Ice Fishing Tourney's

WOW ! not from peta just a fishing enthusiast. U asked for input i wrote my input if u don't want real input don't post right! it goes both ways bro. i do see where the name came from tho . sorry napa your the best!

I understand the opinions and I'm not saying i agree or disagree.

But i live near quaboag and every year they have a lions derby and alot of fish are killed and hung on the board. But this place still produces some big bags of fish relentlessly. just some info.

Fish on!!!!!

I just started fishn with you guys these past year, I had a ton of fun. I cant wait to start ice fishing this year. I do think we keep teams of 2, for a total of 10 rigs/holes. Fish go in a cooler like ALWAYS if you dont have a livewell. Best 5 fish, NO MORE than 5 in your cooler at once! I also would like to think we are BASS fisherman Not pickeral fisherman. We dont keep picks in our other tourney why start now? Start time is the start time, Lets say we start at 8. At 8 you walk out and then you start drilling your holes, not 7. Thats like sayn our summer fishn tourneys start at 7, go to your favorit spot at 6:30 and wait for the GO sign by Johnny....LOL it doesnt work that way! Or is that why the Landlords always win????

well this is getting more interesting than I thought it would...

Not that I was at the other tourney's, but it seemed you guys had to have a live well checked before the tourney started, which should happen here as well. The problem would be filling the coolers....it would take a long time to fill a big cooler with water from a 6 or 8 inch hole, unless you have some kind of pump...

This is a picture of some of the stuff I bring...the auger and some other stuff isn't in there...


Don't have much room for a cooler on top of all this...

Napa - never thought about the fact that you guys might have shared gear...so I see where you're coming from.

Mikey Meatballs - In my experience (I'm no expert by any means), I've never really caught a limit of bass worth bragging about through the ice. They are not cold water fish, like pickerel/pike/salmon, therefore won't be as active. If I go somewhere and catch a 20 pound pike, but no bass, I don't see how that would be fair.

As for the time idea...I think you have a good point about being at the lake at the same time, and then all walking out together.

My 2 cents is weigh, picture, release. Keep your weight and share info @ end. All phones have photo now or cheap digital cams. Anyone who really wants to do tournaments will buy a digital scale. This group wasn't even checking wells by end of year based on quality of people. I say all species from all baits from 5 holes. Teams of 4 would rock. Match up pairs or come solo. Those are my thoughts. I can't wait.

We have fished many ice tourney's over the years and would like to suggest the folowing:


1) Tourney Time 7AM-1:00PM ( No pre-drilling holes)
2) Two man teams. ($50 a team)
3) 5 Tilts per man or 4 tilts and 1 jigging rod.
4) Live bait allowed. Shiners, suckers, crawfish..etc
5) Bass 12" or longer by weight. Tie breaker is length.
6) Pickrel 15" or longer by length. Tie breaker is weight.
7) Auger your choice
Payout, 1st-3rd in each catagory. ( $125,$75,$50) Based on 10 teams. Final TBD
9) Weigh in station must be centrally located.
10) NO DEAD FISH WEIGHED IN.
11) Optional $5 dollar lunker bass pool.

SEE YOU ON THE ICE!

Wishing you all a Happy Holliday Season.
Ed and Kyle
Happy Hookers

Happy Hookers,
These sound like good guidelines to use and we should probably use them. 2 questions though...do you set a limit on bait size? and do you keep the fish in a live well and weigh in at the end, or weigh as the day progresses?

with 2 man teams, one person could weigh in the fish and the other could watch the flags. Same with the "official weigh-in person". They'd have to be close to the release point, and watch out for people bringing up a bucket full of fish!

Not sure what you guys during the previous tourney's you've been involved in, but I'm still trying to get out of bringing a live well

Thanks Hookers, those are solid guidelines i believe

I would recommend

1. Weigh in as you catch them or when you want to ( no dead fish weighed in )

2. No limit on the size of bait ( old saying big bait big fish)

3. If we allow fish to be weighed in any time there really is no need for a live well i have always just use a cooler filled with water. You can also make a livewell on the ice buy drilling several holes half the thickness of the ice, close together and then take a chisel and make a small hole that would allow the water to rise and fill in the holes. instant live well.

Thanks
Ed
aka Happy Hooker

Ed, Great suggestions!

Sounds like we have rules/regs nailed down just about...

Time to start thinking about spots and dates! There is a thread going in the Ice Fishing forum about spots...let's get some input!!

Sounds like this is starting to come together! I only have one more question. If we do catch and release AFTER you weigh and measure your fish, where on the lake do you release your fish? Ed I like those rules they seem more than fair.

There will be a hole drilled next to the weigh in station. Weigh/ measure them maybe a pic or two then toss them in.

Ed and Kyle
Happy Hookers

Should there be different categories?
Or bass only?

Just throwing this out there.
I've always wondered how a ice tourney would go if you went by total length of all fish caught per team?
Just something outa the norm.

not an ice fisherman but if you can a weigh bag you could bring to weigh area easy.just my input doesn't mean s*** lol!!!!!Smokecity boys see ya soon!!!!

Lets do this. Where and when is the question. The ice is good on most spots. How about 1st one at Chauncy or A1.