Should AOTY 2008 include panfish?

We are finalizing the AOTY setup for 2008 and wanted to throw this out for a vote. Panfish would be yellow perch, sunfish, bluegill, crappie and sacramento perch. We would need to figure out the points per inch but I wanted to see if people are interested in including them at all.

I would only be in favor of adding this for a kiddy division.  They're panfish for godsakes...move on people!

IMO: panfish are still fun to catch...especially when the other fish are ignoring you

Might this include surf perch?   Although that is mostly done out of a yak, scratch that from the record.

Michael

MO: panfish are still fun to catch...especially when the other fish are ignoring you

Agreed, but I really don' want to fish competitively for them...it just seems ridiculous.  Its already so hard to fill out an entire card, adding anymore species just doesn't leave anytime to fish for fun, and I don't want to give that up so I can spend days at Clearlake in search of the 180 point crappie.

Brother Sean...for as long I've known you, we have finally found something that we don't agree on....I may have to end our friendship

Get out the Snoopy poles and the bobbers    

wow we are all tied right now. If we remain tied I will keep the same species as 2007, which would mean no panfish.

I guess it's time I competed seriously again. Way things are going I may be seeming a lot more fishing time this next year. Panfish will only help me to win! 

-Brian G

Maybe I should vote in favor, in case pan fish is the only thing I catch all year.

Agreed, but I really don' want to fish competitively for them...it just seems ridiculous.  Its already so hard to fill out an entire card, adding anymore species just doesn't leave anytime to fish for fun, and I don't want to give that up so I can spend days at Clearlake in search of the 180 point crappie.

Amen Bro... As a wise man once said... "They're panfish for Godsakes... move on people!"

We are finalizing the AOTY setup for 2008 and wanted to throw this out for a vote. Panfish would be yellow perch, sunfish, bluegill, crappie and sacramento perch. We would need to figure out the points per inch but I wanted to see if people are interested in including them at all.

we already have sunfish (LMB & SMB), so I don't know why we need smaller sunfish...
It might be interesting but I vote "no".  although I can't catch big fish so might help me...?

As long as the rules are pretty specific, (to keep people from getting testy) I don't see why panfish wouldn't be a welcome addition to the list, of course then carp and catfish ought to go on there as well, (is there a fish that’s not fun to catch),,, oh yeah and I didn't see sharks either, now that's a missed opportunity if I ever saw one, I've caught quite a few leopards and smoothhounds out of the yak, I may even go for a 7 gill trip some day, (but that one will need some real safety considerations first).

So enough of that, I’ve been yak fishing for a few years now but my experience level is still pretty much at noob, (don’t go that often)  (always seem to crash in the surf)

As far as panfish goes---- I don’t know

But seriously maybe someday you all can consider leopard sharks, they’re plentiful, and a real kick to catch.

Just my 2 cents worth on a slow day

I am against adding sharks since they would be practically impossible to catch, measure photo and release on a kayak and most people do not eat them.

I'm not entered, so have no stake in this either way, but: they're fish. They're fun to catch on their own merits, or as backup when the larger species aren't cooperating. And they're certainly fine table fare, probably even safer to eat than the large stuff. So I'd vote to include popular panfish, carp, catfish, gar, maybe even give bonus points for squawfish and pike caught and NOT released. Just give points accordingly, so the smaller panfish wouldn't be valued the same as "sport" fish or even the larger nongame fish (carp, big cats, gars, etc.). But sharks? Nah, they're trash fish, and besides, there are too many obnoxious a**holes fishing for them on TV already.