I am talking local events. Just wondering what the general opinion was in regards to weighing 20+ minutes from the host lake.

like via skype or something?

I think its fine as lo.g as the fish are returned to the host lake

Against it.

fish fry?

Ignorant... I understand the whole sponsor argument, but the little fish are why we are all here... No since in putting their lives in danger. I do know that the live/dead count is completed before the long drive the weigh in spot. This is because so many of them die during this process. I find it silly that they can just host the weighin where the tourney goes out of.

Irresponsible if you ask me, and both large circuits do it . (FLW and bass)

Fish abuse

not a fan

This, unnecessary, bad for fish.

of Thomas or remote weigh in sites

How is a 30 mile ride on the trailer any different than a 30 mile ride down the lake.

Doesn't hurt anything.

A ride in the boat on a smooth road is much easier on the fish than a 20 minute ride on a rough lake for both the fishermen and the fish.

I cannot tell you for sure if the fish know the difference between whether the ride to the weigh in is on the water or on the highway. However, I know the anglers know the difference between the rough water ride and the smooth road. So, I assume the fish can tell the difference as well.

My comments are based on the live well working properly. However, it would be a mute point, if the live well was not working properly. The fish would already be dead before the trip to the weigh in.

The primary cause of fish mortality, in my opinion, is;
1) when the hook has been set in the gill plates or the throat
2) lack of aeration in the live well, especially in the summer months
3) lack of ice in the live well, especially in the summer, when water temps are above 75 degrees
4) Not enough water in a weigh in bag for the fish to get oxygen and or being in that bag too long, depleting the oxygen, while waiting to weigh in
5) Improper fish care by the tournament staff by not using some method to equalize the air bladder pressure when the fish have been caught in deep water (fizz or weighted clips).
6) Too much slime coat removed by the angler or the tournament staff; a) handling during removal of the hook(s) b) bouncing around in the boat, c) prolonged handling on dry surfaces
7) Keeping the fish out of water too long for any number of reasons

Food for thought,

Remote weigh ins are a pain in the rear overall tho , I'm not a fan at all. I know some get a kick out of it but I don't. I read where you guys (BLT) are weighing in at the rodea arena I'm sure for the showmanship and "event" but I would personally dread it myself if I were fishing that tournament.

Tiltman,
I understand completely your personal choice of dreading a remote weigh in. However, when you think about it, most all fish are trailered to the weigh ins. Most, not all, fish are removed from the live well in the boat after the boat is put on the trailer and driven to a parking spot. The primary reason why fish are left in the live well is because it is the best place to keep the fish until the angler is ready to weigh them in. Again, whether the angler drives 3 minutes or 20 minutes to park and remove the fish, the fish are still in the best place for them to be, in the live well.

The purpose of hosting the weigh ins at remote locations, is without question, to gain exposure for the anglers, sponsors, the trails, etc. As a tournament provider, we want to do all we can to make sure our anglers and sponsors get exposure. BASS, FLW and any other trail are all trying to bring more anglers and sponsors into the sport. Without the participation by the anglers and or the sponsors, there would be no opportunity for professional bass tournament programs. Even the local tournaments would have a difficult time to create interest in their trails, if there was no sponsor support.

Can there be increased fish mortality, if fish mortality rates are not considered, you bet. That is why we bought three $7,000 live release tanks that use Oxygen bottles to provide diffused oxygen to the fish in our tanks to help insure the live release back to the lake. We also aerate the pre bump (where the fish are checked) and post bump 100 gallon tanks in our weigh in lines. We transfer the fish into a mesh bag, as soon as, we get the fish so the fish get fresh oxygen in our weigh in line tanks.

We respect your thoughts and will do our best to make sure, if you do decide to enter any of our tournaments, that you would not dread it. There is plenty of parking at the Mesquite Arena and Convention Center. We will have plenty of staff to get your fish weighed in quickly and put into a chemically treated tank.

Our live release tanks where designed for commercial use to transport fish great distances to stock fish in lakes and ponds that needed the fish. We take our fish care responsibility seriously.

My thoughts are not meant to be argumentative but only to state the fish care procedures we offer. The last thing we want is dead fish. So, we take fish care very seriously.