EEF is not helping itself out...

[BENNY]

benny; what if you catch a tagged redfish? Or you want to skin mount it. If I caught a 32" Red on the fly rod, I would want to enter it in the Body of Water Record in TP&W. Couldn't do it with the current rules. Come on and make it fare for everybody. The majority is going to release the fish, but consider the above.

If what you are describing actually happened on tournament day (I think it's as unlikly as me finishing in the money), why not get off the water and go immediatly to the tourney folks and tell them what's what If you are seen stringing a fish and the person that saw you string the fish (and photographs you doing it) files a complaint, what else do we have to go on?

I'll say it again. This tournament series is about "leaving no trace" and that includes not killing fish.

I don't understand the above statement about the fun being lost.
It seemed to me that everyone had a blast. These tourneys grow each time and the prizes and events get bigger and better.
Are there other ways to do it? Sure. Hundreds. But we have found a format that works and works well.

[treetopflier]

It seems to me that the people complaining about the rules are people that were not even down there fishing. I for one had a great time down there, look forward to fishing the next one. No matter what the rules are, there is always going to be someone out there that thinks he or she has a better idea or a better way of running something. The people that spent hours and hours putting this thing on set the rules and clarified any questions on the rules at the captins meeting. They put the tournament together, and allowed the tournament to evolve into what they feel will best suit the intrests of the tournamnet and the majority of those involved. I for one like to take fish home I catch to eat...however, it was very clear at the captains meeting that this was not allowed so I sent my fish back into the water after photographing them...
Travis

[bevo/fishing/hunting]

Look.. It was and CatcH and Release tourney.. That is understood! If someone wants to keep fish, fish a day or 2 before or stay a day later like fishingartist did!

I have fished many tourney's including billfish events, and I must say, this small group put on one helluva tourney with great prizes and a good payoff. I have now paid for entry fees to every event with the dough I won.. and some extra cash to spend. Plus I made away with several other prizes .

All I'm saying, all questions should have been asked at the Captain's Meeting.. that's what it's for! No pitty on anyone that did not know the rules!

[Birdsnest]

It was a great tournament. I have participated in all of them except last years Orlando leg, and this was a well run event. The whole EEF team should be commended.

Sure it's drag that there was a rule issue, but it seemed the EEF judges and the individual all handled it was class and decorum.

Looking forward to Galveston,

Jeff

[CM]

OK benny, I'll be still now.

[Ms addicted]

I would just like to say a thank you to the EEF organizers. Putting these tournaments on has to be a major headache both before and after. It was my first and I certainly was not discouraged or disgruntled. Lots of fun was had and the best part is the comraderie. It is exciting meeting people that you have been talking to but have never seen before. While I didnt meet everybody, I sure didnt run into any sour grapes or "unfriendlies".

Liverdog was wonderful and Capt Chris was as educational as could be in such a limited time frame. Thanks to all the volunteers, organizers and team Cuisine. I am not naming names because I dont want to leave anyone out. I was only sorry that I had to leave early and miss more good times.

[ARSAN]

here's a question that has just been looking for an answer in my mind....

what if you are fishing as a team and you catch a fish and take a photo? do you ever wonder if that team-mate could pass that same fish on to his buddy and he take a photo too to make it look like he also caught a fish? i just always thought that might happen.

[BENNY]

Spanish,
Our judges are experts in the marine industry. They can easily determine if it's the same fish. That has never been an issue.

[Mrs Backlasher]

The "honor system" assumes that folks entered in the tournament are "honorable." And I think every one of them is.

[Tombo]

We can only do so much as far as policing events. I can think of alot of ways to get around some rules, but I do not want to see a "rule book" issued that a Philly lawyer has to interpret. Keep it simple works for me with the release of fish back to their habitat asap with as little harm as possible.
Disgruntled folks, where? The EEF folks are not the enemy and decisions are made as a group. Lots of volunteer work here and I got to help by delivering the Heritage Kayak to POC. If it were any different, I would not have participated. If it were not enjoyable I would not have entered.
Just the thought that my 27" red might be a winner was enough for me.

