For the most part, some of the top finishers at the Sam Rayburn Reservoir Bassmaster Texas Fest liked the catch-weigh-release format B.A.S.S. employed in conjunction with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Those who’d participated in the Toyota Texas Bass Classic before were well versed in the process and procedures involved with weighing the fish in the boat and logging its weight before releasing it back in the water. Only fish in excess of 21 inches were allowed to be kept to show off on stage later.
Obviously, not having to babysit fish in their livewells all day was a plus and relieved some of the accompanying stress, especially with fish that had been hooked deep. That aspect allowed the competitors to focus more on fishing. Not having to take time to cull also put more emphasis on maximizing fishing time. Some even wondered if they’d catch the same fish twice over the course of a week.
While B.A.S.S. hasn’t revealed how frequently it plans to use the format in future points events, Texas Fest at least gave officials a good sample from which to learn. The format will also be in use during the eight-man Classic Bracket tournament later this year, as it was last summer.
Here’s a sampling of what some of the top 5 finishers thought about the format:
Brent Ehrler
“I can see them dabbling in it a little more. It was neat to do and I’m sure we’ll see more of it. I liked that we could catch and release them and not worry about fish all day.
“One con I saw was they made a big deal about all the scales being accurate. I believe they were all very accurate, but what’s not accurate is the 109 people using them. On day 3, I had a 5-11 and the (judge) says, ‘5-11.’ I reached for the fish and he goes, ‘Hold on,’ and he says, ‘5-10.’ That happened to me twice that day. If I grab them quick, that’s two ounces. I know Brandon beat me by a couple pounds so it’s no big deal, but had it come down to ounces, that’s where it’s tricky.”
Jordan Lee
“I like it and don’t like it. As far as fish care, I know I would’ve had a lot of fish die because I was hooking them deep. I would’ve lost a lot of fish this week and it probably would’ve cost me doing well.
“The scales bounced around out there and there’s nothing you can do about it. I was out in some rough stuff and my scale was bouncing and the judge had to make the call. That can go either way. It could’ve been pretty bad. An ounce here or there over 4 days adds up. That’s a downside.
“Every tournament we’ve ever fished, the fish have been weighed on the scale on solid ground, but for the ounces it could or not cost me, letting those fish go was great.”
Jacob Wheeler
“It definitely needs tweaking. I think it’s great, but it needs more coverage. The negative to it is nobody had to go to weigh-in because BASSTrakk was accurate.
“On the plus side, you never have to worry about released fish. If I was fishing way up river, keeping the fish where they live is really cool. Think about at Lake Champlain and all the guys who fish down at Ticonderoga. They wouldn’t have to take those fish all the way back to Plattsburgh in the rough waves.
“There were definitely pros and cons, but overall I really like it. I wish there was a little more surprise to it. It’s a great format and a lot of value to it with keeping the bass where they live.”
