My rant

[synergyboy10]

good point jay. last year was a bad year for ice on chautauqua. and i will prob be on quaker with u

[JerryofWNY]

If we were looking for new water to fish as a group and I said I knew of a place we could go and average
just about 1 fish every 2 hours per guy would you flock to that lake. If it was any driving distance you would probably think I'm nuts and find something better, closer. Well those are the tourney results for last year guys. Heck, we all know a lot of locals who won't fish Silver because that is the catch rate and we all know it's not for a lack of fish. Or at least those of us with cameras know that we see perch all day and if we can entice one in a hundred to bite we're doing OK. I know once in a while it gets better than that, but you know those gosh darn Silver Lake perch are more finicky than perch in most waters. Those guys who travel the circuit are coming here from great distances to average less than a half fish per hour. It can't be they are coming because they love to catch fish. They're coming because they love fishing and we all know the difference. As far as folks who fished it last year and are not this year I wonder what the real reason is. Could it be they didn't catch enough fish to make it worth their while and it's not an environmental issue at all?

I'm also a Wyoming County guy, but I don't know what Perry really has to offer. Guys coming from out of the area aren't going to dump their money on the ice and wait around for Perry businesses to come out on the ice and scoop it up. I understand the one motel in Perry burned last year prior to the tourney. I was told that when I tried to get a name and number to post on the IceTeam site. Whether it has been rebuilt or not I don't know, but if it was and I were running it I would have my name all over their site and offering rates to lure them in. Kinda like fishing Huh? If I had a pizza joint in Perry I would do anything I could to get their business. Fliers on windshields at the state launch for starters. Heck with today's technology you could offer pizza delivery to any access point on the lake or if equipped with GPS, cell phone or two way and a quad, you could deliver right to a shanty. Cripe there's even a guy on Simcoe who drives his quad around with a rack on the back selling snacks. (Check the legality of that before setting your quad up for business) The point is that just because a crowd comes to town doesn't mean they're going to drop their change there. You have to work at getting it and that usually means doing something creative to get their attention. Does Perry have a Chamber of Commerce or business association? If so and they haven't contacted IceTeam they've dropped the ball.

I can't argue with the idea of switching site on a yearly basis. But you know what? If they moved it to Honeoye there would be some locals who would have their own "Rant", or Chautauqua, or Oneida, or Canindaigua (Sp?) blah blah, blah blah, blah blah. It's kinda like a a garbage dump, or the wind turbines - They are good, but NOT IN MY BACKYARD!!!

Hey guys, as I see it no apologies are necessary on this thread. This is how to get things done. We obviously have some differing opinions here and good healthy dialog is the way to work through it - not stooping to PETA tactics and disrupting somebody in persuit of something legal. Because it is legal does that make it right or good? Not necessarily, and even though I have registered for the tourney you guys have got me thinking about this and its impact. I'm still not convinced it is harmful, however. If I can be convinced before tourney time I will not fish it and will have to eat my $110 fee. Sometimes, guys we just have to agree to disagree. If it ends up that way I sure hope we can pull up a couple of buckets, sit side by side, enjoy some good conversation and a drink or two and jig up a couple Silver Lake perch together.

P.S.
Apparently nobody has checked my figures or they would have been challenged. My error was that I only counted 5 teams entering 11 fish when in fact there were 11 teams. That makes the total fish entered as 1012 for 150 teams of 2 people each. But that still averages a little less than one fish (half perch, half gills) per 2 hours fishing per man.

[BUCKSKI]

O.k. seen some very valid points, hopefully some of these points can be addressed THIS YEAR before the "ATTACK".
Promoters of the event should have the following responsibilities.
* Inform contestants of legal access points- maybe that's why some much ATV traffic?
* dispense and collect trash cans in the previous mentioned sites (promoter and local municipality responsibility).
* Unsafe operation of transportation to be reported and promoter to be held responsible.
* disqualification on any infraction (DEC and State and promoters).
* Restocking program out of the purse money, crappie, perch and walleye (PROMOTERS and state).

