MLF fish handling penalties

[DinkDreams]

Watched some of the MLF tourney this past weekend for the first time, and I noticed on almost every catch they showed the angler was penalized with a “fish handling violation” and given a 2 minute penalty. None of the catches looked like anything I haven’t seen millions of times, they looked like pretty standard boat flips to me. So what are the anglers expected to do in MLF when they boat a fish? 

[Mike L]

The penalty is when a fish touches any part of the angler or boat between the time the fish is over gunnels and being weighed. 
 

There is an expectation if there is incidental touching at the marshals discretion. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

[Choporoz]

Usually for touching carpet, right?  I think touching anything in the boat is a penalty.  You end up seeing a lot of silly flipping where the guy figures he can catch the fish or the line before the fish hits the deck.

  I have rarely seen competitors angry about the penalty, though.  Sometimes it almost seems like they welcome the 2 minutes to take a breath and collect their thoughts.

[WRB]

In the beginning the MLF anglers received penalties more often. Now the anglers have developed landing techniques without getting a penalty. Sometimes the bass gets unhook mid air or breaks off or the rod breaks on the way being flipped into the boat landing inside and that crease a penalty.

If the bass hits any part of the inside of the boat it’s a penalty, a slight tail touch is a judgement call.

The now MLF allow trapping the fish against the side of the hull and cradle it in the arm, that used to be a penalty. With the big Smallmouth caught on treble hook lures they changed that hull trap rule.

Personally MLF should supply the with approved short handle eco knotless nets. Landing big Smallmouth by hand with treble hook lures is scary!

Tom

 

[TnRiver46]

12 minutes ago, WRB said:

Landing big Smallmouth by hand with treble hook lures is scary!

Tom

 

I’ve been scared a few times in my life, none of those time were trying to land a smallmouth. I think the bass is way more scared than I am. 
 

after mixing it up with 18 wheelers 8 hours a day, I’d gladly let a smallmouth hook me

in the hand 

[Mike L]

I understand the spirit of the hull trap rule 
but I still don’t like it, they had it right the first time. 
Rubbing a fish along the side of a hot and dry hull can’t be better than cradling  against the body to remove trebles. 
 

Heck, even if it’s laid still on the carpet, without rubbing it across of course is better for the fish. 
 

 

 

 

Mike
 

 

[WRB]

4 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I’ve been scared a few times in my life, none of those time were trying to land a smallmouth. I think the bass is way more scared than I am. 
 

after mixing it up with 18 wheelers 8 hours a day, I’d gladly let a smallmouth hook me

in the hand 

If you had a #2 treble imbedded through your hand between the index finger and thumb hand landing a big bass that I lost  grip on it’s scary and painful. This happened to me lifting a 14.2 lb LMB that slipped my grip, the thrashing bass held only by my hooked hand,  thumb damaged as a result.

Tom

[roadwarrior]

A net would be MUCH better.

[MN Fisher]

4 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

A net would be MUCH better.

But where's the excitement in that, Kent?

 

(Ya, I use a net...every time)

[TnRiver46]

17 minutes ago, WRB said:

If you had a #2 treble imbedded through your hand between the index finger and thumb hand landing a big bass that I lost  grip on it’s scary and painful. This happened to me lifting a 14.2 lb LMB that slipped my grip, the thrashing bass held only by my hooked hand,  thumb damaged as a result.

Tom

I’ve been hooked a few times in various places, the fish still gets the bad end of the stick

[BigAngus752]

I heard that they can trap the fish against the hull now, but it's still a violation to swing the fish in and trap it against your body, correct?

 

52 minutes ago, WRB said:

MLF should supply the with approved short handle eco knotless nets.

Agree 100% Tom.  I suspect that when they started this league they envisioned the fishermen lipping most of the fish but 98% of the fish just get boat flipped.  An appropriate, fish-healthy net is better than 20% of their boat flips crashing to the floor.  

[NavyToad]

They should all take a lesson from Bobby Lane on how to boat flip a fish.

[WRB]

Giant bass are not spooked by a hand in the water a net is another story.

Tom

[ironbjorn]

Honestly it's just the Majorly Little Fish penalizing itself for existing

[Captain Phil]

Back in the day, nets were used to net big bass and we always carried one in the boat.  An inexperienced net man has lost many a trophy bass.  I always instructed my netter to place the net still in the water and let me lead the fish into it.  When nets fell out of favor, guys started swinging bass into the boat with predictable results.  Then it seemed everyone was hand lifting bass.  I always cringe when I see someone on TV trying to lip a thrashing bass with a big crankbait hanging from it's mouth.  It's no fun to be tied to a bass with hooks embedded in your hand.  I once had a 5 pound bass tied to my hand, my chest and the fish by a Devil's Horse.  I was alone and there was no one to help me.  That's why I always carry these.

 

[Woody B]

Off topic, but it's gotten off topic.  At my work place we're required to have on "cut proof gloves" anytime we're using a razor blade.  I bought a pair, and put the left one on when dealing with a fish/lure with trebles.  

[dickenscpa]

I'm left handed but I have some nerve damage in the left. So I have to lip the bass with the left hand now because I now have the dexterity in the right only to remove a hook by hand or with pliers. But I have to wear a glove on the left hand because otherwise I don't really know how hard I'm gripping so it saves the fish.

 

Back to MLF and landing penalties. I used to think the penalties and rules were the fishermen and the organization really caring about the wellbeing of the fish. Now I think it's just horse and pony show window dressing. It's something that makes them a little different to other tours.

 

First off if it was really all about the bass their Tackle Warehouse tour would be weigh/release and best 5. Also, I follow quite a few of the MLF'ers on their YouTube channel and they flip and toss bass all around. Hit the carpet and whole 9 yards when they practice or doing other things. So apparently to them it's just a rule they must follow when competing and on their time it's back to flipping and tossing.