Just another week in MLF

[Choporoz]

Incredible fish pulled from a place most have never heard about.  Chowan River was big star of the weekend.

 

Zack Birge starring in this week's controversy.   I got a social media feed video this weekend of him laying down to get under a bridge....and thought it a little nuts, and likely boundary pushing.... but his video started after the part where he got out of his boat to pull his plug.  I don't care how much you lawyer me up with 'it is not prohibited in the rules'..... it wouldn't have been considered by those most concerned about state of the sport with regards to ethics, integrity, pushing boundaries, gray areas, etc.  I hate to be part of perpetuation of negativity towards professional fishing, but it torques me that people are going to be outraged about punishments, but whether he got 'permission' from anyone in TD office... it was a lousy move, IMO.  You got a big ol river....just fish it

 

[Tennessee Boy]

Was he disqualified for it?   If so why?

[gim]

Laying down in his boat to fit under a bridge?  I don't see that working with an outboard and/or shallow water anchors on the transom.  Certainly those stick up much higher.  I say if you can get there without having to get out of your boat, its acceptable.  If he physically has to get out of his boat and push or walk, nope.  That's crossing the line.

[Tennessee Boy]

I found the details.  The fish he caught on the other side of the bridge were DQed because you are not allowed to get out of the boat to gain access to a location.  Getting out to pull the plug was ruled a violation of this rule.  The controversy is he apparently got permission to do it before he did it.

[F14A-B]

Rules rules rules , it’s a hell of a thing. 

[volzfan59]

mlf.......... Enough said 

[gulfcaptain]

Yep, he asked, told them what he was gonna do. Director said that's fine, apparently did it in previous rounds, and after it being seen on live a call was made to the TD. Official was in the boat.....weighed fish.....mind you the Officials know the rules.  Most think it's due to Birge being possibly outspoken about this failing tour, and if he'd been one of the "Golden children " he would have been fine. Problem lies when the TD gives you the ok then its over turned after you did it. If you were granted permission from the TD then all of a sudden someone calls and says no, well too bad. You gave permission.  Live by your ruling, don't change it.  But then MLF has a way of changing rules on the fly which is why well I now represent #FBD. 

[gim]

I saw a video on YouTube about this.  There is footage of him trying to do it.

 

Dude stripped down to his boxers, jumped in, swam underwater to remove the plug, got back in the boat, and tried to creep under a low bridge.  You can see his graphs scraping the concrete and the top of the outboard is all scratched up too.  He had power poles so he could fold those down far enough.

 

Clearly the communication on this is a driving factor.  Asking permission, receiving it, doing it, and then getting punished is a screwed up way to operate.  No offense to this guy but damaging graphs and outboards is not worth it either.

[Choporoz]

8 hours ago, gulfcaptain said:

Yep, he asked, told them what he was gonna do. Director said that's fine, apparently did it in previous rounds, and after it being seen on live a call was made to the TD. Official was in the boat.....weighed fish.....mind you the Officials know the rules.  Most think it's due to Birge being possibly outspoken about this failing tour, and if he'd been one of the "Golden children " he would have been fine. Problem lies when the TD gives you the ok then its over turned after you did it. If you were granted permission from the TD then all of a sudden someone calls and says no, well too bad. You gave permission.  Live by your ruling, don't change it.  But then MLF has a way of changing rules on the fly which is why well I now represent #FBD. 

I understand your points.  And agree with them for the most part.  But I don't have any sense that I know how the conversation with the TD went.  Did Birge tell them he was going to jump in the water to remove the plug?  Or did he let them assume that he was just using a remote plug?  Was it the TD who was authorized to make a judgment call, or a staffer answering phones and reading back from rulebook?  But, I guess my feeling is that Birge shouldn't have made the call in the first place, IMO. 