These are reasonable concerns of the community and stakeholders in the lake.
P.S. The access has been a problem there because of the local slobs, seen it before and I'm ashamed to be a ice fishermen put into the same category.
Finally, lets not forget they are fishermen and we are fishermen, a common thread which should unite us, not separate us. Work it out in a civil manner, it would be for the best.
Mike you make some good points, be clever in your presentation of it and to the right people. The homeowners association would be a good start, local gov. and media.
 Silver is not my primary lake, but I respect the ideas and opinion of my peers.

[Ray4852]

We need a 10mph speed limit for all ATVs and snowmobiles. All fish entered should be alive and released back to the lake. If you should catch a real trophy you can have it mounted. The 3 day warm up, all fish must be released back to the lake.

[JerryofWNY]

Buckski, I think there is so much motorized traffic on the lake on tourney day because nearly all if not all contestants enter the ice at the state launch. This is where the IceTeam guys check buckets and shanties before the entrants get on the ice. They start the check early in the AM, but you can't start fishing till 8AM. They have guys patrolling the ice to make sure guys don't have their lines in the water early.

I don't see how the promoter can be held accountable for unsafe operation unless of course one of them is the accused. I alone am responsible for my actions. However if they don't enforce their own rules about following state laws, and it runs rampent, then they should not be given permission to hold another event. Does any one know if they even need a permit to hold such an event?

The DEC was very present last year and hopefully will be again this year.
I remember reading on the IceTeam site last year that some visitors were cited for various infractions mostly registration and insurance. I did see one ECO at a snowmobile on the side on West Lake Rd as it was being loaded on a flatbed. RUMOR had it that they wouldn't let the guy drive another couple hundred yards to his trailer when he was cited and had to pay the flatbed fees as well as the tickets. I never confirmed that story so take it for what it is.

A 10 mph limit would be hard to enforce. I would just hope that any officer or tourney official who witnessed improper or reckless operation would persue that offense. I would also hope that ANY person witnessing such things would make an attempt to get numbers or a good description and pass that info on to the proper authority.

While I did not see a disqualification clause in the rules, it does state that all state laws and tourney rules must be followed. It says ALL state laws, not just conservation laws. I would hope any infractions would result in disqualification. I will post that question on their site and share their response.

I would hope that all persons on the ice take everything off the ice that they take on. I know that doesn't happen, however so would like to see tourney guys cruise the ice afterwords and clear it of any garbage they find. If my son's snow machine is available to use and ice conditions are safe, I would volunteer to be part of that team.

I like the idea of them giving something back to the lake perhaps in the form a restocking or some other way. They do give something back in the form of a heck of a good introduction to ice fishing for kids on the Saturday before the tourney. They teach the basics and have a tackle give away. The kids get on the ice and get a look at the various shanties, electronics and augers and some of it is hands on. My grandson attended it last year with his dad and they were impressed. Now I know it can be argued that this is just a way to promote the products of their sponsors, but it is a good thing none-the-less.

[JerryofWNY]

I posted the rules question and this was the reply:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jerry
Yes if you get stopped by DNR or any officer while you are in the contest you are DQed. They said this at the New York tournament last year as they had some officers at the rules meeting talking about speeding ,Helmets, rideing 2 people on 1 person machines. If you got stoppedand ticketed you are DQed.
Jerry you can't even ride a machine across the lake the morning of the Trap Attack before it starts. If anyone lives on the lake they have to drive around to the starting point(launch ramp) but not by going on the ice.
Comeing in with to many fish is a DQ as is bringing in the wrong species.
Bob Cunningham

I'm sure the riding across the lake the AM of the event is referring to anyone who lives on the lake and is fishing the tournament.

[meatman]

i think the best way to get to them would be to stop buying ice team products...if its all about money.  ive never fished silver, but i agree that conesus seems to be a better choice (more space to fish, able to get away from the crowds). i also agree that crowds bring trash, nothing gets under my skin more than that, people are very inconsiderate. thats all.

[IceReaver]

Alive!!!?!!!!

When ice fishing??

