Toyota Texas Bass Classic On Fork

[Big Swimbait]

Keith Combs just culled a 9-8 for a 10-4, 42 lb sack so far. Forks not done yet!

 

http://www.toyotatexasbassclassicscoring.com/tv.php?id=138

[00 mod]

Something there doesn't add up.  If you are throwing away a 9-8, you have 49+ lbs........

 

42lbs is a 8+lb average.  Not 10

 

Jeff

[Brian Needham]

RANDY HANYES!!!!

[00 mod]

Hanyes?  Who is he? 
 

 

Jeff

[NJSalt]

Something there doesn't add up.  If you are throwing away a 9-8, you have 49+ lbs........

 

42lbs is a 8+lb average.  Not 10

 

Jeff

 

 

I believe you can only possess one fish over 24" at a time on Fork. They are saying he culled his "over". I guess they are just keeping their largest fish in the livewell....

[00 mod]

I believe you can only possess one fish over 24" at a time on Fork. They are saying he culled his "over". I guess they are just keeping their largest fish in the livewell....

 

Ahh, that makes more sense!

 

Jeff

[Brian Needham]

yeap the good ole fork slot.

 

where "slot fish" are truely typical 5#ers

[Jrob78]

The top 14 guys are all over 30lbs.  Fork is showing out this week.

[Jrob78]

Combs wins with 110 lbs over 3 days.  That's a 7.33 lb average!  

[slimshad]

Amazing!  I thought the classic had a chance to be big before that rain hit wed night.  But never 110lbs in three days.  I have been just draw dropped all morning over that.  On FB he said he did some long lining with A 6XD and a shadolicious swimbait.  He also was pictured with a spinnerbait fish.  He just knew where those lunkers were...  The Texas stud!

[F14A-B]

Yea .. So that link is running physco on my phone

Lol!!!!

[slimshad]

Ya the website doesn't like cell phones at all...

[Zach Dunham]

Man I hate slot limits. I wish we could see what he really would have had. The state should grant exceptions for tournaments that they know will be livewell and then release.

[bassman31783]

Man I hate slot limits. I wish we could see what he really would have had. The state should grant exceptions for tournaments that they know will be livewell and then release.

 

 

You did see what he really had. They did grant an exception, although in a different way.  Every boat has an on board official who weighs each fish caught. The fish are caught, weighed, & then immediately released. At then end of the day their sack is their 5 largest.

 

If anyone is confused about culling a 9-8 for a 10-4 "NJ" explained it correctly. You can only have 1 fish in your livewell over 24". His 9-8 was still counted, he just wanted to bring the 10-4 to the scales instead of the 9-8.

 

I love, LOVE slots. It's the exact reason why my home lake represented so well this weekend. That 3 day total is just unreal. Huge congrats to Combs!!!

[Zach Dunham]

You did see what he really had. They did grant an exception, although in a different way.  Every boat has an on board official who weighs each fish caught. The fish are caught, weighed, & then immediately released. At then end of the day their sack is their 5 largest.

 

If anyone is confused about culling a 9-8 for a 10-4 "NJ" explained it correctly. You can only have 1 fish in your livewell over 24". His 9-8 was still counted, he just wanted to bring the 10-4 to the scales instead of the 9-8.

 

I love, LOVE slots. It's the exact reason why my home lake represented so well this weekend. That 3 day total is just unreal. Huge congrats to Combs!!!

 

I did not realize that was still his total weight. The way posters above made it sound, or at least the way I interpreted it, it seemed as though he had to release bigger fish.

 

I do agree with slot limits as far as actually keeping fish, don't get me wrong, but I think that livewelling a fish that will eventually be released needs to be a clear distinction from keeping. As for tournaments that the fish will be released from in the end anyways, I think there needs to be exceptions. I would love to see what size fish come out of a legitimate tournament on Dale Hollow Lake or something, but you can't "keep" 5 smallmouth, or so I have heard. I don't see why an exception cannot be granted for a tournament where the fish will all be released anyways.

[bassman31783]

I did not realize that was still his total weight. The way posters above made it sound, or at least the way I interpreted it, it seemed as though he had to release bigger fish.

 

I do agree with slot limits as far as actually keeping fish, don't get me wrong, but I think that livewelling a fish that will eventually be released needs to be a clear distinction from keeping. As for tournaments that the fish will be released from in the end anyways, I think there needs to be exceptions. I would love to see what size fish come out of a legitimate tournament on Dale Hollow Lake or something, but you can't "keep" 5 smallmouth, or so I have heard. I don't see why an exception cannot be granted for a tournament where the fish will all be released anyways.

