11 pounds didn't...............

[Jumptrout51]

I've been up since 3:30 this morning,I'm going to bed. GOOD NIGHT>

[Littoral]

When they started 9 years ago 10 pounds was the winning stringer. That was for 7 fish with 2 over 24". It's down to 5 fish with 1 over 20".

Help me out here, I keep thinking about it & I can't imagine how this is possible (!?).

[Ty one on]

JT51 is right about the weights in the beginning. 10 lbs. could win you first place. The weights have increased every year due to fishermen catching bigger fish and finding better places to fish. By the 2nd year the stringers started increasing from 13 lbs. to 17 bls. I remember one stringer Michael and I have from a Aucilla winter tournament where we had 22.2 lbs. with seven fish. When the state bag limit changed from 7 fish to 5 fish is when TeamSeatrout changed to stringer limit from 7 to 5. (one mans limit)[/quote]

[Littoral]

JT51 is right about the weights in the beginning.

Yup, no questions there, I assume he's right.
I was wondering why/how it could be so.
Specifically, how is it that the winning weight total could have increased so dramatically with a decrease in the number of fish.
It just isn't logical.
Ty one on offers up a possible hypothesis:

The weights have increased every year due to fishermen catching bigger fish and finding better places to fish.

Ok, I got the "bigger fish weigh more" part. That makes sense.
I am a little confused about the "finding better places to fish" part.
Some old timers might differ there.

[Jumptrout51]

I would rephrase what Ty said to"finding better fish in places".

[AJ]

Could it be that the "net ban thang" has anything to do with the size increase? Maybe more fish to choose from?

[Jumptrout51]

Of course the Gill net ban has had the most effect on the fish poulation. When gill nets were used they could not discriminate between mullet,trout,redfish,etc. Mullet being the primary target fish the BYCATCH was typically discarded or put into crab traps.

[Littoral]

Of course the Gill net ban has had the most effect on the fish poulation. When gill nets were used they could not discriminate between mullet,trout,redfish,etc.

So the Net Ban (Of course?) is offered as another hypothesis as to why we now catch bigger trout. Any particular evidence to support that?

[Jumptrout51]

Yup.

[Ty one on]

There could be a number of reasons;

Net Ban.........................................................Maybe
Smaller Bag Limit...........................................Maybe
Keeping one Trout over 20, vs 24....................Maybe
Warmer water, More Spawning, more Grass.....Maybe
Better Fishing Gear and Tackle........................Maybe
Exercising what we learn on Fishing Shows.......Dout it.

We may never know.