Mac, considering only 15 fish are kept and weighed this would not be a very difficult proposition.  Contestants would have to rearrange their sleds to accommodate a 20+ quart cooler.  Filled with ice water (it slows metabolism, breathing rate, and it's what the fish are currently living) and a few aeration pellets would easily keep 15 fish alive for the duration of the contest.  Besides, it would allow for teams to cull their catch and enter their 15 largest fish.

It's with the publicity from the contest and all the yahoos from Bumfrap Egypt that decide to try this famous Sliver Lake.

Let the yahoos come, from Canada and Mexico and wherever else they might reside.  Based on a brief review of the results of the tourney from last year, in my opinion, the pros did not remove a large quantity of breeder fish.  If the pros can't do it, then the yahoos who come will curse the lake as impossible to fish.  I fish hard to catch a half dozen or so "keeper" fish over 10 inches...I'm definitely no pro, but I fish almost every weekend.

a lot of guys i fish with and myself personally fish that lake. that lake is just too small to have that big of a tourny on it. as far as i c it silver gets enough pressure on it as it. why cant they just move it to a bigger lake. the can handel the fishing pressure. like chautauqua.

The size of the lake is ideal from a promoter's standpoint.  On larger lakes, TI creates "boundaries" that contestants cannot exceed.  With smaller bodies of water [like Silver], land acts as a natural boundary.  Teams have access to the entire lake, not an area created by an invisible boundary.

[Byron/PA]

I probally shouldn't chime in, but being an IceShanty regular from PA, who enjoys many aspects of the sport, I feel obligated.

Open water or hard water............Tourn aments are always going to be controversial.

NY imposes a 50 fish limit on panfish, the Tournament imposes a 15 fish limit. Why not work to get the states daily limit lowered, if you are worried about too many fish being caught? Twenty local fishermen can keep 1000 fish in one day Twenty tournament anglers can keep 300

10 mph speed limit for ATV's??........100% for it, I think almost all ice fishermen would be for this.  The two kids that kept whizzing by me at 60mph last year, were not part of the tournament crowd.

No financial impact for Perry??..........Try to get a motel/hotel room for that weekend. Ask the hotel/motel owner how many rooms they had available for that weekend two years ago. Same goes for Pizza shops, Bait shops, Restaurants, etc.

The six pack of empty beer bottles, two empty propane tanks and the empty bait containers I picked up last year were not left by tournament anglers. I asked the drunks, and got flipped off in the process.

There are good guys and bad guys. Sad to say, but that is just the way it is.
To go with this "not in my backyard thing" seems flawed to me. But, in all fairness, it is not my backyard and it is yours.
Just seems to me that first and foremost we are all fishermen, and should try to get along.

[Fingerlakes Fisher]

I can not believe that this thread made it to three pages.  This site is supposed to be positive for the sport of ice fishing.  All of this negativity is really boiling my blood.  I am firm believer in the fact that nobody owns the water or the woods.  They are here for all to enjoy.  Not just someone who lives on the lake.  Sure, there are respect issues like not hunting in a tree next to a guy in his tree stand or drilling a hole next to another fisherman, or zipping by a fisherman with your boat that need to obided by.  It is these negative mentalities that are the reasons for everyone posting their woods and restricting access to fishing holes through "their turf."  Maybe everyone should keep fisherman out of their lakes and the only ones who can enjoy them must be locals.  I can read the headlines now, "American's no longer allowed on Simcoe as they may catch too many fish."  What a shame a world like that would be.  I believe topics like that have started a few wars.  I wish people would promote the finger lakes a little more.  I wish everyone who loves fishing could experience them.  Not to mention, boost our economy by staying in hotels, shopping, eating out, etc.  I pray that guests on this site do not view this thread and think of us as a selfish group.  I hope they will not as this is the first poor thread I have seen in 6 years.            

