This is just a question so nobody panic or freak out. What would you all think about a 3 fish limit for the natinals and for the districts for the summer months? A lot of clubs around here do that for the health of the fish and it does help. I just wonder what everyone would think about that.
I'm not trying to push the idea just get everyone's feelings.
I think if we want to help the fish and it would also help us is to have a summer schedule so that the tournament would go from safe light until 1 o clock.
David, I do not like the three fish limit at all. It just seems that more luck comes into play when you only have a three fish limit. Someone catches one nice fish and two keepers and wins the TX (althought that is all the fish he catches) while the other fishermen are on fish and would have had a easy five fish limit but just shy of the kicker that they really needed to take the win (on the three fish limit). I understand not wanting to kill the fish but add salt and keep the water from getting to hot (ice or frozen milk jugs) and keep the livewell running you really should not have a problem. The only fish that Hunter and I had die on us was the ones that were hooked deep and one that was caught in 45' of water. And the 45' of water fish was my fault....I try to stay away from the three fish TX's for the most part.
I am as big an advacant of keeping fish alive and anyone. The real problem is not the hot weather. The proof being fish caught in a foot of water that is 90 degrees or even hotter. The real problems is the live wells and the aeration systems in your particular boat. I have had three new boats in 25 years and i never have added chemicals or ice to my live wells. I have never had any problems with keeping fish alive. If you will clean the live wells perodically that will do a tremendous job of helping. Also, one other thing that will do more good than anything, is to the change the discharge in the livewells. Put an extension on the plumbing so the water is entered in the bottom of the livewell and that in turn either mixes well with the existing water or pushes the old water out the overflow. In our current systems all, the new water is being added to the top of the existing water in the livewell and most of it goes right out the overflow. I agrre with Josh about the (2) average fish and (1) lucky kicker that wins tourneys. With a 3 fish system there is more luck than skill involved.