[Tyler]

I think it all worked out fine. Benny made it clear that you were not even supposed to string a fish which is why with each one I caught I paddled back to shore to measure as it was almost impossible to get a good photo from the yak.
There are all kinds of things people can gripe about. Ask those who have the complaints to be on a rules committee and the the lack of responses would be deafening. I think this was fair for all folks. You could say that having guides competing with amateurs is not fair but as was mentioned Slowride and Mrs Backlasher are tied You can go on and on. It's not fair Tyler lives at the coast and gets to fish more than I do, etc etc.
I would love to have seen a gafftop be the wildcard and I am sure Slowride would have liked to have seen the rattlesnake listed. You are never going to please everybody. To Benny and the rest, thanks for all of your work on this as it is truly appreciated.

Tyler

[bevo/fishing/hunting]

This is probably not the forum for this.. but a few suggestions to make the events bigger and even better.. IMHO

I don't care about fishing against guides. They didn't "clean house" and I think that I'm just as good a fisherman as they are when I prepare like I should.. I did.. and myself and my 2 fishing partners all caught fish.. including a slam amongst us.. and I won the flounder division.

If it were up to me I would add a lady's division. I was fishing with a young lady who was fishing for the first time ever in the salt and hooked up on a small red. While I was pretty sure that wasn't going to be a winning fish, I'm fairly sure she would have placed had there been a seperate division. I think that would encourage more females to join in.. including my GF who can outfish most men.. but doesn't like to fish against them on a competitive level.

Secondly.. a couple of fun divisons that participants can buy in to.. and prize money will be based on how many enter.. like most spots on a red, smallest red, smallest trout, etc. That would allow more people to take home something.. It could be a small buy-in like 10 bucks or something, but would be fun. My group would have bought in for sure!

Just my 2 cents....

[XRick]

I am rarely willing to post in "controversial" strings; I would rather talk about mullet. to the point, I along with Benny found dealing with this issue distasteful and difficult. We have specifically created an event that has a deliberate "light' touch on the environment. We certainly do not think that keeping legal fish is a problem nor do we discourage sports fishing with live or dead bait on any given fishing trip. We just don‘t do it in the tournament. We set up a list of guidelines called rules and we have had to change and add to them occasionally when a non-foreseen group of circumstances has created the need. We are just people willing to do the work to help an event be fun for all. To prepare for an event we go over the guidelines (rules) to empathize what they mean at a meeting the night before. We actually asked if anyone misunderstood the rules as written and explained. Enough said. We could change many things about this contest and it would still work. However, it is what it is and it is fun. We have never had an official complaint before it was tough. The person we disqualified owned up, admitted his mistake, said he knew and was a standup person about it. His efforts did not reflect on anybody but himself. About the issue of killing fish in a catch, photo and release event, why would you want to? If an angler breaks one, rule and decides to keep a fish how would we know? It would be a non-issue, but it is still against the rules. It is the spirit of the game not to do that. A competition that is full of cheating is not really worth doing. His peers were upset enough at the sight of a stringer of dead fish to make the complaint. We had the requirement to judge the rules and the judgment was what it was, individual disqualification. We are willing to be accountable and answer your questions, the event was a great success and lots of fun.

[JimD]

Benny - We disagree big time on this. Like it was said the Captain's meeting is WAY too late to change the rules.

Unless it is a serious problem for the contestant's health and well being you should post the rules on the front end of the sign up period not the last minute after you have collected their money. Change them for the next tournament not the one the next day.

Fishing with a non contestent is a rule and a valid one.

Keeping fish is not a valid rule- being stated at the last minute. I could have a trophy trout or tagged red fish that I wanted to keep or have a good fish die LIKE RICK DID WHEN HE HAD HIS INDIAN RIVER MONSTER 33"? TROUT AND TOOK HEAT FOR IT. Just throw it back into the bay for crab meat.

In Galveston you will make a some people chose between the Extreme and the Speacktacular which is the same day. You all need to look at the rules. AGAIN There are exceptions to any rule and All the rules need to posted on the Extreme site in advance.

Might be Even better throw it up to the contestants to offer their advice on what they think is fair since they are paying all the tournament's bills. What do they want to see?

[BENNY]

Jim,
We didn't change any rules at the captains meeting. There isn't a rule about releasing fish. It's in our title. It's one of the basic foundations and format of a catch - photo - release tournament. It doesn't need to be a rule. You catch, photo, and release your catch. I don't know how much simpler it can be. We do have a rules committee in place to address concerns, clarify and otherwise discuss any current or future rules. The committee consists of people that enter and fish the tournament.

I don't think there is too much crossover between Specktacular and us, we competed with the Redfish Tour this weekend.

