When the coronavirus began shutting down most of American life a couple of months ago, Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation officials feared the worst for its Commissioners’ Cup high school bass fishing tournament.
“We wanted to mitigate exposure and not have kids huddled up into one area or ramp,” said Deke Whitbeck, AGFF president. “We looked at the COVID and we were very unclear as far as any directives for such an event. The guidance was murky at the time.”
But instead of cancelling the event in just its second year, Foundation officials made the decision to move forward in a big and decidedly unconventional way.
“It was a little bit of a sales job to bring to sponsors this year,” said Whitbeck. “I was like, ‘I know this is going to sound crazy, but we’re going to do this virtual tournament.’”
Whitbeck quickly assured sponsors that the fish would be real, but the weigh-in would be handled unlike any fishing tournament most people had seen. Using software called TourneyX, contestants would be able to register their catch remotely and release it immediately instead of having to keep the fish in a live well and bring it to a designated weigh station.
“This technology is very popular with kayak tournament anglers, whether it’s for bass or walleye or whatever they’re fishing for,” Whitbeck said. “TourneyX is software that utilizes an app for a virtual weigh-in, determining the winners using length versus weight.”
“And, I’ve gotten a lot of positive reaction from biologists and those concerned about a mid-summer tournament and fish health. Catching the fish, taking a picture of it and popping it right back into the lake, means the stress on the fish is just minimal compared to having to keep the fish alive until weigh-in.”
Using the app is simple, Whitbeck said. An angler lands a fish and snaps a photo of it with an official measuring stick that helps align the fish properly for consistent measurement. Once the photo and measurement are uploaded, judges review each submission before it becomes official to ensure all guidelines have been met.
“The software is intuitive in that it will not only have a leaderboard running throughout the tournament, but an auto-cull feature,” Whitbeck said. “Scoring for our tournament is the total length of three fish so, if you catch a 19”, 21”, 22” and a 14” fish, [the software] will auto-cull the smallest one.”
Whitbeck said the TourneyX also allows the tournament to be conducted statewide without having to deploy an army of personnel to manage weigh-in. Thus, AGFF has designated 12 official bodies of water that are eligible for the 2020 tournament, putting the contest within reach of virtually any eligible competitor in Arkansas.
“In this way, we not only mitigate [coronavirus] risk, but it helps connect dots to actually have this tournament across the state,” Whitbeck said. “We not only further our goal of not huddling up into one spot, but now kids everywhere in Arkansas can participate.”
The 2020 Commissioners’ Cup, presented by Xpress Boats, launched last year and attracted some of the top high school fishing talent in the state. This year’s field is being expanded to include middle school as well as high school anglers, all of whom must meet certain credentials to be eligible to participate. Full details are available at facebook.com/Arkansas-Game-and-Fish-Foundations-Commissioners-Cup-Invitational-335502113729805/.
Whitbeck said use of the technology is likely to revolutionize how fishing tournaments are held going forward.
“We feel like it’s something that will open doors for future bass fishing tournaments and also for bank fishing, something we’re really trying to get into,” he said. “We don’t necessarily have to be in a traditional tournament format; we could pick a couple of AGFC or other bodies of water across the state, have a brim fishing contest or a mother-daughter contest, whatever. We can really get out there and have fun with it.
“The Arkansas Outdoor Society is already talking about doing a month-long tournament using the TourneyX software. We’re already starting to see some fruits of this. It’s a way to perpetuate the sport of fishing amongst Arkansans.”
The 2020 Commissioners Cup will be contested June 20 on Lake Norfolk, Bull Shoals Lake, Beaver Lake, Greers Ferry Lake, Lake Dardanelle, Lake Ouachita, Lake Maumelle, Horseshoe Lake, Lake DeGray, Millwood Lake, Felsenthal NWA and Lake Chicot.
READ MORE: Opt Outside – Get Virtual with AGFC
