The catch-photo-release method utilized last summer in national fishing competitions held in Door County has the Sturgeon Bay Bass Tournament implementing the practice for their upcoming event. The immediate release of the fish consists of measuring and weighing the catch on the boat using bump boards and weigh scales and uploading a photo to a mobile app before putting the fish back into the water. The old catch-hold-release format required the fish to be transported after hours in live wells and then released after being weighed on land. That method caused fish to be taken off their spawning sites and create more stress before their release back into the water. SBBT President and Tournament Director Gary Nault says the new weighing procedure was an easy decision for the committee to enact this year.

The Sturgeon Bay Bass Tournament begins next Thursday with a first-ever practice competition that will payout the top three positions. Nault says event organizers estimated that the economic impact of the two Major League Fishing tournaments held in Door County last year was about $5 million over two weeks.  You can listen to the entire interview with Gary Nault on the podcast page at DoorCountyDailyNews.com. 

(photo courtesy of NPAA.net)