Capture fishing tournaments put a lot of pressure on fisheries. Capture and release tournament that use live wells reduce pressure, but they do not work for all species. A new type of fishing tournament is becoming main stream: Capture Picture Release Tournaments. CPR tournaments are a win/win for fish and anglers.
PHOTO CREDIT: Jonathan O’Connor
There are C.P.R. tournaments across the nation for various species. They are primarily length based. This verification method helps the fish. Improperly weighing a fish can damage or stress the fish, which can lead to death and defeats the purpose of C.P.R.
To participate in a C.P.R. tournament you only need a ruler and a camera. Waterproof point-and-shoot digital camera’s are readily available on the market at nominal prices. An alternative is to use a smartphone with a water proof case. Just be sure to secure your camera or phone via lanyard!
A digital camera (or smart phone) will $ave you buckets of money that would have otherwise gone to the taxidermist. No taxidermist can capture the color and sounds of landing a trophy fish. No taxidermist.
I participate in several fishing tournaments throughout the year. I enjoy the competition and social interaction with other anglers who are equally passionate about fishing. But! I only participate in Catch and Release tournaments or tournaments with a Catch and Release division. This is my personal choice. If you want to remember and share your catch, save fish, and save money, then C.P.R..
