Zipper Worm Co. Fall Elite Opens

[ROI Outdoors]

September 19th WHITE LAKE - Muncipal Launch 7:30am-3:00pm
September 26th FREMONT -  South Launch 7:30am-3:00pm
October 10th MUSKEGON -  Fisherman's Landing 7:30am-3:00pm

$75.00 total entry (includes $15.00 Big Bass)
100% PAYBACK AT THE RAMP
Prizes, Raffles, and other Incentives
NO MEMBERSHIP FEE

Attached is a printable PDF flyer.

[edyer]

September 19th WHITE LAKE - Muncipal Launch 7:30am-3:00pm
September 26th FREMONT -  South Launch 7:30am-3:00pm
October 10th MUSKEGON -  Fisherman's Landing 7:30am-3:00pm

$75.00 total entry (includes $15.00 Big Bass)
100% PAYBACK AT THE RAMP
Prizes, Raffles, and other Incentives
NO MEMBERSHIP FEE

Attached is a printable PDF flyer.

Any results from today?

[ROI Outdoors]

Any results from today?

Of course Uncle Ed Blogovich..................See attached PDF - see you on Fremont next week Good Sir.

[edyer]

Any results from today?

Of course Uncle Ed Blogovich..................See attached PDF - see you on Fremont next week Good Sir.

Thanks for the results Luke. I was in deed splitting and stacking wood today.
Maybe the tournament directors need to take a look at using closed tournaments, giving the fish a chance to return to their native habitat without taking the pleasurable boat ride over Lake Michigan? How many thousands of bass where caught in White and dumped in Muskegon Lake and the Grand over the past three years?

[Cy]

Thanks for the results Luke. I was in deed splitting and stacking wood today.
Maybe the tournament directors need to take a look at using closed tournaments, giving the fish a chance to return to their native habitat without taking the pleasurable boat ride over Lake Michigan? How many thousands of bass where caught in White and dumped in Muskegon Lake and the Grand over the past three years?

WAY TO MANY!!!!

[djkimmel]

As a young lad many, many moons ago, I tried to start a movement with the old bass federation to close the lakes on that side of the state to running as a proactive conservation move. It did not make me very popular. In fact, I got yelled at by a few people. Pretty traumatic for a young 20-something just getting started. Some very well known, big name anglers did not talk to me for quite a while after that. Some thought I was doing it to make me more competitive against them personally. I guess they didn't know me very well... Another, older, much more experienced angler was actually touting it as a way to make more anglers fish thinking they would think they could be more competitive, but that was not my reason for backing it. Confused the issue and made it a lot hotter than it might have been though change is ALWAYS hard for most people and you can definitely be 10, 20, 30 years ahead of your time. Timing is everything...

I have always tried very hard to do what I thought was best for the sport first. At the time, the anti-tournament sentiments were pretty bad and I thought it might be necessary.That was about 26-28 years ago... longstanding issue. MDNRE still gets some complaints from lake associations about that behavior.

After how that went, I think the safest action would be to try to get tournament directors to adopt it voluntarily though that is often already a thankless job and they probably don't need anymore grief. It appears it is still split about 50/50 in sentiment. Tough to change something like that. There are other options. I definitely like to see open, adult discussion about such topics that affect us all.

[edyer]

As a young lad many, many moons ago, I tried to start a movement with the old bass federation to close the lakes on that side of the state to running as a proactive conservation move. It did not make me very popular. In fact, I got yelled at by a few people. Pretty traumatic for a young 20-something just getting started. Some very well known, big name anglers did not talk to me for quite a while after that. Some thought I was doing it to make me more competitive against them personally. I guess they didn't know me very well... Another, older, much more experienced angler was actually touting it as a way to make more anglers fish thinking they would think they could be more competitive, but that was not my reason for backing it. Confused the issue and made it a lot hotter than it might have been though change is ALWAYS hard for most people and you can definitely be 10, 20, 30 years ahead of your time. Timing is everything...

I have always tried very hard to do what I thought was best for the sport first. At the time, the anti-tournament sentiments were pretty bad and I thought it might be necessary.That was about 26-28 years ago... longstanding issue. MDNRE still gets some complaints from lake associations about that behavior.

After how that went, I think the safest action would be to try to get tournament directors to adopt it voluntarily though that is often already a thankless job and they probably don't need anymore grief. It appears it is still split about 50/50 in sentiment. Tough to change something like that. There are other options. I definitely like to see open, adult discussion about such topics that affect us all.