[XRick]

Hey Benny, don't forget that we did get that question about what if you catch them, photograph them, filet them and then release them would that be ok...That was a tough one and the rules comittee studied up on it and decided it was not gonna fly.

[BENNY]

With the exception of mullet. They can be filled and eaten in your kayak.
Dean can explain the art of catching them in POC.

[XRick]

Do you have to take the skin off the fish you filet....for the contest or what...? Can you eat them before you take the picture? This is so hard to believe that you don't have a rule about that...are mullet eaten in the boat considered sushi or sushimi?

[TKFStubb]

Whether a rule is written beforehand or "clarified" at the Captain's meeting (which is usually the result of a pointed question), the rules are KNOWN by the time you hit the water. Then, you are all playing under the same rules. If someone CHOSES to break a rule, he is risking disqualification. If I catch a tagged red, I'm going to disqualify MYSELF! Wouldn't you? After I've had the tag verified, I'll saunter into the awards ceremony with the affidavit in hand. All of this hoopla about who's rules are we playing by are being made by folks who haven't even FISHED in the tournaments. Why don't you have the courage to step into the batter's box and swing at a few. When the pressure is on and you are either catching or not catching, you'll be darned glad that the other contestants are expected to play by the same rules you are. Then, you KNOW its your abilities and not some loophole in the rules that allowed your rival to use a cast net to get his winning fish. Or, that some guy caught and killed his CPR fish. It would cause me to go ballistic if I KNEW someone won by breaking a rule that had been clarified at the Captain's meeting! Think about your participation in light of pitting YOUR skills against EVERYONE else's, not whether the rule seems fair to you or not. That's my 2 cents..

[Backlasher]

I had a really good time at the POC tournament. I met some people I haven't met before. I got to listen to some good music. I got to eat some good food. I got to see some old friends. I got to congratulate some guys who caught fish on a bad day. I even learned how to keep a tent up in a 40 mph wind! The Galveston tournament will be here before you know it and any changes in rules will be announced, I'm sure. I, for one, don't want a thick rule book, polygraphs and people trying to get an " edge ". Let's keep it fun.

[Carp]

i perfer to catch my mullet on catch Jr.



but i do have a rule question.

why is it that a person can not win more than one division??

i can understand not allowing fish winning the slam to enter in the individual division but if someone catchs two big fish that would place they should win both of those prizes. just would like to know the reasoning behind that rule.

Justin

[BENNY]

Nice Mullet, that's one for the frying pan for sure.

Fair question. Part of the reasoning behind that rule is this:
We want to make the slam the most attractive and elusive prize and point category and keep it as our grand prize.
Maybe I don't know how to catch trout, but can catch some nice reds and flounder. If I won or placed in those two categories, I would end up beating the grand prize winner in points and possibly money if I won 1st in both. Also, this allows us to have as many winners as possible.

[XRick]

The ultimate catch is the slam...anglers who plan for it fish for it...in that respect it is the true measure of accomplishment in the tournament. The choice is fish for the slam or catch top fish in a single species for the reasons mentioned but most importantly, we don't want to minimize the importance of fishing the slam.

[Barnacle Bill]

The EEF helps itself, the community and environment with each tourney. Issues come up with folks don't fully understand the rules or depend on hear-say or rumors for some info. Usually it's a misunderstanding and not the fault of EEF. Imagine, a tournament without power boats running rampant all over the bays and no fish killed. It helps the environment and promotes conservation all the way. There are always growing pains with anything but usually when you get down to the bear bones, everything is cleared up and folks understand something they may not have understood before due to a lack of info. They bring in cash to to whatever community or business is hosting them as well. I know I wouldn't have spent $100+ at FTU if I hadn't been there for the tourney in December. Hotel rooms are rented, condos are rented, gear is bought, etc and that is money that would not have been there if not for the tourneys. The rules are the rules. That is what the Captain's meeting is for. Clarification. I'm not attacking anyone personally with this post.

[carlton]

I didn't plan on going to the tournament, but I ended up with some free time saturday morning and decided to go up to POC and just check it out. Not to fish, just meet some of the people that I see here on the forum and see the new tarpon 160i. I only could stay acouple of hours so I had to leave before the weighin or in this case the camera turnin. Even though I didn't get to stay long I had a great time. Everybody that I talked to there seemed to be enjoying themselves also. I hope in the future everyone will go to one of these tournament and see for themselves firsthand what a good job EEF and TKF are doing.