Wyoming chapter makes weigh-in more fish-friendly

In an effort to improve fish care at tournaments throughout the region, the Wyoming B.A.S.S. Nation (Cowboy Bass) has refurbished and customized its weigh-in trailer.

GREEN RIVER, Wyo. — In an effort to improve fish care at tournaments throughout the region, the Wyoming B.A.S.S. Nation (Cowboy Bass) has renovated its weigh-in site at Flaming Gorge Reservoir. See photos of the new trailer here.

Relying on his construction business experience, Dave Richter, secretary of Cowboy Bass, refurbished a trailer, making it a unique weigh-in system that has been used for Wyoming and Utah B.A.S.S. Nation tournaments and other tournament organization events.

“It is an enclosed trailer with vendor doors on each side that open up, and we could actually run two tournaments out of it with one out of each side if we wanted,” said Richter. 

The trailer features four sinks on each side with a pre-scale bin for draining the mesh bags, a weigh-in scales sink, an oxygenated holding sink and a salt dip sink for restoring salt in the fish’s body.

“So the fish are very seldom out of water for any length of time,” said Richter. 

Jon Stewart, B.A.S.S. Nation director, also used the Cowboy Bass trailer in a relief role during the 2012 Western Divisional at Flaming Gorge.

“When Jon and his crew showed up, lo and behold, their trailer had broken down on the way there,” said Richter. “I just happened to have our trailer there because we wanted to set it up for some of the other Nations to see what we had. Part of our intent was to try to encourage a lot of the other states to move in that direction.”

Cowboy Bass has improved the weigh-in site at Buckboard Marina by laying recycled asphalt for parking the trailer and installing a pre-made metal canopy to provide shade for the anglers and the weigh-in spectators. Richter noted that when it’s not in use for tournaments, the canopy will also serve as a picnic shelter for the boat owners at the marina.