 

    I felt similarly about a guy I saw who jumped out of his boat on to a dock to land a fish...he knew it was wrong and acknowledged a forthcoming penalty, but did it anyway....the rules are merely suggestions, and the organization is to be challenged.  If you don't honor the organization, or your competitors, at least honor the sport

[gulfcaptain]

1 hour ago, Choporoz said:

I understand your points.  And agree with them for the most part.  But I don't have any sense that I know how the conversation with the TD went.  Did Birge tell them he was going to jump in the water to remove the plug?  Or did he let them assume that he was just using a remote plug?  Was it the TD who was authorized to make a judgment call, or a staffer answering phones and reading back from rulebook?  But, I guess my feeling is that Birge shouldn't have made the call in the first place, IMO. 

 

So it was told to the TD directly,  he told them he didn't have a remote plug.  He was given the ok. But hey it's okay leave your boat for a fish.....5min penalty,  dive underwater 5min penalty.  He never left the boat, had one hand on it at all times.  That tour plays favorites, changes rules(often) and is a sinking ship. Feel bad for those that left when promised a different tour, they just didn't know it was gonna be a difference in badly managed. I'm sure Zack will be in the doghouse and possibly fishing boat docks with Watson as soon as I'm sure he calls out their BS. 

[volzfan59]

@gulfcaptain, I agree #FBD.

[WRB]

Given permission he is good to do what he was OK’d to do!
Tom

[Tennessee Boy]

A guy gets out of the boat to pull the plug then gets back in the boat and goes under a bridge.  Did he get out of the boat to gain access to the water on the other side of the bridge?

 

A guy stops to get gas and gets out of the boat to pay for the gas. Then he gets back in the boat and runs 50 miles.  Did he get out of the boat to gain access to the water 50 miles away?  
 

[Team9nine]

Sadly, the title should be changed to ‘Just another week in professional fishing.” Nice thread now 10 pages deep about the latest BASS controversy/drama on another site. Seems both organizations have been suffering all year with everything going on. Sport needs a major overhaul…or a long ‘time out’ 🤔

[MN Fisher]

8 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

Nice thread now 10 pages deep about the latest BASS controversy/drama on another site.

With 'controversy' being the draw in ratings for other shows - BASS and MLF are just jumping on the bandwagon to try and improve their own ratings.

[Choporoz]

21 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

With 'controversy' being the draw in ratings for other shows - BASS and MLF are just jumping on the bandwagon to try and improve their own ratings.

I don't know....I'd bet B.A.S.S. would just as soon be rid of that 'trait'

[MN Fisher]

2 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

I don't know....I'd bet B.A.S.S. would just as soon be rid of that 'trait'

Soon as they can get away from Fox...sure.

[F14A-B]

1 hour ago, Choporoz said:

I don't know....I'd bet B.A.S.S. would just as soon be rid of that 'trait'

Man you ain’t kidding, that trait be a bad trait 🤣

[bowhunter63]

So how long before the MLF ship sinks for good ?

[Team9nine]

1 minute ago, alonerankin2 said:

Man you ain’t kidding, that trait be a bad trait 🤣

Interesting that the convo took a sudden turn with many praising or defending the BASS ‘whistleblower,’ saying they (the org) would just cover up or keep everything under wraps if they could.

[Tennessee Boy]

To my knowledge the last MLF tournament was not mentioned on this forum until this controversy came up.  You gotta do something to get people to notice.  😆

[Choporoz]

...and that's a bit of a shame.  I didn't watch any live coverage, but my social media feeds were continually bombed with really impressive fish last weekend 

 

Funny....my op first paragraph talked about Chowan under the radar and great catches.....neither of which has merited any sort of comment since

[volzfan59]

5 hours ago, bowhunter63 said:

So how long before the MLF ship sinks for good ?

Not soon enough! #FBD

 

6 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Soon as they can get away from Fox...sure.

I don't know Ken, I like the coverage on Fox much more than when B.A.S.S. was on ESPN.

 

What's the B.A.S.S. scandal all about? I've been busy remodeling a house and admit that I haven't kept up with the last few tournaments.

[MN Fisher]

28 minutes ago, volzfan59 said:

on Fox

I refuse to watch anything on Fox....reasons.

[12poundbass]

https://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_123/mlf-birge-penalty-61224.html

 

Not sure why it wasn’t discussed by MLF before jumping the gun. Now they’re backtracking.