[ol crawdad]

I can not believe that this thread made it to three pages.  This site is supposed to be positive for the sport of ice fishing.  All of this negativity is really boiling my blood.  I am firm believer in the fact that nobody owns the water or the woods.  They are here for all to enjoy.  Not just someone who lives on the lake.  Sure, there are respect issues like not hunting in a tree next to a guy in his tree stand or drilling a hole next to another fisherman, or zipping by a fisherman with your boat that need to obided by.  It is these negative mentalities that are the reasons for everyone posting their woods and restricting access to fishing holes through "their turf."  Maybe everyone should keep fisherman out of their lakes and the only ones who can enjoy them must be locals.  I can read the headlines now, "American's no longer allowed on Simcoe as they may catch too many fish."  What a shame a world like that would be.  I believe topics like that have started a few wars.  I wish people would promote the finger lakes a little more.  I wish everyone who loves fishing could experience them.  Not to mention, boost our economy by staying in hotels, shopping, eating out, etc.  I pray that guests on this site do not view this thread and think of us as a selfish group.  I hope they will not as this is the first poor thread I have seen in 6 years.            

I have to disagree with what you are saying.  It is easy to overfish a lake via tournaments - try catching a limit of crappies on Whitney Point where a yearly tourney has RUINED the fishing quality in that lake, or a limit of perch on Chenango Lake, which isn't as bad, but still is no where near what it was.  Heck, hardly any perch were caught there last year at the tourney.  This thread is not about not allowing 'people' to fish a lake - it is about overfishing a lake with a yearly tourney (and all of the pre-tourney fishing by participants), plus all of the 'extra' fishermen that are drawn there by the publicity.  And, sometimes threads like these are good for fishing and fishermen, as they allow differing opinions to be stated and read, and we all learn from it.  I think it would be a lot different if Silver was on a 5 year cycle with 4 other lakes, or a similar situation.

[hali-man]

And, sometimes threads like these are good for fishing and fishermen, as they allow differing opinions to be stated and read, and we all learn from it. 

This is after all a forum!

No financial impact for Perry??..........Try to get a motel/hotel room for that weekend. Ask the hotel/motel owner how many rooms they had available for that weekend two years ago. Same goes for Pizza shops, Bait shops, Restaurants, etc.

Ever been to Perry, Byron? We don't have any hotels! The out-of town participants stay in a different county/town, eat their meals there, and gas up there before heading home.
Granted, there may be more pizza sold, but the impact does not justify it. I have personally spoken with some local business owners and with two exceptions there wasn't a significant increase in sales.

My purpose in starting this thread was not to cause division among our ranks.
It was simply to state my opinion and let others know that some of us don't like it.
And if you don't think the IT is reading these words then you are mistaken.

[Byron/PA]

hali-man,

To be honest, I'm not sure. I have eaten at the Lumber Yard? And you are right, I generally stay in one of the surrounding towns (  construction traffic in Mt Morris was terrible this summer )  I found Silver lake a few years ago, sorta by mistake, and keep going back.

We all have views on how we think things should be. And best of all, we are allowed to have those views.

I'm done..........

[JerryofWNY]

I have to disagree with FingerLakes Fisher about this being a negative thread. In supporting the tournament and defending it with facts I haven't felt the least bit of animosity from those who feel differently. In fact I think this is a very positive thread in that we are discussing our differences of opinions in a very civil manner.

Mac, That's 300 people fishing the event - 150 teams of 2 people each.  The 1012 was the number of fish they weighed last year.

The rules do say that you must keep your catch alive in a bucket half full of water. This is so that you can cull your catch by releasing your smaller fish. Buckets and shanties are inspected before entrants can get on the ice to lessen the likelyhood of cheating. They have officials on the ice checking teams continually.

I inquired on their site as to whether or not fish are released back into the lake. The response was that some go home for a meal, some are donated to local agencies (food pantries) according to prior arrangements and some are released. The person who answered my question did emphasize the modest limits imposed for the tourney compared to the legal NYS limits.

I asked if anyone cruises the lake afterwards to pick up any trash they might find and the author of that reply said he personally did that last year. Remember there are a lot more fishing the lake that day than tournament members and because you see a propane bottle on the ice the next day doesn't mean it is from the tourney.

I was also told that you would be disqualified for as little as a parking violation. That's how strictly they enforce their rules.

Again, as far as Perry businesses making money off it, they have to go out and get it. Did any of them do that last year?

