr old bucks. If'n you kill the 3lb fish in a tournament, I can't catch a trophy. These tournament guys are going to wipe out the bass population. It's that damn Chuck Sykes fault. Ainsworth probably has a hand in it too.

Let me ask you anti-tx guys a question. Do you where one of the best places on a lake that holds lots of tx is to fish ? I can tell you from experience that its the marina where most tx on that lake are held. Merely go to the first piece of sizable structure near that marina and you'll find it loaded with catchable bass. If these super high mortality rates were true, this would not be the case. I've tournaments won in these places too.

It’s gonna be a slug fest if they keep the water where it is right now. Someone may go over the 90 pound mark. The big g is on fire right now

Tx have been around a long time and there are still plenty of bass so I guess they ain't hirting them too bad.

I don’t fish tourneys but I have no problem with them i quiet enjoy seeing somebody who can consistently catch big bass on a lake that I can’t!

livin, check yer pm's !

This is major truth. Non tournament fishermen, and pleasure boat folks, subconsciously equate the speed of the boat with the temperament of the fisherman. Oh you drove past me on the river going really fast, you are such a rude jerk, you think you own the water. I make no excuses for the behavior of some tournament fishermen, plenty of them are rude jerks, but the vast majority of tournament fishermen understand water etiquette far more than pleasure boaters. It's just like driving on the road, the majority of folks who look like pleasure boaters act like they're the only car on the highway, no situational awareness.

Yep...well said...

Who all is going to be there maybe we can meet up and chat some!

We were talking about the transport/mortality issue here at work and one guy brought up an interesting point. Is it possible that the transport, in a controlled environment regarding temperature, oxygen levels, and whatever additives that might be used, actually helps the fish recuperate a little compared to being dumped right back in the lake after being beat up in a live well all day?

I hate tournaments. Tournament organizations should have to buy property, get necessary permits and build their own ramps that only they use. Public ramps should be off limits.

Your absolutely correct

They do have to get permits to hold a tournament and I don't think TVA would allow them to build a private ramp. They have rule stating that if there's a public ramp within so many miles of your address, you can't build a ramp. Most of the private ones were grandfathered in.

Cd, they are transported back to the same kind of truck states use to transport fish. Chems added, aeration and temps monitored.

Tournament fishing is just plain fun. I think most folks just like competition and when you team that with something you love doing, it's just a fun deal. The problem is, they think their time on the lake is more important than yours. Fishing in "their" spot with your family, be prepared to be crowded out. That's after they do 90mph and then set their boat down right beside you, washing you all over the damn place. It's not all of them, not even the majority for that matter, but it's enough to get folks to hate tournaments and tournament fisherman.

Very accurate.

Says just about everyone who can’t catch fish.

I don't really have a problem with the tournaments I don't guess. It's mainly hate the rude behavior that most of them have. I have met several of the pro's and 95% of them seemed like good guys and when I've seen them on the water the good ones seemed very respectful. The ones in the other smaller tournaments are the real pricks. The ones that I guess are trying to make a name for themselves and your in their way. I had one about run me over last saturday. I was scanning a small creek mouth and he blew out of there on plane and I had to floor it to get out of his way. He had about 80 yards before he got to me to set his boat down but when he come around that last S curve, he gunned it. This is a creek channel thats only big enough for one boat. If he would have met me in the creek channel, it would have been a disaster.

Unfortunately we have fools in every sport. An idiot behind the wheel of a bass boat is an accident waiting to happen.

A few years backI was fishing a tournament on Guntersville, out of Goose Pond. I left in the first flight andI was in the front, headed to Mud Creek. Just before the B.B. Comer bridge I ran into a solid wall of fog, I immediately let off the throttle and idled as fast as possible to get through it, hoping the guys behind me had enough sense to do the same. After about 10 seconds of idling a bass bait blew by me to my left about 25 yards! He was headed south and had blasted off in a tournament out of Mud Creek. Too many idiots run through hazardous conditions while relying on their GPS!!!

I have found the rudeness to be from the weekend warrior all the way to the man trying to make a living by fishing even down to the crappie fisherman!

Livin , how dare you say anything about those goobers that may only fish a few days a year ? They are fishing for something to consume. Poor little weekend warriors that all too often can't even back in unless they have a ground guide. I'll never forget how weekend warriors from Ky always converged of Ga lakes and kept everything they caught. Once I saw a boat full of them in a boat tied under a bridge. When I came back down all their tackle was in shambles. A school of hybrids had come thru, ate their minners and destroyed their tackle !

Hey perch, you know how it is they got to eat to!

I hate fishing G'ville because of all the big tournaments there. Seems everyone thinks they are KVD when they get on the lake.


I really enjoy club fishing. We have small tournaments all over the state. I fish with and against my friends and we have a good time. We do our best with fish mortality, but a couple of guys will take any dead ones home to eat. I'm not one for the big 100+ boat tournaments.

cancelled due to car owner virus

My favorite fishing places are those reached by 4/wd, not a 300Merc.

I used to do the whole tournament thing when I was younger and it was fun for a while but got tired of dealing with aholes. Always some kind of drama with those crybabies. Won some good $ on Lay over the years but got tired of all the bs. That crap has gotten out of control lately. My tournament buddy recently got hit in the side on Lay by some jackass running high speed not paying attention to his surroundings. Lucky either one of them wasn't killed. I don't even go on the water anymore on the weekends.

I have fished many tournaments and used to enjoy them. Haven't been in one in 20 years. Only fish a few times a year now. I do hate how they crowd G.

I’ve come to love the fall on Guntersville.
Damn boat ramps packed wall to wall on pretty weekends from now until June.