Tornado Relief this Saturday June 11....

[mrlawler1]

Modified by mrlawler1 at 10:00 AM 6/9/2011

[Billy Hardy]

what is the rules? and where do you sign up? thanks

[lukinupinbama]

Matt, I am gonna speak up here and say my mind. I know you mean well for this cause but you are going to cause a ton of dead fish this weekend. With the temps approaching 100 degrees, the fish will sit in the livewells for 30 min to an hour, out of the water, on the trailers, riding down the roads. The heat will cause the dissolved oxygen content to be diminished to less than 5ppm, causing major fish mortality.

By seeing the dead fish at Fleet on Memorial Day (that wasn't even a trailer tournament) you are saying you know it will happen but that's OK - you'll only weigh LIVE fish. So you're off the hook for any dead ones, RIGHT? And by the way, not weighing a dead fish is not 'something new', as you stated in your above post. It is a norm for any legitimate tournament.

A great and noble gesture from you to help out the tornado victims, Matt, but it will produce more victims - the bass. If you are still going to hold the tournament at least make it a 3 fish limit, OR A ONE FISH DEAL. Biggest fish takes all. Nobody will complain about the change - majority will probably applaud it! At least that will save hundreds of fish from taking a long, hot, deadly trailer ride.

Above all, keep all the dead/dying fish in a cooler, on ice, to give to folks who will at least harvest them for food. Please don't toss them back just to die within a few hours. Good luck.

A suggestion - Why not just go to all the N Alabama boat ramps on Saturday morning with big buckets and ask the guys for tornado victim donations, or volunteer to help tornado victims one Saturday rather than go fishing??

[Jason Phillips]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by mrlawler1 &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">I do understand your thought on this though it is more of a personal preference of mine. If I can keep my fish healthy then why can't you. All I do is run the recirc pumps in my livewell. Nothing fancy. Keep freshwater on and keep it moving and there shouldn't be a problem with keeping fish alive. If folks want to eat their fish that's completely up to them, I just prefer not to weigh a dead fish. As for the rest of your post, Im helping a buddy of mine with this. And here's a question for you, do you suggest at other charity benefit tournaments that people don't try put a tournament together and that they just walk around boat ramps and ask for donations? I thought the tournament idea was a good one, and I wish we'd had been able to get it done sooner but prior commits kept us from getting it together. If you'd like to fish it, we would be more than happy to have you there....</td></tr></table>

I think you took his post as a slap at you and it was not that. It was expressing concern over the way the fish would be impacted, and the way you will be perceived over handling the situation.

It doesn't have to be a 5 fish limit is what he's saying. That will save a lot of fish in that heat.

Good luck to you guys on Saturday.

[lukinupinbama]

Sorry you took it as a personal thing, Matt. I was just speaking up for the fish. I admire you and your friend for wanting to do a good thing. I just don't think the 'format' will be conducive to good fish handling, although many will take good care of their catch, no doubt.

I was just suggesting you re-consider the bag limit to reduce exposure on the fish numbers. For example - 50 boats x 5 fish = 250 fish on trailers, Whereas 50 boats x 3 fish = 150 fish on trailers. That would automatically save 100 good bass from a possible deadly trailer ride. That would be 100 less to be floating dead at Lock 6 on Sunday morning.

As for the donations, it would take less time, manpower and no fish would die on a trailer. AND, you could donate 100% of that money to the Red Cross or whomever. Just a voice of reason, not intended to knock you and your buddy. I'll help you raise money if you need my help. Maybe a raffle? VanDam day auction?

Thanks for your input, Jason. Just trying to raise awareness of what could eventually become a bad mess... And believe me, I've seen those messes before.

[lukinupinbama]

Matt, you have an IM. Thanks.