I posed the question earlier in this thread about the Whitney Point tourney, but haven's gotten an answer. Is there a limit of fish you can possess - or can you catch your limit of crappies and enter only the largest few. Do you have to keep your catch alive so that smaller fish can be culled and released? If they fish that tourney under different rules than it is like comparing apples to oranges.

I really hope those of you who think this is hurtful to the lake come out and fish on tourney day (not as entrants) and observe the whole process and re think the thing. Maybe you will change your opinion and maybe not. I'm going to fish it as an entrant and will still rethink my position after. If I see an unruly event and think this will hurt the future of Silver Lake I will most certainly get on here and let you know. These guys are very proud of what they believe is one of the best run and most ethical tournaments going.

Hali, thanks for your "Rant". This has really gotten some good dialog going.

[ol crawdad]

I posed the question earlier in this thread about the Whitney Point tourney, but haven's gotten an answer. Is there a limit of fish you can possess - or can you catch your limit of crappies and enter only the largest few. Do you have to keep your catch alive so that smaller fish can be culled and released? If they fish that tourney under different rules than it is like comparing apples to oranges.

http://www.crappiederby.com/  Don't have time to look for info, but here is the site that might help (Got 3 days of deer hunting!)  See ya'll on Monday!!

[cold_feet]

Well I will say couple more things about this. I want to say that for me I am not saying that the fisherman in these tourneys are slobs  or fish pigs. What I see is they love the sport of fishing like the rest of us. And a few who do travel a long distance to fish these tourneys are real diehards. What I am trying to get at is Maybe the way these should be run is in secrecy such as; If you want to fish a event you will have to join ALL events or front the money to fish ALL even though you fish say at Silver. NO PUBLICITY IN ANY WAYS SHAPE OR FORM. You will receive a packet of where and what day the tourney is to be held 1 week in advance of tourney. If you have other plans SO WHAT. NO PUBLIC WEIGH IN. Only members are to attend and weights will not be for public viewing. After the event NO PUBLICITY about the fishing or whatever else you want to talk about. Just keep it simple NO NAME DROPPING OF ANY BODY OF WATER TO BE FISHED OR WAS FISHED. They have rules to follow during the event so why not add a few more for both pre event and post event. I am not trying to drive any tourney off any body of water but still if you look into last years posts here I'll bet Silver had one of the most read and the most questions asked about it prior to the TA Tourney. After the tourney very little was posted about it and why is that because everyone wanted to pick the locals about it. I myself had a few Emails about where and how to fish it.
My response to all were go find out for yourself. I am not a man who will give out information for some guy who might cash in on my hard work. Although again I will just about tell anyone out there if they are having problems catching fish how to do it or share some jigs with that person either. Genz and a few others go around giving seminars to people who want to catch fish and thats great but putting ALL the lakes that are to be fished by the TA in a magazine for all the world to see I think is exploiting those bodies of water. Just my opinion and I feel strong about it.
Cold Feet

[AugustWest]

Ice Team runs a respectable Tournament. They care about the resource they are using. There are certain rules, as mentioned earlier, that prohibit over harvesting. THEY ARE ETHICAL
I am from NY and respect my resources, but if you look back to last year on the NY reports and conditions, you will find that Silver was one of the most active lakes if not THE most active. If you want to keep "your lake" from being exploited, then stop bragging about it.
Or is that another thread

[JerryofWNY]

Thanks for that info Slipbob and the address Ol Crawdad. From what I see on their site they have had up to 8000 people on the ice fishing it. Now Hali and others, That's raping the resource. I'm sure there is a way for them to run a fun tourney and not exlploit the water. They might be a sportsman's club but not conservation minded.
I really have to say I respect you guys who have posted. We obviously feel differently about things but have treated one another with respect. I'm impressed.

