Quinte Fishing Series Dates and IMPORTANT Rule Change
Important Rule Change For 2007 Quinte Fishing Series Season.
Since its inception in 1997, the Quinte Fishing Series has strived to provide its anglers with a professionally run, conservation based, live release tournament circuit. With each season, the Series has made improvements with weigh - in procedures and equipment to help conserve and protect our valuable fisheries. After all, conservation is the foundation of which our sport stands and with this in mind, the Quinte Fishing Series is announcing a new rule that will effect the first bass tournament of the season.
Over the past three years, Quinte Fishing Series staff, along with assistance from the Biology Department at Queen’s University, have been monitoring tournaments, especially the opening bass tournament, and the stress levels and mortality rate on fish, especially smallmouth bass. Although only about 11% of the fish weighed in are smallmouth in the opening tournament, we have witnessed a higher level of stressed and a higher mortality rate in smallmouth at this tournament. The majority of these fish have been caught in Lake Ontario and it has been well documented by the MNR that smallmouth bass spawning in Lake Ontario is still ongoing as the season opens. These bass are in varying stages of the spawn, with some just pulling up on the nest, others are safeguarding nests and yet others are protecting and following their newly hatched young of the year. All of this happens in waters whose temperatures are significantly cooler than the Bay of Quinte and once these fish are caught, weighed and released into the much warmer waters of the Bay of Quinte, the cumulative effect takes its toll.
One might ask, “how many smallmouth are we talking about”? The answer is, very few, as a clear majority of fish caught and weighed are largemouth and there is virtually zero mortality among the largemouth bass. Our committee, as said previously, has been reviewing statistics over the past few years and with a number of veteran Q.F.S. anglers voicing concern this past year, has decided that the best approach, both as conservationists and as a responsible tournament series, is to eliminate smallmouth bass from the opening bass tournament.
Therefore, the first bass tournament of each Quinte Fishing Series season, will be a largemouth bass only event! This rule will only be in effect at the first bass tournament and for the remaining four (4) bass tournaments, smallmouth bass will be eligible.
Our committee, after much discussion and debate, unanimously supports this new ruling and hopes that anglers will support the Series with this new conservation venture and we look forward to another amazing tournament season here on the “Bay’.
In Fishing,
Pete Thompson
Tournament Director
2007 Tournament Dates for QUINTE FISHING SERIES
WALLEYE - May 27th, 2007 - Centennial Park, Deseronto,ON
BASS
- June 23 & 24th* - S. George St., Belleville, On.
- July 29th - S. George St.,Belleville, On.
- August 12th - S. George St.,Belleville, On.
August 26th - Centennial Park,Deseronto, On.
QUINTE CLASSIC - September 15 & 16th, 2007 S. George St., Belleville, On.
* This date, as all dates, may be subject to change
OTHER Q.F.S. AFFILIATED TOURNAMENTS IN 2006
TIPS FROM THE TACKLE BOX “PRO/AM” TOURNAMENT
Belleville’s Waterfront Weekend - July 14/15th - S. George St., Belleville
2007 QUINTE FISHING SERIES ENTRY FEES
ONE (1) DAY TOURNAMENTS - $150.00 / TEAM
TWO (2) DAY TOURNAMENTS - $220.00 / TEAM
* MEMBERSHIP FEE (Yearly) - $40.00 Per Person*
** Entry forms can be printed off from www.quintefishing.com
(QUINTE FISHING SERIES) or obtained from committee members as of December 4th, 2006.
Note: All tournament and membership fees must be paid in full, sent with entry form and postmarked at least one (1) week prior to tournament date
