Thames River Challange Striped Bass Tournament

stihlfishin · Baitfish Rank Joined: 08 Mar 2009 Posts: 4 Total Points: 9

Just wanted to let everyone know that there is a Striped Bass tournament on Friday, May 15 & Saturday, May 16, put on by CT Outdoors and The Dime Bank. I know its a little short notice but I actually just thought to post it. It starts Friday afternoon after the captians meeting at Thayers Marine @ 5:00. You can find more information regarding this tournament @ ctoudoors.com. It would be good to see some new faces joining us for the event. Usually 10,000 in cash prizes!!!! The sign up cut off is May the 13th. You can pay at the door at the time of the registration.

stihlfishin · Baitfish Rank Joined: 08 Mar 2009 Posts: 4 Total Points: 9

Sorry, I messed up the website is www.ct-outdoors.com all you need to know for the tournament will be posted on there.

bigoutdoors · Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 4:29 am Post subject:

i hope they do a better job than last year,it was a disaster.but seeing that they posted it on their own website on april 30,thats only 15 days .i agree with bb sampson on his artical from last years event

Outdoors Commentary: Thames River Tourney has lost something special
By BOB SAMPSON
For the Norwich Bulletin

Wet and windy weather made this year’s Thames River Challenge Striped Bass Tournament a challenge — like it always seems to be.

None of the anglers I talked to had any favorable comments about this year’s event. It also was surrounded by a great deal of confusion.

Basic tournament information that is generally received by the Norwich Bulletin never arrived, and if these last minute changes were posted on the Ctoutdoors.com, they were not easy to find. All I saw were rules that weren’t even up to date for last week’s deadline, so it was difficult to print any last minute changes.

The primary weigh station was at Thayer’s Marine in Norwich.

When I called Tuesday to find out who won, I was told that the organizers of this year’s event — Ctoutdoors.com — were angry with me for echoing the complaints about the lack of communication from tournament organizers.

This year’s tournament was not the conservation-oriented, river-front event that its original founders, the Eastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce and the Dime Bank, had created back in 1999.

In the tournament’s early years, there were river-front events for non-participants to attend.

A focal point at the awards ceremony and banquet each year was the presentation of an award to some one from the area who had invested time and effort to promote and enhance conservation measures in the Thames River watershed.

It was local business interests creating a venue to promote and show off a wonderful resource that people in this region enjoy: The Thames River and its incredible year-round striped bass fishery.

The tournament didn’t have a sponsor in 2001, but was resurrected the following year, but in recent years, the spirit and focus of the Thames River Challenge has changed.
Call it evolution or de-evolution, but from what I’ve been told by a few of those who competed this year, it was run like a largemouth bass tournament.

This once excellent fishing-tournament experience has become another weigh’em-in, collect-a-check, go-home event with nothing to stick around for after the fishing is over.
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stihlfishin · Baitfish Rank Joined: 08 Mar 2009 Posts: 4 Total Points: 9

I couldnt agree more with the both of you. Since the ct chamber of commerce got out of it, it has been downhill from there on out. Hopefully this tournament will be better, weather wise and how its run. Its a shame because they once had a really good thing going. Oh well we will see what this year has to offer. Good luck to those of you fishing it this year.

ehertzfeld · Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 5:02 pm Post subject:

it has been postponed.

aqualung · Posted: Sat May 16, 2009 9:20 am Post subject:

Really?? It was postponed?? I specifically avoided the place this weekend because of it.

ehertzfeld · Posted: Sat May 16, 2009 3:44 pm Post subject:

didn't fair so well myself. Ended up going to Watch Hill. Very foggy and cold. Wife and my son were freezing so we called it early. Only hooked up once with something decent. Wife said it felt big. Shook off before we got a look at it, but I'm guessing a sand shark.

bigoutdoors · Posted: Sat May 16, 2009 5:55 pm Post subject:

you didnt miss much aqualung,not much action.1 possible keeper at norwich,and a few schoolies here and there,the only thing i caught was a 11 lbs carp.waiting for the pics

lundrunner · Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 8:22 am Post subject:

Pics sent Tom.

bigoutdoors · Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 8:54 am Post subject:

the plish striper,lol

sportsfreak1220 · Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 2:43 pm Post subject:

check this out

aqualung · Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 4:15 pm Post subject:

I bet that carp put up a little fight for you BigO. I guess the fishing was off when you guys went. I have been getting some decent reports from down there.
That carp is better than a skunk anyday

bigoutdoors · Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 4:22 pm Post subject:

yes he did,we ran into an old gent that fished there all week,he told us he landed keepers everyday.every time we passed him nothing,.it was "you should have been there yesterday" day.but it will only get better