I have stated my feelings about this in the past. Regardless of what most of the anglers think, I don't think it's worth the risk of one angler drowning in Lake Michigan. The only way I have been able to voice my opinion, is to boycott the ones that allow boats to run.I it's pretty obvious that when 90 % of the anglers run to White from Muskegon or the Grand, that the tournament should be held on White Lake. What a waste of fuel and time to run that far. I also think it's a better test of an anglers' skills, when they are fishing the same lake.

[mikesmiph]

I couldnt agree more with some of the things said on here so far. I just keep thinking what it would be like to have a tournament on Lobdell Lake, but release all the fish on Lake Fenton. Lobdell wouldnt last long. The big question I have though is, why doesnt this practice make the other lake that much better? Everyone runs away from Muskegon, but this is where all these fish are being released. Where are all these fish?

[LGMOUTH]

The big question I have though is, why doesn't this practice make the other lake that much better? Everyone runs away from Muskegon, but this is where all these fish are being released. Where are all these fish?

That is a very good question, and one that none of us probably have an answer for. I read an article back in the 90s in bassmaster magazine (and I'm not quoting because that was a long time ago and I forget things) They tagged some of the fish that were caught the first day on the Mississippi river and on the third day the same guy caught three of those fish 10, 20, 30 miles away (again to long ago to remember how far) but he was locking through to another pool. I guess what I'm getting at is my opinion is that some of those fish if not alot of those fish make their way back. Now before all of you start thinking I'm nuts (maybe a little) think about the salmon, they travel thousands of miles to get back to were they came from. Is it hard to believe that a bass couldn't do the same thing? Just a couple of observations that I have had. I personally have caught some real nice Largemouth bass (3 to 4lbs) at the muskegon pier heads. Now these fish had cull tag marks in their mouths that were still red. If anyone of you have ever fished White lake before you know that those bass are shorter and fatter, these were the fish I was catching at Muskegon. I know I know there is no way to know if those were white lake fish or if they were going back, it is just a theory and a thought.
Another observation but this one isn't mine. Last year a couple guys caught big bass on the south side of Gull lake. Gull lake is something like 4 or 5 miles long and the ramp is on the north side. For the next two weeks they caught the same fish at the same spot and weighed it for big bass. They new it was the same bass because of some markings on the fish and it weighed roughly the same everytime. I know this isn't exactly the same but it does show you that bass will go back to its home area. Like I said its just a theory of mine with a few observations.
What we really need it to get a university involved and get a grant to study this. That way it would answer alot of questions. Or maybe if anyone has some of those homing beacons we could put in the fish and follow them, that would be fun.

[fish hound]

I'd like to see a real study done as well.  How many Tx are open to running?  What's the % of boats that actually run?  Most of them have a culll before run rule, so the most per boat is 5 fish.   Where are we coming up with " thousands of bass", and how many inhabit each individual lake?
This boils down to those that will run to win and those that won't run no matter what; size of boat, size of whatever.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I do't recall any lives lost in the last 5 years from bass Tx boats running Lk MI.  There are plenty of Tx that are closed on the lakeshore.  They all draw a lower # of boats.   

[gr@ssmonkey]

what i don't get about somebody being worried about fish getting moved around and if they return or die is JUST PRIOR TO 1986 THEY WERE ALL BEING ATE......1000's.....and we know were not catching them again.i think moving them around in connecting bodies of water will be all right
   the lakeshore is the biggest best playing field that we have,it bothers me when i put a game plan together and my first 2 spots have 1-3 boats on them,there's no skill in that,now the guy that has his water to himself will probably win even if he's not fishing the best spot on the lake.
  leave the launch,be back at the correct time......and bring the 5 biggest bass u can catch.....thats the game i want to play
 

[sterk149]

Luke,

Your points standings from the Fall Series - White Lake tournament  are incorrect - you gave to many points to Gary fuller - 30 instead of 28 and not enough to Jason Ammerman 27 insead of 29 that he should have - per your statement at the bottom of your PDF on the tournament - stating the bonus points for big bass. just wanted you to know so you can change it before the next tournament.

[2k JIGS]

So let me get this right....... Jason and my self have the points lead by one point??
I wasn't aware you were keeping track of points for these tournaments seeing how they are Open's??
I planned on fishing them with different partners. Are you doing individual points or team points?? 

[ROI Outdoors]

So let me get this right....... Jason and my self have the points lead by one point??
I wasn't aware you were keeping track of points for these tournaments seeing how they are Open's??
I planned on fishing them with different partners. Are you doing individual points or team points?? 

You and Jason are in the lead by one point and come Sunday it will only be one of you since you are not fishing together - so you keep your points no matter who you fish with.