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The Town of Ticonderoga, the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce (TACC) and the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) have announced the results of the 2016 Lake Champlain Bass Fishing Tournament survey, and the 2017 tournament lineup.
In 2016, TACC partnered with ROOST to conduct a survey of bass fishing tournament participants to gather feedback. The survey was distributed to all tournament participants throughout the spring, summer and fall of 2016, and included questions about location and duration of stay, and type and total expenditures while they were in the region, in addition to collecting demographic data.
The central and southern portions of Lake Champlain have long been known as a premier bass fishery, and as a result, the area has become a favorite destination for bass fishing tournaments. Ticonderoga has long served as a primary weigh station and tournament headquarters, and the Town and TACC have worked to solicit and support these events.
In 2016, respondents traveled to the region from 11 states, including one from Florida, and the Canadian province of Ontario. The survey results also showed a high rate of return visits, with 45 percent of respondents indicating the they have participated in more than 11 tournaments in the region, and 62 percent saying they have previously traveled to the Ticonderoga/Lake Champlain Region for reasons other than for fishing tournaments. 99 percent of respondents said that based on their experience, they would visit again.
TACC now serves as the official fishing tournament community coordinator, a role that requires facilitating promotional and logistical details, including coordination with NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to arrange boat launch access.
Photo courtesy ROOST.
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Removing fish from their chosen patch of water and carrying them to a centralized location has been shown to have detrimental effects on fish reproduction and vitality. Tournaments could incorporate a system used by the British in their tournaments. Each boat has a volunteer observer who weighs, measures, and records the fish before immediately returning them to the water where caught.
Yeah I know, the fishermen can’t stand up at the weigh in stand and show off their catch, but which is more important, a picture in Field and Stream, or the health of the fish?
Bruce, how about this. Stop the tournaments all together. Nothing good comes from them except putting extreme pressure on small areas, extra pollution from hugs bass boats, fish that die after the process not to mention the poor guy that wants to spend a couple hours at his favorite spot only to find a dozen boats there. I have personally experienced all of the above.
Joe,
Nice thought, but the tournaments are big business on many different levels, so their disappearance would be highly unlikely. Yes tournaments put a lot of pressure on local fisheries, but it’s only for a short time and then they all run off to another lake. I’m guessing there’s far more pollution from those who are on the lakes day in and day out.
It reminds me of opening day of trout season…I might complain about the crowds and the fact I have to bring my own rock to stand on, but it’s only one day or weekend a year, so I save myself the aggravation and find something else to do.
I’ll tell you about something I believe is far more damaging and insidious…I know of a lake which a few years after its creation, developed an outstanding Hybrid Bass population, so much so it was written up in the national magazines. Within 2 years the catch rate and sizes of Hybrids plummeted. Is there a connection? You tell me.