Yeah you must be right because no one has ever had an issue with culling in the wrong states waters of a tournament. Its not my fault you dont understand the states regulations. If you dont think you cant get from the flats into PA water on the susquehanna then theres nothing I can do to help you realize thats entirely possible. Furthermore, if youre weighing in via Philladelphia you are in PA, you are playing by PA rules. In order to even get to the flats from Deleware via Philly you would need to cross pa state lines, into deleware, into maryland and back again.

 

PA isnt going to say, well go ahead and run to the susqehanna and pile em up because youre elites, youre a special breed. In fact it would be exactly the opposite, those guys would put an immense amount of pressure on an already struggling fishery. Do you think that if you went to lake erie and killed all the steelheads that somehow mirraculously that next spring the tribs would run full of steelhead again without stocking?

 

From the mouth of the susquehanna to the pa state line is less than 13 miles by land. Not exactly a long run unless youre row row rowing.

 

Whether or not you feel I "have a clue on tournament fishing" has nothing to do with this subject. However you have neglected to add why you think its not valid. So wheres your valid argument here mr tournament director?

No offense but Id stop ranting. You do realize in order to get into PA from the flats that you have to figure out a way to get over that MASSIVE concrete thing called the Conowingo Dam right? Im down there 3 times a week during the summer and run up the susky all the time. No way would I ever say that the fishing between Havre de Grace and the dam has ever outproduced my spots from the Northeast down to the proving grounds whether it be on the flats themselves of other special spots I got.

And fwiw the section between Havre de Grace and the dam, while considered the Susquehanna, is not held to the same restrictions which you are referring to which is mainly for areas much further west out towards the main problem areas around Harrisburg and on the other branch as well. The only restrictions held in place on the flats are a change in size limits for the spring to 15" over all other times of the year when it is 12".

 

 

Not trying to bust your balls just telling it how it is.

BTW if you ever wanna go down and fish for a day but shoot me a message. I literally live at Anchor Marine over the summer.

Hey, at least you make a valid arguement other than just "philly paid the money so they dont want the boats there". Your explination makes sense, I was throwing out a possiblity.

Hey, at least you make a valid arguement other than just "philly paid the money so they dont want the boats there". Your explination makes sense, I was throwing out a possiblity.

Here's an explanation on why :

 

Maybe you are not understanding how Elite tournaments work.  B.A.S.S.  collects a very large fee, around $ 60,000 from the Host city to hold their Elite tournaments in that city. The City also puts out around another 60 - 90,000 + in other fees and associated costs. So Philly is putting out somewhere around  $ 150 - 200,000 to hold the Elite tournament.

In return, the city gets promoted in a good light , which draws in tourism dollars. Philly, in hosting the tournament is looking to promote the city and their waterfront region.

Having the entire field run to the Upper Chesapeake to fish the 4 days would defeat that purpose as they would not be showing anyone fishing on the Delaware in the Philadelphia region. That is the main reason for putting the Flats off limits.

 

As far as " crossing " state lines.  It can be done, happens a lot in major tournaments. Permits can be issued.  The Delaware and Upper Bay share common tidal water because of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal connecting both bodies of water. The tide flushes in and out of the 15 mile length of the C&D Canal, so any " invasive "species is already in both waters. As long as permits are issued and each competitior has the correct licenses for each state, it can be done.

The tidal Susky which they would be a able to fish if not off limits, is not under the regulation parameters you listed earlier ( neither is Conowingo Reservoir above the dam , it has its own special regulations. )