07-03-2014, 10:24 PM
Well, it didn't take "you" long to cure me.
I will try to provide information at times, but I will no longer reply to these threads. It seems like there are good people on BFT and serious anglers; however, I think some people just like to argue and take cheap shots. And frankly, the in-fighting among anglers is not productive.
Tournament anglers would not be able to legally transport a putative state record to a certified scale, and would not have a certified scale on hand, so this would not be a legal possibility.
IDFG tries to maximize fishing opportunity and we also try to provide for a diversity of fishing opportunity. Competitive fishing is part of that diversity. We only want to restrict tournaments if they create biological problems or substantial social problems. It's hard to argue that either of these are occurring at Lake Lowell currently. Due to the refuge's nesting bird closures and the low reservoir levels in the fall, there are only a handful of tournaments on Lowell this year. You are correct that we allow them to possess fish when others cannot. This is special treatment, but I have a hard time considering this something that is biologically or socially unacceptable to most, especially considering the substantial youth outreach that bass clubs orchestrate.
Why not just enjoy what is some of the best largemouth bass fishing that any of us will ever witness than focus on negatives?
Lastly, I would like to share that our conservation officers have taken anglers reports about illegal harvest at lake lowell very seriously. They have been patrolling this water harder than they ever have and running into more than a few violations. We are committed to improving knowledge and compliance with the quality regulation that has made this such a great fishery.
I will share a summary report of these efforts soon. Again, if any of you want to discuss something, we are available. See phone contact info above.
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I will try to provide information at times, but I will no longer reply to these threads. It seems like there are good people on BFT and serious anglers; however, I think some people just like to argue and take cheap shots. And frankly, the in-fighting among anglers is not productive.
Tournament anglers would not be able to legally transport a putative state record to a certified scale, and would not have a certified scale on hand, so this would not be a legal possibility.
IDFG tries to maximize fishing opportunity and we also try to provide for a diversity of fishing opportunity. Competitive fishing is part of that diversity. We only want to restrict tournaments if they create biological problems or substantial social problems. It's hard to argue that either of these are occurring at Lake Lowell currently. Due to the refuge's nesting bird closures and the low reservoir levels in the fall, there are only a handful of tournaments on Lowell this year. You are correct that we allow them to possess fish when others cannot. This is special treatment, but I have a hard time considering this something that is biologically or socially unacceptable to most, especially considering the substantial youth outreach that bass clubs orchestrate.
Why not just enjoy what is some of the best largemouth bass fishing that any of us will ever witness than focus on negatives?
Lastly, I would like to share that our conservation officers have taken anglers reports about illegal harvest at lake lowell very seriously. They have been patrolling this water harder than they ever have and running into more than a few violations. We are committed to improving knowledge and compliance with the quality regulation that has made this such a great fishery.
I will share a summary report of these efforts soon. Again, if any of you want to discuss something, we are available. See phone contact info above.
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