EGO Fishing's Tournament Weigh-In Bag: Keep fish lively and releasable
by EGO Fishing 2 Feb 2024 22:01 UTC
EGO Fishing's conservation-driven Tournament Weigh-In Bag is a leak-proof must-have © EGO Fishing
Tournament season is approaching. From club derbies to professional tournaments, anglers are already hitting the water to prefish.
While you need a boat, rods, reels, lots of tackle, one piece of equipment often overlooked is a reliable, leak-proof weigh-in bag to keep fish lively for weigh-in and healthy release. We all want to maintain the fisheries where tournaments are held - while avoiding missed pounds and ounces - and potentially a payout - due to dead fish.
Idaho, USA-based fishing nets/accessories/tools designer and manufacturer, EGO Fishing, entered this space with problem-free tournament weigh-in bags that cater to the demand's of today's tournament anglers.
"We developed the EGO Tournament Weigh-In Bag to address the inherent problem with all weigh in bags: water leakage," says EGO Fishing CEO/Founder, Grant Corbett.
Corbett continues: "Most weigh-in bags are made of welded PVC fabric—and the welds will break and then water spills out. Or, they get dragged across the ground and the corners get torn up and leak. Plus, most aren't designed very well to carry or hold on to, because weigh-in bags obviously get heavy with five bass and water. So I decided to develop a weigh-in bag that solved all those problems."
The solution for EGO Fishing was to use a TPU fabric that ensures bullet-proof seam welds. In fact, Corbett comments that the fabric would rip way before the welds, keeping it 100% leakproof.
And then there's ergonomics. The bag's handles are actually cut out of the TPU fabric itself and not add-ons that can break. The handles are built right into the bag body. Plus, it features an easy to attach and detach padded shoulded padded strap to make carrying even easier.
EGO Fishing also built in a top zipper that can be closed so there's no water sloshing around and spilling when anglers are walking onstage for weigh-in. Additionally, it features a flat bottom that helps with the volume of water and fish it can hold. "Plus, it gets rid of the potential problem of dragging corners on the ground and wearing a hole in the bag and subsequent leakage."
Lastly, the EGO Weigh-In Bag features a built-in aerator pouch that will accommodate any bait aerator on the market - from regular C and D size battery models to the newer, rechargeable lithium battery models hitting stores.
"The nice thing about the aerator pouch is it sits right where it needs to and doesn't require and wrangling. You simply drop in the aerator and run the hose up and into a port hole that runs into the bag. Especially during hot, summer bass tournaments, oxygenating the water can be a big help keeping fish healthy for weigh-in and release," offers Corbett.
Corbett says the bag was also designed with conservation in mind. "There are still a lot of fish that die after weigh-in, so we wanted to approach that issue, too. Given its overall design, size, and aeration option, we tried to build something that would give fish the best chance of survival when released back into the water."
Tournament Angler Case Study
30-year-old, Alabama-based pro bass tournament angler, Andrew Nordbye, has been using the EGO Fishing Weigh-In bag for over three years and has "never had an issue".
"I've been tournament fishing for the past 15 years—through high school, college, and now MLF. I qualified for Major League Fishing (MLF) through fishing the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and 2024 will be my second year on the pro trail. I fished the MLF Pro Opens, the Toyota Series, and the Costas for six years to qualify, and I've been using the EGO Weigh-In Bag the past three years and haven't had any issues or leaks with it, which is pretty incredible, because I've never seen a weigh-in bag not leak after being used a decent amount."
According to his tournament experience, he says not only is the design leak-proof, it keeps the water cool, is easy to carry, and allows him to oxygenate the water with a specially-designed side pouch to hold his Engel Rechargeable Lithium aerator.
The other thing Nordby likes? The bag's dimensions allow a hefty bag of kicker-sized fish.
"I've weighed 20 pounds or a little more for five bass with the bag," says Nordbye.
He also fishes a lot of three fish tournaments and has weighed 15 to 16 pounds "pretty frequently."
EGO Weigh-In Bag features:
- Available in two colors, Kryptek Blue Camo (Pontus) and Black (Typhon)
- Dry weight: 2 lbs.
- Size: 21"L x 4"W x 22"H
- High-tech TPU performance fabric
- Contoured, padded carry handles & shoulder strap
- Formed, flat bottom for larger capacity
- Built-in aerator pouch (aerator not included)
MSRP $99.99
Other uses
The EGO Fishing Conservation Tournament Weigh-In bag isn't just for bass anglers; it also translates to walleye, crappie, and inshore tournament fishing. Need even more room for fish? Then consider the 22" x 11" x 16" EGO Tactical Fish/Weigh-In Cooler, which will also function as a weigh-in container.
Speaking of coolers, in those off-days when you're not fishing tournaments, the EGO Tournament Weigh-In bag makes a pretty convenient beverage and food cooler, too...