[archbishop]

Ice Team runs a respectable Tournament. They care about the resource they are using. There are certain rules, as mentioned earlier, that prohibit over harvesting. THEY ARE ETHICAL
I am from NY and respect my resources, but if you look back to last year on the NY reports and conditions, you will find that Silver was one of the most active lakes if not THE most active. If you want to keep "your lake" from being exploited, then stop bragging about it.
Or is that another thread

was the thread one of the most popular because all the locals where bragging about it or because all the publicity of the lake had non-locals fishing there and bragging about it? what came first? the chicken or the egg? who knows.

also i have never been to the trap attack but from what i hear from locals and others who have been, there is a very thin line at the attack between whats legal and whats ethical.

im not from perry but have been with friends from here and for work and if the town of perry needs to go out and get the business it may be tough, they really have no business.

[JerryofWNY]

I think August West is referring to the number of posts on the Silver Lake thread. It gets heavy reporting on both this board and MFF. I don't think those posts are bragging about the lake, they're just reports of that day's outings. And lets face it, those posts don't talk about catching fish in big enough numbers that would cause someone to drive from much of a distance to fish it. Hali posts on just about every outing he has on the lake - good results or bad. They certainly weren't done in a bragging manner. I appreciate his reports. I don't fish it nearly as much, in fact hardly at all this summer as I was extremely tied up with my business. I think the Trap Attackers report on the IceTeam site and I didn't read anything there last year about the terrific fishing on Silver. I did read a lot of favorable comments about the beauty of the area, and the friendliness of the people. All of WNY needs these things said on forums that are read by thousands
and thousands. Sure beats the reporting of blizzards and ice storms that they usually associate with our area.

I would like specifics about the things that are on the line between legal and ethical rather than heresay. In reply to one question I posed on the IceTeam site I was told that if anyone , contestant or not, sees anything unethical or illegal they want to know about it so it can be dealt with.  

I don't know Perry either, Arch, but if they have no motels or other services to offer than how can anyone expect Perry businesses to benefit financially or be upset if money isn't dropped there. By the way does anyone know if that motel that burned last year was rebuilt? If it was get me a name and phone number and I'll contact them about their facilities and post something about it on IceTeam's site. I would love to see the immediate area benefit more financially.  

[Byron/PA]

Jerry,

Have been following your posts here and there, good points all around.
I think the motel that burned down last year was the Park Lake Motel (585) 237 3654.
I stayed there a week before the TA last year, when I pulled into the motel, they had the office set up in the parking lot. A snow covered desk, chairs and a bell.
The lady explained that they had a fire, she could give me a room but it might smell like smoke. I asked her how much and she said, would twenty bucks be fair??  I was the only one there for two nights. It's my understanding that the place is now in the process of being sold.

See you in NY

Byron

[JerryofWNY]

Thanks Byron, I'll jingle up that number and see if they are still in business.

[hali-man]

I can go check it out for ya. It's a block from my house and I haven't seen any activity there in a long time.

[JerryofWNY]

Thanks, Hali. If they are open I'd like to get some info so I can post it on the Ice Team's site.

[Byron/PA]

Jerry

I talked to the lady several nights ago, they are accepting reservations for the TA. One problem is that the parking lot is small, hard to maneuver in with a trailer.
Several weeks after signing up for an event, you should get an info pack from the Wyoming dept. of tourism that lists all the area motels. We'll be staying at the East hill motel in Warsaw.

Byron

[GAMBELL]

I like the idea of the events coming to a lake once.  Or put the event on a big body of water like Irondequoit Bay or Sodus Bay.  These bays are connected to the BIG lake and will be able to handle the pressure.  I do not fish Silver Lake regularly but, I agree that the lake is too small to handle all of that pressure.  The only downfall I see about using I-bay or Sodus are years that you do not get good ice.  If you do not have good ice, no tourney, plain and simple.  I hope I did not anger anyone this is just my opinion.

[JerryofWNY]

Who can get angry for someone stating their opinion if it's done in a civil manner. I see this is your 5th post. Welcome, enjoy and learn.

[Michigander]

NO WORRIES .... Unless you have my problem - those are BUZZARDS following me around on the lake ....

[Little John]

First let me start by saying that I just registered for this message board after reading every post regarding this thread.  I then felt obligated to put my 2 cents in.

