Do Bream Comps (and others) Encourage Rule Breaking?

[rb85]

Has there been research done into fish survival rates once released after prolonged time in a live well?

[purple5ive]

I prefer to wait for Kimtown's response.

Statement like "nobody catches more than 5" is bull.

Kimmo where are you?

)

Nobody I know has KEPT more than 5 bream in a comp.
Catching is a different story. Lots of fish dont even make it to the livewell.
Get your facts right before instigating WW3.
I can see people here are trying very hard to start another argument.
Keep trying buffoons.
Kimye is probably skating on thin ice with the warning count. So he is a smart cookie not to get involved.

[purple5ive]

Bringing a fish on board and then releasing or in a live well is considered retained and counts toward your daily bag limit I understand that Vic bream have an exception on up grading as bream can tolerate being kept in a live well better than other species

Bringing a fish on board and then releasing isnt considered retained towards your daily bag limit. If tgats the case 10 undersized bream and tou might as well go home..


I think a lot of people are making a mountain out of a molehill.

Bream specific competition..

Your are allowed a statewide legal bag limit of 10 bream per angler.
The vic bream tournament is a pair per team. So that's 20 bream allowed per day.

The tournament bag limit is 5 per team. So in no way or form are team members high grading .

In a tournament sense. Highrading only applies when 20 fish are caught. And then you continue to keep catching more.
You have to release the sixth fish in the vicbream comp. Whether you release the one you just caught. Or one of the 5 that are in the well is up to the anglers discression.

[sandef]

a fish in a live well is considered contained therefore you are allowed only total15 up grades if you have 5 in the well and fish are to be released into the water where they are caught not 3 km down the road

[mazman]

a fish in a live well is considered contained therefore you are allowed only total15 up grades if you have 5 in the well and fish are to be released into the water where they are caught not 3 km down the road

According to the reg it's only high grading if you have retained your limit already. So having 5 in the well catching one adding it to the well and then releasing another is allowed. Upon which point you are only retaining five fish and can continue to upgrade.

[sandef]

and next paragraph states fish in a live well are considered contained and on the other page(84) unwanted fish must be released immediately

[rb85]

I prefer to wait for Kimtown's response.

Statement like "nobody catches more than 5" is bull.

Kimmo where are you?

)

Nobody I know has KEPT more than 5 bream in a comp.
Catching is a different story. Lots of fish dont even make it to the livewell.
Get your facts right before instigating WW3.
I can see people here are trying very hard to start another argument.
Keep trying buffoons.
Kimye is probably skating on thin ice with the warning count. So he is a smart cookie not to get involved.

Love a bit of passive aggression. Surely he’s still entitled to his opinion P5

[rb85]

and next paragraph states fish in a live well are considered contained and on the other page(84) unwanted fish must be released immediately

That’s the way I interpret the rule

[colnick]

This is getting a bit silly. I reckon the intention of the rule is clear. Unless you are actually holding the bag limit you can continue to catch until you get to the limit. Once there you have to stop, even if you subsequently release some of the held fish.
I appreciate that the wording is open to interpretation so why not ask Fisheries to clarify the issue rather than argue amongst ourselves?

[rb85]

On the flip side of whether competitors are breaking rules unwittingly most serious anglers respect the environment and catch even though the comps can become a **** swinging contest for some seeking self validation by catching a fish.