If you fish or orginize tournaments in RI you need to read this. The red sections are the changes. We can't allow this to happen. Tournanents will have to be from 8pm to noon. Thy will effect all orginized fishing in RI including C.A.S.T and the P.V.A. there is a public hearing on this matter June 10th at the Warwick Police Station. We should show up in force and make sure we are heard.

http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatres/fishwild/pdf/fwpr0608.pdf

First off, so we are clear, this means that night tourny's ONLY will be permitted.  8PM till noon the following day.

Big thanks for the heads up John

Rally time!

I will call Bob Nero and see if he can attend also.  See you there.  Time to make the time boys, we need your attendance on this one.  Bring friends too.  Numbers talk.

Good luck guys.

It always amazes me when people want to shut down tournaments for their own selfish reasons and don't realize the revenue that tournaments generate for their state.

revenue for the state?  im confused.

i would think the fact that it is "public" water would be the argument.

revenue for the state?  im confused.

i would think the fact that it is "public" water would be the argument.

Think of all the tournament rigs that stop at the local gas stations and fill up, all the extra fishing tackle that a tournament fisherman buys in a year versus the average fisherman. If you are on a lake with pay ramps how much money it generates for the lake by not having those boats show up. If you eventually shut down tournaments you would stop a lot of this money.  I agree that it being public water is probally the argument and there was probably some pleasure boater that had to wait ten extra minutes one day while loading his boat while a tournament took off or weighed in but if it is such public water then why frown on the guys that want to have a friendly competition over catching a few fish. A similar situation to this arose not long ago in another state when a local congressman was unhappy to hear bass boats going by his new lake house early in the morning and he tried, unsuccessfully, to get all tournaments to start after 10 am in the morning. Fact of the matter is it is these are public lakes and should be equally accessible to all who want to use it. believe me my wife and is as against tournament anglers as I am in favor of their rights, granted you get the jerks that give the tourney guys a bad name but there are also pleasure fishermen and boaters just the same way that have no regards for others safety but their own.

Harshman

i hear ya,

i guess i would have to hear r.i.'s side of the argument to know what i was up against.  if it is a noise issue thats one thing.  if it is an issue of pleasure boaters vs. tournament anglers its another. and if it is p.b.'s vs. anglers i would definitely not go w/ a revenue for the state argument.

does anyone know the reason r.i. is trying to shut down tournies?  is it possible that they see it as a form of gambling?