 

 

I hear ya bud. I've always thought the same thing. The thing I like about TTBC @ Fork was that they were immediately releasing the fish right after they were caught in the area where they were caught. Most of the time I don't think its a big deal, but for this tourney at this time of year I think it's a great format. Though most fish were caught structure fishing in deeper water there were still quite a few bed fish that were caught.  I like the idea of weighing those & getting them back on the beds asap. But yes, it would be very cool to see some big time tourneys on Dale, & Fork more often. Then again, being that Fork is my main lake I would rather not have it get more pressure then it already has. Just this tourney alone is going to bring so many more people to the lake for the next few months & beyond thinking all they have to do is cast a lure & catch a giant. Ha.

[Jrob78]

I hear ya bud. I've always thought the same thing. The thing I like about TTBC @ Fork was that they were immediately releasing the fish right after they were caught in the area where they were caught. Most of the time I don't think its a big deal, but for this tourney at this time of year I think it's a great format. Though most fish were caught structure fishing in deeper water there were still quite a few bed fish that were caught.  I like the idea of weighing those & getting them back on the beds asap. But yes, it would be very cool to see some big time tourneys on Dale, & Fork more often. Then again, being that Fork is my main lake I would rather not have it get more pressure then it already has. Just this tourney alone is going to bring so many more people to the lake for the next few months & beyond thinking all they have to do is cast a lure & catch a giant. Ha.

I had the same thought.  Fork gets crowded enough as it is, this is just going to make it worse.  I'm glad to see it get the recognition it deserves though.

[slimshad]

Hijacking alil here, but I am pretty sure all/most B A S S tournaments have an exceptions.  You can get exceptions through the state.  For instance, they can keep 12" fish at alot of lakes in Florida... 

[VAHunter]

Hijacking alil here, but I am pretty sure all/most B A S S tournaments have an exceptions.  You can get exceptions through the state.  For instance, they can keep 12" fish at alot of lakes in Florida... 

BASS does get some exceptions, but not across the board.  Remember last year when Brandon P. lost his day-two weight for accidentally culling in Minnesota where that practice is illegal?  Hontestly, I don't agree with exceptions.  Tourney fishing or not, we all need to follow the regs for the particular body of water we fish.  If exceptions are granted for the pros, how do we distinguish that for the majority non-fishing public who votes? 

[Zach Dunham]

BASS does get some exceptions, but not across the board.  Remember last year when Brandon P. lost his day-two weight for accidentally culling in Minnesota where that practice is illegal?  Hontestly, I don't agree with exceptions.  Tourney fishing or not, we all need to follow the regs for the particular body of water we fish.  If exceptions are granted for the pros, how do we distinguish that for the majority non-fishing public who votes? 

 

You distinguish it by making a legal difference between "keeping a fish/taking it home" and "livewelling/releasing it later". And also, the whole no culling law is just archaic and needs to change. Culling a livewelled fish has been proven fine over decades all across the country.

[VAHunter]

I agree with you if we lived in a perfect world, but we don't.  Too many people simply do not follow rules/regulations.  Also, the more ambiguity you add to a law the more room is left for interpretation.  No culling laws are outdated, but they are left in place for bass as well as other species.  The law applies to all species and fishermen, i.e., live bait fishermen who may hook fish deep.  Also, some tournament caught fish will die no matter how well we take care of them.  I've had crankbaits literally rip one side of the gills off a bass during the fight.  Finally, while some organizations have rules against culling dead fish, many do not.  I would think that also plays a part in the thinking of some DNR officials. 

[Brian Needham]

I agree, you have to have the laws be black and white, followed as written.

 

otherwise you can have interpetation and preferences play a role.....when that happens it is all a judgement call and nobody can fairly be assessed at that point JMO

[Zach Dunham]

I agree, you have to have the laws be black and white, followed as written.

 

otherwise you can have interpetation and preferences play a role.....when that happens it is all a judgement call and nobody can fairly be assessed at that point JMO

 

I agree with having black and white laws. I just am an idealist and think that those black and white laws should be correct to a T. I also think wardens should and do have the power to give a little mercy when someone's intent was obviously not harmful (IE: the tournament fish millimeters from 12 inches from someone who is not known for doing that).