(Area) The Iowa DNR provides permits for nearly 700 fishing tournaments each year. Fisheries Biologist Bryan Hayes says the DNR started the permitting system nearly 30 years ago for a couple of different reasons.
One reason was to ensure they didn’t interfere with access to other people trying to use the same water body. “We didn’t want large tournaments going into areas and basically blocking the access for long periods of time. That was one reason. Basically to protect the public, but it also protected the tournaments in a way that they could get permits and be assured there isn’t another group trying to hold a permit and using the same access on the same day.”
The other reason for the permit process is to save fish. “The big reason we permit tournaments is to protect the resource. We need to know what’s going on out there. Those tournaments with weigh-ins they are holding fish in those live wells sometimes for a long period of time. They run them through a weigh-in with the idea of a live release at the end. We want tournaments to release those fish alive and those fish to remain in the water body for other people to catch or for future tournaments.”
Tournaments in June, July, and August require a 2:00 p.m. weigh in to make sure fish are released before the heat of the day. Some tournaments require aerated live wells and other such measures. “Release in designated areas away from the ramps and areas that have adequate depth. Large tournaments we require holding tanks so when those bass come out of the live wells held in a bag there are holding tanks. While you are waiting in line there is fresh water to hold those fish in.”
Hayes says there has been a lot of research conducted on tournament mortality and how to best handle fish to get them back in the water alive.