This will be my 5th year fishing the Trap Attacks and I fish three or more events each season.  What I have learned about Ice Team and the vast majority of its competitors is that they are a first rate group of fishermen and citizens.  Not only do they know how to catch fish, but they display a high level of professionalism and sportsmanship.  This is especially true of the teams that travel, because they truly commit all of their resources to the sport.  Most of us are exceedingly conscious of the fact that we are only guests on all of these bodies of water and conduct ourselves accordingly.

For those of you that were actually out on the ice with us for pre-fish and the event itself know full well that the numbers of fish that are caught and kept is truly very small.  During the pre-fish, the goal is not to catch fish, but to find them and pattern them.  This usually entails lots of time looking at either a flasher or underwater camera and not actually catching fish.  We do try different baits and presentations during the pre-fish, but that is done very sparingly.  After all, why would we want to catch and “sting” fish that could win the tournament for us…Most of us are well beyond the phase of showing off to our buddies how many fish we can catch.  The weigh-in is what establishes the pecking order amongst our rank and file.  And as has been already calculated, that equates to a very small number of fish.  Our tournaments primarily target pan fish and that’s not because we can’t catch bass, walleye or other game fish.  It’s because these species are much more prolific than most game fish and the populations can generally tolerate an increase in pressure.  It is also easier to keep smaller fish alive and release them unharmed.  However, I will be first to admit that even though fish are living, doesn’t mean that they will release after being kept in a cooler or bucket for several hours.  Temperature shock is the big problem, as lake water is generally 39 degrees at the bottom and progressively colder as you move up the water column.  On most winter days, it is impossible to even keep water in a cooler from dropping several degrees and that’s all that it takes to temperature shock most fish.  We don’t have heated live well technology yet, but who knows…

Someone mentioned “all of the articles” that are written about the lakes that have Trap Attacks cause an increase in the fishing pressure.  They must be reading different publications than I do, because all of the articles that I’ve ever seen are written by Ice Team staff to lead into and/or report on the results of an event and they are only in our publication or website.  That’s hardly a mass mailing of publicity.  There may be articles written locally about the events, but the readership would generally only be the local population anyway.  Anyone that knows anything about our events would also know that we don’t select lakes based on outstanding fishing.  There are actually much more important factors than that like, access, local government support, adequate quality lodging and a good host resource like a tackle store.  Now I’m not going to say that pressure doesn’t increase directly after one of our events.  I’m sure that it does, simply because we drill tons of holes over productive locations and make access easy for a very short period of time.  I call it scavenging and I know it happens.  However, it is very short lived and usually only the local fisherman that take part.  Once the holes refreeze and/or are covered up by snow the scavenging ends and pressure goes back to normal.

I guess I was a little shocked to read some of the unfounded statements that were being made on this thread.  But as it is in most situations very passionate but often misinformed people tend to make the most noise.  I guess if I was a property owner on a good fishing lake with public access I would do or say whatever I thought it would take to keep a tournament off my lake too…NOT!  I would be spending my time learning from the participants and maybe sink a crib or two, so that I actually had an edge for next year’s event.
 
My wife, my son and I are very much looking forward to visiting to you again this year and sharing your enjoyment of Silver Lake.  We enjoyed your hospitality last year hope to receive the same again this year.  We’ll do our best to be good ambassadors of the sport and hope that you will too.

[cold_feet]

Little John
So as your second last paragraph states You are there for the money. "Learn from the pros to maybe gain an edge for the tourney the next year."  I personally don't fish for money I fish for fun Period! Why does fishing have to be for money? And furthermore if you ask a contestant  during the pre fish what he was catching fish on you would get a ansewer far from the truth. If all of your time here was spent by members teaching parents and kids The How To's of fishing for Fun instead of showing how money can be made I might think a little diffrent. Hardly any members knew of this lake previous of the tourney and I am sure that for the most fewer would even come here just to fish it for fun no money involved.  I just firmly believe all what has been said by IT or TA members who joined this site to post on this thread in the last month is to benefit or justify their own cause. Any article written about any body of water that is fished IS public knowledge its on the Web right? And also in local papers.  Just my .02
Cold Feet