Now Guys
Here's a thought. Are time bonus's a good idea in fishing competitions.
Is a fishing competition not about finding the best, most skillful, talented angler, or is it to find the guy who knows were the stockies are and can bang these less educated fish out as quick as possible, and then spend the rest of the day twiddling his thumbs.I just think we have lost sight of what a fishing comp is all about. Surely the angler who can hunt down the better, heaver overwintered fish is by far the better angler. Does it not take more skill to find and catch these fish. Would it not be better to set a bag limit and the heaviest bag wins. Would this not encourage anglers to fish for better fish to ensure they had the heaviest bag. IMHO I just think it is daft to use the time bonus system as this encourages an angler to rip out the stockies and lie up for the rest of the day. I fail to see how this finds the best angler.
So what do you think. There must be alot of opinion on this one.
Tight lines
Trout Hunter

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Trout,great to hunt,greater to release.

Trouthunter I agree with you on time bonus, i`m not a fan............I think in most of the competitions in Scotland its a pretty good balance, its usually kill 4 or 5 fish then the rest of the competition is fished barbless catch and release........with usually 2lb being awarded for returned fish....

9 times out of 10 the guy that catches the most fish will win and i think thats how it should be.........

Gus Shepherd

I'm not a fan of time bonus.

Jim

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The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.

Don't think there is a perfect answer.

If no C&R time bonus is probably best as heaviest 4 or whatever unfair on someone who had stop for 4,5 or 6 hours but someone who caught their last fish with 5 minutes to go has a heavier weight.

Where C&R is allowed, average weight allowed for returned fish probably best. A bit of pot luck as regards someone being allowed to keep a couple of bigger fish as caught within the limit but someone else has to return them as after the limit.
Also more difficult to police where barbless/debarbed or change of rules when on C&R. Always stories about some not debarbing or whatever.

Not sure it is always practical to target larger fish nor that larger fish are overwintered! Someone could target wild fish all day with dries or whatever and have a limit of small brownies. Stocky rainbows switch on late afternoon after he has stopped with limit and he has no chance on weight.

Great Question Trout Hunter.

I agree. Its hard to find a true solution. For wild fish Catch, Measure and release is a great way to go but it relys on total honesty.

If its Stocked fish then I think that heaviest bag should win without time bonus. In some comps on Rutland there have been cases where someone with a time bonus has been beaten by a heavier bag with no time bonus.

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Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate
YOU DONT NEED EYES TO SEE YOU NEED VISION

its a tough one this but as long as all of the anglers know the rules/bag limits before they start then its up to them to make the decision of what they want to go after.

tight lines

andy

I think a time bonus system coupled with a minimum size would serve to help preserve stocks on wild loughs such as melvin/gill etc but on stocked fisheries its cr@p and im not a fan

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I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,9 bean rows will I have there and a hive for the honey bee.

Hi MM
My question was related to stocked fisheries. As far as wild brown trout are concerned then it should be catch and release. You cant keep killing wild fish for competitions. Now I enjoy a good comp but I have fished C&R for wild trout and it works fine. What gets me about the time bonus thing is some anglers go on about bagging up like it was some great thing. By the very nature of bagging up it encourages a stockie bashing match and I fail to see how you find the best angler this way. I just think that this system is not a great way to find the best angler,IMHO.
Tight lines
Trout Hunter

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Trout,great to hunt,greater to release.

Do you think it is fair for someone to get through or win with only a few fish in a day, when many anglers with more fish miss out? The answer is yes, cos they are the rules.

Also, is it fair for someone to bag up and have to sit around waiting for the end of the competition without any extra credit come the weigh in? Yes again cos they are the rules.

No system is perfect. Lets have a vote on which is the best?

What system is fair?

In my opinion , none really shine .

If the rules are clear in a competion and you choose to enter it , then that is fair.
With regards to time bonus and limits , it really depends on if its a bank or boat match, I like boat matches , but in reality on larger waters its more a question of knowing where the fish are.

If you advocate catch and release for Rainbows with an extra 2lb per fish , would not the same thing happen , people who know where the fish are would hammer the fish and release them, question how much damage would occur ( not everyone would unhook without grabbing the fish in a match)

Perhaps the best solution would be a smaller limit bag and reduced weight added in time bonuses, creating the opportunity for those brave enough to target bigger fish

all food for thought really, my opinion is if you enter and accept the rules , then you are agreeing to that .

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its not how you tie your flies , its how you tease your flies